GOD DAMN RUSSIANS!!!! lol

[Smokin']

Acutally, Tony Parker (a "European"), came to the defense of "American" basketball...he said it was a different game, the "International" way of playing/rules, from the "American" way...can't remember exactly what he said for his explanation, but he said the "NBA" way, doesn't work well in International ball playing.

That said, today's players don't seem to have the craft of basketball down like the days of Michael Jordan, at his height of play.

You have a bunch of street-ballers who never learned how to actually play the game of baseketball, how it is suppoesd to be played.

I really don't understand the bull**** with Shaq not being able to shoot past the 5 foot mark...you don't see Dirk having a problem or even Yoa.

Basketball is another declined craft in the United States...kids are going straight to the NBA instead of playing in college, which is a must for learning since a lot of kids don't learn it seems in high-school how to play.

It's a "ME, ME, ME" Generation who are babied.

The "Euro" players are more well rounded...the can play more than one position, shoot all around the court, but not so sure with defense.




For Soccer, I played the sport when I was young...it was my favorite sport, but boring as hell to watch...I can't stand watching baseball either, unless it is the playoffs, but no that note, I can watch the World Cup...just, every day games, NO. I think Basketball is boring as well...add Golf, if that is really a sport.


]

Majority of your post is right, tbh. I disagree though with a little bit. I think the majority of the NBA players are just athletic freaks who like to dunk and such. THye are not very good fundamental players like the Europeans.
Its basically a case of the Europeans being dissed because they do not play the "american way".

[Banderivets]

Ive been boxing since I was 12 Ive boxed at 3 different gyms and they've all closed down that plays a major factor I would have to drive 5hrs to the closest gym

Back in Ukraine in my little town of hm 16 000, a group of guys got together, and built a gym around an abandoned two story house. Covered the broken windows with wood, re did the floors, put the equipment in and started boxing. Whilst they were 2 football stadiums in the city open to the public, a number of basketball courts around town.

Maybe thats what makes the difference.

[Abe Attell]

Mate, to be a champion you need to be hungry, you need to be driven, you need to love the game.

If you are a 6foot5 lean muscle machine, and taught to fight like a computer or a robot you will not be a champ.

You just cant take someone for their body train them and expect them to be champ or even top 20.



I see your point, but I just dont buy it.



And the bottom line is that there are no good American contenders. Who cares if they are in NFL? The bottom line is that there are none. And who is doing anything to change that?


You can argue the same for Euros. You want to make money in Europe? Your an athelete? Go play football. MAD MONEY in that sport. Prolly the richest sport in the world, European football leagues. Players making 250 000 $ a week, transfer tags of 60 000 000 $.... Yet you see a lot of Euros still boxing and coming to box. It's not like boxing is the highest paid sport in Europe. Far from it.


Now why are Americans walking away from boxing? When Euros who have as much higher paying options to go into as Americans over boxing?

Fathers used to take their sons to the boxing gym, now they take them to the Football field. MY POINT. YOU GO WHERE THE MONEY IS...MONEY=MILK. You also go where there is a place to go to.

but there are other factors, like those that may have been boxers, don't end up going into boxing or leaving boxing for another path.



Take for example the ***ish boxers: there were a large number of ***ish fighters prior to World War II, but after the War, the Government allowed money for college.

I have also noticed the decline of all sports, at least where I am from: When I was young and growing, I cold walk down any street and see kids playing football or baseball in the street...Now, it's very rare.

The playground I used to play at for organized sports, no longer in use.

It's the decline.

Does this happen in Europe too, you tell me, I am guessing yes.

[Abe Attell]

Back in Ukraine in my little town of hm 16 000, a group of guys got together, and built a gym around an abandoned two story house. Covered the broken windows with wood, re did the floors, put the equipment in and started boxing. Whilst they were 2 football stadiums in the city open to the public, a number of basketball courts around town.

Maybe thats what makes the difference.

Hunger, it was mentioned.

[Banderivets]

i dont wanna hear any **** about the USA and basketball because we dont even send out anything close to the best possible lineup out there. AT ALL.

Sure, so why not use your best players?


Its like Real Madrid. All-star roster but yet they do not DOMINATE as one would expect a team with every player having a star next to his name...or a lot of them.

