Farewell to the Last Lion of Detroit

As a 12 year old Boy he arrived in Detroit, a small part of the migration that brought 5 million black folks to the urban ghetto's. The City by that time had spawned Joe Louis of Alabama and Walker Smith of Georgia into Boxing immortality and there was this scrawny, failed amateur by the name of Gordy looking to cut records. Little Emanuel would ride the wave of that magical Brewster neighborhood to an amateur career of 94-3 and a love affair with Boxing and Detroit that never waned. Years later when Lennox Lewis had Mike Tyson badly hurt Emanuel Steward despite all that he'd amassed Steward spit hot fire; telling Lewis in "Detroit style" like he'd told so many kids in that sweatbox called Kronk to take care of his business.Integration took a lot from the African American Community, and by the time Steward walked into Kronk in 1971 all he had was a love of the game- in time he proved to have so much more. Young men like Hilmer Kenty and Thomas Hearns got more than elite training, they got the attentiveness,love and direction only a Father can give.They recieved the tough, male administered direction that left  Black households as the Social Services were coming  in. Men like Steward in the midst of Urban and Cultural destabilization represented a community oriented brand of success, by staying in Detroit and giving what he had to young men he was a symbol of daily continuity that Politicians could never provide people in need.Watching him speak on his great love, even when you disagreed made you feel included and let in on a great line of wisdom dating back to Joe Louis himself- because Steward like Ted Kennedy was one of the last men of authentic Scholarship. And you knew it. The last 30 years of Boxing were his watermarks, from Kenty to Klitschko but the affection of (and for) Detroit will be his true legacy. It was rare what Steward maintained long after he should have outgrown the Motor City-so rare that it must live on. Tommy Hearns, chief beneficiary of Stewards love has vowed to BE at Kronk and keep the doors open for the man who impacted his life- a gesture worth more than any Championship Belt to a young man thinking about Boxing.While the return of a once great American city is in limbo and subject to far away interests we can only pray that people there consider the impact of its most faithful son- because i am convinced Emanuel Steward did not intend on being the last "Lion" of Detroit.

Dunk The Vote

Redskins vs. Panthers in the "Post Racial Bowl"....But

Michael Vicks postgame press conference basically amounted to a concession speech yesterday. An era has ended, and those of us who still have visions of his once awesome athleticism will be put in the same position we were when Allen Iverson donned the Denver Blue. Ten years in NFL years on a diminutive frame that never could stop running recklessly is a lifetime, Vick may have taken more clean shots than Barry Sanders and his current inability to accelerate away from defenders betrays this fact. For the first time in a generation the conversation surrounding the Black Quarterback doesn’t start nor end with Michael Vick, like Gayle Sayers he was a brief comet. The conversation is now about Cam Newton and Robert Griffith, what they’ve enjoyed and what they still have to struggle with in a not so post racial environment. We aren’t living in post racial times, with a contentious election showing us every day how naïve we were it would be silly to believe the NFL is about winning games exclusively. Black and White fans are polarizing in their views and we watch and interpret the games with our own cultural sensibilities and bias- and this is the invisible grease that keeps the wheels of sports talk radio spinning. African American fans listen for the dog whistles, the inconsistencies and the situations when black athletes are treated more harshly for similar conduct to white counterparts. White fans watch black athletes with a degree of respect and awe but often zero in on intangible qualities that allow them deep seeded confirmation bias. Cam Newton who mind you was described by a scout (who deserves no name recognition) as “fake” and arrogant (see uppity) isn’t responding well to losing nor is he skilled enough to explain his frustration. He talked like a “star” coming out of Auburn, he talked of wanting to be an “institution” and not being like the Black QB’s who failed, a mistake. Too comfortable in his own largess, the sweaters, the Superman celebrations, calling female reporters “sweetheart” as if they were co-eds all door openers that allow the majority to frame Newton as typically “uppity”. Robert Griffith seems to have a better support system on and off the field plus the ability to harness Olympic caliber athleticism within the traditional role. Confident, in fact just as confident as Newton or any other Quarterback but understated- one of the “good ones”. This way of comparing us to one another and using some African Americans as an indictment against more outwardly prideful counterparts is not a new method of groupthink. Personality profiles were designed with scientific proficiently during Slavery to better control “property” and play slaves against one another at the Landowners benefit. While White QB’s enjoy individuality, autonomy of personality and contributing factors of success or failures Black QB’s are invariably linked like Martin and Malcolm. Warren Moon shouldn’t have to point out that Cam Newton’s issues are more like white QB’s like Stafford and Cutler, that he shouldn’t be compared to Black QB’s who no longer have jobs. Colin Cowherd (with the Mitt Romney “establishment” grey accents) jumped at the chance to quote the bullshit scout; jumped at the chance to point out that Newton may be a self-absorbed jerk as if that were a revelation. Quarterback is the one position where a jerk (See Troy Aikman) is often required, as is the CEO or the leader of the Free World-and you see how that experiment in dealing with a cocky black guy is working. When I saw that these two quarterbacks (Panthers vs. Redskins) would be facing one another I considered it a milestone game, two Heisman Trophy winning African American Quarterbacks battling it out in a “Post Racial Bowl”. Both were drafted #1 and #2 and both are charged with being the face of two franchises in Washington DC and North Carolina-two places with vast negative racial histories. Unfortunately the hyper scrutiny of the 24 hour media blew that “feel good” assumption out of the “progressive” water. While Donald Trump, Mogul/ All around douchebag inches closer to calling the President a “boy” we will be treated to the oldest of passion plays pitting the “good one” against “the rest of them”. Racial code is inevitably more interesting than calling Cam Newton a young kid in a “Sophomore Slump” in need of more seasoning. That would take all of a couple of lines, a couple of seconds, and there would be no need for Warren Moon to offer great insight (see content) to the shit ton of ESPN Affiliates. I propose the Network broadcasting the game take the gloves off and give white fans who want to draw long-term perceptions from these two extremely young men what they’re really looking for…. A one-time guest analyst appearance from Rush Limbaugh.

