From Gloves to Balls

Smoger: Margarito was turning the fight around on Cotto when it was stopped

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:21:00 +0000

Referee Steve Smoger wished that Antonio Margarito had been allowed to come out for the 10th round in his recent loss to WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. Smoger said he wanted to let him, but the ringside doctor stepped in and halted the fight due to Margarito’s rapidly closing right eye.

Smoger noted at the time that Margarito was coming on and saw the fight as changing. The doctor prevented what may have been another Cotto knockout loss by stopping the fight, because the bout was mirroring how the first fight transpired three years ago with Margarito coming on in the 10th, hurting Cotto and then stopping him in the 11th.

Smoger said to RingTV “I sensed a momentum shift [in the 9th round]. I saw him [Margarito] catch Miguel with a couple of shots on the ropes that had me saying, “Wow, his persistence is paying off.” And I would have loved to see him come out for the 10th.”

I saw the same thing in the 9th. Margarito caught Cotto with some beautiful shuts and seemed to stun him at one point with a left hand. Margarito continued to chase and batter a tired looking Cotto for the remainder of the round. It was clear that the fight momentum had completely changed and Cotto was going to be in trouble in the next couple of rounds. And that’s where it gets weird. This was a fight that took place on Cotto’s turf, you must remember.

The ringside doctor couldn’t have picked a worse time to step in and halt the fight if he tried. Had he stopped it in any other round it wouldn’t have been an issue, but it was so bad that he chose exact point in the fight when Cotto was mentally and physically beginning to cave in again.

The doctor was just doing what he felt was right, but I think he was too cautious and stopped the fight before Margarito could follow history and take Cotto out again. Obviously, if there is a rematch the fight cannot happen in New York because it needs to be in a neutral venue, and with a doctor that is a little more tolerant towards injuries.

I see this as a tainted victory for Cotto because it was stopped right when he was starting to take punishment and run out of gas. This was a 9 round fight that needs to be done over to find out who really is the best fighter. Cotto didn’t prove a thing.

Timothy Bradley: Peterson needs to let Khan whine and suffer, and fight me instead

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:13:00 +0000

Peterson and Bradley fought two years ago in December 2009 with Bradley beating Peterson by a 12 round unanimous decision by the scores 118-110, 119-108 and 120-107.

Bradley told RingTV “I think he [Peterson] needs to leave Amir alone for a while and let him whine a little bit and let him feel it, because you know Amir don’t give nobody a rematch. I think that Lamont Peterson should come and see Tim Bradley, man and get some revenge.”

That sounds like a good idea, because Khan will still want to fight Peterson again whether he loses to Bradley or not. Peterson could get two title fights under his belt instead of just one. If he loses to Khan, then a Bradley fight will likely not happen. It might be a better option to take a payday fight against Bradley, if Peterson believes he can truly beat him this time. As soundly as Bradley defeated Peterson two years ago, I’m not so certain that Peterson would do any better in a rematch. Bradley really his number in that fight and hurt him on a couple of occasions.

Bradley is right about Khan not giving rematches to guys that he head. He doesn’t do it. Khan didn’t even do it when he was destroyed in one round by Breidis Prescott in 2008. Peterson is obviously a different story for Khan, because he can’t punch like Prescott, and is thus a less dangerous option.

Bradley signed with Top Rank recently and fought for the first time for them last month, stopping 40-year-old Joel Casamayor in the 8th round. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is grooming Bradley for a big money in house fight against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in the near future.

to know more about this news visit boxingnews24.com

Heath Evans: Nick Saban once stepped over a convulsing player

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:39:00 +0000

Nick Saban has never been known as a laugh-a-minute fellow — the current head man at Alabama is wound about as tightly as any coach in recent history, and this was especially true when he coached the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and 2006.

Assembling a 15-17 record wasn't good enough for the Nicktator, who headed back to the collegiate ranks and found an environment in which his particular brand of human interaction actually seems to work.
According to former NFL fullback and current NFL Network analyst Heath Evans, the worst example of Saban's impersonal approach happened in 2005, when he actually stepped over a convulsing player after a practice. Evans relayed the story on Miami's 790 The Ticket on Tuesday.

Does Cotto deserve a rematch against Pacquiao?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:36:00 +0000

WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto is starting to make noises about a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and even said that he thinks he can beat Pacquiao on Tuesday. Given that Cotto and Pacquiao fight for the same Top Rank stable, there is a very good chance that Cotto could end up facing Pacquiao sometime in 2012 if not in his next fight.

fight together with Floyd Mayweather Jr. That kind of leaves Cotto in a good position to get the Pacquiao fight, because he’s the best available fighter near the same weight class as Pacquiao in Arum’s stable. But does Cotto really deserve a rematch with Pacquiao? Their fight in 2009 was a terrible mismatch with Pacquiao stopping a battered Cotto in the 12th round. To be sure, Cotto has won his last three fights since then over Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito.

Heading into contract year, Love likes Wolves direction

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Kevin Love has used the extra offseason time created by the lockout to reshape his body, a grueling regimen that will have him reporting to training camp 25 pounds lighter than he was last season.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, his bank account is poised to get a lot heavier.

Love worked out at the Minnesota Timberwolves facility on Sunday for the first time since NBA owners and players reached a tentative labor agreement, and he said he was encouraged by the changes the Wolves have made as he prepares to enter into talks on a contract extension.

"I love Minneapolis, I love the Twin Cities," Love said when asked if he hoped to sign a deal that would keep him here for the long term. "Really this is all I know. It's the first NBA city I fell in love with. This is all I know. Maybe we'll keep it that way, maybe we won't."

It's no secret that the All-Star forward, who led the NBA in rebounding last season and has emerged as the face of the franchise in the post-Kevin Garnett era, did not always see eye-to-eye with former head coach Kurt Rambis. The two clashed occasionally and Love was growing frustrated with his system, especially as the team lost 132 games over the past two seasons.

To know more about this article visit NBA.com

“I want Floyd for my next fight,” - Pacquiao

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:09:00 +0000

MANILA, Philippines — Speaking from his lair in General Santos City, Manny Pacquiao declared that he wants no less than Floyd Mayweather as opponent.

“I want Floyd for my next fight,” Pacquiao said as quoted by his lawyer Franklin Gacal after asking his boss who he wants as his rival for his first fight in 2012.

Although the major players are frugal in making statements regarding negotiations, Gacal said something is going on the past few days, confirming the accounts of meetings being talked about by Top Rank head Bob Arum.

Arum said early this week that investment groups have approached him about putting up the mouth-watering match but did not go into details, saying it might jeopardize the project.

Gacal said they’re being updated on what has taken place and what are being discussed and are keenly awaiting the outcome of the said negotiations that are being kept under wraps.

Last week, upon his return to General Santos City, Pacquiao told the local media that talks have commenced to stage a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown that will go down as the richest in the history of the sport.
Pacquiao is coming off a hard-earned 12-round majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

While Pacquiao told Marquez that he is not ducking a fourth fight with the master counter-puncher, the Filipino is convinced the time is now for him to face off with the brash American puncher.

“The Fight of the Century,” said Gacal, who is keeping his fingers crossed that Pacquiao-Mayweather finally happens next year after efforts to pair them together failed twice.

The major obstacles – random blood testing and revenue sharing – have reportedly been hurdled, paving the way for both parties to talk business.

Meanwhile, Representative Pacquiao plans to bring before the House of Representatives the dumping last weekend by alleged commercial fishing boats of tons of dead tuna along the Sarangani Bay.

