Love has so many songs, and like the jazz standard, Speak Low says, is often misunderstood. Some time ago, I got a message from a buddy from a website I used to frequent for quite a few years, congratulating me, and encouraging me to continue doing what I love to do. The thing is that, my continuance puzzles a lot of people. Some wonder, how I keep this pace and energy with so little return of support or acknowledgement.
I watched an interview the other day where ESPN analysts asked Wayne Brady why he considered it a joy even when he performed for pennies. They couldn't believe he was sincere when he said that it's due to loving what he does. It even led to an argument. Maybe a non-artist will never understand, but when you are in love with something as an artist, even you yourself can't properly gauge it. I've expected many times in the past to just burn out and retire, or give up. And I know there are many who await that as well. But the thing about it is, I don't have the ability to do that. I will always continue to push myself beyond my limits. And it will lead to either the grave or the throne. And it isn't because I want to. It's because I have to. It's hard for almost anybody to believe that an artist does something solely for passion. There's always that little cynicism deep down that assumes that fanfare is the ultimate goal. It's natural to want to be loved, and understood. But if this is what you really do, even if that never comes, you won't ever stop.
There are so many changes going on in life, and it's at times like this that I look at what I'm doing and what I've done, and the layman inside me takes a glance and wonders what's holding me up. I'm actually running out of room to put my art pieces. This is over a year after vowing that I wouldn't do anymore. Even since my last album, I've somehow finished enough for another record. I'm just a different breed. Even when I relax, it's not conventional. I uncontrollably try to maximize how much I'm getting done, even when I'm laying back and taking it easy. But, I've learned to like this. As much as acceptance is aesthetic, there is a limit to some things. I must say, that in the future, there are certain events that I won't be able to share as freely as I have up until now, should there remain no firm foundation of support. But hey, nothing last forever they say. I'm hoping that won't be the case here, but that is something beyond my control. That's up to YOU as the readers.
By the way, play my Soundcloud Channel along with the gallery for the full effect. That's the closest thing to the full experience I was going to create.
CLICK HERE AND ADD MUSIC TO THE GALLERY
Keep checking the "Coming of Age" art gallery online. There are new things going up. I'm hoping to expand it in the future.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ART GALLERY
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Coming of Age- Art Gallery v1
Hey guys. This is just a link to art gallery on 3dvas.com. It's a start. I'm working on fleshing it out more.
Coming of Age- Gallery
Coming of Age- Gallery
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
Tom Brady
The Patriots have been caught cheating, stealing plays, stealing footage, and deflating footballs. They have then been denying those facts, and acting victimized in the public eye. They have also been caught, having been deflating balls for perhaps the past 8 years, since the rule change that facilitated that. The numbers speak for themselves, as in every one of the dozens of running backs they've had, including their receivers, having jaw dropping low numbers in fumbles. And all these years, their fans just thought they were perfect.
Part of human nature is that when something works, we don't question it. For years, I remember remarking how Tom Brady's receivers seemed to sink into the ball wherever he threw it o their body. He would squeeze it into tight spaces, and even taunt defenses throwing it right passed them. As I questioned this, I was called a hater, as my constituent went on praising him. It never looked right, and it never felt right. But at that time, I had to just ignore that fact, due to no proof.
I made a comment several years ago when Tom Brady was injured during a season that the Pats went 11-5. That was the season Matt Kassel came out from high school onto the football field. I remember telling people to take note of the fact that, if you didn't squint and pay attention, you would never know that Tom Brady went down about 2 games in. The team continued to churn like an engine, and people still kept worshiping Brady despite that mountain of evidence. Many said it was a testament to the system they run, like the Spurs, which allows anyone to be proficient. Oddly though, it was during the time where they apparently began taking advantage of the fact that they had their own balls. They also changed running backs like underwear, as ESPN radio pointed out. One thing I remember noting, along with the fact that Matt Kassel looked like Brady, was how their running backs all looked like beasts when they carried the ball. The most green and unassuming player that came to the Patriots roster from Welker to Edelman to many of their running backs, looked practically flawless on the field. It has been noted that during that span of years, not only are the numbers staggering, but the team had almost no fumbles. You can't ignore numbers that ridiculous. All of this was almost assuredly achieved by deflated footballs. The league is not becoming aware.
I give Tom Brady his due as far as being a solid player, but I've always said that he's no better than Tony Romo, as far as overall ability. One of them just happens to have rings and an O-line. They brought up the question of whether the cheating effects Tom's legacy or not. There was a resounding denial of that by all of the reporters on ESPN. That's where they look stupid. First off, they were caught red handed doing it in the AFC Championship game, before their odd superbowl win, in which the Seahawks gave them the game as clear as day. Secondly, why in the world would you not think it makes a difference, when Brady, Bellichick, and the others, go through calculated lengths to do it over the span of 8 years. Why in the world would they do it, if it has no significant effort. And lastly, why do we play the game? To win championships. That's a no brainer. Do you think they did all of that, in the conniving way they did, just to try to win a few more games? Be real.
In the end, much of what I've been saying is coming to the fore. I said many times now, that all of the greats who stand ahead of the pack, like Lance Armstrong, have a tendency to come out as having cheated greatly in some way. It's only a matter of time and conscience. And it does make a difference. People cheat to get ahead. If Mayweather fought outside of Vegas, without the notoriety he has and the incompetent judging and public at his disposal, he would be great, but his record would not stand out as the best likely. If Tom Brady didn't cheat like he has, be it deflating balls, or stealing film and signals, he wouldn't be the force he has been. He'd be solid, but he wouldn't stand as far ahead of the pack as he seems to at this point. If A-Rod didn't juice, he would still have an amazing eye, and legendary swing, but his numbers wouldn't be the eye-gouging record breakers that they are. And that's what these athletes do all of this for. Whatever slight-of-hand trick they have to do, as long as it pushes them out in front.
