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Old
As Dirt Congratulations to Bernard Hopkins....the new Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World! Hopkins is 46 years old....the oldest champ ever. And you wonder why the MMA is kicking the sport of boxing around the block? When I heard the news that Hopkins won the title, my first thought was how many relics are going to come out of the closet, tape up the gloves and look for a new start in the ring? Evander Holyfield is still fighting....and I think he's nearly 65 years old. It is a sad state of affairs for the sport of boxing, that there are no heavyweights to be found and a fossil like Hopkins has a world title belt around his waist.....and that's not a knock on Hopkins. He's been a great fighter for decades....but it is a bigger knock on a sport that has been ambushed and put to sleep by MMA. If George Foreman wasn't selling so many hamburger grills, is there any doubt that he could probably return and make some noise? Baltimore Ravens future NFL Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis, claims that if the NFL doesn't get its act together and have games this season, then the crime rate will increase. I never gave that theory much thought, but I think Lewis is spot on. Of course, here in Carolina, it was a damn crime what the Panthers did to their fans in producing a 2-14 season, which included paying prices that were consistent with what NFL teams charge. The problem was that the Panthers were not worthy of being declared a NFL team with their effort last Fall. After the ruling last week which enforced the owners' lockout of the players, it is apparent to me that the owners are in complete control. When they are ready to cut a deal, they'll do it....but it will be on their time. It is inexcusable for both sides to walk from 9.5 billion dollars....and they won't. But the owners are going to make sure the players know who is boss in the pecking order. But if both sides are too hardheaded and dumb to figure it out....Ray Lewis' premise will be right on the money. Another year without a Triple Crown winner in horse racing. Shackleford's win over Animal Kingdom in the Preakness assured us a 33rd consecutive year without a Triple Crown story. Affirmed in 1978 is the last horse to pull off the feat. I really don't know much about horses, but for some goofy reason I enjoy watching the big three races....and watching the favorite lose is becoming commonplace. I don't know who the favorite will be for the Belmont Stakes, but I can assure you that I'll go the other way.....one of these days, I'd like to see a horse win all three. It's like waiting for a great heavyweight boxer to appear on the scene....and unfortunately, that sport is suffering the same problem, too. Dale, Jr. claimed that the NASCAR All-Star race needs to be condensed and tweaked. After watching the race on Saturday night, I'd have to say that the driver of the 88-car is absolutely right. The race sucked....and I'm not saying that because Carl Edwards won the race and the million bucks. I've got no problem with him winning it, but the race had absolutely zero drama. That shouldn't happen for a race that comes down to a 10-lap winner-take-all shootout. The best part of the race was watching Edwards inadvertently tear up his car while trying to conduct a victory spin on the infield grass. The race might have drawn a good crowd and perhaps a decent TV rating.....but all I could muster was a big yawn. The end of the month is fast approaching and all I can wonder is if the LA Dodgers will have enough cash to cover payroll? What an embarrassment. And I love it. Not only have my SF Giants found a way to battle a ridiculous early road schedule and tons of injuries to remain in first place of the NL West.....but what makes it better is that the LA Dodgers not only suck, but their once-proud franchise appears to be in financial ruin. It makes for a perfect baseball season. I was also glad to see that the LAPD apparently found one of the thugs that beat up a Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium during the opening of the season. If the Dodger thug is found guilty, I hope he pays the price. There is no place in sports for that nonsense. I've been wondering what is taking so long in the NCAA / UNC football investigation. After the news broke this week that the NCAA is back in Chapel Hill asking questions about the latest potential infraction, I guess I got my answer. It has been an ugly situation for Butch Davis and his program. If it turns out the latest stage of the inquiry uncovers more agent-cheating nonsense with current players, then you've really got to question the direction and integrity of the program. It has already been bad enough from a reputation standpoint for UNC....and now you have this issue to look into. The Heels recently delivered 9 players in the 2011 NFL Draft.....tied with Southern Cal for producing the most pro players this year. That's impressive. What isn't impressive is that UNC might match the Trojans on the NCAA Probation list. At least Southern Cal won some championships before getting caught and punished....Butch Davis has yet to produce a winning ACC conference mark in his four years in Chapel Hill. Not good. I expect to hear from the NCAA very shortly about the UNC football situation. |
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