Pacquiao, told reporters he would specifically present before the House’s Committee on Fisheries the results of an ongoing investigation on the incident by the local governments of Maasim and Sarangani. (With a report from PNA.

Source: Manila Bulletin -NICK GIONGCO

New Jersey Association of USA Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:47:00 +0000

Just a reminder...Boxers are registered when they have a sticker in their book; all books should have pictures. Non-athletes (coaches, officials, etc) are also registered = BUT not approved by USA Boxing until you receive your card in the mail when the background check is complete.

Non-Athletes should carry the pink receipt form with 2010 at all times until they receive their new card. Clubs are not registered until your information is received, logged into the NJLBC computer, and payment is given to the Treasurer.

You have no liability coverage without the club application getting to Ed and the payment getting to Rich Stoltenborg, If you do not register with Ed directly - make sure the person you give your paperwork and payment gets it to Ed in a week's time or quickly to cover your club.

Manny ending his career to Mayweather

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:43:00 +0000

With Manny Pacquiao possibly about to end his career in November, his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is determined to try and put together a mega fight with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. In an article by the Associated Press, Arum says “That’s the fight people want to see, and that’s the fight I’m going to do my darnedest to make happen. My first goal is to make that fight happen, but we’re not going to negotiate this thing in the press, because if we do, given the egos, it’s never going to happen.” That’s nice to hear. It’s too bad that it took this long for that to happen.

The time to have made the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was in March, not now. If they had stuck it out longer and got a little more movement from Pacquiao on the random blood testing, the fight would have been easily made. Now things aren’t going to be so easy. Mayweather is now the one that is in the position of power with his one-sided 12 round decision over Shane Mosley earlier this month and the previous agreements that were made during the last negations, like purse split, might not hold this time.

It’s hard to imagine Pacquiao agreeing to take less than 50-50. But it’s more difficult to see Mayweather agreeing to fight Pacquiao unless he gets what he wants with the random blood testing. Mayweather might even want more than a 50% cut of the revenue and he would have the better numbers from his last fight against Mosley to justify asking for a bigger cut. This could really get in the way of putting together a fight. Arum isn’t saying whether Pacquiao will give in on the blood testing that he wants.

But hopefully Arum can persuade Pacquiao to at least agree to take the random blood tests up until two weeks before the fight. That would make putting together a fight with Mayweather much more doable. 24 days is a nonstarter. That won’t work this time. Pacquiao is probably going to have to give in on this issue if he wants to get the money fight with Mayweather. It won’t work if he stubbornly sticks to the 24 days, refusing to have the testing within that time frame.

In the past, Arum and Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said there would be no concessions during negotiations, which was kind of a strange thing to say given that Mayweather is perhaps the most popular fighter in boxing. I could see them saying that if this was one of their typical opponents that have been dug up to fight Pacquiao, but not Mayweather. That seemed very strange and not productive to putting a fight together. In a way, it seemed like they didn’t want the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to happen.

I could understand why they wouldn’t because Mayweather would have an excellent chance of ending the gravy train by beating Pacquiao. Now, however, with Pacquiao possibly fighting for the last time in November, there is a sense of urgency from Arum that wasn’t present last time. If the fight can be made, it will be a huge payday for all involved, even if Pacquiao gets totally dominated by Mayweather.

Is it time for Jones and Hopkins to retire?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Last Saturday night was one of the worst boxing fights I’ve ever seen in my entire life. 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO’s), looking many moons removed from his prime form, defeated 41-year-old Roy Jones Jr. (54-7, 40 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final judges’ scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 117-110. The outcome was never in question from the very start, as Jones was unable to pull the trigger with his punches and just looked totally shot. I wasn’t going to buy the fight, but at the last second gave in and purchased the $49.95 card. Boy, was I sorry.

Jones saw the openings, but was unable to let his hands go with anything but a few harmless shots during the fight. It wasn’t that Jones was afraid to throw; It just seems like he’s lost his reflexes and can’t fire when he does see the opportunities in front of him. Hopkins, who may have a little left in the tank, but not much, dominated the fight – if you want to call it that – with his better punch output. However, Hopkins was far from impressive because of his ugly tendency to dive forward fight on the inside against Jones.

On the inside, Hopkins made it ugly, throwing rabbit punches, low blows and not really landing with anything that was meaningful. Jones, too, was busy responding with his own rabbit shots, and succeeded in knocking Hopkins to the canvas with them twice in the fight. Neither of the rabbit punches that Jones threw seemed to be all that hard, but Hopkins reacted as if he had been leveled by a howitzer. He went down both times he was hit, and stayed down for a considerable amount of time.

Jones lost a point for the first rabbit punch in the 6th. Hopkins stayed down for ever two minutes clutching his head while Jones walked around the ring laughing and talking to the crowd. When Hopkins did get up, he rushed Jones and threw a flurry of punches, all but one missing badly. The two fighters continued to mix it up well after the bell and had to be separated.

This flurry from Hopkins was a normal part of his game when he was younger, and it was sad to see him only able to fight like that when he was angered. In the 7th, Hopkins regained his composure and continued to control the fight with his smothering offense. Hopkins still didn’t throw many punches and was missing more than few. Jones, for his part, could do little more than stick his left hand way out in front of him as if to keep Hopkins away. Jones rarely threw anything back in the 2nd half of the fight.

For that matter, Jones rarely threw any punches in the 1st half either. He just looked totally shot. I saw Jones’ first fight with Hopkins only this week, and it was so sad to see how much Jones has deteriorated in the past 17 years. Despite fighting with only one good hand in their 1993 fight, Jones had blinding hand speed, and got the better of Hopkins in almost every exchange.

Jones was throwing punches back then and catching Hopkins clean again and again. Last Saturday night, Jones was like a statue, unable to move his arms and just poising all night long. He looked like all the fast twitch nerve fiber in his arms and shoulders had completely deteriorated to the point where he just couldn’t move them. In the end, both fighters looked horrible.

Hopkins got the win, but didn’t show that he’s got enough left to beat the top light heavyweight champions in the division. Hopkins will probably stick around and continue to fight, but he’s going to have to be very selective in choosing his fights or else he’ll start getting on a regular basis just like Jones. I would give Hopkins zero chance of beating Chad Dawson and not much chance of beating the other light heavyweight title holders either.

Hopkins is saying he wants to fight WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, but the British fighter isn’t at all interested, in particular after watching how bad Hopkins looked against Jones last Saturday night. I think both Jones and Hopkins need to consider retiring. I don’t know what they have left to prove. If they continue fighting, they’ll struggle unless they pick their opponents carefully.

Before this fight, Hopkins last two bouts have come against middleweights Kelly Pavlik and Enrique Ornelas. Before that, Hopkins fought a former light middleweight Winky Wright and then a super middleweight Joe Calzaghe. As you can see, Hopkins hasn’t been fightin

For the Sixers, rock bottom remains a record 37 years later

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0000

Mercifully, finally, it ended, not in Philadelphia but in Pittsburgh, a non-NBA city hosting what by most reasonable standards was a sub-NBA team. It ended on this date 37 years ago -- March 25, 1973 -- in a 115-96 farewell smack from the Detroit Pistons. The Philadelphia 76ers, already brought to their knees by the worst single-season in league history, crawled into the summer with a 13-game losing streak.

