I just got done reading the interview by Ben Fowlkes with New York Legislator Bob Reilly in Sports Illustrated.  First of all I have to agree with Fowlkes on the fact that we should give Reilly credit in the fact that he would be interviewed by an apparent proponent of MMA.  You can read the interview on Cagepotato.  There are two parts to the inteview, so access part one here, and part two here.

In reading the interview, it was very apparent to me that Reilly is a typical politician.  He obviously knows what is best for everyone else, and knows that people can’t make decisions on their own, without the help of the government to intervene.  At one point in the interview he says, “Government says what you can and can’t do.”  Hmmm…Bob, I thought it was the role of the government to listen to the people, and govern based on the will of the people.

Fowlkes asks Reilly if he feels like this is a David and Goliath story.  Reilly likens himself to David, where the UFC is Goliath.  Give me a break!  If the UFC were Goliath, they would be doing shows in New York State right now, and Reilly would be trying to get it stopped.  Remember, Reilly has a whole staff of people to find documentation on his stance, he has a budget from the tax payers of the state of New York.  Reilly is no David that is for sure!

Fowlkes asks, “But for one, that was Pride, which had several rule differences between itself and the UFC, and two, harming your opponent to the point of unconsciousness is one of the ways you win a boxing match, isn’t it?”  Reilly’s reply is, “It’s not a stated goal, though.”  Reilly, of course it is a stated goal.  Why do you think they have a “KO” in boxing, because you win the fight if you knock your opponent out.

I could go on and on about this interview, which I thought was very well done by Ben Fowlkes, but the answers Bob Reilly gave were truly rediculous.  This is Bob Reilly’s chance for his 15 minutes of fame.  He is trying to find a soap box to stand on, so when reelection comes up he can have a reason why he should continue to be a legislator.   I was going to broadcast his views on the topic from a YouTube video, but it’s not even worth broadcasting his statements because they don’t make sense.

If New Yorker’s don’t want the UFC or any other type of mixed martial arts venue, fine.  Go somewhere else.  Send the tax revenues to other states and communities who appreciate the dynamics of mixed martial arts.