Click Here to Pick Up Dave Smith's Winning NFL and College Football Picks
 

A BLOWN OPPORTUNITY

September 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

As a long time fan of heavyweight contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, I was excited to hear about his chance to fight Vitali Klitschko for the Heavyweight Championship of the World. Chris and his trainer, Henry Ramirez, have been frequent guests on my show over the years and both are great guys who deserve the best….

Henry was a fan of my radio show long before I’d ever heard of Arreola and was a regualr caller for years; from topics ranging from boxing to basketball….

And Ramirez had done a magnificent job moving Chris along, matching him right and honing his skills until he became the #1 ranked heavyweight in the world….

The one concern, though, was Chris’ lack of discipline outside the ring and tendency to gain weight….

Henry was always concerned about The Nightmare’s lack of discipline and did everything he could, but ultimately it’s up to the fighter to take responsibility and keep his eye on the big picture….

When the fight was signed, I said I liked Chris’ chances if he got his weight in the 230-235 lb. range, but gave him no chance if he came in the ring at 250+….

So when they weighed in on Friday and Arreola tipped the scales at 251, my heart sank; because I knew it was all over….

During the pre-fight show on HBO, it was revealed that Chris began training camp at 292 lbs, which is inexcuseable. He should have been training, dieting and staying alcohol free BEFORE camp, in anticipation of the biggest opportunity of his life….

Then, during his interview, he actually said the following: “If Michael Phelps can smoke weed and still break records, why can’t I drink beer?”….

When I heard that I knew Chris just doesn’t get it….

After the fight, when you’ve won the ultimate prize in sports, you can drink all the beer you want. But until then, you have to eat healthy, train hard, keep your weight down, quit partying and stay away from alcohol….

He should have reported to camp at 251, trained down to around 230 and come into the ring fit, quick and ready to become the first Mexican-American Heavyweight Champion….

Instead, he came to camp around 300 lbs. and the fight was already lost….

Because of Klitschko’s tremendous size, athletic ability and reach, the only way to beat him is to get inside, work the body and apply constant pressure. But in order to do this, you have to be in great physical condition. You simply cannot be overweight and expect to break Klitschko down….

So with Chris slow and out-of-shape, his only chance was to swing for the fences and hope to catch Vitali with a haymaker. But every time Arreola plodded his way toward Klitschko, Vitali simply moved to the side or clinched….

Has Chris been in better shape, he could have moved his head, cut off the ring and thrown combination after combination….

Neither Klitschko brother likes to back up and don’t like to exchange, so a fighter like The Nightmare had the style to defeat him….

But only if he was in supreme condition….

After 10 rounds of slowly trying to walk Klitschko down and throwing one punch at a time, Chris had taken a tremendous beating and there was no need to go on….

Because Arreola has tremendous heart and still thought he could win, he wanted to continue, but Ramirez told the referee the fight was over and his fighter had taken enough….

I know Chris was furious and wanted to finish, but Ramirez did the right thing….

This is why Henry is a rarity in boxing; a trainer who actually cares about his fighter and has his best interests at heart. I’m sure it was tough for Ramirez to throw in the towel, but Henry showed how much he cares about Chris’ long term future….

Again, Ramirez is a first class trainer and highly respected in the game, but ultimately it’s going to be up to Chris. He’s a grown man and only he can make the decision to clean up his life and get into top physical condition….

This means no partying, eating right, no alcohol, getting to sleep early and never allowing his weight to go above 250 lbs….

In fact, he should already be in the gym and learned from this experience. If I were Arreola, I’d have been on the treadmill the next morning; beginning the process of re-dedicating myself to the sport….

But if he continues to drink, party and eat unhealthy food, he’s never going to reach the ultimate goal. And that will be a shame, because he is such a warm hearted, funny, class guy….

He would make a great heavyweight champion, because of his engaging personality, kind nature and exciting style. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s Mexican-American….

I’ve loved getting to know Arreola and wish him the best; and it’s certainly not too late. He’s under 30 years of age, hits hard, loves to fight, has a great heart and an excellent trainer….

Now it’s time to look in the mirror and ask himself just how badly he wants this….

So it’s up to you, Chris. Is it more important to party and drink, or become the Heavyweight Champion of the World?

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

September 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Even thought the 49ers are 2-1 and look like a playoff team, I’m still fuming about how Mike Singletary’s coaching blunder cost them a game against the Vikings on Sunday….

Last week I wrote a column praising him for turning around the attitude and character of the team and I still feel that way. But his conservative offensive philosophy and refusal to play to win is distrubing….

With 1:44 remaining and the 49ers leading 24-20, San Francisco had the ball at midfield with a golden opportunity to close out Minnesota, go to 3-0 and put a stranglehold on the NFC West….