[Abe Attell]

Majority of your post is right, tbh. I disagree though with a little bit. I think the majority of the NBA players are just athletic freaks who like to dunk and such. THye are not very good fundamental players like the Europeans.
Its basically a case of the Europeans being dissed because they do not play the "american way".

That's the key...I was watching a short documentary on ESPN about the Euros and they said they spend hourse watching basketball games, but guess what, they are all games from the 80's-early 90's. Why not of games now, BEACAUSE THEY ARE ****.

This is why a great coach like Larry Brown was Fired from the ****** hood rat NY KNICKS.

God Forbid you should listen to a coach that actually knows BASEKETBALL.

[Abe Attell]

Sure, so why not use your best players?


Its like Real Madrid. All-star roster but yet they do not DOMINATE as one would expect a team with every player having a star next to his name...or a lot of them.

There is some problems with our "best players", they either don't all want to play or they aren't allowed.

It would be great to have players like Ben Wallace and Ron Artest playing or some other big name players that actually know how to play, but they either don't want to or in Ron Artest's case, he isn't allowed to play.

[Banderivets]

Fathers used to take their sons to the boxing gym, now they take them to the Football field. MY POINT. YOU GO WHERE THE MONEY IS...MONEY=MILK. You also go where there is a place to go to.

but there are other factors, like those that may have been boxers, don't end up going into boxing or leaving boxing for another path.



Take for example the ***ish boxers: there were a large number of ***ish fighters prior to World War II, but after the War, the Government allowed money for college.

I have also noticed the decline of all sports, at least where I am from: When I was young and growing, I cold walk down any street and see kids playing football or baseball in the street...Now, it's very rare.

The playground I used to play at for organized sports, no longer in use.

It's the decline.

Does this happen in Europe too, you tell me, I am guessing yes.

As been said before, in Europe there are options that allow much more money then boxing, yet they still manage to box.


It would take a long time to specificaly point to a factor or two that is responsible for the "lack of interest for boxing in America"...The fact is that from what everyone says less and less people box in America. Making excuses doesnt change the fact that there are less people boxing and the number is getting smaller by day.



My theory is that boxing simply isnt a big part of pop culture anymore. No more Tyson posters in kiddies bed rooms. No boxing talk on the street. Shady promoters... The people in charge of boxing are doing nothing to raise its image.


A big contrast in boxing in Germany. Just watch it sometimes. It seems like a much bigger event. They have bands come out to play in the rink, major telecasts, lots of stars in the audience, just a "bigger event", more media coverage.

I know in Ukraine when Klitschkos were coming up in the sport, everything was Klitschko, everyone was talking about them, when there was a fight coming up they showed it on big TV stations free of charge. It was big, it IS Big.

Here there is nothing in the media or on the street to promote boxing.


I got an example for you. Just few days ago I went to see one of my old "physical science" teachers, a gr12 class, they were talking about core body muscles. Teacher asks "who needs big core body muscles"...kids give a bunch of anwers and teacher says "well boxers is a good example. You guys know Muhammed Ali?" And guess what. From a class of 22 17-18 year old kids one GIRL raised a hand saying "was he a boxer?" I was shocked. And thats the bottom line.



So. The Iron Curtain fell and unleashed a whole new massive breed of boxers on the European soil. With a new batch of competition this raised the level of boxing in Europe in general, west east central...And now slowly this tide of fighters is moving to US, whilst US boxing is arguably on a decline.

[Abe Attell]

Yeah, I actually enjoyed how they set up the fight for Wlad vs Chris Byrd.

It also doesn't help with Oscar making a lot of his fights and fighters fight on PPV..and this guy claims he is trying to fix boxing.

Who knows, there just seems like there are more cry-babies in today's society then in past years that we call the "Golden Era"

[eazy_mas]

So many European (aka russian) Heavyweights, its rediculous. I was reading this article on all these great up and coming Russians Heavyweights.

Wheres the article on the american up-and-coming heavyweights? are there any left that haven't been Knocked out.

That Denzel washington guy was my last hope and he just got clobbered by a puerto rican heavyweight? A puerto rican heavyweight?

Didnt Max Schmelling win the heavyweight title in the 30's and he was the first european EVER to do so? Why cant it be rare like that lol.

Briggs will be gone, hopefully quicker then it took for him to get in that top 4.

Who else is there that can give us Americans hope?

What about Shawn Hawks? That is the purest americans you you could get?

Freddi roach is training him he is native americain