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Jockey on the verge of breaking the record for wins at the Cheltenham Festival is in reflective mood

Ruby Walsh is famous enough, thanks very much. The Irish champion with all the hottest rides at the Cheltenham Festival has no urge to join the personality cult the Racing For Change initiative is pushing to spread the magic outside the sport's heartland.

In the new culture, daredevil jump jockeys would be billboard stars, locked in combat around Cheltenham's dangerous Eden. But Kauto Star's rider would rather the action did the talking.

"I can't see the point. It's waffle," he says. "Popularity will only make racing more popular, won't it? If I sell my soul to the devil and stand in front of every TV camera, that's not going to make more people go racing, is it? Or, I don't think it is. Whether I do or Tony McCoy or Choc [Robert Thornton] or any of the top jockeys do it's not going to make more people come racing. You make more people come racing by the entertainment on the track, not off it.

"Paul Scholes [of Manchester United] is a quiet fellah. He's not sat in front of every camera yet he's a popular footballer. Ryan Moore [a leading English flat jockey] is a shy man and shouldn't be forced in front of cameras to express his point of view. He's a jockey, not a showman.

"I think we do our bit. Some are better talkers than others. Horse racing is as much about horses as jockeys and trainers and we have great horses at the moment. You're expected to do your job, which is riding in races, so it's a bit unfair when you're riding at Cheltenham to be asked to stand outside the weighing room for 20 minutes before the first [to be interviewed] when there's important racing on. It has to have a human quality and that head-to-head element, because it's sport and everyone has their favourite. But I don't know ..."

Not that he is ungrateful to be the star of the carnival. Walsh, 30, just has his game face on. He needs two more winners to surpass Pat Taaffe's record of 25 victories at the Festival, which starts on Tuesday, and is odds-on in three of the four championship races: the Queen Mother Champion Chase (Master Minded), the Gold Cup (Kauto Star) and World Hurdle (Big Buck's). He accompanies Celestial Halo in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle and is sweet on Willie Mullins's Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle on the opening day and Quel Esprit on day two.

No wonder racing's impresarios want to sell Walsh to the uninitiated. He is the soft-handed saddle artist of the winter game: the master of unhurried piloting. But when we meet near his home in Ireland the room is filled with the same demonic intensity his close friend and deadly rival, Tony "AP" McCoy, brings to his domination of National Hunt racing in England.

Walsh versus McCoy is the exquisite subtext of the rematch between Kauto Star and Denman. The score is one apiece in Gold Cups when the two horses have faced each other, so this is The Decider. The agony for Walsh, as stable jockey to the omni-powerful Paul Nicholls yard in Somerset, is that he is obliged to choose between two champions.

"Maybe the lads in the Michael Dickinson yard had it when they had the first five home in the Gold Cup [in 1983]. Maybe one of them had to get off something. Listen, I got it right once, I got it wrong once. We'll know on Friday whether my judgment is right again. But I can't ride them both, that's something I've been resigned to for a quite a few years now."

As he runs through his mounts he recites some star names he will not be riding, and you start to see that this is a jockey who wants the next generation of greats under his dominion as well. "In the novice races I don't ride Dunguib [the opening race dead cert], I don't ride Captain Cee Bee or Sizing Europe or Somersby [Arkle Chase] and I'm not riding Long Run or Punchestowns [RSA Chase]. I've got good rides but I don't have a stand-out novice."

Taaffe's record, though, is surely doomed: "When I think about that, I'm lucky to have good trainers to ride for. Taaffe had Tom Dreaper to ride for and I have Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins. That made it a bit easier for Taaffe and it makes it a lot easier for me."

Special racehorses exude charisma and an animal sense of the difference between winning and losing. Non-racing people dismiss this as anthropomorphism but the way Walsh tells it Kauto Star will go to the Cheltenham Gold Cup again on Friday itching for a fight.

"The easiest way to explain it is through this year's King George [VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day]," he says. "When we got to the bottom of the back straight and had gone a really good gallop the others were starting to struggle but Kauto was starting to get going. It's about 65 minutes gone in a rugby World Cup final that your outside-half steps up to the plate. You're talking about the last 10 minutes when someone digs it out.

"That's what Kauto does. He has a will to win. When you're riding him at home in schooling you wouldn't have a horse in front of you but if he catches sight of the horse round the bend in front of him he'll always want to go after him."

Rupert "Ruby" Walsh was the Tiger Woods of jump racing, shining from an early age under the tutelage of his father, Ted, a famously combative enforcer from Festivals long past, and trainer of the 2000 Grand National winner, Papillon, who provided Walsh Jr (he was 20) with a winning ride at the first attempt.