Part of human nature is that when something works, we don't question it. For years, I remember remarking how Tom Brady's receivers seemed to sink into the ball wherever he threw it o their body. He would squeeze it into tight spaces, and even taunt defenses throwing it right passed them. As I questioned this, I was called a hater, as my constituent went on praising him. It never looked right, and it never felt right. But at that time, I had to just ignore that fact, due to no proof.
I made a comment several years ago when Tom Brady was injured during a season that the Pats went 11-5. That was the season Matt Kassel came out from high school onto the football field. I remember telling people to take note of the fact that, if you didn't squint and pay attention, you would never know that Tom Brady went down about 2 games in. The team continued to churn like an engine, and people still kept worshiping Brady despite that mountain of evidence. Many said it was a testament to the system they run, like the Spurs, which allows anyone to be proficient. Oddly though, it was during the time where they apparently began taking advantage of the fact that they had their own balls. They also changed running backs like underwear, as ESPN radio pointed out. One thing I remember noting, along with the fact that Matt Kassel looked like Brady, was how their running backs all looked like beasts when they carried the ball. The most green and unassuming player that came to the Patriots roster from Welker to Edelman to many of their running backs, looked practically flawless on the field. It has been noted that during that span of years, not only are the numbers staggering, but the team had almost no fumbles. You can't ignore numbers that ridiculous. All of this was almost assuredly achieved by deflated footballs. The league is not becoming aware.
I give Tom Brady his due as far as being a solid player, but I've always said that he's no better than Tony Romo, as far as overall ability. One of them just happens to have rings and an O-line. They brought up the question of whether the cheating effects Tom's legacy or not. There was a resounding denial of that by all of the reporters on ESPN. That's where they look stupid. First off, they were caught red handed doing it in the AFC Championship game, before their odd superbowl win, in which the Seahawks gave them the game as clear as day. Secondly, why in the world would you not think it makes a difference, when Brady, Bellichick, and the others, go through calculated lengths to do it over the span of 8 years. Why in the world would they do it, if it has no significant effort. And lastly, why do we play the game? To win championships. That's a no brainer. Do you think they did all of that, in the conniving way they did, just to try to win a few more games? Be real.
In the end, much of what I've been saying is coming to the fore. I said many times now, that all of the greats who stand ahead of the pack, like Lance Armstrong, have a tendency to come out as having cheated greatly in some way. It's only a matter of time and conscience. And it does make a difference. People cheat to get ahead. If Mayweather fought outside of Vegas, without the notoriety he has and the incompetent judging and public at his disposal, he would be great, but his record would not stand out as the best likely. If Tom Brady didn't cheat like he has, be it deflating balls, or stealing film and signals, he wouldn't be the force he has been. He'd be solid, but he wouldn't stand as far ahead of the pack as he seems to at this point. If A-Rod didn't juice, he would still have an amazing eye, and legendary swing, but his numbers wouldn't be the eye-gouging record breakers that they are. And that's what these athletes do all of this for. Whatever slight-of-hand trick they have to do, as long as it pushes them out in front.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
One Last Statement on the May 2nd Card.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but I just have to make one last comment that was on my mind about the fight that almost no one saw on May 2nd, and the reaction that has turned me off to the sport.
I posted this on Youtube earlier:
It's funny. We would all agree that Mayweather has hardly ever been bruised, and doesn't bruise easily. And we would all agree that Pacquiao bruises fairly easy compared to him. And the concensus before the fight on May 2nd, was that Floyd has underrated power, was working further on his power, and should be able to hurt Manny fairly easy. He also made it clear that's what he intended to do.Yet, at the same time, you all swear you saw Floyd pounding right hands into Pacquiao's face all night. Yet, no bruises on Pacquiao's face at all. You all swear there was only 1 punch Pacquiao landed on Floyd's face the entire fight. That's the punch that tripled his lip size and swole his face all by itself, on a guy who doesn't bruise easy. Also, Floyd directed his entire training to building power and going for the KO. If he was controlling the fight and had Manny in his hands, where was the KO that he clearly wanted? Manny's already been cracked by Marquez, and showed a softened chin when Bradley wobbled him in the second fight. I'm sure you'll all give the strength edge to Floyd over Bradley. If all of those punches really laced Manny up, it's a bit odd that he wasn't wobbled again. Like I've said, that was apparently the worlds biggest magic trick, because somehow Floyd fooled almost every single one of you.
Part of what has people confused is the fact that Manny didn't KO or swarm Floyd. The minute that didn't happen, you all went blind.
I keep seeing footage of Mayweather lacing Manny with right hands. Those are the same clips of the 5 right hands he landed the entire fight. He ate as many as he landed. His camp and team are so happy that people are stupid. I asked a few people today to look at Mayweather Sr. If you know the Mayweather family at all, you know how Senior would be acting if what people think they saw actually happened. He has never been quieter than he was after that fight. Ask yourselves why that is, instead of waving it off. He even began to go on a rant about how after seeing the fight, he hopes his son hangs it up soon. And even with that, Marcos Villegas, Fighthub, Fight Hype, ESPN, and almost every boxing celebrity out there including the fans, still can't put together what happened on that night. If that's the case, you may as well listen to the fights on the radio. Clearly, people can't see anymore. Mayweather can lose rounds, and because of the way he does it, you all find yourselves giving him garbage rounds, and you don't even see yourselves doing it. It's true. He probably would beat GGG if they fought, and handily. If his opponent doesn't KO him, there is nothing else your brains are programmed to see, than a dominant boxing lesson by him. It's sad.