Since the Vikings had three time outs remaining, it was imperative for Singletary to do whatever it took to get a first down. The only thing important in this situation is converting a first down. Field position means nothing and forcing the Vikings to use all their time outs is useless if you do not move the chains….

There’s a reason Brett Favre is going to the Hall-of-Fame; there’s never been anyone better at moving his team down the field quickly in the closing seconds to pull out a win….

So if I’m Singletary, I’m pulling out all the stops to get that first down. I’ll call a reverse, throw downfield, use a trick play or maybe run onto the field myself; whatever it takes….

Instead, Singletary called three consecutive running plays up the middle; which burned a total of eight seconds. Naturally, Minnesota was in an eight-man front, expecting the run, and the 49ers had no chance to get a first down….

I don’t care if it’s Frank Gore, Al Gore, O.J. Simpson, Jim Brown or Walter Payton; you’re not going to run the ball successfully against an eight-man front….

Up to that point San Francisco was 0-10 on third down conversions, because of Singletary’s neanderthal play calling. If you do not have the defense on their heels and wondering what you’re going to run, it’s easy for them to stop you….

Especially when you refuse to take any chances on third down….

After the 49ers first running play was stuffed and Minnesota quickly called a time out, I was on my feet calling for Singletary to call a play action pass on second down, which would have been wide open. Not only did the Vikings have eight in the box, they were also creeping everyone else to the line of scrimmage to stop the run….

Vernon Davis was open all day and a play action fake and throw to him would have been a guaranteed first down. And even if the pass was incomplete and the clock stopped, it wouldn’t have mattered; because if you ran the ball the Vikes were going to call a time out anyway….

After the second down play was again stuffed, I was literally begging for a pass play. Again, a first down wins the game and nothing else matters. If you move the chains you win; if you don’t, that SOB Favre gets another chance and you’re going to lose….

After the time out, when Singletary and the staff had time to plan something to win the game, they again handed off and the play went nowhere….

At this point, the names I was calling Singletary are unprintable….

As I watched Favre drive Minnesota down the field, my only wish was to somehow get my hands through the television screen and around Singletary’s throat….

So it was no suprise when Brett threw a strike into the end zone to win the game with two seconds remaining. In fact, I would have been shocked if he hadn’t….

After the game, Singletary parroted all the old school coaches bulls*** about “trusting his defense” and “forcing Minnesota to use all of their time outs,” but I wasn’t buying any of it….

He also said “both teams played well, someone had to lose and unfortunately it was us. Hopefully we’ll remember this bitter taste, learn from it and improve.”….

Just hold up a mirror, Mike, because this one is on you. It’s not on the players, the officials, the coaching staff or the result of the football gods looking down on Brett Favre….

Here’s what he should have said: “First of all, I would like to apologize to my team, my coaching staff, all the fans and the 49ers organization for not giving my team the best chance to win. I got too conservative in my play calling on that last series and promise to learn from this and not make the same mistake again.”….

Hopefully he’s not too set in his ways and realizes you can’t allow Hall-of-Fame QB’s extra chances to beat you….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

September 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

You’d think after getting embarrassed last week in Seattle the USC brain trust would have learned their lesson and opened up the offense; especially with the return of Matt Barkey from his shoulder injury. Sure, Aaron Corp was horses*** last week and thankfully won’t ever see the field again, but the conservative play calling did him no favors against UW….

All week long, Pete Carroll accepted some of the blame for the miserable performance and promised to throw downfield a little more, and in the first quarter he was a man of his word….

Barkley looked sharp, threw two beautiful TD passes and Troy was up 20-0 afer the first 15 minutes…..

After that, however, the brakes were puy on the offense by Carroll and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and over the final three quarters the score was 7-7. You read that right, Washington St. played Troy on even terms for the final 45 minutes….

Argualby the worst team in a BCS conference, the Cougars held USC to a measly 156 yards rushing and 27 points; which does not bode well for the rest of the Trojans season….

Another disturbing thing is Washington apparantly isn’t any good, based on their getting thumped 34-14 at Stanford on Saturday….

So UW gets hammered at home by LSU, embarrassed at Stanford and actually wins against USC? Not looking good for Troy to run the table and play for the national championship in January….

I know Cal was destroyed at Oregon, 42-3, but they’re not that bad and were probably caught looking ahead to this week’s game at home against USC. Everyone will be picking the Trojans to bounce back and pound an overrated Golden Bears team, but if Troy continues to play conservatively and depends on the defense to win the game they’re going to leave Josef Stalin Stadium with their second loss of the season….

And Carroll will have a decision to make about Bates….

When I watched Oregon go the entire first half without a first down against Boise St. in their opening game a few weeks ago, I wondered if new coach Chip Kelly might be in over his head….

