Op/Ed/Commentary

Boxing, More Circus Than Sport

Originally published Oct. 16, 2011

Down goes Hopkins, Photo courtesy of Grantland

It was Saturday night. The boxing ring in the middle of Staples Center was ready, waiting for the aging fighters to take center stage for the main event. It wasn’t a glamorous bout that was highly publicized, but the crowd of 8,400 hardcore boxing fans in the arena still passionately cheered. They weren’t expecting much, but they still believed enough in the dying sport to buy the expensive tickets to see the contest. They were just hoping for a legitimate fight between champion Bernard Hopkins and challenger Chad Dawson.

You’ll never guess what happened. Okay, maybe you will. These poor fight fans were fooled. Again. The sport of boxing took another swing Saturday night and missed badly, slipping in the process and doing another embarrassing pratfall. (more…)

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Dodger Game and Stadium Report

Originally published Sept. 4, 2011

You can stop believin’.

The Dodgers beat the NL West cellar-dwelling San Diego Padres Monday night, 4-1, at Dodger Stadium behind Clayton Kerhaw’s complete game effort. The boys in blue have now won six of their last seven games.

Clayton Kershaw shuts down the Padres, Photo courtesy of Gambling Beat

Don’t be fooled. They may be playing better of late, but there are ominous signs. These signs indicate the Dodgers will continue to struggle for the foreseeable future before they truly get better and contend again for the playoffs.

It starts at the top. The current disastrous ownership dispute between owner Frank McCourt and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig continues. The silence and lack of news from both parties is deafening and worrisome. The longer this stalemate lasts, the more difficult it will be for this team to move forward and for the better. (more…)

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Monday Night Football Report

Originally published Sept. 14, 2011

What an uninspired game the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos bored us with on Monday night. The Raiders couldn’t pass. The Broncos couldn’t run. And both couldn’t play nicely, committing a total of 25 penalties. Someone should have told these players and coaches that preseason was over; that game actually counted.

Raiders win sloppy season opener, Photo by Joe Mahoney, courtesy of LA Times

It was tough to tell which team cared less with all the sloppy miscues and bland performances. However, one thing was made clear: Tim Tebow should start as Denver’s quarterback next week and for the remainder of the Broncos’s 2011-12 campaign.

This isn’t about Denver giving up on its season. In fact, it’s about Denver taking this season more seriously than it has in previous years. It’s about trying to take an honest assessment of the team and moving forward, for both the organization and football fans. (more…)

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