Month: December 2017

We live in a world where people say they want the truth.  It all sounds good until the truth doesn’t fit your agenda or what you want to hear.  That’s when the truth becomes offensive to some.

This is especially true in the media.  CNN stages “peaceful Muslim protests”.  Bloomberg takes credit for the Susan Rice unmasking story when Mike Cernovich (http://www.dangerandplay.com) actually broke the story while Bloomberg sat on it.

But don’t think for a second that this applies only to the political media.  The sports media is just as compromised.

As Phil Mushnick often points out, the sports media agenda is to make us believe what we hear, not what we see.  Baseball announcers conveniently miss that the millionaire in the batters box turned a double into a single with his lack of hustle.

Football announcers (college and pro) mention “off the field issues”, but never state the specific issue.  This is because the issues are often times felonious.

Boxing broadcasts are now becoming a cheering section for the network’s golden goose.  Watching the HBO team during GGG-Canelo would have you wondering if Max Kellerman was Canelo’s cousin.

ESPN has become the world wide leader in selling sports with their own spin.  Their treatment of Curt Schilling for outspokenness compared to others is just one example.

However, one of ESPN’s few real truth tellers was always Teddy Atlas.  Atlas is a polarizing guy.

His knowledge is unquestionable but he can be argumentative, egotistical and longwinded while speaking the absolute truth (naturally causing people to either love him or hate him).  Atlas has been ESPN’s resident boxing authority for years.

When he broadcasted Friday Night Fights, he had no problem calling out and at times directly confronting inept/crooked promoters, judges and athletic commissions.  He would tell the audience when they were being fed a mismatch rather than a competitive product.

He always had the fighters’ backs but he showed his loyalty the hard way.  Rather than pandering he would point out when a fighter had capitulated to losing when things weren’t going his way.  Atlas would point out that the pugilist had made a “silent treaty”; he always beat into the audience’s head that a fighter’s #1 job is to “behave like a fighter”.

Atlas’ honesty was completely offensive to the Olymics’ globalist agenda when he called out the scoring system.  He was eventually not brought back to call boxing for NBC’s Olympic coverage.

But he hung on with ESPN.  The thing is it was only hardcore boxing fans who regularly tuned in to FNF.

Recently Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing has gotten into business with ESPN.  The network has a significant investment in the sport now as they have gone from showing journeymen in club shows to major fights featuring major names.

This brings in a little more of a mainstream audience.  Over the Summer ESPN broadcast Manny Pacquiao’s fight in Australia with the country’s own Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao showed his age and Horn fought an admirable fight but was clearly beaten by the Filipino legend.  However, Horn was given the home-cooked decision.  Atlas exploded regarding the ineptitude and/or corruption of the judges.  He pointed out that this is becoming more and more prevalent in the sport.

He showed tremendous integrity by congratulating Horn for his effort but telling Horn straight to his face that he thought he lost.  In today’s candy-ass society if you don’t go along with the bull***t you are not welcome.  After more argumentative broadcasts about poor judging, Atlas has been removed from calling fights for ESPN.

You see for a pandering network like ESPN, Atlas is too dangerous to their agenda.  He has shown numerous times that like him or not, his convictions are not for sale.

Atlas trained a young Mike Tyson as an amateur under the supervision of the late Cus D’Amato.  Early in Tyson’s pro career it was portrayed that this troubled kid from the Brownsville, Brooklyn was taken in by this old boxing Yoda and reformed.

Atlas points out in his book, Atlas:  From the Streets to the Ring that this was a false narrative.  Tyson put his best foot forward early on, but as his success as an amateur badass grew, he started showing his true colors up in the Catskills where he trained and lived with Teddy and Cus.

Tyson began bullying other kids, causing trouble, threatening teachers, etc.  D’Amato who preached discipline but saw Tyson’s talent and sacrificed his own principles; Cus had hush money that he would use to keep Tyson’s transgressions quiet.

Atlas’ only recourse for discipline was to suspend Tyson from the gym.  However, Cus began bringing Tyson to the gym behind Atlas’ back.  Tyson learned he was in charge, not Teddy.

