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If you're a loyal DCBLOG reader, then generally punctuate our posts covering the MTV Trifecta of the Real World/Challenge franchise and Are You The One? with side posts covering the people and the stories of these shows. This week, we're re-posting these bits here for the sake of those who don't want to scroll all the way down to these stories, as well as the timing of two stories that have taken place in the past couple weeks of the tragic shootings in Orlando, FL two weeks ago and the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA title win a week later. Enjoy these pieces of DC ExtraTime.
As you begin the new week, we begin ours with another edition of DC WRAP as we cover last week in the MTV Trifecta ahead of Episode 3 of Are You The One? coming up tonight. Last week, we saw talk of marriage two weeks in dominate the buzz in the AYTO house, but of big time drama in the Rivals III house where Camila & Tony were kicked off for violent behavior as well as an unusual mission.
We'll have an extended DC FORUM commentary on that ladder, a mini-recap of the former, plus fantasy scoring and fan reaction to last week in the Trifecta. After that, it's part 2 of DC ExtraTime's special series on the Orlando tragedy as a one-time Central Florida resident makes an emotional trip to the Pulse Nightclub that was the site of a senseless act of terrorism. All that is next.
On this late Saturday night, welcome back to DCBLOG and to our SocialPulse doubleheader covering this week in the MTV Trifecta. Earlier this evening, we brought you how the Season 4 cast saw this week's Are You The One? when our first love triangle of Season 4 was settled in the Truth Booth and one of the guys went into hysterics. But that pales in comparison to what we saw two nights later on Episode 8 of The Challenge Rivals III.
Last week in Mexico, we saw a scary mission 400 feet above the South Mexican Shore as a cliff and a ride down the hill saw the teams flying down, and saw Nate & Christina become power team but squandered a golden opportunity to flip the script on this unpredictable season when they decided to put in AYTO's Amanda & Nelson instead of a Challenge veteran team and those two paid the price. Camila received unfortunate news from back home of her grandma's unexpected death, while she and Tony got into words in the club.
But as it turns out, that's not the end to that saga, as this week a late-night blow-up threatens to once again go into a physical fight and the house has to step in. It's what happens afterwards that the house is thrown for a loop by the serious implications that fight has on the rest of the competitors. And those players then find themselves in yet another twist when they find themselves in The Challenge's first-ever last-minute surprise mission to see how long they can keep their wits in a preview of what might await them should they go all the way.
All of the action, reaction and interaction of this hectic episode, the accompanying after show and its lead-up and aftermath await you after the jump. This includes the primary focus on this episode being the target of, not surprisingly, a twitter beef that happened after the episode aired. And after the diary, DC ExtraTime will begin a special two-part series providing a look at the Tragedy in Orlando through the eyes of two alums of The Real World here on this Pride Weekend.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
Another fight, another disqualification, the most unusual mission in Challenge history and a twitter beef. Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of this week in Rivals III, coming up next.
The first official weekend of summer '16 is in full swing, and welcome again to DCBLOG's coverage of the MTV Trifecta as we cover the week that was. Ahead in our weekly episode coverage, an eventful week on Rivals III as a fight causes yet another DQ in Mexico, plus two proud men take action in the aftermath of the Orlando tragedies. But first, things are starting to heat up in Hawaii as we're through two episodes of Season 4 of Are You The One?.
In last week's premiere, host Ryan Devlin gave our new set of 20 singles a twist right out of the gate as they were tested with finding love at first sight and immediately sent three couples on a date without a challenge. After they were chosen and everyone had gotten to know each other, it was musicians Tori and Prosper that were sent to the truth booth with an additional $250,000 at stake, but didn't turn out a match. Meanwhile, a love triangle formed in the house and caused an embarrassing first Matchup at first, but the house can thank their lucky stars that they got three beams.
This week, the attention turns to that love triangle that formed last week, as when the relationship between John and one of the girls decides to take a turn, and he blows up. Meanwhile, the status of another of the house's couples finds itself in question when a trip to the Boom Boom Room doesn't go as planned. And Kaylen decides to drop a bomb on the house about her relationship with Giovanni that leaves the group with their jaws dropped.
