Rambling through central Illinois, wondering if bickering about the presidential election will ever end.
• • •
In between Iowa pheasant hunts last week, we spent an evening watching boxing. It was frustrating, though the experience did take me back to one of my favorite college courses.
Word on campus back in the day was that there was no easier “A” than The History of Public Relations. My gpa smiled when I showed up for the first class and saw nearly the entire hockey team in the lecture hall.
Though I only attended once more to earn my “A,” I recall that first lecture was on P.T. Barnum, the showman credited with saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” There is debate as to whether Barnum deserves credit for the phrase. There’s no debate about its accuracy, as last week’s Mike Tyson-Jake Paul debacle proved.
If you did not see the much-hyped fight, you are not alone, since Netflix failed in its attempt to showcase a major sporting event. Many in the alleged audience of 60 million could not watch or saw a blurry picture.
Then again, the whole affair was a bit blurry. For starters, I had never heard of Paul, the “Most famous You-Tuber in the world.” To get up to speed, we watched a documentary. After a few minutes, I wanted Tyson to punch Paul in the jaw repeatedly.
So for Iron Mike to land only 18 punches in the eight-round fight was a huge disappointment. The hardest he hit Paul was while slapping him in a pre-fight press conference.
It was nice not to have to chip in for pay-per-view, like in the old days when that was the only way to see Cooney vs. Holmes, Hagler vs. Hearns or Buster vs. Tyson.
All in all, the obviously staged Tyson-Paul charade made suckers of any who watched. Maybe that’s no surprise. What is stunning is that the broacast revealed Netflix is not ready for live-sports streaming. Hey, don’t count on seeing the back-to-back NFL games Netflix is supposed to air on Christmas Day: Chiefs vs. Steelers and Ravens vs. Texans.
And don’t count me in on any big boxing promotions again real soon. While the undercard fights were enjoyable, this stunt could knock the sweet science below UFC and pro wrestling in cultural relevance. That’s a shame. Worse still? Jake Paul’s jutting jaw remains intact.
• • •
Speaking of hard hits, Illinoisans are suffering from a painful combo punch of rising prices and rising taxes. I hate the increases, too. But it’s worth remembering that, due to rising costs, taxing bodies also have to pay more for the goods they purchase. … Farmington is one step away from the Class 2A state football title game and got there without one of its best players. Jack Gronewold did not play in the Farmers’ 42-6 quarterfinal win and may not play this Saturday. That Farmington won two playoff games without him is a testament to the team’s depth and coaching. And Jerett Fauser deserves plenty of credit for stepping up. Coaches let him run wild last week on defense to make plays, and he made plenty. … Parting shot: Will the Farmers win Saturday’s first semifinal in school history? Yes, thanks to a very strong defense and a much-improved running game. Sez here, Farmington 20, Palos Heights Chicago Christian 18.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@jefflampe