Which, miserable as it was, couldn't even crack their Top 3 in terms of consecutive losses that year. They had futile stretches of 20, 15 and 14 games, too. Even "Big Daddy" Don Garlits never left skidmarks that long. At least the Sixers were 9-11 in and around all those streaks.

No team in NBA annals ever has lost more than Philadelphia that season (73). No modern team ever has won fewer (nine). Those dual distinctions -- di-stink-tions? -- give the 1972-73 Sixers squad a special place in league lore that several surviving members are glad to have, even feel a little protective of. It beats, y'know, abject anonymity.

That's why Fred Carter, the leading scorer on that team (20 points a game) and a Philadelphia native, was calculating the odds Wednesday when I called him about the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets' chances of tying, or maybe taking the Sixers' record outright. Surveying the standings and the concussion that would again sideline Sacramento's Rookie of the Year favorite Tyreke Evans, Carter saw a glimmer of light in the Nets' 7-63 tunnel. Besides -- and he didn't even need to say it -- the Kings are mindful of their own spot in the NBA's reverse standings, knowing that extra victories near the end now could drop them from sixth-worst to seventh-, eighth- or beyond. That means fewer Ping Pong balls in the lottery, a mechanism Philadelphia's opponents didn't need to think about back in 1973.

Of the Nets, Carter said Wednesday: "Once they get No. 8, then No. 9 is just around the corner." And sure enough, a few hours later, New Jersey did get to No. 8, beating Sacramento 93-79 at the IZOD Center. Unlike the old Sixers -- who, let's face it, have learned to live with their notoriety -- the current Nets want no part of "losingest" anything. Minutes after notching their eighth victory since late October, New Jersey players were thinking about a ninth -- the one that would unburden them of at least 50 percent of their distinction.
"You have to look at the next one," center Brook Lopez said, "a winnable game against Detroit."
Would these Nets know a winnable game if they saw one? The Sixers of 37 years ago didn't; they bumped along that season not just as the team with the worst record but as the worst team, which aren't always the same things.

Philadelphia in 1972-73 ranked last in the NBA in defense, allowing 116.2 points per game. That left them last in point differential too -- minus 12.1, based on their 104.1 scoring average. Curiously, the Buffalo Braves got outscored by an average of 9.2 points that year yet managed to win 21 times.

The Sixers finished last in the Atlantic Division, a whopping 59 games behind the Boston Celtics (68-14) in the Atlantic Division. They were last in home attendance as well, drawing an average of 4,461, or a little more than half the league's average (8,474). They played 31 games at The Spectrum and went 5-26, while staging 10 of their home dates at Pittsburgh (1-5) and in Hershey, Pa. (0-4).

Overall, there was one swell fortnight in an otherwise dreary season: From Valentine's Day through the end of February, the Sixers got hot, even scalding by their standards, winning five games in a stretch of seven. After a five-game, eight-day road trip bounced them from Boston to Portland to Los Angeles and left them 4-58, the Sixers won at home by two points over Milwaukee, then backed it up 48 hours later with 119-106 victory over Detroit. They split back-to-back games with the Knicks, lost to Houston in Hershey, then defeated Portland and Baltimore. Their two two-game winning streaks were their longest of the season.
Carter gave credit for the bump in results to Kevin Loughery, the injured 32-year-old guard who took over as head coach after the All-Star break in late January. His predecessor, Roy Rubin, had been overmatched after jumping from Long Island University, something the players noticed right away when Rubin got oddly buoyant after a preseason victory over the Celtics. Loughery's 5-out-of-7 stretch was his only good run, but he still won more in 31 games as coach than Rubin (4-47) had in 51.

Before, during and after? Not so good. Philadelphia opened the season by dropping its first 15, which is tied for the fourth-worst start to any NBA season. By losing its final 13, it holds a share of the fifth-worst finish. And that 20-game skid from Jan. 9 through Feb. 11 still ranks second-worst in league history for most consecutive defeats in one season, behind only Vancouver's 23-gamer in 1995-96.

The Sixers' .110 winning percentage -- really, shouldn't they be known for their .890 losing percentage? -- is the worst ever, undercutting even the 1947-48 Providence Steamrollers, who went 6-42 (.125) in the old BAA. Remember, though, the Philadelphia franchise had won an NBA championship only six years earlier, posting a 68-13 mark in 1966-67. It won 62 games the next season, 55 in 1968-69 and 47 in 1970-71, just two seasons before the bottom dropped out. Top scorer Billy Cunningham had jumped to the ABA and coach Jack Ramsay, after winning 30 games in 1971-72, had shuffled off to Buffalo.

The Sixers were shuffling themselves by 1972-73, moving a total of 19 players onto and off of the roster that season. Most of them were too young, too old or too limited to matter. Carter was a legit scorer and role player. John Block got picked as the team's lone All-Star. But the great Hal Greer was 36 by then, playing 38 games as a bit player in his final season. Bill Bridges, a three-time All-Star, and Mel Counts, who won titles with Boston in his first two NBA seasons, began the season in Philadelphia but were traded in November to the Lakers for Leroy Ellis and John Q. Trapp.

The suffering did pay some dividends -- Philadelphia got the No. 1 pick in the 1973 draft and selected Doug Collins, who became a four-time All-Star before injuries ended his career. The team began its climb back to respectability, winning 25, then 34, then 46, reaching the NBA Finals in 1977 with Julius Erving, Lloyd Free, Darryl Dawkins and George McGinnis.

The players on that squad -- "9-73 in '72-73" hardly was a rallying cry -- eventually did get their upside-down bragging rights, though at the time, they mostly were worn out and embarrassed. Carter, named the team's MVP, didn't know whether to feel proud or insulted. And as he recently told longtime Sixers beat writer Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "When we walked through airports, I used to turn my travel bag with the logo against me so people didn't know who we were."
People may not have known then, but they know now. Thirty-seven years ago they made history, in the worst of ways.

Mayweather, Pacquiao Strive to Strengthen Communities

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:04:00 +0000

Mayweather started The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation in mid-2007. This foundation is a non-profit organization that helps build community alliances, youth leadership, strong family relationships, and healthy neighborhoods, in addition to the work they perform to help combat hunger, poverty, and at-risk youths. Mayweather routinely helps provide food to the homeless and working poor, and it has become a tradition for him and his foundation to provide hot meals every Thanksgiving to people in both his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan and in his adopted home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather Jr. steps up the efforts during the holiday season. As the superstar boxer said, “The holidays are the most important time to give back. No family should have to go hungry on Thanksgiving and no child should go without a toy on Christmas.“ Mayweather Jr. Foundation also holds different events to support Toys for Tots and help raise gifts for the less fortunate during what can be the most stressful time of year for loving parents and guardians without the means to give the gifts their loved ones deserve.

This is far from some sort of publicity gimmick, as most of this organizations efforts go largely unrecognized by the national media. It is not something that is only done during a filming of HBO’s popular 24/7 series, but operates on a year round schedule and more often than not, flies below the radar.

Helping combat hunger is only a part of this amazing foundation though, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is also known to speak to at-risk youths. During the fourth of July weekend in 2008, Mayweather held a high-profile event in Grand Rapids which included a family friendly carnival, a car show, and a film premiere cloaked with celebrities. The carnival included many free activities for the little ones, including inflatable play areas.

The Mayweather Foundation has paid for prizes for achievement, improvement, and attendence at Stocking Elementary School in Grand Rapids Michigan, which included calculators, books, jump ropes, and gift certificates to bookstores. On April 2nd of this year, the Mayweather Jr. Foundation will be holding its first annual “Fight for our Future” benefit dinner. The evening will include a silent auction, special guests, and entertainment. “The purpose of this dinner is to continue to make strides towards helping our community” according to a statement made by Mayweather.

