Andrew Cuomo takes 75k from Zuffa, omits MMA from NY budget proposal

[Spiritwalker]

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/2/3/197...omits-mma-from


Anyone here live in NY??


Looks like the Las Vegas gamers lost a few quarters trying to play the NY slot machine.

That's because Zuffa, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), reportedly gambled upwards of $75,000 as a campaign contribution for New York's newly-elected Governor Andrew Cuomo, who repaid the world's largest fight promotion by omitting mixed martial arts (MMA) sanctioning from his 2011-2012 budget proposal.

New York is one of just six states that (still) does not regulate MMA.

UFC held a public press conference at Madison Square Garden (MSG) just last month with New York assemblyman Dean Murray and MSG Sports president Scott O'Neil to present an independent economic impact study indicating the "Empire State" would generate about $16 million from the UFC alone based on just two pay-per-view (PPV) events per year, split between "The World's Most Famous Arena" and Buffalo's HSBC Arena.

And that doesn't include the jobs and additional income from regional or independent promotions also throwing their hat into the New York fight scene.

Money talks and Andrew Cuomo walks.



Justin Klein sums up Cuomo's "New York State of Mind" (via The Fight Nerd):

"I am not really sure what to make of this proposal, but it seems like a bad sign for all combative sports, not just MMA, and may shed some light on the Governor's view of the 'economics' of these sports in New York in general... Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget makes clear, he is tackling a $10 Billion dollar budget deficit and MMA with an estimated $23 million in 'economic impact' is simply not compelling. Zuffa has pumped $74,600 into Cuomo's campaign and hoped the Democrat would work towards approving MMA in the state. It seems that Zuffa's money has fallen on deaf ears, and that MMA will still be at least another year away from New York."

Former New York Governor David Paterson first proposed MMA legislation in early 2010 to help reduce the state's $9 billion deficit; however, Assembly Democrats stripped approval from the budget bill shortly thereafter.

And it wasn't the first time MMA came oh-so-close to becoming legal.

It appeared to be on the verge of sanctioning back in 2008, but some eleventh-hour concerns from uneducated members of the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development scuttled its passage.

Another session on the matter began in the state capital on Jan. 7, 2009, and was voted on later in the year, indicating that the pendulum was perhaps finally swinging in a positive direction.

Unfortunately, progress was stymied once again.

In particular, the efforts were targeted by detractors like Democratic Assemblyman Bob Reilly, who referred to the sport of MMA as a "glorification of brutality and violence" and continues to do everything in his power to sabotage the process.

For now, it looks like he may be winning.

[VCURamFan]

Yeah, that was pretty shiesty move, IMO, but I can't say I'm surprised: Cuomo never once said he intended on supporting MMA, he was just happy taking their money.

[J.B.]

Can't wait for Bob Arum to book the next big boxing match at Yankees stadium.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by J.B.

Can't wait for Bob Arum to book the next big boxing match at Yankees stadium.

Hahahahaha

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

Yeah, that was pretty shiesty move, IMO, but I can't say I'm surprised: Cuomo never once said he intended on supporting MMA, he was just happy taking their money.

Originally Posted by J.B.

Can't wait for Bob Arum to book the next big boxing match at Yankees stadium.

"...brutality and violence", but they allow boxing and hockey; it makes no sense. And Cuomo just looks like another hypocritical politician.

Some quotes from DW and Arum:

In 2007, UFC president Dana White accused him of "sucking the life out of the sport (boxing) and not putting anything back in." Amongst White's criticisms were that Arum had created a weak undercard for the De La Hoya-Mayweather fight in 2007 saying Arum did not promote the show correctly. "He promoted that show completely the wrong way, because he worried about the money as opposed to trying to secure the future", White said. "He should have stacked that card. He should have had Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins and (Marco Antonio) Barrera and Winky Wright on there and used it to show that boxing is back". Arum responded by saying that MMA fighters need to examine the revenues being generated and ask why the UFC wasn't paying them more. White made these comments not realizing that Arum did not promote the De La Hoya-Mayweather bout, and was not involved in any way with the fight. His only connection was being he former promoter of both fighters. [5] [6]

In late-2009, Arum called UFC fans "skinhead white guys". Bas Rutten accused him of racism for this remark.[5] Arum also stated that MMA fighters are "guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground."[6] Earlier in the year, Arum described UFC President Dana White as "nuts" and "a little too much of a loose cannon" for White's use of a gay slur in reference to an MMA reporter.[7]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

"...brutality and violence", but they allow boxing and hockey; it makes no sense. And Cuomo just looks like another hypocritical politician.

Post of the day Bonnie!!

[flo]

Originally Posted by Miss Foxy

Post of the day Bonnie!!

Word!

They have MMA it is called the NBA. Players chase fans and lay the smackdown all the time in New York

[Llamafighter]

The thing is if he pushed the bill and it came up that he was given 75k in campaign contributions by ZUFFA, then people would start questioning that.

My thought is that this initial snub is just being done so that when he pushes it through in the future they can't say anything. He'll always have the defense of "75k yeah I accepted the gift, and if you look at the records I left it off the bill that year too".
who knows what these whacko politicians are thinking. I can't imagine the Knicks and The Mets are bringing in any cash.

[rockdawg21]

Originally Posted by Spiritwalker

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/2/3/197...omits-mma-from

Justin Klein sums up Cuomo's "New York State of Mind" (via The Fight Nerd):

That's where Zuffa went wrong. DUH!!!!!