The ScoreCard

“…What Should I do?” | Lebron’s New Nike ad takes aim at his critics.

iblmediagroup — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:23:49 +0000

“Who Knows Pacquiao-Mayweather Truth?”

iblmediagroup — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:39:08 +0000

An article by Dan Rafael, courtesy of ESPN.com:
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I’m not entirely sure what to make of the whole Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. negotiations/non-negotiations thing. All I do know is that I have lost sleep over it, which is what a 3 a.m. Saturday conference call with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum will do.

Arum has insisted over and over that he was negotiating a deal with Mayweather adviser Al Haymon, with whom he has a horrific relationship, using HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg as an intermediary. Arum swears by it. He said it to me before the conference call. He said it on the conference call to the world media. He said it to me and others in separate interviews after the call.

Arum has a long history of playing fast and loose with the truth, which is nothing new to anyone who follows or covers boxing. But this would be an all-time whopper. If he is lying, it means he not only threw Greenburg under the bus, it means Arum was the bus driver.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s other adviser and the one who speaks for him publicly — Haymon fears the media more than Mayweather apparently fears Pacquiao — said no negotiations ever took place. Ellerbe put out a statement, the only official word we’ve heard from Team Mayweather during this whole childish saga. The statement read, “Here are the facts. Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”

I’ve known Ellerbe for a long time. As far as I can tell, he’s not the lying type, although he still owes me dinner.

But I don’t know who to believe in this case.

Read the rest of Dan Rafael’s article at ESPN.com

Braves – Brewers, Turner Field

iblmediagroup — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:52:31 +0000

LeBron: NO APOLOGIES NECESSARY!!!

iblmediagroup — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:58:56 +0000

“For weeks, media writers and sports commentators have blasted LeBron James’ free agency behavior; describing his consideration of team offers as some sort of crude & blatant disrespect towards the fans of Cleveland. They say the city would be crushed if he decides to leave, and have aligned his indecisiveness with the fate of all humanity! Justifiably, his departure would perhaps mark the decline of Cavalier basketball for a generation, circa ’93 when they were absent from playoff contention as often as Ferris Bueller skipped home-room. But is all the criticism necessary? I say “NO”…….. let’s discuss.”

“What bothers me is the notion that he must (for some reason or another) deny himself of his right to pursue the progressive nature of entrepreneurialism in an effort please everyone else! I understand the strong connection between LeBron and his hometown base of support; after all he was born, raised, nurtured, drafted, and celebrated by that region of Ohio. However, it’s as if no one has considered that perhaps he wishes to explore a professional life beyond Cleveland, beyond Akron… Though an athletic phenomenon, he’s just 25 years old!! His name may be responsible for millions in local small-business revenue generation, but he’s not Cleveland’s personal stimulus package! If, as an unemployed American for hire, he has a genuine interest in joining another company, in another city, that is his prerogative…. so deal with it.”

“‘Employee Retention’ is the responsibility of the Cavs! They haven’t made any organizational changes that would further entice LeBron to reject offers from Chicago, New York, Miami… Last season they would’ve had Amar’e Stoudemire on their roster, but they refused to trade away bench-forward J.J. Hickson. This week, they had an opportunity to close Chris Bosh, but management couldn’t work out the terms of Toronto’s “sign and trade” needs. There was an opportunity to bring back Carlos Boozer, but instead he’s in Chicago hoping that LeBron will follow. The truth is, just as any of us would do in an interview process, he has set aside all of his professional loyalties to properly assess his business expectations; basing some from the industry landscape and others from what his previous employer has (or has not) done to improve working conditions… and he has every right to do that.”

“And to Cleveland: what if he does come back? The organization hasn’t made any moves to improve its roster. Alternatively, Chicago and Miami have both made major strides in the past 24 hours, while Orlando and Boston remain the best teams in the East. At best, the Cavs are the 3rd best team in the conference, which is due entirely to the fact that one of the 2 or 3 best players in the world plays there.”

