I hate Shane Carwin

Well, maybe hate is extreme. Insanely jealous might be more accurate. Having a full-time job, a son and occasionally training and contributing to this blog leaves me pretty much gassed at the end of the day.

Shane Carwin holds down a full-time job (as an engineer), has two kids (one born recently), and somehow finds time to compete for the UFC interim heavyweight belt. (He also seems to be a genuinely decent guy.) A part of me respects that; most of me wants to see his over-achieving mug get beat to a pulp.

His opponent, Frank Mir, on the other hand has had many setbacks. I can relate to setbacks. Mir was in a motorcycle accident in 2004 that broke his thigh bone, he struggled with depression, alcohol and painkillers. When he returned to the UFC after the accident, he suffered some losses to lesser opponents.

I’m not saying I like Mir, ’cause I don’t. But in Mir I see a person I can relate to, warts and all. If Carwin loses he can go back to being an engineer, playing with his kids or helping old ladies cross the street. At the end of the day I just cannot stand someone who excels part-time at something everyone else strives and struggles toward full-time. I know I’m a totally jealous coveting envious asshole.

This jealousy of the genetically gifted has always struck me as at least part of the general hatred people have towards Brock Lesnar. Carwin and Lesnar are giants among men. Thanks to pure size and strength they are simply able to do more with less. But while Lesnar is hated, Carwin gets a pass.

As a short Jewish guy, I desperately want to believe that skill and technique can beat size and strength, just like it’s supposed to in jiu-jitsu. In the days of Lesnars and Carwins that might just be denial, but that is my favorite river in Egypt.