Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By any means necessary. No holds barred. And cold beer. Eddie on Twitter!
Music
From John Coltrane to Johnny Cash, Jackie Wilson to Gretchen Wilson, Charlie Parker to Charley Pride, Willie Nelson to Nelson Riddle, Frank to Hank, Billie Holiday to Merle Haggard, Miles Davis to Sam Cooke, Public Enemy to David Allan Coe, The Fugs to Fela, Nina Simone to Toby Keith, James Brown to Big & Rich, Eddie Palmieri to Kinky Friedman, Robert Randolph to Randy Crawford, Leela James to Elmore James, John Legend to Johnny Legend, and bluegrass to the blues.
Movies
Casablanca, Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Gladiator, Fight Club, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Burn, Night and the City (1950), Brother from Another Planet, Kentucky Fried Movie, anything with original Three Stooges, Duck Soup, A Thousand Clowns, Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song, Sicko, Religulous. Anything with Pam Grier, even the Tarantino crap. Smokey and the Bandit, good buddies. The God Who Wasn't There. And, of course, the ones I was in: The Smashing Machine, Marquis de Slime, and Fight Day.
Television
Boxing, Strikeforce, college wrestling, USA Wrestling events, GAC, CMT, Classic Country on Music Choice, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, Desperate Housewives, SCTV, The Shield, The Wire, and Oz R.I.P. Favorite button on remote: POWER OFF.
Books
The single most influential book I ever read was in high school, just after it came out: "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." Most of his other writings and speeches, especially in the last year of his life, too. And I almost forgot Langston Hughes, especially his writings about his freshman year at Columbia, which I read during my freshman year at Columbia. Also numerous works by C.L.R. James and even Hegel and Rosa Luxemburg. I guess Karl and Groucho Marx, too. "Why I Am Not A Christian" by Bertrand Russell. Anything by Richard Dawkins. When I'm drunk, Bukowski. "Tokyo Underworld" by Robert Whiting. Almanacs, dictionaries, atlases, and encyclopediae. The only novel on this list: "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. Sports books: "I Never Played The Game" by Howard Cosell. "The Great Olympic Swindle" by Andrew Jennings. "A Hard Road To Glory" by Arthur Ashe. "Cut Time" by Carlo Rotella. "Combat Sports in the Ancient World" by Michael Poliakoff. "Encyclopedia of American Wrestling" by Mike Chapman. "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton. Note that these were all influential, and positively so. That, however, doesn't mean that I agree with everything in them. But now go out and read them all, y'all.
Heroes
People who play with balloons. People who ask lots of questions. People who help answer those questions, and then play with balloons.
In 2008, Eddie was presented by Gladiator Magazine with its first-ever Lifetime Journalism Achievement Award, and named the "Conscience of the Combat Sports".
He has been an editor and writer for BoxingRanks.com, MaxBoxing.com, TheSweetScience.com, Penthouse, the Extreme Fighting web site, Grappling, Gracie Magazine, Wrestling International Newsmagazine, FIGHT! Magazine, Inside Kung Fu, Full Contact Fighter, Vale Tudo News, Tapout.com, Roundcardgirlz.com, and numerous other publications and web sites.
He was narrator in the film "The Smashing Machine". He was host of the daily sports talk show "No Holds Barred" on eYada.com, host and producer of "Knockout Radio" on MaxBoxing.com, and co-host and co-producer of "Light Show" on WBAI-FM. He was color commentator and analyst for IFC mixed martial arts and USKBA kickboxing TV broadcasts and videos. He is a member of the National Wrestling Media Association and Working America.
Grappling Magazine was voted 2002 Wrestling Publication of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association. He was vice-president of the National Wrestling Media Association, 2003-5. He was voted 2000 Journalist of the Year by the readers of Grapplersworld.com. He won third place for Boxing Event Coverage in Boxing Writers Association of America's 2003 Barney Awards for excellence in boxing journalism.
He wrestled in high school, graduated Columbia with a history major and philosophy minor, and did graduate work in magazine publishing at NYU. He lives in Manhattan.