We'll have all the action, reaction and interaction from Episode 2 from Hawaii and the lead-up to it as well as some of the buzz post-last week on Rivals III which we will have its episode covered for you here later tonight. We also have Team MTV's reactions to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, for which after the diary ExtraTime will join an alum of the original AYTO cast and two of her fellow Clevelanders as they celebrate something the North Shore has never experienced since 1964: a championship.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
A guy from Nebraska loses his mind, a Boom Boom Room trip goes awry, and marriage talk just two weeks in. Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of Week 2 of Are You The One? Season 4 - coming up.
It is summer time and for the second straight year, DCBLOG is presenting Summer of Sports, as we devote a season of posts looking at aspects of my longtime passion for sports. Last year during a summer which saw the U.S. Women's National Team, American Pharoah, the Warriors, Spieth and Serena dominate the headlines, we brought you articles looking at soccer's Premier League and UEFA Champions League, golf's major championships, Wimbledon, the UFC, the Tour de France, World Series of Poker, Aussie rules football, and NFL Films.
This year, we'll have more of the same featured here, from these dedicated posts to mini-articles in the ExtraTime portion of our MTV Trifecta coverage, as you've seen in a few of them in our posts covering The Challenge Rivals III. And a good number of our sports posts this year will center around the year's biggest summer blockbuster: the Rio Olympic Games, and we'll have regular posts during the August fortnight. This is all part of a summer that's seen an improbable NBA title run and two major international soccer tournaments. But today, we begin with something fun and off-the-wall.
If you're someone who heads to the local pool parlor in town, or if you're in Britain who watches a lot of snooker on TV, then you know about a "trick shot." Its definition is, per Wikipedia, "a shot played on a billboards table, which seems unlikely or impossible or requires significant skill." There are numerous championships and events that showcase this organized cue sports discipline known as artistic pool, where trick shot artists demonstrate their wizardry on the felt baize table.
The category that covers trick shot artists on Wiki does not cover sports outside of billiards, referring to other categories when warranted. But if there's one group who have made this art of trick shots mainstream, it's not one, but a group of five guys from outside this relatively genteel part of our sports world. And unlike those trick shot artists who hone their craft in the subdued environment of a room lit only by lamps above pool tables, these people practice their shots on camera and with great energy.
It's true that YouTube has had a profound impact on the way all of us get to view our world as the screens we get to view our favorite shows and content has shrunk down from large HD sets to smartphones that allow us to watch video in the palm of our hands. There are numerous people who have become YouTube stars over the years as the reality TV way of making regular people like us famous in making internet videos in the comfort of their own home, and making a career out of it. And in this age, videos and stars can become viral sensations and capture the world's attention almost at the speed of light.
But no single group of people have become as widely popular in this newfound world of internet stars as the five guys who call themselves Dude Perfect. With making the impossible look possible with their trick shots, their infectious energy and total views of their videos numbering in the 10 figures, this phenomenon has truly become the darlings of the digital age.
As you begin this new week, welcome to DC WRAP as we review last week in the MTV Trifecta before the weekly cycle begins once again. And if we thought the comeback last year's Are You The One? cast had was something, no doubt it's JV compared to, of course, what happened last night with LeBron and the Cavs pulling off the greatest comeback in NBA history - more coming up later here.
Last Monday was the premiere of Are You The One? Season 4 where we saw a twist right out of the gate where the house was tested about love at first sight which didn't turn out that way but the group did manage to garner three beams and get off to a good start. And a couple nights later, we had Episode 7 of Rivals III where Camila continued her bickering with her partner Tony while she received unfortunate news from back home, and where the power team squandered a chance to change the game completely.
Ahead, our standard lineup of the Things to Know recap of last week, plus Winners List and Fantasy Scoring. Afterwards on ExtraTime, three of this season's players and a Challenge great try their luck at a favorite of their childhood, plus a musical perfect match and a Real World reunion. That's all next.
