Poor Michael Richards. Can you believe his racial slurs at that comedy club against some minorities in the audience? I got to see the footage and hear the verbal barrage and have even heard of his defense that he was angry and flew into a rage?not really knowing what he was saying. Now, I?m not saying that he is not racist, and he very well may be, but he seemed so sincere on the David Lettterman show, and I think that he may just have said the most hurtful things that he could think of at that time. He thought that the rest of the crowd would have his back, but they didn?t. They heard the ?n word? and bailed. Bad choice of words, Kramer.
This is really too bad?watching a man?s career fizzle away in one moment of insanity. Michael Jackson has gotten more than one chance, and he did far worse things than saying obscene or hurtful things or ?beating it? as they say on the streets. Maybe I?m not objective. I am a Michael Richards fan and I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. This is strike one, Richards. You only have 2 more and you are out!
This brings me to Mel Gibson, because you have to compare the two. Both have said things that were not politically correct and both have suffered for it. A lot of celebrities have not been forgiven for momentary lapses in sanity, like Tom Cruise, although his momentary lapse has lasted at least five years. Okay, back to Mel Gibson. Have you ever been caught smoking by your parents when you were younger and to punish you, they made you smoke the entire pack, one after the other? By the time you were done, you had lost your taste for cigarettes and never smoked again? Well, I want to employ that same way of thinking with Gibson, and I think that it will work. Remember how he called that female police officer ?sugar @#$@#s?? Well, how do we make sure that he doesn?t do it again?
I propose that we force him to call everyone that he sees for the span of, let?s say, five years, ?sugar @#$#@s.? Then, it will be out of his system and he will lose his taste for that very phrase. I know?it?s genius. Hopefully the authorities will take my suggestion and run with it.
Speaking of authorities, I have to give a shout out to the only honest State Police officer that I have ever come across. I was driving my mother?s car and I didn?t realize that the inspection sticker was a couple of weeks expired. Well, the noise and cherries are hit and I?m pulled over to the side of the road and out walks ?Simpson,? this State Police officer that looks like the rest of them. They all get their hair cut at the same place, I?m assuming. Because this guy was cool, I won?t call the barber shop: ?Goofs R Us.?
Anyway, he gives me a, get this, warning. This is the first and only time that I have ever gotten a warning. These morons always ticket me and sometimes, they cook the books to make it seem like they are more right. Example, I was pulled over in a lovely place called ?Gardner? and was told that I was clocked at 63 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. Okay, whatever. Well, when I get the ticket from this dishonest cop, it read that I was going 69 MPH. He tried to screw me! The joke was on him however. I fought it and won.
So, mad props to Simpson, who did his job and realized that an expired inspection sticker is warning material?not this ticket and make me go to court crap. So, now I must say that not all cops are morons. I take back that statement that I have repeated quite often. I have had bad experiences with cops in the past and have been guilty of perhaps lumping them all together and calling them all idiots. For this, I apologize. They are not ALL idiots?.just the majority that I have come across.
Movie time?in 2001, a movie was released that went straight to the video stores, titled: ?Finder?s Fee.? You have this group of college guys that play poker every week with lottery tickets that they have played. The rule is that they cannot check on the results and potentially, the winner at the end of the night could walk away with a fortune. ?Tepper,? (Erik Palladino) hosts this event and on a night like any other poker night, he stumbles across a wallet in the street. He opens it up when he makes it to his apartment and sees an ID and a phone number. He calls and reports the missing wallet. Now, going against the norm, he calls and finds out the lottery number and realizes that the one that he bought was a loser, but the one that he finds in the wallet is not. It is a 60 or so million dollar winner, and now the fun begins.
James Earl Jones stars as ?Avery Phillips,? the owner of the wallet and when he is given his things back, he realizes that the lottery ticket that he played has been changed. Tepper switched them. Now, the back and forth between Palladino and Jones in this flick in fantastic and the ending is great. This is one of those movies like the original ?12 Angry Men? that has you glued to the screen with the dialogue. There are no explosions, no CGI, or any of that crap. This is just a well written movie with good actors. I highly recommend it. Bambino rating of 9/10.
Have I rambled on enough? Yes? I think that I have. Let?s talk about some boxing?
NEXT FOR MANNY
Geno,
First time writer but a die hard reader. Morales looked totally shot against Manny. He needs to retire. Now with that said, who should Manny fight say in his next three fights?
Here are my picks:
MAB Joel Casamayor Juan Diaz
Jelly Roll Jones
What up, Jelly Roll?
I didn?t rent the fight but I did get to see it. What a blow out! The writing has been on the wall for quite a while for Morales. Just now, the wall has collapse on top of him, and I would like to see him retire. I think that after MAB gets crushed by Pacman, the two Mexican legends may try to redeem themselves by facing each other. HBO will put it on PPV.