Manny Pacquiao, also fights for the underprivileged. He started his own non-profit organization, The Manny Pacquiao Foundation. It is hard to decipher when this was officially founded and began charity work on its own. Its official website contains a piece from February 2009, stating it was still in the start up phase, at that time.

One of the original goals of this foundation, is to help Filipino boxers and their families. As Pacquiao described in a 2007 interview with Eastsideboxing.com “it is my hope that the foundation can give Filipino boxers pensions and their children scholarships.” This doesn’t coincide with the dates on the web site, but that could be due to the problems and red-tape establishing such a massive undertaking is prone to. During the time it took to get started, Pacquiao obviously decided to widen the Foundation’s interests and areas of work, greatly increasing the number of lives it improves. It is unclear whether Manny has been able to establish a pension for Filipino boxers, but there is no doubt that through his personal generosity and his Foundation, that many youth are granted scholarships which allow them to continue their education. Thus, through their own hard-work, the youth can provide a better live for themselves and their families.

This foundation has already touched many lives through its work. Some of there work include helping victims of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009. This natural disaster caused over $2 million (US) of damage and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in and near Manilla. Pacquaio’s foundation helped with food, clothing, money, and in countless other ways, including the simple and too often overlooked gesture of just showing care, by being there to help with one’s time and energy.

In March of 2009, he held a Fil-Am (Filipino-American) Celebrity Showdown basketball game. Most of the money went towards the underprivileged in the Philippines. Pacquiao explained, “This is for the foundation. We are giving money to medical missions, schools, and others.”

The Monday following his May 2, 2009 knockout win over Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao held a celebration and benefit concert in LA to help raise funds and awareness of the foundations work. The proceeds helped his good will work which includes a cancer and research center in Mindanao. Other notable activities of the Manny Pacquiao Foundation are other medical missions, scholarships for children, and raising environmental awareness.

Though the Manny Pacquiao Foundation is still in the early stages, the Pacman has long been involved in giving back. He has helped raise funds for various other non-profit organizations, and helped the less fortunate on his own. Manny is known for his generosity and giving of cash assistance and bags full of groceries to those in need. In fact, Pacquiao was named “Person of the Year” in the Philippines in 2003, a reward that is even more noteworthy than the numerous boxing awards he has won, including Fighter of the Decade for the first 10 years of this millennium. The Philippine’s House of Representatives passed a resolution which recognized Pacquiao as “a people’s champ” “for his achievements and in appreciation of his of the honor and inspiration he has been bringing…to the Filipino people.” Manny also owns a lottery outlet in the Philippines for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes. This is the charity branch of the government and the proceeds go towards good causes some of which are reinvesting in health care, public services and welfare. By attaching his name to this, Manny has ensured it does better than it otherwise would.

In a very ambitious move, Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in his home country, the Philippines. Manny has made it clear, that his reason for running is his desire to help his fellow Filipino citizens. The election is scheduled for May 10, 2010 and could factor in Manny’s decision rather to continue boxing or to retire from the ring and focus all of his energies on helping those in need.

For information, including info on how to donate, visit the official websites, which are http://tfmjf.org/ for Mayweather’s foundation and http://mannypacquiaofoundation.org/ for Manny’s.

Both Mayweather and Pacquiao are not only two of the greatest boxers in recent memory, but also two outstanding role models. Regardless of who is someone’s favorite boxer and their thoughts on Mayweather or Pacquiao’s skill or choice of competition, I think it is safe to say, that EVERYONE wishes both the best of luck with their respective foundations.

Michael Jordan reportedly assumed some $150 million in debt to take over the Bobcats

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Last year, I saw this clip of Scottie Pippen, in F-list "Midgets vs. Mascots," getting gaffled by a group of little people, including Gary Coleman. Don't get it twisted. This wasn't a well-received, wink-wink cameo like Mike Tyson's in The Hangover. This was one of the 25 to 30 greatest players in NBA history, just recently retired, making a cringe-worthy appearance in a crap movie even by straight-to-DVD standards.

Why had Pippen stooped to this level? Only he really knows. But one wonders if it's because Pippen -- although earning well over $100 million in salary and endorsements during his career -- was looking to make some dough after well publicized and regretful financial woes.

I bring up this depressing story as his old running mate is pulling a landmark power move. Last week, in case you didn't know, the NBA approved Michael Jordan's bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats. He is the first athlete to go on to majority ownership of a major professional sports franchise. (Technically, it's Mario Lemieux, but Lemieux used deferred salaries to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.)

Is this the start of a trend? Might we see a new dynamic in the next 20 to 30 years? You'd hope. But with stories like Pippen's or Antoine Walker's (a recent Outside The Lines segment reported Walker's startling demise from filthy rich to dirty broke), you never know. Reading Pablo S. Torre's piece in Sports Illustrated last year, I almost choked when I read this: Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60 percent of former NBA players are broke. It's no better in the NFL where, by the time they have been retired for two years, a reported 78 percent of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress.

This is a not a, "Why can't you reckless athletes keep your millions?" piece. I recognize and can even understand how stuff happens. Bad business, child support, alimony, seedy handlers, entourages and, of course, ballin' outta control can add up. Tyson, Pippen, Latrell Sprewell, Evander Holyfield -- those are just some big names. Athletes go broke. That's not going to change. But the smarter ones -- I'm hoping they're looking at Jordan and thinking, "I wanna make that kind of power move, too."

Not all athletes are going to make MJ cheddar during their careers. Although Jordan made only about $90 million in NBA salary (I say "only" because I can probably rattle off about 50 current players that will have made more by the end of their careers), he cashed in much more from Nike, Gatorade and all his other endorsement deals. Before his Bobcats acquisition, MJ's net worth was said to be about $500 million. But it's not like MJ hasn't weathered a costly divorce and doesn't enjoy the occasional game of high stakes poker.
Kevin Garnett, Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade -- these cats will have made a boatload of money by the time they call it quits. Why can't one or all of them organize individual investment groups the way MJ gathered up the money through MJ Basketball Holdings? Fifteen years from now, why can't native Seattle sons Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Martell Webster, Marvin Williams, Aaron Brooks and whomever else get an ownership group together and resurrect the Sonics in Emerald City (if someone doesn't beat them to it)?

Pro franchises are exactly cash cows. Vanity toys for some owners, many teams are reported to be losing money recently. And most of these owners are far richer than these athletes. But making money in owning a sports team can be done. The statement/symbolism of former athletes becoming owners is nothing if not social/commercial progress.

Actors don't own movie studios. Musicians don't go on to own major labels. And former athletes don't own teams. Until now. Think about the different dynamic there would be between players and owners, if, in a few decades, a third of the teams were owned by former athletes. The owners' ranks would benefit from the perspective of men not too far removed from competition. Players would be working for men with whom they share a kinship. It would change, if nothing else, the nature -- maybe even process or outcome -- of collective bargaining negotiations. And with a contracted cultural and generational gap, some of the "us vs. them" that colors every league/players relationship would inevitably ease. The impact would be palpable.
That's how MJ's power move resonates with me. Once again, he's providing a paradigm. Former athletes cutting checks. A pipe dream? We'll see.

Will Toronto's stuggles on defense negatively effect Bosh's trade vaule this summer?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:22:00 +0000

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- With less then four weeks to go in the season and fighting for one of the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, this is not the time for the Raptors to have reverted to the way they were playing in November.

