BCS and Boxing

This past week in College football, Oklahoma State lost. It was #2 in the nation, undefeated, and one win away from reaching the Big 12 title game. After Saturday night, not only did #2 OK State lose but also # 4 Oregon, #5 Oklahoma and # 7 Clemson. Now the only undefeated team left among the BCS teams is #1 LSU.

I know this is not a College Football website, yet the chaos that ensued once the new rankings were released Sunday set up teams trying to figure out what they need to do in order to get into the title game. It reminds me a little of how I view the state of boxing.

LSU- Ranked #1 in the nation, boasted by ferocious defense and an above average offense, LSU is the Floyd Mayweather of Football. Floyd Mayweather is a Defensive guru. He makes most fighters look bad when they fight him. Along with Mayweather’s superior defense, he also has a solid offense. A great jab and under rated power, opponents have not been able to figure Floyd out and it doesn’t look like anyone will anytime soon. LSU is considered the unanimous #1 team in the country as many feel Mayweather is in #1 in boxing. Both have beaten everyone they have faced, LSU(this current season) and Mayweather are both in the driver seat- Champions that are heads and shoulders better than the rest, looking forward to the next opponent to try and knock them off.

Alabama- Ranked #3- had not won a National championship for almost 17 years. However, in the last 3 years, Bama has become a legitimate contender and once again a highly respected football program. Powered by a stingy defense and a strong running game, Alabama wears teams down and methodically takes them out of their game plan and makes teams play Alabama ball. Sergio Martinez was considered an afterthought after his first pro loss to Antonio Margarito back in 2000 but Martinez quietly put his career back on track, mostly by fighting overseas and in his home of Argentina. However, in the past 2 years Martinez has become a Pound for Pound top fighter, beating fighters such as Kelly Pavlik, Kermit Cintron and knocking out Paul Williams in spectacular fashion. Martinez just as Alabama has resurrected their careers and are once again considers top players in the respective sports.

Oregon- Ranked # 5 (before the weekend) was a solid team that enjoyed moderate success through most of their College football history. Then Oregon and a man named Phil Knight, head of Nike, teamed up and over the last 11 years became a powerhouse in the College Football world. Oregon and Phil Knight meet Manny Pacquiao and Freddy Roach. Just as Oregon got a huge bump by having a booster like knight helping their program, Pacquiao and Roach have enjoyed similar success. Pacquiao was a 2 loss fighters, looking for a new direction and new trainer and by luck, fate or intervention, Pacquiao found his way to Freddie Roach and the Wild Card gym. Since teaming up, Pacquiao and Roach have taken the boxing world by storm, Pacquiao has captured titles in numerous weight classes, considered one of the best fighters of this era and has become a legend in his home country. Roach has enjoyed his share of success, earning trainer of the year 5 times since teaming up with Pacquiao and is helping out the US Olympic team for the upcoming 2012 Olympics.

Miami- Unranked and on hard times. Miami had been an elite team with swagger and talent to back up their play. The “U” as they have been known to be called was sanctioned by the NCAA for numerous infractions and are being investigated for being involved with a booster who claims to have given the players money, hotels and use of his boat among other things. Antonio Margarito, who is no stranger to controversy, has been accused of cheating when he was caught with Paris of plaster in his gloves before his fight with Shane Mosley in 2009. Margarito could also be considered USC, with USC being on probation for what the NCAA called “lack of institutional control”; Margarito claimed he was not aware that his trainer slipped the hard plaster into his wraps. The California state athletic commission stated that even though Margarito may have not known what was in the wraps he was the “head of his team” and needed to be responsible for what was going on.

Boise State and Texas Christian University are two college programs that have been very successful the last few year and both have had undefeated or one loss records over those years. The two schools have been able to turn a few heads in the College Football world and established themselves as being teams to watch out for. However, their strength of schedule has been consistently subpar; add that with both teams being in the WAC and Mountain West, two conferences that do not have an automatic BCS bid and many fans and experts are tough on rankings the two teams high. This will continue to be the ladder until they move into tougher conferences and face tough competition week in and week out.

Two fighters that have similar backgrounds and have been criticized for their lack of elite competition and handpicked fighters yet are able to be considered legitimate contenders even though it may not be the case. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The TCU and Boise State of boxing.

The BCS ranking system has been highly criticized for their computer rankings and match ups in bowl games. It seems as though the best games and match ups are rarely made unless the teams are in the same conference and play each other during the regular season, the BCS and national championship games are usually underwhelming and it seems to never be the two teams fans want.

The same can be said for boxing and the match ups that are never made. Once and a while boxing and the promoters get it right, but usually it feels as though the fans are given fights that they really don’t care for. However the fans are continuously fed overmatched and overpriced fights and it hurts the fan base; Just as College Football fans are calling for a playoff system, the BCS and the money the BCS bowls brings in seem to be bigger than football itself-Similar to a couple of promoters in boxing.

The same issues plague boxing. Fans have been calling for fights such as Pacquiao-Mayweather, Gamboa- Lopez and Klitschko-Klitschko, but in the end, boxing fans are left with Junma being upset, Mayweather facing an overmatched Victor Ortiz and the Klitschko brothers refusing to ever face one another.

It may take divine intervention and luck for boxing to change the way fights are made, hopefully boxing promoters will set aside their differences and pride and make an effort to make the best fights possible. However until that happens, I look forward to being reminded how much the College Football system and boxing are more alike than I thought.

And then…

Boxing after dark this weekend has some of the brightest talent making their way up the ranking ladder. Gary Russell Jr is a fighter that has great skill and even better speed. Expect to see Russell Jr in a 2012 title fight. Adrien Broner a Cincinnati native is another fighter many people are high on. BAD is the right place to give Broner a larger stage to show his skill and to see if he is the next “big thing.”

Canelo will round out the final show on BAD and it’s a bit refreshing to see Canelo back in the ring so soon. Canelo was part of the “Star Power” telecast in September. Canelo beat an overmatched and underpowered Alfonso Gomez. While Alvarez may have a test in front of him this time in Kermit Cintron, it could also be an easy night. Many fans know Cintron from some of his odd behavior in past fights, from falling out of the ring versus Paul Williams, to one of his many emotional breakdowns in the ring, to beating Antonio Margarito to looking horrible against Carlos Molina. Cintron comes in many forms. Which one will fans see Saturday night? Who knows.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.