Dec 24 Happy Holidays From The Franchise

On behalf of Gary Whittaker and Nick Murdocco, The Franchise wants to wish everyone a very happy holidays. Everyone's support has been amazing and been a great source of encouragement for both Nick and Gary. It's been a big year for The Franchise, which saw us win Best Team and Best Talk Show at CJLO, get enough votes for honorable mention at the yearly Best Of Montreal poll conducted by the Montreal Mirror, and then make the leap to the Montreal's Sports Authority, The Team 990.

We have made so many great friends along the way, and have loved talking with all the fans who have taken the time to write or call in. While there are so many people to thank specifically, here are a few notables for us:

Amanda Stein: She had the unenviable task of getting between Nick and Gary, and has done an amazing job pulling her weight.

Jeff Christnagel: Superhab has been our number 1 fan before 2009 and has been a great "pick me up" whenever Nick and Gary starting feeling the pain of waking up so early in the morning

Jordan Small and Derek Leblanc: Both guys love their MMA and spent long hard hours bringing us their thoughts on what was happening in the world of combat sports.

R BAR: For being our first official sponsors while on the Team 990. We thank you, and your checkbook.

Marco Poulin: There was no better, more passionate, and more knowledgable MMA media than him. We have learned so much from him, and hope to spend much more time either working with him, or Ultimefanatic.com in 2010.

Sebastien Krafft: Never sure what he wants to be, but great at everything he does. It has been great being able to count on Sebastien to cover events that we couldn't make.

Aldo Parise: Not just a consultant, but a big brother. He kept us looking professional despite our protests.

Mitch Mayberger: The UFC viewing parties were legend...wait for it...dary. And now you have a new bundle of joy to join in the festivities.

Jeremy Rubin: You got engaged in the ring right after your boxing match, but you already had our heart! Looking forward to workouts in the park next year. Watching you guys anyway. Thanks for all your work on the show!

Of course, everyone involved with the Montreal Impact, Juniors, Alouettes who helped us work those segments, as well as everyone involved with Fight Quest, XMMA, MFL, W1, Wreck MMA, Authority Mag, and Ringside MMA.