I RARELY read anything that Dan Rafael puts out simply because 1) he's not that great of a writer and 2) most of the stuff he talks about or "breaks" is already known...HOWEVER...for some reason, I did come across his latest "blog" from yesterday (June 10) where he comments about Mike Tyson's recent wedding. Personally, I thought his comments were pretty low...I mean, who the fuck is Dan Rafael to try and judge Tyson's actions.

Anyway, if you haven't had a chance to read it, check it out and let me know what you think:



And that was it...the "story" abruptly stops and then switches gears. I'm not exactly sure of what he was trying to prove by writing that, but I am curious to know what everyone else thinks.

On a side note, he did confirm that Klitschko vs. Chagaev will air on ESPN Classic. Notice, he didn't write a big story or blog entry about that...just a quick little comment in passing. Do you think it bugs him when other people find out information regarding his own company before him:







Actually, don't bother...I already know it pisses him off. I heard he raised a little stink about it and is wondering how that info got leaked.

Tyson is an easy target. These so called sports writers like to use him as their whipping post. Who really knows what Tyson is thinking but him. I dont think getting married shows that he is not morning his daughter.

Dan Rafael sucks.

I have no use for anything he writes, does, says, or thinks. He's a garbage writer, an absolute hack, biased, and just about everything else that I can't stand about journalism that is supposed to be unbiased. Commentary is one thing, spin is another. I can't stand him.

This is no time to throw your useless opinions about Mike Tyson out there, after what happened to his daughter. If he wants to get married again, fine. If he wants to marry a stripper on national television, fine. Let him do it. What do we care at this point? Rafael is just looking to give someone a reason to read his tripe, and I don't know if it's more disgusting or sad.

What's funny is that you can see how pissed he is that word already got out about ESPN Classic. He mentions it in passing at the very end of the paragraph, rather than leading with it since, after all, it's a heavyweight championship fight on the network by whom he is employed. How passive-aggressive.

The ESPN boxing coverage used to be much better with Al Bernstein. If Al would have had access to the variety of outlets at ESPN that Rafael and the rest of ESPN has currently, our sport would be far better off. Rafael is useless and it's sad that he's the best ESPN can come up with. Next week he'll probably announce that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is confident that he'll beat Marquez in July. Breaking news, Dan. Way to stay on top of things.

How is it even Dan Rafael's business? That is my first reaction.

I think it is pretty common knowledge that tragedy brings people close together. Maybe Mike is thinking that he wanted to get married so he wouldn't run the risk of losing somebody else he loved? Maybe he doesn't have to answer to Dan Rafael since, really, what does Dan Rafael have to do with Tyson's life?

his daughters death was a tragedy. even if you felt the timing of the wedding was a bit weird, why the hell would you want to criticize tyson for it in the public sphere? what will that accomplish but make tyson feel even worse? just dumb.

It was definately not needed. I guess he is just stating his opinion though. I am sure alot of folks are wondering why Tyson got married during these circumstances, and maybe this was just his take. His first paragraph was not worded too nicely though.

dan is garbage his chats are useless i use to check in for his "bat phone" but thats a joke now. I mean the latest news he has broken lately was that zab was gonna fight matthew hatton which was up here on fighthype 2 days before and the news bout espn classic carrying the fight which was released eveywhere preety much before he said that.

Hype quick question do the boxing internet guys like u, Dougie, kim really respect Dan? or is he like another Greg and frowned at lol

They should just leave Mike Tyson alone. Its the media that keeps bringing him back. Just let him go already.

Hmmmm...that's a loaded question.



I mean, I do respect the fact that he loves the sport and is constantly on the phone trying to get as much info as possible to put it out there...and I respect the fact that he doesn't like Leon (hahahaha)...but I DON'T respect the fact that he doesn't credit where he gets some of his information from. I mean, I know for a fact that he's taken some of our scoops and run with them...he's been doing that ever since the blahtalk days. You just can't break everything...especially in this day and age of the internet...so we certainly don't try to and we give credit where credit is due. I just wish Rafael would do the same instead of trying to act like Mr. Know-It-All. So personally, because of that, all-in-all, I guess I don't really respect him because I feel as though we do the same thing over here even better with less resources and more roadblocks.

