UFC’s Reaction To Aldean Is Downright Disturbing To Me
UFC president Dana White was completely out of line when he blasted Jason Aldean for not performing the National Anthem on Saturday night at UFC 216 in Las Vegas. Jason Aldean has too much class to respond to the incredibly insensitive and downright offensive remarks made towards him by Dana White. I however, do not.
I've been a huge fan of the UFC for over a decade now. I purchase many of the PPV's, and I've even seen an event live. I defend the UFC all the time when people say that it's too violent, too gruesome, or looks like glorified backyard wrestling. I will not however, defend the vicious war of words it's leader, Dana White started with Jason Aldean when he told TMZ Sports, "His image was more important then coming back to Vegas and playing for the people who are his fans and who got shot watching him play," White said. "F*ck you Jason Aldean. Stay out of Vegas!" This in response to Aldean deciding to go to New York and "cold open" Saturday Night Live instead of accepting his invitation to perform the National Anthem at his UFC event.
9 days ago, Jason Aldean was on stage in front of HIS fans when 58 of them were brutally gunned down and 500 were injured in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Aldean ran off stage while the bullets rained down on the crowd to protect himself and his prepgnant wife who 15 feet from the stage.
Nothing could prepare this country for what we saw that night and certainly nothing could prepare Jason Aldean for what he experienced that night. The country and the city is in mourning and certainly Aldean is as well. What's worse is that the effects could be far greater for a man who loves his fans so much. This could have serious PTSD implications, and there have been some rumblings that the country music superstar may take quite a bit of time before he performs in front of a large crowd again. Dana White could have shown him a shred of decency and compassion, but he allowed his ego to get in the way. White says every single country act turned him down. "Those are people who buy your albums and none of you country music people could sing the anthem in front of survivors and 1st responders?"
Imagine if one of Dana White's fighters was at the Route 91 Harvest festival and witnessed the carnage, or worse, lost a friend or loved one. Would White shame them while they were in mourning or would he put the fight on hold and allow them some time to heal? I'm not so sure to be honest with you; that's also quite disturbing.
I didn't realize that putting on violent cagefighting in Las Vegas once a month made you the moral compass for a city, and a country who just witnessed the most violent gun attack in US history.