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by David P. Greisman - Conflict, though universal and timeless, is not a 24/7 institution. War is punctuated by periodic negotiations. Professional wrestling needs promos to set up, flesh out or add to the storylines. Even “The Jerry Springer Show” prefaces its tussles with bleep-filled conversation.
A fight with no context will still draw attention. Witness schoolyard score settling. Watch the multitude of videos popping up online of brawls at fast food restaurants, diners, sports stadiums, and neighborhood settings somewhere, anywhere and everywhere in America. And fights in the stands at boxing matches can draw the attention away from even the most engaging battle between the ropes.
But interests in those battles last only as long as the fights themselves. Giving context adds drama to the action and makes storylines stick.
HBO has followed that formula with its “Countdown” shows, its “24/7” miniseries, and most recently its 12-minute “Face Off” broadcasts. The tension between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye got people talking. So did the verbal sparring between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal.
The “Face Off” for the third bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was nowhere near as gripping, partly because of English being the fighters’ second language, and partly because Pacquiao and Marquez have a rivalry in the ring but are respectful outside of it.
That leaves the job of getting the conversation going to “24/7 Pacquiao/Marquez,” the first episode of which aired this past Saturday.
Let’s talk about the first episode, then.
With a nod to syndicated columnist Norman Chad, I took notes:
10:01 p.m. Eastern Time: Liev Schreiber, who could have a second career as the next incarnation of movie preview guy Don LaFontaine, perfectly describes the storyline of this fight: [Click Here To Read More]
A fight with no context will still draw attention. Witness schoolyard score settling. Watch the multitude of videos popping up online of brawls at fast food restaurants, diners, sports stadiums, and neighborhood settings somewhere, anywhere and everywhere in America. And fights in the stands at boxing matches can draw the attention away from even the most engaging battle between the ropes.
But interests in those battles last only as long as the fights themselves. Giving context adds drama to the action and makes storylines stick.
HBO has followed that formula with its “Countdown” shows, its “24/7” miniseries, and most recently its 12-minute “Face Off” broadcasts. The tension between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye got people talking. So did the verbal sparring between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal.
The “Face Off” for the third bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was nowhere near as gripping, partly because of English being the fighters’ second language, and partly because Pacquiao and Marquez have a rivalry in the ring but are respectful outside of it.
That leaves the job of getting the conversation going to “24/7 Pacquiao/Marquez,” the first episode of which aired this past Saturday.
Let’s talk about the first episode, then.
With a nod to syndicated columnist Norman Chad, I took notes:
10:01 p.m. Eastern Time: Liev Schreiber, who could have a second career as the next incarnation of movie preview guy Don LaFontaine, perfectly describes the storyline of this fight: [Click Here To Read More]
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