Dave Smith

With reports that both fighters will make $60M, it’s hard to imagine why Floyd Mayweather allowed a deadline to pass to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao. From what I’ve read, Pacman has agreed to be urine tested, blood tested and examined extensively; so why won’t the Pretty Boy sign on the dotted line?….

It can’t be money, because a $60M payday would brek all boxing records. It doesn’t seem to be the drug testing issue, unless Floyd demands around the clock, 24/7 testing all the way up to fight time….

Could it be that Mayweather is so determined to be his own man and call the shots that he will not agree to any deadlines or demands? Or does he simply not want the fight?….

He knows this fight is what boxing needs and evidently is gambling he can stretch this thing all the way to 2011. The problem is neither one of these guys is getting any younger and Mayweather is playing a very dangerous game….

What if Manny loses to either Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto, who are rumored to be in line to replace Floyd? Both are dangerous and it will also be Pacman’s first fight at 154 lbs. A loss and Mayweather can kiss that $60M goodbye….

It’s funny how time changes things, because a year or two ago a Pacquiao-Margarito fight seemed inconceivable. The Tijuana Tornado had just knocked out Cotto and seemed like the strongest man on earth….

When I asked Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach if he’d allow Manny to fight Margarito, he replied “I’m brave, but not that brave.”….

Almost everyone in boxing believed Margarito would crush Pacman and the fight would never happen….

But after Antonio was caught cheating and then knocked out by Shane Mosley, everything changed dramatically. Margarito received a one year suspension for illegally placing plaster in his wraps and fell off the boxing map….

Now, then less than two years later, Pacquiao will be a heavy favorite if they fight….

This should be a lesson and Floyd to sign a contract, collect his $60M and make history. In my opinion, it will be an easy night for Mayweather and he’ll knock out Pacquiao in the late rounds….

The Pretty Boy is too quick, too slick and has too much boxing skill for Manny….

True, Pacquiao is a great fighter, but a look at his record shows no wins against world class, black American fighters. Almost everyone he fights (Barrera, Morales, Cotto, Clottey, etc) come forward and are easy to hit. He’s never seen the side-to-side movement, defense and hand speed Mayweather will display….

Hell, Juan Manuel Marquez gave Pacman two boxing lessons in their disputed fights and both Cotto and Clottey busted up his face….

Memo to Floyd Mayweather:

What if you’re correct about Pacquiao’s steroid use and the truth is revealed after the Cotto or Margarito fight? What if either you or Pacman suffers a career-threatening injury? What if Team Mayweather is on one of their notorious strip club adventures and some Pacman Jones trouble breaks out? What if Manny loses his next fight? What if the economy continues to tank and a year from now people simply cannot afford to buy Pacquiao-Mayweather? What if boxing fans simply lose patience with your stalling, the fight loses steam and interest wanes?

If any of this happens, your chance-of-a-lifetime payday is gone and you’ll be reduced to fighting second-rate fighters for chump change.

Remember the highly anticipated Lennox Lewis-Riddick Bowe heavyweight championship fight, which was supposed to happen around 15 years ago? After endless negotiating and posturing, Bowe called a press conference and threw his WBC Championship belt in a trash can. Both guys would have made $30M, but they threatened, stalled, delayed, fought over money and the fight never happened….

Bowe then slipped into oblivion after his two foul-plagued fights with Andrew Golota, battles with weight and family issues….

Lewis, on the other hand, became the gretaest heavyweight of his era and went on to fame and fortune. But looking back, I’m sure he wishes the Bowe fight happened; because would have won and earned the biggest payday of his career….

All of this should be a lesson to Floyd and his team. Sign the contract, do the fight and make your $60M. Things can change quickly and all this posturing could blow up in your face….

If just one thing goes wrong, your career could disintegrate overnight….

Tremendous win at the British Open for Louis Oosthuizen, as the young South African blitzed the field, finished at -16 and won by seven strokes….

But nobody should finish a major at -16, especially at legendary St. Andrews. This is not the Greater Greensboro or Palm Desert, it’s supposed to be one of the toughest courses in the world with the worst conditions….

Evidently, modern equipment and more athletic players have brought the course to its knees and it’s time for organizers to make some changes. Too many players were posting good scores and -16 is completely unacceptable. And 43 players finishing under par is also troubling….

Majors are supposed to be about the most challenging courses imagineable and par should be an excellent round. Instead, St. Andrews played more like your local public course….

Time to grow the grass, narrow the fairways, lengthen the holes and add more pot bunkers….

I watch majors to see the greatest players in the world struggling to make par, not play pitch-and-putt….

I don’t normally watch the first two days of a golf tournament, but when I saw the leaderboard for day one of the British Open, I grabbed a sandwich and settled in….

