Posted on 05/11/2011 1:20:48 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement
Bernard Hopkins is one of boxings all-time greatest fighters (and perhaps the best middleweight in history). But hes certainly not an effective ambassador for the sport.
Which he proved yet again Tuesday when promoting his May 21 fight against Jean Pascal in which Hopkins will try to become the oldest-ever world champion in any weight class.
For some reason, Hopkins had a hankering to talk about Redskins QB Donovan McNabb, and it wasnt in very complimentary terms. In fact, this was more of a Rush Limbaugh-style rant.
Hopkins basically said McNabb isnt a black man in the same way Hopkins is a black man. Or Terrell Owens and Michael Vick are black men, for that matter.
(Excerpt) Read more at eye-on-football.blogs.cbssports.com ...
And the Won is?
Uh, no. That would be Sugar Ray Robinson. Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler are also ahead of Hopkins.
Hopkins basically said McNabb isnt a black man in the same way Hopkins is a black man. Or Terrell Owens and Michael Vick are black men
So in Hopkins' view, mentally unstable prima donnas (Owens) and dog torturers (Vick) are "real" black men.
That was my alternate post idea. :-)
Never heard of him before.
Getting into the ring at the advanced age of 46 might just land Bernard Hopkins at Johns Hopkins.
Hopkins isn’t exactly Stephen Hawking. But, he really is one of the best and toughest boxers of all time. I’m not surprised he doesn’t consider McNabb “black” enough considering that Hopkins had a true “street” upbringing and did prison time in his younger days.
}:-)4
Different division but one of the best sporting experiences I saw live was Arguello-Pryor in the Orange Bowl, early 1980s.
That speaks more to the current state of Boxing than it does about Hopkins who, despite his inane comments, was a helluva fighter. The problem is that there are multiple governing bodies in the sport and a whole lot of weight classes. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, there was one champion in each division, and the divisions were heavyweight, light-heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, bantamweight, and flyweight. Now, they've inserted classes between the classes and there are just too many to keep up with. I'd venture to say that up through the early 1970s, virtually every sports fan could quickly name the current heavyweight champion of the world. Today, almost no one can.
By the way, I love your tagline.
I would add Carmen Basilio,Jake LaMotta,Rocky Graziano,Gene Fullmer and Tony Zale to your list...which might prove that I may be a little older than you!
Does Hopkins consider McNabb as balack as say...Bill Clinton?
I saw that bout on TV. Yep, one of the most exciting fights ever. The rematch in Vegas a year later was good, but not quite up to the level of the first. (I was rooting for Arguello both times). Turns out Pryor had some chemical help in both bouts.
"..Hopkins turned to crime early in his life. By the age of thirteen he was mugging people and had been stabbed three times. At seventeen, Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years in Graterford Prison for nine felonies. While in prison he witnessed rapes and the murder of another inmate in an argument over a pack of cigarettes, but also discovered his passion for boxing. After serving almost five years, Hopkins was released from prison in 1988, decided to use boxing as an escape from his previous life, and converted to Islam..."
And Harry Greb and Stanley Ketchel as well, if you want to go waaay back.
Don’t these people think of anything other than race?
The truth is that McNabb has never been ‘good’ enough. All other considerations are irrelevant except to those who can’t let an hour pass without thinking about race.
This of course would leave huge holes in ESPN’s programming schedule but them’s the breaks.
The wonders of YouTube. It looks like the entire bout can be found here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O39psaFgk_U
Hopkins has always been a racist. A disgusting jerk that has never gotten (and will never get) my pay-per-view dollars.
I hope he loses miserably.
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