A players-only meeting and a couple of tweaks to their defensive schemes turned things around at that point, and the Raptors won 22 of their 32 games heading into the All-Star break. They didn't exactly turn into the 2008 Celtics, but they were the 18th best defensive team in the league during that stretch, allowing 105.4 points per 100 possessions, good enough to get by with a highly potent offense.

But when the Raptors returned from the break, it was like they were starting the season over again. They won a couple of games over the Nets and Wizards to peak at seven games over .500, comfortably in fifth place in the East. But the cracks showed, and since then, the leaks have sprung.

Over the last 13 games, the Raptors have gone 3-10, and their defense has been just as bad as it was back in November, allowing 114.8 points per 100 possessions. They've slipped back down to eighth place, and if it weren't for injuries to Chicago's Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, they would probably be lottery bound right now.

A trip to Secaucus on May 18 may still be their destiny. The Raptors are currently 2 ½ games ahead of the Bulls for eighth, but both Noah and Rose made their returns for the Bulls on Saturday and Chicago's remaining schedule is slightly easier (they play the Nets twice more and have just five road games remaining) than Toronto's.

The Raptors' recent struggles will do nothing to quiet any speculation that Chris Bosh will want to leave Toronto this summer via free agency. The All-Star went on a post-game rant after last Saturday's 124-112 loss at Golden State, lamenting his team's inability to practice what they preach.

"For some reason, we just don't like to secure leads and win basketball games," Bosh said. "That's the only thing I can think of. We come out here, we talk about it. We have a billion meetings, but we can talk all we want. Unless we do something about it really doesn't matter."

Grit and toughness are certainly lacking in Toronto. A starting lineup of Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Bosh and Andrea Bargnani just doesn't have the collective DNA to be a very good defensive team. And as Bosh weighs his options this summer, he might come to the realization that, as a finesse power forward, he's a better fit with a team that isn't so soft at the other four positions.

At this point, the Raptors have pretty much clinched the Worst Defensive Team in the League title for the 2009-10 season. The question is: Does that devalue Bosh in the free agent market? Can he be nearly on the same level as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade if he can't make an impact on both ends of the floor?
Bosh may have the best numbers of any power forward in the league, but he's not nearly the defensive anchor that Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are, even though he just celebrated his 26th birthday and those two are both in the twilight of their careers.

The Raptors ranked 12th defensively in 2006-07, when they won the franchise's only division title. So it's not like Bosh has never been on a good defensive team. This may just be a case of an average defender being surrounded by a bunch of really bad ones. And with so many teams clearing cap space in order to make a free agency splash this summer, someone is going to give Bosh a max contract no matter how bad the Raptors have been defensively this season.

They'll just have to make sure that they have the right system and the right players around him. And they can look at this season's Raptors for an example of what doesn't work.

Green upset with Ward fight postponement

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Super middleweight contender Allan Green (29-1, 20 KO’s) is less than pleased with the latest postponement by World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Andre Ward for his stage 2 Super Six bout, which was supposed to take place on April 24th in Oakland, California. Ward had to pull out of the fight due to swelling of his right leg. Ward’s doctor said that he will need four to six weeks to rehabilitate and rest his leg.

In the meantime, Green, 30, isn’t happy about it, saying “I fight through bumps, bruises and injuries, and we go through that. I fought Tarvis Simms with a bad right shoulder. If your knee keeps getting hurt, it could be something chronic and you’re probably not going to be ready in six weeks. If your knee is swollen, just take a cortisone shot.” Ward reportedly wants to take the fight with Green, but is hesitant to fight unless he’s 100%.
Ward won his first fight of the tournament with an 11 round technical decision over Mikkel Kessler last year. Ward, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist for the United States, showed remarkable skills in that fight, not only beating Kessler but dominating for the full 11 rounds of the fight. The win was so impressive that some boxing experts immediately made Ward the favorite to win the entire Super Six tournament.

Based on how good that Ward looked in beating Kessler and how easily he defeated knockout artist Edison Miranda last year, it’s doubtful that Ward is trying to avoid Green because he’s afraid of him. Green is a good fighter, but he’s not unbeatable. As we saw in his 10 round decision loss to Miranda in 2007, Green can be hurt in a fight if he gets hit with something big.

He also looked timid in the Miranda fight, and spent much of the bout fighting as if he was walking on egg shells. It’s somewhat understandable Green being cautious against Miranda, because Edison is after all a big puncher. However, Green wasted the entire fight playing it safe and not letting his hands go. In the 10th round, Miranda hurt Green and knocked him down twice before the time ran out.

For Green, it might be a good thing that Ward has taken time to rest and rehabilitate his right knee, because this will also give Green more time to prepare for Ward. That’s a good thing. Green is coming into the Ward fight with zero points and he needs to win this fight if he has any prayer of getting to the semi finals in the Super Six tournament.

Roach says he declined to train Hatton last year

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:51:00 +0000

Roach says “If he wanted to fight Amir Khan, that’s one thing. But I couldn’t train Ricky. I said I think he should retire. He’s washed up.” The funny about Roach rejecting Hatton is that although he thought Hatton was washed up as a fighter after being stopped by Pacquiao, Roach didn’t think twice about wanting to match Khan against Hatton. This seems a little off putting to me.

If Hatton is shot and over the hill, why does Roach want to put Khan in there with him? Khan had already fought another old guy in 35-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera, who many people thought was way past it last year, and now Roach was looking to put Khan in with a guy that he thinks is shot?

Roach says “If he [Hatton] continues fighting, he’s going to jeopardize his health. I would not want to be a part of that. If he decides to fight Amir Khan, that’s up to him. He’s been a multi-world champion, he’ll go down in history for some of his great victories, and the thousands of British fans who followed him to America, he’s been there and done it, and he doesn’t need to do it anymore.”

So Roach is okay with Hatton fighting Khan, even though he’s worried about Hatton jeopardizing his health. That seems weird. First off, why put Khan in with a guy that you consider shot? What good does that do Khan? If Hatton was to fold from the first few big shots he gets hit with, does that reflect in how good Khan is or is it because he’s shot? I don’t see it being a good fight for Khan if Roach is correct about Hatton being over the hill.

What does Khan get from that other than a name on his scalp that has value in name only? That doesn’t seem right. If you want to make Khan a better fighter, shouldn’t Roach put in with a live body like WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana instead? Roach, by the way, doesn’t want Khan to fight Maidana right now. I can understand how Roach might not want to train Hatton because he’s worried about Ricky’s health, but then in the next breath to say he’s okay with Hatton fighting Khan just seems wrong to me.

Pacquiao’s Perfect Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Joshua Clottey was a caricature of a boxer that night – too bad to be real and too real to be believable.
That, however, just proved a point that The Event was never about the punching bag that was Clottey. It was, after all, about the whirlwind of a man in his opposite corner.

Perhaps that was also the reason Clottey appeared comical – not quite as being held down by the weight of his inneptitude but by the approaching onslaught that appeared to be perpetual. Across him was a man who’s really that good – make it great. At times a blur but almost always an exclamation point of force, Pacquiao was (in Clottey’s mind) one punch away from knocking him down.

Of course Clottey never went down. He was never knocked out. Nobody is expected to knock out a punching bag. Not even Pacquiao. And not even in Dallas.

The Event was a one man show. And we could not blame Pacquiao when it turned out a bore because in boxing, as in dance, it takes two to tango.