I posted this on Youtube earlier:
It's funny. We would all agree that Mayweather has hardly ever been bruised, and doesn't bruise easily. And we would all agree that Pacquiao bruises fairly easy compared to him. And the concensus before the fight on May 2nd, was that Floyd has underrated power, was working further on his power, and should be able to hurt Manny fairly easy. He also made it clear that's what he intended to do.Yet, at the same time, you all swear you saw Floyd pounding right hands into Pacquiao's face all night. Yet, no bruises on Pacquiao's face at all. You all swear there was only 1 punch Pacquiao landed on Floyd's face the entire fight. That's the punch that tripled his lip size and swole his face all by itself, on a guy who doesn't bruise easy. Also, Floyd directed his entire training to building power and going for the KO. If he was controlling the fight and had Manny in his hands, where was the KO that he clearly wanted? Manny's already been cracked by Marquez, and showed a softened chin when Bradley wobbled him in the second fight. I'm sure you'll all give the strength edge to Floyd over Bradley. If all of those punches really laced Manny up, it's a bit odd that he wasn't wobbled again. Like I've said, that was apparently the worlds biggest magic trick, because somehow Floyd fooled almost every single one of you.
Part of what has people confused is the fact that Manny didn't KO or swarm Floyd. The minute that didn't happen, you all went blind.
I keep seeing footage of Mayweather lacing Manny with right hands. Those are the same clips of the 5 right hands he landed the entire fight. He ate as many as he landed. His camp and team are so happy that people are stupid. I asked a few people today to look at Mayweather Sr. If you know the Mayweather family at all, you know how Senior would be acting if what people think they saw actually happened. He has never been quieter than he was after that fight. Ask yourselves why that is, instead of waving it off. He even began to go on a rant about how after seeing the fight, he hopes his son hangs it up soon. And even with that, Marcos Villegas, Fighthub, Fight Hype, ESPN, and almost every boxing celebrity out there including the fans, still can't put together what happened on that night. If that's the case, you may as well listen to the fights on the radio. Clearly, people can't see anymore. Mayweather can lose rounds, and because of the way he does it, you all find yourselves giving him garbage rounds, and you don't even see yourselves doing it. It's true. He probably would beat GGG if they fought, and handily. If his opponent doesn't KO him, there is nothing else your brains are programmed to see, than a dominant boxing lesson by him. It's sad.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Pre Fight Podcast
This was a video that was supposed to be uploaded a week before the fight, but I got side tracked. I decided to put it up anyway, as it touches on some interesting topics. Enjoy.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Third Times A....
I just watched, meticulously, the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, and I have never been more convinced that the mentality of this world has plummeted to ridiculous levels in the past few years. I felt I was being generous when I watched the fight the first 2 times. I had it scored between a 115-113 win for Mayweather, and a draw. But as I mentioned earlier, Flounder from SB Nation had the fight for Pacquiao 115-113, and I remember saying that when watching it, I could see that argument.
I turned the sound of the ignorant public off, and watched the entire fight on mute, even rewinding the close rounds to take a closer look. What I've come to see is that people probably won't get any closer to the truth no matter how many times they watch it, because they don't know what to even look at. They understand 2 simple things- Aggression, and that magic thing that Mayweather does. That's how deep the minds of the fans go. I tried to give Mayweather rounds, and still, after scoring the fight round for round, at best, I had a draw. I definitely see the argument for a Pacquiao win 7 rounds to 5. And get this, it would actually make sense to see Pacquiao winning 8 rounds. I' going to do a short video to break it down further, in case you still don't get it.
The first 2 rounds were clear Mayweather rounds. He worked from outside. And changed position enough to get good offense going. "THAT" was boxing. What you people can't do is separate retreating and ring generalship. There were rounds where Pacquiao won off of ring generalship. The reason you'll never see it, is because you don't even know how that would look.
I was kind before and gave Mayweather rounds 4 and 5. If you watch those rounds again, there is just no way in the world to give those to him based on activity and accuracy. Those are the rounds that he began to realize that his usual pot shot game wasn't going to work. So he made a conscious effort to put on his best act, and it convinced you all that he was pot shotting anyway, which is freaking amazing. He was dramatic with his every moment, and had 1 spot on those rounds where he tried to rush Manny. He landed 1 punch in that effort, but with his wild act, it looks to the naked eye like he teed off on Manny. Flounder called it, and I totally see where he's coming from. Manny won rounds 3 -7. You try to break those rounds down in slow motion and make an argument for the counter, and you will only show how stupid you are. Stop putting your faith in Compubox. Those are a panel of people just as boxing-retarded as the rest of the world. They had no idea what was going on in front of them. Even if you just glance over the fight, you will instantly notice that the 2:1 ratio of punches that they had for Mayweather was ludicrous. He pulled that off simply by range jabbing. They scored every one of those range jabs and lead straights as landed, totally oblivious to them bouncing off of Manny's guard. What I noticed was that half of the time during Mayweather's offense. Manny's forearms and hands were being pushed against his face.
I had to squeeze round 8 in for Floyd. I honestly mean that. Manny worked better and more effectively in that round, and I still gave Floyd the round reaching, and assuming he had more control. I didn't even feel comfortable doing that. Mayweather won rounds 9 and 11 relatively clear. He got Pacquiao to get sloppy chasing him during those rounds. The problem is that he got all of you to see the entire fight like those 2 rounds, and poor Manny has to suffer, when he actually did just about as good as you can. That's the closest it was going to get to outboxing Mayweather. Partially because he's that good, and partially because he is a master at making any offense he takes look ugly. Like I said before, Hopkins is another master at that. Chad Dawson had his number like crazy, but it ended up being a majority decision, because Bernard muddies up the waters so well. You people were looking for Pacquiao to bat Floyd around the ring. Like I said before, that is not going to happen. Just because it didn't, doesn't mean we didn't see a great performance from Manny.
There were so many rounds I really tried to give Floyd, as a fan of his. But watching his output and control, I found myself screaming at the screen, "You're not giving me enough to give you this round." That's straight from a boxer's perspective. It really puzzles me that everyone is singing the same tune. I know that if I caught those nuances, that Paulie Malignaggi, and Bernard had to catch them, but to watch their interviews, it looks like they just have dialogue lines to follow. There is more than enough room in there to give Mayweather "A-side" favoritism, and STILL have the rounds even at best. There is no good reason why this fight couldn't have been scored a draw. At least that would have been only a minor robbery to Pacquiao, who did enough to win. Now I'm starting to see, that it wasn't part of the contract. Even if you look at Floyd Sr.'s face and Floyd Jr.'s face, you can see they know they didn't take that fight. But of course, all they have to do is put on the act, and the gullible fans will fall in line. Manny should have been smart, and made his case that he won, then remained silent. Bringing up a shoulder injury hurts his credibility, and in all honesty, he didn't have to do that.