Here is what influential people in the combat sports are saying about Eddie Goldman and No Holds Barred:
"The best show on Internet radio, about MMA, submission wrestling, everything." – Kid Peligro, ADCC News
"The best." – Frank Shamrock, legendary MMA fighter
"The best." – Big John McCarthy, legendary MMA referee
"Eddie Goldman is my favorite journalist—period. Eddie is the Howard Cosell of the game." – Adisa Banjoko, author of "Lyrical Swords Vol. 1: Hip Hop and Politics in the Mix", and "Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion"
"The Internet king." – Don King, the king of boxing promoters
"A great job online. You do the best job. All your writing is beautiful. It's where the old newspapers were." – Joey Reynolds, WOR radio
"Eddie Goldman is the man who started to broadcast on the Internet, the man who was one of the reporters to start to believe in the sport. I'm proud to have 10-15 years to talk to you, and you're still in the business. Don't matter the new guys coming, but the old guys are still in the place." - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA legend Wallid Ismail
"You could talk to the next ten fight gamers you meet and not get the same kind of unapologetic depth that you get when you get an Eddie Goldman." – Eugene Robinson, in acclaimed book Fight
"If you want to know about boxing, MMA, and all combat sports, this is the place to be, and it's the only place to be." – Charles Farrell, award-winning boxing writer and musician
"The Dean of Boxing Internet Radio Eddie Goldman." – BoxingConfidential.com
"One of the most respected journalists in MMA." – MMAPayout.com
"The Smithsonian of combat sports." - "The Fight Nerd" Matthew Kaplowitz
Some NHB history, courtesy of Adisa Banjoko and me:
Who I'd like to meet:
Some of the great folks who came to the party at Doc Holliday's Bar March 5, 2009, for my Lifetime Journalism Achievement Award and being named the "Conscience of the Combat Sports". More photos in my pics section.
Eddie and Joanna, the world's best bartender, at Doc Holliday's, July 26, 2007. Photo by Kevin Fitzpatrick.
Eddie and Alyssa, the driving force behind Trailer Trash Thursdays, at Doc Holliday's, July 26, 2007. Photo by Kevin Fitzpatrick.
Eddie interviews Matt Lindland at IFL show, Dec. 29, 2006, Mohegan Sun. Photo by Keisha Morrisey.
Eddie interviews John Duddy, Sept. 27, 2006.
Eddie interviews Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sept. 6, 2006. Photo by Bernadette Robinson.
Eddie interviews Laila Ali, Madison Square Garden, Sept. 19, 2006. Photo by Jerry Glick, SecondsOut.com.
Matthew, Uncle Eddie, and Brian Goldman.
Steve Fraser, Renzo Gracie, Rulon Gardner, me, Kevin Bracken. Photo by Gary Abbott.
Eddie with Larry Hazzard Sr., Commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, and Nick Lembo, Counsel to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, in Atlantic City, Dec. 1, 2006. Photo by Keisha Morrisey.
Intelligent and socially conscious people from this or another planet.
If I have a hunch that you'd be the kind of person with whom I'd like to share a beer or five, I might send you a request to be a friend-- whether or not you drink, and whether or not we'd actually ever meet, which is probably unlikely anyway. If we have at least one thing in common which is important to either you or me, I'd probably send a request as well -- even if we're miles apart on something else. If we know each other already, which has happened a couple of times here, and neither of us hates the other, it's just about automatic. And as for meeting new people found here in real life -- as they say in boxing, you never know.
Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes"; They will say, "Women don't have what it takes".
US Tour w/ Between The Buried And Me, Cynic & Devin Townsend! Jan 30th @ The Fillmore @ Irving in New York City! Be there! Pre-sale tickets are also now on sale, if you plan on coming I highly suggest getting them now! Available at ticketmaster. Links on our page!
.. .. "The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
NEW POSTED!! Our rock and roll weekender will be July 16, 17 and 18th 2010! The 16th and 17th will take place at the Warsaw in Williamsburg Brooklyn, the 18th will be at another venue that will be announced shortly.
We have killer bands and wild top DJs coming to play from world wide. The space can fit up to 1000 people with lots of room for a wild and crazy dance party!
This will be the first rockabilly, rock and roll weekender ever in NYC. You don’t want to miss it!
We can’t wait for next summer!! Let’s dance!!
AND OUR EVERY FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT OF MONTH @ WARSAW
You have definetly been a great influence in the world of combat sports. If you get a minute,check out our page,it will be revamped next month and will grow with us as we start hitting the street of Tx to interview Pro and up and coming Ammy fighters,along with reviewing MMA events in Texas....Much respect! Texasfighting.com c/o Mario"sPidA"Garay
Hi Eddie-
Just dropping by to say hi. How are things with you and the MMA world? Check out some of my projects when u get a minute-http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1865837/
Keep in touch
Civilization can only revive when there shall come into being in a
number of individuals a new tone of mind, independent of the prevalent
one among the crowds, and in opposition to it -- a tone of mind which
will gradually win influence over the collective one, and in the end
determine its character. Only an ethical movement can rescue us from
barbarism, and the ethical comes into existence only in individuals.
Albert Schweitzer