But Cheltenham, not Aintree, is his Old Vic. By rights he should be a household name. McCoy has the machine gun quantity but his Irish counterpart has always sat on greater quality. He has won two Grand Nationals, two Gold Cups and four King Georges (on Kauto Star) plus a pair of Queen Mother Champion Chases on Master Minded, who resembled a muscled panther at the recent Paul Nicholls media open day.

"I'm the lucky one," he agrees. "Master Minded is an incredible two-miler. The way he goes about it – he has tremendous pace, he doesn't arch his back, he'll raise his front legs and just go out through the air. That's a big thing with two-mile chasers: Champion Hurdle horses would be the same, they lift in front and don't bend their back. That's what he does with that huge engine. He's an incredible horse, isn't he? Great attitude, too."

In most eras Master Minded's agility and turf-scorching pace would be the main delicacy for National Hunt enthusiasts but this is the showdown Festival for the Kauto Star and Denman camps. These next-door neighbours and summer holiday companions from the Nicholls yard are on a mission to break each other on Cheltenham's anvil. Kauto Star, who won this season's King George by an astounding 36 lengths, is 4-6 favourite to settle the argument with Denman, who unseated McCoy in the Aon Chase last month after winning the Hennessy Gold Cup under a daunting weight.

Walsh discounts the theory that Kauto Star, now 10, is still getting better with age. He is also less trenchant than the form book entitles him to be about his mount's chances of winning a third Gold Cup: "I don't think he has to get any better, though the Denman of two years ago would have you panicking. He had me panicking, anyway.

"Denman on Hennessy day was an exceptional horse. If he turns up on Gold Cup day and runs to that level it'll be a cracking race. I do believe that neither horse can under-perform on the day and beat the other. Denman under-performed last year, Kauto under-performed two years ago, and you had outright victors. This year, if they both turned up in top form I'd be hoping for Kauto to beat Denman, but only hoping. Unless Kauto turns up at his best he won't beat Denman. I rode him on Monday morning and he was in terrific order. He's so well and fresh. He's up for it. It's nice going to Cheltenham knowing that."

The memory of Kauto Star's ebullient destruction of Denman last year over the Gold Cup's extended three and a quarter miles still radiates: "That was the best complete round of jumping he'd ever put in. The last ditch, the ditch up the hill first time, the third-last, second-last: good horses clinch races with good jumps, and in the Gold Cup last year he put other horses under pressure. Good jumpers, like Denman. He had good horses stretched just trying to jump with him."

Racecourse gossip said McCoy and Walsh had agreed to suspend their friendship for the week, or at least abandon their usual arrangement of McCoy providing a bed for his buddy, to maintain some distance, to stop the Gold Cup haunting their breakfast talk. Walsh laughs. "I never stay with him for Cheltenham. Never have, never did. I always stay in Cheltenham itself. And he has family over, and friends. I get turfed out anyway."

Their bond casts rich light on the weighing room brotherhood that National Hunt jockeys have cultivated to protect themselves from the anguish of broken bones and lost rides. But surely it must be problematic for the champion jockeys of Ireland and Britain to be fighting over the same prizes? Walsh looks appalled. "No, we're adults, grown men. Just because it's Cheltenham doesn't mean you can't talk to the man. Jockeys are a tight enough bunch. I don't ride many of his horses, he doesn't ride many of mine, so we're not taking each other's jobs, not running over one another."

But these two are the Ali and Frazier of jump racing, as surely as Kauto Star and Denman express that counterpoint in a golden age of horses and riders. Walsh admits: "Anything he can do I want to do. But there's a respect in jump racing in particular. Racing bites you on the arse quicker than any game in the world. I can win the Champions Chase on Master Minded and go out the next day and give Big Buck's a stone of a ride in the World Hurdle and everyone will want to lynch me.

"You go back into the sanctuary of the weighing room and they'll sit around you and say it's not the end of the world. That's the way jump jockeys are. When it goes wrong you have to stand behind each other and that's what we do. You know how quickly it can go wrong, how easily it can all be over. We've all been injured, we've all had stick, all done the wrong thing. That's why there's none of that snide and slagging. As soon as you start that, true as God, you'll be the next guy to cock it up."

To be a celebrity may be anathema to Walsh, but his brilliance in the saddle reflects the old truism about hard graft always supplementing natural talent. He would deserve whatever extra recognition is deemed acceptable in the modest world of jump jockeyship. "I've never struggled to give racing my life because I love it. You have to put your life and soul into it," he says. "There's no cheap way in."

That must be it. Survival is its own reward.

As we gear up for the 2010 baseball season, we continue our daily, team-by-team previews with the upstart Cincinnati Reds. Vegas has set their odds of winning the World Series at 100/1.

By Joel Luckhaupt of Red Reporter

-----

Introduction

For the third straight year, the Reds are a trendy "sleeper" pick in the National League. With an influx of young talent over the last three seasons, many figure that soon or later the Reds are going to put it together. Will this season be the year? There are still a lot of question marks.

