There may be no bigger scam going in print/Web media than the mailbag. Letting readers do most of the opining smacks of serious writer apathy. With UFC 54 cooling on the sill and the PRIDE Grand Prix thoroughly cross-examined in other pages, now is as good a time as any to use the “Get Out of My Deadline Free” card. Largely uninformed rants will resume in this space next week.

Feedback from my initial series of thoughts has been surprisingly civil and literate. Truth be told, it’s a little disappointing. An inbox without Scrabble-vomit protestations is like a day without sunshine.

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING LINDLAND

I thoroughly agree with Lindland's silver medal being the strongest claim to athletic authenticity the UFC has, in terms of how the masses perceive things at least. I hate watching Lindland fight usually, his style's uglier than his countenance, maybe that's why the dim spotlight. — Rory

Lindland usually wins ugly, no question about it. But the key word here is “win.” If a 9-3 UFC middleweight record can’t net you a title shot and a little respect, I question why fighters bother trying to snag a W in the first place. Lindland occupies the same space as Arona in Japan and Chris Byrd in boxing: he is a tactician who will grind you down. While it may not be as flashy as fans might like, it’s as valid a style as any.

Word has come down that the UFC may scratch Lindland from the roster due to his choice of sponsored clothing. Online sportsbook URLs are a big no-no. How anyone could take this as anything other than fishing for a technicality is beyond me. Something as innocuous as a T-shirt should result in a fine at best. Should Lindland respect the UFC’s wishes? Of course. Would the UFC consider firing Liddell or Couture if they had committed the same offense? Not a chance.

Do you think a MMA fighter’s personality will eventually have more influence on who gets to fight over their actual ability? I don’t like the idea of Dana White or other MMA leaders pushing fights that are more about personality than a fighter’s ability. What say you on this topic? Does the old saying, “it’s who you know”, become more apparent as the MMA world opens the doors to commercialization? — John

The idea that Lindland could have the success he’s had in the UFC and be summarily dismissed over a shirt logo before he gets an opportunity at the title should answer your question.

There are fighters who win, fighters who are exciting, and fighters who have a personality. The marquee stars are those fighters who can combine all three into a marketable package. The day the sport dismisses athletes who “merely” win is the day we take another step in the path paved by professional wrestling. Winning has to continue to mean something.

VAN ARSDALE OVER RANDY? DID I SAY THAT?

There is no way Randy will get beat Saturday night. I read your article on Sherdog.com and you must be on crazy or something. Oh yea and the Chuck and Horn fight will not go the distance so it doesn’t matter if Chuck has the wind to go 5 or not, I don't see it going past the second round, Chuck by knockout, Randy ko by strikes. Then Randy will be back in the running for the light-heavyweight title AGAIN. — Jeff

I think you should have your nuts slammed in a vice if you think Randy will lose to Van Arsdale. Thank you, that is all. — Nick

Hey, Van Arsdale looked decent in the first round. And … and …

I got nothin’.

Couture is Couture. He did look a bit out of step, but rumors have surfaced over a knee injury that kept him from performing the way he would’ve liked. Eventually I’ll realize you can hold your breath waiting for Randy to “get old” and turn into a Smurf long before he has to grab a cane.

But by the time he steps into the cage with Liddell a third time, I do fear he won’t have the agility to contend with a massively confident Chuck. Smart money says that the UFC won’t risk any damage to their huge box office draws and this rubber match will happen by year’s end.

And I like the “on crazy” bit. I’m stealing it.

TANK’S A LOT

Doesn’t it seem that DSE is desperate to feed some American to Yoshida after he got pummeled by Rulon Gardner? I don’t think they expect Tank to beat, or even put on a good performance against Yoshida…they just want to give their fans what they want to see: their Japanese hero sitting on a bloated and defeated American chest. — Daniel

“Bloated” and “defeated” are pretty apt descriptions for Abbott, who has done a better job of milking the occasional KO more than any other fighter in history. Being a closeted Tank fan, it would be hilarious to see him show up and knock Yoshida into Roppungi. But this is simply a horrible style match-up for him, as he had absolutely nothing for Frank Mir (Pictures) or Kimo on the mat. That Gi is going to give him all kinds of problems.

There are big, loud Americans that come cheaper than Tank for DSE to exploit. Why they’d spend the coin it takes to retain his services and not give the American fans a KO to cheer is a little odd. But questioning DSE’s choices is like auditioning for an Advil commercial.

CAGE RAGE

Those fighters who wish to stall, or hope to be saved by the ref by being near the ropes, keeps me from ordering ANY Pride pay per view. Like Chuck Liddell (Pictures) did against Rampage when he was unmercifully beaten down, he stuck his hand in the ropes to avoid the slam from Rampage. This wouldn't have happened in the UFC.

