VICTORY GOES TO THE BRAVE----boxing's decline and the sea dogs howl

This coming Saturday, May 28, HBO Canada (Ch 58) will be showing the tape delay of the WBC Light Heavyweight championship bout between title holder, Jean Pascal of Laval and the 46 yr old challenger, Bernard Hopkins. Last December they fought hard in what turned out to be a controversial majority draw.   Ten or more years ago, this bout would be widely talked about and every bar in town would be showing it. Last Sat, one would have had to have been lucky to find a bar that would have been showing the live pay per view package.   Boxing has been in decline for some time now, with MMA and UFC seemingly on tv all the time. Personally I have difficulty understanding the caged fights, especically when they are fighting on the ground---to me UFC seems more like a Roman gladiator spectacle than a skilled fight.   Growing up in the late 50s and early 60's, I was exposed to the tv Friday Night At The Fights, the newsreels at the movies that often showed highlight of the most recent fights, and took part in generational discussions where we argued who was better, Joe Louis or Mohammed Ali.  Now no one knows or seems to care who the Heavyweight champion of the world is. Something has been lost, yet the terminology of boxing is in everyday use.   They used to say that some of the best literature in the world was to found on the sports pages of the New York papers;boxing would have been a prominet part of that. Writers of the stature of Norman Mailer and Joyce Carol Oates are just two of the many writers who have produced great boxing literature.  On Saturday,May 28 I will sit down and watch the HBO card and dream of the glory days of the sport.                                                                            Over in Mississauga, the 93rd Memorial Cup tournament is taking place. Tonight, the Kooteany Ice are in "a do or die" situation, have to win and hope that they can get into a "tie-breaker game." Last night, the Saint John Sea Dogs, a team loaded with top prospects for the NHL draft, won a dramatic overtime over the OHL champion Owen Sound Attack. Jonathan Huberdeau's game winning rapid wrist shot makes me think that he will be the next Jamie Benn.  For you poolies out there, remember that name. Another player who made a splash at the Memorial Cup and is now a valuable hockey pool additon is Mike Richards.                                                                                      Kelly Cup wrapup----the Alaska Aces lost game 3 in Kalamzoo, but came back and last Saturday won the ECHL title. Former Salmon King Scott Howes was recognized for a great postseason by being named the 2011 ECHL playoff MVP.       Thats a wrap.