It all came to a head when Tyson grabbed and threatened a female child in-law of Teddy’s in a sexual manner.  When Atlas found out he put a gun to Tyson’s head and warned him he would die if he ever came near Teddy’s family again.

The writing was on the wall that Teddy had to go as Tyson’s hands-on trainer.  D’Amato sent one of his lackeys to Teddy with a bag of cash and the promise of a percentage of Tyson’s purses when he turned pro to walk away quietly.

But Atlas would not be bought.  He told the lackey to tell Cus D’Amato to go f**k himself.  This was at a time in Atlas’ life when that money would have been life changing.

The point is that unlike most in today’s broadcasting business who can be bought to ignore the obvious and sacrifice their principles, Teddy Atlas has never been for sale.

There is no room for Atlas-like honesty and integrity at a place like ESPN.  Talk soon.

-Marksman

The New York Yankees have traded for National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.  Stanton, who hit 59 home runs in 2017 fell into the Yankees’ lap for Starlin Castro and 2 less than top-tier prospects.

Of course the sports media loves trades and free agent signings the way the political media loves wars and scandals.  Fans fall in love with the idea of overblown fantasy lineups but they forget about how a lineup may or may not mesh in big spots when runs are hard to come by.

However, the Yanks are rightfully committed to keeping payroll under $197 million to avoid paying the MLB luxury tax for the first time since the socialistic tax went into affect.  At the same time they are in need of starting pitching  (beyond possibly going back to the CC Sabathia well one too many times) which is always expensive (though today’s trade of Chase Headley does give them some more wiggle room).

Giancarlo Stanton is a tremendous talent.  But at $265 million that the Bombers are now on the hook over next ten years (unless he unlikely opts out after three years), the right fielder has a similar skill set to Aaron Judge; he’s a big right handed slugger.

But the Yanks already have Aaron Judge along with Gary Sanchez; they have enough right handed power.  The case can be made that they were too right handed before they landed Stanton.

In addition, they have an overcrowded outfield.  They would love to part ways with Jacoby Ellsbury and his terrible contract but who is taking the money?  Brett Gardner is a scrappy player who compliments the sluggers in the lineup, but is more tradable than Ellsbury.  Clint Frazier is primed to break in full time with the team, but is now likely a tradable commodity for a pitcher.

Frazier has the well-rounded gritty type of skill set that the Yankees will have less of with Stanton taking up a roster spot.  Stanton also plays the same position as Judge; who’s moving to left field?

When you add in Aaron Hicks this also takes away flexibility at the DH spot where the Yankees need to rest Sanchez from catching at times.  On top of that, the Yanks have a plethora of outfield talent in their system.

The Yankees were second in runs scored in 2017 and first in home runs.  What this all boils down to is that the Yankees don’t need Giancarlo Stanton to go to the next level.

It’s like trading for Hakim Olajuwan when you have Shaq and need a point guard.  Yes, it will attract attention but does it add up to winning?

In the regular season it probably does.  You play enough inferior teams in the regular season to slug your way into the playoffs.  But the postseason is a different animal.

Runs are tougher to come by.  Big sluggers with holes in their swing are often exposed by elite pitching.  They become feast or famine, usually more famine. That’s why I would rather save this money for better starting pitching this offseason and next.

It’s usually the get-the-uniform dirty scrappers that shine in October when you have to scratch and claw for runs.  If you are a Yankee fan think back to the mid-2000s when you had varying combinations of Arod, Gary Sheffield, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano in the lineup.  They were good for 100+ regular season wins but not many October victories.

The Yankees were a feel-good story in 2017 with young talent succeeding ahead of schedule.  Expectations would have increased anyway but this puts a big bulls eye on the team’s back now.

For Yankee haters the Evil Empire is back.  The innocence is gone.  It’s World Series or bust again.

Maybe I’m wrong and  Stanton/Judge will be more Mantle/Maris than Arod/Sheffield.  But I am now much less excited about the direction of this organization than I was a week ago.  Talk soon.

-Marksman

 

PS:  Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish readers.  God Bless.

The Heavyweight Championship of the World was once the athletic equivalent to King of the World.  There was no greater feet than the biggest and baddest men on the planet settling the argument of who the best man is bare chested with their fists.

