CHANGING TIMES

On Saturday HBO gave boxing fans a great evening of entertainment which would have also been a great evening of entertainment and education for non-boxing fans.

I'll start with the fights which were broadcast. The headliners were fighters who practice and perform in and out of the ring at the highest levels. First was the highly competitive rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor. These two fighting at 168 pounds demonstrated all of the skill and heart that has taken them to the top of the sport. Pavlik won a decision but both came out with sterling reputations as Taylor acquited himself admirably and in defeat was as gracious as any athlete could be. Pavlik as always was humble and grateful. These two are in direct contradiction to the prevailing image of the modern athlete as spoiled prima donnas.

Also featured that night was Wladimir Klitchko. The heavyweight champion, or at least one of them, is a physical marvel at 6'5" and 245 pounds. He possesses all of the tools of a boxing great though there are some shortcomings which have been exposed on occasion. In the ring he continued victorious. But outside the ring is where he and his brother Vitali really stand out. Both are PhD's. Both are chess players. Both are extremely involved in humanitarian efforts far outdistancing anything they achieve or attempt in the ring. Both are what all fans in any sport talk about when they refer to athletes as role models. Were these different times all four of these athletes would be basking in national and international adulation. But these are changing times.

That point was driven home in the HBO special which preceded the fights, a biographical look at Joe Louis.

To most baby boomers the name conjures up only memories transmitted by elders. The special reminds us that before today's so called mega stars created by media saturation there were sporting champions who reached their status based solely on achievement and personal intangibles.

In the 30's and 40's the United States was still a country with many rough edges, the roughest being its treatment of minorities, blacks in particular. In the sporting arena blacks were rarely if ever given the chance to compete against whites. In baseball segregation ruled on the field and in the stands. Football had seen some black participants but they had been put out of the game for a while. Boxing was one of the few sports where you could find an occasional bout between the races. This was significant in that during these decades baseball, horse racing and boxing were the dominant sports.

The heavyweight crown had become an unreachable goal for many top black contenders as a backlash for the reign of Jack Johnson the first black to win the belt. Johnson did not only claim the title which in essence proclaimed him to be the "most man among all men", he added to the white fear about blacks by cavorting openly with white women. A total blow to the psyche of most white men.

After Johnson it seemed unlikely another black would get the chance. Through circumstance, handling, finagling and ultimately talent Joe Louis rose in the ranks and eventually got the chance to fight for the championship. He won it by dethroning the "Cinderella Man" James Braddock. With his win he gave blacks the sense of worth and belonging that was so often denied them. Had that been his only accomplishment that might have been enough.

World events would dictate that Louis would forever become a true "American Hero".

As WWII began to unfold and Hitler's regime gained power a rematch between Max Schmelling, who had beaten Louis by knockout, and Louis took on the dimensions of mythic proportions. This fight was not about two men in the ring. It was about worlds colliding, good and evil, the "American Way" vs a "Dark Empire". While many call the Ali-Frazier fight the "Fight of the Century" in reality Schmelling-Louis was it.

Perhaps for the first time in the history of this country a black man was viewed as a hero and standard bearer by all. Of course for blacks it had additional import since a loss by him could bring about all sorts of untold repercussions. Louis's first round demolition of the German is not just part of boxing history, it is American history.

Louis had his place as an American hero secured but he did not rest on those laurels and as the war continued he put his career on hold and joined the military. His patriotism was manifest in the eshibition bouts he put on for the troops and the many personal resources he donated to the war effort. Once he was discharged he continued his career but he was no longer the same. You would have thought that after all that he could have retired to a life of leisure. But in one of the cruelest acts ever perpetrated by the U.S. government the IRS came after Louis for back taxes which were never paid by his handlers.

Now should Louis have paid his taxes, yes. But was it necessary for the government to go after him as they did? Was it necessary for them to in essence leave him penniless? Was this another act of racism?

Whatever the answer you feel, the facts are that Louis never tried to shirk his responsibility and always believed in the American ideal. He never, ever uttered a negative word against his country. Finally upon his death he was granted a measure of the respect he earned by being buried at Arlington National Cemetery even though he did not really qualify for such an honor based on his military record.

His life is a window unto sport, celebrity, race relations, redemption. As the special noted, had Louis not lived this country would not be the same.

Let me also make a personal note. Despite so much anti minority rhetoric which still resonates in this country, let me just state that the greatest patriots this country has ever known are its minorities, especially those of color. They have always been willing to fight because even though they did not always have tangible proof they believed in the ideals of freedom, equality and justice on which this country was founded. Joe Louis's life was just one of those that exemplified that belief.