I don't really like his writing or his opinions however. In fact, I heard A LOT of the professional journalists...the ones who actually do write good articles and went to school for that...don't really respect him. A lot of those columnists criticize his articles and frown at him (although it's usually behind his back). Then again, a lot of those same professional journalists don't really respect what I do so that being said, fuck 'em! LOL.

I can't speak for Doug and Kim as I've never really spoken to them about it, although I wouldn't be surprised if they shared the same opinion as me.

Now Leon, on the other hand, I don't think ANYONE likes that guy. Just about EVERYONE I've ever met or spoken to the industry have said nothing but bad things about him. The only people that DO say good things or actually do business with him are people who are trying to use him for one reason or another. If certain promoters would actually realize that his website was dead and gives them no exposure whatsoever, you probably wouldn't see them dealing with him anymore.

I've seen a few sites refer to him as "The Fat Man" over at ESPN. lol

In reading the comments, I don't really have a problem with it. I mean, to be honest, it is kind of weird timing. He didn't really criticize either, he just stated an opinion. He also showed how he came to that opinion by posting part of an interview he conducted. Should he have stayed out of his business? Sure, but a lot of journalists are pesky like that and don't care about being in someones business. He also goes on to say that he wishes Tyson the best in his new marraige. So that's my 2 cents, I don't think Rafael did anything wrong and I don't have a problem with it.

The Fat Bastard is next to useless.

So what if Tyson got married two weeks after his daughter's death? We aren't talking about a church wedding with 500 guests. As I understand it, they got married just hours after getting the license.

That woman probably comforted him in his hour of need - then they got married. I don't see a problem here.

Maybe if Raphael would put down the KY Jelly and blowup dolls - then he could relate...

I totally agree with you. He didnt do anything wrong or disparage Tyson. I think some people are being a little to sensitive about Tyson. His marriage is absolutely bad timing. When i first saw that Tyson had just gotten married, i said to myself WTF. Damn you cant even morn for your own daugter. But this is TYSON we are talking about not some well thought out person. But i think D.Rafael didnt do anything wrong.

Couldn't agree more.

Exactly, D.Rafeal is a journalist and is just doing his job, like it or not.

Yeah, I think the whole point is that he should be a journalist about some shit that matter. He couldn't find a better story to write? Shit, wouldn't it have been more important, or relevant, for boxing if he wrote an article bashing Mayweather or something about fighters. This story is exactly as they described earlier, unnecessary.

Yeah, I don't think they are, the piece has zero news value.

Hmmm I respect his opinion but I think it was unnecessary. Atleast now anyway. I think its bad timing on his part to release this article. He does have the freedom of speech but expressing this opinion at this time makes him seem like a total asshole.

I'll end it there on that note. I've always thought Dan was biased and never really cared two shits about him so its kind of expected from him.

Well it wasn't like he wrote up some special blog entirely about that. It was in the News & Notes thing where he just throws out tidbits about whatever is going on.

I don't think he stepped over the line at all, really. It IS kinda weird that you would get married a week after the funeral, but you know...as was pointed out it wasn't some big elaborate wedding. Maybe this is something that is, in Tyson's mind, going to help him. He's able to connect with someone and form a bond with someone right and fully bring someone into his life, just after he lost someone very important in his life.

I am completely with you on this stuff..I was thinking the same exact thing..

I totally agree with what I put in bold..

I don't know how any of you are talking all this shit about this dude who also found it weird..Writing about this stuff is his job and he only stated the same kind of opinions that most people were probably thinking too..It's very weird how so many of you are bashing this guy..2 weeks to mourn your daughters death is ridiculously short..I mourned my dogs death longer than he did his daughters..