Position Players

1. Drew Stubbs CF
2. Orlando Cabrera SS
3. Joey Votto 1B
4. Brandon Phillips 2B
5. Scott Rolen 3B
6. Jay Bruce RF
7. Jonny Gomes/Chris Dickerson LF
8. Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan C

For people that may not have paid close attention to the Reds last year, they may be surprised to see that this traditionally offensive-oriented team is actually weak at the plate. Joey Votto is the heart of the offense, finishing 4th in the Majors in wOBA in 2009. He did miss a month of time on the field with an ear infection followed by anxiety issues that put him on the disabled list. Given his age -- he's just 26 -- you would expect Votto to continue to develop, but a .373 batting average on balls he hit in play portends a drop-off at the plate. Expect him to continue to be the Reds' best hitter, even if he doesn't quite match last year's production.

The key to the Reds' lineup might be Jay Bruce. If the 23-year old can have a breakout season after a disappointing 2009 campaign, the Reds offense could be enough to contend. However, if Bruce continues to struggle in the fashion that we saw last season, it is unlikely that the Reds will be able to put enough runs on the board. His upside is the primary reason for optimism in 2010.

The rest of the offense is fairly predictable. The only real wild card is Drew Stubbs, who showed some unexpected power in a month-and-a-half stint in the big leagues last season. It is assumed that he can outdo the abysmal performance of Willy Taveras from last season, but the question is by how much? For the Reds to have any real shot at the division, it will likely require every one of the regulars to meet their projections, if not outperform them. They don't have enough offensive talent to be able to overcome down years by more than one or two players.

Defensively, the Reds are a strong team. Jonny Gomes is the only poor defender among the regulars. Off-season acquisition Orlando Cabrera isn't as good defensively as he once was, but hopefully should be around average. If not, don't be surprised if defensive specialist Paul Janish is used as a late inning defensive replacement. Scott Rolen and Brandon Phillips are both gold glove caliber defenders, and Joey Votto is solid at first base. In the outfield, Stubbs was named the best defensive outfielder in the minors last season by Baseball America, and Bruce has a good arm and good range in right field. Chris Dickerson is a natural center fielder who will also see some time in left field, where he is pretty good, though not outstanding. Behind the plate, Ryan Hanigan threw out 43% of attempted base stealers in 2009, one of the best rates in the NL. Ramon Hernandez wasn't too shabby either, nailing 36% of base runners.

Overall, the defense may be the Reds' best attribute going into 2010. They may not score a lot of runs, but hopefully they'll be able to keep runs off the board in return.

Rotation

1. Aaron Harang
2. Johnny Cueto
3. Bronson Arroyo
4. Homer Bailey
5. Undecided

The Reds' rotation came into the 2009 season with high expectations. Edinson Volquez had just come off an excellent year. Johnny Cueto looked primed to blossom into a stud. Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo were both solid innings-eaters who you would expect to give you around 200 innings and an ERA in the low 4's. It didn't quite work out that way, though, as Volquez had Tommy John surgery in August, and neither Cueto nor Harang reached his expected level. Arroyo put up a fine 15-13 record with a 3.84 ERA, and the Reds finally saw Homer Bailey demonstrate some of that boatload of talent he put on display in the minors, going 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA over his last nine starts.

The expectations put on this year's staff are a little more muted. Harang, who posted a 6-14 record with a 4.21 ERA in 2010, will be the Opening Day starter for the fifth straight season. He wasn't as bad as his record indicates in '09 - he suffered from a lack of run support and defensive help last year - but the Reds hope the big right-hander can do a lot better than he did given his $12 million salary in 2010. Cueto is still just 23 years old, and unlike last season, did not pitch in winter ball this year (nor did he have the World Baseball Classic like last season). So there is hope that he will continue to show flashes of being an ace more frequently as he develops. Arroyo is still a rubber-armed pitcher who will probably give you 200 innings with an ERA around 4.00 to 4.50. And Bailey will look to build on his late-season success from '09 and turn himself into the #1 or #2 pitcher the Reds have been hoping he would be. It's a staff full of possibilities that could be very good, but could just as easily be a big disappointment.

The fifth starter spot will likely be won by either Micah Owings or Matt Maloney, with Justin Lehr and Mike Lincoln having an outside shot at the spot. Owings is known more for his hitting than his pitching, but hopefully the addition of former Diamondbacks pitching coach Bryan Price will help Owings rediscover the success he had for the Dbacks back in 2007. Maloney has had enough minor league success (52-34, 3.29 ERA, 8.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 0.7 HR/9) that he seems like he could be a good choice for the fifth starter spot, but he'll have to figure out how to pitch at the big league level as his he was hit hard in seven starts in the Majors in '09. Lehr and Lincoln appear to be in camp mainly to provide competition.

