By Bob Goodman
Maybe we were brought up in a different place, but on our streets the daily activities were stickball, punchball, stoop ball, Johnny on the pony, king of the hill, skully and fighting. Yes, fighting was a regular activity and it was with our fists, not with guns, knives, or chains.
Those of us who wanted an alternative to the streets, could find our way to a local gym, or a PAL program. It saved many from the eventual cruelty that life on the streets can bring.
Badminton, rowing, beach volley ball, or even water polo were not elective options? They didn’t have a goal in the Harlem River.
Boxing was a way out of the ghetto and the poor neighborhoods. You can almost
follow the ethnic roots of boxing through the struggle to escape from poverty. Among the early battlers were the Irish, Jews, Italians. African Americans.and the Latinos. They all however started as amateurs, even if it was a non-sanctioned smoker.
The very first Olympic boxing tournament was held in conjunction with the 1904 Games in St. Louis. The tournament however took place after athletes from Europe and elsewhere had already gone home. So only U.S. boxers competed and there is doubt that
those first winners should be considered Olympic champions.
Maybe we’re going backwards? With a long and proud tradition in Olympic Boxing history, the last time we had but one medal in boxing was in 1948, when only Horace Herring could manage a silver medal in the welterweight division, which is listed at a 152-pound limit.
Most of us can relate to watching other Olympians with a vivid mental image. Floyd Patterson, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Howard Davis, Jr., Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Mark Breland, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones and Oscar de la Hoya, all household names before they even turned professional.
The recognizable voice of Howard Cosell, with his controversial calls, knowledgeable tone and love of the game, is sorely missed around amateur boxing circles these days. Hell, any voice around boxing circles these days is greatly missed.
Outside of their gyms, families and fighters they had faced, who really heard of Luis Yanez. Sadam Ali, or Javier Molina? They needed a stage to perform on.
In order to watch them fight in the Beijing Olympics you’d have to get lucky on
MSNBC and not NBC network television to catch one of these kids in action. We are
bombarded with many other events but the once “highlighted” Olympic boxing competition was no longer a network priority. It was boxing that helped build these networks and cable giants. They should be ashamed of themselves.
It was ABC Sports, that featured amateur boxing, the nationals and the trials, that
trumpeted the talents of the amateur boxers of the day. They developed a following that carried them into the Olympics and beyond with their extensive coverage of boxing. They would even feature the USA vs. Russia tournaments with great fanfare.
It wasn’t only Cosell and ABC, it was Gil Clancy and Tim Ryan on CBS, and Ferdi Pacheco and Marv Albert on NBC, not to mention USA’s Sean O’Grady, and ESPN’s Al Bernstein, MSG’s team of Clancy and Sam Rosen and Chick Hearn in California. They carried the messages of boxing to millions on a regular basis.
There were some weekends when Don King had a show on CBS, ABC and NBC on the same day from different locations and could only hope to catch the other two on the screen while enjoying one on the scene. It provided an opportunity for thirty boxers to get work and eight or ten of them get the exposure on network television.
Sure - Oscar de la Hoya, with big PPV numbers can sustain a certain level at
HBO, which helps make up for less profitable events, but what’s going on with boxing at the development level? Don’t forget – de la Hoya was a product of that network promotion that carried him through the Olympics and into the pro ranks.
Where are the hundreds of clubs that used to run? Where are the followings that these young neighborhood boxers are creating? Fighters like James “Buddy”:McGirt, Kevin Kelley, “Poison” Jr. Jones, Bobby Chacon, Ruben Olivares, and Danny “Little Red” Lopez. among many others, became well known because they had the showcase to display their exciting talents.
Boxing is still the purest form of sport – man against man with his two fists and God! It’s obvious that our sport needs help. The young boxers need help and encouragement. There are others that say MMA is now taking over and it’s – man against man with his two fists, elbows, knees, feet and God! Purists find it very disturbing, but they’ve steadily gained ground.
We need individuals and business willing to invest in our youth. Invest in trying to keep the inner-city kids away from the dangers of the street. Don King has sponsored the Golden Gloves and Silver Gloves for many years, but believes that the
relationship should end at the sponsorship and support level. The amateurs can then concentrate before getting pressures from the professional agents, managers and promoters, looking to put thoughts of sugar plumb fairies dancing in their heads.
He believes in our youth and has demonstrated his commitment many times over. We need more like him, who are ready to step up to help recapture its place of honor among the other leading sports.
When Muhammad Ali fought, the eyes and ears of the world were concentrated on that place. Places they might not have even heard of the “Super Bowl”.
Going way back to the start, boxing has been a “way out” for many
immigrants who found their way to our shores. The alternative to the street, where they can develop self-esteem and respect for others, is the boxing gym. Many have found life and refuge there.
Not everyone can reach the level of a Manny Pacquiao from a humble start in the Philippines. There are other opportunities for good young athletes today, but in impoverished neighborhoods, boxing has always provided that chance to accomplish a dream.
It’s a sad commentary when we can no longer consider boxing, where we probably have more professional athletes around the world than any other form of athletic endeavor, a major Olympic sport.
The 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, where they’ve done such a magnificent job preparing to showcase an amazing city and culture to the world, has been very dismal
for the USA Boxing Team.
We have one last hope for a medal in Beijing and that hope rests with heavyweight Deontay Wilder still having a shot to move on.
If he succeeds, it’s our worst performance in 60 years in boxing at the Olympics and could become the worst in history. What happened to our boxers -- Shawn Estrada, Demetrius Andrade, Javier Molina, Rau’shee Warren, Luis Yanez, and Sadam Ali?
Were they properly prepared? Did the change in coaching hurt their chances? Was the scoring system skewed? Do we compete with the same commitment and dedication as our prior boxing teams, who always proved to be great competitors?
Or maybe the rest of the world is starting to catch up with us? China has shown their willingness to get involved and compete in a big way.
