Junie Not at Fault?
By Curtis Clontz on Dec 05, 2008
TUF is over and more people are talking about Junie Browning rather than the guys actually in the finals. I for one have been very critical of Junie and the UFC for the things that transpired over the course of this season. Although I don’t agree with the things that happened it is time to give him the benefit of the doubt. No I am not bipolar or going crazy, nor am I being hypocritical, but I am one for 2nd chances. Junie deserves the benefit of the doubt at this point. I am not saying he did not just get away with murder, and I still think he should have went home a long time ago, just saying we might be a little over critical at this point.
Junie is now training for his spot in the big time at one of the best camps in the world. According to my count the second best. Extreme Couture has welcomed the lightweight and things seem to be heading in the right direction. Think about this, Since the end of taping have we heard anything about the guy that seemed so self destructive on the show?
It is obvious that the UFC and the production crew of TUF show us what they want when they want. It is no question that often times what we are seeing can be misleading. According to the show it seemed like the first half of the series was about a lunatic fighter named Junie Browning. In the future it may be revealed that he isn’t a lunatic at all and simply had problems adapting to the pressure.
The pressures of the house may be something that could drive a man crazy. The athletes that are chosen for TUF are all picked for many different reasons. I seriously doubt Browning was brought on the show because of his firecracker attitude. He was invited because of his skills, what he can do in the cage, and his potential to blossom into a top tier UFC fighter.
I can only imagine how I would react to living in a house with a bunch of alpha males, no television, no internet, and have every moment recorded. Privacy at that point is more of a privilege and rare thing. Take these fighters away from their friends, family, and everyday lives and in this atmosphere could push anyone to an extreme. I can however relate and will say that being in that type of situation is about as much fun as it sounds.
This season of TUF is all but in the bag. 2 fights remain until we know every answer and can close the book on this season. Three years from now most fans will remember this season for one man and that is Junie Browning. Bad press is better than no press. Junie seems like a bad egg. He seems like he is the wrong thing to market. He is the opposite of Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, and Randy Couture. Could some of this be an act? Could the UFC really be playing all of us for a fool, and have a master plan for Junie? Those are questions that will be answered very very soon.
Filed Under: Opinion
yeah guy, it was the editing that made junie look bad. yeah, it was the producers that made junie throw the glass at shane, it was the producers fault for having junie jump in the cage, it wasn’t junie’s fault when every time he got upset it escalated into him wanting to fight everyone in the house.
yeah, blame everyone but junie. your question of “could this be an act” is asinine. Kos said he played up to the cameras in season one. but from what i see, he is still the same mentally, still the same cocky sob that he is. this isn’t an act, this is junie.
and one last thing, junie isn’t much of a fighter. which amazes me why he has fans.
Kimbo has fans………..
i didn’t want to call you stupid and i edited my comments and took that out.
Well now…calling someone stupid because of an opinion article would be pretty ironic, huh? “Your thoughts and ideas are different than mine…you’re stupid!”
Anyways, I have gone back and forth regarding Junie as well. I feel bad for him at times and other times I would Dana would throw him through a wall. He’s got issues and he needs something in that brain of his to stop the bizarre behavior.
I’ve never had an issue with the TUF show and nor have I ever scorned Dana White for allowing madness like the Junie debacle to go on. Here’s why…
We all know that TUF is a reality show. Essentially, we are seeing the mental and physical struggles that these athletes can potentially go through on a regular basis. Granted, not all professional fighters live with 15 other guys in a house with no social or media outlets.
The beauty of this show is that people get to see that these guys are human. They have emotions, they have feelings, and they are not perfect. It shows people that the fight game involves so much mental toughness, inside AND outside the cage.
We all have our issues, no doubt. Some have larger issues than others (e.g. Junie and JT Money). People are so quick to judge what they see on TV that they often don’t realize the things we don’t see. For all we know, Rashad Evans could have an anger issue behind closed doors and throw hissy fits like Junie. Randy Couture could have emotional breakdowns and cry into his pillow for hours on end.
The point is that the guys we see fight in the UFC could have similar issues to that of Junie. No one is judging them though because they are not on a reality show. All they have to do is get in the cage and fight.