In Clottey’s defense – all pun intended – he’s also not entirely at fault. He was simply outclassed. (Big time because it happened in Dallas where, you know, everything’s big.) His failure to perform could be attributed to Pacquiao’s performance. Pacquiao, after all, is such a great fighter known to make even elite fighters look mediocre, if not downright bad. Why should Clottey be the exception?

Clottey was standing when the final bell rung. That must be, in Clottey’s mind, an accomplishment by itself. With Pacquiao’s recent run of havoc, it must indeed be. Congrats to Clottey also but we don’t want more of that.

“He had a good defense, but defense isn’t enough to win a fight,” Roach said of Clottey. He might as well have said it to goad another fighter.

The Event, for all its pomp and glory, was found wanting. It all goes back now to the fight we truly wanted. Everything now depends on Mayweather. If he survives Mosley and answers the call, he could – in spite of himself – really save boxing.

This rough stretch for the Lakers just what they need

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:22:00 +0000

• This is a good thing for the Lakers. Losing three in a row and needing a rescue jumper from Kobe Bryant to squeeze by a Toronto team on the bubble for the East playoffs may have sparked panic in the streets in Los Angeles and new hope everywhere else, but it's exactly the shock treatment the defending champions can use. No consistent title contender of the last few years has so routinely needed shaking, the way Boston won the 2008 crown by getting in the Lakers' face, and the way the scare from Houston in the '09 second round became the wake-up call for the Lakers that led to a parade. This is no repeat coming apart before their eyes. This is just who they are.

• Remember. It's taken the Mavericks playing their brains out -- 13 in a row -- and the Lakers wandering around just to make the race for No. 1 in the West interesting. Dallas is legit and Donnie Nelson should be in the conversation for Executive of the Year, Jason Terry for Sixth Man of the Year and Rick Carlisle for Coach of the Year. Denver is legit. But there's still no question who is the team to beat.
• One more Lakers: Losing three of four, including to the Bobcats and Heat with poor efforts, isn't the real siren going off. It's Pau Gasol and what has become a series of comments about how the offense needs better ball movement and better balance by going inside some. Code for "Somebody is shooting too much."

• This is how Larry Brown gets himself in trouble. Playing musical jobs is one thing, because a lot of coaches do it and LB has had his share of stability in recent years, contrary to the caricature. But it looks really bad to be making eyes at other teams as his Bobcats enter the most important four weeks in franchise history. Asked about a SportsIllustrated.com report that he called the Clippers as a potential exit strategy, Brown told the Charlotte Observer that it's up to incoming owner Michael Jordan, the kind of non-answer answer that will only increase speculation. Something along the lines of "I am not interested in any other job" would have been much, much better.

• What else increases speculation: Brown loves L.A. and the Clippers have an opening for a coach and general manager. And Brown loves Philadelphia, and this is the week reports came out that coach Eddie Jordan is not long for the 76ers world and that GM Ed Stefanski could be on his way out as well. Brown's wife and two kids still live in Philly as he works in Charlotte. Los Angeles and Philadelphia are two of Brown's favorite places.

• Prediction time. The next coach of the Clippers is ... Byron Scott.

• This is the closest thing the Spurs will see to a soft spot the rest of the way, making it critical they capitalize to at least get a tighter grip on No. 7 in the West and possibly even move up. The pocket in the toughest finishing schedule among the top eight teams is the stretch that began Wednesday, six games against the Knicks, Timberwolves, Clippers, Heat, Magic and Warriors that will either give San Antonio a running start into the final 15 outings or become a failed opportunity. The next nine after that: two against the Lakers and one each against the Hawks, Thunder, Cavaliers, Celtics, Nets, Rockets and Magic.

• And One from the mailbag: "Thank you for not being just another American sports writer out there saying Chris Bosh is already gone. People are so surprised down there that staying in Toronto might actually be an option for him. I love reading the articles about how Chris wants, and needs to go to a bigger market. There are three bigger markets in the States. This might also be news to a lot of Americans. Toronto not only has a population of close to six million but also has an entire country following the Raptors and many from across the country picking up games. So where is there a bigger market for him to play in? We can only speculate at this point where he might end up. But it is refreshing to finally hear a view other than Chris leaving town."
-- Curtis, Hamilton, Canada.

Staying in Toronto is absolutely an option for Bosh. I don't think it's been decided, but there is definitely a comfort level and an understanding he can be the unquestioned star of a franchise that will spend to keep him and spend to surround him. The problem is, management has been aggressive with trades and signings and the Raptors are still not close to being a contender out of the East.

It's also easy to see why the city would be an appeal, not a place to escape. Toronto is tremendous, a cosmopolitan financial center, diverse, clean, with nightlife to appeal to young athletes and neighborhoods with character. It is worldly, not some final outpost on the way to the North Pole. Don't worry that too many Americans may not realize it. A lot of Americans don't realize things about their own cities. And it's probably a good guess that a lot of Canadians have bad misconceptions about parts of the United States.

Winner on Mosley and Mayweather fight will be Manny's next opponenet

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:29:00 +0000

Roach goes on to say that he hopes it will be Mosley who Pacquiao faces, because it will be an exciting bout for boxing fans to see. It’s also a fight that Pacquiao would have a better chance at winning, Roach doesn’t say. The one problem that will prevent the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight from taking place is the egos involved. Pacquiao’s side added a $10 million dollar penalty to the contract for every pound that either fighter came in over the fight weight.

Mayweather agreed to it. This was something that would hurt Mayweather, the bigger fighter, more than it would Pacquiao. But when Mayweather wanted to have Olympic style random blood testing to take place, then all of a sudden there was a problem because Pacquiao didn’t feel comfortable having his blood tested close to the fight.

Roach took way of looking at it, thinking that Mayweather was trying to push Pacquiao and him around by asking for the blood testing. Mayweather didn’t appear to be doing this out of gamesmanship or for wanting to gain some kind of unfair advantage over Pacquiao. He just had some real concerns about Pacquiao and wanted to make sure that he was fighting a drug free fighter. It’s hard to find any fault with Mayweather for wanting that. Roach seems to have twisted things in his head, and sees it as a power struggle with Mayweather.

Roach says that they’re going to try and make the fight with Mayweather. However, in the next breath Roach says “Any commission test, and sanctioning body test, we’ll do. But we will not do private testing with a company that Floyd hires. It’s not going to happen.” What this means then, if Roach is serious about what he’s saying, is that Pacquiao and his team will abide by what the World Boxing Organization and the Athletic Commission [likely the Texas Athletic Commission] says about what kinds of testing that should be done for the fight.

In other words, there won’t be any random blood testing done for a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. The reason is because neither Texas, the WBO nor the California Athletic Commission requires blood testing for boxers. All they test for is urine, and not blood. What this means is that unless Mayweather accepts what the Athletic and WBO mandate for testing, there won’t be a fight.

Last time out, Pacquiao was willing to take limited blood tests, but not the random blood testing that Mayweather wanted. Pacquiao was willing to have his blood tested up until 24 days before the fight. This time, it looks like there won’t be any blood testing unless Pacquiao agrees to it, and it’s not sounding like he will or if the WBO or Athletic Commissions agree to it.

They probably won’t. The weird thing is, Mayweather agreed to the $10 million dollar penalty, and didn’t see it as being pushed around, even though if he wanted to he could have twisted things in his head and seen it that way. Basically, it was a move that would mess Mayweather potentially because he had problems making weight in his last fight against Juan Manuel Marquez last September.

