Sportstalk Radio: IT MAKES YOU LOOK BAD, HBO--NY Daily News

Bob Raissman makes the point again--OPINION MASQUERADES AS FACT EVERY DAY ON SPORTSTALK RADIO. NOW IT MAKES HBO BOXING LOOK BAD--MAX KELLERMAN, who talks both on HBO and the ESPN Radio affiliate in New York City (WEPN):

"Both HBO honchos likely view Kellerman's ESPN 1050 (NYC) radio gig as separate from his TV work. If that is indeed their position, Greenburg and Bernstein should reconsider it. Kellerman - especially when he talks boxing on WEPN - is representing them.

And now he's making them look bad. Kellerman is damaging HBO's boxing credibility.

This is not about some of his smug rants, which sound totally contrived, designed to pander to the coveted younger demographic.

• No, this is about issuing an opinion as if it were a fact - a fact he cannot prove. At WEPN Kellerman can get away with this. The bozos running the joint think "journalism" is taking an AP story and getting it on the air before WFAN does. None of these radioheads hold their sports talkies accountable for anything."

(Raissman references Kellerman's comments about Evander Holyfield and boxers in general). Kellerman, in one short sentence, indicted all marquee heavyweights. Of course he did not name names."

• "Seven out of the 10 top heavyweights are on the juice," he (Kellerman) said. "Most of the top guys are (juicing)."

• MANY SPORTS TALK RADIO GUYS HAVE NO PROOF AND NO FREAKING GUTS. (That's my experience shared on this blog, Raissman's example is about Kellerman):

"That would have taken concrete proof - and guts. And yet, Kellerman presented his line as if it were a stone-cold fact. He had absolutely no regard for the reputation of any of these fighters or the fact he represents HBO Sports.

• Yes, on radio, he is not going to be held accountable." (LEARN THAT EVERYONE. SM)
• "On HBO, it's a different story. Unless he offered on-the-record proof on TV, Kellerman would not be allowed to shoot his mouth off. Nonetheless, if MeMax has the goods on these heavyweights, if he knows exactly who they are and what substances they are abusing, he should expose the cheaters, by name, on "Real Sports" or "Costas Now."

Or maybe MeMax should just stand next to his broadcast partner Lennox Lewis and deliver the goods on "Boxing After Dark." Until that happens there is only one conclusion: Kellerman has severely damaged his credibility as a boxing analyst. He cannot be believed. He also makes me question the judgment of anyone at HBO who hired someone so practiced in the art of verbal recklessness." From Bob Raissman's NY Daily News column, 3/4/07, 'Sucker Puncher'

• Everyday some baseball player or team is misrepresented by a sportsradio host, commentator, reporter, pundit, etc. somewhere. WHY IS BOB RAISSMAN THE ONLY IMPORTANT PERSON TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE? (I talk about it every day on this and other blogs, but I'm of course unknown. Should anyone someday care, I'll have provided a lot of substantiation on this topic). sm

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