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djday45 · 12-07-2004, 07:13 AM

Im gonna start posting the chapters of an e-book called Operation Cleanup by Charles Jay as iit is particuarly relevant to this thread.

WHAT

by Charles Jay

Everytime you turn around, you see another scandalous incident in boxing that cries out for reform. Almost all observers agree that some form of additional regulation is needed, but few people have come to the table with ideas that are both effective and practical.

It is no one's fault in particular; legislators have political agendas in mind, and they don't have any real experience in boxing. The people they have been listening to either have agendas, or only second-hand knowledge of the boxing industry. Once again, it is not their fault - one commandment that is always used among people in the boxing business is "Don't educate writers".

The press would normally be in an ideal position to expose some of the real problems and suggest real-world remedies, but unfortunately few people in the press have had any first-hand exposure to the inner-workings of the boxing industry. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how many of them even care about looking into it.

What puts me in a unique situation is that I have had the fortune (whether that fortune is good or not is open to debate) of working on a day-to-day basis in the industry for over 15 years, functioning in almost every capacity, including that of a promoter, matchmaker, manager, trainer, corner man, publicist, casino consultant, TV commentator, administrator, even ratings chairman for an ersatz ratings organization. I have done most of it, seen most of it. And studied ALL of it. Hey, I was no angel. I did some of the things we'll be talking about. But the way I see it, that gives me an even BETTER perspective from which to look at this.

What we're about to embark upon is something that is completely unique in terms of boxing "journalism". OPERATION CLEANUP - A BLUEPRINT FOR BOXING REFORM will be by far the most cogent and far-reaching discussion that has ever been published on the subject of boxing reform in the United States.

The report will consist of up to 40 installments, published over the course of the next 10-11 weeks, which will reveal some of the inner workings of boxing that have never been discussed before in public; reform issues that are necessary, yet have never been considered; and alternative solutions for solving problems that seem to have eluded both regulators and legislators, for reasons only they can explain.

It will more or less be the first time fans, and the vast majority of the boxing media, will be exposed to the nuts and bolts of what the boxing industry is all about. As such, it will offer a unique "insider" peek into what goes on, and goes wrong, in this business.

There are probably a hundred people who could elaborate on these issues with equal or greater depth. The only problem is, they're not writers - they're engaged in the business. So they're obviously not predisposed to want to come forward. Obviously, some of our material is culled by way of "deep background", where sources wish to remain anonymous have imparted their own knowledge and experiences to us.

Some of the material you're about to read in the coming weeks was part of the substance of a report I compiled a little less than a year ago at the request of Tim Lueckenhoff, president of the ABC, which was intended to be forwarded to interested parties who were readying amendments to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and putting forward a bill for a national commission. Whether it ever got to its intended destination is something I'm not altogether sure about, even to this day.

Some installments will be "sexier" than others; some will be more or less anecdotal in nature, with an overriding lesson to be learned. Sometimes there will be more than one in a day. Some will be part of smaller special reports WITHIN our larger special report. But all of it will have an ultimate objective - to make you THINK.

Inasmuch as I consider the subject matter to be of a serious nature (indeed, in some cases the very well-being of fighters could be at stake), I hope it would be, in turn, seriously considered by those who have to ultimately enact law. Unfortunately, I doubt that it will. Regardless, I think it's important that the public, the media, the industry, and legislators, both on the state and national level, know the truth as to what really needs to be done, because I doubt you'll get much out of government agencies. I'm also concerned with another thing - I don't want the efforts of people who have spoken up with sincerity about boxing reform to be flushed down the toilet with a half-hearted effort.

Toward that end, each installment in the "Operation Cleanup" series will not only be posted right here on the Fight Page, but will also be sent directly to our entire mailing list of industry personnel, our media list, comprised of people both in and out of boxing, every athletic commission in North America (ABC members or associates), and to other people who may have a particular interest in future boxing legislation.

What we're going to be writing on these pages is going to piss off a lot of people - this includes those in the boxing industry who have heretofore gotten a free pass to run roughshod through the business as if it were their own private playground; those would-be "czars" of boxing who have represented themselves as something they're really not; those people I would characterize as "phony reformers", who talk all day about cleaning up boxing, as far as it meets their personal agenda, then flee like lemmings when that agenda is finally met; those regulators who will no doubt be embarrassed when their own gross inefficiency has been exposed; those members of the "working press" who have, somewhere along the line, deposited themselves in the back pocket of some promoter, and are perfectly happy with an atmosphere that lets them get away with it; and those people in Washington who have no real intention of exploring the salient issues, but would rather use the facade of "boxing reform" as an instrument by which to gain some cheap publicity for themselves, stooping so low as to trot out national icons to participate unwittingly in their charade.

Yeah, they'll be pissed alright.

But I don't particularly care how they feel.

Do YOU?

Didn't think so.

What that in mind, I hope you read, enjoy, and speak up, if you care as much as I do.

The bell rings tomorrow.

