Rings around the Eyes

Looking at the U.S. Boxing team's performance in this year's Olympics, you can say that U.S. Boxing is tired when you compare to the rest of the world's finest...

While Cuban fighters continue to pick apart opponents, the U.S. is in danger of not only having it's lowest medal count since the 1948 London Olympics, but also the team may not even medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics....We're a long way from the '64, '76, and '84 teams people...

A lot of people are quick to jump on Basheer Abdullah's coaching style, but the focus is on the wrong guy. I was talking with Bert Sugar in an interview last week. His reasoning is that boxing comes from the barrios and ghettos of tough towns. "America just doesn't have that tough town in it like it used to...Plus, what white guy, unless it was me, "The Great White Hopeless", wants to get his face kicked in for a couple of rounds. Young guys are just not out there."

Michael Wilbon wrote a great column today in the Washington Post about the downfall of this year's Olympic team...Check it out..."...we've come to expect a U.S. team not up to its old standards, largely because the best young American boxers now want to turn professional as soon as possible and aren't really attracted to the amateur or Olympic movement, while Russian and Cuban boxers dominate competitions like these." Wilbon is right on point. However, I also agree with Abdullah's assessment from a week ago that Americans don't know how to "get points" in these types of scoring competitions. There's a lot of technique that are fighters just don't seem to have anymore.

Despite the charmin soft tissue surrounding our boxing skills, I'm a big fan of Andre Dirrell of Flint, Michigan. Today on CNBC, he fights Cuba's Yordari Herrera...Tough fight. It should be a good one....Especially, when you consider if he loses we have only one last hope rides with the pride of Oakland, California, Andre Ward, who fought his ass off last night against Russian boxer, Evegney Makarenko....

AP Photo (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Yet, with no medalists, and comments swirling around our young boxers like Jason Estrada's comments that "If I'm going to lose, I'm going to lose getting hit as little as possible", boxing advocates have to ask. 'Have we sunk this far?'...

**Despite a tough loss to a Russian opponent, who was ten years younger, here's to Rulon Gardner. He made a helluva comback, and his match for the bronze medal will be his final one. He had a long tiresome road back to the mat from his amputated toe...Amazing comeback.

**Prediction: U.S. beats Spain in an upset because Duncan contains Gasol...U.S. gets whipped by Ginobli and the underrated frontcourt of Argentina in the Semis. Remember, it's not solely because they can't shoot...Get off it. These guys can't play D. Period.

Help us Andre...You're our only hope...,
IronDog