With the exception of a Liddell vs. Silva match in Pride, I will never order a Pride pay per view just because it's in a ring and not a cage. The UFC uses the slogan "As Real As It Gets" for a reason. There are no ring ropes in real fighting. People follow UFC because it represents the closest thing to reality in any given real world situation. — Mark

I would venture to say most locales don’t have an Octagon set up for those spontaneous “real world” encounters, either. While MMA is certainly the loosest of the combat sports in regard to structure, I really don’t believe it represents any sort of faux street fight scenario. Most fights are sloppy, desperate affairs that can and will involve third parties or foreign objects. The UFC has major image problems by retaining the Octagon. I’m not exactly sure why it’s in their death grip — the very nature of MMA action gives it its own identity. Props aren’t needed.

PENN AT WORK

You could make the argument that Penn seems more interested in beating aging Gracies for big bucks than holding a UFC title (exclusively that is). It really does seem his top priority is making money, not great fights. He knowingly forfeited his UFC title to fight Bang Ludwig (who at 170 posed literally no threat). You can't tell me that Bang, or any Gracie, poses a greater challenge than a match-up with Trigg, GSP, Sherk, or a rematch with Hughes. I know it, you know it, and Penn knows it. — David

I don’t think anyone can begrudge B.J. for making as much money as he can with the time his body allows. Unfortunately, K-1 is able to offer him very few competitive match-ups at 170 lbs, which is what B.J.’s frame is rated for. With St. Pierre wowing Las Vegas crowds as of late, interest in seeing Penn return might begin to wane.

It is unfortunate the UFC puts so much stock in what happens overseas: if Penn were to periodically fight in the States, 95 percent of the fans watching would have no idea what he has or hasn’t done there. A UFC world title means just that: you happen to be the best in the world in the UFC at that particular time. A loss in K-1 wouldn’t negate that fact.

On the other side of the coin, we’ve recently seen the UFC’s risk with Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in the 2003 Grand Prix come back to haunt them, with FSN highlighting his lethargic performance against Quinton Jackson (Pictures) in the semifinals. I doubt that will do anything for inter-promotional relations.

FEEL THE LOVE

I guess it is the media’s place to get facts wrong, but I figured someone that is an actual MMA journalist would actually research his own article before writing it. First… Yeah, it’s been done… but Jeremy Horn (Pictures) has great standup, much better in technique than Liddell’s, so he doesn’t need to take it to the ground though I imagine he will (and yes, he can).

As we’ve seen, technique doesn’t do a whole lot when Liddell is throwing punches from angles that mathematicians haven’t even discovered yet.

Second… Rich Franklin (Pictures) has a better record than Lindland, and he doesn’t bite people (sounds like a better marketing vehicle to me).

I stated Lindland has a better middleweight record than Franklin, which is true. And I have yet to see him lay choppers on anyone in MMA.

Also, have you even seen Doerksen fight? He has a great chance of beating Lindland, I personally see it going like the Terrell fight.

Fascinating.

We all have opinions, but it’s obvious you don’t watch anything but the UFC, because your opinions are extremely pathetic. — Doug

You must be on crazy.

IN BRIEF, SPECIAL MEDIA WATCH EDITION: In a battle of ambassadors, DSE was able to trump the UFC this past week when Bas Rutten (Pictures) made a splash on Fox Sport’s “Best Damn Sports Show.” Blissfully relieved of Tom Arnold, the hosts did a nice job of lobbing softballs at an engaging, charismatic Rutten. It’s criminal this guy never got a full-bore MMA career off the ground. … In contrast, Chuck Liddell (Pictures)’s appearance on the insipid “Too Late with Adam Carolla” proved that for some people, talking is more nerve-wracking than getting clocked in the face. Liddell has the proper intensity and style to be a breakout star, but a few lessons in public speaking wouldn’t hurt him. … And what of the debut of PRIDE’s new FSN show? Thanks to mat-wary execs, it’s little more than a glorified Toughman contest, with hardly a glimpse of the ground fighting that makes the sport unique. But the more MMA on TV, the merrier. … Barring injury, Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) should retain his Grand Prix title. It’s unlikely PRIDE officials will let Arona lay on him for 15 minutes, and it’s even less likely his protégé will be able to get the better of him in a firefight. Look for Overeem to give Rua all he can handle in a decision. … Fedor vs. Filipovic might be over with too quickly to live up to expectations. As evidenced in his fights with Coleman and Randleman, Fedor is incredibly savvy with submissions in transition. Filipovic is a spaz on the mat: his scrambles should provide the champ with ample opportunity to snag an armbar.