LOS ANGELES (Oct. 2, 2007) – Versatile, award-winning freelance sports writer Sam Caplan of Philadelphia has been hired to serve as lead writer/editor at ProElite.com, Kelly Perdew, President of the premier Mixed Martial Arts social networking and entertainment site, ProElite.com, announced today.
Caplan, who maintains the highly popular website, FiveOuncesOfPain.com, has covered the NFL, NBA and Major League baseball for more than 10 years at CBSSports.com (formerly CBS Sportsline), AOL.com and SI.com. He has also done TV and online video work for Comcast Sportsnet and NBC Universal Interactive.
“We’re thrilled to have Sam join the Proelite.com team,” said Jeremy Gocke, ProElite.com’s Vice President of Business Development. “Sam is an outstanding journalist, a true scholar of mixed martial arts, and brings a full perspective of the sport as an avid MMA practitioner.”
After training in the traditional martial arts of Karate and Kung Fu for several years, Caplan decided to transition into practicing mixed martial arts in 2005 after following it as a spectator for a long time. At the urging of some of his colleagues, he began writing about it.
“After covering spoiled athletes who had little respect for the fans and media for so many years, I was amazed at how personable, articulate and respectful pro fighters were upon my entry in MMA as a journalist,’’ said Caplan, a mixed martial artist who has competed in low-level amateur MMA and Muay Thai matches. He currently trains out of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United in Philadelphia.
“To date, I can’t say I’ve had one negative experience with a fight promoter, manager or fighter. The same can’t be said during my tenure covering the NFL, NBA and MLB.’’
Since he started to cover MMA in December 2006, Caplan worked briefly at the pop-culture site 411Mania.com and was the first outside hire by CBSSports.com when it launched its MMA section in February 2007. In addition to his coverage with CBSSports.com, he also is a contributing writer for FIGHT! Magazine.
“After an initial urge to remain independent, the opportunity to join ProElite was too good to resist,’’ Caplan said. “ProElite is an exciting company doing exciting things in an exciting sport. ProElite.com has made a lot of strides since its inception but has desire to improve further. I believe I can be a valuable asset in regard to the site’s future plans to build out its MMA content offering.’’
Said Douglas DeLuca, CEO of Los Angeles, Calif.-based ProElite: “It will be great to have a journalist of Sam’s caliber on the ProElite.com team. I am also very excited about tapping into his MMA knowledge to enhance our TV broadcasts.’’
Caplan currently hosts a weekly sports talk radio show on the ESPN Radio affiliate in Philadelphia every Saturday from 9-12 noon ET and also co-hosts his own MMA podcast, Inside the Cage Radio. Check out Sam’s blog at samcaplan.proelite.com.
About ProElite, Inc. (www.proelite.com)ProElite, Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM.