Dave Smith

I know many people don’t like Jerry Jones and feel he’s an egomaniac, but as a huge boxing fan I love what he’s doing for Saturday night’s Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight….

Back in boxing’s heyday, the biggest fights were held in stadiums and everything seemed much bigger….

Bringing this fight to Cowboys Stadium is a beautiful thing and fight fans everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to Jones….

He loves boxing and the sport needs people like him to elevate boxing to mainstream levels again….

I love going to Las Vegas, but the fights aren’t really for the public. All the best seats are reserved for the casino high rollers and corporate sponsors, which eliminates the real fans….

Pacquiao-Clottey, however, will be held in front of a sell out crowd of 45,000 and hopefully begin the dawn of a new era in boxing….

Jones wants to do two or three big fights a year at his stadium, which will be great for the sport. Hopefully we’ll get the Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather blockbuster in Dallas this fall….

That is, if both of them win. Not a guarantee by any means….

Both Clottey and Sugar Shane Mosley are dangerous and can win….

Prediction: Pacman by late stoppage or decision in a very tough, grueling fight.

Prediction #2: Mayweather by controversial decision that most people feel Mosley won….

Bob Arum, the promoter for Pacman-Clottey, is also bringing boxing back to Yankee Stadium, home of some of the greatest fights in boxing history….

In June, it’s going to be 154 lb. champion Yuri Foreman defending his title against Miguel Cotto. This might seem intriguing to the average fan, but this is going be be huge and draw a large crowd….

Why? Well, for two reasons: 1) Foreman is white, 28-0, Jewish and can fight. He’s also studying to be a rabbi and with the large Jewish population in New York will certainly sell a lot of tickets. 2) Cotto is Puerto Rican, a former world champion and has sold out Madison Square Garden in the past….

An undefeated white, Jewish world champion against a Puerto Rican world champion at Yankee Stadium? What a great idea and Arum should be congratulated….

Another step in the right direction for boxing….

When I think of Yankee Stadium, I think of Joe Louis vs. Max Baer, Louis vs. Max Schmeling, Louis vs. Billy Conn and Rocky Marciano’s fights against Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore….

Louis-Baer sold more than 80,000 tickets, by the way….

With the heavyweight division in disarray, Jones and Arum are making great strides in bringing back the sport….

Outside of the heavyweights, boxing is very entertaining and has loads of talent everywhere except the big guys….

All boxing needs is a great American heavyweight and we could have a tremendous renaissance. There is somebody out there and hopefully he’ll surface soon….

Very interesting story on ESPN.com today:
“Promoter Don King shot down a rumor making the rounds Friday that he had a deal to promote former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a third fight with Evander Holyfield, but he was evasive about whether he was in talks with Tyson about a comeback against somebody else.

An Internet report citing “a source close to Tyson” said King had a tentative deal for Tyson to return later this year to face Holyfield, but if that didn’t happen there was “a plan B.”

“My man, that is just wishful thinking,” King told ESPN.com on Friday when asked about a third Holyfield-Tyson fight. “It is not true. It is not true about no Tyson-Holyfield fight. That’s wishful thinking. Maybe it’s something I would do for old time’s sake if they were interested in the fight, but I ain’t doing that at this time. I have not even spoken to Evander Holyfield.”

However, when asked about whether he was working with Tyson on a comeback fight against another opponent, King did not deny it.

“I ain’t ready to comment on that,” King said. “Read between the lines. It really is something isn’t it, all the interest there is in Mike Tyson?”

REACTION: I know both Tyson and Holyfield are way past thier primes, but I’d sure as hell watch if this fight happened. With the state of the heavyweight division, this fight would do pretty well on PPV. I know everyone would self-righteously state they will not watch and the whole thing is a farce, but they’re lying.

After Tyson was jailed for rape, almost everyone I knew said they were through with him and would never watch another of his fights. I laughed, told them they were full of s*** and said I’d leave my front door open when they wanted to come over for Tyson’s next fight….

Sure enough, most of them were sitting in my living room when Mike got out of jail and resumed his career….

As for the fight itself, I think Holyfield will destroy him….

Yes, Evander isn’t what he once was, but he’s been fighting, is still in good shape and looked good when he fought Nikolai Valuev for the WBA Title last year….

Granted, the 7′, 340 lb. Valuev isn’t a great fighter, but Evander outhustled him and won easily; except in the eyes of the judges, who somehow gave the decision to the big stiff….

So, at 47 years of age, Holyfield should have a share of the Heavyweight Championship….

Tyson, on the other hand, is grossly overweight and doesn’t want to fight. Unfortunately, he has to because of his tax problems….

He was knocked out by Lennox Lewis in 2002, Danny Williams in 2004 and Kevin McBride in 2005….

To be fair, Evander also has severe financial difficulties and needs a payday….

In the end, Holyfield will knock out Tyson in five or six rounds….

He was better than Tyson when both of them were young and now the gap has widened considerably….

Is the fight a farce? I don’t think so, due to the pathetic crop of heavyweights currently polluting the scene. These two still carry a lot of clout with boxing fans and I predict a big PPV and a lot of interest….

Maybe George Foreman could fight the winner….

Back in the day, the Saturday used to be a great time to watch college basketball. Every Saturday morning, NBC had a matchup between two top-ranked teams; highlited by Billy Packer and Al McGuire arguing with each other….

While the two of them bickered, play-by-play man Dick Enberg didn’t miss a beat….

USC and UCLA would play Pac-10 games later in the day, which made it a college basketball feast….

Then, on Monday, we’d gather in the hall before school and talk about the games….

Oh, how times have changed….

This weekend, there were games all over the dial and I didn’t watch any of them….

In just a few years, I’ve gone from a college basketball fanatic to someone who couldn’t name a player on any of the top teams; including the Bruins and Trojans….

With all the high school players going straight to the NBA, I began to lose interest. But when NBA Commissioner David Stern installed that ridiculous rule forcing players to go to college for a year, that did it for me….

I know I’m being unrealistic, but I really miss the days when players stayed in school for four years. The teams had continuity, the coaches could plan for the future and fans knew who would be on the team from year-to-year….

Now, the teams change drastically every year and nobody but the most hard core fan has any idea who is on the roster….

Add to this the interminable commercial breaks and scandalously poor officiating and you have an unwatchable sport….

A few weeks ago, I watched a few minutes of a UCLA game and was shocked at their ineptitude. They have no talent anywhere on the floor and wouldn’t beat a good high school team….

They’re white, slow, unathletic, can’t shoot, can’t defend and very lucky they play in the Pac-10….

I know they’re something like 13-18, but if they played in a good conference might be something like 5-26….

You have to feel for Ben Howland, who took the Bruins to three consecutive Final Fours and has a proven track record. But with all his good players leaving early for the NBA, the cupboard is bare….

Sure, you could make a case that he didn’t prepare and should have recruited better, but when every good player you recruit leaves after a year, eventually it’s going to catch up with you….

Look at North Carolina. I read the other day that Roy Williams is under .500 and the Tar Heels are terrible, which shows it can happen to anybody….

And it looks like UConn won’t make the tournament, either….

The good news for Carolina, UConn and UCLA is that one good recruiting class can get you back to the Final Four….

Kentucky had a losing record last season, but look at them now. John Calipari brought in a monster recruiting class and the Wildcats could win the National Championship….

Of course, Calipari will lose at least three of his star players to the draft and start over next season; which is why people like me don’t watch college basketball anymore….

Unlike most people, I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is going to have an easy time this Saturday against Joshua Clottey….

The African fighter is very strong, has a good chin, hits hard and is the biggest, strongest fighter Pacman has ever faced….

The 50,000 people watching inside Cowboys Stadium are going to get an entertaining fight….

In fact, this is a much better fight than Pacquiao-Mayweather would have been….

The problem for Clottey is he fights mechanically, coming straight forward and looks to beat his opponent into submission….

Manny, on the other hand, gives you angles, punches in combinations and shows a variety of looks….

Pacquiao has the advantage in hand speed and reflexes, which is why he’s going to win….

But it won’t be easy and Clottey is going to inflict some damage….

Unlike Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya, who are shot fighters, Clottey is in his prime and very, very strong….

I like Pacman by unanimous decision or late stoppage….

On the 20th anniversary of the death of Hank Gathers, ESPN Classic has been showing games from the 1990 season, which should have been a National Championship year….

To this day, I believe the Lions would have won the title with a healthy Gathers….

That team was on a roll at the time of his passing, playing as well as anyone in the country and set to make a historic run….

Even though short-handed after Hank’s death, the team played unbelievably and honored his memory by making a run to the Elite Eight….

Included in that run was the single-greatest performance I’ve ever seen in a tournament game….

After a 111-92 win over New Mexico St. in the opening round, LMU was up against it, having to face defending national champion Michigan; which boasted a roster of Sean Higgins, Terry Mills, Loy Vaught and Rumeal Robinson….

On paper, it looked like a mismatch….

