Junie Browning's Crazy Ass

so junie browning had a short and unremarkable stint in the Octagon this week. i'm an avid follower of The Ultimate Fighter series and have been watching the show since it began. i'm impressed and very pleased by the way TUF has blown up and how its success has rippled out to the UFC and MMA as a whole. but the antics of junie browning? come on...

i understand that crazy shit sells, and that the main demographic of Spike TV is probably attracted to junie-esque hijinx. you pack a Vegas mansion full of testosterone-spiked fighters, take away their phones, their families, their sex and yes - you will end up with over-the-top action full of anger and/or grossness. they spill their seed on a japanese delicacy, create effigies to demolish, and destroy the artwork and architecture in the mansion. but junie was at a completely different level. at the time of the show, he wasn't emotionally or cognitively prepared for what was ahead of him. and i think that may be troublesome for two reasons:

1. he's embarking on a new and scary ride by entering the life of the professional MMA fighter. taken from his old life, he's thrust into the spotlight with screaming fans and big money; his destiny is in the hands of the successful but ruthless big heads of the UFC. is someone who is that emotionally and mentally unstable fit for such a lifestyle? if he becomes successful and has more money, more pressure, and more ladies tossed his way, will he be able to react appropriately? i hope that in the time between the show and now, he's gotten the help he needs. yes, i have heard that he's addressed his drinking problem - but with every major life change comes both new and old ghosts to haunt you every night. i guess time will tell whether he's truly come around or not.

2. these young dudes are the new faces of the UFC. they should represent the organization and the sport in the best and most respectable way possible. MMA has come a long way from tournaments in backwater towns that pit one martial art against another. it's rough and it's brutal but it's also calculated and technical. it has safeguards and professionalism. it's both a sport and a business, and the athletes who represent it should reflect that. it bothers me that someone who doesn't know or respect MMA could channel surf to TUF and see someone like junie going off the deep end (figuratively and literally), and that his actions would validate their negative views of the sport. grasping for ratings is one thing, but i'm certain they can find weird and interesting characters to fill the mansion without resorting to someone whose actions may slow the progress of MMA toward a respectable household name.

i hope boys like junie and jesse taylor can get their shit under control and prove their worth as fighters and men. one thing about the UFC, if you've got talent and are not insubordinate, they'll give you your chance(s) in the Octagon. junie has time for redemption. but the clock is ticking...