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Champ or Chump?
The first of two boxing reality shows arrives tonight, but, almost inexplicably, I don’t care.
One of my dark, shameful secrets is I’ve been a boxing fan all my life. I watched the Friday night fights on NBC with my parents as a kid, and I remember my Southern-magnolia-of-a-mother screaming for blood.
I’ve even seen a few fights live, an up-close witness to blood and sweat flying out of the ring. I was living in Washington, D.C., when Sugar Ray Leonard, a local hero, became an Olympic boxing champ. Along with thousands of other Washingtonians, I made it a point to see all of his matches.
I have no idea why I consider boxing entertainment. But boxing-as-reality-TV just doesn’t get my blood pumping. Not one bit. And if I, a boxing fan, doesn’t care, will anybody else?
Fox’s show, “The Next Great Champ”, arrives first, tonight at 8 p.m., hosted by Oscar de la Hoya. The show will focus on “human drama,” according to press material.
Champ wannabes (including a teacher and a former cop) will be vying for an actual sanctioned bout. They’ll hiss at each other for an hour and then fight at the end of each episode. The winner moves on. Adding to the “human drama” will be the inclusion of a lover, wife or family member with each boxer.
You probably heard there was knock-down between network execs during the summer when Fox announced its boxing series — after NBC had announced its fall show “The Contender,” which doesn’t arrive until November.
NBC filed a lawsuit against Fox, but the case was dismissed when the court ruled that Fox hadn’t done anything legally wrong. Ethically, maybe, but legally, no. All the publicity is likely to backfire on NBC by helping draw attention to Fox’s “Champ.”
But how much attention either “Champ” or “Contender” will draw in terms of viewers is a big question mark.
And the Brain Goes On …
“Jeopardy!” (weekdays at 5 p.m. on KXAN Channel 36) brainiac Ken Jennings, is continuing his run as the winningest contestant ever.
The software engineer from Salt Lake City had won 38 straight games and $1,321,660 before the show went on hiatus in July. Monday he defended his championship and continued his winning ways.
“Jeopardy!” ditched its rule about champions being limited to five appearances, but producers probably never expected anybody to last as long as 30-year-old Jennings. But it proved a public relations bonanza.
So far, viewers have been happy to cheer on Jennings, but if the champ continues so long the ratings fall off, expect to see the old “Jeopardy” time-rule return.
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