Boxing's last gasp?

For the first time since Tyson-Holyfield II, I'm actually excited about a boxing match. Word came from the Philippines on Friday that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. have agreed on a proposal that would put them in the ring together on March 13.

I've been of the opinion that boxing died when Mike Tyson went off the deep end and Evander Holyfield got old. Seriously, since Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear, has there been a fight as memorable or talked about? I don't claim to be an aficionado of the sweet science, but nothing has come close.

Mayweather-Pacquiao almost certainly will be a disappointment, as are most over-hyped boxing events. But at least this one has potential, and it will capture the attention of the casual fan (i.e. yours truly), which Pacquiao seems determined to do. And anyone who knows anything about Mayweather knows how much he loves the spotlight.

These guys are what boxing has been missing for a decade, maybe more. Not only are they both great fighters, but they have personality, too. Mayweather loves his bling and his Benjamins. Pacquiao loves to show that he can beat people down, despite his small stature.

I used to think boxing would never really come back without some marketable, recognizable and talented heavyweights. Perhaps that's still true, but if Pacquiao-Mayweather comes anywhere close to living up to the hype, regardless of who wins, they can hold rematch after rematch. And maybe, just maybe, boxing can return to relevance.

Tiger owes wife an apology, and us nothing

When I first learned Tiger Woods was in “serious” condition following a one-car accident last Friday, I was concerned. It came across the bottom ticker on ESPN, and it was that thousands-of-thoughts-running-through-your-head concerned.

What happened? How serious? Is his career over?

Then the details started to build like the galleries that follow him. The only serious damage Tiger suffered was to his reputation after admitting to “transgressions” on Tuesday. US Weekly published a piece about a cocktail waitress claiming she had a 31-month affair with the world’s No. 1 golfer, and has text messages and a voice mail to prove it.

So now, Woods, a man who’s always craved privacy when he’s away from the golf course, is left to pick up the pieces of his marriage while the world looks on, peeking into his windows via media outlets like TMZ and uninformed blog postings. For a guy who doesn’t create controversy and has a squeaky-clean image, I thought it was a big step to release a statement that pretty much admitted his adultery.

Still, there are millions out there who feel Tiger owes us more of an explanation. They want to know every dirty detail of the affair, where and when, and a play-by-play of the accident that caused this whole thing. Because he’s makes a ton of money, because he can sink a putt on Sunday better than anyone in the world, because when all is said and done, he’ll go down as the greatest man to pick up a golf club, because he’s been in the spotlight since he was 3 years old. Because of all of these things, he owes the world some insight.

The fact is though is that Tiger doesn’t owe anybody anything — except for his wife, to whom he owes a very big apology. We’ve all made mistakes, and we all have private moments, and yet I don’t see Tiger Woods climbing into your bedroom window grilling you for answers.

Truth be told, this whole spectacle didn’t leave me wondering about Tiger’s character, but the character of where we are as a society. This media feeding frenzy and the two-bit outlets that report the “news” makes me embarrassed to be a member of the media. Unnamed people, such as “a friend” or “a person close to the situation,” is now considered a credible source, and readers no longer question what’s true and what isn’t.

If it’s in print — or on a blog or Web site — start spreading the news. And the people who yearn for this information are just as bad. How awful is your life when you want to celebrate the misery of another’s?

He’s human, he made a mistake and he addressed it with a statement. So he didn’t walk to a podium to answer ludicrous questions. So he didn’t (at least yet) sit down with Barbara Walters for a one-on-one that would send the ratings through the roof.

Tiger Woods is a golfer, and nothing more. Some argue that he’s the ultimate pitchman, and that his reputation is now sullied by this incident. And that may be. So don’t buy his products. Don’t swing Nike clubs. Don’t drink Gatorade. Rebel by growing a big beard. Switch to Verizon. Go on with your life, because Tiger is certainly going to go on with his.

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Bronco busted

Way to go, Roger Goodell, you've once again flexed your muscle.

On Thanksgiving night, the Denver Broncos were in a tight game with the New York Giants in a contest shown exclusively on the NFL Network. Denver coach Josh McDaniels had seen enough from his penalty-plagued offense and verbally laid into his players, twice using curse words not suitable for print nor television.