Hey, Rush peddles coded racial trash for a living, so he’s uniquely qualified to cover this NFL game. But then again you cant have a "Post Racial Bowl" when one of the teams is called the Redskins.

Sugar Ray Robinson Documentary

Matchroom Boxing announces 'Christmas Cracker' fight night on December 8th

Ding Dong The Center is Dead

Watching Shaquille O' Neal dismiss Dwight Howard as a "Euro" Bigman, a Pick and Pop lightweight made me cringe, not because i  felt old but because in ways Shaq wasn't wrong. But hey, just because your right don't mean your right from an evolutionary standpoint because quite Frankly back to the basket Centers are a dying breed. Nowadays turning your back to the basket is a not so subtle way of saying you don't have the skill to effectively cope in the current NBA jungle. We saw it happen slowly, when Patrick Ewing hit that first 18 footer, he was praised for it but for me it seemed like that was about the time that everyone started dunking on him. Kevin Garnett played Wilt Chamberlain in the HBO movie on the life of Earl the Goat Manigault but gave the Timberwolves PR Department the death glare when they listed his real height of 7 foot 1. The "Big Ticket" towers over some of the greatest Centers of All Time and yet he didn't want to be confined to a box on the low block. Dirk Nowitzki watched the Dream Team as a kid in 1992, specifically Larry Bird- a small forward, though he grew closer to the size of Robinson and Ewing, i guess the post was not in his blood. "Stretch 4" is now a legitimate NBA Position and we haven't seen a dominant "bigman" win a title since a declining Shaq in 2006. Tim Duncan was more traditional in his approach but he'll only be considered the greatest Power Forward of All Time. Progress often means the loss of some things that were really good, like the depth of Centers in the mid 90's, or the Shaq vs. Yao battles that signaled the end of a certain kind of battle. The idea of two large men banging on one another beneath the basket is no longer compelling and gone the way of the classic Running back battle. Shaq may lament the extinction of the "Old School Big" but post play is still as important as the Running Game in Football. Kobe, like MJ is aging well due to his post game, KG went to Boston (2008) and took the ball deeper in the paint for his first ring and the same goes for Dirk. "Touches" in the post will always equal more effecient play, no matter how uncool it becomes to kids in the future. Lebron James is learning that nobody can stop him from winning a ring when he imposes himself in the post; that the "bully" may not be the Center anymore-he can be the guy bringing the ball up the court. Correctly the NBA followed suit with the changing game by adjusting All Star Voting rules from 2 forwards and a Center to 3 "frontcourt"players.That way, Andrew Bynum and Shaq's beloved Brooke Lopez wont be forced on us if they happen to be playing mediocre basketball this season. They'll be forced to compete with all frontcourt players, not the dwindling field of Centers out there. 

 

Did you notice i didn't even mention Dwight Howard in the same sentence with those two?. That's because after he comes off of the "soft" pick and roll he dunks on your head, like a Bigman. Shaq may disagree with how he goes about his business but i don't see anybody in the league that can stop Howard from matching up statistically with some of the greatest Centers to ever do it.

Evander Holyfield Slugfest with Smoking Bert Cooper

The Night Kid Chocolate Stole Brooklyn

Roughly 3 years have passed since the Middleweight Division had an American Champion of any note. His name was Kelly Pavlik and he had the weight of Youngstown Ohio, once one of America's  great blue collar hubs on his shoulders. Sergio Martinez came along with elite "pound for pound" skills and took what was left of the glamorous division global. Brooklyn New York isn't Youngstown but it has suffered as "the lost Burough" of New York City since the Dodgers left in 1957 and her estrangement from Boxing was an even longer separation of 80 years. The Barclays Arena introduced Boxing last Saturday featuring every Brooklyn based boxer "but" Zab Judah, essentially "tha BK" was up for grabs for anybody willing to "Do or Die". With few American Fighters carrying regional and hometown support Brooklyn had a coveted vacancy that had to get filled. "Kid Chocolate" Peter Quillen, a Brooklyn via Grand Rapids Michigan product entered the night with a solid skill set and washout win over a "washed up" Winky Wright and stole the show. N'Dam N'Jikam was a gift to Quillen, he brought a WBO strap, a winning smile and the kind of heart that will land him on American TV just as soon as he heals from Saturdays war. Early on, Quillen had the look of a man that may have bitten off too much, he looked rattled by the size and athleticism of N'Dam. And yet, he stayed in range, focused and unblinking while answering the Cameroon natives roughness with short, compact punching. Round 4 changed the tone of the fight, an uppercut followed by a left hook dropped N'Dam in a way that made you wonder how the kid could get up. The fact that he came to keep his belt was a credit to him and "Kid Chocolate" because it gave the young Middleweight an opportunity to grow before our eyes and bond with one of the most loyal of all the New York species..the Brooklynite. N'Dam made the middle rounds hell but hit the canvas several more times to put the fight a little bit beyond his spirited reach. Kid Chocolate did more than stole the show but he stole Brooklyn from the cold claws of Pauli Malignaggi who ended the evening watching Pablo Cano receive the stamp of approval and Brooklyn Love he craved. Malignaggi is too old to capitalize on his hometown market; he was contrite in his "honor" to fight a come -backing Ricky Hatton in England, because he's in the "cash out" phase.Quillen may need a little seasoning, but he can do it in Brooklyn, a fanbase starving for big time sports and ready to fall in love. Both Quillen and Brooklyn have the time to get to know one another better, and as with any love this will only make the affair stronger. Luis Collazo and Danny Jacobs can get some of the "love" too, and who knows maybe put the city's middleweight supremacy up for grabs in 2013. Theres no need to rush, Sergio Martinez isn't in Quillens future, but Brooklyn is a great place to practice patience because they know more about it than any sports fan in America .They tend to grow All Time Great Rappers in Brooklyn, still mourn the Dodgers and now have the NBA, so adopting a Fighter makes sense because in alot of ways the Burough never stopped fighting.

A-Rod: Declining,Overpaid, But still the Victim of Male Envy

I had the distinct pleasure of running into Alex Rodriguez back in 2008 coming out the YMCA. Several thoughts came to mind, and in this order: he's huge, why is he working out here? and at this time in the morning?, and who is that little steroid freak wearing the weight belt? and aren't dudes who wear weight belts out in public douche bags?. But the initial thought that flashed into my head for a brief moment ( and I'm not ashamed to say it) was "goddamn that's a good looking dude!". Full disclosure, not only am i straight but i could best be described as someone who is possessing of a healthy dose of self esteem-yeah that's how I'll put it. It didn't bother me to think that, and it was hilarious to my then girlfriend but ultimately i don't have to see Alex Rodriguez...every freakin day. That was then, A Rod was straight "raking" and on his way to his first World Series title and all was well in Yankee land despite the admitted PED use. Just win Baby. Today, off of one of the worst collective performances of plate futility in Yankee Playoff History the story isn't about the team but the guy the media loves to hate. Every little thing he says is red meat for NY media butchers despite every utterance coming from "the benign athletes guide to canned responses". He thinks any lineup with him in it is better, theres no surprise there-he's an elite athlete and if he's "through" trust me he wont get the news first. No, the rub with the NY Media is of a different more toxic strain, one that can only be enhanced by male envy. Yep, that's right i said it male envy, something most guys lie about as much as sexual performance-men have a special wrath for great looking guys who steal money and under perform. Joe Giradi had a good cover for benching A-Rod but the media jackals in NY turned up the heat bigtime after discovering that even in a moment of professional "shame" Rodriguez can get laid. And lets be clear here, it was an Australian bikini model, i repeat Australian bikini model, while Joe Sixpack was questioning A-Rods manhood..that's who he was talking to. He's not like you nor your favorite ballplayer and admit it,you hate him for it.Any survey of ex Major Leaguers would reveal that downtime is brutal, all manor of bullshit can go down in a clubhouse-some guys eat chicken, Alex prefers to pull a couple of chicks.This is something that strikes at the core and distrust of the loudest witch hunters; because Alex reminds these men of a darker time when  they couldn't get a date. Donald Trump, a rich guy who never pulled a woman without his wallet confessed he "never liked Alex" and i can see why. Rodriguez is the guy Donald's girlfriends give his money to when he's running around the world erecting monstrosities nobody can afford to stay in. The Jackals like to say he's uncomfortable in his own skin because the truth is they wish they were in his skin; i mean seriously what do you say to people who want to hate you?. Don't think the "Mean Girl" routine is concentrated within the media and fan base, it also extends to THE CAPTAIN, #2 DEREK JEEEEETER!!. Jeter is a noted cocksman, and he's celebrated by the NY Media because he's the clutch "winner guy". He also isn't a big guy, he's the kind of unassuming dude the media can look at and say to themselves.."that coulda been me", the genetic freak that is A-Rod gives them  no such comfort. Jeters cold shoulder towards Rodriguez was Brett Favre Epic and nobody blinked, nobody questioned the leadership qualities in a guy who would "ice out" someone who could've helped him win more.One "Pee Wee Reese moment" could have been the difference between 1 and 3 World Series Titles; but Alex was too threatening in ways no one would talk about for fear that it made Jeter look bad. The NY Media will never be featured in an ESPN "Body" issue so Jeters leadership failure only played to the pent up bias ALL average looking men have against dudes like A-Rod. Face it, women express their pent up envy by calling an unknown woman a "bitch" when she passes by and men take the more passive aggressive route by leaving guys like Alex to the wolves. So now the Yanks are looking to pay a portion of the crappy contract they gave Alex and ship him to one of those sunny places like Florida or California where he'll be comfortable around suntanned, vain people like himself. Mark Sanchez, another great looking guy will be soon to follow if he cant make the play-offs and the jackals will say he wasn't a "New Yorker". Men talk a good game about women exasperating situations and taking things too hard but trust me A-Rod not hitting isn't at the core of  this overreaction. He's not the first guy to get old, play through injury and fail in big moments nor will he be the last; he's just one of the few who do so under the hot spotlight held by men who in the words of Nino Brown didn't like his pretty ass anyway.



Oscar De La Hoya follows @S_C_ on "BEEF"

Man Oscar De La Hoya is starting to look more and more like an institution, aka "establishment" aka "ruling elite" since he took the scary plunge of facing his demons. He lets the CEO serve as attack dog while he maximizes the Golden Boy appeal and keeps his handicap respectable. He didn't have to take 50 Cents bait of getting dragged into "tweef" because he knows the HBO dates are secure and more importantly Mayweather wasn't go no damned where. He also knows he can be the best friend Floyd will ever have post Boxing because he's the gatekeeper all former fighter has to go through if they want a future in a suit. Mayweather fans need to grow up, he's 35 so pull your pants up and take the damned baseball hat off-he needs Oscar De La Hoya...because he is the Jay Z of Boxing. TMT was purely based on the myth that Floyd is running things when on paper nobody that beats De La Hoya is running shit. Now TMT is based on co Promotions with a fighter who just resigned with Bob Arum through 2014-good luck with that homie. Jigga wrote the rules on Beef, 50 coming into Boxing followed them by aiming up and Oscar did the best thing he could do by not even looking down. He didn't give the rapper who came at him on some "man shit" by calling him a "girl" the time of day because he was running the board. Besides, only the pants down, living with mama, playing video games all day crowd believe a 6 time world champion would actually blink when a rapper barks. Oscar knew 50 was playing catch up and he knew the only way to get in at the top was through Floyd or Manny and neither were available despite "appearances". Now if @S_C_ can get Kobe to stop Beefin with Smush Parker, dude your fucking Kobe Bryant, who cares what happened in 2004!. 

