Ali & Frazier
Joe Namath
Fran Tarkenton
I love sports! We go way back… I remember sitting with my dad in front of the television at around three or four years old watching every punch thrown by Ali and Frazier as they tore up the ring. Long gone are the days of Joe Namath and Fran Tarkenton ripping up the football field. I was glued to the TV as Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci flew across the gymnastic apparatus. They were my favorites. I wanted to be them. My dad exposed me to the world of sports and I caught the bug quickly. I give credit to the cool relationship I have with my dad to sports because no matter what we were going through, sports always smoothed things over.
My atypical relationship with sports has diminished over the years. Why you ask? I miss the days of Walt Frazier and Earl the Pearl’s type of excitement. Can you feel me? In my opinion, sports lack excitement (when it was just about the game and not money) and is less talent driven because of that dirty green paper. Just look at some of the sons and daughters of the sports figures of old that are involved in sports; I am just not enthused nor impressed.
Walt Frazier and Earl the Pearl
Olga Korbut
Nadia Comaneci
Okay, I rambled on about that now let’s get to the real reason I wrote this article. Should I care that Pacquiao and Clottey are fighting tonight? I am not excited. Politics has taken over the sport because I should know who Clottey is, but honesty I really don’t. After all I haven’t even written my article on March Madness. (Don’t worry it is more of the same.) I do like Pacquiao; it’s his humble sportsmanship that gets me. He has beat down some good contenders (matter of opinion), but Clottey is a natural welterweight and this might pose some problems for Pac Man, but I am not too sure… with Pac Man’s relentless energy and will (not to mention he can take a punch); he just keeps on coming. I should know more about Clottey (this might be a matter of promotion that I don’t). I do feel he was robbed in his bout against Cotto. Yeah I said it! As a sports enthusiast I should know more of what is going on, but the politics of it all has just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Tale of the Tape:
Pacquiao & Clottey
Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao: AGE – 31, WEIGHT – 145 3/4, HEIGHT – 5-6 1/2, REACH - 67″, STANCE – Southpaw, RECORD – 50-3-2, KOs – 38
Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey: AGE - 32, WEIGHT – 147, HEIGHT – 5-8, REACH - 70″, STANCE – Orthodox, RECORD – 35-3-0, KOs – 20