Personally, I have always preferred the talent depth and more complete skill sets of the welterweight and middleweight divisions.  The heavyweight division rarely carries the same world class depth and it’s hard for big men to maintain their wind and discipline for 12-15 rounds at the highest level.

However, nothing captures the general public’s imagination like two really good big men facing off for boxing supremacy.  When you put 200+ pound men in the ring, truly anything can happen as things can be turned upside down with one punch.

Just for fun I compiled my own subjective list of the top 10 heavyweight pugilists in history.  Some hall-of-famers were left off.  Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson were terrific in their own right but fall short.

11 men made the top 10.  Yes, I took the cowards way out with two tied for 10th.  But it’s my list so I did as I please.  Lets start at number 10 and work our way up…

10-Evander Holyfield (44-10-2, 29 KO):

Signature wins/honors:  1984 Olympic Bronze Medal, Dwight Muhammad Qawi (twice at cruiserweight), James “Buster” Douglas, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Mike Tyson (twice), Michael Moorer.

Signature losses:  Riddick Bowe (twice), Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis (really twice as Lewis was the victim of a bulls**t draw the first time).

The “Real Deal” just may be the best pound-for-pound fighter on this list.  After debuting at light heavyweight he cleaned out the cruiserweight division before beginning his heavyweight campaign.  He proved critics wrong destroying “Buster Douglas” for the title; he would hold at least part of the crown four times.  Some of his losses (Bowe) cemented his warrior legacy as much as his wins (his first victory over Tyson being his biggest).  Slightly undersized and lacking devastating heavyweight power his heart and determination were the only things more solid than his chin (watch the punches he stands up to against Bowe, Foreman and Tyson).  If not for solid PED evidence, I would have him ranked closer to the top 5.

10-Larry Homes (69-6, 44 KO):

Signature wins:  Ernie Shavers (twice), Mike Weaver (twice), Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali, Trevor Berbick, Leon Spinks, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, James “Bonecrusher” Smith (twice), Ray Mercer.

Signature losses:  Michael Spinks (twice), Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield.

The “Easton Assassin” may be the most under-appreciated of all heavyweight champions.  His style was kind of Ali-light but with a better jab (arguably the best in heavyweight history).  Holmes was never forgiven for taking apart a version of Ali that had no business in the ring.  At his peak he was unfairly painted as the bad guy by his own promoter (Don King) in a win over Gerry Cooney which was sold as a race war.  He lost his title in 1985 to Michael Spinks and was screwed in the rematch.  He walked away disgusted before Don King bought him out of retirement to face a prime Mike Tyson.  It was a terrible matchup for Holmes but he went out on his shield.  He forged a more spirited comeback later upsetting Ray Mercer to earn a shot at Holyfield’s title.  At 42 he represented himself well going the distance with the champ.

9-Jack Johnson (73-13-10, 40 KO)

Signature Wins:  Sam Langford, Bob Fitzsimmons, Tommy Burns, Stanley Ketchel, James J. Jeffries.

Signature Losses:  Jess Willard.

As an unapologetically successful black man, the “Galveston Giant” was the Floyd Mayweather of his time, accept this was at the turn of the century.  Johnson was a pioneer in the ring as he was the first champion to adopt a more modern style.  He was a total package of speed, power and skill.  Many would rank him higher.  My beef with him is that despite spitting in the face of racism, he actually avoided other dangerous and possibly better black contenders.

8-Jack Dempsey (54-6-9, 44 KO)

Signature wins:  Jess Willard, Luis Angel Firpo.

Signature Losses:  Gene Tunney (twice).

The “Manassa  Mauler” is ranked by Ring Magazine as the 10th greatest P4P puncher in history.  His power and stalking style made him one of young Mike Tyson’s idols.  I urge you all to catch his fight with Luis Firpo; 11 knockdowns in 2 rounds.  Dempsey was actually knocked out of the ring before coming back to finish the Argentine.  Just to give you an idea of how much the heavyweight title once meant, at the peak of Babe Ruth’s popularity he was actually second to Dempsey.  Some would have Dempsey ranked higher.  However, though I think he would beat #6 head-to-head, his championship rein was inactive as he only defended his title six times in seven years.  He also avoided black fighters.  Some say this was more his management but the fighter is the boss when push comes to shove.