This Rivals III Challenge season has already been as dramatic as you can get, and has just about reached its halfway point, and we are in that time where we should know who will be in this game for the long haul. Of course, there's still a lot left to be decided although more than half the original field are still in the running, including a few of the notable big-name veterans - one of them being the subject of not just this week's episode but also this dedicated edition of DC ExtraTime.
For Camila, she has had a stellar run to becoming one of The Challenge's biggest names. We first met this native Brazilian on a special Spring Break edition of the show in the spring of 2010 when she was a University of Nebraska student enjoying that vacation in Mexico. Ironically enough, that mini season had a moment where after she ate a hot pepper in the scorching sun, she collapsed to the sand and players had to call medics over to get immediate help while she was wincing in pain. Luckily, she was okay and after being part of the winning team formed by Challenge vet (and now podcast host) Susie Meister, the drama she provided that week was enough for producers to invite her to join the big show on Cutthroat later that year. Though she was in the same position as the AYTO kids are here of being relative outsiders in having not earned their way into the big leagues by being a past RW alum or a Fresh Meat partner, it has certainly paid off in the long run.
In Prague, she left her mark both competitively (a deep run as a rookie) and in the house where her outspoken manner drew the attention of the girls including Theresa. That argument with her got them paired up on Rivals I, where they both got into words with Jonna & Jasmine, and saw Jazzy KO a mirror. Of course, there was that famous tirade she had on Battle of the Exes that is no doubt her signature moment, and somehow she & Bananas won the final. On BOTS 2 came another meltdown when she went off on Big Easy Eric for quitting an Arena, and she got into words with Jemmye on a ride back from the club. Those two got paired up on Rivals II and won the last Jungle to get into the final but settled for a 3rd place showing. And of course, there's been the three times in the past couple years that she's got into the face of her frenemy, Nany; and what we've seen with her and Tony.
But, there's a side of the Camilanator that a lot of you don't know that she has. It's a musical side of her and, in a way, we like to call it The Softer Side of Camila.
Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there, as you enjoy what promises to be a great Sunday Funday with the final round of the U.S. Open in Pittsburgh, Game 7 of the NBA Finals tonight between the Cavaliers and Warriors, and WWE's Money In The Bank. And our gift to you this day is the 'Pulse of Week 7 of The Challenge: Rivals III on DCBLOG, as this season has had its moments as we reach the halfway point.
Last week, we saw a grueling, and rather revealing, challenge that saw Bananas & Sarah winning and some controversy as Camila & Tony were caught cheating for tossing aside a token of their opponents and were demoted into the jungle. We also saw Vince and Thomas get into a fight, but the ladder received bad news from back home that, rightfully so, placed family and health above all else in him leaving to tend to his sick girlfriend back home and denied an elimination confrontation between Camila and Nany.
This week, the storyline surrounding Camila and Tony continues as once again those two get into heated words, but an unexpected call from back home shatters her chances in the game; while another volatile team gets into words too. Meanwhile, the competitors are faced with a scary mission some 400 feet above the Mexican sea, and the team that wins must decide whether to make a crucial power move or choose who their real friends are when picking who to put into the Jungle.
We'll have all the action, reaction and interaction from Episode 7 of this Challenge, its leadup and aftermath coming up here, along with the day-after the premiere of Are You The One? Season 4 and reaction to last Sunday's tragedy in Orlando. And if you're someone who follows what's called "The Coolest Game on Earth," you'll want to stick around for ExtraTime as we'll look into the crystal ball for Las Vegas as it welcomes a major sports franchise for the very first time.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
It's a Father's Day treat as we bring you the 'Pulse of Week 7 of The Challenge: Rivals III, coming up.
Welcome to the weekend, which means welcome to DCBLOG and to our coverage of Season 4 of Are You The One?. This week marks the beginning to a new season for the newcomer of the MTV Trifecta as we once again set off on our quest to see love, money and drama all come together in a way only MTV does best.