Since then, however, Kelly has lived up to his reputation as a spread option genius as the Ducks have lit it up. The players are buying into the system, Kelly has made adjustments and Oregon is now a great offensive team….

Jeremiah Masoli, who looked so bad against Boise, was nearly perfect against Cal and looked as though he’d been running this offense for years….

The balance between run and pass, combined with creative play calling and the option, iis fun to watch and USC is in deep trouble when they travel to Eugene later this season….

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; they’re not going to win this weekend on Karl Marx Field if they don’t produce mor eoffense and take some chances downfield….

Can you imagine the scene in Berkley if the Bears defeat USC?….

The communists up there will celebrate as if Lenin and Stalin came back to life and were back in power….

Who knows, maybe the party up there will spread all the way to their bosses in Moscow and Red Square will be rocking….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: , ,

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

September 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Remember a year ago, when 49ers coach Mike Nolan was fired and replaced by Hall-of-Fame linebacker Mike Singletary? As a lifelong fan, I loved the hiring of Singletary and believed it would give the team needed discipline and toughness….

But after his first game, I went from liking the hire to turning cartwheels….

Noticing that first round draft pick and multi-millionaire Vernon Davis was loafing, Singletary pulled him out of the game and then ordered him to the locker room. I’d seen players removed from games and berated by coaches, but witnessing a player actually sent to the showers in the middle of the game, in front of a sell out crowd, was a first….

I sat on my couch with a big smile on my face and thought to myself “God Bless Mike Singletary. This is just what that underachieving Davis needs and hopefully will bring the team together.”….

In the locker room after the game, the coach then dropped his pants to show the team what he thought of their performance….

Singletary was heavily criticized for both moves, but I was thrilled to see a coach setting the tone early that no nonsense would be tolerated….

After the game, the defense rallied around their new coach and called out Davis for loafing and being a prima donna. And Davis also defended his coach, saying he needed to play harder and give a better effort….

As for Singletary, he refused to apologize and said, “I want winners here and nothing less will be tolerated.” As tears welled in my eyes, I began work on my Mike Singletary statue for the front lawn….

The result was dramatic improvement and a late playoff run; which was remarkable considering the shocking lack of playmakers on offense….

This season, the team is off to a 2-0 start, with wins over division rivals Arizona and Seattle; which gives San Francisco an early leg up on the playoffs….

Realistically, the lack of a quarterback or playmaking receivers will be their downfall; but the future is bright and I expect a playoff appearance this season….

But who knows? Nobody in the NFC scares me and maybe Shaun Hill is better than I think….

When I heard that Lamar Odom was actually going to marry Khloe Kardashian, I couldn’t believe Lamar would actually go through with this. I’ve interviewed Odom many times over the years and was the first one to have him on the L.A. airwaves the night he was drafted by the Clippers….

I’ve always found him to be polite, thoughtful and smart, so I hope someone gets to him and convinces Lamar to run for the hills before the wedding….

I’ve seen the Kardashian sisters reality show a few times and in my opinion all of them are no-talent attention whores….

They also are not attractive, at least in my opinion. Kim is fat and Khloe is a Plain Jane….

Khloe also seems like a needy, pain in the ass and I give this marraige less than a year….

I hope Lamar gets a rock-solid pre-nup and holds onto his money….

I haven’t seen the weigh-in yet for Saturday night’s Heavyweight Championship fight at Staples center, but the word is Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola will come in around 250 lbs. If that’s true, I don’t like his chances against Vitali Klitschko….

Because Chris has the style to beat Klitschko, this should be an entertaining fight. Unlike most heavyweights, Chris throws over 100 punches a round and applirs pressure for all three minutes. He hits hard, is a tough guy and if he backs up Klitschko can knock him out….

The problem is Arreola lacks discipline, loves to party and always out-of-shape….

But if Chris has his weight down and has trained seriously, Vitali is in trouble and we could see the first Mexican=American Heavyweight Champion….

One thing is for sure; I will be there….

Can you imagine a heavyweight version of Oscar De La Hoya? He’d be able to print money….

After watching one terrorist and brutal dictator after another step in front of the audience at the United Nations summit in New York, I was hoping President Obama would take the mike, defend America and call out these serial killers for what they are. Instead, I saw appeasement, weakness and apologizing for the “mistakes” America has made….

Instead of acting like winston Churchill, Obama looks like the next Neville Chamberlain….

If I were the President, I would have Muammar Gaddafi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrested and sent to Guantanimo as soon as their plane hit the tarmac….

And by the way, I still have no idea what the President is talking about when he discusses health care and how he’s going to pay for it. It’s all sound bites, emotion and double talk; with no facts included….