Here's a video of some of the breakdown:
I turned the sound of the ignorant public off, and watched the entire fight on mute, even rewinding the close rounds to take a closer look. What I've come to see is that people probably won't get any closer to the truth no matter how many times they watch it, because they don't know what to even look at. They understand 2 simple things- Aggression, and that magic thing that Mayweather does. That's how deep the minds of the fans go. I tried to give Mayweather rounds, and still, after scoring the fight round for round, at best, I had a draw. I definitely see the argument for a Pacquiao win 7 rounds to 5. And get this, it would actually make sense to see Pacquiao winning 8 rounds. I' going to do a short video to break it down further, in case you still don't get it.
The first 2 rounds were clear Mayweather rounds. He worked from outside. And changed position enough to get good offense going. "THAT" was boxing. What you people can't do is separate retreating and ring generalship. There were rounds where Pacquiao won off of ring generalship. The reason you'll never see it, is because you don't even know how that would look.
I was kind before and gave Mayweather rounds 4 and 5. If you watch those rounds again, there is just no way in the world to give those to him based on activity and accuracy. Those are the rounds that he began to realize that his usual pot shot game wasn't going to work. So he made a conscious effort to put on his best act, and it convinced you all that he was pot shotting anyway, which is freaking amazing. He was dramatic with his every moment, and had 1 spot on those rounds where he tried to rush Manny. He landed 1 punch in that effort, but with his wild act, it looks to the naked eye like he teed off on Manny. Flounder called it, and I totally see where he's coming from. Manny won rounds 3 -7. You try to break those rounds down in slow motion and make an argument for the counter, and you will only show how stupid you are. Stop putting your faith in Compubox. Those are a panel of people just as boxing-retarded as the rest of the world. They had no idea what was going on in front of them. Even if you just glance over the fight, you will instantly notice that the 2:1 ratio of punches that they had for Mayweather was ludicrous. He pulled that off simply by range jabbing. They scored every one of those range jabs and lead straights as landed, totally oblivious to them bouncing off of Manny's guard. What I noticed was that half of the time during Mayweather's offense. Manny's forearms and hands were being pushed against his face.
I had to squeeze round 8 in for Floyd. I honestly mean that. Manny worked better and more effectively in that round, and I still gave Floyd the round reaching, and assuming he had more control. I didn't even feel comfortable doing that. Mayweather won rounds 9 and 11 relatively clear. He got Pacquiao to get sloppy chasing him during those rounds. The problem is that he got all of you to see the entire fight like those 2 rounds, and poor Manny has to suffer, when he actually did just about as good as you can. That's the closest it was going to get to outboxing Mayweather. Partially because he's that good, and partially because he is a master at making any offense he takes look ugly. Like I said before, Hopkins is another master at that. Chad Dawson had his number like crazy, but it ended up being a majority decision, because Bernard muddies up the waters so well. You people were looking for Pacquiao to bat Floyd around the ring. Like I said before, that is not going to happen. Just because it didn't, doesn't mean we didn't see a great performance from Manny.
There were so many rounds I really tried to give Floyd, as a fan of his. But watching his output and control, I found myself screaming at the screen, "You're not giving me enough to give you this round." That's straight from a boxer's perspective. It really puzzles me that everyone is singing the same tune. I know that if I caught those nuances, that Paulie Malignaggi, and Bernard had to catch them, but to watch their interviews, it looks like they just have dialogue lines to follow. There is more than enough room in there to give Mayweather "A-side" favoritism, and STILL have the rounds even at best. There is no good reason why this fight couldn't have been scored a draw. At least that would have been only a minor robbery to Pacquiao, who did enough to win. Now I'm starting to see, that it wasn't part of the contract. Even if you look at Floyd Sr.'s face and Floyd Jr.'s face, you can see they know they didn't take that fight. But of course, all they have to do is put on the act, and the gullible fans will fall in line. Manny should have been smart, and made his case that he won, then remained silent. Bringing up a shoulder injury hurts his credibility, and in all honesty, he didn't have to do that.
Here's a video of some of the breakdown:
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Into Me: Art Series Update
I've been a bit caught up, but here are the next couple of minimalist pieces to the art series. You know what? I haven't even thought about how I'm going to compile the collection when it's done. The little pieces of music I've done make me want to do something musical, but the thought of a movie or motion picture scares me off due to past failed attempts. So many things have to come together for that to be a success. I would need a team behind me, and I'm not sure if that will happen. Anyway, we'll see. Here they are
J.K.A
Hi-Science
J.K.A
Hi-Science
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Breakdown of the Mayweather Science Abbreviated
As Roger Mayweather often says, most people don't know anything about boxing. Because of that issue, I still hear interviews with Mike Tyson, and others where reporters will ask the most basic and ignorant of questions, hundreds of years after the sport's inception. Even the amateur programs have become dumbed down, and produce underachieving prospects that bomb out at the olympics if they get there. Also, this affects how people receive Mayweather performances in the ring, and the prestige of his opponents. I will attempt to simplify and break down this fight to explain why I had it scored a draw, and what you as the fans are missing, in his approach to boxing matches.