12-07-2004, 07:13 AM	#7
djday45 All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,502	Boxing Reform - Operation Cleanup E Book By Charles Jay Im gonna start posting the chapters of an e-book called Operation Cleanup by Charles Jay as iit is particuarly relevant to this thread. WHAT by Charles Jay Everytime you turn around, you see another scandalous incident in boxing that cries out for reform. Almost all observers agree that some form of additional regulation is needed, but few people have come to the table with ideas that are both effective and practical. It is no one's fault in particular; legislators have political agendas in mind, and they don't have any real experience in boxing. The people they have been listening to either have agendas, or only second-hand knowledge of the boxing industry. Once again, it is not their fault - one commandment that is always used among people in the boxing business is "Don't educate writers". The press would normally be in an ideal position to expose some of the real problems and suggest real-world remedies, but unfortunately few people in the press have had any first-hand exposure to the inner-workings of the boxing industry. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how many of them even care about looking into it. What puts me in a unique situation is that I have had the fortune (whether that fortune is good or not is open to debate) of working on a day-to-day basis in the industry for over 15 years, functioning in almost every capacity, including that of a promoter, matchmaker, manager, trainer, corner man, publicist, casino consultant, TV commentator, administrator, even ratings chairman for an ersatz ratings organization. I have done most of it, seen most of it. And studied ALL of it. Hey, I was no angel. I did some of the things we'll be talking about. But the way I see it, that gives me an even BETTER perspective from which to look at this. What we're about to embark upon is something that is completely unique in terms of boxing "journalism". OPERATION CLEANUP - A BLUEPRINT FOR BOXING REFORM will be by far the most cogent and far-reaching discussion that has ever been published on the subject of boxing reform in the United States. The report will consist of up to 40 installments, published over the course of the next 10-11 weeks, which will reveal some of the inner workings of boxing that have never been discussed before in public; reform issues that are necessary, yet have never been considered; and alternative solutions for solving problems that seem to have eluded both regulators and legislators, for reasons only they can explain. It will more or less be the first time fans, and the vast majority of the boxing media, will be exposed to the nuts and bolts of what the boxing industry is all about. As such, it will offer a unique "insider" peek into what goes on, and goes wrong, in this business. There are probably a hundred people who could elaborate on these issues with equal or greater depth. The only problem is, they're not writers - they're engaged in the business. So they're obviously not predisposed to want to come forward. Obviously, some of our material is culled by way of "deep background", where sources wish to remain anonymous have imparted their own knowledge and experiences to us. Some of the material you're about to read in the coming weeks was part of the substance of a report I compiled a little less than a year ago at the request of Tim Lueckenhoff, president of the ABC, which was intended to be forwarded to interested parties who were readying amendments to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and putting forward a bill for a national commission. Whether it ever got to its intended destination is something I'm not altogether sure about, even to this day. Some installments will be "sexier" than others; some will be more or less anecdotal in nature, with an overriding lesson to be learned. Sometimes there will be more than one in a day. Some will be part of smaller special reports WITHIN our larger special report. But all of it will have an ultimate objective - to make you THINK. Inasmuch as I consider the subject matter to be of a serious nature (indeed, in some cases the very well-being of fighters could be at stake), I hope it would be, in turn, seriously considered by those who have to ultimately enact law. Unfortunately, I doubt that it will. Regardless, I think it's important that the public, the media, the industry, and legislators, both on the state and national level, know the truth as to what really needs to be done, because I doubt you'll get much out of government agencies. I'm also concerned with another thing - I don't want the efforts of people who have spoken up with sincerity about boxing reform to be flushed down the toilet with a half-hearted effort. Toward that end, each installment in the "Operation Cleanup" series will not only be posted right here on the Fight Page, but will also be sent directly to our entire mailing list of industry personnel, our media list, comprised of people both in and out of boxing, every athletic commission in North America (ABC members or associates), and to other people who may have a particular interest in future boxing legislation. What we're going to be writing on these pages is going to piss off a lot of people - this includes those in the boxing industry who have heretofore gotten a free pass to run roughshod through the business as if it were their own private playground; those would-be "czars" of boxing who have represented themselves as something they're really not; those people I would characterize as "phony reformers", who talk all day about cleaning up boxing, as far as it meets their personal agenda, then flee like lemmings when that agenda is finally met; those regulators who will no doubt be embarrassed when their own gross inefficiency has been exposed; those members of the "working press" who have, somewhere along the line, deposited themselves in the back pocket of some promoter, and are perfectly happy with an atmosphere that lets them get away with it; and those people in Washington who have no real intention of exploring the salient issues, but would rather use the facade of "boxing reform" as an instrument by which to gain some cheap publicity for themselves, stooping so low as to trot out national icons to participate unwittingly in their charade. Yeah, they'll be pissed alright. But I don't particularly care how they feel. Do YOU? Didn't think so. What that in mind, I hope you read, enjoy, and speak up, if you care as much as I do. The bell rings tomorrow.