Saving Boxing with the Winter Olympics

First off let me say that I did not watch any of the Winter Olympics last night. There's a very god chance that I won't watch any of the Olympics at all unless I'm in a bar and it's the only thing on or if USA hockey makes the medal round. There's not just a whole lot about the winter Olympics that interests a guy like me.

Speed skating? Downhill skiing? Curling? Does anyone search out these sports during the other years between Olympics? And don't even bother asking me about ice skating. My manhood is not to be questioned in that manner. The pageantry of the opening ceremonies? That's a joke. When did the biggest competition between hosting countries become how long and expensive the opening ceremonies can become? A huge game of top the last Olympics holds no interest to me at all.

So how does the Winter Olympics and NBC interest a guy like me? I'll tell you how.

Ice hockey is a big part of the Winter Olympics which is right. Ice hockey is a winter sport. But so is basketball and yet basketball is played in the summer Olympics so as to not interfere with the NBA or college basketball. Basketball played in its natural time of year would lead to higher ratings for the Winter Olympics by bringing in guys like me to watch. We all know that David Stern would never allow that though. So what about other sports where wintertime is when they normally take place anyway?

You could easily move sports like boxing, judo and volleyball and others into the winter games. Easily. And such a move wouldn't benefit just the Winter Olympics - it could also benefit the sports involved.

Take boxing for example.

You could hand out boxing medals at both the Winter and Summer Games. Boxers like Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, and George Foreman all made their first marks on public consciousness in the Olympics. Boxing could generate much needed interest matching up say the heavyweight champion from the Beijing Games with the Gold medalist from the Vancouver Games. Or rematch the Gold and Silver medal winners. Any number of promotions could arise just by adding boxing to the Winter Olympics and keeping it in the Summer Olympics as well. Boxing is dying because just one or two boxers have name recognition with the buying public. Having boxing during both Olympics would help change that and maybe, just maybe jump start interest in the sweet science.

Plus a guy like me might even tune into watch speed skating if I though a good boxing match was up next in the Winter Olympics.