Remember, You're a Journalist

boxing_fight I know that I lose my journalistic credibility in many ways. I argue on youtube, I use run-on sentences, I even fail to check my spelling sometimes, when it was one of the only things I was any good at in school (sadly, typing did not follow suit). However, this can be tolerated in me, (since I have an editor) and since I am currently not employed by HBO and several networks over my 30+ year career in broadcasting.

Jim Lampley is not so lucky in that regard, therefore his commentating in the recent Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez fight was embarrassing, and someone needs to call him on it, so that it doesn't happen again. On at least a dozen occasions, Lampley literally ignored punches landed cleanly by Williams, often two or three punch combinations. He would then proceed to only mention the one shot landed in response by Martinez.

In fact, on at least two occasions, he mistakenly awarded Martinez credit for shots landed by Williams. If merely viewed in a vacuum, these occurrences might have been seen as errors. However, as anyone who saw the fight unfolding would agree, it was actually due to Lampley making it obvious for whom he was rooting. As the action unfolded, it became clear that Martinez was a live body, and would not be dominated by Paul Williams, as so many had been recently. This seemed to excite Lampley, as he is human, and a boxing fan, who like many, was supporting the underdog. However, he has a responsibility to give an unbiased call of the action, and as Williams began to reestablish control in the middle rounds, it became clear that was not going to happen.

Max Kellerman and Emmanuel Steward tried in vain to reel Lampley in on several occasions, yet it was affecting their own call of the action. The crowd was also reacting to the flashy right hooks of Williams, but for the most part, the one person not reacting that much, was Williams. We, as experts, should have the ability to see what is effective through what is flashy. I would even forgive Lampley this, yet as Williams began landing similar hard shots, Lampley again would typically ignore them.

Respect for their colleague must have been what held back Kellerman and Steward from correcting him more sternly; I can only speculate. However, blow-by-blow is not their job, and if Lampley ignores punches, the crickets will come out. Also, fighters deserve praise for what they overcome, and Lampley denied this to Williams, in his worship of the game challenge being put forth by Martinez.

In addition, the 119-110 scorecard handed out was disgraceful, but did not deserve the bulk of their post-fight discussion, as even the commentators themselves admitted. There was very little credit given to Williams for standing up, and regaining control of what most would have lost early. There was barely any credit given Martinez for lasting 12 rounds, and remaining competitive with an exhausting opponent. Let's have Lampley watch this fight again, and see how many times he showed his blatant bias. He is typically great at what he does, and maybe needs a bit of a slap back on the right track.

Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com