Lebron James and Basketballs Holy Grail

Now that the formality of being a champion is out of the way, lets talk shop. Lets talk about what Lebron James can show us this year and lets try to not put it in the context of what MJ showed us, MJ is in his own category- one of the greats but unique in the imprint he made on us all-even Lebron. Without fail Lebron let us know yesterday that he isn't satisfied, and just exactly what does he mean by that?. Short bus thinkers think in micro, you know the obvious shit like winning another Championship (that's real perceptive of you) to make up for the two he failed to get but I'm thinking macro. Lebron James just learned to be an "assassin", MJ came into the league a killer, which is why he KO'd everybody who stepped to him once he got rolling. But Lebron, like Magic has a larger court vision and though he wants to repeat (first time since Kobe&Shaqs Lakers) i think he's focused on an additional target-one that even MJ didn't dare consider.."The Big O". For those of you who don't read nor import legends into your NBA 2K13 Rosters that would be Oscar Robertson. A man can only be judged based on how he performed against the competition put in front of him, and those who are truly great really respect the history of their profession. Lebron isn't the kind of guy to shrug off what Oscar Robertson did in 1962 because hes' a historian, and historians know one day some clown will say "Lebron?, man he couldn't have played today!". Legacy is important because once it goes in stone anybody that wants to challenge does so at there own intellectual peril. Statistically Lebron just came off of the most mind blowing playoff performance EVER, so much so that if he did it another two times I'd have no problem putting him over MJ because he did everything but sell popcorn. The most illuminating realization for James during last years play-offs was not just the killer instinct..I think he also found the formula for averaging a TRIPLE DOUBLE. You know, that statistical feat immortalized in Ice Cubes "Today was a Good Day"? there once was a time when it was more than a rap lyric, it was Oscar Robertson's 1962 season averages. Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game and that season was also the same year Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points on the Knicks- 62' was basketballs equivalent to baseballs 1941. During the finals last year Lebron averaged 28 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists against a team that many favored to beat his Miami Heat. Lets examine the series ( vs. Indiana) that i believe he came to the realization that he's more than just the best player on the floor, but that he can record a triple double at will. In a span of six games Lebron pulled down high double figure rebounds (+12) 3 times and + 7 assists in three of the contests. Now remember, this was during a period when he was being genuinely threatened and his legacy as a basketball player was at a pivotal crossroads. He went out and made the Indiana Pacers look like little brothers in the driveway, something you would have to be capable of doing routinely over an 82 game schedule. The Celtics series was even more illustrative because the last three games he brought down 13,15 and 12 rebounds to close the series. Game 6 was a legendary performance (45 points,15 boards,5 assists, no smiles), but statistically he can put up gaudy numbers at least twice a week especially with soft spots in the schedule. Some believe its the four MVP club Lebron is motivated in joining this year but i believe that room is too crowded for a guy who lives in VIP rooms all over South Beach. The "Triple Double Lounge" is way in the back, so far that it's in black and white, so far back that Magic Johnson gets childlike when discussing the Big O. Oscar Robertson was the most fundamentally precise baller that ever lived, no flash, he just put you where you could not defend him and beat you down with the fact that he was 6'5 206 lbs. at a time when guards were all built like Allan Iverson. During the play-offs Lebron learned that "bully ball" wins, he's now reconciled with being the big guy who can do what he wants to do out there. More post ups, deeper position will increase shooting %, assists, and put back rebounds that i believe will put him at 23.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists on 49% shooting from the field. It's possible, and its something you'll have to respect as the greatest regular season of All Time considering this just may be the most loaded NBA we've ever seen. Expect the "Big O" to be a curmudgeon and damned near Mercury Morris like as Lebron approaches the feat, but don't blame him- he's stood alone on that Holy Grail for years, its something he never considered anyone else doing and it's become his trademark....until now.

Ricky Hatton Press Conference Pt2/2

Michael Vick Game Manager 2.0

You know that buddy, you envy him for brief periods of time until he proves to you his lack of judgement will always elicit a secret pity only discussed when he isn't around. He's always attracting hot, exciting women, but his downfall is that he always rearranges his whole life in an attempt to turn them into good girlfriends. And when it inevitably fails he's clueless, and too stubborn to accept why what he was doing was beyond irrational. Hot, and Exciting, never equals reliable nor steady, and the more you expose the "exciting" entity to routine the more likely you'll see the huge chinks in the armour. Quarterbacks are like that, and theres a certain amount of trust required to just give the keys to a guy, even in a passing league. Eli Manning is like that girlfriend that none of your friends give you props for (2006),and that's a good thing because your friends are idiots. They will know that girlfriend as your wife of 15 years one day and grow to appreciate her when things get rough, like that "wife" you can rely on Eli Manning to throw the ball 50 times a game. Michael Vick is literally built for the short term, he's a sport car in a position that requires a minivan, he's good for excitement and high speeds but he cant get you where your going without hazard. Andy Reid is "that friend", and he probably needs to come to terms with what he has in Michael Vick-because if he does he can win the Super Bowl, if he doesn't he can lose his job. In fact the whole group of Eagle wide outs resemble Vick ( analogy-"hot chick") because they're all tiny, fast and good for thrills in very brief stretches. LeSean McCoy is another matter, he's averaging 4.5 yards a carry for a turnover laden offense, handing him the rock ALOT more will cut down on turnovers and make Vick that much more dangerous. He's 10 plus years "in" folks, and he still struggles with before the snap recognition and reads, and this in an age where kids are coming in the league with more savvy than him. Vick played in a college era when the QB wasn't throwing the ball as much as they are now, and being a super athlete made it even harder for him to be the traditional "walking playbook" that Eli Manning is. Vick shouldn't be sitting around waiting on the QB controversy to commence, because he shouldn't be throwing the damned ball as much as he is anyway. The front line is atrocious, and we all know nothing builds confidence in the big boys like letting them take it to the man in front of them-the running game. Watching Vick get bounced around every Sunday is an exercise in Andy Reid trying to affirm his genius by attempting to transform a brittle, smaller QB into an "elite" signal caller. "Game Managers" may be extinct but not if the particular QB is blessed with an otherworldly skill set, he's got a top 10 arm and (when the defense is on their heels) may be a top 10 Running Back. Play Action on 3rd and 3 is where Michael Vick belongs, 3rd and 10 with Justin Tuck in an air tunnel breathing fire is not, in fact putting him there is asking for a turnover or (worse) an injury. You can win with the hot chick, if you redefine what "winning" is, if you try the everyday thing with her-you'll find something disqualifying in her... everyday. In 2001 Defensive players didn't look like they do now, Vick was one of the reasons the league started attracting better athletes to the defensive side of the ball. Vick is getting beaten up and run down from behind, something we never saw in the early 2000's- so why expose him to punishment throughout the game when he can take off at crucial times in good health?. This isn't a hard thing to figure out, Vick is high risk-high reward, limit the risk and encourage the flash just enough to reap the rewards. Don't be "that friend" Philadelphia Eagles, take the hot chick to the concert and don't ask her who she's texting, and if you play it right you can end up in one of those surprising adventures  exciting people usually take you to...like the Super Bowl.



Manny Pacquiao "50 cent a nice guy," will focus more on speed & footwork...

Boxing to Football Fans: Welcome to Big Boy Land

Newsflash; Governor Scott Walker didn't want his beloved Packers to lose, but don't get it twisted, he's all about the Big Bad NFL having the right to bust the Referee Union. You don't have to be a genius to know 5'9 Wide receivers aren't even supposed to be on the field when a hail marry is called- but that don't mean your immune to getting screwed. Boxing fans like myself went to bed last night because we aren't strangers to the "life Isn't fair" element intervening into our viewing experience. We get screwed 5 times a year tops, and our promoters aren't bound to the perception of socialized fairness like Roger Goodell. Football Fans don't get it, they got you, and bitch you ain't going nowhere-so stay out of the boardroom and keep your outrage relegated to Twitter. What Scott Walker wont tell you is Fiscal Austerity measures have commenced and the NFL isn't about to create another privileged class of people because you want the refs to get the calls right. Pensions for part time employees? when the rest of the NFL employees had the rug pulled from right out under them? please. It's not a matter of what the NFL brings in, its a matter of allocation and probably the breaks they receive from the Government for keeping the corporate status quo. The owners who are about profit gave Goodell his marching orders, and they are willing to lose games to keep overhead down. Labor busting is about systematically lowering the standard of living and allowing the rich to get richer, just ask Scott Walker. In Boxing we go into every big fight with the reality of bad judging hanging over our heads, even corruption-but we don't respond like infants if things go wrong especially if we know what we saw. In Big Boy Land you know that things may run smoothly, and then they may not-but you don't act as if you have recourse when you don't. The NFL isn't in the business of doing anything because it's "fair", even their "Safety" platform is rooted in the reality that they are staring down the barrel of a historic lawsuit. They protect their wallet, not their integrity, integrity is something you can forfeit if your taking the same trip to the bank. Boxing has been dying for 30 years, and lacks integrity-but a handful of men still make it to the bank so integrity isn't on the "to do" list of our Sport. We cant even make a pact between thieves, we cant even come to terms on a merger that would put all the fighters under an association and hire a commissioner to legitimize us to much larger corporate opportunities. THE MAFIA saw the benefit in a national commission, the NFL only merged with the AFL when the upstart league started hitting owners in the checkbook via bidding wars so don't be so idealistic about "your" football. Did you know it can be considered criminal to do anything (no matter how "fair") that isnt in the best financial interests of shareholder first and foremost?. If you think for one minute the NFL isn't using our sport as a case study in negative fan reaction your kidding yourself- this will last a week and more of you will watch for the added attraction of being fucking outraged. Drug dealers, once they have a strong consumer base start cutting the quality of their shit to increase profit margin-sound familiar?. The drug dealer knows by that point the addict is no longer in their right mind, dependant and not exactly a hardcore consumer advocate. When you reserve a tombstone in your favorite teams logo and colors, Roger Goodell knows-and he can take you for granted. The NFL is at the point where they know the truth about us, we're strung out and all we're good for is watching the next game that they air-what do you think the Thursday game is about?. Welcome to Big Boy Land football fan, we here in Boxing have been here for years and we haven't forgotten about your high handed comments about us in years past. How does it feel?. Helpless?. Of course you are. The only difference between you and me is I'm gonna turn to the Redzone Channel next week like a good little junkie and i wont miss a wink of sleep if some shit goes wrong. You?. Well; you'll tune in with the false idea that you and the NFL are "in this together", that you and Aaron Rogers can impact a corporate monolith and how they do business - Good Luck with that Baby Boy.

