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 Three's a CrowdJan 4, 2004 By Shawn Neuman
By now, most boxing fans are aware that George Foreman will be leaving his post as an HBO commentator after one last appearance in February. Surely HBO will fill this vacancy, as it has traditionally used three commentators for its broadcasts. Before Jim Lampley came along, Barry Tompkins headed up the team as blow-by-blow announcer, Larry Merchant was the color analyst as always, and a string of former fighters and trainers have been cast in the role of "third man at the table," from Ray Leonard to Gil Clancy, Roy Jones, JR. to Emanuel Steward. But is it really necessary to have three voices describing the same action? Throw Harold Lederman in the mix, and you have a fourth annoying voice screaming at you through the tube. Don Dunphy was known as the voice of boxing for so many years, and he worked alone. Howard Cosell, never to be confused with someone who really knows boxing, was also able to pull off this feat. In today’s world of information, however, it seems we need as many accounts of a fight as the boxing networks can cram next to a boxing ring. Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant are perfectly capable of carrying the load on their own, and if they are truthful they would probably prefer to do so, but it is unlikely that HBO will allow this to happen. HBO would probably justify Foreman's position as providing the viewer with a fighter’s point of view, someone who has been there and will shoot it straight. I admit that, between his blunders and stupid comments, Foreman sometimes shines by telling us what is going on and what will happen before we realize it ourselves. He has single handedly, though, highlighted the problems with having such an opening. These guys are fighters, not broadcasters. You wouldn’t have Lampley up in the ring as a referee, because he is not trained for that job. This is the equivalent of what you have when you put a fighter at the table to call a fight…an untrained, nonprofessional attempting to do the job of a professional. Don’t get me wrong. Foreman’s often silly commentary, arguments with Merchant, and ability to make Lampley squirm have provided viewers with many laughs over the years. Who could ever forget the exchange between Merchant and Foreman when John Ruiz and Evander Holyfield fought for a third time…Merchant: "You think these guys fought like champions, George?" Foreman: "Absolutely." Merchant: "I’d have to disagree with you, George." Foreman (getting angry): "When you’ve had ONE boxing match, then you can talk about that!" As enjoyable as such rants may be, inadvertent humor is not what Foreman was hired for, but it is generally all that is given. It’s not just Foreman. Bobby Czyz had to be one of the most annoying people ever to put on a headset. The way he chopped up his sentences in speaking exhausted me as if I had been one of the ring combatants. Roy Jones, JR. and Riddick Bowe were far too biased and self-centered to talk about much other than themselves and how they would fare against other fighters. To their credit, Ray Leonard, Clancy, and Steward were and are, usually, a joy to listen to. The third man, however, is a totally unnecessary creation that can sometimes, as Foreman and others have illustrated, lead to disaster. Over the years, countless viewers have complained in magazines, message boards, and chat rooms about Foreman’s buffoonery. HBO would do well to bid Foreman a fond farewell in February, and learn from its mistakes.
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