Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Prediction: Revision / PS: Girls Guide to Boxing

I know I haven't written much lately, and I apologize. Soon I will be caught up, and shortly thereafter, done with school (for six weeks). I promise to be more attentive then.

In the meantime: Dancing with the Stars

I watched part of last night's episode and I have to say that these are the best celebrity dancers they've had in a really long time. I loved Emmit Smith, but he couldn't hold a candle to these guys. I think Apollo could actually have a side gig as a ballroom dancer. You know, if the whole gold-medalist thing doesn't work out.

But, I no longer think Ian Ziering is going to make it past this week. I know, it isn't much of a prediction, since he'll get voted off tonight, but get off my back, already.

I think Joey Fatone is freakin' fantastic, and he's really improved over the course of the show. He has something of a dance background, but dancing at Disney World and with 'N Sync isn't anywhere near the same as ballroom. He's dropped at least 20 pounds, and he's looking good.

Laila Ali is also good. Not as good as Joey and Apollo, but good. Plus, I think people only know Ian Ziering as Steve Sanders, and Steve was sort of a jerk. Joey has (or at least had, at one point) millions of teenybopper fans, who probably still love him and will vote for him. He's like the class clown and he's got a lovable bear of a guy thing happening. Laila is good and her dad was just on the show so people are feeling sentimental for her. Apollo is just amazing and if he were voted off, I would think the show would be rigged.

I'm not sure, but I think the finale is actually going to be a three-way, because I think next week is the end. So, my guess is it will be Apollo, Joey & Laila. Apollo should win, but Joey might because he's a little more cuddly than Apollo.


PS: if you're wondering, as many sportswriters are, why boxing is becoming less popular, if you're bemoaning the loss of heavyweight super stars of the past like Foreman and Ali, it's because Muhammad Ali is still making public appearances. He has Pugilistic Parkinson's Syndrome, which is what happens when you make it your life's work to get punched in the head repeatedly.

Don't get me wrong, I think Ali was the greatest. He was charismatic and massive. He was this huge guy who spouted out rhymes and he was really good looking, even after he finished his career. (I read somewhere that he wanted Will Smith to play him in that biopic, but he told Smith "You're not pretty enough to play me." I love that.) Now? Now he is the shell of the man he once was. He seems unable to respond to the world around him and he looks shrunken and fragile. This is why people don't box.

Think about it: You're young, strong, athletic. You can box, play basketball or play football. Maybe you're not tall enough for basketball, but you're a big guy. You wear your body out playing football, but with the exception of some freak, fairly rare accidents, you're going to retire rich and relatively healthy. Boxing? You might retire rich, but you're guaranteed some serious repercussions. You're guaranteed concussions and detached retinas and all sorts of painful injuries. Because the point of boxing? Is to beat up a person until they can't stand up anymore - or else get beat up until you can't stand anymore.

2 comments:

Mavis said...

First of all, I clapped - LITERALLY CLAPPED - for Joey after his jive routine on DWTS last night. And yes, I was in my apartment. By myself. I clapped.

I'm a dork. A huge, huge dork.

But it was really good!

Secondly, in my senior year of college, I was working on a group project and we all got to meet Ali at his compound in Michigan. He wasn't as bad with the Parkinsons as he is now, but you could definitely tell he'd been affected. I don't remember being sad as much as I remember that Ali was a major flirt, and in his personal gym that contains a full-sized boxing ring, we watched him, riddled with Parkinsons, go at the speedbag with a mastery that belied the debilitating disease. Oh, and he also told us he calls Michael Jordan "Sunshine." Heh. Neat.

Cassie said...

I remember you telling me about Ali flirting with you. I was jealous. Now... it's sad. He looked frail. I wouldn't think that would be possible, but that's how he looked.