Hoelzer Reich’s racist hatred apparently acceptable in the UFC
By MMA Opinion on Dec 07, 2009
(This article was posted anonymously and may not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinion of all writers of MMA Opinion)
Although Dana White has no problem banning walk-out t-shirts for a variety of reasons (including contract disputes), apparently Neo-Nazi clothing company Hoelzer Reich is perfectly acceptable. Joe Brammer sported the shirt in the Octagon last weekend, joining the list of fighters sponsored by these pieces of shit. (Other fighters taking money from these Nazi apologist scumbags include Donald Cerrone, Lyle Beerbohm, Marcus Sursa, Shane Primm, James Krause, Justin Driggers, Dustin West, Brian Davidson, Jimmy Seipel, Chad Reiner and Eric Marriott.
Although the t-shirts are not decked out in swastikas (yet), they do have all sorts of symbols associated with the Third Reich (such as iron crosses, SS symbols and skulls previously used on SS uniforms). The (disgusting excuse for a) clothing company has also sponsored Neo-Nazi organizations and bands (such as West Wall).
Both HR and neo Nazi metal band WestWall state that they are not hate groups, and sadly those unfamiliar with how racist groups operate are simply taking these lies at face value. HR says they simply like “German imagery” and yet sponsor fighters with Neo-Nazi tattoos (such as Niko Phuakka). WestWall is led by the former leader of neo-Nazi skinhead group Northern Hammerskins, and the name of the band itself is named after the German line of defense built during the 1930s.
HR has hired publicists to try to cover up the issue by denying previous associations or saying that other clothing companies have also used racist symbols in the past, thus making theirs acceptable. Nazi sympathizers disguised as MMA fans have also been popping out of the woodwork, trying to pretend that advocating hatred is simply a free speech issue. (It is interesting to note that HR publicists have been pressuring MMA sites to take down accurate information–where’s your free speech now?)
Rather than print vague statements about how they are not politically affiliated, it would be startlingly easy for HR to denounce Nazi, neo-Nazi and skinhead groups on their website if that were actually the case. Right now, it’s looking an awful lot like a bunch of racist scumbags with a PR problem desperately trying to clean up their image through a series of lies.
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You are a fucking IDIOT!!! Racist? I looked up images of your mentioned sponsored athlets. A lot of them were black! lol So what you are saying is that anyone that uses the helmat and cross are nazi racist? The list of companies with those images would be endless!!! Get some facts bro then write.
Wow, you’re full of shit. Every single athlete mentioned in this article is white.
These guys all look white to me! http://www.hr4life.com/category_s/94.htm
Thank you very much for this.
When you can find an almost identical image to every one of HR’s designs on the list of hate symbols Neo-Nazi and Racist Skinheads use there is an obvious connection.
I don’t care what their motivations for using the designs was. Whether it be to promote those ideals or some idiotic edgy marketing idea. The inspiration for HR’s designs come for Neo-Nazi and Racist Skinhead hate symbols and that is enough reason for me to want them out of MMA and anything else that makes them money off those shit designs.
How ironic is it that the author chose to remain anonymous? I think this is turning into a witch-hunt and is ridiculous. What is next, banning Affliction because their use of crosses piss off christians? The main thing here is WHO decides WHAT is or is not offensive. If a company was banned every time someone was offended the UFC wouldnt even be here. People will see what they want, whether it is actually real or not. Do we ban any fighter with a potentially offensive tattoo as well? This will have no end and will open a bigger can of worms if HR is banned.
A lot of people in the sport have gotten death threats for dealing with this kind of stuff before, so there’s a practical concern here. It was a big deal in the fallout of some of the Melvin Costa stuff, and not really something that the author wants to deal with. Can’t really blame him.
crosses + Neo Nazi symbols = two different things
it is interesting that those supposedly interested in “free speech” have no problem with publicists trying to get articles exposing HR for the pieces of shit they are removed
They author doesn’t want to deal with threats of violence and I don’t blame them.
Here’s an example of a shirt they created: http://www.thejc.com/files/imagecache/body_portrait/p13-hoelzer-reich-pic.jpg
Look at the HR logo…
This article was written by a total moron.I don’t hear any outcry when Latino fighters come out with “Brown Pride” tattooed on them, but any Germanic symbols are automatically denounced as racist by politically correct cowards and zealots. It’s funny that the people crying racism the most are usually the biggest racists of all and have no problem with banning free speech as long as it is a view that is opposite the their own. It’s about time we start ignoring all the professional victims that cry racism whenever they don’t get their way. Personally, I could care less if a fighter wore a swastika out to fight. These dudes are there to fight, not tip toe around trying not to hurt the feelings of the weak and naive. If your feelings get hurt that easy then start watching golf. Myself, I just ordered some HR gear!
I see Cain Valasquez, the fighter with the ‘Brown Pride’ tattoo training with white people all the time…I don’t think he wants to end the white race. If you catch him listening to anti-white music, let everyone know.
