I'd Just Rather Talk About Something Else 9/22/11

Two very significant death penalty cases were ultimately decided this week, but I really would just rather talk about sports…

I don’t remember a time in my life that the sport of boxing was not a part of. In the sport’s commercial heyday, both HBO and Showtime would show great fights with, and this was just as important, great undercards. I remember watching both Felix Trinidad and Julio Cesar Chavez on the same card. Terry Norris in one fight and Frankie Randall in another. Ricardo Lopez and Bernard Hopkins, I could go on and on. People got their Pay-Per-View money’s worth back in those days (Jesus I think I just heard my dad's voice as I wrote that). Saturday night was a bit of a throwback to that time, and that is mostly due to the fact that the event’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya was a fighter of that era. It was great to see Erik Morales dismantle an opponent and turn back the clock for one night. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is already a star in my book and scored a thrilling knock out in his fight.

As for the main event, I have to say it was a disappointing end to a fight that was off to a great start. I know I was in the minority, but I actually had Victor Ortiz ahead on points against Floyd Mayweather, and I was surprised that commentators Jim Lapley, Larry Merchant, Emmanuel Steward and Harold Lederman were kissing Mayweather’s ass and giving him credit for rounds he clearly didn’t win. Not that I thought Mayweather would ultimately lose the fight, but he wasn’t winning when the fight ended, which is why I was totally shocked that Ortiz would headbutt Mayweather in round 4 after dominating an exchange. It was just stupid…why foul in a round that you were winning?  

As for the Mayweather haters who say that Mayweather sucker punched Ortiz after he was trying to apologize, all I can say is sorry but Floyd did nothing wrong. The last words in a referee’s instructions are “protect yourself at all times.’ Even someone who has never been in a ring but has watched a fight on TV has heard those words uttered repeatedly. When a foul is committed in the ring, the etiquette is that you apologize by touching gloves from a distance, not trying to have a make out session in the ring. Referee Joe Cortez called time in, Ortiz got close and Mayweather threw a legal, combination that knocked Ortiz out. It’s just that simple.

And how great was it when Floyd finally did what I had been hoping someone would do for years…tell Western Lit 101 quoting, self-righteous, pompous ass Larry Merchant to go fuck himself. Remember there is a reason why one of the most likeable figures in boxing no longer works for HBO, it was because he couldn’t get along with Merchant and the network sided with Merchant. I’m sure George Foreman was watching the fight from his ranch laughing his ass off.

Hey Jesse Holley of the Dallas Cowboys, great catch! 77 yards to set up the game winning field goal in overtime, but its Thursday already…you can stop celebrating now.

When you have been a Yankee fan as long as I have, you get to witness a lot of history. This summer really has been one for the ages as far as Yankee history goes. In July we saw Derek Jeter get his 3,000^th hit, and Tuesday we witnessed the greatest relief pitcher ever get his 602^nd regular season save, standing alone with the all time record.

Now I’d like to know why post season saves don’t count. They are saves and they are being achieved in a major league game. Post-season homeruns go to a player’s total, so why not saves? Even without the 602, Mariano Rivera is still the greatest closer ever, he didn’t need the number to prove that. Which is why I was surprised when some New York newspapers had headlines seeming to indicate that the “debate” was now over. Uhhh…What debate? Even the Yankee haters at ESPN have to acknowledge that no one comes close to Mariano Rivera as a relief pitcher. If there was ever a debate I missed it.

And speaking of the Yankees, I hope you all stayed up late to watch them win their 17^th American League East Division title since the format began in 1969. I know how surprised everyone was, particularly the Yankee haters at ESPN, considering they picked Boston to win it all.

One obtuse hater in particular (Yes Eric Ortiz, I mean you) actually wrote that this year’s Red Sox team could actually surpass the 1927 Yankees. Surpass the 1927 Yankees? In what exactly? Did they manage to eat more hot dogs and bang more strippers than Babe Ruth? Because other than that, it is an insult to my intelligence and an even bigger insult to the history of baseball to compare a team that has won nothing and probably will miss the playoffs to the greatest baseball team of all time. You know, I feel the same sense of pity for delusional Red Sox fans pretending to be objective sports writers as I do for LaToya Jackson every time she releases an album. I love Yankee haters, they fuel the fires necessary for the Yankees to make the post season every year (except 2008 of course, when the team was going through a transitional period) since 1995.

And I hate to kick the Red Sox when they are down but…well actually I rather enjoy it…As if to add insult to injury, Boston Red Sox lefthander Erik Bedard lasted only 2 2/3 innings in his start Tuesday night. You would think that would be the worst part of his evening until you factor in that just prior to the game Bedard was served with court papers demanding an increase in child support payments. By itself it might not be that insulting until he saw the process server presenting him with the court order was wearing a Yankees shirt. Brilliant!