Time to call it a day...

"The best part of these fights, which really does wonders with our young folks, is when right before the fight they "face each other down". Nose to nose, spitting words at each other. Really? Sportsmanship? What about shaking hands? Wishing each other good luck. No, this is child's play. Time to put it to bed. Time to call it a day." 

Did I watch the big fight last night? Nope. I don't give a hoot and a holler about this ancient gladiator sport. What? Did that sound too squishy? Sorry - but I meant it. In these days of being concerned about head injuries in football, hockey and (believe it or not), soccer, we are selling PFV tickets at up to $100 a pop. To see what? To see one finely tuned athlete trying to knock the other finely tuned athlete into la la land.

I knew Scott LeDoux. He was a fine man, and in his day, a fierce fighter. On one long drive we had together to go to a YMCA event, Scott recounted some of the fights he had. Mostly, he talked about the George Foreman fights. Was there still bad blood? Let me just say that Scott probably never bought a George Foreman grill.

Scott said the fights were punishing. Not only did he fight Foreman, he also either fought or spared with Ali, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. What you saw is what was happened in the ring. Big, tough men trying to knock each other out. After we saw what happened to the "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" boxer, you knew the punches took a tole. Did the punishment Scott took have anything to do with him developing MS? I hope not. But now we will never know. 

Some still think this whole boxing thing is an art. Pugilism at its finest. Watching two millionaires beat the crap out of each other. In this one match last night however, a mixed martial arts champ took on a boxing champ. Mayweather won, and both contestants walked away wealthier and maybe, just maybe - more injured than before. But we will not know the results of those injuries until they are in their 50's or better. Then what good is all that money? Just ask Ali - the greatest boxer ever. 

I am thinking, this ride might be over. Time to call it a day. We don't need any more fine athletes ending up with brain injuries which will end up killing them. No, we are better than that. We are not the citizens of Rome looking for two gladiators to finish each other off in the Colosseum. 

The part of these fights which really does wonders with our young folks is this. Right before the fight, they "face each other down". Nose to nose, spitting words (and spit) at each other. Really? Sportsmanship? What about shaking hands? Wishing each other good luck. No, this is child's play. Time to put it to bed. Time to call it a day.