Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Smile, don’t fight
Friday, March 15, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.
Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.
IT WILL BE MOST interesting the night a boxer climbs into the ring at Caesars Palace with his back painted "See You At The MGM." What the heck, it's just the guy expressing his right to free speech. Sure it's commercial speech, but according to two local district courts, the Nevada Athletic Commission can't keep him from using his back to advertise a product.
In the case of boxer Bones Adams it was to advertise online casino Golden Palace.com. Online betting is illegal in Nevada and several other states, but that makes no difference, according to the judges. They saw no problem in turning down the attempt by the NAC to prohibit the use of temporary body painting for advertising a product -- legal or illegal. So Bones painted his body, for a big fee, and the fight was held. Happily, for true boxing fans, Paulie Ayala tattooed Bones' face and belly with his gloves.
The NAC has been struggling to keep professional boxing an athletic sport with some reasonable control. The commissioners thought that heavyweight Mike Tyson had stepped over the line of sporting restraint, and therefore denied him a license to fight in Nevada. If Tyson had taken them to court, he might have received a ruling which said he should be licensed because he and the MGM hotel-casino would suffer financial losses or be deprived of making a living. It doesn't make much difference, because other jurisdictions, with lower standards, have shown their desire to give him a license.
When in court the NAC pointed out that NAC 467.592 provides in pertinent part: "1. Each unarmed combatant must provide himself with a costume, which is subject to the approval of the commission or its representative. 2. Each unarmed combatant must appear in proper attire. The unarmed combatants may not wear the same colors in the ring or, if the contest or exhibition is being held in a fenced area, in the fenced area, without the approval of the commission's representative."
Likewise, NAC 467.598 (1) provides that each "unarmed combatant must be clean and present a tidy appearance."
The NAC concluded that "the use of temporary upper body markings during a contest of unarmed combat is forbidden under Nevada law." The local district courts didn't see it this way.
Should the 2003 Legislature remove the word "combatants" and replace it with "showmen," "human billboards" or just plain "clowns." The latter is probably the most appropriate title, then the contestants could enter the ring to the music of "Send In the Clowns."
Maybe it's too late to save professional boxing. First, it allowed women in the ring. Equal rights to get beat up. Second, it allowed Butterbean to lumber around the ring. Just imagine the large buffet sign he could have painted on his back. Third, came a blow this week when Paula Jones and Tonya Harding were on national television "boxing." I heard that Paula was in deep trouble without Ken Starr and Larry Klayman in her corner. Most appropriately the show was on Fox TV, which also promotes Geraldo Rivera as a newsman.
Our NAC people aren't getting much help in their efforts to get professional boxing on the level of an athletic sport. Maybe they never will, but there is a chance the public will get a gut full of the present nonsense and force the issue. If they don't, some day the participants will no longer enter the ring for a contest but, like professional wrestling, will be advertised as an exhibition. This will at least be truth in advertising.
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Wonder drug for men no success story
- CityCenter: One man’s concept of a real city
- Man, 18, arrested for DUI in crash that kills woman, 24
- Notebook: UNLV prospect Polee likes what he sees, and hears, at the Mack
- Bellfield tolls again for UNLV in 76-71 win over Louisville
- Man fatally shot during robbery attempt of woman
- Pitino doesn’t consider loss to UNLV a total loss
- The ball’s in Reid’s court: Passing the public option
- Palin has a way of bringing out the anger in people
- Del Sol rallies without top rusher to win Sunrise title
Blogs
Elsewhere
LV woman robs Kentucky strip club, police say (1 Comment)
Las Vegas Sands' Hong Kong IPO flops
The Kats Report
Monday List: Top 13 Moments and Observations From Thanksgiving Weekend (1 Comment)
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Tarkanian: Reid is liberal, out of touch, rude, poisonously partisan and a know-it-all (1 Comment)
The Kats Report
Barry Manilow off to Paris: Two-year deal starts March 5 at Le Theatre des Arts (2 Comments)
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Ensign survives radio interview with no follow-ups; partial transcript below (2 Comments)
Now and Then
Battle of I-74 settled 1,700 miles from home
Calendar »
- 30 Mon
- 1 Tue
- 2 Wed
- 3 Thu
- 4 Fri
-
DJ showdown at Prive
Prive | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Rok Box with Mike Carbonell at Tabu
Tabú Ultralounge | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
DJ Riz at Jet
Jet | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Football specials at Diablo's
Diablos Cantina
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati









