Marco
30-05-2007, 18:41
Ik kwam dit stukje tegen, op boxingnews.com, rake kritiek op de sportjournalistiek en op de boxwereld.
Special Edition of Quick Jabs: Boxing’s Obituary http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=send_mail&id=8847) Recommend this page (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=8847#null) http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif Printable version (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=8847)http://www.boxingscene.com/uploads/8847_thumb.jpg By Alphonso Costello
The United States of America considers all things dead that it cannot control or dominant. Over the course of the last two months much has been said about the death of boxing.
The all-mighty savior couldn’t save the sport on Cinco de Mayo. The sport doesn’t need to be saved. It needs to be reformed. However, the American media needs to be saved from itself.
Boxing is a dead sport in America because there isn’t one dominant American fighter that actually fights full-time. To narrow it down a bit, boxing is dead because the media doesn’t have a dominating American heavyweight champion to follow.
Soccer is a boring sport according to the American media. A cable sports network would rather show a 44-year old semi-retired baseball player pitching against 18-year old minor leaguers instead of broadcasting a match between the two best soccer teams in the world.
The U.S. soccer team cannot come close to winning the World Cup therefore soccer sucks.
The National Basketball Association gets plenty of media coverage, but most of the focus centers on trivial happenings such as what NBA stars are dating Britney Spears.
Team USA really isn’t a team. It’s a squad of twelve individual players looking out for their own interest. Besides Team USA can no longer win the big one.
Its days as a basketball superpower are over. Nations like Brazil, Italy, Argentina and China are beating them out for the gold, silver and bronze medals.
America’s original pastime seems to create the wrong headlines. Baseball’s universe seems to be centered on a synthetic 265-pound man of muscle or a 77-year old turtleneck wearing owner.
The media would rather report on a steroid scandal or give up to the minute updates on a certain east coast franchise.
In International competition Team USA cannot defeat nations such as Japan, Cuba or Mexico.
This is why Americans love football, but more specifically the National Football League. Football is America’s pastime because it’s the only sport the U.S. can dominate. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the only country in the world that actually plays the sport. (Sorry Canada.)
Now what does baseball, soccer, basketball and football have to do with boxing?
Boxing has had many deaths according to the American media. But on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, boxing is a popular, profitable and engaging sport.
The American media says boxing is dead because there isn’t an American-born attraction that can make mainstream headlines.
The heavyweight division is a fragmented class of prospects, suspects and old-timers. Unfortunately those prospects, suspects and old-timers happen to be American. All the while, three of the four heavyweight titleholders originated from the former Soviet Union.
The American media does not like to hype a sport that cannot be dominated by an entertaining, charismatic American athlete.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the world’s best fighter, but his fistic style does not please the blood thirsty masses.
Fighters like Mayweather, Cory Spinks and Zahir Raheem seem to excite those with superficial boxing knowledge.
Despite the perception that European boxing observers appreciate and respect tactical boxing skills they too yearn for exciting fast paced brawling action. If Floyd Mayweather fought in Europe on a regular basis his Run-N-Gun style would still incite the boos he hears in American arenas.
Boxing’s problem is the inability to make the most exciting fights between the most captivating fighters in the world. The old guard is clogging boxing’s arteries by blocking those fresh and talented fighters that are waiting for a chance to become the sport’s next torch bearers.
And the mainstream media doesn’t help when it constantly conjures up the same old names. Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya are well past their prime, yet they continue to march into the ring and deliver underwhelming pay-per-view performances.
What boxing needs to do is match up boxers with fight styles that will produce exciting action packed fights.
The old-timers and businessmen need to step aside and allow some new blood to invigorate the sport with excitement, courage and integrity.
The window of opportunity to earn the big bucks in boxing is very limited and there’s nothing wrong with a man trying to earn a few million dollars before calling it a career.
But the in-ring businessmen should stop boring the masses with glorified sparring sessions and get into the movies or produce rap albums. Similarly, the old-timers should simply call it quits and leave the sport with their health still intact.
Raise your hand if you want to pay another 55 dollars to see Oscar De La Hoya chase Floyd Mayweather around the ring for twelve more rounds?
Is Bernard Hopkins light heavyweight title defense against Winky Wright really worth 45 bucks?
And what’s the deal with Shannon Briggs and Sultan Ibragimov headlining a $40 pay-per-view?
It’s time to usher out the old tired acts that are Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, James Toney and Fernando Vargas.
Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley should stay on the sidelines and help promote the sport in their business suits. They produced many memorable moments in the ring, but now is the time to hang up the gloves and guide boxing into a glamorous era of prosperity.
There are many talented and charismatic fighters in the lower weight classes waiting to explode on the scene.
Some of the names that can anchor the sport for the next decade include the likes of Lamont and Anthony Peterson, Andre Berto, Kelly Pavlik and Juan Diaz.
Second tier prospects that lack world class talent can provide the sport with a much needed boost as well.
Flawed prospects Joel Julio and Jason Litzau may lack championship level defense, but their heart, courage and crowd pleasing performances offsets their respective shortcomings.
The above mentioned fighters should be marketed and sold on broadcast cable networks. The World Wide Leader In Gossip should focus on making attractive fights between exciting fighters instead of pitting a 22-year old suspect against a 40-year old tomato can.
Those types of fights prove nothing. Marketing a sport that is billed as the sweet science in a clever manner would generate the type of money talking heads cannot.
A certain four letter sports network has turned the talk show concept into a sport. Two or more journalists trying to get their point across by yelling at each other.
Those talking heads happen to be the very same members of the American media that continuously shovel dirt on top of boxing’s proverbial grave.
The talking heads can continue to shovel dirt and answer questions on what they think about Ron Mexico’s cockfighting shenanigans.