Anyone out there skilled in translating Obama into something that makes sense?….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

AN ALL-TIME GREAT? NOT YET

September 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

When Floyd Mayweather first signed a contract to face Juan Manuel Marquez, I wrote that it was a stroke of genius by the Pretty Boy, because he needed a stiff test before taking on the challenge of Manny Pacquiao….

While Marquez is a tremendous talent and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, he’s too small and too slow to handle Mayweather….

It would be a tough test for Floyd, but he figured to dance around Marquez and win easily….

This is why Marquez was a great choice for Mayweather; JMM is universally recognized as one of the world’s best fighters and an impressive qin for Floyd would accomplish two things: 1) Give Mayweather a good win and some quality rounds against a world class opponent 2) Set up a huge pay-per-view buy for the Pacman fight….

As expected, Mayweather won easily; outboxing the game but small Marquez over 12 easy rounds. To JMM’s credit, he fought hard, survived a knockdown and was still coming forward in the the 12th round. But coming up two weight classes was too much and he had no chance last Saturday night….

So now the question is this: Just gow good is Mayweather and how does he stack up against the all-time greats?….

There’s no doubt he has tremendous skill, hand speed and reflexes. He also trains hard takes his business seriously. Obviously, his talent is unquestioned….

But there’s an adage in boxing which holds true: To be great, you have to beat great opponents. And that’s where the Pretty Boy falls short….

His recent conquests have a familiar ring: outsized or washed up opponents who come forward and take a beating….

Let’s look at his last four wins:

Movember 4, 2006: An easy win over a club fighter from Argentina named Carlos Baldomir. Yes, Baldomir is a tough guy, but had no chance against Floyd. He is slow, plodding, comes straight forward and it was target practice for the Pretty Boy.

May 5, 2007: A split decision win over an over-the-hill Oscar De La Hoya. Floyd shoud have taken Oscar apart, but instead chose to lay on the ropes, fight defensively and bore everyone to death.

December 8, 2007: A 10th round knockout over Ricky Hatton, who moved up a weight class for the fight and was severely outgunned. Hatton also has a weak chin, which was exposed in round 10. Another small, come-straight-forward opponent.

And last Saturday it was Marquez, another little guy without the firepower to challenge Mayweather…..

And Floyd’s previous three fights? Wins over washed up Sharmba Mitchell, over-the-hill Zab Judah and a shot Arturo Gatti….

Not exactly Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler….

So what’s my prediction for Mayweather-Pacquiao, assuming the Pacman gets past Miguel Cotto on November 14?….

I know Manny has looked awesome lately and has beaten down De La Hoya and Hatton in his last two fights, but he’s not a true welterweight and Floyd will outbox him over 12 exciting rounds….

Pacquiao has had a steady diet of Marquez, De La Hoya, Hatton, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and defeated them all; with the exception being a loss to Morales in their first fight….

But Manny is not a true Weterweight and will get outboxed by Mayweather….

Question: How many in-their-prime, world champion black fighters has Manny beaten?….

Okay, I’ll wait while you think about it….

Give up? Okay, I’ll you the answer….

None….

It’s one thing to take apart tough guys who come straight at you, quite another to beat a great athlete who is going to move, dance and throw lightning-fast combinations….

I know it’s not politically correct, but great black fighters present a whole different challenge; especially when you’ve never faced one….

In my opinion, Mayweather gives the smaller Pacman a boxing lesson over 12 rounds….

So does that make Mayweather an all-time great? Not yet….

On my opinion, here’s what he needs to do:

1) Accept Shane Mosley’s challenge and fight him before the Pacquiao match. For once, Floyd will be in there with someone bigger and stronger than him and nearly his equal in hand speed. Sure, Shane isn’t as young as he used to be, but the way he destroyed Antonio Margarito showed he’s still a great fighter and ready for Mayweather. Sugar Shane also has a great chin, a big heart and knockout power. A win for the Pretty Boy over Shane would be impressive and prove he can defeat someone his own size who poses a real threat.

2) Assuming he wins against Pacman and Mosley, he should seek out Paul “The Punisher” Williams, who throws over 100 punches a round and is a Hearns clone. A win over a 6’2″ southpaw who can fight like hell would propel Floyd into all-rime great status.

Just my opinion….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

September 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Coming off a huge win over Ohio St. and with Cal on the horizon October 3rd, Saturday’s contest against Washington seemed to be a trap game for USC. With former Trojans offensive coordinator Steve Sarkissian now the Huskies coach and former USC assistant Nick Holt running the UW defense, it was a great opportunity for them to make a statement about bringing Washington back to national prominence….

And while I thought the Huskies would make a game of it and give USC a difficult time, I was shocked to witness them actually winning the game, 16-13….

