Andre Ward motivating the youth

[John Locke]

"But Maidana doe"

Did I say Ward wasn't dirty? Why are you showing me this quote?

Maidana is also dirty and you have no problem with that. I cba having a serious discussion with somebody so blatantly biased and unreasonable.

[billeau2]

For years now

Many of us Ward Fans have known for years about Ward's situation in Oakland. I bring this up because when defending Ward there is seldom time to even delve into the many layers of injustice.

Ward and Floyd. Ward is very different from Floyd In so many ways. Its hard for many Ward fans to not be disgusted when the two are compared. yes they are Black and ATG's and thats where the similarities end.

Ward and Oakland. There are those of us who have worked in the Bay area. I was a teacher in BayView...San Francisco's big ****** area. We used to get transfer students in my Special Ed class from Oakland... A kid coming up through public schools in Oakland would have it rough...gangs, weapons, etc. Worse than even my school.

Not only does Ward try to lift Oakland up but there is a proud tradition of sports mastery in Oakland. Some of the toughest mf's came up through Oakland. For example, the biggest scrapper on the Yankees 1920's dynasty team? probably the smallest guy on the team...Billy Martin, born and raised in the Italian hood across the tracks in Oakland. Even as a manager of the Yankees and an old man Martin had a reputation as a street fighter not to be messed with.

Gunboat Smith was an Oakland lad, Corbett was East Bay San Francisco...there is a tradition in the East Bay of which Oakland is an integral part along with San Francisco.

Oakland and the East Bay is losing a lot of its character along with San Francisco. The hard scrabble, boxing club where the trainer is with the fighter twenty four seven, is giving way to non contact sparring, body sculpting and boxing yoga. Ward represents a community dedicated to the old school way of doing things. I can attest that there is a thriving MMA culture with a lot of Samoans in the Bay Area as well.

Ward is a role model and gives his time and energy to his community. If more people did this boxing and MMA would thrive and develop at the grass roots level. People resent him because he feels more beholden to his local community than the promoters and Las Vegas. I find this silly because all the gamblers and players I know have no problem springing for a quick flight to Oakland to catch an event.

Finally. My son and I going to a game at the Giants park, and getting some food...cost a fortune and it was garbage. Coloseum in Oakland? We were catching a show, the guy handed me a humungus plate filled with chicken nachos, cheese and fixings...he wanted 5 bucks for the food...I gave him ten and thanked him. To this day one of the best meals I ever had with my boys, and yes we all had enough off that plate! Point is Oakland in some parts, where Ward and his people represent, still values middle class, working class, individuals.

That is part of what is so special about Ward as a person. Yet people interpret this as prima donna behavoir.

[ShoulderRoll]

Many of us Ward Fans have known for years about Ward's situation in Oakland. I bring this up because when defending Ward there is seldom time to even delve into the many layers of injustice.

Ward and Floyd. Ward is very different from Floyd In so many ways. Its hard for many Ward fans to not be disgusted when the two are compared. yes they are Black and ATG's and thats where the similarities end.

Ward and Oakland. There are those of us who have worked in the Bay area. I was a teacher in BayView...San Francisco's big ****** area. We used to get transfer students in my Special Ed class from Oakland... A kid coming up through public schools in Oakland would have it rough...gangs, weapons, etc. Worse than even my school.

Not only does Ward try to lift Oakland up but there is a proud tradition of sports mastery in Oakland. Some of the toughest mf's came up through Oakland. For example, the biggest scrapper on the Yankees 1920's dynasty team? probably the smallest guy on the team...Billy Martin, born and raised in the Italian hood across the tracks in Oakland. Even as a manager of the Yankees and an old man Martin had a reputation as a street fighter not to be messed with.

Gunboat Smith was an Oakland lad, Corbett was East Bay San Francisco...there is a tradition in the East Bay of which Oakland is an integral part along with San Francisco.

Oakland and the East Bay is losing a lot of its character along with San Francisco. The hard scrabble, boxing club where the trainer is with the fighter twenty four seven, is giving way to non contact sparring, body sculpting and boxing yoga. Ward represents a community dedicated to the old school way of doing things. I can attest that there is a thriving MMA culture with a lot of Samoans in the Bay Area as well.

Ward is a role model and gives his time and energy to his community. If more people did this boxing and MMA would thrive and develop at the grass roots level. People resent him because he feels more beholden to his local community than the promoters and Las Vegas. I find this silly because all the gamblers and players I know have no problem springing for a quick flight to Oakland to catch an event.

Finally. My son and I going to a game at the Giants park, and getting some food...cost a fortune and it was garbage. Coloseum in Oakland? We were catching a show, the guy handed me a humungus plate filled with chicken nachos, cheese and fixings...he wanted 5 bucks for the food...I gave him ten and thanked him. To this day one of the best meals I ever had with my boys, and yes we all had enough off that plate! Point is Oakland in some parts, where Ward and his people represent, still values middle class, working class, individuals.

That is part of what is so special about Ward as a person. Yet people interpret this as prima donna behavoir.

Great post.