Wow I could have made this into a post =)
Phoenix,
Would I be stupid if I was for hiring athletes after being in trouble or causing trouble? Three of the most prolific athletes in history have all had problems with the law… Michael Jordan (Gambling), Pete Rose (Gambling), Wayne Gretzky, Lawrence Taylor, and Barry Bonds. All of those athletes have had run ins and have been given a second chance (minus Rose). Plus those are pretty much the best to ever play in their sport… NO I AM NOT SAYING JUNIE IS…
I do not condone the things that Junie did at all. He should have been kicked off the show on the 3rd episode. However that doesn’t mean that we should banish him from the sport and not give him the benefit of the doubt or the chance to change his ways…
Agreed. I don’t condone what he did either, but I think Dana White made the right choice from a business standpoint. As he was saying all along, justice was served when he was beaten by Efrain in the final episode.
We all know that the choice to leave Junie on the show was not ethically or morally motivated at all. It’s all about the ratings. Week-by-week I would guess that more people were tuning in to see what he would do next. Without Junie on the show, Dana White and the producers probably assumed the ratings would suffer.
The show is not designed to be focused around morally upstanding values. It is designed for entertainment. In my opinion, it’s really not even designed for the hardcore MMA fan. If Junie’s tantrums weren’t entertaining, I don’t know what was.
Browning seemed to have am alchohol problem. Chris Leben, on the first TUF also obviously had an alchohol problem. When Leben stopped drinking, he became a very good fighter, and seemed to be a much better human being. Maybe the UFC got Browning some alcohol counseling. I can’t imagine Browning getting anywhere as a fighter if he keeps drinking. Somehow or other it seemed to block his ability to process fear.
no use. you all are dana nuthuggers.
and brandt, opinions can be stupid. saying the sky is not blue is not an opinion, it’s just denying the truth. junie wasn’t playing a part, it wasn’t an act. saying that he was is stupid.
curtis, you are making a excuses for a guy who hasn’t done anything. the players you mentioned were established sport figures before they gambled…junie has done nothing, so why should i defend him, why should you make excuses for him.
that’s stupid.
curtis, you are making excuses for a guy *
iamphoenix, I don’t know who you’re accusing of being a Dana nuthugger, but save that stuff for the message boards on sherdog.
I don’t agree with Curtis’ defense of Browning, and he’s clearly got way more issues than talent, but it’s important to add that the UFC is going to make a ton of money off of his fights.
Personally, I’d like to see him come up to 205 and fight Kryztof.
i don’t call anyone a nuthugger without evidence. from above comments:
” Dana White made the right choice from a business standpoint. As he was saying all along, justice was served when he was beaten by Efrain in the final episode.”
that’s what he(dana white) wants you to believe.
“I’ve never had an issue with the TUF show and nor have I ever scorned Dana White for allowing madness like the Junie debacle to go on. Here’s why…”
never disagreeing with what dana has ever done. don’t get me wrong, i love dana white and all that he has done, but it’s okay to say yeah, he did something stupid.(in not sending junie home)
don’t worry ironman, not trying to turn your site into sherdog.
That’s what Dana wants us to believe? Well, yeah, it’s because it’s the truth. It’s all about the ratings. The fact of the matter is that Dana White knew exactly what he was doing when he was keeping Junie on the show. As Josh mentioned, keeping him on the show has kept the interest in the show and those who bought into the Junie drama will be tuning into The Finale this coming Saturday. Guaranteed. His background and antics on the show have turned him into a marketing goldmine. It helps that he isn’t just some low grade run of the mill fighter. He has legitimate skill and should be extra sharp considering that he’s been training with Xtreme Couture.
As for me being a “Dana White nuthugger”… Never having an issue with the TUF show and Dana’s decisions on the various shows is just one element of the UFC business. There have been plenty of other aspects of the organization that I have disagreed with Dana on. To say I “never disagree with what Dana has done” is outrageous.
Dana not sending Junie home being classified as stupid is your opinion. I happen to dig deeper into the motivations behind the decision and see it as a smart decision. Once again, I can’t stress enough, it’s all about the ratings, the greenbacks, and the development of the UFC newest marketing gem. This seasons ratings will speak for themselves.
Phoenix,
I like your enthusiasm. Junie is new to the sports and has shown promise (or he wouldn’t be training with Randy). I am not saying give the guy a title shot, I am just saying let’s give him a chance, let’s not execute him. We don’t know him personally. We don’t know for sure that he truly is what we seen on the show. In time it will all come out in the wash. If he is a raging alcoholic that needs therapy and not a UFC contract then so be it, its an opinion. He is there because of the money. He made people watch. That is why he is fighting in the finale. People want to see him lose.
dustin, you only further my case. there are a million other ways to get people to watch TUF. this is one of the easiest routes.