The one name not mentioned so far is Aroldis Chapman. The 22-year Cuban defector was a highly sought-after free agent during the off-season whom the Reds managed to surprise just about everybody and sign. Some question the intelligence of spending $30 million on an unknown like Chapman, but the fact that the money is spread over 10 years lowers the risk of the deal dramatically for the Reds. It’s rare that a team like the Reds has a chance to outbid the league for a talent like Chapman, so when the opportunity presented itself, they had to take it. Chapman is reportedly throwing an easy 97 MPH this spring and his control has been better than expected, but even with those reports, it is unlikely that he’ll start the season in the Majors. He’s still fairly raw, and with the way the contract is structured, it actually makes sense for the Reds to hold him back in the minors for at least a year. Still, don’t be surprised if the Reds bring him up later this season, especially if they don’t get much production out of the 5th spot in the rotation.

Bullpen

The bullpen is good, if not great. Closer Francisco Cordero has seen his strikeouts dip in each of his first two seasons with the Reds, but he remains effective, closing out 39 of 43 save opportunities in 2009. He is supported in the bullpen by hard-throwing Nick Masset, ageless left-hander Arthur Rhodes, diminutive Daniel Ray Herrera, and solid bounceback candidate Jared Burton. The remaining spots in the bullpen are likely to be left to the losers in the race for the 5th spot in the rotation, though lefty Bill Bray could sneak into the pen if he has full recovered from Tommy John surgery last spring. Overall, it's strong bullpen. Cordero, Masset, Rhodes, and Burton are all hard throwers and junk-balling left-hander Herrera can be brought in to mix things up.

In The System

The Reds have a pretty good stockpile of young talent in the minors. There don’t appear to be any superstars besides Chapman, but there is a good amount of depth. For a system that recently graduated Votto, Bruce, Cueto, and Bailey to the Majors, they may not need superstars, but having depth will increase their options for the future.

The top prospect in the system is Chapman, who many believe to be a top-10 prospect in all of baseball. The Reds also drafted Mike Leake out of Arizona State last June. He’s a polished right-hander who could find himself in the Majors later this season if he handles the minors well. It is more likely, though, that he’ll be around to replace Harang or Arroyo in 2011 if their options aren’t picked up by the team.

On the offensive side, Todd Frazier has been getting good reviews from scouts after a strong 2009 campaign, but he is without a true position at this point. Yonder Alonso has an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, but questions about his power and ability to hit left-handers, as well as the fact that he is blocked at 1B behind Votto make it unlikely that he’ll see much action in the Majors in 2010.

The most likely prospects to see time in Cincinnati this season are Chris Heisey, who had a breakout season in Double-A last year and could be used in left field by the Reds if the current options don’t pan out, and Juan Francisco, who has incredible power but not much plate discipline. Francisco is a third baseman, and given Rolen's recent health history, it is likely that we’ll see Francisco in the Majors for some portion of the year in ’10. Of course, that could be scary since the 22-year old made 39 errors at the hot corner in 2009.

Miscellaneous

Dusty Baker is in the last year of a 3-year/$10.5 million contract as manager of the Reds, and it’s hard to imagine him being brought back in 2011 if the Reds can’t put a winning team on the field this year. That means Baker’s going to have his work cut out for him. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles a mostly young team if they don’t get off to a good start. He’s got to feel like Cincinnati might be his last stop as a manager, especially if he can’t turn them into a winner after pundits have been predicting one for three years now. The pressure is definitely on him to perform.

Conclusion

The Reds have been playing the "just one more year away" game for a couple of years now, but impatient owner Bob Castellini may not tolerate another losing season this year. They are a team on the cusp of a major improvement, but it is going to take several players outplaying their projections for 2010 to be their year. The addition of Rolen in the clubhouse seems to have brought a new attitude and work ethic to a team that seemed lackadaisical when Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn were the big men on campus. Whether that will translate into wins remains to be seen.

The Essentials:

Knicks (19-37) vs. Wizards (20-35)
7 p.m.
Verizon Center
TV: CSN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Notable Knicks numbers this season

22nd in expected winning percentage (.391)
7th in pace (93.9 possessions per game)
17th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (106.1 points/100 possessions)
T23rd in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (109.5 points allowed/100 possessions)

Pre-game links

Posting and Toasting, SB Nation's Knicks Blog
Knickerblogger
Javaris Crittenton breaks his silence after the gun incident
A New York Times article on the loony Walt Frazier
GameDay Knicks

Tonight's Projected Starters
Wizards	vs.	Knicks
Randy Foye	PG	Sergio Rodriguez
Mike Miller	SG	Tracy McGrady
Al Thornton	SF	Wilson Chandler
James Singleton	PF	Danilo Gallinari
Andray Blatche	C	David Lee

Shaun Livingston, the newest Wizard, was doing the standard shooting drill many Wizards players do before games.  The drill requires players to cut from out of bounds, fade to the baseline, and then elude assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. as he closes out of their jump shot.  On this try, though, Unseld went a little too far and slammed into Livingston as Livingston tried to drive baseline.

