One thing is clear to me...

[Silencers]

I prefer Larry over Kellerman but he does say some weird things.

[!! Shawn]

Steel, yeah, Mike-Mike is on this Wednesday on ESPN-2. As for Foreman, I thought that there were many instances that he said things that people who really knew boxing would understand....and Larry would disagree or be perplexed. Same thing with RJ, he sometimes would say things that didn't make sense maybe to the average person but people who KNOW boxing understood what he said and how he meant it. Larry usually did not.

I agree with you 100%, there are some things about the sweet science that you can never learn as an outsider looking in. But, you have to admit, George did get a bit over the top at times.

The way he always insisted that the guy coming forward had the other guy exactly where he wanted him. The Toney vs Barkely fight was a great example of this. He had great insight on occasion, but he said some pretty ****** stuff. He just has the mentality of a power puncher, and you can tell the his commentary is always based around the mentality of a power puncher.

[THe TRiNiTY]

He's never been in the ring. So, he COULD never know. He's analyzes from HIS perspective. Even though I didn't agree with him tonight, it's his job to giver you his take. Not understand what it's like to be a fighter.

[Left2body]

I think its more than just boxing ignorance Scully. I think its also blatant bias towards fighters. I lost a lot of respect for Larry after noticing that he never gave PBF the respect of looking him in the eye like he does every other fighter.

I enjoyed Foreman more than RJJ since he was more colorful and put the others back in the place more often. I guess he had the grill money and didn't really give a ****.

In both the Forbes and PBF they made no acknowledgement of the fact that DLH was the much bigger man. That Forbes the HUGE underdog was giving a good account of himself.

I'm not sure if you or anyone else caught on to them trying to equate "How good" DLH looks at the lower weight.

They were attempting to compare DLH-Forbes to Mosley-Cotto taking no account of the level of opposition.

[Motofan]

LOL, yeah OK. Larry does NOT know (actual) boxing and that is clear. Painfully clear. And I know that Foreman and RJ picked up on the same thing NUMEROUS times during their broadcasts with him

Foremen was the worst they ever had. For being a great fighter he was always wrong about what was happeneng in the ring. "He's looking great!" (then the fighter is KOED) "I figured that would happen." He was worse then Teddy Atlas in predicting what was happening in fights.

[Stickman]

Max Kellerman is better

I've seen Kellerman's scores on a few fights....he's a farking moron. And the lateral lisp, combined with the thoughtless opinions and excessive blinking when he talks just makes me want to knock his ****ing teeth out.

[QUISQUEYA]

I'm a HUGE Larry Merchant fan, but I agree with you 100%. It was never more apparent than it was tonight. Not surprisingly, Manny Steward has the best insight into actual boxing, and its not like he nuthugs boring non-crowd pleasing fighters either!

The entire HBO broadcast team was clearly given the marching orders to hype up the Mayweather-Delahoya 2 farce.

They all kep saying how great oscar looked. I didn't see it. Oscar got puffed up and hit all night by a guy who is - AT BEST - a junior welterweight.

Next, I get to pay $55 to see the Olden Boy get punched around by a money-grubbing JWW. Great.



Daaaaaamn, baby.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

In terms of giving insight I think Foreman often gave insight into things that sounded odd to the layman but people with a knowledge of what it's like in the ring knew what he meant...I saw several times where Merchant would go against him at times like that and Foreman I think realized he was talking to someone who could NEVER understand. One thing is crystal clear...and for some crazy reason certain people take offense at this...but there are in fact certin things about boxing that a man could never, EVER know unless he has been in the ring. Larry doesn't understand many aspects of boxing and, for me, it affects his commentary (he gives false info to the viewers)

[Mr Man]

In terms of giving insight I think Foreman often gave insight into things that sounded odd to the payman but people with a knowledge of what its like in the ring knew what he meant...I saw several times where Merchant would go against him at times like that and Foreman I think realized he was talking to someone who could NEVER understand. One thing is crystal clear...and for some crazy reason certain people take offense at this...but there are in fact certin thigns about boxing that a man coul dnever EVER know unless he has been in the ring. Larry doesnt understand many aspects of boxing and, for me, it affects his commentary (he gives false info to the viewers)

Good post. Larry, while I respect him, can be a very ignorant person at times.

[kayjay]

Intellectually Merchant is at least a few notches above the people in this thread, so I have respect for him in that regard. He has a talent for metaphor and aphorism, which is why he's still on the TV. Max the Overzealous Fanboy will never be able to carry Larry's flask.

Steward is there to give the fighter's/trainer's perspective. Larry does his job.