But the truth of the matter is boxing’s death is an exaggerated media fabrication much like the NFL Draft.
Special Edition of Quick Jabs: Boxing’s Obituary http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=send_mail&id=8847) Recommend this page (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=8847#null) http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif Printable version (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=8847)http://www.boxingscene.com/uploads/8847_thumb.jpg By Alphonso Costello
The United States of America considers all things dead that it cannot control or dominant. Over the course of the last two months much has been said about the death of boxing.
The all-mighty savior couldn’t save the sport on Cinco de Mayo. The sport doesn’t need to be saved. It needs to be reformed. However, the American media needs to be saved from itself.
Boxing is a dead sport in America because there isn’t one dominant American fighter that actually fights full-time. To narrow it down a bit, boxing is dead because the media doesn’t have a dominating American heavyweight champion to follow.
Soccer is a boring sport according to the American media. A cable sports network would rather show a 44-year old semi-retired baseball player pitching against 18-year old minor leaguers instead of broadcasting a match between the two best soccer teams in the world.
The U.S. soccer team cannot come close to winning the World Cup therefore soccer sucks.
The National Basketball Association gets plenty of media coverage, but most of the focus centers on trivial happenings such as what NBA stars are dating Britney Spears.
Team USA really isn’t a team. It’s a squad of twelve individual players looking out for their own interest. Besides Team USA can no longer win the big one.
Its days as a basketball superpower are over. Nations like Brazil, Italy, Argentina and China are beating them out for the gold, silver and bronze medals.
America’s original pastime seems to create the wrong headlines. Baseball’s universe seems to be centered on a synthetic 265-pound man of muscle or a 77-year old turtleneck wearing owner.
The media would rather report on a steroid scandal or give up to the minute updates on a certain east coast franchise.
In International competition Team USA cannot defeat nations such as Japan, Cuba or Mexico.
This is why Americans love football, but more specifically the National Football League. Football is America’s pastime because it’s the only sport the U.S. can dominate. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the only country in the world that actually plays the sport. (Sorry Canada.)
Now what does baseball, soccer, basketball and football have to do with boxing?
Boxing has had many deaths according to the American media. But on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, boxing is a popular, profitable and engaging sport.
The American media says boxing is dead because there isn’t an American-born attraction that can make mainstream headlines.
The heavyweight division is a fragmented class of prospects, suspects and old-timers. Unfortunately those prospects, suspects and old-timers happen to be American. All the while, three of the four heavyweight titleholders originated from the former Soviet Union.
The American media does not like to hype a sport that cannot be dominated by an entertaining, charismatic American athlete.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the world’s best fighter, but his fistic style does not please the blood thirsty masses.
Fighters like Mayweather, Cory Spinks and Zahir Raheem seem to excite those with superficial boxing knowledge.
Despite the perception that European boxing observers appreciate and respect tactical boxing skills they too yearn for exciting fast paced brawling action. If Floyd Mayweather fought in Europe on a regular basis his Run-N-Gun style would still incite the boos he hears in American arenas.
Boxing’s problem is the inability to make the most exciting fights between the most captivating fighters in the world. The old guard is clogging boxing’s arteries by blocking those fresh and talented fighters that are waiting for a chance to become the sport’s next torch bearers.
And the mainstream media doesn’t help when it constantly conjures up the same old names. Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya are well past their prime, yet they continue to march into the ring and deliver underwhelming pay-per-view performances.
What boxing needs to do is match up boxers with fight styles that will produce exciting action packed fights.
The old-timers and businessmen need to step aside and allow some new blood to invigorate the sport with excitement, courage and integrity.
The window of opportunity to earn the big bucks in boxing is very limited and there’s nothing wrong with a man trying to earn a few million dollars before calling it a career.
But the in-ring businessmen should stop boring the masses with glorified sparring sessions and get into the movies or produce rap albums. Similarly, the old-timers should simply call it quits and leave the sport with their health still intact.
Raise your hand if you want to pay another 55 dollars to see Oscar De La Hoya chase Floyd Mayweather around the ring for twelve more rounds?
Is Bernard Hopkins light heavyweight title defense against Winky Wright really worth 45 bucks?
And what’s the deal with Shannon Briggs and Sultan Ibragimov headlining a $40 pay-per-view?
It’s time to usher out the old tired acts that are Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, James Toney and Fernando Vargas.
Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley should stay on the sidelines and help promote the sport in their business suits. They produced many memorable moments in the ring, but now is the time to hang up the gloves and guide boxing into a glamorous era of prosperity.
There are many talented and charismatic fighters in the lower weight classes waiting to explode on the scene.
Some of the names that can anchor the sport for the next decade include the likes of Lamont and Anthony Peterson, Andre Berto, Kelly Pavlik and Juan Diaz.
Second tier prospects that lack world class talent can provide the sport with a much needed boost as well.
Flawed prospects Joel Julio and Jason Litzau may lack championship level defense, but their heart, courage and crowd pleasing performances offsets their respective shortcomings.
The above mentioned fighters should be marketed and sold on broadcast cable networks. The World Wide Leader In Gossip should focus on making attractive fights between exciting fighters instead of pitting a 22-year old suspect against a 40-year old tomato can.
Those types of fights prove nothing. Marketing a sport that is billed as the sweet science in a clever manner would generate the type of money talking heads cannot.
A certain four letter sports network has turned the talk show concept into a sport. Two or more journalists trying to get their point across by yelling at each other.
Those talking heads happen to be the very same members of the American media that continuously shovel dirt on top of boxing’s proverbial grave.
The talking heads can continue to shovel dirt and answer questions on what they think about Ron Mexico’s cockfighting shenanigans.
But the truth of the matter is boxing’s death is an exaggerated media fabrication much like the NFL Draft.