“My point: LeBron doesn’t owe ANYONE an apology if he decides to move on…….. Go to New York and build your own statue… Go to Chicago and blossom beneath the shadow of greatness… Go to Miami and be a part of undoubtedly the greatest 3-man roster in NBA history… because no apology is necessary.”

T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com

“…But what will LeBron do?!”

iblmediagroup — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:07:37 +0000

Here’s something a little different: I had an insightful conversation with my nephew today regarding NBA free agency; told him to jot down a few thoughts so I could share them… I’ll chime in later, but here’s his tak on the Lebron saga… In his own words.”
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“My take on the whole Lebron James spill is revolved around his soul purpose of wanting to play ball: to get that championship ring… He is in a few win-win situations with the following teams and the supporting cast contributions they have gained with their newly acquired players: Knicks, Bulls, and Heat. With Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the front lines on the Miami Heat, Lebron would bring a presence far greater than we have seen with these two highly talented players…”

“Question is… will he mesh with these guys in consecutive seasons? Don’t get me wrong. These are two of the best in the league, but what do we know Lebron for? His all-star status and dominating the limelight. Now the Knicks: Amar’e Stoudamire and the possibility of getting someone of the status of a Toni Parker as a guard… Great attributes for role players in Lebron’s quest for the title. With Amar’e, having also never tasted that sweet savor from the gold, the connection would definitely spark hunger from him as well as Lebron. Finally the Bulls. In my opinion, this would be one of my highly favored moves for him. Having several role players behind you who are young, possible draft picks that would set the Bulls on a higher pedestal compared to other Eastern teams, and moving to a great city where I’m pretty sure he would enjoy his years… you can’t beat it!”

“That’s my take and we’ll see how this plays out Thursday.”
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…Share your thoughts.

–A.J. Padgett
www.Twitter.com/Padgett1291
www.iblmedia.com

Recent delay….

iblmediagroup — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:38:01 +0000

Lately, I haven’t been able to update the blog as often as I would like to; however this is due to a big project that I’ve been working on within my publishing outlet, The IbL Media Group. But be patient with me, within the next several days I’ll be able to dedicate time back to interacting with you guys. From Lakers’ back-to-back to the US elimination, we’ve got a lot to talk about. Thanks for your tweets and emails.

So, stay tuned//

Mayweather – Mosley Vol. 3: “Easy Money”

iblmediagroup — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:45:40 +0000

1.4 Million in domestic pay-per-view buys…
Over $78 Million in HBO revenues generated…
Recorded as the 2nd biggest non-heavyweight PPV fight in history…
740,000 cable buys, 660,000 satellite subscriptions…
and a reported $50+ Million dollar purse.

Beyond the bank figures and accounting points, Floyd Mayweather may have done more than simply solidify his place as this generation’s PPV box-office king… he may have stripped the naysayers of any reason to believe that anyone at 147 pounds… including Manny Pacquiao… has much of a chance of beating him.

Outside of 2 clean right hands in the 2nd round, it’s tough to argue that May 1st wasn’t “Easy Money” for Floyd Mayweather. Boxing fans wanted to see how he’d respond once Shane connected with his right hand… all he did was spend the next 40 minutes cleaning the scorecard, as he proceeded to technically sweep Shane right out of the fight. The public wanted to know how he would respond to true speed, and if his defense was really as good as “24/7″ publicized… all he did was make Shane look uncertain and jittery; unwilling to pull the trigger out of worry for Mayweather’s counter punching skills. We wanted to know if Floyd could stand up to a true Welterweight with ‘pop’ comparable to Manny Pacquiao… today, there’s no argument that he can; he adjusted, and never allowed himself to be hit with that same shot again! He looked physically bigger and stronger (which to many was unexpected considering Shane’s power & build.) He was obviously faster, smarter, craftier, better conditioned… and most importantly he was more relaxed (which was perhaps the most surprising measure considering Mosley’s resume).

Plain and simple, there are no holes in his game… which makes the prospect of Manny/May an even BIGGER draw now than a few months ago when promoters where shooting for them to fight at the top of 2010!