And that’s what it turned out to be, as the Lions blew out the Wolverines, 149-115….

That’s right, 149 points against the defending champs….

To this day, I have never seen a performance like that, and it was even more special being in the Long Beach Arena and witnessing it first hand….

I sat there in disbelief as LMU took Michigan apart. Fast break after fast break and three-point-shot after three-point-shot destroyed UM; whose players looked gassed and shell-shocked midway through the first half….

The emotion in the building was incredible, as Lions fans cheered, cried and waved towels which said “Hank’s House.” The wave of emotion, the Lions great play and the tragic story of Gathers made the afternoon one none of us will ever forget….

In honor of Gathers, Bo Kimble shot his first free throw of the game against New Mexico St. with his left hand and continued to do so throughout the tournament and his NBA career….

When his left-handed shot swished through the net, grown men around me had tears running down their faces….

Incredible….

Watching that game yesterday afternoon, I got emotional and thought about all the great times I had watching that team….

At the time, I was a high school coach and fascinated by coach Paul Westhead’s frantic, shoot-within-10-seconds offense. I had a friend on the LMU team and was granted access to some of the practices; which showed me how disciplined and well run the fast break offense was….

I didn’t miss a home game from 1988-90, the three years Bo Kimble and Hank were there, and to this day those Lions are my all-time favorite college team….

I installed the systwm with my team and we had a blast; winning a league championship and scoring over 100 points several times….

I remember watching Bobby Knight doing an interview during the 1990 Tournament and he predicted LMU’s style of play “was the wave of the future” and said more and more teams would use Westhead’s system….

Unfortunately, that did not happen and college basketball has evolved into the slow, walk-the-ball-up-the-floor, call-fouls-every-two-seconds, break-a-million-times-for-commercials, games-in-the-60’s bore we see today….

Which is the reason I haven’t seen a game all season….

You’d think some smart coach would realize that playing this way could put his team on the map and get them nationally televised games….

But alas, most coaches are robots and play the same way as everyone else….

Twenty years later, it was still a thrill….

I DVR’d the game, as well as the Sweet 16 win over Alabama, two regular-season games against LaSalle and Gonzaga and a show titled “The Death of Hank Gathers…..

And they are going in the “Keep until I delete” list….

What a joy watching that team and what great memories….

Speaking of Westhead, he’s currently coaching the Oregon women’s team. And with the Ducks men’s team in last place in the Pac-10, the thought corssed my mind about Paul replacing Ernie Kent as the Ducks new coach….

Wouldn’t it be fun to watch his system run in the Pac-10? If the Oregon AD decides to make a change, he’d be wise to hire Westhead and his system….

It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since Hank died and I still have nightmares. I was in my normal seat a few rows from the court when Terrell Lowery threw a lob pass to Gathers, which he finished with his usual power dunk….

The crowd was going crazy, Hank slapped hands with Lowery and the Lions had an early 25-12 lead over Portland….

Suddenly, Hank hit the floor and the place went eerily quiet. He rolled onto his knees and Terrell’s brother Josh, who played for Portland, offered his hand….

But Hank went into cardiac arrest and started convulsing on the floor….

The only sound I heard was Gathers’ mother, Lucille, shouting “Somebody do something!” as they put Hank on a stretcher and carried him outside….

As they wheeled him toward the ambulance, the Pepperdine team was getting out of their vans and looked on in horror as Hank wheeled past. I was standing next to an older gentleman who said “There’s no way he’s going to live. He’s turned green.”….

That man was Doug Christie’s father….

I was right outside the back window of the ambulance as the paramedics tried to resuscitate Hank. They were working furiously, doing CPR, and then they made the short drive to Daniel Freeman Hospital….

We walked back into the arena and the P.A. announcer said, “We’re all concerned about Hank and we’ll let you know the minute we hear anything.”….

About an hour later we got the awful news and none of us have ever been the same….

But for a day at least, thanks to ESPN Classic, Hank Gathers and his memory lived again….

I’ll never forget the last conversation I had with Hank, the night before he died. After an easy opening round win in the WCC Tournament, Gathers was sitting with his family and friends near the court. After we said hello, I mentioned the Clippers had two early first round picks in the draft….

“Wouldn’t it be great,” I said to him, “If the Clippers took you and Bo with those picks, then hired Westhead as the coach?”….

Typical of Hank, he flashed that great smile, laughed out loud and said, “Now that would be great. You go and make that happen.”….

Less than 24 hours later, he was dead….

R.I.P. Hank and thanks for the great memories….