If you were with us for our season preview on Memorial Day weekend, we introduced you to our new group of 20 singles who have come to Hawaii to find their love of their dreams and fly out of the islands with $1 million in their possession. From two alums of FOX reality shows and a 6'8" cowboy from Colorado to two hip-hop artists, they're the latest to join AYTO with the hopes of following their predecessors to the winners' circle and to find their own perfect match.
For the premiere, they're given another game-changing twist to add to the blackout penalty of a $250,000 loss introduced last year as they are tested the instincts of Love at First Sight right out of the gate, with an additional $250,000 on the line should the couple they choose be a perfect match. Plus, there's all the usual pomp and circumstance that comes with our new cast of girls and guys single and ready to mingle. And something we've had in the first seasons of this show, a love triangle, leads to a first Matchup Ceremony that brings about both some embarrassing choices and something we've not had in a premiere.
We'll have all the action, reaction and interaction from the premiere, plus the lead-up to last Monday and some of the buzz from after last week's Rivals III which we'll document for you here later. And afterwards on ExtraTime, we'll revisit the roots of an AYTO alum turned Challenger and two others in the Trifecta in the most intimate of all the media we have here.
As we begin covering our twelfth Trifecta season here, again a primer for those who are joining us for the first time in case you're happened to find us here. The 'Pulse is DCBLOG's signature feature offering unique, exclusive running twitter diaries of the MTV Trifecta as seen by those watching the episodes in 140 characters or less - cast and fans alike in the communal viewing experience. It's often the interaction between them that becomes the big show in itself, and we bring that to you here.
These diaries are specially designed, curated and pieced together by yours truly in real-time - tweet by tweet and uncensored - to bring the hookups, drama, truth booths, matchups and all else to you here. This is a service to all of you fans - both those who just want to relive the action, reaction and interaction in real time, or for the many who might not have experienced the buzz at the time of the episodes' ET airing and want to catch up in these easy-to-find, timeline-style diaries.
The 'Pulse is only the gist of DCBLOG's extensive MTV Trifecta coverage, offering a unique angle on AYTO and the RW/Challenge franchise that you'll only find right here. With these 'Pulse diaries, episode Wraps, original stories, thoughtful opinions and in-depth analysis covering the drama, the people and the stories behind the hype, the headlines and the hook-ups, you're covered like no other. And it's brought to you by a long-time MTV fan who loves these shows as much as you do.
Now, the main event...the following are the actual tweets of the cast, alumni, fans and me as we got to see the premiere, along with some of the buildup to, and the aftermath of, premiere day, and of course the first episode. - As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
So, bring that name tag out, dust off your matchup chart and join in with DCBLOG as we bring you the 'Pulse of the premiere of Season 4 of Are You The One? next.
As you prepare for what happens tonight in Mexico, welcome again to DCBLOG as we review last week on Rivals III. Last week, we saw the teams strip down in the Mexican heat at the end of a grueling mini-final that separated the big dogs from the others in Bananas & Sarah winning. But we also had some controversy as the mystery behind a simple token saw Camila & Tony get caught cheating and being demoted down into the Jungle and sparing Nate & Christina. We also saw Vince and Thomas get into words, but also saw Tom get bad news from back home that, rightfully so, put family and health ahead of being in this Challenge and denied an elimination confrontation between Camila and the team the Power Team voted in, Nany & Wes.
Ahead, a recap of last week, our Winners List, the Fantasy Trax and fan reaction. Plus, ExtraTime offers thoughts on the eerie coincidence of watching last week and Challenge stars gather in New York. Join us here next.
Last week on Pulse ExtraTime, we offered appreciation for one of the icons of sportscasting in CBS' Verne Lundquist, and previously we featured Garbage Time host Katie Nolan. This week, we will look into the revolving door that is moves of sports talent. If you're someone who follows sports media, then you likely go to a site called Awful Announcing, which covers what's happening in sports television, digital and all else. This past week, the editors and columnists of that site offered their opinions of which personnel moves have had the greatest impact, and influenced this mini-post.