Sure, Aaron Corp played horribly and it’s almost impossible to beat a good team without a quarterback, but in my opinion two horrible clock management blunders by Pete Carroll cost Troy the game and a shot at a National Championship….

And you won’t hear it mentioned anywhere but here….

Blunder #1:

With 18 seconds remaining in the first half and the game tied at 10, the Trojans had a third-and-two on the UW 29 with no time outs remaining. Obviously, you can’t call a running play, because if you don’t make a first down there won’t be enough time to get the field goal team onto the field….

You have to throw the ball for two reasons: 1) A first down stops the clock and 2) An incomplete pass gives you two more plays; another pass, possibly for a TD, or then a field goal….

But instead of taking two shots at the end zone or moving closer with a completed pass, Carroll inexplicable called a running play, with Stanley Havili being thrown for a three yard loss….

As I sat incredulously in front of the set, the field goal team rushed onto the field as time ran out. No field goal attempt, no points and a blown opportunity because of a coach’s stupidity….

Even more frustrating was the kick sailing through the uprights with plenty to spare; unfortunately two seconds too late. As Carroll was walking off the field, being asked a series of stupid questions by a sideline bimbo, I said to myself, “That idiocy might have just cost you the game and a National Title.”….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

Blunder #2:

With less than a minute left and the game tied at 13, UW had driven to the USC 10 yard line and had a first down. If I’m Carroll, I let them score and get the ball back with two time outs and around 45 seconds. Sure it’s a long shot with Corp at QB, but you’re better off doing that than allowing them to run the clock down and kick a field goal with no time left….

And who knows, with all the speed and talent out there, maybe you run the kickoff back for a TD or into UW territory. Hell, anything is better than hoping they miss a 25-yard field goal….

Instead, Carroll sat there with his thumb up his ass as the Huskies ran another play and then milked the clock all the way down to seven seconds. With two time outs left, Carroll not only did not use them, he allowed UW to run two plays without letting them score….

Then, with seven left, Washington kicked an easy field goal and won the game….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

And how much do you want to bet there won ‘t be a single mention of this on ESPN, the Los Angeles Times, Fox Sports NET or any local talk show….

Unless they read this column….

As for Corp, he threw for only 110 yards and one INT, but he easily could have throw at least five picks had Husky defenders been able to catch the ball….

As I watched the game, I couldn’t understand what Corp was seeing out there. He continually threw into double and triple coverage and at least four times UW defenders dropped passes thrown right into their hands; which explains why they play defense….

And it didn’t help that Carroll’s game plan seem to be designed to protect Corp, instead of allowing him to win the game. Sure, Aaron is inexperienced and never started a game, but after the first quarter UW had eight men in the box and decided to sell out against the run….

Obviously Carroll had ordered Corp not to throw downfield, which made Troy easy to defend….

Which made it even tougher for Corp, because there were always 11 defensive players within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage….

Even of you don’t complete the pass, throw deep a few times to give the defense something to think about….

In the end, poor preperation, gutless coaching and terrible clock management has ruined USC’s season….

Across town, it looks like UCLA is headed to a bowl game after improving to 3-0 with a 23-9 win over Kansas St. Coming off a huge win at Tennessee, the Bruins seemed poised for a letdown; but instead came up with another excellent defensive performance….

UCLA has speed all over the field defensively, which gives them a chance to win every game they play. In fact, they look like the best defensive team in the Pac-10….

Offensively, they aren’t very good; which is the reason they won’t win the Pac-10. But another good recruiting class and more time to learn from Norm Chow will result in a Pac-10 title and Top-10 ranking in a year or two….

Saturday they even won a game with Kevin Craft at QB; he of the 20 interception season last year. And he didn’t play too badly, throwing for 186 yards and a TD….

It sounds crazy, but the Bruins have a good chance to win against USC this season….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:

THE PRETTY BOY IN RARE FORM

September 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Interesting to hear Floyd Mayweather playing the race card just a few days before his huge fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. Here’s what the Pretty Boy had to say about his perceived unfair treatment by the media, according to ESPN.com
“If you’re rich, you’re a rich n—–,” he said. “If you’re poor, you’re a poor n—-. If you’re smart, you’re a smart n—–. At the end of the day, they still look at me as a n—–”….

Reaction: As a goofy white guy, of course I can’t put myself in Floyd’s shoes and pretend I know what it’s like to be a black man. But in my experience covering the sport, Mayweather seems to be treated fairly and I like him a lot personally. I’ve never seen him turn down an autograph, pose for a picture or shake someone’s hand; which has always impressed me. He’s also a great interview. Why he would chose to go this route only three days from the biggest fight of his career is a mystery. In my opinion, he’s been grossly overpaid in his career, because he doesn’t sell pay-per-views and doesn’t put butts in seats. He’s also not an exciting fighter, because he’s overly cautious and fights defensively. Yet he’s a multi-millionaire and a superstar in his sport. So how is he being disrespected?

