Random Mumblings: 08 Becoming A Good Year for Bad Whine

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Jake Donovan - There were plenty of in-the-ring fireworks this Independence Day weekend, yet most of the water cooler talk that took place in the past few days bore greater resemblance to one long whine-tasting convention. [details]

[warp1432]

I agree with him on the Winky Wright thing, but I don't agree with Bob Arum. I went over this in the other thread, but Arum is being ****** for complaining over MGM. He may have a point that HBO is being a little biased to Golden Boy, but he's wrong about MGM favoring Golden Boy

[Sinisterevo]

I don't agree with this article in that they are saying that since both Mayweather and Wright made tons of money from HBO, so they shouldn't voice their negative opinions towards the network.
I do agree that the network does favor certain types of fighters - because they are perceived to be more entertaining - and that it does not have anything to do with skin color.
I don't believe any of the hbo commentators to have bias towards any one type of race except for on occasion ....Larry Merchant.

[JakeNDaBox]

I don't agree with this article in that they are saying that since both Mayweather and Wright made tons of money from HBO, so they shouldn't voice their negative opinions towards the network.

I do agree that the network does favor certain types of fighters - because they are perceived to be more entertaining - and that it does not have anything to do with skin color.

I don't believe any of the hbo commentators to have bias towards any one type of race except for on occasion ....Larry Merchant.

That wasn't my point, but even that aside, there's a huge difference between voicing a negative opinion and flat out accusing someone of being racist, or that the network is openly biased against Black fighters. Floyd and Wink are right in that the network has their favorites, but are way off-base in claiming that it has anything to do with race.

Wink is an even better example than Floyd, though - HBO had no reason whatsoever to keep his pockets stuffed. Floyd, contrary to popular belief, was enough of a draw to where there was plenty of upside for HBO to keep him under contract and put up with his nonsense. But I just find it comical that none of this came out while both were readily clocking millions from them. Yet once the income stops coming in, now all of a sudden there's a beef?

For all of the criticism levied toward Bernard Hopkins through the years, at least he spoke his mind regardless of who was signing his checks.

Your second paragraph hits the nail on the head.

[mrpain81]

Nice article Jake.

I think you're boys at Maxboxing are giving Arum a free ride most the time, I guess when Doug Fisher is comentating on Top Rank cards. It's a little hard to bite the hand that feeds you.

[grayfist]

It's refreshing to note though that none of the whining is coming from the direction of people who are in the current pound-for-pound lists, eh, Jake? Paquiao, Pavlik, Cotto, Vasquez, Mijares....not even Joe, who's choice of opponent had many whining (including me)...not even Nard (I dunno...it's been quite a while since I heard any whining from him...or maybe I have not been listening close enough).

Oh, okay, there was Juan Manuel Marquez early in the year in Manila. Lately, it looks, tough, like he's decided that the best route to take is not to talk but get to earn another crack at Pac right where he should earn it: in the ring by way of Casa. I think he's on the right track.

Edit: This has been said of children: they're better seen, not heard. After years of earfuls from the likes of Floyd, Miranda (for someone who's not in any list I've read, he sure talked like he was in all), et al., I sometimes think this applies to fighters a lot more.

[Sinisterevo]

.....But I just find it comical that none of this came out while both were readily clocking millions from them. Yet once the income stops coming in, now all of a sudden there's a beef?

For all of the criticism levied toward Bernard Hopkins through the years, at least he spoke his mind regardless of who was signing his checks.

Good points, I agree completely.

[corporateheroin]

Fighters should keep their mouths shut and just fight.