Al Bernstein On Boxing: Sorry To Disagree, But...

[Saddo]

I can count on one hand the times in my 30 year career that I have expressed disagreement with any of my broadcasting colleagues in a public forum.

Mind you, I have often disagreed, but seldom if ever have I spoken out. My style as a communicator is not built on argument or confrontation and I don’t really understand “media feuds.” And, I am certainly not trying to ignite one here.

All that having been said, I feel called upon to strongly disagree with some of the opinions expressed by ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas in a recent interview I read on the internet.

I’ll further qualify this (how much qualifying can one man do?) by saying that Teddy and I have never had any issue with each other on a personal basis, and we have many mutual friends.

So, this column is really a reaction to his comments and there is nothing else behind it.

In this recent interview, Teddy makes some all inclusive comments about the internet that I think are very unfair and ina... Full Boxing Article here...

[Youngblood]

Teddy knows boxing. Teddy don't know scoring. or much else.

[Violent Demise]

Bernstein is the muthafukkin man. He knows what's up. I have yet to really disagree with any of his view points. He has an outstanding Boxing mind

[TheMacMagician]

The internet, in about 95 percent cases, connects me to boxing. Thats my avenue, and i'm damn sure i'm not alone. If it wasn't for the omnipresence of boxing on the internet, it would certainly have one less fan, and probably countless others. I think they should give Teddy Atlas a job somewhere else hidden away where he can take his uber metaphoric ass and tell someone who gives a shit.........

[Diane]

Teddy is an idiot, and needs to get with the times.

If it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't know most of what is going on in boxing. The network he works for, sure as $hit doesn't give it enough coverage.

I can honestly say that I have learned a lot from some writers, and even from some members here. How is that a bad thing.

[Kel]

"Boxings future DEPENDS on the internet"

100% agree and if it was not for Saddo's I'd still be sat in the pub talking to people who know fuck all about boxing.

Teddy is scared of technology or someshit, either that or he ain't took the time to find the 'real' boxing related sites.

[killersheep]

No other medium can provide global interaction like the internet. It's really a no brainer. Cheers to you Al, it's good to have you on board. Atlas doesn't bother me as much he does a lot of people, he's a known quantity he's gonna repeat over and over what he thinks is important for a fighter to win a fight.

[jokaleras]

speak your mind al bernstein. how are you doing? it's good to hear from you again.

[jamiebhoy]

Without the internet I would be lost on what's happening. I rely on this site in particular for my news and access to watching sites thanks to the people on here who are able to share fights.

With the stripping away of terestrial television covered fights, you are only able to see the bigger fights if you have access to cable tv,satellite etc and even then you have to pay additional costs.

Look at your local newspaper , how much boxing news is in there. Where do you look, the internet.

To knock the most modern and technological advancement since television is just ignorant. Even my 87 year old grandmother has internet access.

To tar us all with the same brush and say that we need to get a life and we are not knowledgable is again ignorant.

It's a standing joke in my house about me having my cyber buddies since I joined here short time ago, but without this place i would be as Kel said reduced to talking to peole who last watched Tyson in his prime and think they are boxing fans.

Get a PC Teddy and have a quick lesson on how to surf the net, you'll find that there's a whole new world waiting, and someone might even talk to you

maybe we should invite Teddy to the board for a day and show him we can ask intelligent questions based on some pretty good knowledge of the sport.

[killersheep]

To be fair if Teddy did get online and saw what people post about him, it probably wouldn't be pleasant and would definately take it out on Saul in the "fight plan"

[jokaleras]

To be fair if Teddy did get online and saw what people post about him, it probably wouldn't be pleasant and would definately take it out on Saul in the "fight plan"

lol true. he just might cross the threshold.

[The Fightfan]

Well after reading about it I can see were Teddy is coming from. How would you like it if you have trained champions and someone from god knows where on the internet and half your age tells you how to train fighter's. Teddy is old school he really doesn't know much about the internet he is used to that close group circle of sportswriter's that came to him before and after his fight's and asked him and his fighter's questions. Just imagine talking with say Howard Cossell, Gil Clancy, Don Dunphy, Larry Merchant and then BAM you have fucking Max Kellerman critiquqing your training abilities and fighter's accomplishments. Someone who really just gets into the game by naming names like Slapsie Maxie Roosenbloom etc without ever really studying the fight films and studying fighter's.