Here’s more:

“This country needs to be more positive,” he said. “We’re already at war. We’re in a recession, we’re at war and we continue to be negative. The fans in the UK showed me more love than in my own country. That’s crazy … Sometimes I’ll sit back, I’ll be in my theater sometimes, and I’ll think: ‘Imagine if I was the same fighter that I am, and I was the same person that I am, and I was from another country. Can you just imagine how big I’d be? But I wouldn’t change my life for nothing in the world. There’s nothing like being young, black and rich. But there are certain things you think about. If Floyd Mayweather was white, I’d be the biggest athlete in America. The biggest, the biggest. I know that for a fact.”

Reaction: I think Floyd is full of it on this count, because black fighters have been hugely popular over the years and adored by white fans. Has he forgotten about Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard? Sure, Ali was despised by white America during the Vietnam era, but since then opinion has changed completely and he’s now idolized. As for the rest, they were hugely popular in their primes and white people couldn’t wait to make them independantly wealthy.

I know Floyd is frustrated he’s not adored like his predecessors, but that has more to do with boxing’s fall in popularity than some perceived animosity against him. Unfortunately, boxing is not nearly as popular as it used to be and fallen almost completely off the sports radar. If not for the hispanic fans, the sport might cease to exist. The Pretty Boy just happens to be fighting in an era where boxing isn’t a major sport anymore.

Next, Floyd gave his thoughts about comparisons between himself and Oscar De La Hoya:

“One thing you never hear. You never hear anything negative about Oscar De La Hoya,” he said. “Anything he do negative, it gets swept under the rug.”

Reaction: I don’t remember Oscar going to strip joints, making it rain and having people associated with him firing guns outside a skating rink. As far as I know, De La Hoya also has not been accused of failing to pay his taxes and stiffing creditors. Floyd sounds jealous and petty bringing this up. Sure, Oscar had a wild lifestyle back in the day and a lot if it was swept under the rug by Team De La Hoya and some of his lackeys in the press. But Floyd has also done his share of partying. Love him or hate him, The Golden Boy has been great for boxing and almost single-handedly kept the sport alive for 15 years. Mayweather simply does not have Oscar’s drawing power and that’s not going to change.

Not finished yet, Mayweather then ripped into the HBO broadcast team:

“Larry Merchant don’t know nothing about boxing,” Mayweather said. “What’s that other guy’s name [at HBO]? [Emanuel Steward]. He’s an Uncle Tom.”

Reaction: Sure, Merchant has never been in the ring, but it’s silly to say he doesn’t know anything about boxing. Personally, I’m not a fan of Merchant and think he should have been jettisoned from HBO long ago, but he is a respected journalist and does know the sport.

As for calling Steward an “Uncle Tom,” that is outrageous, unfair and racist. Floyd owes Manny an apology and should be ashamed of himself for stating this publicly. I don’t know what Mayweather’s problem is with Steward, but this needs to be addressed by HBO and the Pretty Boy needs to apologize.

And here’s a report of Floyd’s recent troubles, again from ESPN.com:

“Tuesday, it was reported that Mayweather is being sued by a bank in Las Vegas for more than $167,000 unpaid on a loan for a half-million-dollar luxury car. Also, county records in Las Vegas show Mayweather has one unresolved lien with the Internal Revenue Service for $6.17 million in unpaid taxes from 2007. Other records show homeowners associations, the state of New Jersey and a trash collector have also claimed Mayweather did not pay bills.

Mayweather was not asked about the financial issues in his chat with reporters, but on a recent episode of HBO’s Mayweather/Marquez “24/7,” which is documenting the fighters as they prepare for Saturday’s match, he said: “I got a good relationship with the IRS; they ain’t took nothing away from me.”

In late August, Las Vegas police investigating a shooting outside a skating rink seized two handguns, ammunition and two bulletproof vests from the home and two cars of Mayweather. He was not named as a suspect in the investigation and was never charged.”

Again, I like Floyd personally and he’s always been good to me. He’s also a great fighter whom I believe will win his fight against Marquez Saturday night….

But I wish he’d stay away from the race card and lashing out at others involved in the sport….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:

Notes on a Scorecard

September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Interesting finish on the women’s side of the U.S. Open, as Kim Clijsters came back from a two and a half year retirement to win the championship. Sure, it was a tremendous accomplishment, but the real story was her semi-final win over Serena Williams; which ended with Williams being disqualified because of a profanity laced tirade….

