Upsets that weren't and risky behavior

I went to a wine festival with Eric and some of his friends from Pennsylvannia. I am not much of a wine connoisseur at all but it was an interesting learning experience and it was good to be able to spend time with friends. 


I was reminded during the wine festival of the 8th grade health class I substituted for on Friday. There was a surprising number of people who appeared  inebriated. To be fair most of the drinkers were responsible and seemed to be enjoying what appears to be a successful Virginia wine region. It is amazing how some people manage to turn any event with alcohol involved into an excuse to relive their college days and the fraternity. 


When I asked the students if any of them expected to drink alcohol in high school, all of them kept their hands down. I am doubtful though it seems like the  culture of alcohol abuse has a stronghold on our society. It is almost a rite of passage for teenagers. 


Sports
I watching the Mayweather fight tonight was like drinking lukewarm water. Mayweather won the fight but he was hardly impressive. He came into the fight overweight and it clearly gave him an advantage in the fight. Despite the weight difference he was unable to knockout Juan Marquez. In fact Juan Marquez didn't even look like he was in a fight afterwards. Mayweather's punching power is extremely suspect to me. 


What really bothers me are the reasons Mayweather picked the fight. 


First, it was a fight he knew he would win. He fought an undersized brawler that was older and slower than he was. Styles make fights and Mayweather's style bodes very well against brawlers especially in this case because Mayweather was 10-15 pounds heavier than Marquez.


Second, Mayweather knew that if he won this fight it would provide an example where he could compare favorably to Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao beat Ricky Hatton and Oscar Del a Hoya in much more impressive fashion than Mayweather and that presents a chink in the armor of  Mayweather's legacy. 


Third, These kind of fights can start an arms race or a cold war. By this I mean that Pacquiao and Mosely will both try to increase their profiles by fighting lesser fighters so that they can earn more money at the negotiating table. 


Fourth, Mayweather is a coward. We have known for years that the best fighters in Mayweather's weight range are Mosely and Pacquiao yet whenever you mention those names to Mayweather he gets defensive. There have been several instances where reporters have been verbally attacked by Mayweather when they ask him why he won't take a fight with Mosely or Pacquiao. I think he is afraid of them personally. I think he knows that they can beat him. Mayweather doesn't take unnecessary risks in or out of the ring. 


The ball is in his court though. He is still undefeated and he has his legacy to back him up. As long as he is calling the shots the fans will never see the fight that everyone wants to see. We need to back Pacquiao and Mosely and force Mayweather to defend his legacy by fighting the best fighters. 


Ali fought the best boxers out there. He did not try to avoid any opponent no matter how tough they were. Mayweather maybe pound for pound the best fighter out there but his name will never be mentioned among the great ones unless he mans up and fights Mosely or Pacquiao.