Another reason I can understand Teddy's frustration is simply the reason of the lifestyle he has had to live and then having some yuppie punk driving around a Beamer from their mommy and daddy's money telling him what is wrong with the sport of boxing and never been in an actual boxing match or street fight in their life. These people have no idea what it's like to come up from poverty through the ranking's and just for these asshole web writer's to call them a bum when they lose a big fight when they themselves would never dare to lace em' up and get in the ring.

Maybe I am getting off track a bit here but I notice alot of boxing bloggers , web writer's and so on to just put fighter's down without ever really getting a feel of going to one of these fight's and sitting there in press row asking the fighter's questions about the upcoming bout or post fight interviews. They can all simply write what they want, whenever they want and put down whoever without ever meeting face to face with any of the fighter's or trainer's on their websites.

[Spicoli]

Great,great read and over due topic.Can relate much to both points of view and like many on here have lived with zero internet while following the sport honestly up until roughly 2006 consistently .Hey,some are brought into the new world kicking and scratching but once they are there?No going back...unless your laptop takes a flight off the balcony ha.And some just dont have the bank or availability.Trust me enjoy what we have.It used to be all notebooks,pen and pad and being a week behind.Bottom line is that we are in a new world and boxing has gone global like never before.You can change with the times or you can collect dust!It is an entirely different world as a fan & could go on for days with this.Its not only boxing.How many bloggers,'I' reporters cramp the styles of old school print journalist or TV anchorman.Being in the instant is now,Its passing you by and you can-must climb aboard or fall far,far behind.Crazy timing,was thinking up a blog last night 'peaking in the 90's...pre and post internet' but timed me out and deleted everything!

The ability of the fans to become hands on and at the forefront of expressions,contributions is priceless to the sport as a whole.I'd venture to say that the vast majority of site writers on the Boxing sites are first and foremost well versed fans,not some fly by night half hearted beat writer trying to make a deadline and then move on,a few couldn't tell you the difference between a Featherweight and the paperweight on their desk.The internet is here to stay and in 10 years or less what we know today will be 'ol school.Its a constant.

[Fenster]

Lots of people in the boxing business, like Teddy, (Where's TM gone?) don't seem to get that the majority of fans don't understand anything about the actual business.

Regulars on internet sites are pure Boxing nerds. True fans. They want to see the best fight the best. They want to see good sportsmanship. They want the fighters to be heroes.

So obviously you get lots of overly critical, colourful, naive opinions. It's all about the love of boxing.

[Fenster]

Well after reading about it I can see were Teddy is coming from. How would you like it if you have trained champions and someone from god knows where on the internet and half your age tells you how to train fighter's. Teddy is old school he really doesn't know much about the internet he is used to that close group circle of sportswriter's that came to him before and after his fight's and asked him and his fighter's questions. Just imagine talking with say Howard Cossell, Gil Clancy, Don Dunphy, Larry Merchant and then BAM you have fucking Max Kellerman critiquqing your training abilities and fighter's accomplishments. Someone who really just gets into the game by naming names like Slapsie Maxie Roosenbloom etc without ever really studying the fight films and studying fighter's.

Another reason I can understand Teddy's frustration is simply the reason of the lifestyle he has had to live and then having some yuppie punk driving around a Beamer from their mommy and daddy's money telling him what is wrong with the sport of boxing and never been in an actual boxing match or street fight in their life. These people have no idea what it's like to come up from poverty through the ranking's and just for these asshole web writer's to call them a bum when they lose a big fight when they themselves would never dare to lace em' up and get in the ring.

Maybe I am getting off track a bit here but I notice alot of boxing bloggers , web writer's and so on to just put fighter's down without ever really getting a feel of going to one of these fight's and sitting there in press row asking the fighter's questions about the upcoming bout or post fight interviews. They can all simply write what they want, whenever they want and put down whoever without ever meeting face to face with any of the fighter's or trainer's on their websites.

Next time you're calling David Haye a "pussy" or "coward" I hope you think of what you wrote here.