2010 July

WEEKEND NOTES

July 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment

With reports that both fighters will make $60M, it’s hard to imagine why Floyd Mayweather allowed a deadline to pass to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao. From what I’ve read, Pacman has agreed to be urine tested, blood tested and examined extensively; so why won’t the Pretty Boy sign on the dotted line?….

It can’t be money, because a $60M payday would brek all boxing records. It doesn’t seem to be the drug testing issue, unless Floyd demands around the clock, 24/7 testing all the way up to fight time….

Could it be that Mayweather is so determined to be his own man and call the shots that he will not agree to any deadlines or demands? Or does he simply not want the fight?….

He knows this fight is what boxing needs and evidently is gambling he can stretch this thing all the way to 2011. The problem is neither one of these guys is getting any younger and Mayweather is playing a very dangerous game….

What if Manny loses to either Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto, who are rumored to be in line to replace Floyd? Both are dangerous and it will also be Pacman’s first fight at 154 lbs. A loss and Mayweather can kiss that $60M goodbye….

It’s funny how time changes things, because a year or two ago a Pacquiao-Margarito fight seemed inconceivable. The Tijuana Tornado had just knocked out Cotto and seemed like the strongest man on earth….

When I asked Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach if he’d allow Manny to fight Margarito, he replied “I’m brave, but not that brave.”….

Almost everyone in boxing believed Margarito would crush Pacman and the fight would never happen….

But after Antonio was caught cheating and then knocked out by Shane Mosley, everything changed dramatically. Margarito received a one year suspension for illegally placing plaster in his wraps and fell off the boxing map….

Now, then less than two years later, Pacquiao will be a heavy favorite if they fight….

This should be a lesson and Floyd to sign a contract, collect his $60M and make history. In my opinion, it will be an easy night for Mayweather and he’ll knock out Pacquiao in the late rounds….

The Pretty Boy is too quick, too slick and has too much boxing skill for Manny….

True, Pacquiao is a great fighter, but a look at his record shows no wins against world class, black American fighters. Almost everyone he fights (Barrera, Morales, Cotto, Clottey, etc) come forward and are easy to hit. He’s never seen the side-to-side movement, defense and hand speed Mayweather will display….

Hell, Juan Manuel Marquez gave Pacman two boxing lessons in their disputed fights and both Cotto and Clottey busted up his face….

Memo to Floyd Mayweather:

What if you’re correct about Pacquiao’s steroid use and the truth is revealed after the Cotto or Margarito fight? What if either you or Pacman suffers a career-threatening injury? What if Team Mayweather is on one of their notorious strip club adventures and some Pacman Jones trouble breaks out? What if Manny loses his next fight? What if the economy continues to tank and a year from now people simply cannot afford to buy Pacquiao-Mayweather? What if boxing fans simply lose patience with your stalling, the fight loses steam and interest wanes?

If any of this happens, your chance-of-a-lifetime payday is gone and you’ll be reduced to fighting second-rate fighters for chump change.

Remember the highly anticipated Lennox Lewis-Riddick Bowe heavyweight championship fight, which was supposed to happen around 15 years ago? After endless negotiating and posturing, Bowe called a press conference and threw his WBC Championship belt in a trash can. Both guys would have made $30M, but they threatened, stalled, delayed, fought over money and the fight never happened….

Bowe then slipped into oblivion after his two foul-plagued fights with Andrew Golota, battles with weight and family issues….

Lewis, on the other hand, became the gretaest heavyweight of his era and went on to fame and fortune. But looking back, I’m sure he wishes the Bowe fight happened; because would have won and earned the biggest payday of his career….

All of this should be a lesson to Floyd and his team. Sign the contract, do the fight and make your $60M. Things can change quickly and all this posturing could blow up in your face….

If just one thing goes wrong, your career could disintegrate overnight….

Tremendous win at the British Open for Louis Oosthuizen, as the young South African blitzed the field, finished at -16 and won by seven strokes….

But nobody should finish a major at -16, especially at legendary St. Andrews. This is not the Greater Greensboro or Palm Desert, it’s supposed to be one of the toughest courses in the world with the worst conditions….

Evidently, modern equipment and more athletic players have brought the course to its knees and it’s time for organizers to make some changes. Too many players were posting good scores and -16 is completely unacceptable. And 43 players finishing under par is also troubling….

Majors are supposed to be about the most challenging courses imagineable and par should be an excellent round. Instead, St. Andrews played more like your local public course….

Time to grow the grass, narrow the fairways, lengthen the holes and add more pot bunkers….

I watch majors to see the greatest players in the world struggling to make par, not play pitch-and-putt….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: boxing, deadline, fight, floyd mayweather jr, manny pacquiao

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

July 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I don’t normally watch the first two days of a golf tournament, but when I saw the leaderboard for day one of the British Open, I grabbed a sandwich and settled in….

After all, when you have John Daly, Tiger Woods and a 21-yerar-old kid named Rory McIlroy battling for the lead, golf doesn’t get any better….

It’s early and Daly will probably fade by the weekend, but if these three are still near the top on Sunday it’s going to be unbelievable….

For some reason, I’ve always been a fan of Daly. Yes, he’s a fat, drunken, gambling train wreck who’s been married several times and has no self control; but that’s the reason I like him….

Since almost everyone on the PGA Tour looks alike, dresses alike have bland personalities, it’s interesting to see a guy who behaves like the rest of us….

He’s the longest hitter on tour, shoots for the pin and isn’t politically correct….

Bravo!….

Woods, of course, is the reason the tour makes so much money and so many people have become fans. There’s nothing like Sunday at a major, with Tiger wearing red and closing in on history….

As for McIlroy, he’s a young kid from Northern Ireland with a lot of hair and personality. He shot an unbelievable 63 on Thursday and had old St. Andrews by the short hair….

I don’t know how this thing is going to turn out, but I’ll be watching….

I know most Laker fans will think I’m crazy, but the guy I’d go after is Allen Iverson….

Sure, they already have two point guards in Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, but A.I. had played a lot of shooting guard in his career….

In 2001, he played 2 the entire season and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals….

Positives: He plays as hard as any player I’ve ever seen and is totally fearless going to the hoop. For such a little guy, it’s incredible how he’s always been able to get to the rim and finish. He’s also as tough as anyone in the NBA, bouncing off the floor every time he gets knocked on his ass. After a big guy knocks the hell out of him, he attacks the rim with even more ferocity. Laker fans will fall in love with this guy when they see how hard he plays and how tough he is. He’s a Hall-of-Famer, one of the all time greats and in my opinion still has plenty of game. For $1.8M, it’s an absolute steal. And does anyone want to make the case that Fisher and Blake are better than him? I didn’t think so….

Negatives: He’s 35, has personal issues and had problems with two teams last season. In Memphis, he couldn’t accept being a reserve and lasted less than a week. In Philadelphia he played pretty well, but left the team near the end of the season for personal reasons. Evidently, he was going through a divorce and one of his kids was sick; but when you walk out on two teams in a year, franchises are going to be very careful. At his age, nobody is going to take a chance on a guy they feel is a cancer.

Final Analysis: If I’m Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak, I arrange a meeting with Iverson and also invite Kobe Bryant. It would then be made clear to A.I. that his role will be as a backup and he’s going to have to accept a minimum salary. In return, he has a chance to finally win a championship and prove he’s not a selfish, me-first guy. Phil Jackson specializes in guys like him and I believe Iverson has enough respect for the Laker organization, Kobe and Phil to subjugate his game and be a team guy. If so, he has Bob McAdoo written all over him.

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: 2010 british open, golf, john daly

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

July 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Trying to make sense of Jordan Farmar signing a three year, $12M deal with the Nets. Sure, it’s a good pay raise from the $1.24M he was making with the Lakers, but for the past few years Farmar has been complaining about his minutes and looking forward and looking forward to starting….

So why go to New Jersey, where he will play behind Devin Harris and get limited minutes?….

Harris is certainly a better player than Farmar, so why go into another situation where you’ll be a backup? I guess Jordan didn’t get any other offers and the pay raise was too much to turn down; especially when you don’t get along with your coach and feel restricted in the triangle offense….

With all his complaining, you’d think Jordan would take a little less for the opportunity to start. If he felt so restricted and underused, he should have sacrificed a little money for starters minutes….

Easy for me to say, because nobody is throwing money my way….

Evidently it’s all about the money with Farmar and he wasn’t telling the truth about wanting to start and play big minutes….

He’s making a lot more money, but in my opinion is in a worse situation than he was in L.A. He’s on a terrible team, away from home and playing behind a guy much better than he is….

Derek Fisher is nearing the end of his career and at times the team was better with Farmar on the floor. Devin Harris, on the other hand, is young, dynamic and clearly a much better player than Jordan. So how is going to New Jersey better for Farmar’s career?….

I hope he enjoys living in New Jersey, losing games and sitting on the bench….

While I believe Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert came across as bitter and juvenile in his ripping of LeBron James, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s comments that Gilbert treated King James like a “runaway slave” was equally preposterous….

To compare LeBron switching teams to what slaves went through is typical Jackson hyperbole and another attempt to get his mug on camera and fatten his wallet….

What do you think happened first, the Reverend issuing his LeBron statement or getting out a fund raising letter?….

By the way, with his womanizing, extortion of corporations, anti-semetism and hypocrisy, why does anyone pay attention to this guy?….

He’s a Reverend who’s never had a church, a married man who sleeps with other women and a millionaire who’s never had a job….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: jordan farmar, new jersey nets

WEEKEND NOTES

July 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

‘m kind of torn on the Derek Fisher situation. On the one hand, he’s been a part of five World Championships, a class act and a very popular player. On the other, he’s getting old, has lost a step defensively, shot less than 40% and didn’t play well last season….

I don’t know how high the Heat are willing to go on a contract, but if it’s for the entire mid-level it’s time to say goodbye to D-Fish….

Evidently, Fisher was not happy with the Lakers offer of $2.5M and the Heat was willing to go higher. The latest reports say the Lakers are willing to sweeten the deal, which will hopefully get Derek back in a Laker uniform next season….

But if he leaves, the Lakers should be fine….

They’ve already done well by signing Steve Black and if Fisher leaves will need to sign another lead guard….

With Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour still out there, the team can fill Fisher and Jordan Farmar’s loss very well….

But I have another sugestion: Allen Iverson….

I know, I know, A.I. has personal issues and was let go by both the Grizzlies and 76ers last year; but he still has some basketball in him and I believe Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant are people who can maximize whatever Iverson has left….

It’s hard to imagine A.I. being a pain in the ass and demanding the ball on this team, and I believe he could play the role of role player and facilitator beautifully….

He’d know this is his last chance and would do everything possible to fit in and finally win a championship….

He has Bob McAdoo written all over him….

Is he a better player than Fisher? Of course, there’s no argument about that. A.I. is one of the greatest players in NBA history and a Hall-of-Famer. But is he as good a teammate and will he fit in?….

That’s the million dollar question….

In my opinion, it’s worth the risk. If he causes problems, you get rid of his ass and move on; because he’d be on a one-year deal at minimum salary….

But if he goes with the program the Lakers are getting a great player for free….

I’m on board….

I’ll admit I enjoy the World Cup and have been following it closely, but Sunday’s final between Spain and Holland was an example of why Americans don’t like soccer….

Up and down the field they went, with almost no shots on goal, and both teams were playing defensively and waiting to see if they could get lucky and steal the game….

In America, we like teams who attack and pressure the opposition. Sitting back and waiting for an opponent’s mistake will get Americans to change the channel every time….

In the final seconds of overtime, with The Netherlands playing a man down, Spain finally scored and won the game 1-0….

The game was a colossal bore and after almost 120 minutes there was no score. Even worse, there were only two or three legitimate scoring opportunities, which brings me to my next point….

Unless they eliminate or drastically change the offside rule, Americans will never watch soccer and we’ll continue to get scoreless borefests….

Instead of moving forward and attacking when there’s an opportunity, players instead look for the back-line defenders. Instead of streaking toward the goal and attempting to score, they’re more concerned with staying onside….

This ruins the flow, penalizes aggression and ensures 0-0 games; it also tells the world that Americans will never give a damn about this silly game….

