Dan 'Punkass' Caldwell creates Charles Lewis Jr. 'Mask' Theater for Team TapouT
by Jesse Holland on Mar 12, 2010 11:33 AM EST
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Multi-million dollar clothing line? Check. Popular reality show? Check. Gladiator-themed Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. memorial theater?
Check.
TapouT has long been known for doing things their own way. And it's hard to argue with their business model considering they started with just a van and some T-shirts and now rule the world of mixed martial arts merchandise.
As Dan "Punkass" Caldwell explains to Tom LeBlanc of CEPro, constructing a theater at the TapouT headquarters was as much about business as it was pleasure.
"TapouT has always been on the forefront of Mixed Martial Arts and with that comes the responsibility of educating the consumer. Visual media is a big part of what TapouT does. We produce commercials, short documentaries and films — all used to help promote the sport. So building a movie theater seemed like a good fit. It is a great place to show our new commercials and films, also to conduct meetings to keep our employees excited about what we do here"
The 93-seat theater is equipped with (tech alert!) custom created TruAudio speakers, a 197-inch masking Stewart Filmscreen, projectiondesign Avielo Optix projector, B&K Reference 70 receiver with B&K Reference 200.7 and 200.5 amps.
In English?
This Roman Gladiator-themed theater, like the fighters that will be shown here, kicks some serious butt. And in addition to keeping the company on the cutting edge of technology, it's also a way to pay tribute to one of TapouT's founding fathers, Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. and his vision.
More from "Punkass:"
"Movies have always played a big influence in Charles’ and my lives. When everyone else was out partying and hanging out, me, Charles and Skrape would be watching the newest flicks at the theaters. After seeing (TapouT President Marc Kreiner's home theater), we said we were going to build a movie theater in our office one day. I know (Mask) would have loved to have seen how it came out. When I sit in the theater it definitely makes me think about him and how he inspired people. We want to use the movie theater to continue to inspire everyone."
For more information and specifications surrounding the TapouT theater click here.
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MAN!!!!
THOSE seats look so comfrotable. wish i hade 1 in my game room like a LazyBoy chair.
YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYBODY SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL PLEASE YOU!!!!!!!
by BigDickChainey on Mar 12, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
really?
More comfortable than a couch? Okaaaaay.
Comfortable chairs are not a scarcity. You can go purchase them.
www.colossaldouchebag.com
by StrikerDave on Mar 12, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
smh
FYI i juz want a TAPOUT chair. mmamania has a spot for comments so i commented that i wanted a seat. Y the shit talking? they have a place that sells “COMFORTABLE” shirts also but i go get tapout ones. SoooooooooO wht?
YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYBODY SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL PLEASE YOU!!!!!!!
by BigDickChainey on Mar 12, 2010 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
sometimes it amazes me that mma has been so successful
despite being associated with such douchey clothing and apparel. Nothing makes me want to hit a guy quite like seeing a sideways hat ans a Tapout t-shirt…..maybe that was their goal.
Nice
Yesterday I was driving to work, (up jamboree in newport beach) and I saw an older couple sitting in lawn chairs reading at the crash site… He was really loved.
That...
Thats was a bus stop. He was waiting for a bus.
People went ape shit over “the Mask” for all the wrong reasons. He basically made a farce out of MMA in it’s early stages, when they needed to go towards normalicy…not t-shirt guys in make up and wigs. The Mask was just trying to make a buck by any means necessary. Saying that he was out there to help fighters is like saying that Hitler was responsible for BMW’s being such great cars (the Nazi’s funded BMW in WWII). The Mask and Hitler had different motives that had a SIDE EFFECT; the fighters got a bit of cash (while the Mask got rich by exploiting them) and BMW made great cars (while Hitler made a play for world domination). PLEASE GET REAL. The Mask only wanted MMA to succeed so he could make a buck. MMA is better off without him (I’m not saying he should have died) but the sport is more legit without him.
To be even more harsh, his show made him look and sound stupid. He missed the point so many times it was embarrassing to watch. He really lived in an alternative reality. Quotes like, “My father would be proud.”…that’s for someone else to say…NOT YOU. " It’s an honor to be here (Hackleman’s training facility)"….it’s an honor for THE FIGHTERS…NOT A REALITY SHOW THAT IS PAYING FOR ACCESS. His ignorant dismissing of a businessman without listening to his pitch so that he can sound superior….just pathetic. And this is the just the 3 shows I did see.
Two things fit with this story. 1) That someone that stupid would die racing his sports car against a drunk. Natural selection at work. 2) That his former business partner would piss away more cash by “honoring” him with a theatre. WTF?
Gaggle of morons at that company (and anyone who wears their clothing).
www.colossaldouchebag.com
Don't usually try bash someone's opinion
Everyone’s entitled to believe what they want. But from reading your BS comment StrikerDave, I think you’re full of sh**.
I’m not gonna sit here and say I knew who Mask really was, or that I knew people who knew him, or that you should respect him cause he died. Hate him, love him who gives a toss but you just attempted to drag his name through the dirt for no good reason!!!
From all the footage that I’ve seen from him, he seemed a genuine, fun loving and respectable guy. He’s supposed last tv interview summed up Tapout to me.
How in the hell are you saying that he exploited fighters? He (Skyscrap and Punk-ass) backed people from the little shows all the way up. I’ve yet to hear (and hey, maybe I’m wrong) anyone say Tapout were using them, treating them unfair or what not.
