Tyson proved himself against tougher competition... Holyfield, Michael Spinks, Buster Douglas....

TenFootBevRat....



do you think the ’92 team breezed through the olympics partially because international basketball was horrible then? #TFMB—@rgallik_10

and…

Here’s the hot question: In a match-up between the 1992 Dream Team and 2012 USA Olympic team, who wins?—@HuskyCaucasian

International hoops weren’t exactly horrible in the early ‘90s. Recall that ‘Merica won only bronze in 1988. By a very hasty count via Wikipedia, there were about 35 foreign-born, non-Canadian (sorry, that’s America, Jr.), non-US citizens that had been on an NBA roster at some point by 1992. Of course, basketball in America was superior, but internationally it wasn’t like putting Cubans in the giant slalom.

The 1992 Dream Team coasted because they were the greatest collection of players put together ever at that time. Opponents really stood no chance. Since then other countries have been able to prepare a little more for their inevitable losses (except for the 2004 group of clowns of whom we shan’t speak) and have added more current and former NCAA and/or professional players. Like the American game, the international game is better now overall than 1992, even though it wasn’t awful then, just way behind the US.

Regarding the 1992 vs. 2012 team debate, thinking that a team of pros from twenty years ago can beat a team of pros from today is a bit ludicrous. The game and athletes have evolved so much since 1992 that there wouldn’t be much of a chance for Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and crew. Nobody on the ’92 team stops Lebron James in any consistent manner, and conversely James likely owns those guys on the defensive end. Nobody on that team keeps up with Russell Westbrook’s motor. John Stockton, Christian Laettner, and Chris Mullen don’t make the 2012 team. Sorry, short shorts enthusiasts.

I know that we love to be nostalgic and hate to admit that the great teams from previous eras probably couldn’t hang today, but it’s just true. The 1985 Chicago Bears would get crushed by the 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars (¡ESCANDALO!). The Dream Team was the best of their time. It’s not their time anymore, and the style and pace (and defensive rules that guys like Jordan and Stockton couldn’t get away with today) of pro basketball have changed. It’s pretty simple.

And did you see the USA/Nigeria game on Thursday? It was like Carmelo and Co. were exacting revenge for every spam e-mail all of us have ever received. At least Nigerians now love me.

I'm a big dumb shitlib baby

Are you serious? Tougher competition? Tyson unified the heavyweight division by beating 3 tomato cans named Trevor Berbick, James Smith, and Tony Tucker. He pummeled a 5-10 years past his prime Larry Holmes. I think I actually saw Michael Spinks shit his pants during the refs instructions in their fight. The only two legit fighters Tyson fought beat him: Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. And Holyfield was a beefed up Cruiserweight. Buster Douglas? I give him props, he fought the fight of his life, but the truth is Tyson barely trained for this fight, and spent most of his time drinking Sake and banging Geishas. Don't get me wrong, I loved Tyson. I was in high school when he rose to prominence, and I loved watching him knock ham n eggers into next week. Just don't try to tell me Tyson proved himself against tougher competition than Ali. It's simply not true.

I always loved Tyson. Could he have knocked Ali out had he landed a big haymaker? Sure. And the young Tyson under D'Amato was a true student of the game who understood a lot about footwork and fighting styles. The conventional wisdom seems to be that Cus' death and Tyson's association with Don King led to his demise as a fighter. I truly believe that stuff was incidental. He had never really been hit. Buster Douglas hurt him and he was never the same. The swagger was gone. It was like a magical spell was broken. Nobody was afraid of him anymore.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

John Stockton, Christian Laettner, and Chris Mullen don’t make the 2012 team. Sorry, short shorts enthusiasts.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

How do you get to that level of a sport like boxing without every really getting hit though?

2012 Jags beat the 85 Bears?

Next time anyone puts Laettners name with John Stockton and Chris Mullin they should automatically be shot on the spot.

How do you get to that level of a sport like boxing without every really getting hit though?

Stockton was/ is as good or better than any point currently in the league today.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Where's Beardown when you need him?

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

thats one thing i do not understand about bball. all of the sudden point guards need to score? yet the game total points has not gone up? is it because centers are basically non existent now?

He's at an Egg Harbor Cafe in Glenview so he can brag about getting rejected by a ton of white women.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Well, when your idea of spitting game is to go up to girls and hand them a slip of paper with a youtube link on it, you're kind of running up the score on the "easy" level, aren't you?

2012 Jags beat the 85 Bears?

Ali Beat chumps like Norton, Frazier, Ron Lyle, Foreman, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Quarry and the list continues.

IMO, Joe Fraizer was the "Tyson" of his era. George Foreman put Frazier down 6 times in 2 rounds. Ali knocked out Foreman. Therefore, Ali would beat Tyson the way he beat George. Rope-a-dope.

Yeah, Norton looked like a real chump in that first fight when he broke Ali's jaw, and beat him. They fought two more times with Ali narrowly winning both. I still believe Norton won the third fight. Patterson was a shell of his former self when they met. It was akin to Tyson v Holmes. You want a list of chumps that Iron Mike beat? James Tillis, Pinklon Thomas, Jesse Ferguson, Tony Tucker, Tony Tubbs, Mitch Green, Frank Bruno. None of these boxers were comparable to Fraizer, Foreman, Liston, Patterson, or Norton.

I always considered Foreman to be the Tyson of his era.

My comparison between Tyson and Frazier is more about their boxing style and size. The peek a boo style they both used. As for fear, intimidation, and the power to knock a motherfucker out, I agree Foreman was the Tyson of his era. Ali did to Foreman what Buster Douglas did to Tyson. They both shattered the myth of invincibility. Tyson beat what was put in front of him. I don't fault him for that. I just believe Ali beat better fighters than Mike did when it came to title defenses.

Stockton was/ is as good or better than any point currently in the league today.