Inside the NFL - Chad Johnson Interview - SHOWTIME

Let The Holograms Invade Boxing in 2013!!

If you’re an old school Hip Hop Head with limited patience you’ve checked out of tha game right about the time every rapper started using the sir name “Lil”. You’re getting old, and that’s OK because a lot of what the Chilrun (children) are doing isn’t worth you trying to stick around for. If your one of the conspiracy theorists who thought Tupac was still alive I would hate to have been you back on April 15th at the Coachella Music Festival when a technological rising of the dead went down. The 2-D Hologram challenged many spiritually and opened a “what are we coming to?” debate all over the world; if you’ve seen it via YouTube you truly are witnessing a shot across the reality bow. Within minutes of the “siting” Dr. Dre and the money men that plan mega tours started charting the possibilities; Tupac on tour in 2013- and the online polls indicate a culture already glued to IOS devices have no problem paying for surrealism. Watching it I couldn’t help but think about boxing and the possibility of this technology on our sport. In fact the sport of Boxing is a natural fit for the Hologram invasion because we have less bureaucratic layers and regulation to hinder the process-sorry Teddy Atlas. We’re an audience that thrive on major events that rarely get made while simultaneously lionizing the memory of many champions who are no longer with us- So why can’t we be the first entertainment field to go all in?. Why can’t we lead the way in the creepy hologram take over? We lead the Sports entertainment world in everything else creepy and unethical.

 

Consider the Cost

Back in 1969 Miami promoter Murray Woroner staged a computer generated “Super Fight” between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali that both living fighters participated in. Ali, two years previous filed a defamation lawsuit (take that Pacquiao) against the promoter for a computer simulated bout that depicted “The Greatest” losing to Jim Jeffries. The 1969 bout was made possible because the 1967 Heavyweight Tourney generated 16 million radio listeners 20 yrs. after TV devoured the medium. Aided by the crude NCR model 315 Computer and filmed fight scenes featuring a 45 yr. old Marciano donning a toupee Woroners Second effort proved to be a success. Marciano made a flat fee while Ali took his chances with a percentage of the profits, and yet customers were still denied the pleasure of seeing both men in their prime- something 2-D technology can easily provide.  What the Coachella promoters paid digital Domain Media Group to produce a 15 minute set complete with Tupac greeting a crowd he’d never greeted in life was a mere pittance in Boxing terms-couldn’t get “Money” Mayweather on the phone. However, the Vegas Casino willing to pay the holders of Ray Robinsons licensing rights and estate will find the investment in a hologram fighter well worth it. A deceased fighter may be cheaper and easier to deal with but he may also have heirs and beneficiaries who could greatly use the windfall. Right now we’ve been held hostage to economic models that don’t work, Floyd Mayweathers call to Manny Pacquiao as ludicrous as it may read on paper is not an outlier. It’s the future. How many years before Adrian Broner is telling you he’s better than Mayweather and deserves to make sure his  grandchildren are wealthy; I’m sure Joe Louis’s actual great grandchildren would love to compete (with him) for that entertainment dollar.

And Joe Louis live or digital never ducked anybody; don’t expect anything different from the laser projected version.

 

Face it; we were already primed for digital takeover

Murray Woroner once said “technology can solve any sporting argument” and this was a generation before EA Sports made Sports Simulation gaming an obsession among American males. No sporting audience is blessed with the history and pure data of Boxing, not even baseball. “Title Bout” a simulation Computer Program was successful in the early 2000’s because Boxing nerds enjoyed the deep statistically based variables, you even got to choose from a broad list of Hall of Fame trainers. The “Fight Night Champion” Franchise from EA Sports is consistently one of the better “sims” in the genre and often usurps the show at the E3 Conference. The kids who rocked to Tupac at Coachella were in diapers when he last blessed the mic, but those of us who remember him actually MADE Sports gaming relevant. We may be “older” but we are on the cusp of the debate as to whether the technology will be welcomed. We remember when everyone of any note fought one another and now we live lives where technology uses us of practically everything else-why not hologram bouts streamed to my Ipad? Robinson vs. Leonard anyone? Younger fans (who we lose to MMA) may be drawn to a Sport that provides “next level” Telepresence; no more boring a twenty something with your opinion-just put him in MSG circa 1950 with Ray Robinson as his host. And don’t think Advertisers and Sponsors  wouldn’t line up to support “surreal boxing” in a way they wouldn’t support the real thing. They don’t have to worry about Boxing wetting itself with human judging or debacles like Mayweather vs. Ortiz, the technology practically guarantees viewers an action packed spectacle. What happened between Chavez and Martinez was special, but face it; you’d like to see if his dad can pull it off against Roberto Duran.

Reality is a relative term and Boxing is good for creating realities that aren’t too pleasant, and yet we’ve survived. How many times have you watched a fight and your eyes told you that one man beat his opponent easily and then been told by the verdict it isn’t what you saw? The reality is many people are harmed by that little sleight of hand and the punches received by the victim of the decision can’t be reversed. In the right hands you can witness virtual reality that is immune from the reality of human corruption; Artificial intelligence is much preferable to some 75 year old dude still bloated from the filet mignon the night before

 

And what about the “Creepy” factor?

Clearly you must be soulless if a part of you didn’t look at the Tupac performance and feel a bit troubled. But the term digital Domain Media Group used was “Commercial Application” and I choose as an individual to think about how many boxers leave the sport with little financially to show for it. It’s creepier that Joe Frazier did not enjoy the licensing prosperity of his rival (Ali) or that George Foreman merely stamped his name on a grill and made a Billion Dollars. It’s creepier that we’ve normalized two Hall of Fame fighters in the same division never fighting. We already live in times where reality trumps anything we can dream up in our minds; who would have imagined 25 yrs. ago Boxing would be in the position we’re in now. In Japan Hatsume Miku (a hologram) is the number one pop star since 2007! at this point  American Fight Fans wouldn’t object to any  version of a great Heavyweight. When you consider the fictitious PR pushes of some fighters why would a “Hologram Heavy” that can actually fight offend anyone?  Morally it wasn’t right (and creepy) to spring a deceased celebrity with the “he aint dead” following of Tupac on a mostly impaired crowd but what I propose is heavy on disclaimers.

I wouldn’t want Sugar Ray Robinson to crash a Manny Pacquiao Post fight presser (ala Hologram Frank Sinatra at Simon Cowels Birthday bash) no more than you would but I would like the choice to see him fight Wilfred Benetiz on the Pacquiao vs. Marquez 4 undercard. I’m against Government deception, Transhumanist agenda’s (yeah you Mitt), DNA augmentation and anything that utilizes technology beyond our aptitude to control or subdue us (No Hunger Games for Me) but this is different. Like 3D Movies and other technology based “experiences” the Hologram isn’t going anywhere, the Domain Media Group stock went up 50% in the week following Tupac’s “resurrection” and this was no accident. By this time next year many Americans will get an opportunity to see Elvis live and a whole generation will learn “semi firsthand” what made him “The King”. Boxing fans should be first in line to re-introduce our legends virtually and push the entertainment experience beyond previous levels of intimacy. Do something before the NFL and MMA for once! We speak of the dead more than any other sport in America; why else did Bert Sugar’s passing affect us like it did? Replete with fedora and cigar Sugar embodied our oral tradition and great history of storytelling. He’s probably in the afterlife at this very minute chatting up Archie Moore and telling him “they got this thing down there called holograms, are you still in shape?”

 

 

 

 

 

'42' Official Trailer [HD]: The Real Life Story Of Jackie Robinson, Base...

Floyd Mayweather: "What if I Lose?"

