Boxing: Antonio’s Reliable Source on Heroes, Balloon Boy, The Buffers, John Mayer and Yes... Boxing!

Boxing: Antonio’s Reliable Source on Heroes, Balloon Boy, The Buffers, John Mayer and Yes... Boxing!

By Antonio Santiago, Doghouse Boxing (Oct 22, 2009)

Me and my sister in law Heather were watching a television show together, one named “Heroes”. The premise of the show goes along the lines of six people, all very different to each other, who have special powers such as traveling through time, controlling your surroundings and even murdering and stealing away their victim’s brains.

This stuck me as a bit funny and made me think about the storyline if only because in about 1994, when I was much younger and still considered “cool”, I actually took out a notebook and wrote a story similar to that one! I finished my novel, which I named “The Seven Crooks”, and hoped to have it published. Only I lost the notebook in which I wrote it before I could copyright it and send it to writer’s agents, and I have not found that notebook since. “The Seven Crooks” turned out to be the only novel, among the many I have started to write, that I ever finished.

As I was thinking randomly about that and other things during the hour it took to see “Heroes” from start to finish-I consider myself a new fan of the show-the light bulb on my head turned on and it seemed that it was shining bright yellow as I figured out what to talk to you about this week: heroes.

But what is a hero? In fiction, like “Superman”, “Batman”, “Spider-Man”, “Hulk”, etc, the hero is usually caped, with some kind of uniform, incredible strength and some special power that enables them to prevail. If those were real life people, we could not really consider them to be brave: since they are immortal, they don’t really take any risks to save people from trouble. A real hero feels fear and faces it. A real hero knows there is a risk. And I see nothing but real heroes when I look at the eyes of the people I know.

Like the daughter who knows she will never again see her natural mother. Or the woman who goes on regardless of what physical or emotional pains may lay ahead. Or the man who blindly defends his kids and his grandchildren over anyone else in life. Or the person who faces a return to a homeland where war and terrorism are still a large problem yet he does not flinch at the fact he might encounter ugliness there. Or the one who talks good about God without worrying that he may not seem cool to others. The girl who gives birth to baby John’s and has hope in that baby’s future despite all the negative news on the television. The guy who works at Qwest day after day without worrying that the current economical situation may cost him his job. The woman who, in these same economical conditions and with these same negative news on the television, dreams about having kids, and naming them “Kali Fornia”. The guys who come to your house five minutes after a fire started or a crime was committed. Those are my heroes.

You see, in order to be a hero, you don’t need special powers. You just need the will to never quit and always be there for somebody when they need you to be there. Obviously, we don’t fly because we don’t have wings, and while it would be great if most of the women out there wore panties like “Wonder Woman”, I’d be a bit freaked to live in a world where all men wore briefs like Superman’s and Batman’s.

All you need to be somebody’s hero, is have a heart. And last I checked, we all have that! Just make sure you put it to good use, and you’ll make a difference in this world!

Kids Say The Funniest Things!

Many famous people were on hand in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 15th. Those included American President Barack Obama, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, and Senator Mary Landrieu. So who stole the spotlight? Nine year old Tyren Scott, of course!

They were all together at a ceremony remembering hurricane Katrina’s victims. President Obama allowed people to ask him questions. When it was Scott’s turn, the fourth grader asked him , in his most honest way, “why do people hate you”?, according to politicsdaily.com.

To his credit, the first African-American President in United States history took the question the same way Manny Pacquiao takes most punches: unflinchingly, he answered “First of all, I did get elected President, so not everybody hates me; I got a whole lot of votes. A lot of it it’s what’s called politics, where once one party wins, the other party feels like they’ve got to poke you a little bit to keep you on your toes. So you shouldn’t take it too seriously!”
Without really wanting to, Scott threw Obama a jab as sharp as one of those of Muhammad Ali. Only thing is, Obama took it the way Joe Frazier took Ali’s punches in their first fight!!

Lambert Bisexual?

Honestly, I’ve got to tell you that all of us men have fantasized about a threesome. Who among us macho males hasn’t? I know I can tell you that married women and that are among my biggest pleasures when time for fun comes. And it seems like those are sources of fun for some women as well!

HOT-and I do mean capital HOT-singer Miranda Lambert, she of the guns and hunting expeditions-may be one of those women. She was interviewed by theboot.com recently about various topics. When asked about a Rolling Stone Magazine article about fellow country singer Merle Haggard, she answered: “He deserved it. He should have been on the cover. Although I have a crush on Megan Fox”.

To be fair to her, Lambert has a boyfriend, Blake Shelton. But her and Megan Fox and me, now that’s a threesome I’d love to be a part of!! Then I could tell my buddy Richard Steele, “hey you were in there with Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, but I was there with Miranda Lambert and Megan Fox, who got it better???”!

And Mayer Too?

What’s up with this, is this “coming out month?” Let me know so that I can publish it next time and some famous celebrities and politicians could feel free to tell us what we all know after reading this column!!

Well, the next one to “almost come out” is John Mayer. Mayer, who already kissed Perez Hilton according to usmagazine.com, was, according to the same magazine, seen kissing a guy at a gay club in Palm Springs, California. Mayer denies the rumors, which by the way, the magazine mistakenly calls “tumors”, on his Twitter account.

And to be fair to Mayer too, he is dating my dream girl Jennifer Aniston. But hey, John, if you were gay, why don’t you just admit it and leave Jen to me??

Like Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.’s “win” in his second fight with Frankie Randall, there are some things I just will never understand!

Saturday Night Live Fights?