It's been quite a past twelve months for the sports media world as it has been on the fields and courts, as rights and viewing habits have been all over the place, as well as a whole slew of changes as far as the talent is concerned...those who discuss the games, who call them and all on between.
● There's the co-host of ESPN's controversial First Take, Skip Bayless, who will shortly leave his post next to Stephen A. Smith to move ultimately to FOX Sports and join others who specialize in what is referred to as "hot takes" in Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock and Clay Travis, as well as former boss Jamie Horowitz who created the so-called "Embrace Debate" culture at the 800-pound gorilla and now is looking to bring his success - and viewers - to the fledging FS-1 channel.
● After his much publicized spat with ESPN that led to both his departure from Bristol and the eventual shutdown of his Grantland site, Bill Simmons joined HBO last year and give him all the freedom of being with premium TV's King Kong. The Ringer site launched this past week, his new HBO talk show debuts next week, produces a Game of Thrones companion show and he's already become a top podcast host (and someone who also loves watching The Challenge too).
● And there's David Feherty, a former golfer who's now the game's most unique broadcaster with his wit and humor, but has also dealt personally with alcoholism. For 20 years, he was part of CBS' golf team including The Masters, but last year moved to NBC in continuing to do on-course and tower commentary, while keeping a spot on Golf Channel, where he's hosted his own acclaimed, self-titled talk show with golfers and those who love the sport as the US Open takes place this week.
Speaking of the Peacock, for me sports media's biggest personnel move of the past 12 months came just last month, when the fortunes of not only NBC but also ESPN changed with one move. Just after the Kentucky Derby, one of sports' most versatile talents, and a prized member of the ESPN team for 25 years, Mike Tirico, announced his departure from Bristol for NBC. Having joined the network as an SportsCenter anchor in the early 1990's, he ultimately rose to prominence as the play-by-play voice of ESPN's Monday Night Football, the NBA, golf and college sports, and hosting the past two FIFA World Cups, Grand Slam tennis and beyond. And like other sportscasters before him, Tirico got his start at Syracuse University and calling Orangemen games on its college station WAER.
For the folks in Bristol, this surprise move by someone they thought would work his entire career there along with Bob Ley and Chris Berman is only part of a slew of bad news that has haunted The Worldwide Leader in Sports in the past year: falling subscriber numbers, fans on Twitter getting on Skip, Stephen and others for their provocative opinions, people like the aforementioned Simmons and Keith Olbermann being let go among a significant cut in ESPN's workforce, and declining revenues for this very section of The Walt Disney Company impacting the bottom line for those who hold stock in the mouse ears. His departure leaves a massive hole in the network's lineup that will be hard to fill, though another Syracuse alum and a son of one of the first sportswriters to do TV work, Sean McDonough, will take over for Tirico on MNF.
For NBC, they have snared a huge fish in the sportscasting pond and Tirico now represents the future of its sports division. Come the end of this month after he does hosting work on EURO 2016, he begins his NBC stint as a host for its Olympic coverage in Rio - returning to where he covered the World Cup two years ago, joining Cris Collinsworth on NBC's half of the NFL Thursday Night Football package, and going back to his roots as part of the network's golf package - including the Open Championship and Ryder Cup. Should NBC get a piece of the last big sports property up for auction in the Big Ten, he should figure prominently in that too. And considering its deep lineup of championship events, as well as family being factored in, it was not an easy call for Tirico to leave his home of 25 years for a new challenge that lies ahead.
All this shores up a sportscasting group featuring Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Dan Patrick and others too many to mention. And when those first two do decide to step aside, then Mike will most surely be first in line to take over Bob's seat as Olympic primetime host perhaps as early as the next Winter Games in South Korea in two years, Al's spot to call SNF and a Super Bowl, and return to his golf roots in joining Feherty, Johnny Miller and Golf Channel. He is one of the best in the business and now he's joining the best in the business when it comes to quality sports television. While a former sportswriter from Dallas moving across networks and a bad breakup for another have been big, it's live events that matter most in the sports TV business, and it's Mike Tirico's move from ESPN to NBC that is, to me, the biggest talent move in sports media in 2015-16.