This is an excerpt of a post I made on First Take's Youtube feed:
This is just proof that stylistically, it's impossible to win rounds against Floyd, unless there is a serious revamp in the quality of judges and all of those involved in the boxing industry. This fight as well as the Canelo fight, had his opponents doing fairly well, yet, like Skipp said, not getting rounds unless they drew blood. For the record, I don't completely agree with Skipp. On my scorecards, in all honesty, I had the fight even the first time I scored it round for round. But the statement about Floyd's jab by Steven is inaccurate. Floyd's jab was much better than I expected, which was awesome, but much of the time, he threw it at Manny's guard and followed with a right hand that was blocked and threw Manny across the ring. He sold that so well, that you scored those punches, when half of them were blocked. In all honesty, he is a master, but the issue with simple minded people watching a master work, is that they don't know how it looks for him to lose or give ground. There were a few rounds in the Canelo fight that were close chess matches that Canelo edged. But it's hard for people to dissect Mayweather's work, so he often so-called dominates based off of his overall performance, which isn't totally wrong, but it's inaccurate. Unfortunately, what this ends up becoming, is opponents like Canelo being perceived as being blown out. I don't mind calling the Canelo fight a schooling, because while it was chess, Mayweather was for the most part, a step ahead, in that regard. But in this fight, the class Manny showed in the ring, that would have gotten him props in any other matchup, was overshadowed, not only by Floyd's talent, but sadly, by his ability to manipulate how you read fights.
What that translates to, in short, is that when he faces a formidable opponent, he draws in incompetent fans and judges, with an overall approach that makes them give him most if not all tight rounds. Like Skipp alluded to, the head nodding, and the emphatic body movement play a part. Also, he will slap or chop at a guard with punches often with authority, because he knows if you do that right, it can simulate a strong landed punch. All this he does while keeping a range jab in front of him, which should never be scored. A range jab is a short quick jab thrown at the front of a raised guard to measure distance when moving. It has no offense at all. But, he sells his confidence so well, that judges find themselves scoring things for him completely against the rule book. You'll notice, that you will never hear fans like Stephen A. go at the analysis round for round. They always talk of the scope of the entire fight, because that's how his performances have trained you to look at them. And I really don't care to hear about Compubox anymore. I used to think it was an accurate computer system, but I'm starting to see how poorly it works. He spreads out his rushes well to make them appear longer. Also, his posture plays a key role. When he takes a punch, he makes sure to recoil into a transition or step. This has several benefits, and one of them is that it can make his 3 punches to your 3 punches appear to be 10 punches to 3. He isn't wrong for his style, it's just that since people can't understand it, they don't get the fact that besting him will never look clean. Manny could have won every round, and it still would have looked ugly on his part. That's just how Floyd's technique is designed.
To illustrate:There were times that Manny used the effective 2-1 combination, starting at the body. He would finish it with a hook often times. As he finished the combo, Mayweather would already be stepping to his left. As Manny would pursue and throw jabs, Floyd would be riding the 2-3 jabs, so that the combination would never be finished in one place. That's very intelligent, yes, and also very hard for most people to score. If you mix that in with sharp attack counters, it can make 3 punches trump a 7 punch combination. When they were along the ropes, he did the usual of covering up. Manny impressed me with how sharp he was getting through the guard. That's why Floyd used the double guard instead, abandoning the idea of slipping. He bites down and many of those punches that usually hit arm go through the guard and hit the temples and kidneys. Because you so often see slower fighters miss, you discount those punches without thinking or bothering to look much. Hopkins makes his fights ugly like that even in mismatches. Mayweather knows how to position himself before, and after getting hit. I know many of you wonder why Manny didn't pressure more. Some of us wonder why he didn't step to his right more and slip in the counter. Why didn't he pick up his work rate. Those are all valid questions, but you have to understand Mayweather to understand the answer. And you have to understand boxing.
Manny often did try to exchange jabs in the middle of the ring, even with a 5 inch reach deficit, and had very decent success. He actually has a sharper jab than Mayweather believe it or not, but it doesn't matter. Mayweathers stance and timing will make your jabs almost always look ineffective compared to his, based on when he starts and stops. He throws most of his jabs when you are transitioning or planted, rather than randomly like most boxers do. This adds to their power, and scores more emphatically. When he sees you raise your lead foot for a jab, he slides back his rear foot, to position to ride the jab and counter over top, or quickly switch position and make it look ineffective. To prevent Manny's strong hand from getting too much work in, he simply controlled distance like Paulie Malignaggi stated, and stepped back routinely, forcing Manny to reset. That's why Manny couldn't step to the right as much as he wanted. Because of Manny resetting, he had to use feints to get back in while Mayweather retreated. If he rushed in like many wanted him to , simple reach would have made him eat counters and shots unnecessarily. People keep saying that Roach had no gameplan. That's ignorant talk. They worked on in and out movement. If you notice, Manny didn't eat nearly as many right hands as he normally does in his top level fights, and this is against the best lead right hand thrower in the game. Early on, Floyd tried to line up the lean right hand often, and realized it wasn't working like usual, and resorted to pumping a range jab and holding. Look again, and you'll see Manny gave almost as good as he got in the jab battle. The bottom line, is that there is a price for everything. Manny minimized the cost of that price, not being wreckless, to get inside when safe, and to land pot shots of his own, which we haven't seen done to Floyd. Manny doesn't have the size and brutal power of Maidana. He doesn't have the height of Oscar De La Hoya. As far as an effective performance with his tools, that's about as good a performance as you can possibly get from him against Floyd's style.
Mosley picked Floyd to win. The fact that he and Evander saw the fight differently isn't because they are suddenly boxing dumb. Remember, Mosley faced both of them. His input was respected up until now. When I see the bulk of celebrities all saying something so contrary to those to HOF'ers, I don't get swayed because I know something must be up for that to be the case. I love Floyd, but I will call it as it is. I don't latch onto what I hear everyone else saying. When I scored the fight the second time, I gave it to Floyd 115-113.
