610, as its known, for short, is pound-for-pound, the best sports radio talk station in the country. That’s right, I said it. Nothing those other radio stations do for their fan base (especially in New York) can hang with the boys at 610. I mean, 610 is the home of Wing Bowl; the Buffalo wing eating contest that takes place at six in the morning. It’s a classic event that has grown in size (they filled the soon-to-be torn down Spectrum to near capacity). Seriously, it’s amazing to see overweight men reach for one last piece of glory as they pile bone after bone onto their plates.
Although 610 always treat their fans accordingly, they, at least, choose to educate the masses. They do so, even when it means that they have to disenfranchise a delusional fan (like the Cowboy lovers who have never once stepped foot in Dallas or the fan that is only a Cowboy lover in order to be that guy at the end of a Philly bar). One thing is always clear in terms of subject matter: major sports (Sixers, Phillies, Flyers and Eagles) are the main drive of the station. Especially concerning Eagles talk, Philadelphia is known for the passion they bring to the table when dealing with their beloved football franchise.
That is what made this night so interesting to me. On the eve of one of the biggest games in recent birds history (ugh, what an awful game against Dallas that was), Paul “Jolly” Jolovitz was doing his thing, as I hit the station. I love to listen to “Jolly” for several reasons.
He always lets his listeners state their points and loves to engage in thoughtful conversations, if he agrees or just agrees to disagree. He also has a great knowledge for all sports; beyond just the major four. Please, if you’re going to be inclined to call in after reading this article, there’s one thing “Jolly” can’t stand and that’s a “stupid caller.” Call if you’re going to state your points and have a productive dialog because, seriously, it’s beneficial to all parties involved if you do so.
So you could imagine that on a night that should have been dedicated to Eagles talk, how I was so stunned that I could hear my jaw smash against my steering wheel when I heard him say, “Who cares just as long as they fight? I mean that is the beautiful thing about boxing and its fans. They just want to see the good fighters fight, that’s what matters. That’s what’s different from MMA. Boxing fans know who the real deal is and who isn’t.”
Yes, like everyone else in the boxing world, he was talking about the still-tentative fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. That’s right, for a few moments in time, even during a huge football weekend in Philadelphia, sports talk radio (the best around) focused on boxing.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Yeah,” was all that could come out of my shocked mouth. After I picked my jaw back up and got my initial screams out, I started to actually listen closely to what was being said between the caller and “Jolly.”
To his credit, again, “Jolly” handled the caller with the bare facts of the situation; never mind the stupid steroid testing. Of course, it tickled me even more that he had my thoughts on the situation (which is the reason why I have purposefully not written any thing about Pacquiao or Mayweather).
Let’s honestly take a look at what is going on here. One man is a master at marketing himself with an image that he has nurtured since he rejected Bob Arum’s attempts at making him the next Sugar Ray Leonard. After all, that was the original plan for Mayweather coming out of the Olympics. Why do you think Mayweather and Bob don’t get along? You really think Bob Arum and Top Rank wanted to help promote Mayweather and his attempts at being a gangster boxer? The second Mayweather chose to look out the window of the private jet instead of listening and loving what Ray Leonard had to say was the second his relationship with Top Rank started its downward spiral.
Again, Mayweather, to his credit, has done it his way and has become a mainstream figure. This is why I chose to view him as an articulate and soft-spoken man; his appearance on “Joe Buck Live” is a prime example. Mayweather chooses to carry his other persona around in order to market himself and get more pay-per-view buys and butts in the seats.
It was clear that his skill alone was not going to do it. Instead of marketing his skills and what he does inside of the ring that no one else can do, like he does (technical skill, ring generalship, and all around ring savvy), he chose to create an image that would captivate some and leave the rest praying for his downfall. Either way you view Mayweather, the point he cares about is that you’re looking.
His attempt at making his polar opposite, in terms of marketing and image, Pacquiao, take these Olympic-style tests are his way of adding extra spice to an already boiling pot of stew that is the fight. See, he was right by doing this. Mayweather has everyone talking about the fight. Even if we could all see right through what “Money” was doing.
It’s a shame that it has gotten to the point now where he may have overplayed his hand. Come on, Floyd. Seriously? Blood tests? You know, not for nothing but, Miguel Cotto didn’t ask for over eight million to fight Margarito. He didn’t get nearly that much to get blasted with rock hard fists for 11 rounds. Nor did he ask Shane Mosley (who you still have yet to fight) for blood tests. Same goes for Cotto’s last fight with Pacquiao. He just made the fights because it they were the fights that the fans wanted. Plus, win or lose, it would prove his greatness; or, at least, his willingness to try and prove it. In boxing, like in every other business, numbers don’t lie.
