September 13, 2021

"Well, this article just crossed the line to bloggable for me. They sent out the Althouse signal."

I say, out loud, as I'm reading "Trump Talked as Holyfield Got Pummeled. Just Another Day in Boxing’s Absurd Summer. Of course it was a circus — the kind that makes sense in boxing these days" in the NYT:
Boxing is no stranger to farces, to fights that never should have been approved or to events built much more around absurdity and car crash-like allure than around actual fighting. The entrance of Triller and YouTube stars into boxing over the last year, and the way they have sometimes garnered much more attention than the biggest and best fights — as in articles like this one — could have been an occasion for garment-rending and teeth-gnashing, for fears that this is just what boxing is now.

That garnered my attention. Got my attention, as we say in normal speech. 

But in conversations over the last few months, key people around the sport have mostly focused on the positives. One promoter said he wished his fighters could promote themselves even partially as well as Jake Paul and Logan Paul do. In the grand scheme of things, boxing is just content that can be watched online....

This content — which cost $50 to watch on TV — involved watching a 58-year-old man (Holyfield) lose very quickly and a 75-year-old man — the ex-President of the United States, Donald Trump — do commentary. 

What I wanted from this article was quotes from Trump, but there's only one: "They say there is a lot of people watching. I can’t imagine why."

I can't believe Trump did this for the money. He must have thought he'd reach the right people for his power-seeking purposes. I assume he's got some weird instinctive political genius, so maybe there's some reason why this appearance made sense. At least he wasn't risking permanent brain damage, like that other old man, Evander Holyfield.

30 comments:

rhhardin said...

Garner and get aren't the same. Garner suggests some effort.

Temujin said...

"I assume he's got some weird instinctive political genius,..."

Yes. Which is why he also flew up to New York and met in person with NYFD and NYPD in the street, while Democrats in black suits gathered at the 9/11 Memorial, chatting each other up with smiles on and masks off, until the cameras were on. Then they were masked up and somber. Except of course for Joe Biden who pulled his mask down to shout at someone.

Trump knows who votes. He got more votes than any previous incumbent in the last election. His party won more competitive seats than the other, which means he dragged them across the finish line. He won that election. No one can possibly believe Joe Biden won 83 million votes. Yes- Trump has some weird instinctive political genius. And he will be back to do it again. Older, and more cranky than ever.

rehajm said...

“I assume he's got some weird instinctive political genius, so maybe there's some reason why this appearance made sense”

Good assumption but it’s not so weird…and genius? Looks more like proficiency with the basics.

tim in vermont said...

"Garner suggests some effort."

So if I had to work at it, I "garnered laid"? No, I think the real problem is either that they are worried about their ESL readers or that they know that AI can't really translate "to get" in all of its glory. "Garnered" is a word that doesn't bear too much use, unlike the broad shouldered "to get," It's being kept alive in this death march by stylebooks, and if it weren't for them, it would be gone the way of "peckish."

Wince said...

“At least he wasn't risking permanent brain damage, like that other old man, Evander Holyfield.“

It’s already too late for Joe Biden.

ronetc said...

Temujin is one of my favorite commenters, always on point and eloquent. But I wonder why he is one of the folks who have ditched the comparative adjective. That is Trump will be back "more cranky than ever." The correct comparative would be "crankier," which I think also has more rhetorical punch. I wonder when and why this grammatical leveling to use "more" instead of the actual comparative began. Maybe it is part of the fight against white supremacy, making English as easy (and dull) to navigate as possible so no standard grammatical education is necessary to communicate. This would not of course apply to Temujin, so what is the deal?

wendybar said...

Why shouldn't Trump do it for the money?? Look at how other Presidents make money once they are gone.

Jeff Weimer said...

He does have some instinctive political ability. Genius? IDK. It would behoove upcoming candidates to cultivate a bit of his "man of the people" persona, which I don't think is entirely a pose for him, as he has always been like that and it comes off as genuine. It earned him a *lot* of appreciation and loyalty, but turned off an equal amount because it often *is* a pose cynically employed to manipulate and folks are smart to be skeptical.

Sally327 said...

Maybe he thought it would be fun. Trump was not a politician a lot longer than he has been a politician. I don't think his decisions come from the same place as a career politician's might.

rehajm said...

...as someone here pointed out he and Holyfield have a some level of personal connection. Friendship?...

...and Trump is a Kardashian level influencer. Selflessly showing up for a friend doesn't seem out of the question either...

Tina Trent said...

Holyfield was just filling in for that incredibly cute De La Hoya. Holyfield (and Hershel Walker), both friends of Trump, have been doing good works for Boys and Girls clubs and other charities for decades.

What you’re seeing is Joe Rogan’s dream come true: boxing and MMA fusing into joint competitions.

During the ‘96 Olympics, some of my Vietnamese carpet and metalwork crew brought me to see the U.S./Russia boxing match. I thought that was pretty funny: sitting with a bunch of Vietnamese refugees watching America and Russia duke it out. And they thought that was funny too. After the British, the countrymen with the greatest sense of ironic wit are the Vietnamese. I couldn’t stand to watch the fights themselves. Only boxing match I’ve ever attended. Lessons learned: men are generally different from women.