Gatti vs. Ward should go into the Hall Together!

 

Rock and Roll is a form of music entertainment that influenced our culture as a whole, and at the root of it you can find the Blues and beneath the Blues slavery. In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame you have individuals who influenced the culture and music business in multiple incarnations, because as Artists they weren’t so prone to being pigeonholed. Eric Clapton, a curator of the Blues was inducted as a member of Cream and as a solo artist; he is also considered a pioneer in pushing the limitations of his instrument. It makes sense to me, just like combining Ralph Sampson’s short but spectacular NBA career with his monstrous College years can equate to a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction. “Criteria” can be moved around to serve special cases and new categories can be added to include inductees who “deserve” immortality by unique distinction. Raw Accomplishment and statistical data can be manipulated, but what certain occurrences “meant” simply aren’t quantified with ease, so it requires a progressive body to explain WHY the number 42 can’t be worn by any major league baseball player, ever. With Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado reminding us what happens when a fight is truly worth immortalizing I think it is perfect timing to have a different kind of discussion about Arturo Gatti. In this case I believe it my duty to explain something about the deceased and the beloved “Jersey Guy”; but I can’t tell you what he “is” without including Mickey Ward. The reason I mention Ward is because the two men as a “happening” deserve preservation and posterity in Canastota even if the sum of these two parts alone fall short of individual distinction.


Accomplishments in the Modern Era are tenuous and murky due to how screwed up the Sport can be at times. I mean if Ricky Hatton adds a USBA strap to his collection or some British “Title” will it enhance his Canastota case? Or will you remember the face first drops he took to the canvas between two of the best fighters of this era; ironically he now holds the distinction as the last guy Boxing’s “Big Two” (Mayweather and Pacquiao) KO’d convincingly. Naseem Hamed was more decorated than Gatti and Ward and brought money to the featherweight division but we never saw his heart-but we saw Gatti and Wards heart every time they crossed paths. The shootout he got into with an old and desperate Kevin Kelley wasn’t fair, he knew there was a clear separation between him and the New Yorker, Gatti vs. Ward was in peril every glorious minute of all three bouts. Gatti and Ward came to us as a companion piece; and if they weren’t a big deal (due to their “level”) how come many of you reading this remember what you said to yourself when it was announced? You knew when it was announced you were going to be WATCHING, and you also knew a certain “spirit” of Boxing’s glorious past would be upheld. HBO knew as well, which is why they made it their business to pay both men like the so called elite fighters they would never be. You knew that whatever Sylvester Stallone greeted with the original installment of Rocky, whatever that “genre” was called –Gatti vs. Ward would advance the script to include “2 Rocky’s”, and this was not a movie, this was real. For some perspective what Chavez Jr. did for 30 seconds back in September, Gatti and Ward did for 30 ROUNDS. What the referee would not allow Mike Alvarado to attempt last Saturday night Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward both succeed at in round 9 of their first fight. May 18th 2002 Night in Connecticut was so brutal there were many who questioned the wisdom of even entertaining the next two bouts, and yet both men entered back into the meat grinder. Brandon Rios won’t be allowed to finish the rest of the book he started with Alvarado last Saturday, he’ll be pushed into a big money Pacquiao fight seeing that as a conventional path to immortality. What I’m saying is the Boxing Hall of Fame should create a new path, they’ve recognized uncrowned champions like Sam Langford- why not a special wing for men who are conjoined by blood and guts?. Men who become the ceremonial “hyphen” to one another because they left their marks on us together and you can’t separate one man from the other. Ward and Gatti ended up lifelong friends, so in the name of Gatti’s life cut short he should be there to enter the Hall of Fame “with” his old buddy.


The “Warrior Wing”; Designated for the Greatest Fight Series of All Time
Our Hall of Fame shouldn’t look like the others anyway, because of the way we are structured and the brutality involved (in and out of the ring) should give us license to be different. Sometimes amassing a bunch of plastic (“belts”) isn’t the only way to immortality, nor is looking theoretically “correct” while you do it. Floyd Mayweathers story will be one of great talent and technical brilliance; but like Ali if he sticks around much longer you’ll learn about his chin and the fact that he is indeed a “fighter”. I don’t want to visit a Hall of Fame that will not allow me to gain insight into that special occurrence when 2 men take one another’s measure more than once. I want to know the background story behind Graziano vs. Zale and Holyfield vs. Bowe because the hardest thing for a fighter to do is win a well contested series. The Boxing Hall of Fame should accommodate this yearning for context and knowledge, especially since we call our oldest and most prestigious publication “The Bible of Boxing”. I also believe the number of times two men are nominated for “Fight of the Year” should be a statistical addendum to both records; Gatti and Ward did it 3 times, together. Don’t ever forget, statistics are numerical representations of actual occurrences, Gatti and Wards being an epic encounter was a predictable and actual occurrence. Joe Namath threw a ton of interceptions, and yet he is immortalized for what he did, how he did it and what it meant; and Boxing should know about “context” considering its long history. Gatti and Ward can inaugurate a wing of the Hall of Fame that will allow fans to (without “analysis”) rekindle our respect for men like Diego Corrales and Glenn Johnson; men who weren’t “elite” but never had a problem with the ritual and savage familiarity that comes with rivalry.

Complete Second Presidential Town Hall Debate 2012: Barack Obama vs. Mit...

