The Entertainment Architect: Catching Up with Christian Printup at Foxwoods
For a person who has quit drinking for good, a casino can feel like a lair of wolves to a deer. For years, I was the deer. Where else on Earth can you go where people walk around all day and night offering free drinks? When one’s gone, another appears. Only Disney World is more adept at extracting cash from its patrons. At the casino, the drinks are free, sure, but the slot machines and table games are not. I suppose the analogy would be that Booze is to Gambling as Baking Soda is to Vinegar – the make-your-own-volcano-home-recipe.
I was at Foxwoods on Saturday. And this trip wasn’t about temptation; it was about testing a commitment I had made to myself. I’ve chosen not to drink anymore. That choice has changed me. I had green tea, sparkling water, and even a Peroni 0.0% non-alcoholic brew. Honestly, I had more fun than I’ve ever had there. I remembered everything. A couple of months into this new chapter, I've come to love not drinking.
I never knew I’d be watching the UFC live, three decades later, with my teenaged son!
Foxwoods offers more than gambling. It’s a city under a roof – a massive mall, spa, arcade, restaurants, pools, hot tubs, a gym, and even a zip line for the summer crowd. On Saturday, the main attraction was a UFC Fight Pass event – wild, no-holds-barred MMA bouts inside an octagon, under the lights. It was my first time at a live MMA event, which was so much better than watching it on TV.
MMA has come a long way. It was 1993 when I watched the first ever UFC event on pay-per-view through Adelphia Cable in Niagara Falls. It was only $16.99 then, but now it's $79.99. The fighters were like characters from a video game: a sumo wrestler, a karate master, a boxer, and a jiu-jitsu black belt. No weight classes. No rounds. Few rules. Just two men fighting until one quit or dropped. Only 86,000 people bought it that night. I was one of them, along with a few friends who each kicked in a few bucks. The idea was that by letting the best of the best go at it, the world could know which style of fighting was most effective for pummeling fellow humans.
Royce Gracie – 190 pounds of precision and calm – blew everyone away. He beat three men in less than five minutes combined for all three matches, including a final opponent who towered over him. On April 12th, the UFC will broadcast its 314th pay-per-view. That first cold Western NY night feels like another world now. MMA has exploded. Now, there are weight classes, rounds, and a few rules to prevent horrific injuries. Boxing, by comparison, is losing its place.
The UFC is now worth $12 billion. That number doesn’t even count the global network of gyms, venues, and training centers where fighters perfect their craft. The men and women who entertain the world with their blood need places to prepare their minds and bodies for war. The sport and the discipline behind it are a massive movement, and cauliflower ears are everywhere these days!
Christian was awarded the Entertainment Executive of the Year - Awarded by the American Gaming Association in Las Vegas
I was lucky enough to be sitting in the third row with my son on Saturday, thanks to a classmate and friend of mine, Christian Printup. Christian is now the Vice President of Entertainment for Foxwoods. We hadn’t seen each other in over a decade, but he rolled out the red carpet for us. The event was broadcast worldwide, and there we were…me and my 13 year old son (big UFC fan) making noise with thousands of our closest friends.
Me (Left) World’s Most Dangerous Man (Middle) Luca (Left)
After the final bell, we met Ken Shamrock – The World’s Most Dangerous Man – a true MMA pioneer. He fought in that first UFC event I watched all those years ago. A tough dude who ran into Gracie that night. His second fight against the UFC champ went 36 minutes…nonstop. My son and I then stepped into the octagon afterward, stood on a bloody mat under glaring lights, and snapped photos. It was as much fun for me as it was for him.The truth is, I walked away that night with more than memories. Seeing Christian in that leadership role stirred something in me. There’s quiet pride in watching someone from your roots succeed at such a high level – especially when their success opens doors for others. Christian didn’t apply for the job; headhunters found him. Imagine being so skilled at something that the best and the biggest come looking for you. That’s Christian.
Royce Gracie (Left) and Ken Shamrock (Right)
When Christian and I were born, Niagara Falls had a population of nearly 90,000. Today, it’s less than half that. Meanwhile, the U.S. has grown by more than 150 million people. We’ve watched our hometown shrink while the rest of the country surged ahead. So, when life brings a couple of us back together – even if only for a night – it matters. It means something.
For me, that night at Foxwoods wasn’t about luck. It was about choice. The choice to show up, to be present, to bring my son along for the ride, and to remember every second of it. Thank you, Vice President Printup, for an unforgettable night.