There was a delay on the feed, but the geniuses in the booth didn't catch it in time, and they went over the air. NFL Network immediately apologized, but McDaniels was hardly fazed by it, saying "It's the NFL Network. Doesn't surprise me."

Well, the rookie coach learned a tough lesson: Don't cross the NFL and its dictator. McDaniels opened his press conference Tuesday with an apology.

"I want to make sure I apologize for anybody that was offended with the language that I used the other night on the sideline during the game," he said.

Look, I've been on the sideline for hundreds of high school and college football games, and swearing (or dropping F-bombs, as the kids say) is just as much a part of the job as scheming.

Goodell seems to be going out of his way to make today's NFL a fan-friendly league, but how far is this going to go? Clearly, McDaniels didn't wake up on Tuesday and have some kind of epiphany; he was told to apologize. And if I were him, I'd be a little ticked off. Do you want me to win games, or do you want me to watch my mouth? Things said in the heat of the moment are said out of emotion ... we've all been there.

Turning the NFL into the "No (expletive) League" is just more proof that Roger Goodell is running a one-man show.

Dome daze

The last time the New England Patriots played in the New Orleans Superdome, Adam Vinatieri was booting a game-winning 48-yard field goal and a dynasty was born. Needless to say, Monday night's debacle in the Big Easy was a far cry from the 2001 team that shocked the world.

So what went wrong? The way I see it, those Patriots aren't these Patriots. Yes, they're led by the same coach, and the quarterback is the same, but that's about it. In fact, I'm willing to say that neither the coach, nor the quarterback, are the same people they were eight years ago.

Eight years ago, Bill Belichick was known as a defensive genius, a guy who could take spare parts, put them in the right position and get good results. In 2001, he did it with the likes of Roman Phifer, Bobby Hamilton, Otis Smith, Anthony Pleasant and Brandon Mitchell, and New England went on to stifle the "Greatest Show on Turf" in the Super Bowl.

Today's greatest offensive show went through the Patriots defense like a hot knife through butter on Monday. Give them credit. But what bothered me more than the fact that Drew Brees and company moved the ball at will was the fact that too many assignments were missed and too many guys were out of position. To me, that falls on Belichick.

During the days when New England was winning championships, the coach found ways to neutralize stout offenses no matter who he threw out there. That is not the case with this team. Then again, it would take a miracle worker to stop that offense with a Detroit Lions/Cleveland Browns castoff, a fourth-round, second-year corner and a backup safety. Yes, Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite and Brandon McGowan looked good last week against the Jets, but they're not ready for the big time.

Now let's turn our attention to Terrific Tom, who was anything but against the Saints. Even though he's putting up pretty good numbers, I've been saying all year long that something is wrong. He's just a little off. It seems like he's missing throws that he would make 10 out of 10 times two years ago. It could still be the knee, and as Josh Krueger told me this morning, Year 2 after that kind of injury is when a quarterback gets fully comfortable.

But Brady just doesn't look the same as he once was. As someone commented to me last night, "He doesn't have that hunger anymore." And that might be true.

Yes, it's one game, and it's one loss, but the Patriots still don't have a signature win this season. They're 7-4 and haven't won a true road game. The road ahead seems fairly easy, and 12-4 isn't too far a stretch. Still, in the last three weeks, New England was served a heavy dose of reality.

Let's not talk about Sox, baby

It's the last day of November, nearly three months before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and this town can’t stop talking about the Red Sox. Give it a rest already.

The speculation about Roy Halladay, Marco Scutaro, Jason Bay, Adrian Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez, getting another bat, bolstering the rotation, the revolving door at shortstop, Clay Buchholz and the health of Mike Lowell is slightly overwhelming.

Especially when you consider the Patriots are facing an undefeated team tonight and the Celtics are back to their winning ways, having won their fourth straight game on Sunday. Sure, the Bruins aren’t much to talk about, but they’ve won five of their last six games and are atop the Northeast Division.

I understand that these talking heads need to fill time, but there are plenty of other things to talk about. Instead, all I’ve heard the past few days is a lot of hot air without a lot of actual news.

Here’s hoping the Tiger Woods incident can steal some of that thunder ... at least until the next big rumor about who’s coming to Boston gets started.