LaberFred » ensure were not a financial burden on the ARU, then

UFC 200 happened. That much we can all agree on.The finished product did not look like any of us thought it would. Check the dumpsters behind UFC headquarters to confirm that; youre sure to find plenty of unused promotional material. The UFC 200 main event changed three times overall -- twice in the final three days.Did it eventually live up to the hype? And what should we truly take away from it? Heres what we learned from one of the most bizarre and eventful weeks this sport has ever seen.No one is better at turning lemons into lemonade than the UFCEven if it wasnt the most delicious lemonade youve ever had. Lemon water, at least. Look, Ive been to many memorable UFC events where stars align, every fight is better than the last and the energy level never ceases. UFC 200 was not that.Jose Aldos interim featherweight title victory over Frankie Edgar was an extremely impressive performance and it was well-received in Las Vegas, but it did not bring the arena to its feet. Daniel Cormier vs. Anderson Silva was strange, honestly. It felt more like a handshake deal than a real cage fight. With Jon Jones off the card, the UFC needed a big fight, Cormier still needed a payday and Silva was happy to step in and cash his own payday for a low-pressure fight he was expected to lose. It was nice to have, but not entirely memorable.Mystery is sort of Brock Lesnars thing when it comes to mixed martial arts participation, but was there too much of it this week? He granted almost no media availability, taking the stance of, Im here, and thats enough. Which, in a way, it was -- but it would have been nice to have some perspective on what this weekend meant for him. Perhaps he just cant say much because of his contract with the WWE. But for me, it kind of lessened the Lesnar experience. It was fun having him, but only in the brief way its fun to see a celebrity movie cameo.And the main event was fine. Spectacular upset by Amanda Nunes...crushing result for Miesha Tate. Not a bad way to end the night at all, but of course, it was hard to not feel Jones absence at the same time.UFC 200 delivered in that it packed the lineup with big names under awful circumstances. Sure, you can argue the promotion shot itself in the foot by removing Conor McGregor from the main event. And when all that went down in April, I did argue that. But it happened and the promotion moved on and if it werent for Jones getting the boot the week of the fight, it was a well-constructed card. UFC 200 wasnt the best night of fights but it still felt big, and only the UFC could have managed to pull that off.In his own way, Aldo just made a McGregor rematch must-seeI really, really wanted Aldo to jump out of the Octagon on Saturday and confront McGregor in the first row. I wanted it so bad, you guys.Or if he didnt want to flip the script on McGregor by copying exactly what the current champ did to him in 2015, at least throw the interim belt on the floor and walk straight towards McGregor and let him know exactly what youre going to do to him. Tell him to never come back to 145 pounds. For his safety, dont come back.The best Aldo gave was a quick point in McGregors general direction and a half callout on the mic. And thats alright -- but after what happened in December, that 13-second knockout and this perception McGregor mentally defeated Aldo before they stepped into the cage, it would have been exciting to see some direct fire out of Aldo. An assertive challenge aimed right between the eyes of his greatest rival.His performance against Edgar will have to serve as that challenge. And dont get me wrong, that alone does the job for the most part. Aldo was very good on Saturday. He did not look like a burned out former champion still feeling the effects of a shocking loss. Well see what happens between McGregor and Nate Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20. Win or lose, McGregor certainly has a compelling rematch against Aldo waiting for him. Pirates Jerseys 2019 . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Pirates Jerseys China .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Pittsburgh Pirates Gear . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. 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Theyve poured blood, sweat, and tears on the field, and now Western Force players are opening up their wallets in a bid to save the Super Rugby franchise from extinction.The Force face the prospect of being cut from the Super Rugby competition if the number of Australian teams is reduced from five to four in the near future.Currently, the Super competition features 18 teams, but that could be reduced as early as 2018 if SANZAAR decides its in the best interests of the game.The governing body will wait until March before making a call on that front.In the meantime, the Force are getting on the front foot to ensure they become so financially stable that it wont make sense to get rid of them.Under the ambitious scheme, the Force are aiming to become Australias premier community-owned club in a campaign theyve dubbed Own The Force.The new ownership model will be based on the sale of certificates at a value of $1000 each.The Force have already received almost 4300 expressions of interest, with the franchises players and staff among the people willing to invest.My understanding is just about all of the players have indicated a degree of interest in the program, Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry told AAP.Thats a very strong indication of their belief and desire to see the Western Force continue.Former Western Force players including Matt Giteau, Nathan Sharpe and Cam Shephard have also thrown their support behind the new proposal, as well as several Australian athletes.?The Force aim to sell 5000 certificates in what would inject $5 million into the club.They would then use that money to efffectively buy back the Force from the ARU.ddddddddddddThe two bodies formed an alliance earlier this year, with the bailout lifting $4 million of debt from the Forces shoulders.Sinderberry said it was now up to the Force to show they would be an asset - rather than a financial burden - to Australian rugby.The ARU would like to see a national footprint. Its just about seeing if its affordable, Sinderberry said.If we can collectively in WA ensure were not a financial burden on the ARU, then thats a good thing for Australian Rugby.The Force will still retain strong ties with the ARU after the buy-back, including access to its high-performance program.That partnership is seen as crucial in helping the Force become a title contender.The Perth-based franchise has never reached the finals in their 11 seasons in the competition, and dwindling crowds have hurt their financial position in recent years.Sinderberry said the club needed financial stability along with on-field success to truly thrive.The prospectus on the new ownership model is expected to be released next week.Buyers of the $1000 certificate will expect to receive: voting rights to an advisory committee and the new Western Force board of management; approval of the reappointment of key positions within the Western Force organisation; input into match day and team activities and specific owners functions; a range of discounts on both Western Force membership purchases and Rugby WA player registration fees. 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