"I don't want to hurt him on his first day," Unseld said, which got a chuckle out of everyone.

Ironic?  Sure, but the Wizards feel they can get something out of Livingston when it's all said and done.  They brought him in for a workout and decided to sign him even though he hasn't played an organized, full-court game since he was released by Oklahoma City in late December. 

"If he ever can get healthy again -- and he doesn't have to get 100% healthy -- he's got unbelievable basketball instincts, high IQ and can really pass the ball," Flip Saunders said.

The coaching staff has history with Livingston too.  When he was coaching Minnesota last fall, assistant coach Randy Wittman brought Livingston in for training camp.  Livingston was eventually cut, but that stint meant he was already on the Wizards' radar.

"Randy Wittman had him in last year in September, and seeing him from a year ago to where he is now, there's like a 100% difference in where he was," Saunders said.

At the same time, Saunders admitted Livingston hasn't played much basketball since he was released by the Thunder.  As mentioned before, he hasn't done any full-court stuff (which Saunders was quick to say that "most guys [who get released] don't") and has only done individual workouts.  (Saunders did make it a point to add that he hasn't gone to the YMCA because "those guys will try to make a name in one afternoon session of basketball ... and that's how you get hurt").  Saunders admitted he didn't expect to use Livingston much tonight, but he'll have to wait and see.

More notes:

• JaVale McGee will not start tonight because he was late to shootaround this morning.  As one media member said, you'd think he'd be the first guy there after getting his butt kicked by Marc Gasol on Wednesday, but he wasn't.  James Singleton will start in his place.
• Speaking of Singleton, he's wearing a splint on his left middle finger after hurting it in the closing stretches of Wednesday's game.  A trainer was pegging balls at him to catch with his left hand, and he still looked like he was in a bit of pain.  He'll play though.
• Saunders said that Mike Harris will probably play more minutes tonight.
• Funny story from Craig Stouffer of the Examiner: a Knicks trainer wandered over to the Wizards side of the court and joked to Harris "This ain't no Vipers now."  The Vipers are the nickname for Rio Grande Valley of the D-League.  Harris had previously told the guy, "hey, ballboy committee meeting is over there."

Continuing our look at the prospects who are an injury away from a call up to the big leagues, here's a look at the NL Central:

Cardinals: The Cardinals have a position battle at 3B going into spring training between Allen Craig, Tyler Greene, Joe Mather and David Freese. If history is any indication, manager Tony Larussa will pick a veteran over the prospect, leaving Freese in AAA. But Freese has the power to get the call should he not win the job out of spring training. Freese has a career .384 OBP and .532 SLG in the minors.

Pirates: The Pirates have gone young over the last few years but recently traded for former prospect Jeff Clement to play 1B for them in 2010. They also have career minor leaguer Garrett Jones starting in right field. Jones had a great second half for the Pirates, but his numbers don't jive with how he has hit in the minors, and many are expecting him to regress. Should that occur, the Pirates won't hesitate to call up 21 or 24 year old outfielder Jose Tabata to play right field. I expect that to happen by June.

Cubs: The Cubs are toying around with the idea of letting hyped SS prospect Starlin Castro start the season with the big club, but I doubt they will rush him at the age of 19. But, I could see them calling him up should they fall out of the race come July/August. For some reason, the moves GM Jim Hendry has made over the last few seasons have made the club worse.

Reds: The Reds have a logjam in leftfield to start spring training with Chris Dickerson, Wladimir Balentien, Todd Frazier, Chris Heisey, Juan Francisco and possibly Jonny Gomes battling for the opening. Why the Reds would look to sign Gomes is beyond me. Once Scott Rolen takes his annual trip to the DL, I could see the Reds calling up Todd Frazier to play 3B, assuming Frazier does not make the team out of spring training. Frazier is also a candidate to play left field, and can play 2B or SS in a pinch.

Brewers: Former first round pick Mat Gamel may make the team out of spring training, but if not he could be the first hitter called up by the Brewers. Right now, it appears that Casey McGehee will start at 3B with Rickie Weeks manning 2B. Should McGehee not duplicate his 2009 season in Milwaukee, the Brew Crew could call up Gamel and see if he is the bat he was in AAA. Gamel's bat should keep him in  the big leagues, as his glove is non-existent. Should the Brewers decide to deal Prince Fielder for a king's ransom, Gamel would fit in nicely at 1B.

Astros: The Astros currently have two catchers on their 40-man roster-former top prospect JR Towles and career backup Humberto Quintero. It appears Towles may get another chance to win the catchers job out of spring training, but should he falter once again, the Astros could call on top prospect Jason Castro who can hit for a good BA and has a good eye at the plate as evidenced by his .380 OBP in High-A and AA last season.

