Olympic boxing scoring sucks

[PVnRT]

Really, it sucks. There are some decent bouts going on, with no scoring, or arbitrary scoring at best. This sucks for the boxers and makes the bouts seem more dull than they are.

[KamaAina]

1. What sucks worse is, that system was deliberately put in place to thwart American boxers

by neutralizing their advantage in terms of power shots. Even a blow resulting in a standing eight count counts for no more than the flimsiest of jabs.

See how many medals we won under the old system and how many since. Did U.S. amateur boxing suddenly go into the tank all at once? I think not. :tinfoilhat:

[Awsi Dooger]

2. I can't even watch it

Literally every day I tune to CNBC for the boxing then click elsewhere during the first fight. It's hideously dull with the point scoring.

Teddy Atlas said the new guys running international boxing are impressive and on the level but they inherited this system from the previous crew, who were corrupt. He said changes would be contemplated.

Let's hope so. I was glued to the Olympic boxing from the great American class of '76 until the Roy Jones fiasco of '88. That robbery was responsible for the point system but it simply doesn't work.

I'd rather take a chance on subjectivity. And the standard 3 minute rounds, not this nonsense of 4 rounds 2 minutes apiece.

[PVnRT]

6. As would I

In fact, let's just cut the bullshit and put Teddy Atlas in charge of Olympic boxing.

[Wetzelbill]

3. It's made Olympic boxing unwatchable

As a child I was glued to the tv and watched evert match I could. I always knew all the fighters names. I haven't even looked to see how the U.S. has done this year. The system totally takes the intrigue out of it.

[H2O Man]

4. I agree 100%.

There is an effort to change the anti-USA scoring system, which could restore boxing to its rightful place in the Olympics.

[chelsea0011]

5. It use to be one of the highlights. When they put the paint on the gloves

and only counted "scoring punches", the sport became boring. Since when is a decent jab not a scoring punch? And a counting body blow is only on the front torso? There a way to many tie-ups now. Too bad.

[PVnRT]

7. To some extent, I understand the reasoning

I mean, you wouldn't count what amounts to a head slap or something like that as a legitimate punch.

However, let the judges make that call. That's why they're there, right?

[fishwax]

8. it's ruined the event

:boring:

[Awsi Dooger]

9. Friday was the worst of all

That was simply indescribable. I watched the semifinal bouts and there was one absurdity after another. A fighter from France was robbed beyond belief. His opponent would hold him around the neck then launch upper cuts. Somehow the referee would warn the French fighter. The ref penalized the French fighter 2 points on 2 different occasions, the last one in the final seconds to decide the fight when it was tied. It was like a parody. The French corner men were going nuts.

Many other examples on Friday. Too much to detail. On top of that, there was a report one member of the boxing committee was suspended after a report that two months ago there was a brewing conspiracy to fix bouts in Beijing. CNBC devoted the final 20 minutes of its Friday show exclusively to the boxing mess. Teddy Atlas' summary: "At best they are incompetent." The other announcers were disgusted at what they'd seen for two weeks and Jim Gray was so emotional about it that it looked like he wanted to cry.

[Princess Turandot]

10. It seems pretty odd...

I don't know much about the sport but when I was a little kid, I recall how much more focus there was on boxing in the Olympics coverage. (OK, I'm loath to age-admit it, but I vaguely remember 'Cassius Clay' fighting in the Olympics.)

After the US women won the basketball medal, I watched for a bit, hoping to see the medal ceremony. What followed was the boxing medal rounds. The first or second one resulted in comments from the broadcasters that both finalists had gotten there by mostly holding (vs. hitting) their opponents. There was also reference to 'computerized scoring' which I did not really understand, given the nature of the sport. In context, I don't even understand how a computer could be involved with such a sport.