NFL in the Cage
I have watched a few mixed martial arts tournaments. It’s not really my thing (see IseeRobots.com for that type of insight)but they are entertaining. With professional boxing on its last leg it will likely subplant it as America’s favorite fighting based sport. Within these shows you get a wide variety of athletic specimens. Tank Abbott who looks like a bar room bouncer. Royce Gracie who is slight but wins by technique and stamina. The oddity of this sport is former professional football player Bob Sapp .
My brother pointed out Sapp a few years back as a physical specimen for any sport and I agree. The cat is humongous, even by lineman standards, and he seems to tower over any competitor. Of course his pro football career was a wash out. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round and played in one game. His career was cut short by numerous steroid violations. I’ve seen Sapp fight a few times and his sheer size and strength are impressive but he seems to be the proverbial gentle giant in the ring.
As of August 2006 he was 8-2 in MMA fights and destoryed William “The Refrigerator” Perry in toughman boxing match on FX. Sapp was a crappy professional football player, though a solid one at the University of Washington, and I started to wonder which current football player could make the transition from the grid iron to the cage.
This notion was also brought by Brian Urlacher’s run in with Bas Rutten in the fall of 2005. Apparently Bas stepped on Urlacher’s foot in a crowded bar and the All Pro linebacker took exception and asked him to step outside. Despite being three inches taller and outweighing Bas by 40 pounds cooler heads prevailed and Urlacher was led away. Though Bas was also 40 years old at the time a part of me believes he would kicked the jive out of Urlacher. This hurts me to admit it as a Bears fan but Bas is scary. Though Urlacher has wrestling experience, which includes beating up Johnny Fairplay, he’d get his ass kicked. But I do believe there are football players that could cross over into the realm of MMA.
Larry Allen: He makes Bob Sapp look weak after bench pressing 700 lbs. and a partial squat of 900 lbs. Facing Allen has been compared to wrestling a bull.
Ray Lewis: The only thing I can say about Lewis is when he was arrested for double homicide I wasn’t surprised the least.
Olin Kreutz: Center for the Chicago Bears is the former Hawaii State Heavyweight Wrestling Champ. Also Kreutz hit his own teammate in the head with a five pound weight during an altercation at the FBI shooting range.
Lawrence Taylor: LT put the fear of God in most opposing players during his 13-year career. Plus he has some fighting experience in the WWF after his football career ended.
In all honesty many talents that have made the aforementioned players dominate in the NFL would like be rendered worthless in the cage. Lewis’ quick feet would be a moot point but his agressive nature and strength (mixed with training in a particular fighting style) could lead to some victories. Allen’s abnormal strength and agression are beneficial as an offensive lineman but it stands to reason he might be the next Bob Sapp.