This is an excerpt of a post I made on First Take's Youtube feed:
This is just proof that stylistically, it's impossible to win rounds against Floyd, unless there is a serious revamp in the quality of judges and all of those involved in the boxing industry. This fight as well as the Canelo fight, had his opponents doing fairly well, yet, like Skipp said, not getting rounds unless they drew blood. For the record, I don't completely agree with Skipp. On my scorecards, in all honesty, I had the fight even the first time I scored it round for round. But the statement about Floyd's jab by Steven is inaccurate. Floyd's jab was much better than I expected, which was awesome, but much of the time, he threw it at Manny's guard and followed with a right hand that was blocked and threw Manny across the ring. He sold that so well, that you scored those punches, when half of them were blocked. In all honesty, he is a master, but the issue with simple minded people watching a master work, is that they don't know how it looks for him to lose or give ground. There were a few rounds in the Canelo fight that were close chess matches that Canelo edged. But it's hard for people to dissect Mayweather's work, so he often so-called dominates based off of his overall performance, which isn't totally wrong, but it's inaccurate. Unfortunately, what this ends up becoming, is opponents like Canelo being perceived as being blown out. I don't mind calling the Canelo fight a schooling, because while it was chess, Mayweather was for the most part, a step ahead, in that regard. But in this fight, the class Manny showed in the ring, that would have gotten him props in any other matchup, was overshadowed, not only by Floyd's talent, but sadly, by his ability to manipulate how you read fights.
What that translates to, in short, is that when he faces a formidable opponent, he draws in incompetent fans and judges, with an overall approach that makes them give him most if not all tight rounds. Like Skipp alluded to, the head nodding, and the emphatic body movement play a part. Also, he will slap or chop at a guard with punches often with authority, because he knows if you do that right, it can simulate a strong landed punch. All this he does while keeping a range jab in front of him, which should never be scored. A range jab is a short quick jab thrown at the front of a raised guard to measure distance when moving. It has no offense at all. But, he sells his confidence so well, that judges find themselves scoring things for him completely against the rule book. You'll notice, that you will never hear fans like Stephen A. go at the analysis round for round. They always talk of the scope of the entire fight, because that's how his performances have trained you to look at them. And I really don't care to hear about Compubox anymore. I used to think it was an accurate computer system, but I'm starting to see how poorly it works. He spreads out his rushes well to make them appear longer. Also, his posture plays a key role. When he takes a punch, he makes sure to recoil into a transition or step. This has several benefits, and one of them is that it can make his 3 punches to your 3 punches appear to be 10 punches to 3. He isn't wrong for his style, it's just that since people can't understand it, they don't get the fact that besting him will never look clean. Manny could have won every round, and it still would have looked ugly on his part. That's just how Floyd's technique is designed.
To illustrate:There were times that Manny used the effective 2-1 combination, starting at the body. He would finish it with a hook often times. As he finished the combo, Mayweather would already be stepping to his left. As Manny would pursue and throw jabs, Floyd would be riding the 2-3 jabs, so that the combination would never be finished in one place. That's very intelligent, yes, and also very hard for most people to score. If you mix that in with sharp attack counters, it can make 3 punches trump a 7 punch combination. When they were along the ropes, he did the usual of covering up. Manny impressed me with how sharp he was getting through the guard. That's why Floyd used the double guard instead, abandoning the idea of slipping. He bites down and many of those punches that usually hit arm go through the guard and hit the temples and kidneys. Because you so often see slower fighters miss, you discount those punches without thinking or bothering to look much. Hopkins makes his fights ugly like that even in mismatches. Mayweather knows how to position himself before, and after getting hit. I know many of you wonder why Manny didn't pressure more. Some of us wonder why he didn't step to his right more and slip in the counter. Why didn't he pick up his work rate. Those are all valid questions, but you have to understand Mayweather to understand the answer. And you have to understand boxing.
Manny often did try to exchange jabs in the middle of the ring, even with a 5 inch reach deficit, and had very decent success. He actually has a sharper jab than Mayweather believe it or not, but it doesn't matter. Mayweathers stance and timing will make your jabs almost always look ineffective compared to his, based on when he starts and stops. He throws most of his jabs when you are transitioning or planted, rather than randomly like most boxers do. This adds to their power, and scores more emphatically. When he sees you raise your lead foot for a jab, he slides back his rear foot, to position to ride the jab and counter over top, or quickly switch position and make it look ineffective. To prevent Manny's strong hand from getting too much work in, he simply controlled distance like Paulie Malignaggi stated, and stepped back routinely, forcing Manny to reset. That's why Manny couldn't step to the right as much as he wanted. Because of Manny resetting, he had to use feints to get back in while Mayweather retreated. If he rushed in like many wanted him to , simple reach would have made him eat counters and shots unnecessarily. People keep saying that Roach had no gameplan. That's ignorant talk. They worked on in and out movement. If you notice, Manny didn't eat nearly as many right hands as he normally does in his top level fights, and this is against the best lead right hand thrower in the game. Early on, Floyd tried to line up the lean right hand often, and realized it wasn't working like usual, and resorted to pumping a range jab and holding. Look again, and you'll see Manny gave almost as good as he got in the jab battle. The bottom line, is that there is a price for everything. Manny minimized the cost of that price, not being wreckless, to get inside when safe, and to land pot shots of his own, which we haven't seen done to Floyd. Manny doesn't have the size and brutal power of Maidana. He doesn't have the height of Oscar De La Hoya. As far as an effective performance with his tools, that's about as good a performance as you can possibly get from him against Floyd's style.