You ever here a second hand comment about someone you know and based on what you know of them you suspend the "don't believe what people say" rule?. Manny Pacquiao isn't a dumb man, but he isn't a shrewd operator when speaking a language he isn't fluent in, he's certainly no match for Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith when they start pressing him. Pacquiao sheepishly suggested Floyd Mayweather may be afraid of him, something he really doesn't believe-he was just being the guy late night shows love in the US. But two things rang true, two things nobody who only have an ESPN level of exposure to this issue can vouch for-Floyd Mayweather wants to screw Manny Pacquiao (financially) and he does fear losing. Fearing a loss and hating to lose are different, Floyd Mayweathers whole narrative is about fear, because he was put in a situation very early on where he had to erect defense mechanisms to shield him from the possibility. He cant lose to Manny Pacquiao at this point, because he shrewdly waited until the volume punching had faded as it will with all pressure fighters- the place we are now is all about his pshycological make-up. Leonard Ellerbe just recently spoke with the confidence of someone employed by the NFL- the only true entity in sports that can dictate terms. In Boxing, Father Time dictates terms which is why Pacquiao should be applauded for telling anyone who will listen he'll take a lesser split. When Pacquiao reported that Mayweather asked "what if i lose?" i believed it in my core, that paranoia is a part of his genius and part of the reason we will never see this fight. When you feel like every ones out to get you, you cant afford to put yourself in situations where you may lose-which is why Floyd cant seem to accept he cant dictate terms to the past women in his life. For some reason Floyd believes his loses is more than a loss, that his blemishes are life ending-what will he do when he can no longer do what he does better than most who ever did it?. Pacquiao is coming off of his 6th loss, and he's stepping in with a man (Marquez) who many believe should be responsible for 3 losses. And yet, i cant imagine Joe Calzaghe being better than him, Rocky Marciano either, Boxing resumes are like life-did you risk yourself for love and eternity or did you put up barriers?. When you have a child with a woman and that child isn't growing up under the same roof with both of you that is a loss-trust me i know. But getting past that loss and coming to terms with yourself and your shortcomings is a Victory- not trying to dominate and dictate terms. Floyd Mayweather is in a Drivers Seat with a ticking clock underneath it, in Boxing and in life-he can either mature enough to redefine "loss" or live a future filled with excuse and disclaimers. My favorite Mayweather fight was vs. Miguel Cotto because he showed who he can be when all is not perfect, that a bloody nose isn't going to deter him from handling his business. Manny Pacquiao, Josie Harris, and Melissa Brims will never give Floyd a license to dominate them in a boardroom nor in life no matter how many other people allow him to do this. Everyone cant be a flunky. They hold the keys to his legacy, and cooperation is the only way to get to where Sugar Ray Leonard (who lost fights and had personal demons) is or (in fact) the millions of men who have raised emotionally healthy children despite separated parents. Loss is getting old and trying to explain to a 30 year old how you had to let Pacquiao know he isn't getting ANY PPV "upside" and seeing a blank WTF? expression. Loss is getting to the point where you get locked up again for a domestic altercation, this time for a real "bit", and coming out of jail in your  40's-having to endure your children's insistence on recalling the incidents of their childhood much like you do yours. It can happen, and if it were to open on the Vegas Sports book Floyd adores he would have a solid chance on losing more in life than in the ring.

Showtime Boxing - Paul Williams Interview with Jim Gray - SHOWTIME

Unveiling The Missing "Faces" of Tim Tebow

Heading into week 3 we are still on "Tebow watch", but don't worry he is more than capable of staying exposed despite the Jets having nothing for him to do. The NFL Network is fast becoming a big time outlet and their " A Football Life" Documentary series can only rivaled by HBO produced values. Understandably they took on Tim Tebow but they did it in a creative way that allows viewers to enjoy the "list" styled format (successful with the "Top Ten" shows) and to learn a little bit about the history of the league. Many Football fans who examine the Tebow craze are prisoners of the moment, but the "A Football Life" profile clearly illustrated that a lot of what he see with him we've seen before. Now for the record, i am a "Tebow guy" and Ive been on board since his Heisman trophy winning year of 2008. However I'm not on board to the irrational degree, i believe you can be a contrarian but at some point you have to be able to deliver the ball. As someone watching the excellent production i couldn't help but think of how convenient it was for the NFL to leave out two faces that may dig into the pathos of Race and Sports in America. The league is legendary for "business as usual", and a conversation about Tebow's racial impact is not what i would call "Protecting the Shield". We here at the Loaded Gloves don't subscribe to the "memory hole" because we believe everything going on today has a sociological DNA, a code that created the current climate and people who inhabit it. I honestly felt the two faces i am about to include are glaring omissions, but then again i am not thinking with corporate interests in mind. The thing you need to know about being "bound" by larger interests is this; controversy or cynical truth is bad for business and will be covered up in plain sight for the betterment of shareholders.

 

 

Here are the Two Missing Faces of Tim Tebow

 

 

 

 

Pat Boone

 





 

Turn on your TV, turn to MSNBC and then to FOX News and tell me if you notice anything. The culture war is on, and even if you don't consider yourself an enlisted participant you cant avoid it. You cant ignore the "silent majority" or the conservative Right Wing that came to life as a Voting Block in the lat 70's when Jerry Falwell made his move on the Hippie Culture. We aren't that far removed from a President who returned voice mails from Religious Lobbyist immediately- because he knew where his bread was buttered. This universe is filled with media, politics, money and Jesus-Pat Boone was not only there for it's "inception" he is still regarded as a "go to" face of the conservative movement at age 79. His connection to Tim Tebow is one of similarities and cultural commonality, both icons just happened to have been gestated by the same group of people. Activist Groups like "Focus on the Family" and "Christian Coalition" are populated by white evangelical Protestants, and yes most of these groups love SEC Football. Pat Boone stood in the storm of a changing culture in the late 60's and 70's and Tim Tebow (in the opinion of his fans) is charged with a similar task. Tebow just recently stated he wouldn't "rule out politics", and just who do you think his constituency will be?. The Focus on Family funded Tebow's infamous Super Bowl Commercial; and they also receive 5% of Pat Boones "All American Meat" brand of steaks launched in 2010. Both men, have walked that fine line between the Evangelical and the crass Capitalism of show business and they encompass a sort of "Americanism" that when decoded means "white"  to certain groups. Pat Boone can question President Obama's Citizenship but if he's still with us when Tebow enters politics the Jacksonville  native wont say a word about Tebows birth in the Philippines-and i wonder why. Pat Boone gained prominence by selling sanitized versions of Rock and Roll (see Black) songs to a nation of so called "Good kids". Back then every SEC School had a Tebow and Boone even today is a symbol of an era that many conservative whites look back on romantically-you know when they didn't have to see us everywhere. Boone sold more records than anyone but Elvis and yet saw nothing wrong with his superiors (Little Richard) struggling to get paid for the songs they wrote. This hidden face of Tebow will stay hidden because he's a great kid but ultimately what he's "kinda" doing is legitimizing a style of play that was considered taboo when practiced by it's African American inventors. This is why Kordell Stewarts tone and inflection was shaded with a degree of pain and envy, because he knows Tebow isn't getting the full "racial treatment" black QB's get for using their legs.

The Second Missing Face of Tim Tebow....

Charley Ward

 

 



Ask Bobby Bowden who the best young man he ever met was and he wont hesitate, it was 1993 Heisman Trophy winner Charley Ward. Charley Ward internally was everything Tebow was in College, National champion, leader, and devout Christian who inspired respect from everyone he came into contact with. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure Ward is a "Tebow guy" and has seen him in service for God more than a few times. Ward didn't have the support of the Christian Right, and there was no big push to put him in an NFL game nor run his College offense once in there. He wasn't even drafted, when Danny Wuerffel (Christian, Heisman 96'), Gino Toretta, and Eric Crouch were given the opportunity to show they couldn't play in the NFL. Eric Crouch won the Heisman running Tommy Frazier's offense, and yet Frazier (like Ward) wasn't drafted. Charlie Ward was our Roger Staubach, and trust me brotha's of a certain age still talk about him, in fact-i can see him in Stephen A. Smiths eyes when he tries to explain the concept of "Opportunity" to @RealSkipBayless. Cam Newton and RG3 are truly getting post racial opportunity but even Donovan McNabb (Drafted 1999) consciously removed a weapon from his arsenal because he didn't want to be type casted. Tim Tebow is Charley Ward in whiteface, but nobody that values their bottom line can point this out. Charley Ward is a good Christian, and he happened to be a serviceable NBA point guard at the time but what if he didn't have Basketball to fall back on?. If he had walked on as a Free Agent would there have been a demonstrative base of fans demanding that his franchise play him?. Would every achievement on the field be touted by Fox Show hosts like Sean O' Hannity as a triumph for Conservative Values?. I don't think so, he'd be just another anonymous guy, much like he is when it comes to the Tim Tebow Narrative.

This post is dedicated to my friend, lets call him Tommy. Tommy was a Black QB who played in a Major Conference back in the 1960's. Tommy is mentally ill, and he's suffered throughout his life with Alcohol and substance abuse; he is a Black QB advocate and historian. He can tell me about Black QB's from obscure Colleges i never bother to watch; his obsessive compulsion comes from a traumatic heartbreak in his early life-being drafted as a Running Back in 1965. He cant understand how i can be a "Tebow guy" after what he still believes to be a continuing unfair bias, recently citing the "blackballing" of Vince Young as an example. I tell him football is football , i root for people i like regardless of social history or commonality.During these debates he likes to say when he's mad at me " young brotha,you don't understand!",this post is my way of saying to my old friend...no Tommy, i do get it.



Jon "Bones" Jones, Another Reason (for Boxing) to be jealous of MMA

 

Envy is toxic and destructive, it can build over time and result in treacherous acts that hurt the inflicter and the inflicted. As a personal rule it's important that we should all check ourselves when we get that little green monster creeping around up there-but if we ignore him it wont be pretty. Now i prefer "jealousy" the easygoing cousin of envy, it's instructive, purposeful, out and the open and yes it can be fun. Jealousy is putting your envy out there immediately and plugging it into ihome speakers, this kind of healthy projecting is a form of manifestation that can actually lead you to doing something about "it". A couple of days ago i witnessed yet another great interview of  UFC #1 Pound For Pound Mixed Martial Artist Jon "Bones" Jones and i have to say as a fan of Boxing the little green man surfaced on my shoulder. This Blog is the lifesaver, a portal where i can plea bargain the envy down to respectful jealousy on behalf of the Sweet Science. Stephen A. Smith made a point to couch the interview with the not so subtle viewpoint that Boxing fails to give consumers what they want (yeah you got us) and like the soon to be Nike "face" Jones is he didn't press the matter- leaving the propaganda to Dana White. And speaking of Dana White we over here in the "never see the fight we want " world of Boxing love to give him a pass for his bluster because he gets the job done- and Diplomatically so does Jones. White blew a gasket when Jones refused to take on Chael Sonnen on short notice thus blowing up a UFC 151 card, an act we over here can admire. If top fighters in Boxing simply ignored blowhards like Ricardo Mayorga he would have been culled from the PPV Ranks long ago. Jones wouldn't lower himself to giving a payday to a guy who embarrassed himself only months ago at a lower weight division-Sonnen didn't deserve to come back on that platform, "gamer" or not. The unusual thing about it is UFC fans hate him like fans in Boxing hate Mayweather; they have no idea how good they have it and reading their complaints they have no idea how little they "have". Phil Knight is no fool, and I'm sure one talk with Jones was a transformational moment, the kid understands how to perform at an elite level while marketing his brand- a lot like the modern NBA player. But maybe for UFC fans that's the problem; he's long, and athletic, from a family of pro athletes and he tends to make the shorter MMA guys look ordinary by (dare i say it) standing up and striking. He can wrestle, but elite athleticism isn't dependant on getting your guy on the mat , it's a last resort, something he can do if he "happens" to get caught down there. Maybe being brought up with no cellphones, no frills and with strong values makes him a Tebow like target, i mean lets face it fight fans aren't exactly boy scouts. We have a guy like him in our sport, his name is Andre Ward but unfortunately he's overshadowed by a man who is 50/50 to retire 50-0 or go to jail. I'm jealous because We don't get to see Ward or even Sergio Martinez sitting on ESPN showing off their great personalities accented by Stephen A's "He's a Baaaaad Maaaan!". No, we get Pacquiao and Marquez on ESPN First Take, and although both men were great (JMM's English is really good now) you got the feeling they were only brought in to ultimately talk about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. UFC, not so much- because they received exposure this week through a 25 yr. old, American born star on the rise who will be the inspiration for 3,400 Nike products this fall. It must be nice, and I'll be rooting for @Jonnybones this Saturday when he faces lighting fast striker Betor Belfort..but i will be "hating" a little-for the sake of Boxing.

If you ever get tired of the unfair scrutiny across the aisle come on over Jon, you'll find us (Boxing) a little more accepting over here. We know you'll probably be facing Anderson Silva soon because that is what your sport is set up to do, so think about it-you'll only be 27 by then-WE COULD USE THE EXPOSURE.

Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo - Dont Ever FORGET

50 CENT, ALL THINGS FALL APART-THE ILLUSION OF FRIENDSHIP

Look at this photo; 50 Cent staring intently into the camera exuding the look of a man who has probably said 100 times in his life "you don't know who the fuck your dealing with". Manny Pacquiao looking like a hostage, smiling only because the cats with guns in each corner of the room gave him the "hand inside the jacket" move. It's really self explanatory, like in my previous post "Decoding 50 Cents words about Floyd Mayweather" 50 isn't about getting in this game on the ground floor. He's watched the Boxing hustle for a hand full of years now and he's determined to get in the game by any means necessary-that's code for the top. Hip Hop is a young mans game and just as sure as he came roaring from the bowels of NYC back in the early 2000's some kid with a mix tape is coming for his old ass-and this kid got shot 14 times!. Michael Koncz and Bob Arum both admit that MP Promotions is little more than a shell firm and it's no sweat off their back to aide Manny in a "joint" venture with the Rap Mogul-they can oversee matters much like Golden Boy does with "Mayweather Promotions". This isn't a betrayal; those come from friends who don't have predatory tendencies, if your questionable homie moves in on your territory behind your back , trust me that's a "you" problem. Being a rich fighter who talks about easy money and projects that image cant be surprised with the kind of relationships (flunkies or sharks) and women (gold-diggers) he attracts-other people who want "easy money". And sometimes "easy" means at the detriment of those you thought you were cool with-at the highest levels of our society men who grew up together screw one another and call it "business" every day. I believe 50 Cent when he says he stays in contact with Floyd, why wouldn't he? it's not like Floyd can do anything to him. This fascination with the Hip Hop industry is something his father complained about; Floyd Sr. is a real street guy and he can see the dangers in an industry that employs and enriches guys that still have the street in them. When you deal with men like that everything is an illusion; betrayal is around every corner- Floyd may not know this but every minute he spent with this individual brought him closer to being the subject of the FUSE channels "BEEF" series. "BEEF" is the grease that keeps the Hip Hop wheel turning; and Curtis Jackson is an inheritor of the Tupac vs. Biggie legacy-you'd be surprised at how many young bruhs were wide eyed at the Profit the morbid drama created-how many young cats didn't care about dying. So i wish 50 and Manny luck, as much luck as you can wish a made for reality TV couple, because you know it's just one big sham meant to make you look for 90 days. Look for a more humble Floyd Mayweather when he resurfaces; believe it or not he is as close to a child star as Boxing has. He's still closer to his prime than Manny Pacquiao and he has the real business friend you want to have in Al Haymon so he'll be fine. I would also hope Floyd can reconcile with Oscar De La Hoya, someone who had a lot to do with the phenomenons that he and Pacquiao have become. He may have been through a "different" kind of adversity, but he's firmly in place as a part of the "Boxing Establishment" you would think Mayweather sees himself becoming. Theres a way to do that, without mixing with the likes of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, let Manny Pacquiao learn his lesson the hard way.

Mitt Romney on Obama Voters

Final Round Final Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez ...

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio Martinez full post fight press confere...

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Sergio Martinez Weigh In (HD)

Showtime Boxing - Weigh-In: Canelo vs. Lopez - Knockout Kings - SHOWTIME...

BOXING, DONT LET THIS MAN CALL YOUR BOYCOTTS

I've covered this terrain before as a contributor for BraggingRightscorner.com and i wont stop; because i and my compatriots represent the REAL BOXING MEDIA. I'm no different than any other sports fan, meaning i love me some Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith but i want to jump in the TV when they riff on Boxing with little or no real insight. They throw around the word "fan" with expense card carelessness because Boxing is too unorganized (thereby weak) to call them on it. They roll in 30 Football experts a day and not once have they invited any Boxing expert to challenge their assertions about what they "think" is going on between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Neither man would know Andre Ward or Nonito Donaire if they delivered their food during the break on their ( admittedly addictive) show. They didn't even bother to glean over a MAJOR Middleweight PPV Event featuring the son of a Legend that both of them should know. Now don't get me wrong, all of this is fine but what i object to is Stephen A. Smith's continued insistence on a PPV Boycott of Mayweather and Pacquiao until they fight one another. That "Fight" is long gone and all that's left is the merger, the contractual Armageddon that if ever completed is bound to set a major precedence that will further economically exploit fans in the future. We've already crossed over that "tipping point" where Promoters realized they can draw numbers by providing little or no value with the under card-the combined greed of the #2 and 4 (yeah i said that shit, Andre Ward is #1) best fighters in the world will most certainly lead to no undercard at all. Our problems as consumers and fans are reduced to a Teddy Atlas rant between poorly funded cards on the network so having one of their most influential voices call for Boycotts with no scholarship (or depth of knowledge) of our ills is disturbing. If Anything, a more thoughtful observer would call for a Boycott of the fight if it is made because it is long past the "sell by" date that most LEGITIMATE Sports would have given the fans (consumers) clarity. Stephen A. Smith is a celebrity; a man who openly roots for NBA Finals to be held between the two cities  (Miami and L.A.) where he likes to "kick it" the most... so what does he care about Boxing integrity?. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao for a celebrity of his calibre is a place to be seen, if made it will attract the African American "Glitterati" from all corners of the country- it's a hangout to him nothing more. If he really wanted to see the best he (and Skip Bayless) would point out that the best of both men has come and gone and anything past 32 years old in the HARDEST game should be cast in suspicion. But he wont, because he loves the idea of the spectacle that Floyd Mayweather can still provide- long term health should be a matter addressed to those of us who love the Sweet Science. The one thing he does have right is the fact that Economic Sanction is the only way to force this Sport to play it straight-and if anybody can do it we can. Our Sport is the niche of all niche Sports, we lived online LONG before ESPN decided to get in the game (see Maxboxing.com) because we'd been thrown to the wayside years ago. We also have the most active presence online and in Social Media; and i have to think if people can revolt against Libyan Dictators by way of Twitter why cant we get a mere Promoter to do the right thing by Boxing?. There are evil elitists right now who fear that technology is actually leading to the first TRUE democracy (aint that a bitch?) and you mean to tell me we're still getting pushed around by the same cast of characters?. Thanks but no thanks Stephen A, we got this, and if Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is ever made have fun and do your thing bruh- because I have more pressing matters to attend to.

Lopez and Alvarez, The Other Guys

Showtime, God bless em.

They were able to benefit from Josesito Lopez turning over the applecart and stopping the train that was Alvarez vs. Ortiz but what then?. Lopez captured our imaginations with the underdog them and without taking a good wind the Golden Boy machine went into the David vs. Goliath script hoping to pull some viewers away from Chavez vs. Martinez. Allow me to be the one to deliver the verdict, the other guys have made it all the way to my DVR to be viewed at about 1AM Central Time. so much competition. But lets not pile on here, Chavez vs. Martinez is not only for the legit Ring Magazine strap at Welterweight but it's getting real nasty over there. Don't get me wrong, i love watching Canelo learn English and i am down with all things Chitown (i hate you Aaron Rodgers) but this fight happened so randomly neither man really had much to promote. How do you hate on someone who was technically TWO Divisions away? Lopez's call out of Alvarez afterwards wasn't a product of any seething ambition, it just seemed like the thing to do. Kinda like when you were young and you pulled a girl you had no business pulling, it's all gravy so you see what you can get away with-your boys are already sculpting your Players Hall of Fame bust.What the hell right?. Canelo and Chavez Jr. reside in the same young Mexican Icon in training Draft class and they'll always be compared to one another. So its been no surprise to me that Canelo has been chirping more about going direct to Mayweather because watching this whole Martinez vs. Chavez thing intensify can be well, embarrassing. your counterpart is jumping in deep waters and may not come back and your tangling with essentially a junior welterweight...nice. And yet, the great thing about these two being the garage band opener is the possibilities- i mean they can upstage the incumbent (getn my political jargon on!) if something out of the ordinary happens. If Martinez does to Chavez what he said he was going to do and Lopez comes in a monster at 154 lbs. "The Other Guys" can steal the night from the bigger event and leave us bitter about that PPV bill. If Canelo endures a long limbed, inspired young lion and dispatches of him in exciting fashion we will be talking about his call out of Mayweather Sunday morning, because it's actually "doable" for Cinco De Mayo  2013. Martinez on the other hand will be "stuck" with Gennady Golovkin's heavy handed ass-ouch. So give some love to "Other Guys", they may have stumbled into your Saturday night through a side door but who knows? they just may crash your PPV party. OK, that's enough, time to get my snacks arranged for the Martinez/Chavez weigh in- In check back in with Lopez and Alvarez at another time.

Obama-Romney Rap Battle Choose The Winner

Is Sergio Martinez Courting Disaster?

Your 37 years old; your a cardiovascular freak with cat quick reflexes and to make matters worse you do your business from the left side. You've been around the world, humbled World Class opposition and you've done it all with a grace and dignity that makes you (by our upcoming list) one of the most likable gladiators in Boxing. No small feat, especially considering Sergio Martinez climbed off of a bike at 20 and made all of the above "happen". He's quick with a smile, unusually accessible and despite his anonymity hasn't sold his soul to garner attention in a sport that rewards train wrecks. Sergio Martinez is a grown up, he's no stranger to the sleazy politics of Boxing and yet something about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. just rubs him the wrong way. Something about him reminds Sergio of the hunger pangs he endured as a child, his parents and what they had to do simply to survive in Argentina-and it conjures up a deep rage he's covered until now with smiles. To have something taken from him (by the WBC) and given to a child of privilege who evaded the heavy hands of Pavlik and the frenetic pace of Williams triggered something in Martinez that is bringing out his inner asshole. Never have we witnessed such a good guy talk so succinctly about wanting to take out an opponent when he's never done this before- and this is why I'm worried. Rage is a great companion for the talent deficient, but incompatible with the fighter who holds all of the God Given advantages. Joe Frazier needed rage, and he still ended up battered by a guy who grew up decidedly Middle Class by comparison. Boxing is a poor mans game but it is also a game with a long tradition of men who transcend relatively tranquil upbringings or matinee idol packaging (Martinez is handsome) who can flat out get it done. Of all of the things a "child of privilege" can do, of all of the "Boxing Brats" who never even got this far Chavez Jr. is an anomaly by comparison. Man enough to tell his Father (a Deity!)  to clean up his act while Mayweather Jr. at 35 cant even  communicate effectively with his old man is a hint of an uncommon maturity. Boxing is not a sport that lends to taking anyone for granted no matter how counterfeit you think they are, one punch can change everything and leave you with no plan B. Better men than Martinez have allowed lesser talents to goad them into brawls, just ask Sugar Ray Leonard- Chavez Jr.'s comfort with all of this should make Martinez want to rethink going after him. Theres' only one fight Chavez can win and Martinez seems determined to give it to him. He already fights with his hands down, and even when he's doing well theres no jab in sight, what will he do when he hits the Cruiser weight with the "Paul Williams shot" and the kid grins at him?. What happens if he hits him with everything while giving Chavez Jr. free reign to tear up his body?, it can happen, which is why anger should have no place in Sergio's corner Saturday night. Andre Ward showed last weekend that Great smaller men can beat good big men, but is Sergio great? and is Chavez less than good simply because he was handled with with care?. We will see, but ask yourself this-why would a sniper enter into a firefight where indiscriminate shrapnel can hit him, when all he has to do is measure the prey and pick him apart?. Body Punching is an equalizer and it covers up all ills in Boxing, this kid goes exclusively "downstairs" and that can lead a 37 year old down the road to disaster.

Public Enemy - I Shall Not Be Moved

Martinez vs Chavez Jr.: They Are Ready! Courtesy InThisCorner/Maxboxing.com

In Defense of Skip Bayless on Kevin Durant

 

Maybe the word "own" is a little strong, we as Black men are sensitive to that word in any context but lets just say Lebron has Kevin Durant on lock. Kevin Durant is sorely mistaken if he believes the largess of ESPN gives Skip Bayless a platform where brainwashing sports fans is easy...because he's speaking to the demographic repelled by skinny pink jeans and nerd glasses. Besides, we aren't the ones sequestered with a friend who is in very real terms our chief professional rival doing something we can do with ANYONE else. I find it hard to believe that Durant cant afford world class training services and call his friend when he is done with his day, i also find it hard to believe the proximity and closeness of ALL of the current stars isn't undermining the chance to develop rivalries. English is not our first language, it's competition, dominion over rivals, go ahead name a male dominated field and i can point to a clearly established Alpha Male on Top.  Lebron James is an Extraterrestrial Basketball Talent, who just happens to be a great friend, but Durant has to mature enough to know when to set boundaries on certain relationships. It's Steven A . Smith who is trying to mess with the minds of viewers with empty calories (stats) knowing all well a legacy is made up of INTENSE moments of "grown ass man" assertiveness.

 

 

 

Now that Lebron is the benchmark the "AAU buddy buddy" Culture is not only the preferred model but the Jordan model is being unfairly stigmatized. Jordan's Hall of Fame speech, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett's late career prickliness only solidified the new generation as the self professed "more evolved species". They are more physically gifted but show this annoying deficit from the neck up that they know wont be challenged because nowadays everybody is a fan-including media members. Durant may not know this, but he will never be better than Lebron James and the only way to beat him is to get under his skin- in ways that may not lend themselves to friendship. Stephen A Smith likes to say Bayless unfairly rolls out Michael Jordan's legendary mindset and therefor disqualifies his unfair attack on Durant. I'll spot him that and point out a few players that may not be better than Lebron James as we speak , I'll even point out a player who NEVER got it done. All three situations will illustrate just what it is Durant has to realize before it's too late.

 

Larry Bird

 

I bring him up because ultimately after the 1987 finals he had to admit Magic was the best he'd ever seen. What made that admission so poignant is the fact that 40 minutes previous he was convinced he was the best that ever did it. He wasn't better than Magic, but dammit you had to kill Larry Bird to beat him and Magic knew it. They turned out to be the closest of friends towards the end of their careers but Larry had the right mindset. Magic was a great guy much like Lebron but Bird didn't have the space in his harddrive to deal with that in 1982, all he had room for was "destroy him".  Basketball teams can only have 5 players on the floor; one player can make all the difference in the world so that one player has to give his teammates the belief that he is their  Warlord- Larry was a "Celtic" 365 Days a year. He understood Basketball is an individual sport within a team sport and as the less talented of the two he had to be Joe Frazier, his workouts were private times when he obsessed about hurting Magic. Durant's workouts with Lebron last year may have benefited him but once a man hurts you, bloodies your lip and takes something from you it's time to give the attitude a workout.