As your weekend winds to a close, welcome to DCBLOG as we bring our Week 6 posts for The Challenge: Rivals III. But as we begin, note that this week's 'Pulse is being posted a day later than normal - on Sunday, out of respect to a fellow member of the reality TV & music family who died doing what she loved in a terrible and senseless act. As most of you know, an alum of a past season of The Voice, Christina Grimmie, was gunned down after a concert in Orlando, FL on Friday night and obviously, our thoughts are with her family during this traumatic time. We felt it was appropriate to postpone posting this article by 24 hours so all of you can join with the music industry in mourning her loss and celebrating her life.
As we move to covering The Challenge, last week we saw the undoing of Jessica and Johnny when her underperforming saw him go off - both after finishing in last place and losing the jungle. Cory found himself between a rock and a hard place when deciding to either protect friend Thomas or partner Ashley when Simone was the house's target after a late night fight. And after Brandon decided to quit, Devin and Cheyenne were brought back in as the new, and old, replacement team; just as Amanda & Nelson won that aforementioned elimination battle.
This week, a rigorous mission and a mini-final of sorts takes over the attention of the house. From brains and balls, to walls and beds, to literally stripping down to their goodies, the teams battle each other for that all-important momentum. Plus, one competitor tries to win at all costs for their team and may cost them, while another who saved his cast from infamy tries his hand at mastering the game again. There's also more hookups, and another competitor receives devastating news that could force yet another early exit.
All the action, reaction and interaction from this week is located below for you to check out. This includes the reaction the entire MTV community had with the passion of Muhammad Ali which we will touch upon here later during our Week 6 posts. And afterwards on ExtraTime, we'll delve again into the sports media world for my thoughts on the changing rosters of high-profile broadcasters, and which one I feel has the greatest impact.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
It's The Challenge's take on Dating Naked. A team finds itself at the heart of Token Gate. And so much more. Join DCBLOG for how you saw Episode 6 of Rivals III...coming up next.
Amidst my focus on the MTV Trifecta on here and the Summer of Sports blog series I plan to do here also, I wanted to take a moment to do a special edition of DC FORUM to offer my thoughts on a story in the sports and media worlds that has become so big in the past week that it became too big for DCBLOG to ignore. So here we go...
The past week has been a most eventful one for those who follow the fight game: the passing Friday night of the man known as call "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, the unexpected death of MMA star Kimbo Slice late Monday, and UFC 199 on Saturday night. There at the Forum in Los Angeles, Michael Bisping became the first Englishman to win a UFC championship when he knocked out champion Luke Rockhold for the middleweight title and culminating a long journey to the top of his sport; Dominick Cruz defended his bantamweight strap, and Dan Henderson make what's likely his swan song in the cage after a nearly 20-year career with a great KO win.
Saturday also came news of two major bouts coming to the sport that has seen immense growth in the past several years: mega-star Conor McGregor returning to the Octagon in mid-August at UFC 202 for a rematch with Nate Diaz after he gave the Irishman his first loss in KO fashion; and WWE superstar Brock Lesner returning for what's billed as MMA's own Super Bowl: UFC 200 taking place next month in Las Vegas. That fight card also features Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier for the undisputed light heavyweight crown; Miesha Tate defending against Amanda Nunes the women's bantamweight title once held by Ronda Rousey; Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar for a shot vs. McGregor in the fall; and bouts featuring TJ Dillashaw, Johny Hendricks and others.