And to be able to laugh in the face of an unspeakably tragic past is a useful skill.

Owen said...

Has James Garner had his lawyers issue a cease-and-desist letter to the NYT and others who have been abusing his name? Seems overdue.

Ralph L said...

Garner gets attention from Althouse without effort.

Achilles said...

He knew if he was involved stupid NYT's reporters would show their ass saying how stupid it was and use it as an opportunity to denigrate something other people like to do.

Some people don't understand spectacle. There are many different types of fight. Close fight, heroic sacrifice, show of dominance, the heel etc.

The crowd is often pleased by watching the Christians get eaten by lions.

All of the people Ann reads were cheering in the stands on January 6th for that spectacle.

The NFL used to cover that base. They chose to destroy themselves.

Achilles said...

And the bubble is shrinking.

Just like throwing the Christians to the lions backfired.

Hospitals all around the country are grinding to a halt right now over vaccine mandates and quarantine policies. Heart disease, cancers, and other actually major causes of death are going back semi-natural rates.

Once people Ann's age figure out they are purposely killing off a generation who have the temerity to live 20 or 30 years after they retire there will only be the college kid idiots left to defend the regime.

Chuck said...

"I assume he's got some weird instinctive political genius, so maybe there's some reason why this appearance made sense."

That's interesting phrasing, from someone who is an unusually careful critic of language usage.

I might suggest that Trump has almost no "political genius." Other than that he specializes in catering to, and winning the votes of, a dwindling minority. For that particular demographic, Trump has an instinctive promotionalgenius. But aren't we now getting used to Trumpist candidates winning primaries and then losing in sometimes spectacular fashion in general elections? The Trump Party narrowly won the White House over Hillary Clinton in 2016, back when the Trump Party still had traditional Republicans supplying some support, however unenthusiastic. But since 2016, the Trump Party has lost state elections throughout the purple midwest swing states. The Trump Party lost the US House majority, and then in the 2020 election and a 2021 runoff, Trump demonstrated some of the most amazing political malpractice in memory; losing both US Senate seats in Georgia, and with them the Republican Senate majority.

Instinctive political genius?

tommyesq said...

The entrance of Triller and YouTube stars into boxing over the last year, and the way they have sometimes garnered much more attention than the biggest and best fights

This seems like an entirely appropriate use of "garner," which means to gather or collect, as opposed to earn.

Howard said...

Personally, I think that the PPV sham boxing event featuring the vibrant leader of QAnon and his retarded namesake was the perfect 911 tribute. In light of the post 911 horror show initiated by the president command to go shopping, Trump is being a pitch perfect post modernist dada performance artist.

mikee said...

Trump was merely garnering his rosepods while he may. Or something like that. Nice that he went out on the street and personally greetind first responders in New York on 9/11.

Amadeus 48 said...

If Trump had an instinctive political genius, he would not have lost to Biden, he certainly would not have messed up that Georgia senate election, and he would not have held that rally in DC on January 6.

Trump is a populist who does a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong. If he were a little better, he would have won 2020 in a walk. For true political genius, see FDR in 1936 and Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Amadeus 48 said...

mikee is right about Trump on 9/11. Bush43 didn't have the good sense to shut up. Trump did something that many regard as appropriate and meaningful.

Drago said...

I see our pro-marxist LLR-lefty Chuck and his bookend buddy "Antifa? Never heard of 'em.." Howard really are going to just pretend Trump did not meet with NYPD/NYFD personnel on 9-11 all the while ignoring the American hostages being held by the democraticals islamic supremacist allies in Afghanistan.

How.....predictable.

I suppose pretending Dementia boy and democraticals dont exist might just be the best political strategy given the state of the nation where now only 2% of the nation think things are going well.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

I'm not the target audience. Boxing-fighting whatever - not interested in any way.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

It's only OK to make money if you have a D behind your name and a residence on Martha's vineyard - or a crack-whore son with no morals.

tim maguire said...

Chuck said...I might suggest that Trump has almost no "political genius."

Because history is lousy with people who have no political genius coming out of nowhere to become president on their first try...

Ann Althouse said...

"So if I had to work at it, I "garnered laid"?"

I got a big laugh out of that, but apparently did not garner that laugh.

J.R. Marr said...


“I assume he's got some weird instinctive political genius, so maybe there's some reason why this appearance made sense”

I tuned in, and the reason he made this appearance was immediate and clear: to draw stark contrast between himself and the current occupant of the White House. During the pre-fight banter, Trump was telling stories and recalling minutiae of other fights sometimes decades past, with sharpness and coherence. Love him or hate him, he hasn’t lost a step.

Skippy Tisdale said...

"" Other than that he specializes in catering to, and winning the votes of, a dwindling minority. "

Where do you come up with this shit? No really. Where?

Ray - SoCal said...

Trump does amazing marketing / branding.

And he brought it over to politics.

And he listens to his voters!

His latest slogan “save America” is powerful.

Tom Grey said...

.We love Trump. We love Trump…
Nice chant by fans.
Nice contrast to fan on Joe:

Fuck Biden

I am a little surprised there is so little Trump for Congress, 2022.
Maybe he could replace Pelosi as Speaker and third in line, in of
Impeachment, for instance.
Naaaahhh