Five For Friday – Five of The Monster’s Favorite TV Shows

Here (in random order) are five of my favorite TV shows.

BURN NOTICE

 

THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR

 

SAVED BY THE BELL

 

THE WIRE

 

PTI

The Saved By The Bell Interactive Game

Big Soda & Popcorn! (June 23, 2009)

KNOCKOUT: HOW I (INADVERTENTLY) RUINED MIKE TYSON’S LIFE

I recently had a chance to catch Tyson—James Toback’s documentary about the career of Mike Tyson—with The Mixtape Monster in Raleigh.  For those of you that don’t know, Big Soda loves boxing—the spectator side of it at least.  Me and the Sweet Science go way back.  In 1997, at age 13, I saw Lennox Lewis make Oliver McCall cry in the ring after the third round, and I knew I was hooked.  However, I was quick to learn that the sport, like most of its legends, is flawed beyond belief.  I came into the sport during a terrible era for heavyweights.  Champs constantly ducked challengers, numerous titles were vacated, and Don King was getting huge purses for worthless lumps.  This probably explains my preference for middleweight and welterweight fights, but that’s hardly an exhaustive list of the sport’s universal problems.

Despite some of its obvious failings, Tyson was able to shed light on some of the more serious issues surrounding professional fighters.  Notably, Tyson’s financial missteps are reminiscent of numerous boxing greats, and high-paid athletes in general (think Michael Irvin).  While some have been able to make smart investments with their earnings and move beyond the ring (think Oscar De la Hoya), the trend is disturbingly contradictory.  Tyson alluded to the millions he’s squandered over the years, but failed to give an actual amount.  For the record, at the time he filed for bankruptcy in 2003, Iron Mike had over $300 million in career earnings.

For normal folks like you and I, that’s an inconceivable amount of money to earn in a lifetime, much less to spend in a few decades.  Granted, a huge portion of Tyson’s money went to attorney’s fees and Don King, but he blew plenty on women, drugs and lavish goods, too.  The thrill of spending is too overpowering.  The same goes for a number of rappers, as well.  MC Hammer is doing spots for Cash-4-Gold now, where he half-jokingly sends in a gold medallion depicting himself wearing a gold medallion.  We all know this is a sadly common occurrence, but I pose this question: Why do we always hear about successful boxers and rappers pissing away fortunes, while talentless hacks like Billy Ray Cyrus and Christian Leattner can live comfortably off minimal achievement?

A lot can be said about the socioeconomic backgrounds that these individuals come from, with a major portion of rappers and boxers being African-Americans from impoverished urban areas.  There’s little debate that someone who grew up with no disposable income is going to have learned few lessons in effective money management.  Similarly, when a person grows up in an area where nearly everyone is in the same dire circumstances, as opposed to the upper-middle class where most people have plenty, family and friends tend to look for handouts, instead of ways to offer support. Want proof of that?  Check out Hammer’s new show, “Hammertime,” coming soon to A&E.

These aren’t new concepts.  While very serious, sports organizations and record labels could preemptively eliminate some of these problems by offering wealth planning seminars or financial advisors on retainer.  There are institutional protections available.  What really bothers me, though, is the effect that we, as fans, have on these entertainers and their lifestyles.  We expect boxers and rappers to be brash and showy when they perform.  Who didn’t love it when Floyd Mayweather, Jr. taunted De la Hoya by entering the ring wearing Mexico’s colors, with 50 Cent on the mic behind him?  And how many of us would tolerate a Slim Thug track about his 401K or diversified portfolio?  So why are we surprised when these individuals actually live up to the personas we expect them to portray?  I’m not here to tender a good solution to the problem, mainly because I don’t have one.  Besides, I love the braggart bravado as much as anyone.  I just think it’s an interesting dynamic that we’re actually playing a role in this dilemma, whether we realize it or not.  Just something to think about.

Okay, not that I’ve gotten all this seriousness out of my system, here are a few of my favorite boxing-related scenes from TV and movies.  Enjoy.

Saved By The Bell Rap – I Love Bayside

Pretty funny rap. This dude did his research, obviously a true fan.

Can’t wait for the “SBTB” reunion on Fallon!!!