Fight of the Year Nominations Should be a Statistic

Stop Rewarding Mediocrity they say, "they" are writers like myself who by the way use whatever methods we have available to get the job done. Thousands of fighters show up at the gyms every day, and guess what? only one of them is a Floyd Mayweather or Ray Leonard. The History of "Boxing" is made up of "fights" and many of the unskilled "fighters" create the rich history we the writers boast about and profit from. Brandon Rios aint gonna ( i put it that way because that is the skill level i "have") develop into an elite "boxer",but Robert Garcia as a strategist understood how to coax and guide his pugnaciousness to a degree that it gave us something special. Heart, and combativeness is in the process of devaluation due to my ilk wanting to view themselves as more sophisticated- and to me that's a personal problem. Men who aren't of elite skill level outnumber the Juan Manuel Marquez's of the world, and like the working class they make everything in Boxing go around. Last week there was widespread consternation about Arturo Gatti's Hall of Fame induction, and alot of the blowback was due to his performance against "elite" competition. I would argue that his very presence in fights of that magnitude was proof that he was an important figure in Boxing. I would also say that if your looking for mind blowing statistics to support induction to Canastota the one number to remember is FOUR. Four times Gatti was a participant in a Fight that made you proud enough to tell a non Boxing fan they had to see it. Four Times he came to mind during award season for taking whatever God Gave him and laying it all out there for the world to see. This should be a statistic of relevance, because we live in an age where men more talented than Gatti avoid fights because something special just may break out. Actors aren't just revered for the times they won the Oscar; they're revered for Nominations, the # of times they produced performances that you could not forget-because that industry is in the business of drama. Boxing, like it or not is in the business of Drama and when we are Good it's no coincidence that men like Gatti, Diego Corrales and Rios are always nearby. It is a criminal misdemeanor to nitpick a Fight of the Year Candidate, and like most small crimes we call them what they are..petty and often meaningless. This is a business where the most skilled fighter wont fight the fighter who just may force him to "fight" despite having all of the advantages. Manny Pacquiao is that rare animal who combines both the skill and the dramatic, and Mayweather knows that nobody has beaten him (Yeah i said it @TimBradley) without conduct worthy of FOY. Floyd's elite skill level made Gatti look look like he should be parking cars-but Gatti's relevance as a warrior ( 4 FOY's) is what introduced "Money" to the actual money. Ring Magazine honors the Fights of the Year for a Reason, and we feel honored to see them as they unfold for a reason..because they matter like a no-hitter in baseball. Not only do they matter, in most years when elite fighters avoid one another FOY's and their candidates keep us hanging on to the Sweet Science; they often reaffirm the love affair we have with Boxing. Like i stated earlier in this post, writers want to be "sophisticates" but sometimes we outsmart the room and ourselves. We love talking about elite skill level and "breaking down" like trainers, but we tend to sound like the guy in the strip club marveling over the athleticism and intellect of the girls. When that girl comes off that pole and starts bouncing in your lap the truth (about why you  there) comes out, the same can be said for round one of Israel Vasquez vs. Rafael Marquez. The Truth is statistics can tell lies, legitimize a perception or tell the story about an athletes intestinal fortitude. "You are what your record says you are",which is why many fans are held hostage by unbeaten fighters who market the "0". Boxrec should institute "FOY" as a statistic; it should position right after "drawns" because it serves as a story about who that fighter "is" and a consumer stamp of approval -the # of times a fighter went "beyond". Ring Magazine should gold stamp the new stat and make it a part of a fighters statistical history, if an "elite" can get one FOY under his belt it only adds to his legacy, ask Tommy Hearns. Maybe then in the future skilled fighters wont be wary of facing an opponent who will make them fight; they can earn a "win" and an added FOY to their resume. Remember , statistics are records of "actual occurrences" so a FOY is a part of what actually occurred between two fighters. "Going to the well" should be something to brag about, something you can bank on because it isn't as abstract as a bunch of wins-you gave something tangible to fans and frankly the "RECORD" should reflect this "occurrence"-it shouldn't become a referendum of what a man "isn't".


Gatti for the 2013 Hall of Fame

Prince, Rosario Dawson and Van Jones on The View

Nonito Donaire vs. Toshiaki Nishioka and Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado ...

Crazy Uncle Joe Kickin Ass

Was the "Ghost of Floyd Mayweather Future" Hovering over ESPN's "Broke"

Face it, it’s close to Halloween and the eerily coincidental is something we all seem sensitive to in October. I’m not talking about the conspiritory, just damned creepy and foretelling; maybe it’s the brisk weather or all of the shows about the ghosts who seem to only visit D-List Celebrities. Was it me; or did ESPN’s “Broke” make you think about Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Oh yeah full disclosure for Floyds internet jackals, I’m a “broke muthafucka” but I also play a deep thinker on my blog and Maxboxing.com. I thought the Documentary used Shelly Finkel as Boxing’s “stand in” representative because he is closely associated with Tyson and Holyfield, last generation’s examples of how so much money can go to the weirdest places. Ironically he’s also the guy who negotiated a settlement for Tysons 125 million dollar lawsuit vs. Don King down to 14 million in 3 million dollar “installments”. Floyd Mayweather would probably have no problem saying Finkel is undeserving of even being on the Money Team, unless he’s skilled at drying the champion’s brow after workouts. The Documentary was organized and taut, more of a step by step instructional with antidotal stories that keep the viewer entertained. Each Athlete represented stages of grief, denial and resignation-Floyd would call them all losers, because 43 have tried and…well you know the rest.

