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Sweet science is dying at amateur level in Canada

STEPHEN BRUNT

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 3:06 PM EDT 08/05/08

Canada will be represented by just one boxer in Beijing ...Read the full article

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  1. Garry S from Canada, Canada writes: I'm on the side of eliminating all federal funding to this "sport."
  2. Matt O from Canada writes: Garry S, you have no idea what you are talking about. Boxing is just about the best sport out there, and I'm not talking from simply a spectator perspective. Boxing is the toughest game in town, produces the best athletes, and is one of the best antidotes out there for turning kids' lives around.

    You should take the time to listen to the stories of professional fighters. Many, even most of them, come from horrible backgrounds...broken families, living homeless on the street, etc...and Latin American fighters often have it even worse. In addition, many of these kids were bullys and thugs, and had they not turned to boxing, they would have likely ended up in our or their nations' prison systems.

    Maybe all these kids should get an education and become office workers, you might say...well, that would be great, but it's simply a fact that not everyone is cut out for such work. Boxing, especially at its peak, provided a means for kids to get out who would otherwise have fallen through the cracks. Now, that made them subject to corrupt managers, officials, trainers, etc., but that's another issue.
  3. Peter M from Canada writes: Seems boxing tends to be judged in same scandalous way as figure skating in the olympics. More than a few contests are pretty much pre-determined.
  4. Garry S from Canada, Canada writes: Matt O: Oh, right, one of the best sports indeed. Tell that to the 3 out of 4 boxers who suffer from chronic brain injuries.
  5. D G from Toronto, Canada writes: I think some of the blame for this can be placed onto the Athletics Commissions and how they are run and structured.
    (see Ken Hayashi and the OAC)

    ...and to GaryS look at veterans from any contact sport and you will see that they take a toll on the body. check for example the life expectancy of an NFL player.
  6. Doug H from Canada writes: Gary - I am affraid your comment is inaccurate. Statistics indicate that there are far greater incidence of concussion in hockey and football.

    Amateur boxing is one of the most highly regulated sports. Unlike professional boxing, amateurs must wear head gear and can only use 10 oz gloves.

    Athletes must undergo a medical exam on an annual basis. A doctor is required to conduct a pre-bout medical and the doctor is at ring side for the duration of the bouts.

    The doctor can stop the bout at any time if they believe the boxer is at risk.

    Boxing was recently rated the most difficult of all sports in a poll conducted by ESPN.

    These are wonderful athletes who train as hard as anyone so give them a chance!
  7. Matt O from Canada writes: D G, Doug H, good to see you defending the sweet science from the ignorance of Garry S. Garry, where did you pull that statistic from? Did your high school nurse give you a pamphlet or something?

    Boxing can take a toll on the body and mind, but so do other contact sports...so does drinking alcohol, for that matter. Seriously, when did the body become such a sacred vessel? We've turned into a society of hypochondriacs, and are we really better off for it?

    I've done a bit of sparring, and I can tell you that it was one of the most memorable experiences in my life. I got knocked in the head a number of times, and ended up with a bloody nose, but the rush of standing toe-to-toe with someone looking to knock you down is hard to beat.

    Boxers choose to fight, love the sport, and know the risks. Are you trying to tell grown men (and women) what they can and can't do?
  8. Garry S from Canada, Canada writes: Matt O: By the tone of your posts, I am sure you would love to give me a bloody nose. If you re-read my original post, I am simply saying that I don't want my tax dollars spent on a sport where victory is determined by beating the life out of another human being. What you and your friends choose to do is your own business. And, yes, congratulations: you have one other supporter on this blog. Well, have a read of this glowing testimonial for boxing, from the Canadian medical profession: http://www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ciid/3385/laid/1.htm
  9. Matt O from Canada writes: Garry, your link didn't work. Not that it would matter...these are the same people that want to force kids to wear helmets when they go toboganning, for crying out loud...although maybe that's another pasttime you'd prefer to see banned.

    Also, I have no interest in giving you a bloody nose. Despite what you and your ilk think, boxers and and boxing fans are not bloodthirsty monsters. On the contrary, boxers learn to control their aggression inside the ring. Boxing provides discipline, which is something most young people could use these days, as far as I can tell (yes, you're probably going to bring up Mike Tyson now...well, he was a basketcase from day one, and nothing could save him).

    I can hardly think of a better use of tax dollars than getting troubld kids off the streets and into boxing gyms, where they can learn tools they can use to cope with real life, even if they never make it to the Olympics.

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