Down a set and down 6-5 in the second, Serena was serving at 15-30 and in danger of losing the match. On her second serve, she was called for a foot fault and suddenly it was 15-40 and double match point. As John McEnroe pointed out in the booth, it was a bulls*** call and never should be made in that situation. With a berth in the US Open Final on the line, the last thing I wanted to see was some meddling jerk making a silly call which would affect the outcome….

Of the 23,000 in attendance, I’m willing to wager none of them were there to see the linesperson. They were there to see the players decide things and that woman who made the ruling should never work again….

Williams did not foot fault, so I have no idea what that line judge was thinking. Every replay showed there was no violation, which makes me wonder why the call was made….

Obviously, with Willims down two set points and having already been issued a code violation for smashing her racket in the first set, Serena needed to maintain her composure and try and save the match….

Instead, she cursed the linesperson and walked toward her in a threatening manner. According to AP, she told her she was going to shove a ball down her throat; along with several F-bombs….

So Serena was issued another code violation, which ended the match….

What’s fascinating to me is the sanctimonious, self-serving preaching of the old guys in the dying newspaper industry. Almost all of them are excoriating Serena; calling for heavy fines, suspensions and falling just short of a prison sentence….

Sure, Serena was wrong, but her actions would be considered tame in almost another sport. I’ve been on the sidelines for all the major sports and the foul language and threats made toward officials make Serena look like an angel….

And I’ll tell you another thing, I thought Serena showed great restraint in not taking further action against that idiot on the line….

Put yourself in her shoes. She’s fighting for her life to get to the finals in the biggest event in her sport and some fool on the line makes a totally bogus call which puts her in deep trouble. I can’t emphasize enough how corrupt and criminal that call was and if I were Serena I might have served a ball in the linespersons direction….

It’s easy to criticize from the sideline, but when you’re a competitive athlete you work so hard to win a major championship. You diet, practice and gear everything in your life to winning this tournament. Then you get to the semis, run into an opponent who is playing great and suddenly you’re two points away from losing….

Then some obscure jackass makes a bulls*** call which puts you in even more trouble? Of course Serena is going to explode….

But I guess the fat, old white guys in the press who’ve never played competitive sports know what it takes to be a world class athlete….

The person who should be getting criticized heavily, fined and suspended is that linesperson, not Serena Williams….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES

September 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With USC down 15-10 late in the 4th quarter and pinned back near their own goal line, things did not look good for Pete Carroll and the Trojans’ National Championship hopes. With Freshman QB Matt Barkley looking shaky, I began looking at Troy’s schedule and trying to forecast how many games they would lose this season; with the game at Cal on October 3rd in a big, red circle….

But six minutes later, after leading USC on a 14 play, 86-yard drive, Barkley looks like the real deal and the Trojans look like they might be playing for the BCS title after all…

Sure, Barkley struggled against a good Ohio St. defense and made some bad throws, but the kid showed tremendous calm and poise on that drive. In fact, that has to go down as one of the great drives in Trojan history….

When you consider Barkley is a true Freshman and needed to go the length of the field against a good team, with 106,000 fans scremaing at the top of their lungs, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better drive from USC….

As usual, the Big 10 found a way to lose against a top-ranked team and the conference is once again overrated….

And speaking of guys being overrated, how about Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor? All I read about in the offseason was Pryor working on his footwork and passing skills, but he looks like the same guy to me….

Pryor gets happy feet whenever he feels the pass rush, throws off his back foot and never gets set and throws with authority. He’s also not accurate, which is a bad thing….

I thought he made a huge mistake going to Ohio St, because Jim Tressell is very conservative and would hurt Terrelle’s chances of playing in the NFL. And so far, Pryor doesn’t seem to have improved and looks like a hell of an NFL prospect; at wide receiver or special teams….

Because he’s a great athlete and fast, his first instinct is to take off and run. But contain him, rush under control and force him to pass and a good team will beat him….

Terrelle was the top QB prospect in the nation as a high school senior and if he dreamed of playing in the NFL the last place he should have gone was Ohio St….

As for UCLA, Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow and Co. pulled off a great win at Tennessee, upsetting the Volunteers 19-15….

I’ve never liked Lane Kiffin as a coach and have always considered him sort of a con man; so it came as no suprise he was outcoached and lost to the Bruins. When I looked at the line this week and saw Tennessee was an 11-point favorite, I liked the Bruins….

Why? Well, whenever you have Norm Chow and Kiffin matching wits, I’ll go with Chow every time….

I thought Kiffin’s play calling and schemes were awful when he was at USC and he was simply the beneficiary of great talent. After watching his Volunteers on Saturday, it doesn’t look like he’s going to be employed there very long….

With Florida coming up this Saturday, things could get ugly. Very, very ugly….

And Kiffin running his mouth about the Gators in the offseason will probably have Urban Meyer thinking about running up the score….

Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, Notre Dame also took the pipe, losing at Michigan 38-34….

