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By Jake Donovan - The Writers Guild of America is now one month into its strike, with television networks beginning to feel the full effects. Television series that were planning to segue from sweeps month to holiday hiatus have been forced to run season-finale type episodes. Non-reality based shows that were originally scheduled to air next year may never get off the ground, with too few episodes presently in the bank.
For all of the complaints about boxing (most of which never seem to go away), among the many positives of the sport is that it never goes on strike, and it runs year-round. Those screaming for a federal commission and a workers union should keep in mind:
- the NHL season that never was just a couple of years ago;
- the aborted 1994 MLB season ending without a World Series;
- the 1998-'99 NBA season featuring only 50 games due to the owner-imposed lockout.
Boxing cynics could argue that 2006 was the closest the sport came to a work stoppage, at least stateside. For the first time in a long time, the Fight of the Year was fought outside of the US, with most only able to catch it via (illegal?) upload on YouTube.com. More competitive fights were found at times on Telefutura than on premium cable channels or their PPV arms, which would be meant as more of an insult to the latter than a compliment to the former.
Fortunately, promoters took note in 2006 and did something about it in 2007. There were no particular themes that came with the year. It wasn't the Year of the Rematches or the Year of the Upsets.
It was just a great year for boxing, which at the prime-time level offers its season finale this weekend with the PPV extravaganza between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton (Saturday, 9PM ET/6PM PT, live on HBO PPV from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas).
Some scoff at the lack of originality of the event's title – "Undefeated." But if you stop and think about it, one word says it all, and can perhaps summarize the series of top shelf fights we've been able to enjoy throughout the fall. [details]
For all of the complaints about boxing (most of which never seem to go away), among the many positives of the sport is that it never goes on strike, and it runs year-round. Those screaming for a federal commission and a workers union should keep in mind:
- the NHL season that never was just a couple of years ago;
- the aborted 1994 MLB season ending without a World Series;
- the 1998-'99 NBA season featuring only 50 games due to the owner-imposed lockout.
Boxing cynics could argue that 2006 was the closest the sport came to a work stoppage, at least stateside. For the first time in a long time, the Fight of the Year was fought outside of the US, with most only able to catch it via (illegal?) upload on YouTube.com. More competitive fights were found at times on Telefutura than on premium cable channels or their PPV arms, which would be meant as more of an insult to the latter than a compliment to the former.
Fortunately, promoters took note in 2006 and did something about it in 2007. There were no particular themes that came with the year. It wasn't the Year of the Rematches or the Year of the Upsets.
It was just a great year for boxing, which at the prime-time level offers its season finale this weekend with the PPV extravaganza between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton (Saturday, 9PM ET/6PM PT, live on HBO PPV from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas).
Some scoff at the lack of originality of the event's title – "Undefeated." But if you stop and think about it, one word says it all, and can perhaps summarize the series of top shelf fights we've been able to enjoy throughout the fall. [details]
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