 

 

 

Isaiah Thomas

 

 

Remember the "kissy kissy" between the two Big Ten alumni back in the 1989 Finals?. Remember how chippy it got? and who started it?. Let me remind you, Magic who already had rings started clotheslining Thomas when it was clear "Zeke" was not taking no for an answer. What happened to that big showtime smile? Isiah learned what Larry Bird already knew, that Magic is a good guy when he's on top but he's the biggest killer out there. That number Lebron put on the Celtics?, that's the real Lebron, he's cut from the same cloth of the great ones, he just had a lot of childhood pathology covering it up-look for more of it. Magic was perfectly fine when Isiah was his little homie celebrating in the locker room after a Laker Championship, the friendship changed once he realized Thomas was taking notes. In fact everything that followed with the Dream Team was about Isiah not accepting his role in the NBA landscape. He wasn't left off that team over hard fouls or any rumored gossip about Magic's health condition. He was left off that team because he ushered Bird out, Beat Magic and Terrorized Jordan plain and simple. Look at Isiah's smile, he's content, he did what he had to do and he has no regrets- and he isn't better than either three of those players.

 

 

And Just in Case you think I'm just rolling out Champions

 

 

Reggie Miller, long, thin, assassin, now  KD should study him. He had the misfortune of overlapping the Jordan and Kobe era but he played both of those guys like his ass was on fire. I was a Jordan/Bulls fan and honestly nobody scared me like Reggie Miller. Watching his Hall of Fame induction i heard him admit for the first time Jordan was better than him, but watching him i could have swore he thought he was "the man". Watching Durant during the Finals didn't give me that feeling and maybe the friendship is a part of it. The Thunder destroyed the Lakers because it was clear they didn't like them and wanted what they had. Watching Michael Jordan play Miller i sensed that on many nights this was the last dude he wanted to see on a back to back. Ironically Miller wasn't blessed with the support needed and he only saw MJ once in the play-offs, and of course HIS team was the only team to take MJ's Bulls 7 games during "The 90's Run". Theres a saying after something catastrophic happens to let us know when certain things (or comments) may be inappropriate; the saying is "Too Soon". It's too soon for Kevin Durant to be working out with Lebron James, and Skip Bayless isn't wrong for questioning whether he is being pacified even further. If Lebron is truly his friend, he'll be there in the end but right now Durant may want to do some soul searching and make the self evaluation necessary to take that next Step.....ON HIS OWN!.

All Access: Canelo vs. Lopez -- Full Episode One - SHOWTIME Boxing - Jos...

Decoding 50 Cent's Comments on Floyd Mayweather

We (ya'll know thats just me right?) at the Loaded Gloves believe it is our duty to provide insight, translation and yes sometimes the  regression of language. For smart, evolved, talented men like Curtis Jackson language is a saviour, for without it he would still be wasting his talent in crime. Now that "Fiddy" is in Boxing, he is subject to my language and my the interpretation of "his language" for the indulgence of Fight Fans. Since #2 P4P (yeah i said that shit) fighter Floyd Mayweathers release from jail the anticipated takeover of the sport by the two homies has hit a rough patch. Rumors of Fiddy watching over Ms. Jackson a little too closely wont be addressed here; who cares where a woman made of wax ends up anyway. What we care about is TMT Promotions and whether or not the strain between Mayweather and Jackson is the byproduct of some Boxing Business gone wrong. But first my favorite quote on the "art" of political language.


"Political language is meant to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and give the appearance of solidity to pure wind"


George Orwell


Who by the way predicted a lot of the shit we are going through back in the 1940's.


50 Cent's comment about Floyd Mayweather

"Everybody around him is waiting on the next time he feels generous, and i have alot-i dont wait for nobody".

Translation: I'm not one of your flunkies, you told me when you was locked up you wanted to get out from under Golden Boy so i made moves-now you wanna bullshit wasting my time while you kick it with clowns that wipe yo sweat.

"It puts us in an interesting space sometimes. I don't have to sit around waiting for the next time he feels likes giving somebody something"

Translation: Hey homie, you promised you would fight under the TMT Banner, you promised "WE" could get this Pacquiao money together but if you having second thoughts i ain't going nowhere bruh. I got my license so if you wanna play games and go with Golden Boy again we still cool, but I'm the man in the suit like Don King I'll be here longer than you.

My Take: Fiddy saw an "in" through Floyd, like DK saw one with Ali. He anticipated starting at the top with his first real PPV Card being the BIG ONE. All systems were go until Floyd got out of jail and realized that behind (and in front) of the scenes 50 was coming off as "the man" and he didn't like that. How do we know that TMT is the brainchild of both men? what if it were just a brainstorm that 50 Cent acted on while Mayweather was conveniently jailed?. What if Floyd chaffed at the idea that his buddy signed Gamboa and Celestino Caballero; two fighters that were working out in his gym. Was 50 Cent's attempt to sign Miguel Cotto a power move  to assure the services of his friend?,but Cotto knew better. Cotto probably knew that all things go through Golden Boy and Top Rank and that Floyd's 2007 defeat of De La Hoya bound him to the Company, something he's too proud to share with his Mogul buddy. Partnerships in public are sometimes Employee/Employer relationships-Corporations often shine a spotlight on minority owners like Jay Z and Magic Johnson for the long term PR benefits. Is 50 Cent, a man who came into the Hip Hop game ruining careers and maintaining long term violent "Beefs" above using his "friend" to pull off a Boxing Political coupe?. Name one A list Rapper who dont rap about Monopoly and cornering the market, it's Business 101 for former drug dealers.You can be the judge, I'm only here to decode the obvious, that TMT Promotions may not be the "Labor of Love" it was portrayed to be.  






Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing [HD]

Julio Cesar Chavez "Martinez can be beat! No one is invincible!:

Andre Ward : The Notorious S.O.G.

Before i get started i want to thank Chad Dawson and Andre Ward for dispelling a lot of the common wisdom's about our sport and specifically the portrayal of Black Athletes. First of all what we have here are two first rate champions who challenged themselves and one another to establish pecking order at an age when many are still building resumes. In Wards case consider this, at the same age Floyd Mayweather was messing around with Carlos Baldomir. Together both men while featured on HBO's 24/7 accorded themselves as family men with "not supposed to be uncommon" maturity and values. It may not mean anything to the average Boxing fan of another culture but i am extremely sensitive to the "minstrilization" of our young men; and the idea that acting with respect for yourself or others is somehow "boring". I also didn't find the names of Chad Dawson's sons "peculiar" as i know that theres a long history of this in our community as a way of bestowing our young men with something that may manifest by forcing a hostile society to address them in regal terms. General Dawson isn't seeking to assimilate under terms of docility and victim hood, he is being put on track for social, economic and political power- and I'm pretty sure that is his fathers aim. 

 

Now for the #1 P4P Fighter in the World

 

We all have our Criteria; but we (by that i mean just me) here at the Loaded Gloves believe past resume is being weighted too heavily while Ambition isn't weighted enough. Since 2010 Andre Wards career arch has become legendary, and yet he is blocked from number one status (ironically) by the stone tablets of Legends. What Floyd Mayweather did to Diego Corrales in 2001 was on VHS and a matter for the Hall of Fame to sort out; not observers who are watching the sport NOW. When he entered the Super Six in 2009 he was the sacrificial lamb thrown in for American viewers, but the Division was clearly in the hands of European heirs to Joe Calzaghe. He cleaned it out, then the man he beat for it all (Carl Froch) went and  underlined Wards dominance by destroying Lucian Bute who tried to be cute by ducking the Oakland native. Chad Dawson's "callout" was no small matter; smaller men ignore the challenges of Bigger men EVERY DAY in Boxing with no reprisals from fans. Dawson, for all of his issues with consistency gave Bernard Hopkins the creeps and  with good reason but the Master flat out ducked Ward under the guise of respect- because he knew better. While Ward was beating tough, physically primed Champions at 168 lbs. Chad Dawson (by no fault of his own) was mugging stubborn old men. Wards ambition is what separates him from Mayweather, Pacquiao and Martinez, something that Dawson learned Saturday Night. Ambition isn't just making money or collecting belts, ambition is about leaving no doubt 20 years from now what you accomplished. Ray Leonard had it circa 1980-81, its about carving your name in stone, when the focus on that is maniacal trust me the money will come. Andre Ward is not only my P4P #1 for what he's done since 2010 and last night, he's #1 because he has emissaries reaching out to Calzaghe ( to do unto him what he "did" to Roy) and he hints at wanting to become Heavyweight Champion. Men of great ambition speak about the next mountain, they don't ignore great challenges (like size) they seek it out.

 

And speaking of Size

 

This isn't 36 yr. old Roy Jones coming down from a "yoked" 200 lbs. back to a depleted 175 lbs. Chad Dawson KNEW he'd make the weight easily, had plenty of time, and thought he'd come in with an advantage. However all he brought to the fight was a tape measure, and Ward brought his fist, one guy looks down the other guy hits him in the face. Dawson is a talented guy but he may go back to the Light Heavyweight Division with full knowledge that he's a renter- because Andre Ward owns that division too. everything he did to Dawson was from the Book of Hopkins, Leonard and Floyd Mayweather. Feinting and forcing Dawson to show his hand (Hopkins), out jabbing the taller man (Floyd)- all while having the balls to let that hook go with authority like Sugar Ray Leonard. Makes you think differently about this weekends bout and any Call outs that may stem from a Martinez victory. The Bottom line is size is only a hindrance to the mediocre, and Andre Ward is far from that, as too is Mayweather if he's more ambitious than enterprising. Chad Dawson used the word "finished" when telling the referee he'd had enough and prophetically he may be speaking for future Ward opponants. Chad Dawson in his post fight interview "looked" like a defeated man, he was struggling with the quandary of giving props and keeping his head up. But his eyes had the look of a man who was saying " I cant beat that guy, he's smaller but i cant beat him" and I've seen it before....hmmmm where did i see that look?. Back in the day when Latrell Sprewell was in Minnesota trying to feed his family i went to a Timberwolves game, the wine and cheese section-cus i got it like that. Sitting that close you hear it all, the trash talk the profanity and most of all the respect. Every time Sprewell ended up guarding Allan Iverson ( on a switch) he had that forlorn "look" that i saw Chad Dawson wearing Saturday Night. It was a look of reverence and a little fear for a man he had all of the so called advantages over, a man (Sprewell and Dawson) had to reconcile was more special than themselves no matter what they do. Andre Ward is  Special, the best fighter in the World, AKA the " Capo di Tutti Capi" but you can call bruh THE NOTORIOUS S.O.G. 