Hey, Floyd, guess what else doesn’t lie when it comes to measuring greatness in a fighter? Quality threatening names that account for serious challenges throughout your ENTIRE career (notice the caps. That doesn’t just mean a threat even if you are the bigger man). Something that, since your opposite persona has been in charge, has not really been top-notch. I mean, you got some names, but they have yet to pose serious threats to measure your greatness.
Hey, maybe Mayweather knows something we all don’t know. Maybe he is just that good so he can make these smaller men look like easy outs. But, for now, I’ll settle with you going to where the most money is, no matter what; since it’s clear that’s what’s most important to “Money.”
You made your point, it worked. Now the tide is going to turn. Now everyone is going to say, “Just make the fight, already.” Why are two grown men that are set to make and break records financially crying over this little detail? Well, it’s simple: ego and pride are coming into play. As we all know with having to deal with real life, ego and pride can be factors that contribute to a great downfall.
I’m just hoping that this is not the case for this fight. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the proposed March 13th date was pushed back anyway. Not too far back, but just back enough. Like our very own Steve Kim mentioned in an earlier piece, the fight is scheduled too close to other major sporting events. It wouldn’t hurt this fight to be moved back towards early May; which happens to be around the time Juan Manuel Marquez returns (see where I’m going with this?).
However it works itself out, I think the time of striking while the iron was hot passed when these stupid mediations began. Sports talk has shifted back to the NFL playoffs and the bowl season. At this point, all the fight is going to get is a quick mention and an even quicker impression of the fight and its outcome. Of course, this is until the two camps actually begin their training. But the hype and hoopla over the fight has faded away and rightly so; thanks to Mayweather.
Pride and ego stepped in the way of having the fight take place right away. So now, let’s just hope the fight gets done, which it most likely will. Like “Jolly” stated, “There is a huge pot of money that both guys are going to have their hands in. Just get the fight done. No one wants to see or cares about Pacquiao fighting Paulie-whoever. They want Pacquiao against Mayweather.”
With that, the caller was done and so was the boxing conversation. “Jolly” made it clear that what everyone, including Yours Truly, cares about is the actual fight. Boxing fans are too knowledgeable to accept months of litigation and mediation and whatever else Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank people want to call it. NO ONE CARES. In the end, both parties and both promotional groups are going to get enough money to feed small countries.
Ego and pride that are getting in the way of the fans getting what they want. It’s Mayweather overselling himself and his ways to the public. Since numbers don’t lie- well, the ones that you guys are about to make and set- negate anything else in the build-up of this fight. If “Money” matters most, stop putting yourself in the way of making some.
*****
I find it interesting that the day after initially writing this article, the fight was officially called off. So as of now, NO Mayweather-Pacquiao. Gone are the days when fighters fight everyone under the sun, based off of their self-knowledge that they can beat anyone at anytime. Where have you gone, Willie “The Worm” Monroe, “Bad” Bennie Briscoe, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts and the rest of the real fighters that used to fight in the Philadelphia gym wars back in the 70s? Sheesh, these guys would bang all night and those were just the sparring sessions.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler, funny enough, was the guy that beat all of these tough men from Philly and said it best in the “Legendary Nights” series from HBO, “A million dollars? A million dollars? Are you crazy? I’d cut my pinky off for a million dollars.” I love how guys like Hagler never let the money or the notoriety get to their heads. Now that is what I call “keeping it real.” Maybe Mayweather and most of Hollywood need to sit down for a night with this man and just listen to what he has to say.
*****
I am sending out my sincere condolences to the family of Miguel Cotto. Puerto Rico boxing and the entire boxing world is going to miss Miguel Cotto Sr. It was my pleasure to deal with him and his son while working for miguelcotto.com sometime ago. He was truly an upstanding and God-fearing man that loved his family to the core (the way it should be).
*****
On a lighter note, Temple University really let me down these past two weeks. Just when I started to care about my Owls again, they forget to play the second half of their bowl game against UCLA and their basketball team threw up an egg against Kansas. To make matters worse, I have to listen to every supposed Cowboy fan in this city rant about how they are the best in the NFL or, at least, the NFC. To them all I have to say is, “1996 and we will see you this weekend.”
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