Steve Bunce on Max Kellerman: "Idiot"

[MSM]

Steve Bunce goes off on one over Kellerman's interview with Chris John last night. I've not seen Kellerman's interview. Was it as bad as Bunce says?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjcEH1MylQ

[GanchoIzquierdo]

Possibly worse. All of his interviews last night were cringe inducing.

[Crold1]

I thought Max had a good night Saturday actually.

[kikibalt]

Possibly worse. All of his interviews last night were cringe inducing.

They always are!

I'm not a fan of Kelleman at all but, I do have to say that of all the HBO clowns last night he was the one that was calling the action right, Jim Lamply, all he was calling were the Diaz punches (Slaps) whether they landed or not, didn't see the punches that Marquez was landing, and Manny doesn't say much, though of all of them, he is the boxing man, he should have more to say.

[evander]

I will admit for the 1st time ever! Kellerman was pretty dead on during the Marquez fight. He could actually see what was going on in the ring and wasn't afraid to say it and go against the rest of the HBO crew. Max actually saw what was going on right from the get go, and commented against what that old fart Manny was saying early on in the fight. My hats off to Kellerman for once.

[StingerKarl]

I met Max for the first time last night at the Hilton after the fight, and he is just as Bucket describes him, a guy with a winning personality.

We debated on the greatest welter ever, he said Robby and I said Napoles, among other topics, and the guy is articulate and very well-read.

He likes Eder Jofre a lot, and I asked him about Pone Kingpetch, and he rates him in the top ten at flyweight.

A very nice cat to spend time with.

[Off The River]

For the first time in a long time, I watched the fight in English and I was actually fine with Max for the first time ever. He has seemed to calm down in his analysis and rhetoric and called the fight well.

He is passionate about the game, is knowledgable in his history and has kept a lot of young poeple interested in the game. Given time he could prove to be what HBO needs. Well... Competitive undercards and a heavyweight champion with a punch, a chin and some gonads would be nice as well

[walshb]

I like Max's dominating tone and strong voice; reminds me of Bob Sheridan a bit.

[Todd]

I didn't mind Max's commentary but a couple of his questions to Diaz afterward were obnoxious.

[diggity]

I agree. It seemed like time was at a premium as well for whatever reason.

[mrbig1]

I like Max to tell the truth. He does a great job help calling the fight. The Interview was bad. I have to agree with Bunce on that point. Next time he'll do better.

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

I don't know where these guys learn their technique (boxing commentators) but it seems like they are always condescending, confrontational, and overly challenging in their questions to fighters, Jim Gray was the worst, Larry Merchant was kind of obnoxious this way, (I liked it when Mayweather called him out on it)

but I don't get it, in other sports, (basketball, Football) the commentators are always brown nosing to the extreme when doing interviews, so I guess a middle ground would be nice, it just seems all negative a lot of the time

[mrbig1]

This was the first time I've seen John fight. I wanted some insight on who he is and what he is about. The Kellerman interview did not do that. Maybe next time.

[JLP 6]

I met Max for the first time last night at the Hilton after the fight, and he is just as Bucket describes him, a guy with a winning personality.

We debated on the greatest welter ever, he said Robby and I said Napoles, among other topics, and the guy is articulate and very well-read.

He likes Eder Jofre a lot, and I asked him about Pone Kingpetch, and he rates him in the top ten at flyweight.

A very nice cat to spend time with.

You said Napoles???

[hawk5ins]

Re your questioning the approach used in boxing interviews, vs other sports:

I think the major difference is that in Boxing, there are no set schedules.

The majority of the TOUGH questions posed to a fighter have to do with “Who are you going to fight next?” And of course, that can translate into: “Why are you avoiding so and so? “ and “Don’t you think you owe it to the public to give X a rematch?”

In Football, if a game ends poorly or controversially, Armen Kieteyan can’t ask Peyton Manning if he feels he should give the team an immediate rematch. Schedules are set. Playoffs involve single elimination.

“Larry (Bird), Your Celtics have just won the East and now will play the Houston Rockets for NBA title. Would you not rather be playing the Lakers for the title? And even though Doc’s Sixers got eliminated by the Bucks in 7 games in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, with the emergence of Barkley and with Moses playing so well follwing his eye injury, wouldn’t it be a better Title Series if you were squaring off with Philly instead of the Rockets? Again?” It just doesn’t work that way in team sports.

In boxing, while there are mandatories, nothing DICTATES in STONE, what a fighters schedule is going to be for the year. Champion or no.

Larry Merchant has a knack for asking tougher questions and tends to push to get an appropriate response (Over the past few years, certainly he’s become more combative and abrasive. I think he’s softening again somewhat, but it’s understood, even from a HUGE fan of Lar’s such as myself…..He needs to pull back on the reigns when he has a hair across his ass.). That is the Newspaper reporter in him.

Jim Gray got his “name” for himself when he asked VALID questions of Tyson following bite night. I commended him for that.

I also thing it went to his head a bit.

When he questioned Pete Rose at the Baseball Team of the Century Ceremony, I kind of think he took it too far when it was obvious Rose was not going to answer his questions re Gambling and Gray would not let it go. In hindsight though, given Rose finally fessing up (and cashing in on said confession with a book deal), I kinda ENJOYED that Gray tried to embarrass Pete. Problem is, Gray rep took more of a hit than Pete’s.

I HATE siccophant interviews. I do think tough questions SHOULD be asked if they are appropriate questions. However, when you as the reporter are NOT getting what you are seeking, you need to know when to let it go and move on.

I think Merchant Grilling Hopkins following the Hakkar fight, and the worthiness of fighting such inept challengers, was totally appropriate. I also think he took it too far.

I think Larry questioning Mayweather following, I think the Baldomir fight, concerning Floyd’s Legal issues at the time, was inappropriate. It was the wrong setting to try and coup a story.

I think Larry himself knows he went too far with that one. Again, not that the Questions were wrong to ASK. It simply was an improper forum to do so.

All this said, I would rather listen to Merchant ask questions and cringe if he takes it too far, than listen to Ahmad Rahshad asking Magic Johnson about the word "Love".

Hawk

Hawk

[GanchoIzquierdo]

They always are!

I'm not a fan of Kelleman at all but, I do have to say that of all the HBO clowns last night he was the one that was calling the action right, Jim Lamply, all he was calling were the Diaz punches (Slaps) whether they landed or not, didn't see the punches that Marquez was landing, and Manny doesn't say much, though of all of them, he is the boxing man, he should have more to say.

I'll take your word for it, Mr. B. I haven't exactly been very faithful in watching HBO broadcasts lately. But these particular interviews were awful, in my opinion.