What will CBS think?
I became violently ill yesterday and still feel like dirt. Then I woke up this morning to find an article on the Southern Poverty Law Center website that reports that “White Nationalist” Melvin Costa competed for the King of the Cage promotion as recently as December:
Last Oct. 18, shortly after Costa’s comments and pictures of his tattoos were republished widely on MMA fan websites, Gary Shaw, the live events president of the parent company that owns King of the Cage, issued this statement: “I try not to allow anyone to fight in the cage or the ring that has anything inappropriate either on their gear or tattooed permanently on their body. And that means either ethnic, or racial, or anything offensive to the general public. I was unaware of the situation but I’m in the process of handling it now. Hopefully, it will never happen again.”
But it did, less than two months later. Costa fought in a King of the Cage event held last Dec. 18. For the first time, though, he lost. Davis, for his part, did not return two E-mails seeking clarification on his league’s regulation of fighters with “inappropriate” tattoos.
In light of what EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw told me back then, I can honestly say I feel even more sick than I already did.
Here’s what Shaw told me on the record when I interviewed him about the Costa situation last October:
“I was unaware of the situation (but) I’m in the process of handling it now,” he said. “Hopefully, it will never happen again.”
Yet even after being made aware of the situation ProElite chose to allow Costa to fight again for King of the Cage. In addition to the Southern Poverty Law Center report, a simple search of Sherdog.com’s Fight Finder shows that Costa competed on December 2 for King of the Cage, losing to Jason Jones when he submitted to an armbar at 4:18 of round 1.
Let me make it clear; I hold no ill will towards Costa (CLICK HERE to read my October interview with him). He’s entitled to his beliefs and is entitled to a right to fight so long as he’s licensed. However, I question ProElite’s judgment of allowing someone with a Swatiska on their chest to represent the company.
From a moral aspect, I think it’s wrong and it disgusts me. But I don’t want to make this about me because people are going to refer to my last name and somehow claim that I am biased (I can’t wait for the lovely Zionist references!). So let’s look at this from an aspect of corporate accountability. ProElite has major business relationships with both CBS and SHOWTIME. If King of the Cage was still an independent organization, I’d have no beef with the decision to allow Costa to fight, so long as he’s good enough. But KOTC is no longer an independent organization and falls under the corporate umbrella of ProElite.
Anytime you allow someone with a tattoo of a Swastika to represent your company, it comes with some major risks. Is allowing Costa to continue to compete for the promotion worth the potential backlash? Is Costa worth the possibility of losing deals with SHOWTIME and CBS? And don’t tell me I’m being melodramatic, if civil rights groups get a hold of the Costa situation you better believe SHOWTIME and CBS are going to hear about the situation and they could be pressured into doing something. If this story gains any traction whatsoever with the mainstream media, you better believe it’s going to cause damage to the company. ProElite had a chance to nip the situation in the bud, and they didn’t.
If you look at the decision to use Costa again after all of the original controversy ensued from a pure business perspective, it’s unacceptable. When you have a major corporate partner such as CBS, situations like this CAN’T HAPPEN.
I’ve asked the question before and I will ask it again, why would you allow someone with a Swastika tattooed to their chest to represent your company? Maybe I’ll get some answers during the course of the day.
Sam Caplan is the President of Combat Sports Media, LLC, the parent company of FiveOuncesOfPain.com. CSM is a B-2-B outsource solution in the MMA industry and provides PR, web management, and other consulting services to MMA companies. Clients of CSM include the Combat Sports Championships and Showtime.
| All posts by Sam Caplan
“unfortunatly dipshits like costa have no clue about any of the swazticas larger history and tarnish it with a bad name.”
Yeah but Hitler kinda beat him to it….
evan: i ain’t a nazi apologist i’m just telling some well documented historical facts about the swastica which ww2 can’t change. i for one despise everything hitler’s germany stood for a lot of reasons, but i also have some personal ones. one of my grandmas spent ww2 as forced labor in hamburg as a teenager after watching her family get shot for being part of the polish resistance, while my grandpa who married her spent all of ww2 minus 3 weeks as a prisoner of war; after which he committed suicide because of depression problems. my other gramps stormed normandy and i’m proud of all of them.
J, I think Costa already made clear his stance as a “white nationalist”. His use of the swastika is clearly in line with the generally conceived concept about the symbol, not anything to do with ancient Asia.
Sure Sam you can use post 142.
GB, regarding post 147. Costa will probably get fired because of what his Swastika tatoo symbolizes. He must be aware of the possible consequences of such a decision. One might even ask the question does he stand to gain more or lose more by his decision? Let’s explore the probable meaning behind this apparent madness.
What doe he stand to gain?
Melvin’s deliberate decision to expose a Swaztika tatoo front and center of his body guarantees that Media attention will be focused on him(Melvin Costa the man)both prior to (its already started in this forum) and after his termination by ProElite.
It is a risk that he’s clearly willing to take perhaps to focus attention on his political beliefs about race& culture as well as his fighting career. If his gambit succeeds, it gets people and the media talking. Millions will know Melvin Costa, the MMA fighter and the”White Power” proponent (I didn’t before Sam’s post).If/when he gets fired and sues ProElite for discriminating against him for promoting discrimination(mindboggling), and gets a settlement, he is better off financially(especially if he is not a great fighter?) and can retire early.
If this situation gets enough media attention, all kinds of mainstream and interest group pressures will force ProElite to act. As a business enterprise seeking profit through advertising sponsorships, it won’t risk negative exposure. So this might be a forseen &calculated reaction to Melvin’s initial play.
What does he stand to lose?
If the media doesn’t bite or buy it then nothing happens. More people know who he is and what he believes and he goes on being Melvin Costa.
If he gets fired and doesn’t get a settlement, he loses his job @ ProElite but gets exposure for his beliefs and his fledgling career.
He really doesn’t stand to lose much. If he really wants to continue fighting anywhere he can just cover up the tatoos and keep his racial ideologies internal but his goal must be mass exposure or he wouldn’t risk getting fired.
Wow he has a tattoo that-you-don’t agree with so lets all talk about taking away his rights as a person. Why dont you bring up the gangmember Kimbo which is fighting for them too. There are videos everywhere of him making derogatory statements about whites. You are filled with white guilt and are ultimately racist against your own race.
First off, i can defiantly understand how, letting a fighter with a Swastika tattoo can jeopardize the liability of the show. Mainly because of so many ppl have sticks up their asses. It can also make the sport look bad to alot of ppl. BUT There are many other fighters who make it look bad all in their own.
You can not deny someone their rights to fight though, simply because of his tattoos or his beliefs. The sport is about fighting. If he is a well trained, well mannered fighter. LET HiM FIIGHT.. its his right. Stop being pussies. What he does outside the octagon ..is not ones business, you think kimbo or rampage are boyscouts outside of the octogon? Doubtful.
Grow up ppl. This is about someones rights. And its about MMA. He isnt fucking running for president.
Get over yourselves and stop being what you hate.