Max Kellerman replacing Skip Bayless. Good news for boxing?

[SkillspayBills]

Will Cain spent an entire show defending my Knicks. He is A-OK in my book.

[- Ram Raid -]

Should be a good thing. Kellerman is good at his job, he's passionate and knowledgeable about the sport. He's also respectful. What's quite striking as a Brit watching and reading the take of American commentators and writers on boxing is how condescending they can be concerning the men they make a living talking about.

Even going back to one of the greats like Schulberg, some of the things he wrote about boxers was contemptible. Merchant was often the same. Kellerman, whilst not always in agreement, rightly defers to the man with the actual experience of lacing up the gloves. At points he's crossed the line, but in the presence of boxers he doesn't anoint himself as the expert in the room.

Bayless is ESPN's internet troll turned loose. In lieu of any knowledge or even common sense opinions on boxing he spouts soundbites for controversial exposure. He shocks me. American sports programmes are usually very well made. They're often at the forefront of what sports programmes should be. Bayless is the complete opposite of that when he talks boxing. He's more in line with the babbling talking-head news anchors from the very worst of American TV news. I cringe when I watch him, it's like listening to David Brent and Beavis' b*stard lovechild.

[Motorcity Cobra]

i feat that SAS will make kellerman his BBC cuck.

kellerman is too passive when a dominant african american male is talking over him or disagrees with him. have you seen how passive he gets when roy "corrects" him on something even if he is clearly wrong? max will never challenge him, he will always agree. and because of that, roy gets away with saying some ridiculous **** sometimes. he's even worse with hopkins and ward. i have seen him disagree with harold letterman numerous times though.

SAS is going to have a field day until the ratings drop and they fire kellerman.

Yea you're kinda right. But I think he does that because he knows Roy knows more about boxing than he'll ever know. And Roy is one of his all time favorite fighters. I think he shows him to much respect at times. But Max has some fight in him

All Teddy knew was that I was some kid who had not paid his dues -- certainly not in the way Teddy had -- and yet I was given a platform to pontificate. He resented it. As much as his needling of me on the air owed to his intuitive understanding of a dynamic that would make for good television -- the grizzled veteran pot-shotting the young punk -- it was also the result of a resentment toward me and the position he felt I was unfairly given.

Teddy was also mistrustful of me. I remember an early phone conversation we had after I said something he felt was irresponsible on the show (something about a no-decision fight between Harry Greb and Gene Tunney as I recall). I finally told him that I was not one of these rapacious, backhanded types who was only interested in the advancement of his own career, even at the expense of honesty and integrity. Teddy responded to this by saying, "time will tell."

http://a.espncdn.com/boxing/columns/kellerman_max/1414667.html

[Doctor_Tenma]

Although my like for Kellerman has regressed through the years this is a positive, great news.

[Motorcity Cobra]

The one positive is he will school Stephan A. Smith when he tries to talk about boxing.
So many cringe worthy moments hearing that moron talk about the sport.
I actually liked First Take until Stephan A. came on full time. I watched less and less the last few years and don't plan on going back now that Skip is gone. Good luck to Max though, seems like a good guy.

I thought he was always a part of First Take. Who was on before him? And S.A.S. is the ultimate casual. He's the type that will say "Pacquiao should fight GGG to show who's the best foreign fighter in America"

[HanzGruber]

Interesting. Max is a kunt when he goes full blown company man but good news for boxing lol

[tangalog2200]

I thought he was always a part of First Take. Who was on before him? And S.A.S. is the ultimate casual. He's the type that will say "Pacquiao should fight GGG to show who's the best foreign fighter in America"

s.a.s. could well be an a.s.s......then add hole...and it will be a fitting description of the man....

good luck to max....

[QballLobo]

I thought he was always a part of First Take. Who was on before him? And S.A.S. is the ultimate casual. He's the type that will say "Pacquiao should fight GGG to show who's the best foreign fighter in America"

First Take was called Cold Pizza in the early 2000's. First it was Skip and Woody Paige for a long time.
When Woody left it was a round table of people debating Skip each morning until S.A.S. came on full time a few years ago.

[ThatDude44]

This will actually be a good thing for boxing.

We will actually have someone who know's boxing talking boxing on ESPN.
Maybe we will see more shows featuring it, instead of just when May and Pac are in the news.

Because to be honest, SAS and Skip Bayless were casual fans at best, and yes I know Skip Bayless went to Ali Vs Foreman fight "as he likes to bring up", but guess what, so did my grandma and she knows nothing about boxing today.

Skip doesn't front and call himself the "boxing aficionado" like Stephen A does. Skip just knows what he knows.

[Outwest Exp 355]

I know that's what's being reported but I can't see Max leaving LA to go to Bristol, Conn. He left Around the Horn in its prime because he didn't want to live in DC. I'll believe it when I see it.