I've had Mike Tyson on my mind a lot lately. If you know anything about the history of boxing, you'll know that it's been 20 years since James "Buster" Douglas stunningly knocked out the undefeated world champ.

ESPN commemorated this by producing a very good documentary that aired a couple of weeks ago. I also just recently watched James Toback's gripping documentary (simply titled Tyson ). And to top it off, I read a bunch of old Sports Illustrated stories about the guy. 

'Money May' has heard great things about British boxing and he might recognise a bit of himself in Frankie Gavin, the Birmingham southpaw with hallmarks of genius

Floyd Mayweather Jr says he is on his way to the UK this summer. Having been led to the weird land of Tweet, I happened upon these recent entries from "Money May", as he likes to call himself:

"UK fans you know I'll be back over there. How many of my fans from the UK will I see at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on 5.1.10?" (That's 1 May, for his showdown with Shane Mosley).

And ...

"Whats up UK & Aussie fans. I'm comin to party with yal after May."

Intriguing. I'd guess it will be alongside his old bête noire, Oscar De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions see gold in these old hills – David Haye, Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton are already partners.

A Mayweather-DLH visit would stir plenty of headlines, as they ramp up potential fights for their British friends. Khan (whose proposed 15 May bout with Paulie Malignaggi in New York I've already slammed as a cop-out) and Hatton squaring off here in September seems a believable, if regrettable, scenario.

Floyd, meanwhile, has to get past Mosley. If Sugar Shane fights like he did in destroying Antonio Margarito in his last fight (a worryingly long 13 months ago), it will be a classic. If not, if Floyd runs and Shane can't catch him, it will be one of the disappointments of the year.

And, if he loses, I doubt we will be seeing Floyd here in May.

Another Floyd?

It is slowly dawning on a wider audience how good Frankie Gavin is. There were moments during his one-sided points win over the determined Peter McDonagh at Wembley on Saturday night when he looked like a young Mayweather.

Scoff, if you want. We will see down the road, perhaps within 18 months, if the Birmingham southpaw can turn his immense amateur promise into professional gold. Already his subtle shoulder shifts, his coolness under pressure and ability to judge the distance and angles to near-perfection bear the hallmarks of budding genius. He slipped and countered brilliantly and threw a few liver shots that would have dropped lesser men.

There is a long way to go. He can get physically harder and he has yet to be stretched, so his concentration is not quite at a peak; but, despite his (deserved) reputation as a joker, Gavin is a serious student of the business.

McDonagh, seasoned but no doormat, gave him a decent argument, although he was streets short in class, providing the former world amateur champion with an ideal dartboard. Gavin turned what might have been a tricky night into a quality spar.

If he can do that to McDonagh – his best opponent so far – it is reasonable to assume he can do it to the British light-welterweight champion Lenny Daws down the road. Daws struggled against Jason Cook at the York Hall on Friday night.

Once Gavin moves past domestic level – which should be by the end of the year – the pressure will be on him to step it up in Europe and beyond. These are good times for Fun Time Frankie.

Mighty good

In fact, as Frank Warren keeps reminding us (with justification), these are very good times for British boxing.

The other stars of his stable did everything asked of them on Saturday night.

Kevin "Mighty" Mitchell was all of that when he threw the smoothest right over the top of a lazy lead to put the Colombian Ignacio Mendoza into orbit in the second round.

Mitchell has overcome injury and his own temperament, with the help of Jimmy and Mark Tibbs, to become nearly the complete fighter. He spreads his feet for power but also lets his shots go now without getting too carried away.

"Jimmy's very much like me, in his ways," he said later. "I sized him up in the first round, came back to the corner. Jimmy said, 'Every time he throws a shot, keep sticking that jab in his face. Then throw the right.' I brought two left uppercuts in and threw the right. I saw him on the floor and thought, what a touch. Did he go up in the air? Bloody hell."

What a touch, indeed. I'm sure Mendoza flew higher than Joe Frazier did against George Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1973.

Nathan Cleverly's power at light-heavyweight improves by the fight and the seriously eccentric Italian Antonio Brancalion felt a lot of it before folding in the fifth. The Welshman, who graduates with a maths degree in May, says boxing has been "a hobby" for him up until now. God help his opponents when he gets serious. He will fight for a world title before the end of the year.

Whether or not it is against the WBO's champion, Juergen Braehmer, who stopped Brancalion in a round last June then vacated the Euro title, depends very much on whether the German goes to prison for an alleged assault dating back to 2008.

The organisation's No1 contender, Bernard Hopkins, prefers to waste his reputation on a belated and pointless rematch, 17 years after their first meeting, with an utterly shot Roy Jones Jr. So the field is open for Cleverly, although wouldn't he love a fight against old Hopkins?