I don’t usually watch Saturday Night Live, partly because it has given us people like Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, who, according to Autograph Collectors Magazine, are among the worst ten autograph signers of 2008 and even mock their fans when asked for an autograph in person. They apparently tend to forget that it was you and me who made them rich in the first place by attending to or renting their movies!

That may change some time soon, because former SNL standout Tracy Morgan seems to be ready to put on the gloves and face some fellow ex-SNL’rs Chris Kattan-whose recent series “Bollywood Star” was actually excellent-and Cheri Oteri.

In his new book, “I am the new Black”, Morgan says “None of the cast I came up with saw this future for me. All I have to say is where’s Chris Kattan now? Where’s Cheri Oteri now? That bitch can’t even get arrested”, according to Popeater.com. Morgan does talk good about fine babe, Sarah Palin look alike Tina Fey.

I do have one thing to ask Morgan about this: without the new book, where would Tracy Morgan be now? Maybe on a gym…training for his feud with the stars he badmouthed!

Balloon Boy Ballooney Boy?

This is a world of crazy, crazy news. From the dog who walked all the way from New York to California and found it’s former owner, to O.J. trying to get away from police by taking a televised drive, to Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield’s ear to The Fan Man at the Holyfield-Riddick Bowe rematch, I have heard them all.

That’s what it seemed like at least until last week, when I woke up to the news that there was a silver balloon flying over Colorado, apparently with a six year old boy on board.

Only this news is getting crazier and crazier. As many are suspecting it of being a hoax, or an attempt for publicity by 6 year old Falcon Heene’s dad Richard, according to usmagazine .com, Richard Heene is getting mad at such accusations.

Hmmnn, geez….a balloon sets on flight, you call 911 claiming you think your son is on the balloon and the kid is later found at your attic. Never mind that a six year old’s weight would probably render the balloon’s helium useless……what did you think, Richard, that you’d get a Nobel prize in Astrophysics?

Your judgment sounds to me like you qualify to be a boxing judge!!

One of Our Heroes

In today’s column’s opening statements, I talk about how we can all be everyday heroes to one or to many. Well, sometimes in the news, we find someone who cared enough to actually achieve hero status. One of them is aspiring singer and musician Abby Miller from Virginia. The 12 year old is taking every day of her life to go out on the streets.

But she’s not doing it the way you do it (if you‘re 12), or the way I did it and your parents did it or you did it (if you’re as old as me). She is dong it so she can perform for strangers at a Washington, DC street and collect money for her 4 year old friend and neighbor Taylor Love, who is battling Neuroblastoma, a type of Cancer that attacks the nervous system, according to AOL News.

To Taylor Love, all our love and prayers are with you. And to Abbie Miller, both you and Taylor are heroes to us and real life Champions. God bless your hearts.

Seen and on the Scene

We could say it was “boxing night” on The World Series of Poker classics at ESPN Classic, because their show this time around included former world Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Tarver, as well as well known ring announcer Michael Buffer-of “Ready to Rumble” fame-and his brother Bruce. Among others, Jose Canseco was also playing. Like on his celebrity boxing debut, Canseco was knocked out in the first round. Maybe you should stick to Baseball, Jose? Hmmnn…maybe not.

Mike Tyson appeared twice on The Oprah Show last week. First he was seen externalizing his emotions over the tragic death of his four year old child on Tuesday, and then on Friday, he and Evander Holyfield had a rather amicable reunion with Oprah as “referee”. One thing I have to say about the first show: Only in television do they come up with pairings like these. A man who was convicted of rape and a woman who was allegedly a rape victim together as friends!!

Our Hearts Are With

Peter Doherty. The singer for Babyshambles was hospitalized last week with trouble breathing and fatigue. Treated at Swindon Hospital in Old Town Swindon, England, forcing him to cancel concerts in Ireland scheduled for later on the week.

R.I.P.

Ernie Lopez, 64. The boxer was a famous Welterweight from Utah who lived in California and twice fought Jose Napoles for the world title during the 1970’s. Lopez was the brother of legendary former world Featherweight Champion and future International Boxing Hall of Fame member Danny “Little Red” Lopez. After retiring from boxing, according to his own accounts, Lopez wandered across the United States. He was a missing person for twelve years. He went t Maine, Colorado and Arizona according to him, until he was found in Fort Worth, Texas. He died at Pleasant Grove, Utah, from complications stemming off Dementia, according to his sister, Naomi Adams. Our apologies to the Lopez family for omitting his death on last week’s column.

Herman Mills, 85. Mills was a professional boxer from the Chicago area during the 1950’s and he fought some of the top fighters of his era. He also trained WBA world Heavyweight Champion Ernie Terrell during a period of Terrell’s career. Mills was a trainer who was popular among young boxers in Illinois. According to Boxrec.com, he died last week. Our apologies also to his family for omitting his death last week.

Cullen Bryant, 58. Bryant was an NFL player for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1970’s and 1980’s.As a running back for the then Angelino team, he played at the 1980 Super Bowl, in which he scored a touchdown in a 31-19 defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates. . He was the first player to fight off a trade in the NFL, winning the right to stay as a member of the Rams after then league commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted him sent to the Detroit Lions. The federal court decided in Bryant’s favor. Bryant later wound his NFL career playing with the Seattle Seahawks, and once again with the Rams in 1987 before retiring.

According to his sister in law Wanda Bryant, he died on Tuesday, October 13th, of an unknown disease at his Colorado Springs, Colorado, home.

May they all rest in peace.

Please send all Questions and comments to Antonio at TJ69662094@aol.com.