…The word around town is that Pacquiao has reserved a room at Dallas Cowboy Stadium for either November 6th and 13th… wonder if Mayweather will be checking in on that evening as well.

T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com

Mayweather – Mosley: Post-fight Press Conference

iblmediagroup — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:35:42 +0000

“Last night’s fight was an amazing display of skill and heart… Perhaps the first time that Floyd Mayweather’s chin has been tested, and he responded the way Champions do; with a decisive unanimous decision victory over Sugar Shane Mosley.”

The following link has been provided by the Las Vegas Sun//
Click Here to view video.

More videos curtousy of mlive.com//
Visit. www.mlive.com/mayweather for a video blog of post fight commentary.

Mayweather – Mosley Vol. 2: “Conflict and Pressure” (writer’s notes)

iblmediagroup — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:31:46 +0000

There’s something to be said about the pressures of conflict… the courage it takes to stand in front of a man who by all accounts is equally equipped in terms of skill, strength, heart, determination… It is justice according to a lost society, where conflict is settled face-to-face; when tables would be pushed away to clear a makeshift ring and bookies began accepting in-prompt-to wagers. No judicial theory or congressional hearing… no cross-examination or jury breaks. You couldn’t just make accusations without proof, or spew ridiculous insults without anticipating some sort of physical consequence.

Sounds a bit archaic, I know; but it is our natural history: both of violence and settlement; of war and peace… just as we embrace peaceful resolution as a demonstration of our social tolerance, we also welcome the challenge of physical confrontation to show our muscle.

…It’s what we do.

Boxing offers that same ‘peaceful tolerance’ within its own ‘violent settlement’… for as much as the insults sting and the HBO nonsense sells tickets, eventually the tables are once again spread throughout the room and conflict is cleared with muscle, speed, power… not legal rhetoric & case studies. Because in the ring, words don’t matter! Floyd Mayweather won’t have a public defender to ward off Sugar’s angry right-hand; and Shane Mosley can’t look to his prosecution team to Object to Money’s clever defensive strategy.

This is pressure… justice in its purest form… and tomorrow, conflict will reach its verdict.

T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com

Mayweather – Mosley Vol. 1: “The Moment” (writer’s notes)

iblmediagroup — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:42:42 +0000

“…It’s what we’ve been waiting for. Something worth the cost of PPV, worth the red-eye transit into McCarren International on the south strip… worth the “Ticket Master” price of admission and scalper increases… worth cheap suites at Monte Carlo, Twitpic bragging rights, and Saturday night table reservations at Tao!“

“This generation has been waiting for our “Leonard v. Hearns” moment, where 10 years from now we can turn to ESPN Classic and silently reminisce about the weekend we experienced sports history… even if it does come at the cost of on-the-spot losses at the blackjack table and over drafted checking accounts. We want the: “Yeah, I was there,” or “I remember watching it LIVE” because there’s much more than just a belt on the line… much more than an undefeated record and a 10 year rivalry. This fight has the potential to revive a sport that has consistently found itself at odds with the growing popularity of its Vegas counterpart: an MMA alternative that draws higher attendance numbers and has a distribution deal with network cable!“

“But beyond the fandamonium, this is the moment for Floyd Mayweather to solidify his unbelievably boisterous claim that he is not only the best fighter of this generation, but that he is the greatest fighter to ever wear vaseline… better than Ali, better than Sugar Ray (Robinson & Leonard), ”the Brown Bomber,” and all others who have paved his sure-fire route to the Hall-of-Fame. This is the moment that Shane Mosley can move beyond this sort of second tier, executive suite level of super stardom. As great a career as he’s had, he’s always been recognized as the #2/#3 guy in the division… He’s the Utah Jazz who would’ve won 2 rings if it weren’t for MJ’s Bulls, Atlanta Braves teams who won 10-times as many pennants as World Series Championships, Phil Mickelson who would be the biggest star in golf if it weren’t for a guy named Tiger… He’s great and he’s always been “right there”, but he’s never quite been the guy that draws fans to the gate.“

“Either way this is the moment… this is the time… AND MAN, THIS IS GONNA BIG!“

T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com