RIO DE JANEIRO -- After Roy Jones Jr. was infamously robbed of a gold medal by horrific judging in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, amateur boxing began a 25-year search for a better way to determine a winner.The sports organizers believe they finally found it by returning to basics: a traditional 10-point system administered by rigorously trained judges.Rio de Janeiro is hosting the first Olympic tournament since the sport abandoned its derided punch-counting system three years ago and went to the standard scoring used by professionals. While fans who only watch amateur boxing in the Olympics will notice the absence of headgear on the men for the first time since 1980, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is hoping theyll also see positive changes in fighting styles and coherent results under the new rules.What youre starting to see is boxing again, said Tom Virgets, an AIBA executive committee member. Its a much more attractive sport, like it used to be.AIBA has an impossible task in attempting to find a faultless scoring system. From elite professionals to weekend warriors, many boxers will always be unshakably convinced they were robbed in any loss that goes to a decision. Olympic bouts only last three rounds for men and four for women -- often simply not enough time to determine a clear winner.Yet Virgets said the scoring change has steadily diminished the amount of public whining about the results in a notoriously fractious sport. The impact on fighters styles is also undeniable, with less holding and cleaner punching in the first two days in Rio.Weve had to adapt some skills and techniques, but the game is still about me hitting you more than you hit me, said U.S. coach Billy Walsh, who fought for Ireland at the Seoul Games.The scoring changes have garnered near-uniform praise for AIBA, which hasnt had much of that lately. Along with another Olympic cycle of corruption allegations, the sports governing body has been criticized in recent years for its headgear removal and its decision to invite professionals to Rio as it attempts to evolve Olympic-style boxing into a more television-friendly sport.The punch-counting system, which underwent multiple tweaks and changes over a quarter-century, was widely loathed. The concept was created after a combination of blatant corruption and incompetence led to a gold medal being awarded to South Koreas Park Si-Hun after he was comprehensively thrashed by Jones.But the computer-based scoring system was based around the Sisyphean task of pushing a button to recognize every punch scored in every fight. Virgets also said the amateur judges often were trained inconsistently and evaluated ruthlessly by AIBA, forcing them to worry about their job security even more than their job performance.It was an attempt to do something to correct a wrong, but we didnt address the wrong, Virgets said. Instead, we changed the sport. It wasnt boxing. It became fencing.Indeed, the punch-based sport was often derided as fencing with gloves. Harmless jabs were rewarded over combinations and body shots because they were easier to see. Holding and clutching became rampant, particularly in the higher weight classes.Under a 10-point system, fighters are rewarded for every aspect of their game, not just their technical mastery of an arcane scoring system. Ring control, tenacity and a charismatic style are all important.Some fighters didnt change much, relying on their basic skills to persuade any method of judging.Punches win fights, American lightweight Mikaela Mayer said. Youve got to throw. Youve got to continue to throw. Its only four rounds.Other boxers didnt adjust quickly enough: U.S. heavyweight Cam F. Awesome lamented the changes earlier this year, noting he had built his fighting style around landing light scoring blows and avoiding his opponents shots. After power punching and combinations became more useful, he barely missed qualification for the Olympics.Virgets said AIBA also implemented extensive training for its new officials and judges, attempting to apply a standard of competence around the world while weeding out judges deemed to be predisposed to favoring the punches thrown by fighters from established boxing powers.How many years have you seen guys from Kenya and Namibia winning? Virgets said, referring to the preliminary-round victories by Rayton Okwiri and Mathias Hamunyela. There was a time it was already predestined that they had no chance. And theyre not just winning, but theyre winning in close bouts. Youre seeing that it doesnt matter what country youre from. Youre seeing the evidence that boxing is back to being boxing.Since this is still boxing, theres no doubt that talented fighters will leave Rio claiming theyve been cheated. AIBA claims it simply hopes to make progress on one of the most unsolvable dilemmas in sports.Weve had to move out a lot of the old school, and it took years to get it out, Virgets said. But you will see evidence of what we did in the bouts at this Olympics.Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Fake NHL Jerseys . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . NHL Jerseys China . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. NHL Jerseys Sale .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night.Happy Canada Day! Lets take a quick look at a few NBA Topics. 1. Andrea Bargnani: If the proposed trade with the New York Knicks goes through this will be a good landing spot for him. He wont have the pressure on him to be ‘The Guy with Carmelo Anthony around and his ability to space the floor with his distance shooting (erratic at times) will be a help to their team. The Knicks are obviously banking on the fact that hes got potential that has yet to be realized and a change of scenery could do it for him. Only time will tell if this is the right risk for them but I expect a new environment will do wonders for him, at least temporarily. The key is his willingness to truly commit to the game and lay it all on the line which hes been reluctant to do. Dont discount the fact that the Brooklyn Nets swung a big trade with the Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. This is a reaction to that as well as a team seeing a guy that can help them in an area of need. Former Raptors assistant coach and current Knicks assistant Jim Todd coached Andrea and Im sure hes spoken extensively with GM Glen Grunwald & Mike Woodson about him. 2. Steve Novak: Part of the proposed Bargnani trade has this veteran sharpshooter coming to Toronto. I like him. The Raptors were an inconsistent three-point shooting team the past few years and hell provide a solid veteran presence off the bench and hes a good locker room guy. Lifetime 43per cent shooter from behind the arc and will be a guy that can open things up for teammates with his consistency. Overall, Bargnani trade is addition by subtraction with the picks and cap savings being the primary help. Novak wont hurt them if this trade gets done. 3. Kevin Martin: Hes a free agent. I know the Thunder are in a luxury taax bind, but if he walks what do you truly think of the James Harden trade? Might as well have let him stay for this season and then moved him and given yourself a legitimate opportunity to win a title.dddddddddddd Martin will have plenty of suitors on the market as long as he is reasonable in his contract demands. Hes been a consistent three-point shooter throughout his career and his scoring knack is valuable. 4. Monta Ellis: He has decided to opt out of the final year of his deal in Milwaukee. The man can score points (19.4 ppg in his career) yet hes a volume scorer who has failed to shoot above 43 per cent the past two seasons. My belief is that hed be an ideal guy for a team as a sixth man because we all know hes coming into the game to light it up. You live with that a bit more because you need the boost as opposed to a starting player who youre looking to for reliable or predictable play. Hes got his boosters and just as many detractors. That being said, as a sixth man in the right up-tempo system hed be a blast to watch. 5. O.J. Mayo: I thought he settled down this past season and played a decent brand of ball for coach Rick Carlisle. He shot it well from three-point range (41 per cent), the best in his career and at 15.3 points per game hes a guy that can give you the pretty steady output that is so valued from a back court player. He was up and down in his time in Memphis but in a contract year he performed pretty well. Is that a result of a guy being in a contract year or has he truly matured? Thats the question scouts have about him that I think to this point is still inconclusive. I see teams trying to offer him a shorter term deal if they can get away with it. Hell get paid though… he scores. Always need that. ' ' '
