Doghouse Boxing - Dog Pound

Do we treat Floyd fairly? (Part 2)

April, 23, 2012
Apr 23
1:10
PM ET
By Michael Woods | ESPNNewYork.com

When pondering if the boxing media treats Floyd Mayweather fairly, can we all agree it's not like Pacquiao is St. Manny, that he has been prone to behavior that proves he struggles with embracing the hard right over the easy wrong? There were reports of him cheating, stepping out on his wife, in 2009 and again this February. The tabloid press in the Philippines is all over it, but it doesn't get much traction here. Is that because it's out of site, out of mind? Because our press doesn't have solid access to confirm or deny the allegations? Or because our press is more likely to tread lightly with Manny because he is a humble warrior, he is respectful of our media and doesn't accuse them of bias or the like?

Would the press have handled an admission of a fondness for cockfighting from Mayweather in the same manner as when Pacman, in fall of 2011, admitted he liked to watch the birds battle? I can't say for sure, because this has too many apples and oranges elements to it, but at the least, I think the question bears asking.

For sure, many Mayweather fans think Manny gets a free ride from us. Many believe that it is the height of hypocrisy for the Bible-thumping Congressman, newly immersed in a hardcore commitment to the word of the Lord, to be simultaneously shilling for the cognac Hennessy. Me, I don't possess any real interest or knowledge of where the Bible stands on booze, so it's not an issue that resonated with me, but again, the question at least bears asking. And maybe it has been asked and answered enough, I can't say.

Fair to say that we covered Mayweather's regular dustups with Johnny Law, those beefs with security guards and his ex, quite thoroughly? Did we cover those flareups that much more intently because he isn't the humble warrior maybe some of us lionize that much more? If he had that beatific Manny grin, and wasn't prone to the incendiary Ustream rants and such, would we have dug in as hard? The question bears asking.

About that flareup with his ex. The courts decided it was more than a flareup, as Mayweather was sentenced last December to serve three months or less for domestic violence. Floyd periodically protested during his bad run of outside-the-ring beefs that he was a target, that people would pester him, in hopes of provoking him, and hitting a lawsuit jackpot. His advisor Leonard Ellerbe on last Saturday's 24/7 said that Mayweather took a plea to shield his family from further scrutiny and stress, and many reacted with skepticism to Ellerbe's explanation. But I want to keep an open mind on the subject. No, not on hitting women; I'm not a dunce like Jose Sulaiman. Violence is never an answer, really, for anything. That should go without saying. But I operate with eyes wide open enough to know that justice isn't always blind. I know that black males are locked up almost six times the rate of whites, that blacks make up 35% of the jail and prison population while comprising less than 10% of the US population, that black males have about a 1 in 3 chance of being locked up in their lives.

In other words, just because a judge or jury sentenced someone for something, I do not blindly accept the verdict as just. I mean, about 2% of persons placed on death row were found innocent upon further appeal. I simply think it is wise for people like me, white, born into upper middle class circumstance, to regularly ponder the upbringing and circumstances of people who didn't grow up like us. Now, I fear that I'm getting into apologist territory here, and that's not my desire. I just think sometimes all of us are quick to judge, and then be jury, and don't factor in all parts of the equation.

Living the way he does, promoting himself like he does.....actively portraying himself as the villain all the time, along with all his legal issues.....yeah, he's treated fairly.  He asks for all this attention.  You reap what you sow.

I'm fair to everyone.

rayajr, on 23 April 2012 - 01:56 PM, said:

you overcharge for tacos

bazooka, on 23 April 2012 - 01:56 PM, said:

My customers understand quality.

rayajr, on 23 April 2012 - 01:59 PM, said:

yes and that's why you're overpriced

Nope. It's ok for Team Martinez to say the top middleweight contenders don't have big enough names for him to fight Pirog or Golovkin, yet whenever Floyd is mentioned for Martinez people jump on what Floyd might say and put negative spins on it because Martinez is relatively unknown.

Floyd buys his contract out and fights Oscar instead of Marg, it's a "duck".
Bradley waits out his contract and fights Casamayor instead of Khan, it's "smart business".

Pac goes above the commission to implement weight penalties on fighters and it's "preventing weight cheats"
Floyd asks for random blood tests during camp and it's "looking for a way out of the fight"

Just a couple things that stand out.

bazooka, on 23 April 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Pretty much.

bazooka, on 23 April 2012 - 02:04 PM, said:

We use only the best ingredients. I used to sell my marinated meat to other restaurants. Our salsa is nearly as famous as your mom. (for both spicy and tasty)

turbotime, on 23 April 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

I can point out one thing that stands out in the post......some missing info in your argument.  Like the part about floyd ducking margarito in which nobody knew about the details for at least a year, maybe two years after the fact.  It was smart business for floyd to leave.  Had we all been provided with the details immediately, more people would have come to the proper conclusion.  As it was, it appeared to be a duck.  It helps to keep things in proper context.

turbotime, on 23 April 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

Those Floyd fans who supported the Oscar fight went with the argument about $$$ and Floyd would fight Margarito next.  After the rematch negotiations failed because it was still the Oscar show, The pressure was on for him to fight Margarito, Floyd answered with announcing retirement.  Everyone knew he would be back.

I have a feeling if he can't secure the Alvarez fight ( I hope he can't) there will be so much pressure for a Manny fight or Martinez fight.  Mayweather has created a road block by moving to 154 and saying he's staying there, knowing that Manny is not going to fight anywhere near there.  But he's also put him self in a spot where Martinez will call him out and is willing to move down.

So I expect if he can't sucker GBP to feed him Alavarez he will retire, because noone will be to happy with any other fight.

bazooka, on 23 April 2012 - 02:31 PM, said:

It doesn't matter when anyone found out the details. That doesn't change the facts. Sure Floud could have fought Tony, but it made way too much sense to bolt TR and fight Oscar. The rest is history.

rayajr, on 23 April 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

Yes it DOES matter.  If you were capable of comprehending what I just said, you'd know that perception is about the facts we have in front of us at the time.  If some of the facts are kept private for a year or two, do you really think public perception is going to be fair to Floyd?  As it was, the perception was fair to him based on what we knew at that time.  Again......floyd reaps what he sows.

bazooka, on 23 April 2012 - 02:31 PM, said:

The details were in this article almost immediately after Floyd opted for the buyout.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=2420382

Floyd universally gets praise, respect and admiration for his skills and talent in the ring, which is most important. All the rest of the attention is from the persona he has choosen.