And yet, the number one money maker in Boxing, the man who made 85 million dollars last year (see jackals, I know what you’re going to say) is prone to EVERY mistake covered in “how to go broke”…and he’s 35! When he got out of jail and sent out pictures of himself hugging a million dollars cash on a private jet it may have impressed you but the first thing I thought was “ this won’t end well”. Floyd earned about 213 million in his career, roughly half of what Tyson shit away and he’s worth about half of that. Now the “sausage in a suit” he calls a spokesperson may yell at me for speaking on this, but why not?, I mean you do market yourself as “Money” why can’t I look at that documentary and comment on how easy it would be (for anybody) to lose it?. How is Filthy Rich Records  not like the Car Washes? How about the entourage who not only need to be clothed and fed but also require weapons and ammunition? Muscle Bound Bodyguards to stand around and giggle when you call your father a faggot can’t be cheap either. Betting was covered, Antoine Walker, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson combined can’t carry Floyds gambling addiction jockstrap- he’s probably putting a million on Notre Dame (vs. Stanford) to cover this Saturday right NOW.

Fleets of vehicles to keep up with Rappers and God knows who else is clanging around in his head, random Rolls Royce’s for the 24/7 camera’s-all of them depreciating before they hit his garage. “Making it Rain”, a ritual his father called “retarded” ; also to keep up with Rappers who tend to have Vodka Deals and opportunities outside of their chosen field-unlike Floyd. Girlfriends who with a straight face would accept an $11,000 pair of shoes will ultimately end up a creditor in retirement. Baby Mama’s, children from women who he’s been legally involved with in domestic incidents-what happens when he’s 38 and can no longer raid the Golden Boy Promotions Nursery? Family, he’s clearly been good to his mother and his sister’s sound like great people but just how many Mayweathers are there? And if they are so tight who is big enough to say “hey, you need to start socking away .25 cents on the dollar” because you won’t be doing this forever”. Alot of the Athletes were jobbed by financial advisors, a shameful thing because these are supposed to be people who are there to help them navigate the "trauma of sudden wealth". Ask yourself what advisor would allow a client to run around with dufflebags of cash and jewelry? and would you consider this a person you could trust?.

Andre Rison’s aura reminded me of how Floyd would be if such an adversity would hit him, still fronting and almost reveling in the excess that led to his financial collapse. When IRS agents are in your locker-room (Hatton fight) talking about 6.1 million bones something is wrong, something tweeting “money pics” to people who don’t read anything of relevance won’t solve. When you get robbed of 7.1 million dollars of uninsured jewelry it screams that you run in the wrong circles and wolves view you as an imprudent “mark”- ask yourself this, does Jay Z even own that much jewelry? If he was prone to that (in his mid-30’s) would he be part owner of the Brooklyn Nets? When JP Morgan sues you over a bullshit status “whip” and you end up taking out a sucker loan at double digits, something is wrong. Executives at JP Morgan wipe their asses with Mayweathers net worth, and they’ll have no problem suing his ass off ...all on the Government dime (Cus they're the REAL MONEY TEAM) when he can no longer “throw them thangs”. That Documentary was haunted by Mayweather if you ask me; and if this prophecy manifests itself he won’t be the first or last Boxer to endure it. My hope is that he watched it in a room by himself with no flunkies, took notes and watched it again, and willed himself to redirect his obsession away from  making the money. But investing and Keeping it.


And then called Magic Johnson.

Fans Dehumanize, because these are dehumanizing times

What happened at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday happened years ago in Philadelphia when Michael Irvin went down for the last time in his career. Back then it was attributed to the hardcore, rugged east coast fan base in Philly and an NFC Rivalry that reduced men to animals. Back then the coverage of the sport wasn't as overboard as it is today, the NFL Network with it's own backbreaking Thursday Night paycheck didn't even exist. It's been talked about by HBO Sports and ESPN "Outside the Lines" and i presume if the liquor keeps flowing we'll continue to have the same discussion about Fan Conduct. I'm not here to make sense of it, I'm merely here to throw some stuff up on the wall to see if any of it sticks with you. I didn't grow up among the class of folks who could even attend a game, but i have noticed alot as an adult who could afford to sit in a good seat...every now and then. I saw alot of words thrown around by Eric Winson like "Gladiators" and "sick" and i agree with them all- but allow me to add just a few more. The first word is "Austerity" and here is why it is important to know about why this word matters in last Sundays case.The American "quality of life" is being severely lowered in the middle class and many of them are just now starting to feel the desperation they routinely ignored from their poorer neighbors.The NFL, like "Big Pharma" and the War Machine are doing fine and they are not in the business of making a Sunday Afternoon more affordable when they are printing money. This creates a more demanding and more powerless fan base ready to pounce on their franchise and athletes because frankly alot of them hold on to their tickets for social status... and keeping up appearances. Powerless is how alot of the athletes on the field grew up and it's no coincidence they perform (live) for the entertainment of the socially powerful. The resentment has been growing with the dreadlocks but now the edge is sharper because alot of fans that attend the sporting event are living above their means. Theres no place for empathy when YOU are the one hurting, so give me my perfect QB Rating damn it. The second word is "Dehumanization" which is something we routinely do to athletes anyway, its socially acceptable to write off an athletes pain (physical or otherwise) as insignificant due to his pay scale. Santonio Holmes went down last weekend to an injury that will cost him the rest of the season but Jet fans scoffed at the idea that a human may drop the damned ball in excruciating pain. If you can dehumanize someone then you can numb yourself enough to "feel" nothing, you don't have to consider the humanity of a gladiatorial object there to destroy and be destroyed to your specifications. Trust me, a lot of evil shit can do down when you dehumanize the person your doing it to, just ask any minority that ever set foot in this country. Lack of empathy is rampant in Society and Pro Sports is a cesspool of it on both sides of the athlete/fan paradigm. Fantasy Sports at it's core is a dehumanizing endeavor that reduces a player to a statistical "piece" that you "own", someone the fan can make decisions on in a cold analytical way and win a little pot at seasons end to rationalize his addictive behaviour. It's fun to do that to the Athlete because the Owners are rich and powerful in ways too complex (and ruthless) for the fan to question- and he's been programmed to respect the man in the suit. We are living in times whereby it is acceptable to deal with people based on how much they earn and with lacking empathy we rate and label our friends in the same  faux pragmatism we use to run our fake teams. # dude, I'm no longer feeling so and so, he lost cool points last night#. Alot of the people who would boo an injury grew up playing violent video games and absorbing violent,bloody images in movies and music-so what is expected from someone who is being humbled at every turn filled up on 10$ Beer?. Why wouldn't someone raised in "bottom line" violence and "win at all cost" ideals cheer the injury of someone that he deemed a "loser"?. That Eric Winston was able to articulate his frustration without going off the grid and using profanity is a wonder to me, but then again he isn't a stranger to the culture we live in either. Stay tuned, the first "you ruined my Fantasy Team" murder threat is right around the corner.

Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith & Larry Merchant on Mayweather vs Pacquia...

It's just a Job Dwight! : The Barber Shop Media is in Full Effect

The NBA is the National Pastime of Black America and everything about it is decidedly "Urban", even the way the media and athletes communicate. I don't know if you've been under a rock but the last great big man in basketball is now talking trash about the current great big man. The so called "Beef" is filled with the kind of stuff Rappers "Beef" about; "Old School vs. New School", " Bitin" and just plain old macho bullshit..but it works. Shaq is no stranger to Beef, because his feud with Kobe Bryant and thrown Molotov cocktails on the way out of town is as much a signature as his monster game. I mean seriously, this is a microphone in the hand of a guy who free styled that Kobe should "tell me how my ass taste" so don't be surprised that he's stirring up the pot with a kid who clearly needs a hug. Dwight Howard is genuinely a nice kid, a Georgia Church Boy who wants to be loved, and he may not be thick skinned enough to deal with the new media. If you haven't been paying attention Sports media, specifically NBA coverage is driven by the outspoken guys who combine journalistic acumen with Barber Shop tone and flair. The Barbershop traditionally is where Black men unwind, commiserate, debate sports and talk shit in no particular order. Stephen A. Smith is clearly the pied piper of this genre, but Charles Barkley is the MJ among the Ex Ballers when it comes to "keeping it real". Even if keeping it real is "real stupid", when Brotha's talk about Hoops it can sometimes be better than the game; which is why the NBA built a show around the concept and called it "Open Court". Shaq is the newest member of TNT; a studio show that sweeps the Emmy's fueled by Barkley's impromptu " i don't give a damn" analysis. Shaq has to target Dwight Howard as a matter of establishing story lines and setting the jock vs. media tone for the 2012 season-he's merely "getting his Skip Bayless on". Barkley had to chime in with some crazy shit about Lebron being better than Jordan, because it isn't entertaining to bring up that with no armbars and hard fouls MJ would average 40 ppg. in 2012. It's all legal, and it's the new normal, plus the interest level in what ex players and bombastic media members say is the proverbial proof positive. In more quaint times Rick Barry would be ostracized for talking shit, now taking rips at a current player is good enough to get him booked in Bristol for the next week. And when he's there he can hock a new book,product or website he's launching, how else would he have gotten the airtime?. The chilluns call it "hatin" because the under 25 crowd aren't even aware that there is a such thing as criticism-look it up under "opinion". They've been idolized by their parents; and anything said to them that isn't geared towards they're Global Conquest is pure evil. No wonder Twitter calls it "followers" instead of "people who agree to read whatever crazy shit pops up in my head". When i was young, older people who criticized us about everything was just a fact of life, and if they got you riled up (in my family) they'd laugh. The NBA is about those relationships, and the cultural hot spot of the Barbershop with the OG's telling young bucks about Connie Hawkins is a place that weaves generations together. Soon, we will expect the "big diss" with anticipation and sentimentality because when the insults start flying we'll know it's close to hoop season.

 

A comeback for "D12"

 

Whenever Shaq takes a shot at you remind him of this: Dennis Rodman, a man Kobes height was the most dominant rebounder during HIS era. You are the statistical leader in all "Big Man" categories because you play your size every night. Also tell him that although he is a Champion, when people whisper about underachievers his name is often mentioned.Tell him you'll never get run out of town after reaching the finals for being well, portly because you have Supermans physique. Remind him that he turned on every guard he ever played with because he never commanded the respect that say a Bill Russell or Hakeem Olajuwon did. Tell him, Superman's alter ego "Clark Kent" was humble and kind of shy like you and that his often obnoxious personality qualifies him for a different kind of comic book persona....

 



Obama Pokes Fun at Own Debate Performance

To the WBC: Please Spare us any further Stupidity

 

 

So let me get this straight; in the furtherance of legislating stupidity the WBC released a statement detailing what their "penalties" are regarding Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. testing positive for the "sticky sticky". This is the organization who through a process of clear cut nepotism robbed Sergio Martinez of what was his thus creating the back story for the ass kicking he dished out on Chavez Jr. in the first place! That's right i said ass kicking, I've sobered up since September 15th enough to see the difference between a KO and "almost a KO". Chavez Jr. who showed himself as the pugilistic version of a Spicoli (excellent!) should have been fined for the pink "man panties" alone; and even then i thought that fine should have been levied by HBO. So the Board of Governors also known as the "Chavez extended family" decided to fine the young buck $20,000 as if their extraneous fee's for toting their ill gotten belt into the ring wasn't enough. Oh yes, and of course the "organization" who cant be trusted to give the belt to the actual middleweight Champion wants us to know the loot will be donated to a medical center for the research of Cancer. They also put down an "indefinite" suspension, from "what"? receiving undeserved belts?. They should have kept that to themselves, that's like banning a lady from calling you that really never thought about you unless you called her. We all know the "man" makes the belt which is why the Ring Magazine belt matters and a Mexican organization would want the son of Julio Cesar Chavez wearing their plastic.Besides i think the Sanctioning thieves were only trying to jump the gun and beat the NSAC from taking what little purse the kid had left after going "all in" at the Casino's post fight. Now Nevada who routinely levies insane rulings is left to go for what Keith Kizer is quoting at close to a million bones-yeah good luck with that homie.

