Think even the biggest names in mainstream sports have a clue about MMA? Make sure to watch the video of Dana on ESPN ‘debating’ the merits of MMA with Michael Wilbon we posted on yesterday. Dana used it as an opportunity to put over his product relative to EliteXC’s, but the big story *should* have been Wilbon. Wilbon–who is a vocal opponent of MMA–is SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT THERE’S SUCH A THING AS A ‘GROUND GAME’ IN MMA!!! Way to learn about a subject before you ‘report’ on it, let alone oppose it vehemently. Best analogy to his reaction to that ‘revelation’ (credit to one of the writers on Bloody Elbow) is a comparison to not knowing about ‘defense’ in pro football. The sad thing is that Wilbon is considered one of the best in the business–based on his work on mainstream sports (aka the ones he actually *knows* something about) deservedly so. Still, if one of the best in the business has such a profound ignorance to the utter basics of the sport–and STILL feels comfortable covering it, not to mention CONDEMNING it–you can be sure that the sports writer hack way down the food chain knows even less.

One reaction to this would be to say that it is incumbant upon those of us who *do* know about and appreciate the sport to help educate the media. As it relates to the general public, that’s certainly the case. With the MSM sports media, however, not only do they have every opportunity to learn about the subject before they start flapping their botoxed gums about how they hate it it IS THEIR JOB TO DO SO! The bottom line is that they simply don’t care which implies not only a lack of intellectual curiosity, but a complete malfeasance of their duties as sports journalists. Had Wilbon all of a sudden expressed incredulity about the presence of defense in the NFL, or even in the NHL, he would have been spending the early part of this week revising his resume and checking want ads. This isn’t to suggest that he should be fired over this–he shouldn’t–but that he and those who seek to emulate him have a responsibility to their own role as journalists to get their facts straight. There’s nothing wrong about *not* knowing the basics of MMA, let along being an expert on the topic. There *is* something wrong with going in front of millions of viewers and speaking authoritatively on a subject about which you are profoundly ign0rant. That this is the rule rather than the exception among the mainstream sports media is a pitiful commentary on the state of the journalistic profession.

Our homeboy Michael David Smith over at AOL Fanhouse wrote about Dana on ESPN with the video we refer to here

He also wrote a GUIDE TO MMA FOR THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA that Wilbon needs to read