Many people don't realize or understand the environment that Ward came out of. If he has a chip on his shoulder it's because he chooses to side with his community instead of with outsiders.

I personally think he represents them well and has done a good job of giving back.

[billeau2]

Because things in life are a little bit deeper larry, and you seem to lack the skills to see more deep than black or white, 0 or 1, true or false.

Red Herring. There is nothing complicated about falsely accusing Ward of being self centered, when his behavoir indicates otherwise.

There is nothing complicated about falsely accusing Ward of fighting dirty when he does not. Fighters like Holyfield, who uses his head as a battering ram, get a pass, yet any fighter who fights inside, like Hopkins, is accused of fighting dirty.

In boxing part of the sport is fighting inside where heads clash at times, where hands are held, etc. The rules have not changed...thats part of the game.

The irony is clinching is something all fighters do. Ward actually fights out of the clinch, which would make him an exception in following the rules. how can anyone who has watched Hatton for example, think Ward holds excessively?

[Larry the boss]

Maidana is not dirty at all. The only one that complained about Maidana was Mayweather. The same man who clinched and locked Maidana's arms 90+ times. But hey, if Maidana reacts he's dirty...

Not even Broner calls him dirty. Broner knows he was pressing and holding Maidana's head until he reacted.

call a spade a spade man

[_Maxi]

Many of us Ward Fans have known for years about Ward's situation in Oakland. I bring this up because when defending Ward there is seldom time to even delve into the many layers of injustice.

Ward and Floyd. Ward is very different from Floyd In so many ways. Its hard for many Ward fans to not be disgusted when the two are compared. yes they are Black and ATG's and thats where the similarities end.

Ward and Oakland. There are those of us who have worked in the Bay area. I was a teacher in BayView...San Francisco's big ****** area. We used to get transfer students in my Special Ed class from Oakland... A kid coming up through public schools in Oakland would have it rough...gangs, weapons, etc. Worse than even my school.

Not only does Ward try to lift Oakland up but there is a proud tradition of sports mastery in Oakland. Some of the toughest mf's came up through Oakland. For example, the biggest scrapper on the Yankees 1920's dynasty team? probably the smallest guy on the team...Billy Martin, born and raised in the Italian hood across the tracks in Oakland. Even as a manager of the Yankees and an old man Martin had a reputation as a street fighter not to be messed with.

Gunboat Smith was an Oakland lad, Corbett was East Bay San Francisco...there is a tradition in the East Bay of which Oakland is an integral part along with San Francisco.

Oakland and the East Bay is losing a lot of its character along with San Francisco. The hard scrabble, boxing club where the trainer is with the fighter twenty four seven, is giving way to non contact sparring, body sculpting and boxing yoga. Ward represents a community dedicated to the old school way of doing things. I can attest that there is a thriving MMA culture with a lot of Samoans in the Bay Area as well.

Ward is a role model and gives his time and energy to his community. If more people did this boxing and MMA would thrive and develop at the grass roots level. People resent him because he feels more beholden to his local community than the promoters and Las Vegas. I find this silly because all the gamblers and players I know have no problem springing for a quick flight to Oakland to catch an event.

Finally. My son and I going to a game at the Giants park, and getting some food...cost a fortune and it was garbage. Coloseum in Oakland? We were catching a show, the guy handed me a humungus plate filled with chicken nachos, cheese and fixings...he wanted 5 bucks for the food...I gave him ten and thanked him. To this day one of the best meals I ever had with my boys, and yes we all had enough off that plate! Point is Oakland in some parts, where Ward and his people represent, still values middle class, working class, individuals.

That is part of what is so special about Ward as a person. Yet people interpret this as prima donna behavoir.

Great post.

Many people don't realize or understand the environment that Ward came out of. If he has a chip on his shoulder it's because he chooses to side with his community instead of with outsiders.

I personally think he represents them well and has done a good job of giving back.

You gotta understand that people criticizes the boxer, not the person.

[Larry the boss]

You gotta understand that people criticizes the boxer, not the person.

But this thread is about the person yet you are still being negative

[_Maxi]

But this thread is about the person yet you are still being negative

Just answering the OP who mixes things:

Classy speech from Ward, I know a lot of irrational people don't like him

So I explained... you gotta separate the boxer from the person.

[John Locke]

Just answering the OP who mixes things:



So I explained... you gotta separate the boxer from the person.

Well your explanation is flawed. I already told you, his personality is one of the reasons I like him. Him fighting dirty doesn't change my opinion of him, just like Maidana fighting dirty doesn't change my opinion of him. But with you, it's okay for one to fight dirty but not the other, like I said, double standards.

[_Maxi]

Well your explanation is flawed. I already told you, his personality is one of the reasons I like him. Him fighting dirty doesn't change my opinion of him, just like Maidana fighting dirty doesn't change my opinion of him. But with you, it's okay for one to fight dirty but not the other, like I said, double standards.

Maidana fought "dirty" against Mayweather, who is himself one of the dirtiest fighters in boxing, who clinches you 90+ times per fight but it's ok I guess.

He never had a reputation of being dirty until he fought Mayweather... SMH.