We All Want Our Opinion To Be Respected!

I realised something when posting here today. The majority of NSB posters are really not bad posters at all! We see constant threads about 'These guys are hyping their fighters', and 'So and so is overrated' and if we disagree we think the posters making them are always hate filled trolls. They aren't. The problem here is that it is all too easy to believe that someone who does not agree with you is disespecting your opinion. Sometimes they are, but a lot of the time they aren't. Take my views on Jermain Taylor, lets be clear, I don't rate this guy much at all, but that doesn't mean that I can't see the case for my opinion being ridiculous. The guy ended Hopkins MW run FFS! If you have any reason to be a fan of his whatsoever you are going to retain a fair bit of belief in him, and even someone like me can see that for all the flaws I love to concentrate on, the man is capable of getting wins in top-level boxing, he fought tough opposition as champ and he did OK against Pavlik second time out too. Problem is that when I make a post saying 'Calzaghe is way better than Taylor' those of you who like him are going to think I don't see the good, but I do. In brief posts on a forum most don't bother moderating or balancing their argument and unable to see one another face to face, we are left looking at raw opinions that on the face of it are ultra-critical and harsh on fighters we think are great. I think we should remember that's not always how it is! Another example is the hype thing. Calzaghe and Kessler are the best example of this. I'm sure to American fans the high regard a lot of Joe fans hold Kessler in can often seem like hype designed to boost Joe up and maybe disparage B-Hop a bit. You look at Kessler and say 'what has this guy done apart from lose to Joe? Hopkins was fucking P4P and both Pavlik and Taylor have beaten tougher opponents!' you're right too, but rememember that Joe fans have never seen anyone put up as good a fight and quality performance against Joe as Kessler did. It's pretty natural that they're going to rate him! That doesn't mean at all that they don't think Hopkins was a good win and tough fight for Joe, they just favour the better Joe performance and exciting fight! At least I think thats how it is. So what am I saying? Basically, we're all boxing fans aren't we? We all love and hate fighters and most of us are smart enough to realise that most of the guys we talk about on here are pretty fucking good. It's just that to talk about boxers we have to compare and contrast them, who beats who?, who deserved the win?, who has the better resume?, who has the most talent? and the basic respect and acknowledgement for the guy we pick to lose gets left unsaid, but on a forum, with only typed words, none of us have any way to know that, and it can be hard to remember. It's the easiest thing in the world to take a single post you disagree with as the full extent of a posters opinion, but it almost never is, so I, in future, am not going to make the mistake of assuming it. I'm going to ask what the other guy's opinion is. You all can ask me mine anytime, if I haven't already bored you to tears!