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03/11/2004 Archived Entry: "Time for Boxing Fans to Take Matters into Our Own Hands"
Time for Boxing Fans to Take Matters into Our Own Hands
By Umar ben-Ivan Lee
As boxing fans we are perpetually complaining about the situation in boxing. Indeed a culture of victimization has emerged in the boxing public. We complain endlessly about bad decisions, corruption, shady business dealings and fighters not being protected and then just like the crack-addict runs to the dopeman the boxing fan runs back to give more money to those who are responsible for the situation in boxing.
I thought of this as I watched the hearings on steroid usage in baseball conducted by the United States Senate. Because baseball fans care, the mainstream media has covered the steroids issue in baseball and because baseball exists in the mainstream of American life which allows US Senators to be baseball fans then the issue of steroids in baseball gets attention from the highest levels of government.
With the national debt out of control, over forty-million Americans without health care, America hemorrhaging jobs overseas and an apparent foreign policy mess for this administration on five continents one might ask why the Senate, and before them the President, should be taking time to address the issue of steroids? The answer was given today by two US Senators from separate sides of the aisle; Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) stated that baseball was more than a game but a part of American culture and as a social institution with historical and current prominence and it would send a message to America if drug use and corruption were ignored.
If baseball is in a position where because of its place in American history and culture that it needs government oversight and possible intervention then where does that leave boxing? The history of America can be measured in the eras of Heavyweight champions and like no other sport boxing has reflected the changes in American society in each generation. If America is about Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays then America is also about Jack Johnson, Joe Lewis, Rocky Marciano, Ray Robinson, and Ali-Frazier. Why should one sport be allowed to be entirely hijacked by the forces of greed and corruption while the other is guarded like the virginity of the Crown Princess?
Much of the difference in the treatment of the problems in modern baseball and boxing has to do with the fact that boxing has for all practical purposes left the mainstream and has a much smaller fan base; but there is more to the story. Boxing has operated in the shadows since its inception in America and until this day operates on outdated business models that facilitate cronyism and corruption. Because boxing still operates in the shadows, it has been relegated to the shadows of the American conscious. As boxing fans realize they are following a sport operating in the shadows they largely emulate the mentality of the industry. Boxing fans are equally a part of the problem because we have not organized effectively to let our voices be heard, but never fail to complain when we see problems in the industry.
A coalition must be formed between boxing fans and those in the industry who are well-meaning along with the likes of the Joint Association of Boxing and whomever else that wants to bring the sport in a positive direction. Instead of operating in the shadows we must bring the sport into the light and the most effective way to bring this about is to lobby our elective officials.
Instead of complaining about a situation such as Chris Byrd fighting Andrew Golata at Madison Square Garden or bad decisions in Minnesota and other places we should develop an infrastructure that can deal with these problems as they occur. IF Don King wants to hold the Byrd V. Golata fight fine; the forces of good must respond by making phone calls, sending emails, and requesting meetings with New York officials such as Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Sen. Charles Schumer. This begins a process that tells us who our friends and allies are and who our enemies are and just like any other decent lobby we reward those who are responsive to our issues and we punish those such as Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV).
If the industry itself will not work towards facilitating the unionization of boxers, a national commission and the end of corruption in all aspects of the sport then as fans we must go over the heads of the industry and the state commissions and deal directly with the government on these issues until there is a favorable resolution.
Therefore we must work on the problems of boxing case by case and currently one issue that we are facing is the fact that IBF Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd will be facing an unranked and unqualified unstable character in Andrew Golata at MSG on April 17th. For those of you who do not feel that this is an outrage how would you feel if Dennis Rodman replaces Jason Kidd in the NBA Finals, Pete Rose came out of retirement to pinch-hit for A-Rod or the Jets decided to bench Curtis Martin in favor of O.J. If those instances would garner an investigation then this certainly should.
For those interested in contacting the office of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer a complaint form may be filled-out at http://www.oag.state.ny.us/complaints/complaints.html and the office of the AG may be reached by telephone at 1-800-771-7755. Sen. Charles Schumer may be reached at http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/contact/contact.html, or by telephone at 212-486-4430. This is an election year for Sen. Schumer so he should be open to our voices if we make them heard loud and clear. Please be courteous and use respectful language when contacting the elected officials.
It is time for the boxing fans of America to fight for the sport that we love or we will continue to see it die slowly as those forces of corruption continue to line their pockets.
Umar ben-Ivan Lee is an activist and freelance writer he may be reached at ummahboxing@hotmail.com .