Now, the three fights that I want to see Manny in, are: Juan ?Baby Bull? Diaz Joan Guzman Edwin Valero (Although I do and I don?t want to see this fight because of Valero?s condition)
After seeing Pac-MAB the first time around and seeing Barrera take that vicious beating, and when you then add the fact that Pacman has gotten about 20% better since then, I would not advise Team Barrera to go after him. Fight Rocky Juarez 10 more times. He won?t punch you back anymore?just watch the 2nd fight. He?ll do that infinitely!
DR. STEEL HAMMER
I was at the MSG for the Wlad fight, and must disagree with your assessment of his performance. Wlad can’t win with a lot of you boxing writers: if he rushes in and burns himself out, you get on him, and if he is cautious and measures his opponent, you are on him again. Let’s face it: there’s little he can do to please the critics. For me, he fought a smart fight and gave the fans what they wanted: a spectacular KO ending. Brock’s nervousness and lack of balance actually made him hard to time in the initial rounds. But from round 5 on, the fight was Wlad’s. As for Manny, any idea on who told him to shut up, if that happened? I did notice there wasn’t a lot of joy in the corner after the fight.
Best, John Walker
John Walker,
I think that there is a difference between fighting scared and fighting cautiously. In the beginning of his career, Wlad would box cautiously. Now, he fights with a look of sheer terror on his face. I thought that he didn?t do well against Brock. Brock is the kind of guy that Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, or even a Tommy Morrison would have gotten out of there in 30 seconds, especially in the condition that he was in mentally. Wlad was fighting a bigger fight against himself in that ring. He has the skill and power, but he fights scared and that is going to get him beat in the near future.
Wlad does get a lot of criticism and rightfully so. His credentials aren?t that much better than any of the other champions, on the professional level. He has plowed through the guys that a champion should, but a Lennox Lewis he is not. Wlad is a mediocre champion in mediocre times. The blue print to beat him is there and it?s a lot easier than the blue print to beat a guy like Lewis or Evander Holyfield or Mike Tyson. If you get a heavyweight that packs a punch, can take a good punch, then you have a guy that can beat Wlad, unless they sleep walk like Sam Peter seemed to do for 12 rounds.
Wladimir has looked superb against heavyweights that are smaller and don?t pack a real punch like Monte Barrett, Chris Byrd, and Charles Shufford, but when he is tested, he fails. I don?t consider the Sam Peter win a glorious achievement. It was a game of survival. The same penalty that John Ruiz gets crap for, Wlad was praised for. It will take a lot to convince me that Wlad is the real thing.
I believe that it was Wlad that told him to shut up, but I wouldn?t rule out Vitali. I haven?t watched it since, but it sure sounded like Wlad saying: ?Shut up.? Wrong thing to say to a man like Steward, but he will not stray. He?s in it for the green.
MORE STEEL HAMMER
Geno my buddy:
really enjoyed your article on the klitschko victory, I think I see you starting to give wladimir more credit as a very good champion as time goes on you will call him a great champion, As far as you saying he didn’t come in for the kill against brock the reason geno wladimir is not a wild swing fighter he sizes his opponent up always looking and thinking that’s why he doesn’t throw wild punches he’s a smart fighter.
As far as listening to stewart I remember emanuel saying something like okay that’s all i’m gonna say I have no idea what that was about but I would like to know and also at the end of the fight when Vitali was to his right trying to get the mouthpiece out he turned away with a annoyed look something happened what.
I know you think high of niko valuev I do too but there is no way he will stand up to klitschko, wladimir is very fast it doesn’t look like because of his but he will dart all around niko and after the clintches he will knock valuev out. As for briggs he will knock him out too, Maskaev he will knock him out too. as for a briggs fight it will never happen because of do’the con’ king sometimes you wonder how they can convict the godfather john gotti and this godfather of boxing nothing money talks ask Lennox Lewis he did well by king.
I just read an article by someone not as great as you but described how good and exciting the heavyweigh division is now and I agree with him we have had some great fights lately and some very good heavyweights coming up, ruiz and chagaev and on the undercard is alexander dimitrenko who will probably get a shot at the title in a year or so and then Ibragimov, virchis and then the up and coming povetkin, I see a great bunch of heavyweights and more talent now than ever before , remember when we use to have one champion and he would fight the most twice a year now we have about five title fights a year so that thins the contenders down, but please don’t mention holyfield if he gets a shot at the title it’s a joke.
As for the klitschko fight it wenrt exactly how prodicted the jab, hook off the jab and a powerfull right except it came a round earlier. until next time geno have a good and healthy thanksgiving to you and the staff and your family.
Ponko
Ponko,
Good to hear from you? I have to watch the Wlad-Brock bout again. There is definitely some problem with Team Klitschko. And as for a Nicolay Valuev-Wladimir Klitschko WBA/IBF Unification Bout: I would go with Valuev. If he can survive and it shouldn?t be that difficult considering the psyche of Wlad, I see ?The Russian Giant? wearing him down and stopping him late. It?s a tough bout and maybe Wlad can land and stop him early, but I don?t see it happening. Shannon Briggs would be the underdog, but he has timing. If he can throw the right punch at the right time, which he is capable of doing, he may shock the world. I pick Klit by late TKO, but wouldn?t bet my house on it.