Mosley picked Floyd to win. The fact that he and Evander saw the fight differently isn't because they are suddenly boxing dumb. Remember, Mosley faced both of them. His input was respected up until now. When I see the bulk of celebrities all saying something so contrary to those to HOF'ers, I don't get swayed because I know something must be up for that to be the case. I love Floyd, but I will call it as it is. I don't latch onto what I hear everyone else saying. When I scored the fight the second time, I gave it to Floyd 115-113.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Fight Replay: Read Carefully, and Re-watch the Event
You know, I went back and watched this fight again like I did the fight between Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana. I have to give a shout out to SB Nation and Flounder for the excellent analysis. Listening to his podcast after the fight, I was reminded that there are people out there with brains who can analyze technique. I realize I wasn't crazy in my analysis of the Canelo vs. Mayweather fight. The fight was much closer than advertised. I went back once again, and analyzed the super fight this Saturday between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Here it is:
After watching the replay on my computer, I find that the main swing rounds were actually rounds 9 and 10. I gave round 9 to Mayweather based on slightly more effective work. Round 10 was a Manny round that could have been stolen, depending on how a judge looks at it. I don't understand the debate over round 12. It was similar to the middle rounds in the fight with Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson. Mayweather decided he would dance for that last round to be safe, and take shots if they came. Manny's defense was better than expected in that round, and he outlanded, and then chased Floyd, finishing strong. If you give that round to Mayweather, then you probably gave the swing rounds to him like most people apparently did. From an analytical point of view, even someone like myself, who favors the artist, and the boxer, there are rounds where aggressive pressure can outbox defensive movement and countering. It's part of the sweet science. Giving all of the swing rounds to Mayweather on my cards, I have it- 115-113 Mayweather or 7 rounds to 5. In my opinion, that is as far as I see it reasonably going. In all complete honesty, Flounder from SB Nation said he had Manny winning on his cards, and got blasted by his comrades on the podcast. I do not fault him for that score. If you honestly break the fight down, Manny could have taken that fight 115-113. I think Floyd deserved a win, but it could have gone either way.
Flounder said something very interesting. He said, the way he judges fights is based off of activity and effectiveness. He said many people get caught up in Mayweather making you miss, and score those moments, which mean nothing offensively. He said that he makes it a point not to get caught up in that, like so many fans do. It's a way of selling the performance, that Mayweather does so well. He said also, that Bradley and Hopkins do that very well also. If you remember, Bradley did the exact same thing to Manny in the first fight, and was busy to boot, pinning Manny to the ropes, and hooking off combinations often, yet you all have no problem saying Manny destroyed him in that fight. Now, suddenly, the same approach, with less activity, swings the other way in public opinion. When Manny came in, he feinted and then used the straight to the body, followed by a jab upstairs, and occasionally a hook and uppercut to finish the combination. The combo worked effectively and landed shots for him during the lulls of the fight. When Mayweather showed flash and punched at Manny's guard in return, suddenly, those jabs that were blocked, were not only scored, but erased the rushes of Manny. That is unfair scoring, and I think the main reason for everyone's perception of a Mayweather blowout, when in fact it was not one at all. Seeing the fight again, Floyd's movement really became a problem for Manny after the 10th round. It was only for a couple of rounds that it seemed to effectively frustrate him. There were many times that he landed very sharp jabs to Mayweather's face, and check hooks of his own, over the top, that the judges, commentators, and fans completely missed. In the 3rd Marquez fight, he won just like that. Everyone felt Marquez was ripping him apart, but on those Compubox numbers, it showed the subtle offense that Manny mounted. This fight, somehow, that was all missed, even by Compubox.
Mayweather has a very tough body and head. He's the kind of fighter who doesn't really move much, even with clear shots. If you paid attention, he ate quite a few solid shots to the head and chest, that were not commented on, or scored. Also, a lot of his pot shots were answered, often with pot shots. It was a very interesting fight, because it's the kind of fight that would have been given to Manny with another opponent, on a given night. Yet, I'm not angry at the decision, just the scorecards.
I understand that the A side of the card, and the love child of boxing and Vegas, has to get the benefit of the doubt. I just have a problem with the bashing of Manny, and the wide scorecards. I urge you to go back and watch the fight. I'm not calling it a robbery, but I wish people would appreciate the effort from both fighters and the event itself. I'm eager to see what's next.
After watching the replay on my computer, I find that the main swing rounds were actually rounds 9 and 10. I gave round 9 to Mayweather based on slightly more effective work. Round 10 was a Manny round that could have been stolen, depending on how a judge looks at it. I don't understand the debate over round 12. It was similar to the middle rounds in the fight with Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson. Mayweather decided he would dance for that last round to be safe, and take shots if they came. Manny's defense was better than expected in that round, and he outlanded, and then chased Floyd, finishing strong. If you give that round to Mayweather, then you probably gave the swing rounds to him like most people apparently did. From an analytical point of view, even someone like myself, who favors the artist, and the boxer, there are rounds where aggressive pressure can outbox defensive movement and countering. It's part of the sweet science. Giving all of the swing rounds to Mayweather on my cards, I have it- 115-113 Mayweather or 7 rounds to 5. In my opinion, that is as far as I see it reasonably going. In all complete honesty, Flounder from SB Nation said he had Manny winning on his cards, and got blasted by his comrades on the podcast. I do not fault him for that score. If you honestly break the fight down, Manny could have taken that fight 115-113. I think Floyd deserved a win, but it could have gone either way.
Flounder said something very interesting. He said, the way he judges fights is based off of activity and effectiveness. He said many people get caught up in Mayweather making you miss, and score those moments, which mean nothing offensively. He said that he makes it a point not to get caught up in that, like so many fans do. It's a way of selling the performance, that Mayweather does so well. He said also, that Bradley and Hopkins do that very well also. If you remember, Bradley did the exact same thing to Manny in the first fight, and was busy to boot, pinning Manny to the ropes, and hooking off combinations often, yet you all have no problem saying Manny destroyed him in that fight. Now, suddenly, the same approach, with less activity, swings the other way in public opinion. When Manny came in, he feinted and then used the straight to the body, followed by a jab upstairs, and occasionally a hook and uppercut to finish the combination. The combo worked effectively and landed shots for him during the lulls of the fight. When Mayweather showed flash and punched at Manny's guard in return, suddenly, those jabs that were blocked, were not only scored, but erased the rushes of Manny. That is unfair scoring, and I think the main reason for everyone's perception of a Mayweather blowout, when in fact it was not one at all. Seeing the fight again, Floyd's movement really became a problem for Manny after the 10th round. It was only for a couple of rounds that it seemed to effectively frustrate him. There were many times that he landed very sharp jabs to Mayweather's face, and check hooks of his own, over the top, that the judges, commentators, and fans completely missed. In the 3rd Marquez fight, he won just like that. Everyone felt Marquez was ripping him apart, but on those Compubox numbers, it showed the subtle offense that Manny mounted. This fight, somehow, that was all missed, even by Compubox.