 

 

And what are we talking about here, a PED?

 

 

WADA's rules ask three questions about said illegal substance; does it hurt the athlete? does it enhance performance? and lastly is the substance against the "spirit" of the sport?.Chavez needed some PED's and even then he wouldn't have been as God Gifted as Martinez. I would suspect the marijuana gave him the peace of mind to talk shit and act as if he actually belonged in there, nothing more. The WBC isn't a Law Enforcement Agency, Marijuana is illegal but it's not as if Chavez was applying for a job for the Government ...although some in Mexico consider the sanctioning body "Government". The so called indefinite suspension will probably end right around the time Martinez heals from his injuries and the "fine" will be paid at a later date to rank Chavez (who will be a light heavyweight) the #2 middleweight in the world. Now, one could argue Chavez's use of the drug violated the "spirit and integrity" of the fight-that it contributed to a lackadaisical start that robbed consumers of a product they did not receive until the 12th round. If I'm a better for Chavez I'm putting my money down on his youth, body punching and size so I'd be pretty pissed to know his high ass didn't get in gear until round 10. and what about the kids godfather demanding drug treatment? isn't that the dumbest admission ever by a sanctioning body?. It confirms the WBC's relationship to Chavez Jr. as one of love and protection, you know the impropriety they were accused of when they robbed Martinez of his belt in the first place?. Do you think they give a damn if any other WBC titleholder gets his life together?, no, they care if the check clears. So let the NSAC pile on, levy another "suspension" that Bob Arum has 101 ways to circumvent and poke holes into. Theres no way Top Rank waits a year to capitalize from the 30 seconds of services rendered by Chavez that night..no way. The WBC? hopefully they can lay low and spare us any further stupidity,humor us a little, i mean shouldn't they be scheming about an ingenuous new way to strip Martinez again?.

Everlast - I Get By

Top 10 pound for pound fighters

Showtime Boxing - Brooklyn Boxing: Danny Garcia, Paulie Malignaggi, and ...

Blacks For Romney, Mayweather for VP

@RealSkipBayless is Right, Drop the Superman Act Cam

Cam Newton should put Superman back in the booth, and not just until he can win some games but for good. This isn't about Jerry Richardson's creepy Plantation drawl asking that a then rookie "stay clean" nor the Carolina Panthers being located in the "Bible Belt". This is merely semantics, the difference between enthusiasm (fist pumps, jumping into teammates and slapping hands)  and scripted Wide Receiver styled self promotion which Mr.Newtons celebrations clearly are. Branding is important, and i love the fact that the kid is getting his share of commercials, i even like the Under Armour "spats" (can you say Joe Willie Namath?) and the "fake smile" the scouting troll groused about coming out of college, he's a leading man what the hell?. All of the QB's who succeed have been "That guy" since 8th grade so i am not looking for any humble choir boy here, i just don't want any Wide Receivers. When guys like Michael Irvin and Deon Sanders endorse your behaviour and your a QB, it's akin to receiving compliments from short order cooks and your a world class chef. Sanders and Irvin are players who had to create a market for positions that traditionally didn't receive the money nor the attention of the Quarterback.The Quarterback is the marquee position in sports, so when Cam accentuated his face saving performance vs. Atlanta with patented (Cris Carter) first down celebrations he cheapened the built in branding that already existed from day one. He also contributed to a league wide incentive to put him on IR, adding to the already swelling resentment for the QB position created by the NFL rules committee. The recent criticism and vitriol captured by the Charlotte Examiners cartoon was the kind of heat that (dare i say it) only a Wide Receiver can attract. Wide Receivers are portrayed as cartoonish narcissists, childlike and therefore worthy of a certain brand of bashing- and honestly a lot of it rolls off of their backs because many are too self absorbed to care. With the NFL resembling a Global Monolith and NFL Franchises cold, all consuming corporations theres only one position in sport that resembles a CEO-the Quarterback. Cam Newton is Presidential in stature (6'5), look and ease with the enormity of his calling, but he has to back away from partying like a Wide out. He will be over scrutinized, like Tony Romo's backwards baseball hat and Jay Cutlers "Body Language" and only a Super Bowl will give him the wiggle room to "floss" a little. Quarterbacks are routinely lauded for being flat liners in tough spots and "fiery" when it's time to be a motivator- but it's hard to do that when your thinking about how (and where) your going to rock the "Superman". And believe it or not, teammates know the difference between an arrogant guy (like all QB's need be) and an obnoxious clown- and the first guy they will run through a wall for. Obnoxious yet successful clowns are tolerated, but they cant inspire people to go beyond their potential. Steve Smith touched on that lack of maturity because he knows, he's a Wide Receiver who sees that this kid can take him back to the promise land. If Carolina drafts a front line 6'3 + mercurial weapon at Wide Receiver how can he be reigned in when the QB is topping him in the end zone "look at me" department?. A lot of the guys in helmets have to work at getting noticed off of the field, and Cam Newton isn't one of them. He comes off as that too good to be true guy that women don't trust; and it's usually for good reason-and you can see it in close games. @RealSkipBayless was right, and I'll add we shouldn't even be having this "likability" discussion about someone this young, and with this much promise. The fact that we are is something that may be good for Rappers and Wideouts, but not Quarterbacks, it isn't becoming a Heisman Trophy Winner and beneath the NFL's version of a CEO.

Geno Smith Proving College QB's Are coming in the NFL more prepared