Letters

More UFC Fights in Tulsa

(re: Pugilistics, Jan. 10-16)

Dear UTW:

Just read Dwayne Davis' write-up about Strikeforce. If I had to sum it up I'd say BRAVO! and THANK YOU!

Tulsa deserves not only the Strikeforce show, but another UFC event in general. As Dwayne mentioned, we routinely pack out casinos for XFL/XFN and King of the Cage. Back when Ultimate Fight Night was at Cox Convention Center, we were one of, if not the, biggest gate for a UFC fight night at that time. We drew a large crowd compared to the other fight nights that had happened before that. It seems that Zuffa may not know a major part of that crowd comes from Tulsa. Plus, Tulsa is usually in the top 5-10 markets for PPV buys on UFC cards.

The initial November card was to feature Cormier vs. Mir, and I can understand that with the Cormier/OSU ties, they put it in OKC in attempts to draw that crowd. Now Cormier is a featured bout but it's nowhere near the star power fight it would have been against Frank Mir. They put it in OKC, in my opinion, as kind of an "I owe ya one" situation. My hope is that they look toward Tulsa for the next go round though.

I go to many MMA events. I'm a huge fan. Been to Vegas a few times for big cards and gone to Strikeforce multiple times. I try to attend every local fight at Hard Rock and River Spirit; I've gone up to KC for the last 2 Invicta FC events -- and each time I get to have a conversation with the promoters or staff (I usually do, I'm a people person so I can easily get into conversations with anyone), I bring up how we need not just one, but MULTIPLE events in Tulsa. I've had the chance to bug Dana White about it, Joe Silva, Shannon Knapp (Invicta President), and many more. The BOK Center would be a fantastic host to an event, and I truly believe it would be packed out for a UFC pay-per-view card, FX, or even FUEL event.

It's nice to see other people taking notice of this. Great write-up, and hopefully it helps us get our much deserved event!

--Ryan Llewellyn

Beans Not Junk Food!

Dear UTW:

I keep on hearing radio ads about 1 out of 6-8 Americans not knowing where their next meal is coming from. (Some we are told may play bingo with your grandmother!) I also hear ads enticing people with no money to buy lottery tickets. I hear ads that we are supposed to buy JUNK Girl Scout cookies to clog the arteries of our loved ones! Maybe we should give money to the Girl Scouts to give out dried beans, rice, barley, and egg noodles, and teach the poor how to cook them instead of encouraging them to buy lottery tickets and Girl Scout cookies. Is it too late to stop this massive consumption of junk food, and waste, and learn how to cook healthy food on a budget?

--Joseph DuPont

A Whole New Meaning for Women's Caucus

Dear UTW:

Outnumbered four to one won't cut it.

That's in the boys' club called the U.S. Senate. Eighty old boys in funeral suits play the lead roles and twenty little Hillarys prance around and pretend to listen to their ranting and raving.

Boys do the taxing and girls let them have their way in spite of the fact that women are 51 percent of the population. Pish posh. Horsefeathers. Hogwash.

Will it ever change?

Not unless the rules of the game are changed.

Voters won't do it because there are not used to hearing this war of words from us mamas and grandmas.

The old boys are not about to share their power voluntarily. It will have to be wrenched from their hands.

The way to do it is to amend the Constitution. A Hillary Clinton Amendment to shake up the Senate calls for every state to be represented by one male and one female senator. Fifty mommies and fifty daddies.

Because we will outlive them, old boys don't give a damnation about our long-term care: Medicare and Social Security. With parity, we can outvote them.

We girls will curb the violence by outlawing assault guns and high capacity magazines. We girls will stop war where old boys can't resist sending our sons to die for their country and swear allegiance to the military-industrial complex. President Eisenhower said war settles nothing.

--Virginia "Blue Jeans" Jenner

Another FairTax Apologist

Dear UTW:

Now that people have seen their taxes have gone up (regardless of promises made, they went up) can we start talking about real tax reform?

I don't know about you but I'm tired of Washington and the state having its hands in my pocket before I even get to see my paycheck.

What if we had to pay taxes every time we got paid out of our own pocket? How quickly do you think people would get mad and demand change?

Withholding is by design to "take the pain away" because if we had to do it ourselves, we'd not let it stand. So why do we let it stand now?

Any "real" resolution to our problems will put power in the hands of the people when it comes to their tax bill.

Anything that lets the income tax remain and leaves the tyrannical IRS intact is nothing short of pointless.

The FairTax is the only plan which puts power squarely back in the hands of the people, fully funds all the programs that so badly need fixing, yet allows the economy to grow and puts more money back in the pockets of everyday Americans who so desperately need it. What are you waiting for America? Please speak up, make your voices heard and demand a REAL solution, not more politics.

--Tony Leach