Mayweather has a very tough body and head. He's the kind of fighter who doesn't really move much, even with clear shots. If you paid attention, he ate quite a few solid shots to the head and chest, that were not commented on, or scored. Also, a lot of his pot shots were answered, often with pot shots. It was a very interesting fight, because it's the kind of fight that would have been given to Manny with another opponent, on a given night. Yet, I'm not angry at the decision, just the scorecards.
I understand that the A side of the card, and the love child of boxing and Vegas, has to get the benefit of the doubt. I just have a problem with the bashing of Manny, and the wide scorecards. I urge you to go back and watch the fight. I'm not calling it a robbery, but I wish people would appreciate the effort from both fighters and the event itself. I'm eager to see what's next.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
The Fight of the Century..Sike
The super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Floyd wins by a wide 117-11, 116-112,116-112 margin on the scorecards. It wasn't explosive, but it was effective. I was relieved to see that Floyd looked lean at the weigh-ins yesterday, and not roided up, as rumors led me to fear. I was able to watch this as a fan.
Well, as I called it it sort of happened. First off, I have to get off my chest how shocked I was in the mega fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao, that Floyd's movement speed gave Manny trouble. I could have swore that Manny moved quicker. But Floyd moved better. His change of direction threw off Manny's straight counter constantly. Manny did land several shots of note down the pipe, but there wasn't enough flurry boxing to please the judges and the fans. He never stepped to his right properly like he practiced to cut off the back door when walking Mayweather down. It's always different under the lights, and both fighters seemed tense in the fight. Manny hurt Floyd a couple of times, which was good. I think the judging was off however. I'm actually surprised that it wasn't scored closer. Manny had decent success, and there weren't many times he was being battered. It's amazing how depending on the time and circumstances, so-called sane people can see completely different things.
I wouldn't call it a travesty in Mayweather getting the decision, but I am surprised that it wasn't scored closer, and that there wasn't more clamor that Pacman won. He not only applied pressure, but landed a decent amount of solid shots himself. I think, just like Canelo, the minute he decided to play chess, he completely lost the fans. Both he and Canelo did much better than they are given credit for. People just expected a KO or a high paced affair. Since it was more strategic, they feel it must have been a boxing lesson by Mayweather, since they can't visually break it down and understand it. That wasn't necessarily the case.
I wanted Manny to sustain his attacks more, and step to his right to cut off Floyd's retreats more, but he didn't do horribly like so many people keep saying. Mayweather's jab was better than I expected, mostly due to length. Manny was caught by right hands, but no more than in the Algieri and Bradley fights. He also landed more consistent shots than most previous Mayweather opponents. I lost even more faith in compubox. If you play the first fight with Bradley vs. Pacman next to this one, they were pretty identical, minus the higher amount of surges Pacman. If you just look at Bradley in that fight, next to Mayweather, defensively, and offensively, it was similar. With so much movement, I don't see where he landed 2 times as many punches. Very odd numbers. It's worthy of a rematch.
I called a Mayweather KO, but I was surprised there too. Manny's defense was pretty impressive when Floyd did decide to press the attack. There wasn't enough action to live up to the greatest fight in history at all. In the end the proper guy won. The whole world was watching, and Mayweather won for all of the artists such as myself. He showed that grit, heart, speed, power, and aggression don't make a champion. It's love. He loves what he does. He's an artist, and in an age where so few appreciate that word, he shows that that fact doesn't matter.
Well, as I called it it sort of happened. First off, I have to get off my chest how shocked I was in the mega fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao, that Floyd's movement speed gave Manny trouble. I could have swore that Manny moved quicker. But Floyd moved better. His change of direction threw off Manny's straight counter constantly. Manny did land several shots of note down the pipe, but there wasn't enough flurry boxing to please the judges and the fans. He never stepped to his right properly like he practiced to cut off the back door when walking Mayweather down. It's always different under the lights, and both fighters seemed tense in the fight. Manny hurt Floyd a couple of times, which was good. I think the judging was off however. I'm actually surprised that it wasn't scored closer. Manny had decent success, and there weren't many times he was being battered. It's amazing how depending on the time and circumstances, so-called sane people can see completely different things.
I wouldn't call it a travesty in Mayweather getting the decision, but I am surprised that it wasn't scored closer, and that there wasn't more clamor that Pacman won. He not only applied pressure, but landed a decent amount of solid shots himself. I think, just like Canelo, the minute he decided to play chess, he completely lost the fans. Both he and Canelo did much better than they are given credit for. People just expected a KO or a high paced affair. Since it was more strategic, they feel it must have been a boxing lesson by Mayweather, since they can't visually break it down and understand it. That wasn't necessarily the case.
I wanted Manny to sustain his attacks more, and step to his right to cut off Floyd's retreats more, but he didn't do horribly like so many people keep saying. Mayweather's jab was better than I expected, mostly due to length. Manny was caught by right hands, but no more than in the Algieri and Bradley fights. He also landed more consistent shots than most previous Mayweather opponents. I lost even more faith in compubox. If you play the first fight with Bradley vs. Pacman next to this one, they were pretty identical, minus the higher amount of surges Pacman. If you just look at Bradley in that fight, next to Mayweather, defensively, and offensively, it was similar. With so much movement, I don't see where he landed 2 times as many punches. Very odd numbers. It's worthy of a rematch.
I called a Mayweather KO, but I was surprised there too. Manny's defense was pretty impressive when Floyd did decide to press the attack. There wasn't enough action to live up to the greatest fight in history at all. In the end the proper guy won. The whole world was watching, and Mayweather won for all of the artists such as myself. He showed that grit, heart, speed, power, and aggression don't make a champion. It's love. He loves what he does. He's an artist, and in an age where so few appreciate that word, he shows that that fact doesn't matter.
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