Nobody brags, runs his mouth or has a higher opinion of himself than Charlie Weis; so I was delighted to see the Irish take the pipe….

As the Wolverines were marching down the field on their game winning drive, you would have thought I was an Michigan alumnus. As they moved closer and closer to the goal line, I was on my feet cheering them on; and I’m a guy who intensely dislikes Michigan and Big 10 football….

But my hatred of Notre Dame trumps all that and on Saturday I was delighted to see Charlie go down again….

Remember how people were talking about the Irish going undefeated this season and playing for the national title? So much for that….

For a guy who once said “We will have a schematic advantage over everyone we play,” Weis seems to get outcoached a lot. In fact, he seems to get outcoached every Saturday….

Evidently, because he was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams in New England, he believed he’d take a college job and show those amateurs how to coach….

He was arrogant, condescending and looked down on other college coaches as beneath him….

I guess he’s found out the hard way these guys can coach and and his arrogant attitude is ruining the Notre Dame program….

By the way, I know we all get a kick out of Lou Holtz and his sense of humor, but for God’s sake his shilling for the Irish is a disgrace. The guy is a complete homer and picks Notre Dame to win every game they play; whether it be Nevada, Army, USC or Florida….

Mark May called him out on television as an apologist, to which Boo Hoo Lou replied, “No, I’m paid to be an analyst and I just give an honest opinion.”….

Bulls***….

He’s a Notre Dame homer and should lose his job if things don’t change….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

September 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

As most of you know, I prefer college football to the pro game, mainly because the coaches attack the end zone and play to win; while NFL coaches seem to be petrified of losing their jobs and play the field position game. Instead of taking chances and keeping the defense on their heels, most pro coaches swear by the following mantra: “Play close to the vest, don’t turn the ball over and give ourselves a chance to win in the fourth quarter.”….

Yes, I know teams in the NFL are almost equal talent-wise and there are fewer mistatches, but the conservative approach to play calling and philosophy has driven me even further from the game….

And don’t try and convince me the level of play and interest is higher than ever, because this can be explained easily….

It’s not politically correct and the league will never admit it, but gambling is the reason for the enormous ratings and interest….

And judging by last night’s Steelers-Titans snoozefest, I’m more convinced than ever….

The game was scoreless with two minutes left in the half, both coaches were afraid to attack and I found myself wishing there was a soccer game on television….

Instead, I switched to the US Open and watched some great tennis….

God what a bore, and if it’s going to be another season of this nonsense in the NFL, I won’t be watching….

But come Saturday morning, I’ll be on my couch bright and early for another thrilling day of college football. That’s where I’ll get to see coaches get creative in their play calling, put pressure on the defense and actually trying to put the other team away before the fourth quarter….

In other words, the antithesis of the NFL….

By the way, the biggest mistake I made was attempting to watch an NFL game live. Betweem the flurry of commercials, promos and 10 minute breaks, there was no flow and I was done….

How in the hell can anyone sit through an NFL game if it’s not Tivoed?….

I can get through a game in an hour and have my middle finger in the air as I zap through commercials and the halftime show….

The NFL is a complete and total bore….

As for the US Open , they are making a huge mistake and Commissioner Dave Smith needs to come to the rescue. As good as the event is, they are shooting themselves in the foot with the way they handle the semi-finals and finals….

If they people running it had a brain in their heads, they would do the following:

1) They need to move the event up two weeks, so they are the only game in town for American sports fans. Last week was the first Saturday of college football, which had to destroy Open ratings. And this weekend promises some great match-ups, with the mens semis, women’s final and men’s final happening on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Problem: This goes right up against college and NFL football, which means nobody will be watching tennis. I’ve always wondered why the boneheads in the USTA haven’t realized this and moved the event up 14 days. It’s common sense and a win-win situation….

2) Since the two men’s semi-finals are played on Saturday, it makes even less sense to come back the very next day and play the final. Considering the talent levels, both matches are likely to go five sets, ensuring both players will be tired and provide a poor quality of play on Sunday. It is especially unfair to the poor sap who plays the late match, because he has to come back in less than 24 hours after a greuling match on a hard court. Completely asinine.

The solution is to wait a day and make it a huge, Monday Night Final. If you moved the Open up two weeks, the final would be played the week BEFORE the first MNF game and would do great ratings. Imagine a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final on a Monday Night, when people are home and there’s no competition on TV. It would be a major event and make millions for CBS. Instead, they play the final against a the opening Sunday of the NFL, thus assuring nobody will watch. There’s nothing like night matches at the Open, yet when it comes to the final, they play in the afternoon, head-to-head against America’s pasttime. How stupid are these people?

Well, there you have it. Commissioner Dave Smith has done it again….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With:
« Older Posts