By the Time we get to Rio.......

[davemurphy]

By 2016 when the next Summer Games begin, we Americans will have gone 12 years since our last Gold, had only three medals (Ward's Gold and Bronzes by Dirrell and Wilder) during that span, and only six medals (tossing in the Silvers by Ricardo Williams and Rocky Juarez at Sydney 2000) in the last sixteen years. I know we complain about the scoring, but the rest of the world has to deal with it as well, including the Italians, who've been kicking ass under the tutelage of Francisco Damiani, and the host Brits made us look like chop liver this year.

At what point do we simply admit that it's not the broken scoring system but our broken down team? When do we admit that the best athletes, hell, even the second and third tier ones, don't even look boxings direction anymore when they're 15?

Billy C mentioned Atlas as a great idea for a coach, and I wholeheartedly agree, but to be honest I don't think even a miracle worker could weave any medals out of this London bunch. If that's the best we can do for a team, I truly wonder if we can keep competing on the professional level without it having a drastic effect, especially as our major stars (DLH, Mosley, Hopkins, Mayweather etc.) move to the sidelines.

[billyc]

its like boxing in general...the kids are going into other sports RATHER then boxing....these past few olympics have proven that. We just do not have the pool of fighters we once had. Add that to the USA boxing committee....

[davemurphy]

Aug 21, 2012 3:21:19 GMT -5 billyc said:

its like boxing in general...the kids are going into other sports RATHER then boxing....these past few olympics have proven that. We just do not have the pool of fighters we once had. Add that to the USA boxing committee....

Absolutely, BC. Probably the biggest effect losing network TV has had on boxing in this country has been exposure to the teens that are picking out sports to try. Even with Floyd and Manny ranking #1 and #2 in Sports figure earnings, you pretty much have to be watching HBO after 9 PM to ever see them.

[billyc]

also...mom & Dad are directing them towards other sports too....which I think is the bigger issue. This is the same generation (ours and younger) who stopped being fans POST Tyson and see all the $$$$ in other sports. If little Johnny is going to be a pro...it might as well be in something he will make a ton of money in! Add to that the lack of gyms and mosit of all, lack of boxing in schools.....they may have already played 5 yrs of baseball before they even watch boxing!

[davemurphy]

Aug 23, 2012 14:01:38 GMT -5 billyc said:

also...mom & Dad are directing them towards other sports too....which I think is the bigger issue. This is the same generation (ours and younger) who stopped being fans POST Tyson and see all the $$$$ in other sports. If little Johnny is going to be a pro...it might as well be in something he will make a ton of money in! Add to that the lack of gyms and mosit of all, lack of boxing in schools.....they may have already played 5 yrs of baseball before they even watch boxing!

Great point, gyms are closing everywhere and nobody wants their kids going into a "dangerous sport" like boxing (even though if they looked into it, the odds on getting hurt are much higher for football). They're being directed elsewhere...................and even in the unlikely event the parents do let him box, it's more and more likely that Dad will ruin it by foolishly thinking he is a Trainer

[billyc]

CORRECT...and then all he does is either over protect...or worse...get his kid killed!