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

[ryanman]

"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.

Yea totally agree mate. I've been into boxing since i was a young boy, and throughout most of that time have had nobody to discuss it with as my friends are either into football or no sports at all. I tried for years to convert them to this amazing sport but with only limited success. They would take an interest for the big fights, but little else. Couldn't blame them really, i mean they had no real way to access it. I'd tell them about a great fighter or a great fight, they might say 'oh wow,that sounds good', but i had nothing to back it up for, save for my blurry collection of VHS. Now, within seconds, i can be showing them Castillo-Corrales or Ward-Gatti. I defy anybody who watches something like that and not become a fan. Now almost all my friends have some level of interest, and one is now a big fan. I can't describe the joy of having my friend call me up to discuss things such as whether Kevin Mitchell can win a title, or that Khan has joined Roach, or calling up frantic when Mayweather - Marquez was postponed. For somebody who either had to watch boxing on his own or with half-interested friends this is a real joy. The internet takes the sport we love to new people, and allows people to stay in touch with the latest happenings. It keeps the knowledgable fan in the know, and with an endless supply of fights, new and old, and is the most powerful way of generating new fans.

[God.in.my.corner]

I gotta agree with FightFan. I love Tedy, but he's still stuck in the 1980s. Boxing's future viability depends on the internet. I think Tedy should have seperated the boxing news element from the keyboard warrior mentality of some of the analysts/board posters.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

It's weird. I reckon everyone on here has at times read 'reports' from some backyardwannabehicksville writer.com and groaned when someone here has posted a link to it and tried to legitimise their ramble for/against fighter A. Now I'm not being down on anyone who wants to embark on a writing career but they are 10 a penny and I can imagine the frustration of those in the trade inundated with interview requests.

Perhaps Teddy should take a look at the boxing forums and experience the good, the bad and the downright ugly and then take a look at the regular press.

The internet because of it's immediacy has broken any number of stories before it every hits mainstream. In fact very little boxing EVER makes the TV news and only occasionally in the papers and when they do it tends to to be one or two boxers. No coverage of the lesser known fighters plying their trade week in week out. The internet allows this. It encourages (mostly) honest debate precisely because we don't have to worry about pissing off a boxer/trainer/manager/promoter/network/and being refused access to them.

[jokaleras]

both men got a point.

[ryanman]

both men got a point.

you got your 100 posts now. Well done. Now you can start writing posts of more than 5 words.

[BoxingGorilla]

Teddy's just mad that he can never break the top 30 in our prediction contest.

I found Atlas and his wry comments pretty funny. "Bloody Nose Boxing" is my second favorite site.

I think Bernstein is a good man for sticking up for us. Still, I have often made a mooncalf out of myself on this forum.