 

Andre Ward vs. Chad Dawson (Weigh-in)

THE REDZONE CHANNEL: The Meth of Sports Programming

Warning to the Analogy Police: You cant get Blood from a Turnip, the best you can do is force me to pay them damned Parking tickets for which i will most certainly play the Race Card. This post is purely meant to highlight the addictive and innovative quality of a Niche TV Channel, it also pertains to "how" we consume Pro Football and possibly other sports- nothing more, now get off my blog clown.

 

 

There, we have that disclaimer shit out of the way and now we can talk about the NFL (AKA Tha Dopeman) coming back this Sunday ..as if they have to look for your ass!. You know where to find Mr. NFL Dopeman, I'm the sweaty, quivering dude with the pressured speech and bloodshot eyes and I've been waiting for you. Many of you like me have been on all fours scrounging up any tidbit of information on the game, we even participated in massive false rituals (Pre Season Games) for Sunday Mass Prices. Last week the exterminator at my job sat and talked for 20 minutes about his Fantasy Roster and some back up WR from Dallas. That's his "Jone's" and i cant judge homeboy because my high is channel 740, the Redzone Channel. I even turned to it a few times in July just to make sure it was still there-the logo and elevator music was like one of those music boxes that make babies go to sleep, and Daddy was all better.  A lot of times inventions have unintended benefits and the Redzone Channel is rife with them. Honestly i believe it was developed as an adjunct to Fantasy Football geeks to easily track their teams. In my case it allows for Football to be consumed by people who are too damned busy and those who suffer from Attention deficit Disorder; you know the average American. I don't have a lot of time, and what time i do have I'm easily distracted, add that to my love of Football and you have a customer. Like Meth the Redzone Channel can bring about a Euphoria because you actually see every Touchdown in Real Time. Touchdown Heaven, no Three and Outs; no bad times, no problems, who needs to focus on one thing intently..not me. Tim Tebow was just brought in to drive Mark Sanchez crazy, he's the first Made For Redzone Channel Celebrity. The NFL will pipe in the disaster ( i mean experiment) as it unfolds and if the throwing Fullback happens to bowl over a 180 lb. Cornerback i'm VIP at the Tebow Party. Now, one of the side effects of the RedZone channel is it skewers how you view other Sports-your less patient even with the criminally spectacular athletes in Basketball. Now i may not be a mental health professional but i do watch the drug commercials and have dated a therapist or two. From what i gather all of the drugs (Government sponsored or gangsta sponsored) all have side effects and the side effect meds are what Chris Rock likes to call "The Come back". So if the NFL is the Top Dopeman the rest of the major (and not so major) Sports need to get in the dope game and provide their own answers to the junked out Football Fan who cant sit through other sports. Here are a few suggestions....

 

The NBA Dunk Channel:

 

That's it, no more half court sets , it's not like cats can shoot like they used to anyway-most half court teams get low TV ratings. Their aren't any post players worth a damn to watch either, who wants to see Dwight Howard catch it and start looking as if he started playing basketball yesterday. The Dunk Channel will only chime in when an Ally oop is thrown or Fastbreaks-Point Guards like Chris Paul will be fitted with wristband cams that detect when he is throwin it up there for Blake Griffith or Deandre Jordan and you'll catch it right after seeing Lerbon finish on a fast break. Just sit there and watch Dunks all night, run the scores on the scroll and give the junkie an option to settle in on a game with a dunk screen inverted on the right hand corner. Dunk Panels on NBA TV feature Darryl Dawkins and Dominique Wilkkins sitting in a studio that looks like a Barber Shop doing what brotha's do- talk about who got they ass dunked on. A Posterized board at the end of the night listing the cats who caught it in the face sponsored by some Shaving Product.

 

MLB Star and Clutch At Bats, Tags at the Plate and Fence Cam:

 

Baseball is so far off of my Radar i can barely see any reason to mention it. I played as a kid, collected cards and actually watched the game of the week. Now i just cant sit there while a guy adjust his "area" and the pitcher goes through a ten minute routine; everybody involved in the process (umpires too) wants extended time to ritualized mundane shit. I do follow the game via SportsCenter , i perk up on the last day when teams are trying to clinch and I'm currently following the Yankees collapse to Baltimore. But what i really want to see is STARS, if i can just watch big name face-offs, throws at the plate and real time Home Run Robberies I'm good, got my Baseball in. I've been hearing about Mike Trout all year and i haven't seen one at bat, i shouldn't have to go to Youtube to see the next Mickey Mantle- i tuned in twice last Sunday and couldn't catch him once. MLB should handle that, i have a shaky trigger finger, i drink energy drinks and the Redzone Channel scrambled  my Frontal Lobe.

 

Boxing KTFO channel:

 

Gennady Golovkin's whole fight could have stayed on the KTFO Channel last week. You mean to tell me you cant put a chip/sensor in those gloves that can give me a direct feed when someone is about to go down? really?. How many of you watch the ESPN Classic mash-up of all of Tyson's Greatest KO's? and how many of you have turned to it over a live fight?.I'm a "purest" but often we watch fights here in the states only to find out somebody in Europe got KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT and vice versa. I would subscribe monthly if i can just turn to a Channel and watch people get stunned or go down all around the world. When theres no action we are forced to listen to Corner Men or Blow By Blow men lie to us about what we are seeing. Punchers would make a big jump in marketability ("Money Maidana"?) and Promoters would match explosive fighters just to try and control the KTKO channel. "Styles makes Fights" would take on a whole new meaning, content will be king not Defensive Wizards who dull the senses. I saved Boxing for last because Boxing is the only sport capable of sustained action despite being the worst run. I can also see the other two sports stealing some part of my idea, calling me a crackpot and slapping on a new name like a good Goliath should. Boxing? not so much,  Boxing may be a great exploiter of many but too fractured to be enterprising.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Barack Obama's Remarks at the 2012 Democratic National Convent...

10 REASONS MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO WILL NEVER BE AS BIG AS LEONARD/HEARNS 1

 

 

Male Groupies, ESPN and Financial Magazines will be the only segments of the sporting public hailing Mayweather vs. Pacquiao as The "Biggest" Welterweight Clash of All Time, if it ever gets made. I have come to accept that people of my ilk will be drowned out during the run up to the fight because that's Boxing. The reason why I'll be drowned out  is because the Machine for that Fight will be all consuming and when precedent is desired many men get crushed under the weight. But Today? I'm in the drivers seat, you have to accept my sobriety because frankly the shit storm created by Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is now a Natural Disaster (consider me FEMA) with no sign of calming enough to realize YOUR DREAM.  You have to accept the fact that the biggest reason Leonard vs. Hearns was Superior is the fact that it actually went down because back then sanity "often" prevailed. And just in case you needed a primer regarding the differences between the two fights and the participants be aware of the following reasons your imaginary girlfriend will never be better than the one you really had.

 

 

 

Reason # 1:  It was scheduled for 15 Rounds.

 

The reason this is significant? everything that decided the fight happened in rounds 12-14, right about the time Mayweather calls Larry Merchant a "hater" and a "bitch". It also allowed the fight to play out in 3 parts (which I'll get to later) while a 12 round limit can allow for debacles like Oscar De La Hoya's last 5 rounds vs. Felix Trinidad in 1999. A 15 Round Limit would allow Manny Pacquiao to bank on a more sustainable plan of attack instead of rolling the dice early. Leonard vs. Hearns was in 1981, one whole year before the Doo Koo Kim tragedy, a whole year before a weight drained Hearns seemed to wilt in the "Championship Rounds". Humanely, it may have been the last great fight of the lower weight classes before very real concerns about dehydration and it's effects on the brain took center stage. As of this writing I'm not even sure two fighters in their upper 30's can give us what Tommy and Ray gave us over 13. Which brings me to my next reason.

 

Reason #2: YOUTH

 

Ray Leonard was 25 years old and Tommy Hearns 23, now think about that and ask yourself how in the hell do we fix our mouths to compare Pacquiao and Mayweather to  two men comparatively younger by a decade!. Full disclosure: I don't even count what happened to a fighter past 32 yrs. against him, yep, that means Antonio Tarver didn't beat Roy Jones, he beat Roy's older brother who kinda fights like him. When two young lions go at one another there is so much more on the line than money, when Leonard and Hearns faced one another it basically defined a generation. Mayweather and Pacquiao will merely be trying to replicate themselves; the beer and excitement will make you think they are moving "that fast" but do me a favor and pop in Mayweather vs. Judah or Pacquiao's first go around with Marquez and holla back. In this day and age when 2 men this age are at the Top of ANY sport (especially Boxing) Victor Conte should be brought in as a referee and consultant.

