Let me rephrase. SOME tv is watchable again. Obviously we are on the brink of the beginning of Americas’ real pastime, football. The NCAA season started yesterday and the pros start next week. Friggin’ finally. I can’t even watch Sportscenter anymore because all they want to talk about is lame-ass baseball, lame-ass Nascar, and lame-ass tournament Basketball (USA vs. Angola? Who cares?). It always seems like forever and three days between football seasons, and weekends are especially pointless without my football fix (Saturday AND Sunday, bitches!). I’ll probably have to focus more this season on college football, because my Chiefs are looking quite shaky heading in to the regular season. I’m always going to be a fan, but I hope that they don’t turn into a perennial loser that can’t manage to notch more than 5 in the win column (see: Lions, Browns, Cardinals, Raiders). I’m concerned about that every season, but I suppose I’ve gotten used to a solid offensive line and an effective QB. This year? Not so much.

In what has recently appeared to be a gift from the gods, MMA has stepped up to the plate and provided people with something exciting to watch year-round. Last week, we got together with a few of my peoples to watch UFC 74. That shit was awesome. Randy “I’m your dads age” Couture thoroughly dispached Gabriel Gonzaga, who is nearly half Randy’s age and bigger, stronger, faster. I don’t think many people realistically believed that Randy could pull it off, but he did, and in convincing fashion. Great entertainment. Plus George St. Pierre won, and I like that guy (even though he’s from Canada, i’ll let that slide…..this time.) Next week (UFC 75, Sept 8th) has several fights on one card that I’m willing to sleep through the entire week so I can see immediately:

#1 Rampage Jackson vs Dan Henderson: I love Rampage’s ridiculocity, humor, and fighting style–and I hope he wins this one. Henderson is a seriously dangerous fighter, and a tough guy to root against because he seems like a respectful and pleasant dude. More importantly, he beat the hell out of Wanderlei Silva in PRIDE. Silva, as most MMA fans know, consistently whoops Rampages’ ass. I’m glad that the UFC is openly courting fighters from PRIDEFC, which I feel has the most talent in MMA right now (sorry Vale Tudo and K1..people want that UFC paycheck apparently).

#2 Mirko Cro Cop vs. Cheik Kongo: I really thought Cro Cop invincible in the UFC until he caught one of the most brutal kicks ever courtesy of Gabriel Gonzaga. Regardless, he’s still an extremely powerful striker with the serious task of reviving his reputation. I haven’t seen much of Kongo, but the dude is a 6′4″ 240 lbs chunk of concrete with excellent striking. From what I’ve seen from both fighters, they prefer to avoid ground fighting and submissions–that translates into someone is getting knocked the hell out, and quickly. I think Cro Cop will take this one but everyone has a punchers’ chance.

#3 Houston Alexander (pic) vs. Alessio Sakara: It may seem weird, but I’m actually the most anxious about this fight. Alexander came out of nowhere and embarrassed the hell out of Keith Jardine in what had to be the biggest upset of recent memory. This dude has bricks for fists and a mean streak. I’d like to see if he can continue to pummel people or if he’s just a flash in the ring. I think the key for Alexander is the fact that people continue to underestimate his handspeed and power. We haven’t seen much in the way of his ground technique or experience defending grapplers, so this should be interesting. Sakara is a decorated striker, in fact he’s an Italian boxing champion with some impressive hands. Gonna go with Alexander on this one.

PS. I heard a rumor that the UFC was openly trying to work out a contract with Fedor Emelianenko (pic), who’s been at the #1 ranked heavyweight in the the world for 4 years–in everyone’s polls. I’ve never seen this Russian robot (think Ivan Drago from Rocky IV, only bigger, stronger, and real) hurt, knocked down, or panicked. Besides that, he’s never lost a professional fight and has zero known weaknesses. I’m quite sure that he cannot be beaten in the UFC, but we’ll see what happens.