In football, if you allow your man to get behind you, it’s a touchdown; in basketball, it’s a crowd-pleasing dunk. In soccer, you’re penalized for being faster and more athletic than your opponent….

Every time I’ve ask someone to explain the offside rule, I’d get calls from hard core fans telling me that if the rule were eliminated you’d have several players cherry picking and hanging around the goal the entire game….

My answer was two-fold: 1) You never see this in basketball, even though there’s no offside rule and 2) If teams did keep three players around the opponent’s goal, they’d be three players short on the other end, causing them to give up scores….

Instead of eliminating the rule, how about a compromise? Here’s two sugestions:

1) In hockey, they have a blue line between between the center line and the goal. Once the puck crosses the line, there is no offside and you can attack. Why not insert a blue line in soccer, where once the ball crosses the offside rule is eliminated? If the ball is advanced that far, there’s no excuse for not being back on defense.

2) Once the ball crosses midfield, waive the offside rule. Not a long kick toward the goal, but when the ball actually lands. In other words, you can still be offside if the ball is kicked across midfield, as long as it’s ball is in the air. But once the ball touches the ground, there’s no offside and it’s time to try and score.

Implement these rules and scoring would go up, scoring opportunities would increase and Americans would watch in greater numbers….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: contract, derek fisher, la lakers, miami heat

WOW, WAS I WRONG

July 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Just yesterday, I was certain LeBron James would re-sign with the Cavaliers and devoted a whole column as to why. Well, just 24 hours later the King announced he was heading to South Beach and made Dave Smith sound like an idiot….

Which, of course, almost never happens (insert laugh track)….

I didn’t think LeBron would sacrifice the extra $30M, although with no state income tax in Florida it’s going to be far less. In fact, when you turn around what King James would pay in income taxes living in Ohio, he’s probably going to break even….

The biggest reason I believed LeBron would remain in Cleveland was not about money or marketing; it was the intense hatred he and his family would have to endure in the Cleveland area….

After King James made his announcement, news cameras showed Clevelanders burning LeBron jerseys and cursing him. And it’s only going to get worse when he returns to Cleveland….

Economically this is a disaster for the city of Cleveland, because James was a one man stimulus package….

Before his arrival, Cleveland was in serious trouble. The Cavaliers were horrible, nobody went to the games and the downtown area was deserted….

But after LeBron arrived, the Cavs were a hot ticket and sold out nearly every game. Downtown restaurants opened and thrived, nightclubs flourished and small business such as parking lots, food stands and merchandise dealers made a living….

It’s all going to change now, though, and Cleveland will suffer….

If I owned a restaurant near the arena, I’d be desperately trying to sell; because the arena will be empty and the Cavaliers are now a lottery team….

King James single-handedly revitalized the downtown area in ways no government program or tax hike could….

Now it’s back to being a ghost town….

It is hard to blame LeBron for leaving, though, because of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with someone as great as Dwyane Wade….

I know they haven’t played a game,.but they might be the best combination in NBA history. Both Hall-of-Famers, both in their primes and in my opinion the second and third best players in the NBA….

The best part is both Wade and James are totally unselfish on the floor and proved they couldplay together during the Olympics….

We always criticize players for choosing money over winning, but in this case LeBron did the opposite….

Add Chris Bosh to the mix and the Heat certainly are title contenders; but won’t beat the Lakers unless they get a lot bigger….

Chris Bosh is a very good player, but a little soft and too small to defend Pau Gasol effectively. They also don’t have a center to deal with Andrew Bynum….

Yes, they have two great players and one very good one, but can’t match up with the Lakers length up front….

They also don’t have a point guard….

By the way, if I were Eric Spoelstra I’d be looking over my shoulder, because I believe Benedict Riley will swoop in and steal his job….

We all know Benedict is a back-stabbing, heartless egomaniac, and a few years ago stole Stan Van Gundy’s job as soon as the Heat were poised to win a championship….

Now that the Heat are title contenders again, Benedict will be on the sidelines very soon. His colossal ego will not allow for someone else to win….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: chris bosh, decision, dwayne wade, lebron james, miami heat