Is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao a contender for best fight ever?
The much anticipated Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight is just days away, and I can't help but wonder where it ranks with other great fights.
If you listen to Floyd, he considers it the greatest ever, and he has dared to mention his name in the same breath as Muhammad Ali.
May I remind him the smaller welterweight class makes him already less attractive than a heavyweight champ like Ali?
Mayweather, the business man, even with all of his the outside-the-ring problems, is a true megastar. His career, however, has been enhanced partly because of our 24-7 world and social media.
I should remind everyone that when Ali fought Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975, the two fighters were on every magazine cover, the newspaper coverage was from front to back, and the TV stations, though there were only five at the time in most cities, were saturated with news about the upcoming bout.
With today's saturated media coverage, what do you think the hype would be like for the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns fight or the Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Duran matches?
And I an confident the Ali-Frazier matches would still reign supreme.
I have noticed the undefeated Mayweather has awaken heavyweight champ Vladimir Klitschko's camp, convincing him he needs to fight in the United States for a big payday. Klitschko, who just fought and won at Madison Square Garden onSunday, is back after a seven-year absence from the states, because he wants to cash in like Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Cubs, Sox coming around:
While the Chicago Bulls are making headlines, the city is getting ready for the NFL draft and the Blackhawks are rolling into Round 2 of the NHL playoffs, the Cubs and White Sox are flying under the radar and playing some pretty good ball.
After a slow start, the Sox are playing about .500 baseball and may be starting to jell. I take it as a good sign they played well against the Kansas City Royals and showed some fight, even though the five-game suspensions given to Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija for their part in the Royals brawl will hurt.
Hey, it was a good message to send: don't mess with our pitchers, my friends! I think sometimes a fight can unite a team, which it seems to have done for the Sox.
On the other side of town, new manager Joe Maddon is impressive to hear and clearly gets it. Players such as Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jake Arrieta and even John Lester are getting it done.
With the possible season-ending injury to Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals, the NL Central division race is leveling out.
It might be early in the season, but I am pleased with Chicago baseball. Let's keep it up!
Program notes:
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