Plus white pride and white power are two different things. One is moronic – being proud of something you didn’t choose to be? (That’s a pretty funny concept for any race if you ask me.) And the other is loyalty to a short German guy with small-man complex who wanted to kill everyone.
Difference between “Brown Pride” and a SS head is that in Modern Times “Brown Pride” did not lead to millions of people dying. You may not care if a fighter wears a swastika, but you obviously care if they wear Brown Pride.
Now personally I think their shirts are well cheezy and if they are not trying to do the whole Nazi thing then they are trying to do the whole biker image. Either way it doesn’t make their stuff remotely appealing. And looking at their fighters they all pretty much suck and I cannot stand Donald Cerrone anyway.
Bill
Personally, I’m not for banning a fighter, but MMA fighters (like Costa) have to understand that they are part of an industry that’s about entertainment. The UFC is a private organization. HR and other racist companies aren’t entitled to a UFC sponsorship, nor are fighters entitled to a contract with the UFC.
Anyone who wants to bitch and moan about “free speech” or “white oppression” can go screw themselves.
This is a sport that is trying to gain credibility. This is an organization that’s trying to gain credibility.
It is a private business, so the UFC’s decision to engage Neo-Nazi organizations (I’m ignoring the statements HR makes, because they’re so patently full of crap) is a concern when it comes to the image of the organization and of the fighters.
People are allowed to wear the shirt in public. The Congress isn’t allowed to pass laws about what fighters can wear into the cage, but anyone who’s read the constitution knows that it doesn’t apply to corporations who have image concerns.
And the witch-hunt continues. I thought at least one or two people would have some iota of intelligence, but I was wrong. I do not support nor condemn HR, plain and simple. But who are any of you to say what is or is not acceptable? I sure hope it isnt any of you, honestly. Death threats? Are you serious? It would be the same as saying that MMA Valor, a smaller MMA news site supports the Nazi movement because of the iron cross in his logo. Or that Team Quest has a secret white power agenda due to their use of the upward fist in theirs. If you condone the banning of HR, without having ACTUAL facts that they support any hate movement, besides the usual bullshit you have read on the internet(because everyone knows, if its on the web it has to be real, right?) then you should also support the ban of all clothing sponsors in the UFC/MMA, period. And, dont stop there, start banning certain walkout music, haircuts, religions, etc. Ban everything that could possibly be deemed as offensive by any group anywhere at any given time. Just surprised..that is all…so are we to also assume that every fighter they sponsor also has a hidden nazi agenda as well?
Yes. I’m absolutely serious about the death threats.
I can definitely speak for the fact that not all of the fighters they sponsor are Neo-Nazis. I know some of the guys that they sponsor.
Personally, not the kind of sponsorship I’d recommend if I was their manager, but I’m not, so I’ll leave that can of worms alone.
There’s a difference between peripherally using symbols associated with “white pride” or “white power” and actively designing clothing in support of the culture. There’s an additional step taken when you decide to sponsor bands that are actively engaged in American Neo-Nazism.
Of course, HR has a right to produce their shirts. It’s not a question of “banning” HR.
It’s a question of the UFC deciding whether or not they’re going to regulate their own image and the images of their fighters by being more selective about the T-shirts they let their fighters wear.
I understand what you are saying, but again, it is a slippery slope when u start banning things. And, BTW, if you did some more reading, you would find that HR never ‘sponsored’ any neo-nazi band. The fact of the matter is that the band in question got some free t-shirts and took a picture with them all, not a sponsorship. For all I know, they could be Nazi’s, but until they come out with a mantra of hate or anything similar, not just imagery that some find offensive, then they are just another shitty t-shirt company with skulls like the rest..LOL. Ban one and the can of worms is opened for the rest. I know one or two of their sponsored fighters personally as well, and I can say, to my knowlege, they are not Nazi’s, but what do I know. Gangster rap has been called anti-semitic as well, do we also call for a ban of all gangster rap for walk out music? Once it starts, there will be no stopping it.
The association with Westwall (who I’d have to waste time researching to really make a strong statement about) is, at least, an “endorsement,” and there was an intentional act of associating a brand with a band. That association, whether for money or otherwise, creates an obvious image problem for HR and (by extension) organizations that associate with them.
Is it a fair characterization? Debatable. (My answer is “No. Though its pretty shady stuff.”)
My problem with HR is the use of symbols generally used by the American Neo-Nazi, skinhead and white nationalist movements. Unless the guys at HR are complete morons, it’s a clear attempt to market to those groups. That’s the association the UFC doesn’t want to make. (The “Oh, brands that sell to Neo-Nazis are advertising, so they must think Neo-Nazis are watching the UFC.”)
Frankly, I hope Neo-Nazis do watch the UFC, for the same reason I hope the Nazi party paid very close attention to Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics, but I think the UFC does have to make that decision. There was a lot of press early in the history of the sport about association with noted racists, so it’s something to be careful of.
Gangster rap is an entirely different rant for me.
It’s not like the UFC has to worry about a precedence issue. It’s not the court system.