If Roach knows what he’s talking about and is speaking for Pacquiao, then it looks like there won’t be a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight in the future. Pacquiao can always fight Mosley, the probable loser in the Mayweather-Mosley fight. After all, Pacquiao is fighting Joshua Clottey on Saturday night, and he was beaten in his last fight against Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao would then be fighting someone who had recently beaten, which is pretty much what he’s been doing for the past two years in fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto.

Spurs' season heading the way of Parker's bum hand

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:27:00 +0000

An X-ray of Tony Parker's right hand confirmed the bad news. If a similar scan was done of the 2009-10 Spurs, do you think the results be ominously identical?

Broken. Fractured. Splintered. Use whatever cracked-up description you want to attach to the present-day Spurs, now at the first serious crossroad of the Duncan-Parker-Manu era. They haven't exactly looked imposing this season. And the injury sustained by Parker last weekend was just the tobacco-flavored icing on the cake.

With a month and change left in a season in which they must finish without their human blur of a point guard, the Spurs are slapped with the indignity of -- imagine this -- groveling for a bottom playoff spot, a possibility that's harder to swallow than a Spalding.

Teetering on the edge of the seven- or eight-spot is no way to start a new decade for a team that essentially dominated the old one. And while some may suspect this signals the beginning of the end for Duncan's run of championships -- sorry, not taking that leap just yet -- there are some serious issues that need addressing before the Big Fundamental can get back on that champagne train:

Manu Ginobili. Is he still a solid, productive and healthy part of the Spurs' core? The good news: He's only missed five games without sacrificing any of his floor-burn tendencies, not bad for someone who's never played a full season and started this season with bad wheels. The bad: Despite dropping 38 points on the Cavs on Monday, he's shooting just 41 percent, not exactly what you'd want from your sixth man. The uncertain: He's a free agent this summer and he and the Spurs keep doing this wait-and-see mating dance. Plus, Ginobili will be 33 this summer -- usually a slow-down benchmark.

Parker. He was in the midst of a suspiciously down year when he broke his hand Saturday against Memphis. He's averaging 16.5 points and 5.7 assists, a stumble from his career-best 22 ppg and 6.9 apg last season. While he's still slippery and dangerous (and a good compliment to Duncan), you wonder how effective Parker's shooting will be in the postseason ... assuming there is a postseason.

Richard Jefferson. At this point, to the casual observer, Weezy Jefferson might look better in a Spurs' uniform. To say RJ hasn't lived up to the (possibly inflated to begin with) expectations in San Antonio would be cruel, because he hasn't been awful; just not as good as advertised. The Spurs were hoping he'd be insurance for Ginobili and relieve Parker of the scoring load. Instead, Jefferson has looked soft, somewhat sheepish and possibly overwhelmed by the burden. It's not easy going from a No. 1 or 2 option, as he was in New Jersey and Milwaukee, to a No. 3 or 4 (or even a 5) option. When you're the main option, you don't sweat it when you miss six shots because the ball will find you again. As a No. 4 option, however, six misses seem a lot bigger. Jefferson is averaging 12 points but still hasn't had his "wow" moment. Is it too late?

Supporting cast. The Spurs have always prided themselves for building a championship team around Duncan without the benefit of lottery picks or high-priced free agents. Such is the sterling legacy of team president R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich. Has anyone spent so little (in terms of money and assets) and won so much over so long a period of time? This might be unprecedented in the free-agent era. Over the years, Pop and Buford got Parker and Ginobili late in the draft and grabbed a plethora of valuable role players on the cheap: Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Stephen Jackson, Brent Barry, Steve Kerr, etc. Now? George Hill is a comer and DeJuan Blair has definitely been a draft discovery. But there's no difference-maker.

It all comes back to Duncan, of course. Until he goes down with a major injury or suffers a talent dip, the Spurs will always be among the mix. And Duncan, as he famously does, is pacing himself through another typical Duncan season, ready to hammer someone in the spring.

But this hasn't been a typical Spurs' season in his era. They may not win 50 games or finish in the top-half of the conference or even make the playoffs; all would be agonizing firsts for Duncan. And even if they did reach the postseason, a first-round date with the Nuggets, Lakers or Mavericks would almost surely spell one-and-done.

They could use this moment to band together and stick it to those who are dismissing them as an after-thought champion, at least for the next few weeks. Or more likely, they'll stay true to their confusing season, which, much like their point guard's hand, looks bent out of shape.

Floyd Mayweather’s Great and Secret Show

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:37:00 +0000

Outside of his family and a few elite sycophants, almost all are heretics if Floyd Mayweather is to be believed. By his standard, even Sugar Ray Robinson – the closest thing the modern world has to a boxing god – is far behind him in Boxing’s Valhalla.

The extent of his madness is fascinating. Though assessing his sublime skills and perfect record of wins, he just might be the real deal.

“Line ‘em up and I’ll knock ‘em down,“ so said Mayweather in his second coming. And Marquez, long in qeue and being the first in line, was a willing sacrifice. The wolf fed on the lamb – a prophecy foretold which came to pass.

All hail Mayweather! Though just not yet.

Welcome to Mayweather’s great and secret show. An elite welterweight beating the best lightweight doesn’t secure one seats in Boxing’s Pantheon of the Gods or claim the spot in its highest echelon. Even a 40-0 record is no guarantee, especially when it’s by the path of least resistance.

To secure the coveted top, the same old rule applies: The best has to fight the best that in the end there can only be one!

Which then brings us to May 1.

Floyd Mayweather has to slay his first real demon come first of May. (Granted he had fought champions in Carlos Baldomir, Zab Judah and Shamba Mitchell, but just exactly who are them in the grand scheme of things.) In Shane Mosley, a first ballot hall-of-famer, there is the legitimacy Floyd’s talk sorely lacks – a real sugar necessary to sweeten “Money”.

And Mosley, never mind his age, wouldn’t allow that if he could help it. Let’s hope he can.

Floyd has talked the talk; let’s see him walk the walk. As much as I wanted Floyd to be shut up by Mosley or anybody, I equally wanted him to prove just how great he really is. And when he does, if Floyd shines through, let him chase the one that got away.

For atop the hill Floyd wanted to rule over lurks the real monster, the Pound-for-pound King. It is a clash of the titans in the end, and it is only the Pacmonster who can put Mayweather in his proper place.

To hear him talk, he’s the best there is at what he does – the greatest boxer ever to lace up gloves. If Floyd delivers, he might as well be.

He’ll make a believer of us yet.

who will among Kobe and Dirk become the two time MVP within this year?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:19:00 +0000

A week ago in this space, The Race looked at the impact on MVP candidates when a team has one superstar vs. two or more.

This week, the committee is reviewing NBA history for MVP winners who have two or more such trophies.
Maybe this is the NBA's version of baseball's "first-ballot Hall of Famers" cutoff to differentiate its elite of the elite at Cooperstown. The Race will just lay out some numbers and let you form your own opinions about past MVP winners -- and the three guys on this week's list who have a chance to move up from one-timer status.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, of course, is the all-time MVP leader with six honors over his remarkable career. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan collected five each and Wilt Chamberlain was honored with four (though he curiously missed in 1961-62 after averaging his Herculean 50.4 ppg). That means four players have accounted for 20 of the 54 MVP awards since the modern version was created in 1955-56.