After all, when you have John Daly, Tiger Woods and a 21-yerar-old kid named Rory McIlroy battling for the lead, golf doesn’t get any better….

It’s early and Daly will probably fade by the weekend, but if these three are still near the top on Sunday it’s going to be unbelievable….

For some reason, I’ve always been a fan of Daly. Yes, he’s a fat, drunken, gambling train wreck who’s been married several times and has no self control; but that’s the reason I like him….

Since almost everyone on the PGA Tour looks alike, dresses alike have bland personalities, it’s interesting to see a guy who behaves like the rest of us….

He’s the longest hitter on tour, shoots for the pin and isn’t politically correct….

Bravo!….

Woods, of course, is the reason the tour makes so much money and so many people have become fans. There’s nothing like Sunday at a major, with Tiger wearing red and closing in on history….

As for McIlroy, he’s a young kid from Northern Ireland with a lot of hair and personality. He shot an unbelievable 63 on Thursday and had old St. Andrews by the short hair….

I don’t know how this thing is going to turn out, but I’ll be watching….

I know most Laker fans will think I’m crazy, but the guy I’d go after is Allen Iverson….

Sure, they already have two point guards in Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, but A.I. had played a lot of shooting guard in his career….

In 2001, he played 2 the entire season and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals….

Positives: He plays as hard as any player I’ve ever seen and is totally fearless going to the hoop. For such a little guy, it’s incredible how he’s always been able to get to the rim and finish. He’s also as tough as anyone in the NBA, bouncing off the floor every time he gets knocked on his ass. After a big guy knocks the hell out of him, he attacks the rim with even more ferocity. Laker fans will fall in love with this guy when they see how hard he plays and how tough he is. He’s a Hall-of-Famer, one of the all time greats and in my opinion still has plenty of game. For $1.8M, it’s an absolute steal. And does anyone want to make the case that Fisher and Blake are better than him? I didn’t think so….

Negatives: He’s 35, has personal issues and had problems with two teams last season. In Memphis, he couldn’t accept being a reserve and lasted less than a week. In Philadelphia he played pretty well, but left the team near the end of the season for personal reasons. Evidently, he was going through a divorce and one of his kids was sick; but when you walk out on two teams in a year, franchises are going to be very careful. At his age, nobody is going to take a chance on a guy they feel is a cancer.

Final Analysis: If I’m Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak, I arrange a meeting with Iverson and also invite Kobe Bryant. It would then be made clear to A.I. that his role will be as a backup and he’s going to have to accept a minimum salary. In return, he has a chance to finally win a championship and prove he’s not a selfish, me-first guy. Phil Jackson specializes in guys like him and I believe Iverson has enough respect for the Laker organization, Kobe and Phil to subjugate his game and be a team guy. If so, he has Bob McAdoo written all over him.

Trying to make sense of Jordan Farmar signing a three year, $12M deal with the Nets. Sure, it’s a good pay raise from the $1.24M he was making with the Lakers, but for the past few years Farmar has been complaining about his minutes and looking forward and looking forward to starting….

So why go to New Jersey, where he will play behind Devin Harris and get limited minutes?….

Harris is certainly a better player than Farmar, so why go into another situation where you’ll be a backup? I guess Jordan didn’t get any other offers and the pay raise was too much to turn down; especially when you don’t get along with your coach and feel restricted in the triangle offense….

With all his complaining, you’d think Jordan would take a little less for the opportunity to start. If he felt so restricted and underused, he should have sacrificed a little money for starters minutes….

Easy for me to say, because nobody is throwing money my way….

Evidently it’s all about the money with Farmar and he wasn’t telling the truth about wanting to start and play big minutes….

He’s making a lot more money, but in my opinion is in a worse situation than he was in L.A. He’s on a terrible team, away from home and playing behind a guy much better than he is….

Derek Fisher is nearing the end of his career and at times the team was better with Farmar on the floor. Devin Harris, on the other hand, is young, dynamic and clearly a much better player than Jordan. So how is going to New Jersey better for Farmar’s career?….

I hope he enjoys living in New Jersey, losing games and sitting on the bench….

While I believe Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert came across as bitter and juvenile in his ripping of LeBron James, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s comments that Gilbert treated King James like a “runaway slave” was equally preposterous….

To compare LeBron switching teams to what slaves went through is typical Jackson hyperbole and another attempt to get his mug on camera and fatten his wallet….

What do you think happened first, the Reverend issuing his LeBron statement or getting out a fund raising letter?….

By the way, with his womanizing, extortion of corporations, anti-semetism and hypocrisy, why does anyone pay attention to this guy?….

He’s a Reverend who’s never had a church, a married man who sleeps with other women and a millionaire who’s never had a job….