Marshes on the march

The Marsh boys from Cromer continue on their unbeaten way. Lightweight Liam looked slick again in stopping the cagey loser Sid Razak in the fourth of six for his seventh win; Ryan outpointed Slough featherweight Ian Bailey in his ninth win on the spin; and Michael, a super-bantam, got off the floor in the closing fight of the night to get the verdict over the tough Canning Town Iraqi, Najah Ali.

Stocks in the Twitter stream: susimcmx said Fist the vending machine would not drop my food then it wouldnt open the bottom door something doesnt want me eat today $U $HI - DYates said Work $G.E.D$ stolkers said $EURUSD losses just getting some legs. Usually wouldnapost even think of chasing something this mature but… $$ cfrazierjr [...] ...

Stocks in the Twitter stream: optionbob said cfrazierjr it will be tough for $VZ to compete with that. And $T aposs 3G works fine here in HI so I have no reason to wait for Droid Slate cfrazierjr said optionbob Hold off on buying that iPad Iaposm sure $VZ will match when they introduce the Droid Slate. ilmor [...] ...

One way of communicating to everyone that you're "in the know" is to refer to people not by their bylines, but by their IRL nicknames. Everyone will know you're a poser if you don't call A.O. Scott (pictured) "Tony."

Here are some other ones, which you can feel free to pepper your conversation with at the next Lapham's Quarterly party. (Noted: It's mostly dudes on this list, and a lot of New Yorker writers. Maybe it's a prep school thing?)

New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin: Bud

New Yorker writer Kelefa Sanneh: K

New York Times writer C.J. Chivers: Chris

Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Louis Menand: Luke

Late author and Vanity Fair contributor Dominick Dunne:Nick

New Yorker writer Ian Frazier: Sandy

Sterling Lord Literistic head Phillipa Brophy: Flip

ICM agent Amanda Urban: Binky

Author and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Skip

Author and Paris Review Fiction Editor Nathaniel Rich: Nat

New York Times writer Charles McGrath: Chip

New Yorker writer James Surowiecki: Jim

New Yorker writer/editor Hendrik Hertzberg: Rick (or maybe "Rik"?)

Just don't ever call David Remnick "Dave."

Got others? Email me.

It is impossible for a human being to be completely devoid of opinion.

Every person who knows anything about today’s boxing world has an opinion of Manny Pacquiao, and everyone seems to be eager to share it.

While the majority of fans agree that Pacquiao has earned his place as one of the greats in boxing history, a growing number of critics have a lot to say to the contrary.

So what are some of the most popular jabs, hooks, and haymakers that haters use to discredit Manny Pacquiao?

Here are the most popular statements that have been circulated in attempts to nullify Pacquiao’s achievements:

“He can’t be one of the greatest. He’s been knocked out before.”

Even Joe Louis was KOd by Max Schmeling.

Joe Frazier was TKOd by Ali.   

“Marco Antonio Barrera was past his prime.”

He was 29 when Manny TKOd him in their first meeting.

“Juan Manuel Marquez really beat Pacquiao in both fights.”

Wrong. The two battles that were fought between these great warriors resulted in one draw and one split decision win for Pacquiao. Pacquiao actually sent Marquez to the mats four times in two fights.

“Erik Morales was shop-worn and past his prime.”

Morales were 29 and 30 years old when he was respectively TKOd and KOd by Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is 31 with more fights under his belt than Morales, yet he is still considered to be in his prime.  

“Oscar De La Hoya was old and weight-drained.”

De La Hoya was only one year older and 8 lbs lighter than when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. and gave him the toughest fight of his career. It was the only fight that Mayweather failed to win by KO, TKO, or unanimous decision.

“Ricky Hatton was overrated.”

Hatton had an outstanding record of 45 wins and one loss at the time he fought Pacquiao. He was undefeated as a light welterweight, and his only loss had been to Mayweather in a welter weight bout. It took Mayweather 10 rounds to finish him. Manny did it in two.

“Cotto was damaged goods.”

After the beating that Cotto suffered at the allegedly loaded hands of Antonio Margarito, Cotto went on to TKO Michael Jennings, who held a record of 34-1.

In his next bout he reigned victorious in a brutal war against Joshua Clottey (35-2) despite suffering a severe cut over his left eye due to an incidental headbutt in round three.

“Pacquiao is on steroids, or some other form of performance enhancing drugs, and that’s why he’s been able to gain so much lean weight while retaining his power.”

This accusation is totally baseless. There is no evidence that Pacquiao has ever used any form of illegal PEDs. In fact, his actual fighting weight has changed very little over the past three years.