Typically, the announcements of these bouts are a tightly-kept secret until they're revealed to the world, but on Saturday the UFC were beaten to the punch by the person who's considered the top journalist in mixed martial arts. Ariel Helwani is to MMA what Adam Schefter and Jay Galzer are to the NFL, Adrian Wojnarowski is to the NBA, Ken Rosenthal in baseball and Bob McKenzie in hockey: the top insiders in the sports they cover and the person fans go to for big news and scoops on their favorite sport. Those stories were broken by Helwani, who works for MMAFighting.com, in the Forum's press room while the undercard bouts took place, just hours before the Lesner and McGregor/Diaz fights were announced on the pay-per-view telecast.
There were no embargoes issued to the press on those fights, so after confirming with his network of sources, Helwani went ahead with reporting the news on his Twitter @ArielHelwani anyway - just as he would do of other stories involving the sport, and almost immediately the news got to the UFC's top brass - including head Dana White and owners Frank & Lorenzo Fertitta (for whom we wrote about of them supporting TJ Lavin in our post on his accident). And in a snap judgement, and also with a checkered history between him and the insider that had developed over the years, White sent people to escort Helwani and two members of his MMA Fighting site from UFC 199 before Bisping's win and blacklisted him from the promotion, all for leaking news of those two fights. Here was Helwani's tweets...
"I was escorted out of the building by Zuffa staff before the main event. Credential taken away, too. Didn't see Bisping realize his dream. My long-time colleagues @ekc and @allelbows were also escorted out of the building w/ me. Sorry to report no post-fight coverage tonight. I love this sport & this job with all my heart. Did nothing unethical. I reported fight news. That's it. & then told we're banned for life. My teammates and friends @Ekc and @allelbows are the very best at what they do. I wish they didn't have to leave with me. They did nothing. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail. I sincerely love every fighter & fan of this sport. You have helped me realize a dream. Thank you." - @ArielHelwani
Welcome back again to DCBLOG as we continue our ride through the Trifecta and Rivals III. Week 5 saw the third mission of this season, and the second elimination as well, see the demise of a team with finals experience as them trying to work together and inexperience get the better of them. A night of name calling saw the week's power team face a decision of whether to safeguard their best friend or have their teammate's back as her enemy is making life in the house a living hell. And the only team who was eliminated from this game returned as a replacement team.
We will cover not only Episode 5 of this Challenge but also Episode 4 for reasons we'll explain there after the jump, plus a check into fantasy scoring, winners list and fan reaction. And on DC ExtraTime, we will join with a key figure from last week as she tackles the huge challenge she has ahead of going to culinary school, along with my memory of the man who's called The Greatest. Join us next.
As we reach single digits in the countdown to Season 4 of Are You The One? - and with a press event that took place last Thursday in MTV's New York headquarters, there's a simple reason why I have this thing called the MTV Trifecta... Three reality TV shows airing on a relatively young cable channel with the same formula of big time drama and dynamic, relatable personalities. Simone was part of a renowned original cast of the newcomer of the bunch two years ago and gave us something to believe in when it comes to love. The whole cast really connected with all of us and it's the success of that first season that has them on these Challenges and why there's Season 4 in more than a week.
There have been occasions in the course of the past 25 years of this ecosystem of AYTO, The Real World, and The Challenge, where castmates are having a second exposure on our national airwarves after they were on a previous TV series, not counting commercial or music video work. For the newest Real World mom, Jonna appeared on Discovery Hub's Endurance as a kid and won a trip to the Amazon before she went to Cancun. We first saw Real World Hollywood's Briana on season 5 of American Idol before we saw her document her evolving musical career. And for AYTO 4, we saw Francesca and Asaf on previous FOX reality shows which we'll look at during this coming season. Speaking of that network...
For two members of both the first season of AYTO, and one from Real World Portland, their MTV debuts weren't the first time they were on a nationally shown reality TV show. That came all the way back in 2012 when the FOX network aired a summer dating show called The Choice. So You Think You Can Dance's Cat Deeley hosted the show that took the idea of spinning chairs and blind auditions from NBC's The Voice, and instead of music, it put in four celebrities sitting in those chairs like Adam, Blake, Gwen and co., and contestants making pitches to the single celebs with the hope that they would land the person of their choice for a date.