 

 

Reason #3 : SIZE

 

When this fight was viable (early 2010) Pacquiao was essentially still a junior Welterweight. Leonard and Hearns started their careers at the Welterweight limit, thus it would be ludicrous to compare two men 17 lbs. removed from their optimum performance to two men who were at their best. No more than Leonard vs. Hearns 2 can compare to this weekends Ward vs. Dawson Super Middleweight bout Manny and Floyd cant be considered a significant Welterweight battle Historically. Both men would look miniature next to Leonard and we don't even want to talk about Hearns who both men would have ducked like they did Paul Williams. Floyd likes to tell you he would have beaten Ray Robinson while just now filling out in his 30's at 150 lbs., by Robinson's early 30's he was the middleweight champion and gearing up to challenge Joey Maxim at Light Heavy. The leather that was thrown in 1981 was coming from much bigger men in lighter gloves and cant be compared to the two little guys in question.

 

Reason # 4 Real History

 

Ray Leonard was trained by Manny Steward for amateur Tournaments leading up to the 1976 Olympic Games. He even had a Kronk Gym nickname, "Super Bad"; Tommy was just a pup laying back in the cut, a gangly jab artist yet to discover that monster of a right hand. Floyd Mayweather knew Manny Pacquiao from under cards, theres professional envy but nothing like the animosity that festered in Tommy Hearns. You may follow Mayweather on Twitter and get the idea theres beef but the Internet is an alternative reality, the only "history" between these two is the one you help Floyd create. And speaking of the way modern pop culture here's the Elephant in the room of this discussion.

 

Reason #5 Network Television and CHILDREN

 

When i say "children" I'm not talking about the now socially acceptable 26 year old who lives with his parents and plays Video games all day. I'm talking about actual children you know the kind that cant buy alcohol or drive to a fight. I was one of those children in 1981, and  remember the "round 13 hands up" Ray Leonard picture because it lived inside my locker. It was there to signify my reign as the slap box champion of Jefferson Middle School.As children we watched Boxing on Network Television, you know Saturday afternoon when Joe Six-Pack was flipping between 3 channels. Boxing was mainstream and mainstream means children, we KNEW Ray Leonard's kid because he was co starring in a major 7-Up commercial with his dad. I saw features about Tommy Hearns on Network TV and it was a time when every major Newspaper still had a Boxing Writer. We may have this amazing technology right now but seriously show me one 12 year old kid who wants to be Floyd Mayweather the way i wanted to be Sugar Ray. Floyd Mayweather don't want to be Floyd Mayweather, if he could change places with 50 Cent or Lebron James tomorrow he would. Ray Leonard circa 1981 was in the same league as Magic Johnson or Joe Montana, two guys kids looked up to.

 

 

Reason #6 PED's

 

Steroids broke in the NFL in the late 70's early 80's by way of Lyle Alzado but it was 10 years before the juice took over baseball. In 1981 Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns were still probably drinking two whole eggs like Rocky Balboa, weight training was still taboo in Boxing pre Holyfield. Boxing is rampant with positive tests and wide spread inuuendo-alot of it playing out in the three year saga that is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. The money is bigger so the incentive to get an edge is greater and i dont believe anyone is above the fray. Mayweathers paranoia stems from the conventional wisdom that a man isnt supposed to carry power up in weight-Pacquiao's beheading of Ricky Hatton started the meter on this crap with no end in sight. Floyd's dubious politicization of the issue and his own bullshit testing protocol is an area of concern, as well as the one person who ever sued him without getting skewered publicly.... being an Anti Aging Guru. As i've stated in Reason 2 we should ask ourselves how we are foaming at the mouth to see two men in their mid 30's square off in the most demanding sport, shouldnt we?. I know, we are all getting better and "age (Cougars, Silver Foxes and many more demeaning animal names) aint nothin but a number"....but that only applies to sending younger women shirtless pics of yourself on your iphone..not Boxing.

 

 

#7 Leonard vs. Hearns was the Pure Boxer vs. Puncher clash

 

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will pit a defensive genius against a one time volume puncher. Neither man is young like Tommy and Ray were, so don't expect them to switch roles if they fight. Floyd comes into the fight in 2013 with all of the advantages, the volume puncher is no longer punching in volume and he cant box. Manny cant be worried either, Floyd isn't going to do anything stupid and try to get him out of there if he's up on rounds. Leonard knew he was going to get hit harder than he'd ever been hit but it was his toughness that forced Tommy to actually outbox him. Mayweather is a great boxer but he is a better puncher off of his defense, he wont be looking to take Manny apart, only shut down his offense. Pacquiao will be billed as a puncher but he hasn't destroyed a man (with one shot) at the weight since Hatton and Ricky was a Jr. Welterweight. In fact the same goes for Mayweather. Hearns at 6'1 was the greatest right hand puncher the Division ever saw, that punch alone would get Pacquiao out of there and make Floyd curl up in fetal position.

 

#8 Promoter Cooperation

 

Bob Arum was brought in late in 1981 to handle the European PPV distribution, and he loved it. The Leonard vs. Hearns fight introduced a consortium of Promoters and many the Fight Game for the first time. The Duva's, Mike Trainer, Shelly Finkel and Bob Arum all worked together as a team because they knew the fight was a certainty. Now, there is a nasty side note about Trainer signing Leonard to the Hearns bout and raining on his last fight under Arum but that's another story. Eventually they compromised, and it took mere months to get done .Not so today, right now it's all about "in house" PPV shows and consolidating control-everyone wants to shut everyone out and their willing to turn something (a fight) into nothing (media bullshit) to achieve it. Don King and Bob Arum would come close to blows back in the day but like the politicians of old they knew how to sit down and make a deal. The personalization of today's rivalry is so toxic that 50 Cent entered the fray by publicly calling De La Hoya "girl", even King an ex inmate wouldn't introduce himself to "the craft" this way.  The three firms (Top Rank, TMT, GBP) who are supposed to get this done have been hellbent on annihilation instead of cooperation, cornering the market instead of growing the sport, something that we as Americans have been the victims of for 4 years by way of the Republicans.

 

 

#9 Local Followings

 

When Tommy sagged on the ropes in round 13 Detroit went through a depression years before Obama pulled out a blank check. Their hearts were invested in Tommy Hearns and they backed it up with their wallets. Motor City faithfuls lost homes back then because Tommy was the quintessential Motown product. He fought in or around the area 16 times before facing Leonard, in places like Cobo Hall where Berry Gordy would throw parties for the Temptations. The mythical destruction of Pipino Cuevas went down in Joe Louis Arena in front of a national TV audience, it wasn't uncommon back then to track a prospects rising by coming to HIS town. Mayweather through no fault of his own has no town, well if you could call Twitter a town then maybe. Floyd grew up in the Vegas/HBO model, by the time he made it to Motown in 2000 he was already a Champion and the "Network of Champions" were attempting to spin off a "Hip Hop meets Boxing" abomination that aesthetically ruined a war with Emmanuel Burton. Ray Leonard, already a darling fought in the Baltimore/Landover/DC area 8 times before facing Wilfred Benitez in 1979. In fact Floyd's daddy probably put himself on Leonard's radar due to a mid 70's stint at Steelworkers Hall in Baltimore. This weekend Andre Ward will face Chad Dawson in Oakland and he insisted several Super Six bouts brought to his backyard, another reason "SOG" is a throwback to a much better time in Boxing.

 

 

#10 Negotiations and Money as "News"

 

When Sugar Ray Leonard fought the big fights that defined him i was a child, i was into his shoe tassels and lightning fast hands. My buddy "Ice" was long and skinny, he related to Tommy Hearns-neither of us knew how much money they made. Replacing the child demographic we have the "d-bag demo" a group of guys who pay too much for drinks to impress women and yet like those women brag about another guys money. As we've become mindless consumers and materialistic drones the talk about what people have or will be getting actually became news. We even have "boxing" websites that defend a certain fighters market value-who cares?!!. Floyd to his genius understood that this change was occurring and marketed himself accordingly-he is his audience. Much of what we know about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is money based, we actually root for them to win certain fights so they can enter the boardroom in jackass mode making the fight that much more impossible to make. 50/50 is not only an insult to Floyd but his fans are willing to threaten you on Facebook for insisting the compromise would end this madness- Stop Hatin Bitch!.Guys i know who dropped out of Jr. College are now wizards of finance and fight promotion and use douchebag general terms like "leverage" and "bringing this or that to the table" with annoying frequency. Don't get me wrong, making Leonard vs. Hearns was probably a bloodsport, but it didn't include the real time commentary of a million plus sycophants every 30 seconds...literally. It didn't include "Pooky" from around the way quoting PPV buys and questioning how "liquid" Pacquiao is. Mayweather may take 1,000 more pictures next to blocks of money a world banker can devalue with his blackberry while on the toilet before you see him posing with Manny Pacquiao and if it ever occurs I'll be here. To remind you AGAIN that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (2014?) isn't CLOSE to being the fight that Leonard vs. Hearns was.