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It seems like ages ago when
over 20,000 people flocked to see a boxing event in St. Louis.
“Event” is the word to use here as everyone wanted to be there,
wanted to be seen and entertained.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Now when it came to being entertained, many would think a knockout would be in store from one of the local, big-name fighters. That often was not the case.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Fast forward to 2011, and here we go again: another fight, a smaller crowd and the same hope. Sorry, no sale again.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>While the likes of Cory Spinks help put boxing back on the map in St. Louis, the well is running dry when it comes to entertainment. You can still find the bush-league tactics of the blowhards, as if that sell tickets. Yet somehow Don King has used his skill to convince HBO and Showtime that these fights will be a good show.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>It is amazing that with all the free publicity, a genuine nice, local guy in Devon Alexander and even the “Irish Outlaw” Ryan Coyne on the card that more people do not give these events more love.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>People do not come out to see local guys fight who cannot deliver a knockout. Alexander’s opponent on Saturday, “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Lucas Matthysse,
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>is known in the boxing community. The fact that Devon could not get him near the canvas is disappointing to say the least. Alexander needs a new game plan, as the current one no longer works in or out of the ring.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>After the Flood “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>If you want to have a better understanding of how baseball arrived at the soaring salaries we see today, watch the HBO documentary The Curious Case of Curt Flood. It chronicles the intriguing court case surrounding former Cardinal outfielder Curt Flood and his refusal to accept a trade to another team. He fought it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where he lost, but it changed the way business is done in baseball. It cost him his career, and today’s players have no clue what he did for them and their way of life. It’s a must-watch history lesson that premieres on HBO on July 13. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Consultant to what? “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Remember Dave Checketts? Carpetbagger Blues owner who thought it was a good idea to include Russ Limbaugh as an investor for his proposed bid to buy the Rams. He also decided to mix his politics with sports when he allowed then vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin to be part of a ceremonial puck drop in St. Louis while she was running for office.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>In his five years in town, the Blues have made the playoffs once and were eliminated in four games. The Blues have been for sale for some time as Checketts’ financing reportedly has run out, but he continues to hold on.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>Now Checketts has been hired by the Detroit Pistons as a consultant. Consultant to what? In his time running Utah and the Knicks they got to the Finals twice, once during the strike-shortened season and the other solely because of Pat Riley. So let’s not build a statue for Checketts and his contribution to the NBA.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>3 out of 10 ain’t bad “font-family: Verdana;”>
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>It’s often said, at least in this paper, that the Cardinals do not have enough black players in their organization. In the most recent baseball draft, the Cardinals drafted three African Americans in the first 10 picks, one of which was from the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program in Los Angeles. If these players make it to the show, it will not be overnight as it will take at least three to four years before they could have an impact. It’s a slow process to fix an ongoing problem, but it is a start.