The UFC is entitled to handle sponsorships on a case-by-case basis, and they do. HR is a case that they don’t want to be associated with, so don’t allow them to sponsor fighters associated with the organization.
As I said before, I see your point, but I believe mine is getting overlooked. Let me say this w/out sounding contrite…I could give 2 shits about HR, I think their shirts are ugly and would never wear one. I am not defending HR themselves in my argument, rather the fact that their is NO ACTUAL GROUNDS FOR BANNING their product..at least not yet. The majority of people who are on the “Ban-Wagon” want them banned purely for their imagery, which in itself is over the top. When you ban ANYTHING because it offends one particular group, groups, or one person, it starts a snowball effect. It will not end and everything else will eventually get scrutinized and the screams for another ban, and another..it will never end.
I see the root of your argument, but I think you’re making a mistake about the way that the UFC works.
Protecting the UFC’s image is a valid reason for the UFC to refuse the RH airtime on their broadcasts.
The “Ban-Wagon” (and I really don’t like the term “ban,” personally, because that implies something more sweeping than what we’re actually talking about) is about the UFC exercising an authority they already have, and already use, in a specific instance.
Again, this is not the government. You don’t have to be worried about “setting precedence” because the UFC is allowed to work on a case-by-case basis when it comes to approving sponsors.
If you want to argue that “banning” t-shirts is a slippery slope, then you have to acknowledge that the UFC has already “banned” some sponsors because they are either direct organizational competitors or competitors with other Fertitta businesses.
If you want to argue that they shouldn’t do it because “it offends people,” then I have to disagree with you.
They should absolutely minimize broadcasting behavior or logos that offend people. They are (like all sports organizations) an entertainment organization. They have to make a point of appealing to viewers, and they can’t do that if the integrity of the brand is compromised.
One of the reasons the UFC has managed to land much bigger sponsors is because the UFC has demonstrated that it is both good at and interested in protecting its brand. That’s corporatism.
I don’t necessarily like it, but that’s the reality of it. (by the way, my argument is not that they “should” prohibit the shirts, but rather that it’s better for them if they do)
I am glad you clarified, and I see more of what you are trying to say now, but(there is always a but), banning is the word to be used here, just as the UFC has banned ClinchGear because of Dan Henderson being the owner and not signing, etc. Like it or not, banned is what the masses are screaming for, and because HR shirts are “offensive” the themselves or others. Yes, the UFC is a privately held company, etc., etc., but if they bow to the pressure from, what so far is unfounded claims of a nazi agenda, then the same will be expected the next time someone is offended. The public outcry not too long ago was to ban MMA altogether as well, was it not? All the mainstream saw was the IMAGERY of blood and violence, right? Although there is blood and violence, that does not make it bad, or ban-able and the same applies here. The UFC/MMA offends many, many people yet it is not banned and neither should any company strictly for the reasons given thus far in this whole ball of wax.
Obviously the company paid the UFC a good amount of money to be a sponsor ( as they all do) and Spike did show Brammer’s walkout and no one else right? They say the only bad press is no press right? Well here we go. Funny Hendo’s line get banned and HR is not, but yet they are all over the web now and the fighter gets a shot walking in when Kimbo does not? Conspiracy? No. Business? Maybe.
Bill
I want to think that Jed Colvin and Jamie Vine are using this imagery more because it looks cool, not because they hate people. There’s a good chance that white pride and white power fighters and supporters are buying this gear because of the imagery and causing problems. Everyone who said that they met Jed and Jamie had nothing but nice things to say and that they would hang out with people of all races.
But I go back and check out the logo, the helmets, and the rest of symbolism (fourth reich? yikes) and I’m not convinced.
How would people feel if someone had a MMA shirt that alluded to a pair of burning towers in NYC? People would flip out.
Cheers to the writer of this article. More people need to be aware of the deceit this company peddling.
Its pathetic that this kind of stuff is not only allowed in the “Superbowl of MMA,” but on top of that you have idiots defending this crap. I feel sorry for all the fighters who are evidently so poor they have to accept money from Nazis.
Would the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball allow one of the their players to wear this awful crap? I doubt it. If UFC wants to be taken seriously, they need to draw the line somewhere.
Who gives a fuck? They should be able to wear whatever they want. Its a free country. Its about mma..its not a god damn fashion show. This is just like the fighter who was forced to cover up his WHITE PRIDE tattoo. People need to quit being whiney pussies..and get over it. Cain Vasquez has a brown pride tattoo..why doesnt he have to cover it up. He says its becuz he is proud of his mexican heritage. Well can a white man not be proud of his european heritage? And even if someone is plain out.. FUCK YOU IM RACIST. Its not politics ppl. Thats what kills sports in the first place. This is about mma, fighting and sportsman like conduct. If they are polite and do a good job. Then leave it alone. Fuck you, whiney pussies and this one sided bullshit artitcle.
White pride and brown pride are nothing like white power. Nazi symbolism is directly tied to white power. Two very different things.
and btw. lets not forget The CROSS OF CHRIST. How many ppl have been slaughtered under that symbol? Yet it fits in just fine… apparently.