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By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 19, 1:03 pm EDT
The U.S. boxing team is a disgrace.
But it doesn’t matter how poorly Team USA has fared at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, because the folks at home don’t seem to care. For that, they have Michael Phelps, the U.S. men’s basketball team and years of ineptitude at USA Boxing to thank.
But here are seven ways to help revive interest in Olympic boxing:
1. Get rid of the headgear: Yes, I’m all for safety. But fighters who make it to this level are good enough to fight without headgear. And more of the injuries happen in the gym, rather than in the fights, anyway. Presumably, the coaches are monitoring their training regimens and will make certain the action in the gym is as safe as can be.ADVERTISEMENT
2. Dump the goofy scoring system: No one understands it and it frequently doesn’t reflect who deserved to win the fight.
“I could never win under this scoring system,” Sugar Ray Leonard told me in a conversation we had Monday.
Fighters with fast hands who punch in combinations, and fighters who go hard to the body are among those who are penalized badly by the wacky system they’re using. Abide by the judgment calls of the officials, even if they are occasionally irritating. Anything – anything – has to be better than this.
3. Show the fights in prime time on NBC: Boxing has been relegated to the cable channels. It’s a chicken vs. egg thing at this point. If the team does well and stirs interest, NBC will put the fights on in prime time. But if the team does poorly and ratings are subpar, boxing will be relegated to cable, as it is now. Olympic boxing was hugely popular on television when guys like Leonard were fighting – and it can be again. If the scoring system is dropped and the guys have to fight, it will less resemble a slap fest and more folks will be inclined to watch, too.
4. Hire a strong chief executive to reform USA Boxing: The politics and infighting at USA Boxing are badly harming the team. Give the new CEO of USA Boxing complete autonomy to reform the organization, as he or she sees fit.
5. Recruit: The only way the team wins is with better athletes. After a new CEO is hired, he or she should make it a priority to send representatives out to the youth boxing community and encourage participation. The more kids turn to boxing means the better chance of discovering another star.
6. Lean on the alumni: USA Boxing should mount a campaign that takes advantage of its many heroes, men like Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr. and others, to spread the word. They could help raise money for the sport and help in luring talented young athletes to boxing.
7. Push the fighters: Don’t let the boxers take the easy way out. Too many pro boxers these days don’t have a job. They think working hard is getting up, running, sparring a few rounds and then spending the rest of the day watching television. The same is true of the amateurs. If they’re not going to hold down jobs, make them work an eight-hour day on their boxing. Do their road work and their sparring, like they do now. But have them spend considerable time in the weight room, in conditioning exercises, and hire a quality coach to teach them how to actually box.
Aug 19, 1:03 pm EDT
The U.S. boxing team is a disgrace.
But it doesn’t matter how poorly Team USA has fared at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, because the folks at home don’t seem to care. For that, they have Michael Phelps, the U.S. men’s basketball team and years of ineptitude at USA Boxing to thank.
But here are seven ways to help revive interest in Olympic boxing:
1. Get rid of the headgear: Yes, I’m all for safety. But fighters who make it to this level are good enough to fight without headgear. And more of the injuries happen in the gym, rather than in the fights, anyway. Presumably, the coaches are monitoring their training regimens and will make certain the action in the gym is as safe as can be.ADVERTISEMENT
2. Dump the goofy scoring system: No one understands it and it frequently doesn’t reflect who deserved to win the fight.
“I could never win under this scoring system,” Sugar Ray Leonard told me in a conversation we had Monday.
Fighters with fast hands who punch in combinations, and fighters who go hard to the body are among those who are penalized badly by the wacky system they’re using. Abide by the judgment calls of the officials, even if they are occasionally irritating. Anything – anything – has to be better than this.
3. Show the fights in prime time on NBC: Boxing has been relegated to the cable channels. It’s a chicken vs. egg thing at this point. If the team does well and stirs interest, NBC will put the fights on in prime time. But if the team does poorly and ratings are subpar, boxing will be relegated to cable, as it is now. Olympic boxing was hugely popular on television when guys like Leonard were fighting – and it can be again. If the scoring system is dropped and the guys have to fight, it will less resemble a slap fest and more folks will be inclined to watch, too.
4. Hire a strong chief executive to reform USA Boxing: The politics and infighting at USA Boxing are badly harming the team. Give the new CEO of USA Boxing complete autonomy to reform the organization, as he or she sees fit.
5. Recruit: The only way the team wins is with better athletes. After a new CEO is hired, he or she should make it a priority to send representatives out to the youth boxing community and encourage participation. The more kids turn to boxing means the better chance of discovering another star.
6. Lean on the alumni: USA Boxing should mount a campaign that takes advantage of its many heroes, men like Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr. and others, to spread the word. They could help raise money for the sport and help in luring talented young athletes to boxing.
7. Push the fighters: Don’t let the boxers take the easy way out. Too many pro boxers these days don’t have a job. They think working hard is getting up, running, sparring a few rounds and then spending the rest of the day watching television. The same is true of the amateurs. If they’re not going to hold down jobs, make them work an eight-hour day on their boxing. Do their road work and their sparring, like they do now. But have them spend considerable time in the weight room, in conditioning exercises, and hire a quality coach to teach them how to actually box.
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