All of a sudden, HBO’s Jim Lampley is no longer a good ringside announcer! His critics compare him to the famous Don Dunphy, and Jim comes out on the short end. To make matters worse, he is accused of bias, and even racism. The “geniuses” (a word made famous by columnist Sid Hartman) single out Jim, leaving Max Kellerman and Roy Jones, Jr. relatively unscathed.
All of a sudden, Jim isn’t fair, and according to Sergio Mora, it’s because Jim has become a fan of some fighters. Somehow that has tainted his commentary. The stupidity continues. According to these geniuses, announcers should only be boxers or trainers, not someone who has never been either. Wow, these twits better let the hall of fame know. Maybe they can un-induct Jim, Larry Merchant, Harold Lederman, and soon to be Steve Farhood and Barry Tomkins. Knuckleheads!
Why all the fuss? Apparently, there are some pretty thinned skinned people out there. Virgil Hunter for example cannot fathom the possibility that there might be a difference of opinion out there. As far as Jim Lampley is concerned, Virgil points out one instance when Jim mistakenly gave credit for a blow landing, but review of the tape showed the punch didn’t land. Close, but no cigar. That’s enough for Virgil to say, shame on you Jim. It’s enough for Hunter and Mora to dismiss the value of Lampley’s efforts. The bottom line is they think Ward deserved the decision, and are offended by those who think otherwise. It’s like some wag said, “… these experts write the best alibis for being wrong.”
The truth is, even for fans of Ward, Kovalev won the fight! Hey, the opposing viewpoint should be respected too. It doesn’t mean Andre SOG Ward is not a great fighter. He has proven that over and over again. However, most are in agreement that Kovalev won the first half of the fight, plus an extra point for the knockdown. It should be inconceivable for anyone to believe that Ward took the entire second half of the fight. Regardless, there’s still the knockdown. Kovalev won the fight.
Furthermore, what Ward was doing was not infighting. What Ward was doing might have been smart for an outgunned fighter. But, it was not scientific. It was “ready, set, hike” the ball and charge ahead. Stay low and get your shoulder into your opponent’s gut. Force him to lower his arms. Tactics such as “blows landed by the shoulder” are not normally rewarded with points. If points are given, it’s probably because the judge is a biased fan? Ask Sergio Mora. His barb against Jim now appears to have turned around and jabbed him.
It’s almost as if these critics want “reductio ad absurdum” to push boxing into the politically correct world. Imagine the day when announcers cannot become fans, and have to refrain from using persuasive and descriptive words for a fighter such as: aggressor, puncher, knockout artist, clever, stylist, tough, graceful, favorite, fast, defensive……..et al. There will be no more “aliases”!
Before that happens, let’s have the rematch. Get the contracts signed and a date set. Kovalev is raring to go. In fact, he was ready to go again before leaving the ring. He’s put his John Hancock on a contract, so what’s holding up things?
Come on Andre and Virgil, quit talking like you won the fight, and act like you believe it. Remove all doubt and get back into the ring with the Krusher (Oops, there goes one of those pc words). Let’s defend that disputed crown. Your fans are eager to have you once again display your superiority. Loosen up that shoulder and let’s go.
Don’t worry now about Jim, because you can bet he will be fans of both you and Sergey. Everything is going your way. Now, remove all doubt and prove you deserve it. Concerning all the criticism of Jim Lampley, don’t worry he will be all right. Your fans can continue to criticize him. Jim can take it. He’s been around for a long time. The fact is he’s an icon, an american sportscaster, news anchor, and film producer, and when needed, he rises above all the b.s. He will continue to inform and entertain us at an award winning level. That’s because he’s a Hall of Famer, and I’m a fan.