And you give out saying they made a farce of MMA? They had fun with their personas and didn’t take themselves too seriously WHILE turning Tapout pretty much into a gloab brand. I don’t think too many people took offence to the Tapout crew cause of their appearance seeing as how they are earning so much and are almost the UFC of MMA wear (in my opinion).
Why can’t he be honoured being at the Hackleman facility? He isn’t a fighter but they noticed recogonisedwhat he has done for the sport and opened their doors to him.
And comparing him to Hitler? Are you serious?
You’re a troll
AAAAAGGREED!!!!!!
YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYBODY SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL PLEASE YOU!!!!!!!
by BigDickChainey on Mar 12, 2010 3:15 PM EST up reply actions
Fair enough...
Call me a troll all you want. It isn’t my intention to “troll” for fights. I just want to state an alternative opinion to the BS that I believe has been rewritten about this guy.
Please allow me to retort…
“From all the footage that I’ve seen from him, he seemed a genuine, fun loving and respectable guy.”
Right up until he killed HIMSELF by racing a drunk to impress his young girlfriend. I can’t disagree more with you on this. He came off as a self important blowhard of a clown (clown: he literally wore face paint, can you imagine in Henry Ford did that?). He would say things like," It was just us against the world, we were out to change everything." No dude, you were selling t-shirts. The world wasn’t against you, you weren’t Ghandi. You made a few dollars selling t-shirts. If a guy who owned a small sandwich shop on the corner said that you would laugh at him. He was just a small business man you was misguided as to his importance in this world.
“How in the hell are you saying that he exploited fighters? He (Skyscrap and Punk-ass) backed people from the little shows all the way up. I’ve yet to hear (and hey, maybe I’m wrong) anyone say Tapout were using them, treating them unfair or what not.”
I work in marketing, I know that a sponsorship like this is exploitive. Whether the fighters knew it or not. Yeah, they aren’t complaining because they were paid but lets ask the fighters who were dropped when they lost. Where was Tapout then? “Helping the fighters” would have meant that they sponsored fighters win or lose. They stayed with the winners only. I know, I know that’s how business is but don’t pretend that sponsoring the fighters was for the fighters benefit. Tapout profited exponentially compared to the effort that the fighters put in..that’s why the business paid the fighter to walk into the cage with the t-shirt on. Besides, at that stage you are talking $50-500 dollars for the fighters to wear Tapout t-shirts (in the small show days). Wow, really changing the fighters lifestyle with that type of money. Sorry, I don’t pretend that he was “helping the fighters”…he was lining his pockets why they were getting beat to hell.
“They had fun with their personas and didn’t take themselves too seriously WHILE turning Tapout pretty much into a gloab brand.”
An held MMA away from the legit sports world for many people who don’t identify with their theatricality. Tapout became a global brand because they were the first. I give him (and the other two choad’s) credit for being there early on in genesis of the sport. That’s their accomplishment. But to say they helped put MMA on the map…sorry not accurate.
“and are almost the UFC of MMA wear (in my opinion).”
Are you one of the guys who think that the UFC is doing everything right? Don’t you see that they could be doing even better?
“Why can’t he be honoured being at the Hackleman facility? He isn’t a fighter but they noticed recogonisedwhat he has done for the sport and opened their doors to him.”
Because he wasn’t invited there as a guest who had earned it. Either his reality show producers paid for it or it was set up because he had paid fighters under Hack’s roof. Either way, he was there because he has paid for it. If I go to a famous restaurant I am not honored to eat their steak…I paid for that. If I was invited by the chef, and was eating for free, then i would feel honored. Same thing. He paid for it to help sell more t-shirts. No honor in that.
“And comparing him to Hitler? Are you serious?”
Fair enough. Not really comparing him to Hitler …just that saying that they both had a side effect from their actions that they don’t deserve credit for. It’s like saying that Bill Gates should get the Nobel prize for literature because he was involved in the development of word processing software that books are written on. Make sense? Mask was out to make a buck. Let’s just leave it at that.
And really the proof is in the pudding. He died doing something stupid. NATURAL SELECTION.
www.colossaldouchebag.com
Youre an idiot man, I dont care what type of marketing you do, you will never come close the success these “clowns” have had. Everyone wants to hate on someone who is successful and did it a different way. This dude has donated so much cash to the sport its insane. And FYI douche mcgee, thats not a bus stop, Ive lived here my whole life.
Well
“I dont care what type of marketing you do, you will never come close the success these "clowns" have had.’
And I don’t measure my worth based on financial success. I am perfectly content with where I am, my life is not a race with anyone else (except myself). So I don’t care if they made buckets of money by prostituting their dignity…the fact is they made themselves into fools to make cash. Try arguing that….thought so. The reason I bring up my marketing background is say that I know that when company’s sponsor athletes they are really glomming on to the athletes to make cash, not to help the athletes.
“This dude has donated so much cash to the sport its insane.”
What did he donate? LMFAO. Anything that was “given” had a Tapout logo on it I’m sure. So anything that was “donated” was really a corporate marketing plan.
“And FYI douche mcgee, thats not a bus stop, Ive lived here my whole life.”
Yeah no sh*t assh*le. That was a rip at the guys who are sitting at that place as a tribute. Wouldn’t you honor someone’s life by tributing the places they had their best moment on earth, not the single worst instant of their life?
www.colossaldouchebag.com
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