This weekend was already going to be one of my favorite sports weekends of the year.
I am, and have been for a long time, an NFL Draft fan. I used to spend every single hour of the event in front of a TV watching every single pick. It’s just something that always fascinates me.
But the draft wasn’t the only thing on TV this weekend. Saturday was a sports buffet. There was an option for almost any fan.
There was the draft for NFL fans. There was the Kentucky Derby for horse racing fans. There was Game 7 of the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs playoff series for NBA and basketball fans.
I even had the chance to watch my Cincinnati Reds on national TV. And the nationally ranked Iowa baseball team had one of their games against Michigan aired on the Big Ten Network.
There was literally something for everyone.
But unfortunately, the night ended with a big thud.
The highlight of the night for most was the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
I never thought Mayweather would lose. He was undefeated and a holder of multiple titles for a reason.
But I don’t know many people who were rooting for him. His history of domestic violence against women has been well documented. The stories I read this weekend painted an even worse picture of the man he is.
You know things are bad when you’re an American fighter and are getting booed by Americans in favor of an opponent outside of the United States.
Typically, fans in America are loyal to Americans. But there is nothing to like outside the ring when it involves Mayweather.
He even took things a step further this week when he, and his camp, banned two female reporters from covering the fight.
Rachel Nichols, formerly of ESPN and now CNN, and Michelle Beadle of ESPN, were both outspoken about what Mayweather’s history is. And for that, for them doing their job, he told them they couldn’t cover the fight as journalists.
That is just the type of scum he is.
Unfortunately, we can’t deny his talents. He quite possibly could go down as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever.
Pacquiao got off to a good start and had things even in most experts’ eyes after six rounds. Unfortunately, he would only win one other round the rest of the way and lost by unanimous decision.
I didn’t watch the fight. I won’t pay $100 to help fill up Mayweather’s wallet.
I am not a huge boxing fan anyway. The sport is dying, and I don’t think this fight did anything to change that. If anything, it hurt the sport because all of Mayweather’s fights are boring.
He never gets hit, but he doesn’t really do much hitting himself. It’s been a long time since he knocked anyone out and that’s because he knows he can win in the points. If you don’t get touched, you don’t lose. And that’s what Mayweather has essentially done to get to 38-0 for his career.
He says he has one more fight left. That will take place in September and it’s not a rematch with Pacquiao.
I think we’ll see the fight again. Too many “fans” will pay the big bucks to watch it and too much money is to be made by both guys. I won’t take part again. The money is not worth the pillow fight we will likely see.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the NBA Most Valuable Player this year. He deserves it as him and his team have been fantastic.
My vote would have been for the runner-up James Harden of Houston. Both guys were great all year, but Harden got the Rockets to the two seed in a brutal Western Conference and did it without the services of the team’s best big man and second-best player for most of the year.
Curry has mad skills, but his team around him also was much better.
LeBron James is still the best player in the league. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. When he doesn’t play for Cleveland the record suffers. When he leaves town and goes to Miami, the Heat win titles and the Cavaliers enter the draft lottery.
High school baseball season officially started Monday. Good luck to the five area schools who will try to make Principal Park its final destination for the season.
Contact Troy Hyde at
641-792-3121 ext. 6536
or thyde@newtondailynews.com