Why are so many boxing commentators so simple-minded?

[Bombardier]

Why is it that TV announcers that are paid well to call a fight and analyze it intelligently always revert to the "he should throw more punches argument" when a fighter is having trouble?

I was re-watching the Jose Armando Santa Cruz - Edner Cherry fight from last week. Now it was obvious that Cruz's reach, handspeed and movement were causing Cherry all kinds of trouble. He couldn't set up his jab because Cruz would just whip him with those long arms of his. And half the time when he threw he was punching at air and setting himself up for Cruz's counterattacks.

So he clammed up a bit, which is natural, and tried to pick his shots. He wasn't completely successful but he came close. Yet all the Showtime guys could whine about was how the "Cherry Bomb" wasn't throwing enough.

I mean, if the answer to every boxing problem was to punch more, it would be a pretty easy sport to figure out, wouldn't it? These announcers are paid professionals, for crying out loud, yet they miss the obvious.

[jabsRstiff]

Why is it that TV announcers that are paid well to call a fight and analyze it intelligently always revert to the "he should throw more punches argument" when a fighter is having trouble?

I was re-watching the Jose Armando Santa Cruz - Edner Cherry fight from last week. Now it was obvious that Cruz's reach, handspeed and movement were causing Cherry all kinds of trouble. He couldn't set up his jab because Cruz would just whip him with those long arms of his. And half the time when he threw he was punching at air and setting himself up for Cruz's counterattacks.

So he clammed up a bit, which is natural, and tried to pick his shots. He wasn't completely successful but he came close. Yet all the Showtime guys could whine about was how the "Cherry Bomb" wasn't throwing enough.

I mean, if the answer to every boxing problem was to punch more, it would be a pretty easy sport to figure out, wouldn't it? These announcers are paid professionals, for crying out loud, yet they miss the obvious.

Good, accurate post.

Teddy Atlas does the same thing. Sure, I know it's his job to analyze, break down strategies.
But ****....when it's in the 8th round of a fight, & one guy is getting dominated/shut down by another....stop with the "he should be doing this & that" routine. Sometimes, a guy is just overmatched, & is unable to come up with something that will work.

[TyrantT316]

Good, accurate post.

Teddy Atlas does the same thing. Sure, I know it's his job to analyze, break down strategies.
But ****....when it's in the 8th round of a fight, & one guy is getting dominated/shut down by another....stop with the "he should be doing this & that" routine. Sometimes, a guy is just overmatched, & is unable to come up with something that will work.

so if a guy is overmatched in the 8th round...you suggest the commentators to talk about another subject or just quit talking about the fight and suggesting ways the losing fighter could try to win?

and a response to the first/topic post...

there have been PLENTY of times where the commentators have pointed out specific things for a fighter to do...

and there are JUST as many times that they just simplify things...

I don't think we realize how hard the commentating business is...these guys are paid to talk, analyze, and entertain for 20, 30, 40+ minutes in any sport...

ok, so one says "he needs to stick his jab hard and follow through with the right hand! he has no defense for that right hand"...ok they just gave their specific instructions...which took up about 5 seconds of air time...now what? now what about the other 10, 20, 30min of the fight? these guys are working on the go in the heat of battle...they are actually in the environment with a job to do...

[jabsRstiff]

so if a guy is overmatched in the 8th round...you suggest the commentators to talk about another subject or just quit talking about the fight and suggesting ways the losing fighter could try to win?

and a response to the first/topic post...

there have been PLENTY of times where the commentators have pointed out specific things for a fighter to do...

and there are JUST as many times that they just simplify things...

I don't think we realize how hard the commentating business is...these guys are paid to talk, analyze, and entertain for 20, 30, 40+ minutes in any sport...

ok, so one says "he needs to stick his jab hard and follow through with the right hand! he has no defense for that right hand"...ok they just gave their specific instructions...which took up about 5 seconds of air time...now what? now what about the other 10, 20, 30min of the fight? these guys are working on the go in the heat of battle...they are actually in the environment with a job to do...

I should have specified that it's Atlas' tone that is the problem.
He speaks of it as if the guy should be doing it....& as if it's all he needs to do to turn things around. He talks as if the fighter not taking his strategic "advice " is the reason the guy is getting beaten.

[Bombardier]

so if a guy is overmatched in the 8th round...you suggest the commentators to talk about another subject or just quit talking about the fight and suggesting ways the losing fighter could try to win?

and a response to the first/topic post...

there have been PLENTY of times where the commentators have pointed out specific things for a fighter to do...

and there are JUST as many times that they just simplify things...

I don't think we realize how hard the commentating business is...these guys are paid to talk, analyze, and entertain for 20, 30, 40+ minutes in any sport...

ok, so one says "he needs to stick his jab hard and follow through with the right hand! he has no defense for that right hand"...ok they just gave their specific instructions...which took up about 5 seconds of air time...now what? now what about the other 10, 20, 30min of the fight? these guys are working on the go in the heat of battle...they are actually in the environment with a job to do...

**** that. You know what? They're goddamn paid professionals, and are supposed to be the best in the business. You have maybe, what, a dozen boxing commentators on TV at the most. You're telling me that I should expect anything less than top-notch quality from the top .00001% in the business?

After Judah lost to Baldomir did you say, "oh well, it's not his fault, boxing is hard"? Or when Peyton Manning blew it against the Steelers were you like, "Well, they have to play 60 minutes of football, it's not so easy"?

Besides, the Showtime guys did say the same thing over and over...and the wrong thing, besides. They could have covered this fight from a number of angles, yet all they did was talk about Cherry not throwing enough, which was a dumbass way to analyze the fight.

[Bombardier]

I should have specified that it's Atlas' tone that is the problem.
He speaks of it as if the guy should be doing it....& as if it's all he needs to do to turn things around. He talks as if the fighter not taking his strategic "advice " is the reason the guy is getting beaten.

Atlas is always doing that. It gets distracting, hearing him go on and on about the same thing every round. I guess one could argue that he is trying to shore up the horrible mismatches FNF puts on most weeks.

[Manny_P]

it's pretty stoopid when Atlas does that, but hey it's true. But cmon, some boxers just cant adhjust or the opponent is too good.

[grayfist]

Some simpletons live and/or have lived outside boxing. A few are/were in 1600 Penn Ave.

[m00ks]

My only beef with Atlas is that he keeps trying to look for approval of his "advices" from guest fighters/commentators or the fighter's trainers when ESPN has them miked up. Kinda like "Don't you agree he should be doing this, that". Sounds like he really misses his training days, or just needs security about his knowledge of the sport.

[Gio]

Because its much easier to comment or critisize someone than it is to actually participate.