11/18/2006
Pacquiao-Morales 3: Official weigh-in: 129- Fight night: 144

10/06/2007
Pacquiao-Barrera 2: Official weigh-in: 130- Fight night: 144

06/15/2008
Pacquiao-Marquez 2: Official weigh-in: 130- Fight night: 145

06/28/2008
Pacquiao-Diaz: Official weigh-in: 135- Fight night: 147

12/06/2008:
Pacquiao- De La Hoya: Official weigh-in: 142- Fight night: 148

05/02/2009:
Pacquiao-Hatton: Official weigh-in: 138- Fight night: 148

11/14/2009:
Pacquiao-Cotto: Official weigh-in: 144- Fight night: unknown

“Pacquiao is on A-side meth.”

I have no facts on this because I have no idea what A-side meth actually is—or if it even exists.

 

I was recently told that there are only a few sources that cover boxing with unbiased credibility. The rest are fan sites and blogs.

I found that interesting.

Upon doing a great deal of research I also found it interesting that all of the unbiased, credible boxing sources that were named have bestowed honors upon Manny Pacquiao, including:

2006, 2008 and 2009 The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year

2006 and 2008 Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year

2006 and 2008 SecondsOut.com Fighter of the Year

2008 and 2009 The Ring Magazine No. 1 Pound For Pound (year-end)

Five-Time PSA Sportsman of the Year

2000-09 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athlete of the Decade

2008 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Honorary Award for Sports Excellence

2008 and 2009 BoxingScene.com Fighter of the Year

2008 Sports Illustrated Boxer of the Year

2008 and 2009 TheSweetScience.com Boxer of the Year

2008 WBC Boxer of the Year

2008 Yahoo Sports Fighter of the Year

2008 and 2009 ESPN Star's Champion of Champions

2009 ESPN Fighter of the Year

2009 ESPN Knockout of the Year

2009 ESPY Awards Best Fighter

2009 TIME 100 Most Influential People (Heroes & Icons Category)

2009 TIME Magazine cover for November issue

2009 Forbes Magazine Celebrity 100 (ranked 57th)

2009 HBO Fighter of the Decade

2009 The SweetScience.com Fighter of the Decade

2009 Sports Illustrated Fighter of the Year

 2009 The Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year

2009 World's Greatest Ever Featherweight

2009 World's Greatest Ever (ranked second)

To the hysterical and very loud minority who think Pacquiao is an overrated cherry-picker: You have every right to your opinion, but facts are facts.

Email: scrimmer1@hotmail.com

Introducing Mrs. Coach Featherbottom.

Just in case he ever does get around to firing his current coach, Raiders owner Al Davis is already put together a remarkable list of candidates. The interviews have already begun (I like to think that he makes Tom Cable watch) and the names are sure to bowl you over.

Two people on his interview list have been identified as former Giants coach Jim Fassel, who now coaches UFL champion Las Vegas, and former Raiders offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, the head coach of CFL champion Montreal.

Several sources, including one within the organization, believe Davis may re-interview 2009 candidates Kevin Gilbride, the Giants’ offensive coordinator, and Winston Moss, a Packers assistant head coach, if he hasn’t already.

Of course that’s just the beginning. Continue after the jump for the FULL list.

Martha Coakley
Conan O’Brien
John Shoop
Gary Crowton
Sherman Lewis
Sherman Smith
Sherman Helmsley
Bum Phillips
Panama Lewis
Lane Kiffin
Vlad the Impaler
Amy Trask
The late George Michael
Marty Schottenheimer
Gilbert Arenas
Tiger Woods
Centenarian former Pinkerton agent
Tom Cable in a wig and dress
Jim Zorn
George Allen
Fidel Castro
Buck Showalter
Jeff Van Gundy
Butch Harmon
Paula Abdul
Dick Ebersol
Chan Gailey (Fuck tampering!)
Eliot Spitzer
Cam Cameron
Buddy Ryan
Rob Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Ryan Seacrest
Bubb Rubb
Mike Shanahan’s non-union Mexican equivalent.
Raider Milt
Tila Tequila
JaMarcus Russell
Jeff Dunham (racist puppets as assistant coaches)
TBL
Bill Simmons
Foge Fazio
Rex Ryan
Rob Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Meg Ryan
Ryan Adams
Canteen Boy
Harmony Korine
Pam Ward
Tracy McGrady
Ron Fucking Swanson
Leslie Frazier
Joe Frazier
Walt Frazier
Tommie Frazier
Frasier Crane
Art Shell
Omar Minaya
Roger Ebert
Manny Pacquiao
Tom Walsh
Bobby Finstock
John Goodman as Coach Harris
John Madden
Matt Millen
The Situation
Buckethead
“The Coach” Jonathan Coachman
Douglas “Swish” Reemer
Frank Sinatra Jr.
Rusty Shackleford
Cousin Darwish

The list might look a bit long, but remember, Count Al’s interviews only last about 90 seconds each.

So who is your pick to coach the Silver and Black?