7.  Gene Tunney (65-1-1, 48 KO)

Signature wins:  Harry Greb (twice along with a draw and a no contest), Georges Carpentier, Jack Dempsey (twice).

Signature Losses:  Harry Greb.

The “Fighting Marine” was somewhat to Dempsey what Holyfield was to Tyson.  Though he proved to be the better man (Tunney took Dempsey’s title then won the rematch) his star was always eclipsed by the attention his chief yet inferior rival drew.  Tunney was one of the few to retire as champ.

6-Joe Louis (66-3, 52 KO)

Signature wins:  Primo Carnera, Max Baer, James J. Braddock, Max Schmeling, John Henry Lewis, Buddy Baer (twice), Billy Conn (twice), Joe Walcott (twice).

Signature losses:  Max Schmeling, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano.

The “Brown Bomber” was a dominant package of speed, skill and power.  Though he won the title from Braddock, he did not feel vindicated as champ until he avenged a KO loss to Nazi, Germany’s Max Schmeling (the two actually became close later in life).  The win over Schmeling largely won over white America.  He was instrumental to the morale of the American war effort (a civil rights icon without even trying).  He famously said we would defeat the Nazis because we were “on God’s side” and fought numerous free exhibitions during the war.  His payback?  An overzealous IRS and his own financial blunders left him broke later in life.  His competition was unremarkable until later in his career (his opponents were labeled the “bum of the month club”).  He was given a gift decision against Walcott but came back to knock him out in the rematch before surrendering the title to Ezzard Charles.  He stuck around past his prime before becoming the victim of a brutal knockout by Rocky Marciano (Marciano actually wept in Louis’ dressing room after knocking his boxing idol out).

5-Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KO)

Signature wins/honors:  1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, Razor Ruddock, Frank Bruno, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall, Andrew Golata, Shannon Briggs, Evander Holyfield (twice in reality), Michael Grant, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko.

Signature losses:  Oliver McCall, Hasim Rahman.

Another underappreciated champion. Lennox Lewis featured tremendous punching power and a jab to rival Larry Holmes.  At 6’5 he moved impressively well.  His only weakness was his suspect chin which was exploited by McCall and Rahman.  He avenged both losses inside the distance.  Though he held pieces of the heavyweight title, he was avoided by Tyson and Foreman.  Riddick Bowe publicly threw the WBC belt in the trash rather than sign for an Olympic final rematch.  When Holyfield lifted the WBA and IBF titles from Tyson, Lennox found his un-timid marquee opponent to unify the title.  The first fight in Madison Square Garden was scored a draw with Lewis being the clear winner.  He made it right winning the rematch (which was actually closer).  A desperate Tyson finally faced him and Lewis destroyed him.  After escaping Klitschko on cuts, Lewis also walked away with his championship intact.  Some would rank him lower, but with his resume in the division’s second best era, he is a top 5 all time heavyweight.

4-Joe Frazier (32-4-1, 27 KO)

Signature wins/honors:  1964 Olympic Gold Medalist, Oscar Bonavena (twice), George Chuvalo, James “Buster” Mathis, Jerry Quarry (twice), Jimmy Ellis (twice), Bob Foster, Muhammad Ali.

Signature losses:  George Foreman (twice), Muhammad Ali (twice).

“Smokin Joe” , with his relentless pressure style, head movement, body attack and murderous left hook is my favorite all time heavyweight.  A converted southpaw, Frazier claimed the vacant title against Mathis after Ali was stripped.  His peak was in the The Fight of the Century on March 8, 1971 when he stamped his victory over the undefeated and reinstated Ali dropping him in the 15th with a beautiful left hook.  This was in my opinion the best heavyweight fight in history.  He showed his championship heart the night he dropped the title to Foreman getting up from the canvas 6 times before the bout was stopped (the legendary Howard Cosell call:  “down goes Fraziuh, down goes Fraziuh”).  After an uneventful loss to Ali, they met in a rubber match in The Thrilla in Manila in 1975.  Ali took the fight thinking Frazier was shot but Joe had one more night of “Smoke” left in him.  After a back and forth 14 rounds in 120 degree heat, Frazier’s corner refused to let him come out for the 15th despite the former champ’s willingness.  Ferdie Pacheco confirmed that Ali was begging Angelo Dundee to cut his gloves off before the 15th; this went ignored.  Had both corners listened to their fighter, heavyweight history along with this list would be altered.