Those who were featured in that lone season included Jersey Shore's Mike the Situation and DJ Pauly D, Singled Out alum Carmen Electra, DNCE's Joe Jonas, and Rob Kardashian, who we showed you hanging out with Prosper from AYTO 4 a few weeks back and is now an engaged man. Also trying their luck in primetime were Tyson Beckford, American Idol's Taylor Hicks, Miss USA Rima Fakih, NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp and frequent rule-breaker Ndamukong Nuh, and Olympians Steven Lopez and Seth Wescott... quite a star-studded list.
Before we saw them go for love on that original AYTO season in Hawaii two years ago, we saw Brittany and Chris Scali try their luck on The Choice. For Brittany, the luck of being from New England saw her be in the same episode as the new cover athlete for the Madden NFL series: Rob Gronkowski. For one of the other contestants that pleaded to Gronk, she told him that she was a virgin, but unfortunately Brittany didn't get chosen by the Patriot.
For Scali before he got close with Paige and then as part of the love triangle with Jacy and JJ that ultimately decided their $1 million payday, he was on the all-girls episode that featured Electra, Fakih, Australian model Sophie Monk and Playboy’s Hope Dworaczyk. Chris went to all four ladies to plead about what he had to offer to the lady who took over for Jenny McCarthy on Singled Out.
It went all the way down to the last round for Chris, and when faced with picking him or another guy, Carmen chose Chris and he scored the date with her. On their date, and she had what they call "a manny paddy" and he even told her that he would even move to L.A. for Carmen. That didn't materialize, but of the two AYTO originals, we have only the episode featuring the Brooklynite.
And before she let loose on Real World Portland and then on her two Challenges - and being featured in a poignant ExtraTime recently, Nia came to The Choice looking for love. On the same premiere episode as Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D, Nia was paired up with soap opera actor turned film producer Jason Cook. Go to the 40:00 min mark for her part in the episode, and - you guessed it - Nia also wins her way to him. So began the rise of the girl we call Hurricane Nia.
I would always tell people that even if they don't like the quality of play during the NFL offseason, there is always people who would watch those meaningless games because somewhere down there, there could be a draft steal somewhere on the sidelines - ask Tom Brady. If you're a reality TV fan who watches competition shows a lot and sees all of those contestants looking for love or money --- keep an eye out for them. They may pop up on your screens again, perhaps even to that trio I call the MTV Trifecta. It's happened to Nia, to Scali, and to Brittany.
As summer is now in full swing and temperatures are soaring, welcome in to DCBLOG as we bring our look at Week 5 on The Challenge: Rivals III. This is a one-show post for this and next week as we are into the countdown to Season 4 of Are You The One? which begins in a week from tomorrow, as we come to you at the end of this first weekend of June.
Last week in Mexico, we had a house fiesta as a rumor started by Nicole saw Nany and Camila get into words. Amanda made headlines again as she fought with Camila and then with Tony as the AYTO-Real World war heated up. And the pressures of the game and the house, the homesickness of being away from Las Vegas and his girlfriend, it was too much for Brandon to handle and he decided to quit, which sent Briana home too and TJ into blast mode before the second official challenge.
This week sees the continuation of that, as one team with finals experience begins to feel the pressure of working together in this intense game. After a shouting match of name-calling, one competitor faces a game-changing decision of whether to keep their best friend out of the Jungle, or having their teammate's back when an enemy is threatening to turn the house upside down. And to make up for Brandon and Briana deserting from Mexico, yet another replacement team arrives.
We'll have all the social reaction and interaction from this week in Challenge land, including a war of sorts between a bloodline who we profiled here a couple weeks ago and one of the AYTO rookies. And if you're a sports fan who's nostalgic, stick around for ExtraTime where we'll begin our Summer of Sports series as we honor the great career of the legendary sportscaster who's best known to many as simply "Uncle."
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-) - Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
A team blows up, a power team makes a decision, and a new team arrives. Join DCBLOG for the week that was in the world of Rivals III...next.