Three more players -- Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone -- each won three MVP awards. And four guys -- fittingly, three of the greatest power forwards in league history -- won two each: Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan and playmaker Steve Nash. So that ups the "hogging" stats to 37 trophies spread around to just 11 players.

That leaves 17 one-and-done MVP winners, which is a far greater honor than that characterization makes it sound. The list of names still is a Who's Who and, literally, a timeline fit for Springfield, Mass.: Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Wes Unseld, Willis Reed, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

An interesting sub-plot to The Race this season, then, is whether any of the three guys on this week's list -- James, Bryant and Nowitzki -- can boost himself into an even more special club by claiming his second Maurice Podoloff trophy. That would make it 38 out of 55 by just a dozen players. Stay tuned and keep counting.

It will be a hardest fight for Manny

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:43:00 +0000

Clottey is tough in that he sticks around for the full 12 rounds in his fights and lands an occasional nice shot during the first half of his bouts. He can land with some power with his left hand and make for a rough fight during the first six rounds, but after that Clottey becomes much less effective as he tires out.

Pacquiao seems not to care whether he knocks Clottey out or not, saying “It doesn’t matter to me. I do 30 rounds everyday in the gym, and the fight is only 12 rounds, so going over 12 rounds is not a problem for me.”

That’s a refreshing perspective by Pacquiao. At least he’s not putting pressure on himself to have to try and stop Clottey, because a knockout might not come in this fight. Clottey can take a heck of a shot, and doesn’t leave himself open all that much because of his high guard that he uses. Clottey mostly puts his energy on defending, and isn’t the type that takes chances like Ricky Hatton, who Pacquiao destroyed in two rounds last year in May. Hatton tried throwing hooks and was taken out by Pacquiao.

Bob Arum of Top Rank, who just happens to be promoting both Pacquiao and Clottey in this fight, has this to say: “It’s going to take all that. Manny has to beat Clottey, no less knock him out. I would be much more surprised if Manny knocks him out. I look for this to be a distance fight. I don’t know how you knock Clottey out.” Arum says that he would seek an immediate rematch between Pacquiao and Clottey should Clottey be able to pull off a huge upset and beat Pacquiao.

Pacquiao knocks out JKL audience with a live musical performance

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Tonight, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao appeared on late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” revealing his aspirations to run for public office, his thoughts on fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr., and how he’s preparing mentally for his upcoming fight against Joshua Clottey. Pacquiao concluded his late-night interview by serenading the live studio audience with a rendition of the love song, “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You.”

Right roster change can give new perspective on season

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:26:00 +0000

Did the Mavericks suddenly become tougher after a blockbuster trade deadline deal reshaped their starting lineup, sparking a season-high winning streak? A definite personality shift seems to be afoot in Dallas.

"The entire personality has not changed," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle countered. "We still have four of the veterans that have been here for several years and been deep into the playoffs several times."

Carlisle was referring to Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Erick Dampier. They're the major influences on the team's personality. That doesn't change overnight.

But the additions of Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, coming from a miserable situation in Washington, coupled with the subtractions of Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and others have been felt in Dallas.

League observers, as well as those that have played the Mavericks since the All-Star break, have noticed the difference. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Dallas is bigger and more physical.

Others have commented on the increased cohesion. As much as an infusion of size and talent can impact a roster, new blood brings another intangible into play.
"Coming from their situations, they have new life and that new life brings energy," Hornets forward James Posey said of the new Dallas trio. "That opportunity and better chance of winning it all, that energy right there is something the guys that have been there can feed off."

Just ask the Bobcats. Dealing for explosive/impulsive Stephen Jackson in November, plus making the trade-deadline moves for Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, have accelerated their rebuilding.

"Our defense is a lot better with them now," Jackson said recently of Thomas and Ratliff. "They make us better all around. It's just amazing what one move can do for us."
Larry Brown's team now is in the playoff chase. That was hardly the case during the franchise's first five years in the league.

"Sometimes the energy levels can change when you have new people," New Orleans coach Jeff Bower said. "I think excitement and energy is sometimes contagious. When you have guys excited to be somewhere or play for something that tends to spread."

The Bucks didn't deal for a "difference-maker," but something has clicked since the arrival of John Salmons and Co. Milwaukee had its six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in Atlanta, but has moved up to seventh in the East.

Not all trades are about turnarounds. A deep playoff run is expected in Cleveland, so the acquisition of Antawn Jamison wasn't about nailing down a few extra wins in the regular season. Jamison also wasn't going to alter the Cavaliers' personality; LeBron James is perhaps the strongest individual presence in the league.
Jamison, though, is starting to find his groove after a rough start, which is critical with Shaquille O'Neal out for the rest of the regular season. The Cavaliers have won four straight, the league's second-longest current winning streak behind Dallas' eight-game run. Much like the new Mavs' crew, Jamison escaped a hopeless situation with the Wizards.

"For their style of play, he's a perfect fit for them," Posey said. "He has new life now, new energy. He's on a new team that's playing the right way. It's going to take some time, but he doesn't have to do it himself. He can work his way into things."

The lucky few who improved their NBA lot via trade now have a new outlook. The same might be said for a lucky few new teammates.

"Now, can the attitude change some? Yeah, sure it can change," Carlisle said. "Trades can help that. The key for us is just to keep it going in a positive-curve type direction with everything. It's challenging because the more you win, the more teams are gunning for you. The more your record improves, the more they feel like it's a big deal to beat you.

"But that's part of the challenge you've got to love."

Pacquiao-Clottey: How can 45,000 be a sellout when the stadium holds 80,000?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Stewart) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:25:00 +0000

If the stadium is sold out, then it means that 80,000 fans purchased tickets for the fight, not 45,000. I’m not even all that impressed with the 45,000 figure. I keep hearing that it’s near that total, but they don’t give the exact totals for the tickets that are currently sold. Why not?

That just makes me not trust any of the numbers. Whatever the amount of tickets that do eventually get sold for the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, I don’t expect it to be anywhere close to 80,000 fans, and I’m now thinking that it won’t even get to 45,000 either. My guess is that it will be lucky to bring in 30,000 fans, which will seem kind of ridiculous in a huge stadium like the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

This is just hype for a fight that doesn’t have two stars. I think they wasted the stadium on this fight. They could have easily fit the same amount of people that will be attending the fight in the MGM Grand by putting in outside seats. This is like way overboard for a fight that isn’t that big of a deal.

You got to have to an opposing big star if you want to fight in a huge stadium like that. In this case, it’s just Pacquiao versus some guy that nobody has heard of except for hardcore boxing fans. And what makes this even worse is that Clottey lost his last fight. How does that look? Pacquiao just finished fighting Miguel Cotto, who was had recently been torn apart by Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao also fought Ricky Hatton, who also was beaten up and taken out not long before he faced Pacquiao. Oscar De La Hoya, another Pacquiao victim, had lost three out of his last six fights going into his bout with Pacquiao. What is up with that? Is boxing so bad off that those guys have to be selected as Pacquiao’s opponents? Why not Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Shane Mosley? Don’t tell me. I already know.

But as far the Pacquiao-Clottey fight being called a sell out if 45,000 tickets being sold, I think that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard before, because the stadium holds twice that total. If you have a stadium that you can retrofit at a moment’s notice to fit any number up to 80,000, it’s ludicrous to call it a sell out when they’ll keep selling tickets up until 80,000 tickets are sold. I mean they’re not going stop selling tickets when 45,000 tickets have been sold, are they? Of course not, which is why it’s crazy to say the fight is nearly a sellout.