3-Rocky Marciano (49-0, 43 KO)

Signature wins:  Roland La Starza (twice), “Jersey” Joe Walcott (twice), Ezzard Charles (twice), Archie Moore.

Signature losses:  None.

The “Brockton Bomber” was an absolute truth machine.  With his constant pressure, impeccable conditioning, strength beyond his size, cast iron chin, relentless body attack and power in both hands, Marciano may be the only heavyweight who could out-Joe Frazier Joe Frazier.  At 189 lbs he would be a top 10 all-time p4p had there been a cruiserweight division in his time.  A case can be made for him to land at #1 but his competition, while underrated was marred by some former elites like Joe Louis fighting him past their primes.  He retired as undefeated heavyweight champ.  He would be a live underdog against #1 as his style would give him fits; can’t make a case for him against #2 as it would be a stylistic nightmare for The Rock.  The champ died tragically in a plane crash on August 31, 1969 (one day shy of his 46th birthday).

2-George Foreman (76-5, 68 KO)

Signature wins/honors:  1968 Olympic Gold Medalist, George Chuvalo, Joe Frazier (twice), Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Jerry Cooney, Michael Moorer.

Signature Losses:  Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Young, Evander Holyfield, Tommy Morrison.

Teddy Atlas said that if you combined the young version of Foreman physically with the older version of “Big George” mentally, you would have the perfect heavyweight; I agree 100%.  After his Olympic win, Foreman began a menacing pro campaign with extreme strength, power and a great chin.  His lack of movement and conditioning made him one dimensional, kind of a real life Clubber Lang.  After dismantling Frazier to win the title he looked indestructible.  Then Ali exposed his shortcomings mentally and physically.  Foreman was a mess in Zaire, the site of The Rumble in the Jungle where he punched himself out before being knocked out in the 8th.  He found getting a rematch elusive and walked away after a loss to Ellis to become a preacher.  He returned fatter, older, slower, but more technically sound, mentally tougher and better conditioned.  He earned a title shot against Holyfield and gave a better-than-expected showing in a losing effort.  He later got a shot at Atlas-trained champion Michael Moorer who had lifted the title from Holyfield.  Foreman ran to the ring facing down his demons in the exact trunks he wore in Zaire to endure 10 1/2 rounds of punishment before knocking the young champ out with a perfect right hand.  At 45, Foreman was champion again.  Atlas said in his book (Atlas:  From the Streets to the Ring) that the punch spit Moorer’s mouthpiece.

1-Muhammad Ali (56-5, 37 KO)

Signature wins/honors:  1960 Olympic Gold Medalist, Henry Cooper (twice), Sonny Liston (twice), Floyd Patterson (twice), George Chuvalo (twice), Oscar Bonavena, Joe Frazier (twice), George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton (twice), Jimmy Ellis, Ernie Shavers, Ron Lyle.

Signature Losses:  Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes.

Full disclosure:  I don’t like Ali.  Not because of the draft issue; while I disagree with it I actually admire him for taking it on the chin (which stood up to some of the all-time great punchers) for his principles.  I mainly dislike his racist treatment of Joe Frazier (whom he called a gorilla amongst other slurs) and Joe Louis (a true hero whom Ali referred to as an Uncle Tom).

However, just take a look at that resume.  Though he got the benefit of 2-3 questionable decisions he beat a who’s who of heavyweight talent.  His speed and agility were never scene before, nor since in the division.  He had enough power to keep you honest but his greatest attribute was his mental toughness.  He psychologically broke many opponents before the fight; win or lose Ali was never intimidated or lacking the supreme belief he would win.

While I think Marciano would have been very dangerous for him and I don’t believe he would have beaten Foreman had they fought on American soil, I gotta call him “The Greatest” when talking HEAVYWEIGHTS.

For all you Tyson lovers, I will explain in a future article why the deserved HOFer doesn’t make the cut.  Talk soon.

-Marksman