I agree that the division is getting better, and thanks for stating that that other writer had nothing on me! Ruslan Chagaev is an undefeated powerhouse that just defeated John Ruiz, and is on a collision course with Valuev. Sultan Ibragimov isn?t great, but he is also undefeated and carries a big punch. Alexander Dimitrenko is doing pretty well as well.
I do remember when we had guys that would have all the titles and defend them regularly. Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield come to mind. Holyfield will not be mentioned as a contender now, but he WAS a great champion. Lennox Lewis defended his title quite often too, and he fought everyone. He didn?t pick and choose.
Thanks for the well wishes and likewise my friend.
A LITTLE MORE KLITSCHKO?HOW ABOUT JUST A SMIDGE MORE?
Geno,
This guy is clearly the best heavywieght in the world, and it seems everyone can see it except you. Also, nobody told Manny to shut up in the corner, he just said, ” I wont talk no more”, as in,thats all I’m gonna tell you. Please stop making up reasons to bash this fighter, and try to be more impartial in the future. Thanks,
Dan
Dan,
Hmm. I?m going to make up all sorts of reasons to bash this fighter. Reason #1: Dan likes him. I will have to send you a list because that is my favorite thing to do: make up reasons to bash fighters. Try to be more impartial in the future? Get bent. There, now I feel better. I apologize to everyone for that outburst. Sometimes, you just have to say something incorrect sometimes.
MORE HATE MAIL ABOUT WLAD
Geno,
Oh my god, I can’t believe what I read, how can you mention lamon brewster who was flushed by charles shufford, charles is the same guy that was crushed by wladimir so many years ago. I’m not saying lamon is a bum because of sergei wooping him, but you have to remember when wladimir was destroying him, don’t say wladimir ran out of gas because even the dumbest person out there would never punch himself out in just 4-5 rounds and wladimir could never make this mistake after punching himself out against ross purity.
The truth is your a klitschko hater if not racist and how can you diss wladimir, he is considered a much better fighter than lennox lewis, he beat lennox lewis gold medalist record by 3 years and become world champion at 24 years old as lennox lewis became world champion few month before turning 28. It not wladimir fault if don king don’t let him fight for unfication, and wladimir is not desperate or low like tyson, holyfield to get promoted by don king, wladimir keep himself away from scums and yes that mean even though he can’t have a unfication bout, but remember one thing wladimir klitschko will prove himself as one of the greatest ever fighter to live, if not the greatest ever. And please be positive if not, stop telling us how jealous you are
waseem sonny
Waseem,
Racist?have you seen my picture? What planet are you from. I?m guessing planet @#$#@head, but that?s just my opinion. Take it or leave it. Wlad is a better fighter than Lennox Lewis? Lewis would beat Wlad 100 out of 100 times. There is no comparison. Now, Lamon Brewster defeated Wlad, Luan Krasniqi, and Andrew Golota in impressive fashion. His bout with Sergei Liakhovich was the bout of the year and he lost that due to his biggest problem: consistency. That?s why he lost to Shufford and Etienne. He has mental lapses, but when Wlad has mental lapses, they carry him out of the ring.
Trust me on this. Don King is not the only shady guy out there. Boxing is ran by creeps, and part of the reason why there is no unification is because the people running it do not want to risk their portion. The boxers have very little to do with it. HBO wants to put Wlad in there with poor Oleg Maskaev because it?s a relatively easy fight and another title will be added to the Klitschko group, but they will not put him in there with a puncher with some ambition. HBO knows what I know and what you know. Wlad doesn?t handle punchers that well and if a guy has a heart and a punch, Team Klitschko will probably pass on the opportunity to fight him.
Wladimir?the greatest fighter ever? Better than Sugar Ray Robinson? Better than Joe Louis? Better than Muhammad Ali and George Foreman? You must have crap for brains?no offense.
THE MIX UP
Geno,
It looks like the most likely couple of fights lined up next for the PacMan are rematches (Barrera and Marquez), partially because it would be a great draw and partially because it is an easier match-up to make because they share the same promoter. My question is, why not mix those match-ups a bit? I would love to see Marquez fight Morales or Marquez vs. Barrera or Marquez vs. Joan Guzman or Pacquiao vs. Juarez. I think all these would make interesting matchups as well. BTW, what would your picks be in those possible matchups? Thanks Gino and keep up the stupendous writing…this is a great site!
Wowowee
Wowowee,
The reason that they don?t mix up the matches is because Pacman is the prize and they are prize fighters. Marquez vs. Morales doesn?t have the oomph. As far as I?m concerned though, JMM defeats Morales and Barrera by UDs at this point in their careers. I would favor Joan Guzman to out-point JMM, and Pacman destroys Rocky Juarez in a round or two, judging by his temperament. Thanks for the mad props!
Okay, people that is all for now. I hope that you all had a great turkey day and I will see you next week.