Just cause he got married doesn't mean he isn't still mourning. As hard as it is...life still has to go on.

LOL! We had a party after a relative died. Why, because it was scheduled... or we were thinking about the party before the death.

We always looked at death as a celebration and not a time to be sad. We always have the mindset that they are going to a better place so we rejoice for their new life. Thats how its always been in my family. We always called funerals homegoings.

I agree life does go on, but come on man getting married one week after your baby daughters funeral. If he was so in love why cant he wait to get married until all the emotions clear from his daughters death. Tyson is just as unstable as he ever was and honestly him getting married one week after his daughters funeral is all the norm for him.

So you are saying if you were in Tyson's shoes and your 4 year old baby girl died a very tragic death, you would celebrate?

Hell no. What I'm saying is we try to look at things from a positive angle. The person who just died wont have to live in this sinful world anymore. They have gone to a better place thats worry free. Hell no he's not suppose to celebrate and go out partying. When I say celebrate I mean we all meet up after the funeral at the home and have a big dinner, reminisce on past memories, and share laughs. Not throw on some hip hop and do the damn stanky leg.

Everybody got there way and I can respect that, but thats not the way it worked out for me. I will tell you a quick story and give me your honest opinion. My Dad died unexpectally 5 years ago, he was my best friend. I was blessed to have him as a father, I could not have asked for a better father. It was the hardest thing for me I ever went through and to this day probably still do not deal with it well. Anyway, at the viewing my mother in law was constantly joking and smiling while sitting down conversing with mainly my wifes side of the family most of the time. It is like she showed ZERO respect for people mourning my father. Now my mother in law has always been very jealous of my parents because how close HER daughter was with my parents, and it just made me feel like she did not really care. She was the only one I noticed laughing and smiling alot, and days later she told me where she is from they celebrate people's deaths. Okay, but I hardly think she would celebrate one bit if one of her daughters passed. I was just hurt and felt disrespected and THOUGHT she should have been more concerned with peoples feelings that were having a hard time dealing with this. I mean if she wants to do that at her in a situation with her family, that is fine by me. I just think she could have acted more respectful. So was I over-reacting cause it was my Dad and I was too emotional and that is just the way she is?

I'm not really debating whether or not what he said was right or wrong...I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion and quite honestly, when I first heard that he got married, I kind of thought it was odd too...but I'm just saying...it was totally unnecessary to lead off with that. In my opinion, there was FAR more important news in that blog that Rafael wrote...like the fact that ESPN Classic was going to televise Klitschko vs. Chagaev. It was just, in my opinion, tasteless...kind of on par with someone reporting the death of Max Kellerman's brother and then posting a "REMEMBER WHERE YOU HEARD IT FIRST" at the end of it. Just totally unnecessary. In both cases, the "journalists" were doing their job I guess, but that doesn't mean you have to be tacky about it. I just didn't even get the point of it? Is it odd? Yeah...probably...but fuck...what ISN'T odd about Mike Tyson? So what was the point? That Tyson's new marriage is doomed? Great. Okay...thanks for the bit of wisdom you fat fuck. Here...here's another opinion...

I'll be the first guy to wish Rafael nothing but the best in his health. I really do hope things work out for him. But it just seems odd that the motherfucker keeps getting fatter and fatter. That means that his health might be doomed before he even has anything to do about it.

There you go. I know, I know...not too much boxing news in there, but hey, it is about someone in boxing and I'm just stating an opinion that most people already think. Since I consider myself to be as much of a "jounalist" as Rafael, I guess you can say that I'm just doing my job.

I don't read Rafael's reports or blogs or anything but I will say he is the only American boxing journo that gets regulary interviewed in Australia on morning radio sports shows. That is my only exposure to him.

First let me say I'm sorry to hear about your father passing.

IMHO....she was dead wrong for that. Celebrating was a bad word to use to describe what I meant. What I should have said was to help with the mourning process we try to find the positive in the death, we talk about and share all of the good memories we had of that person. Basically everybody has their on way in dealing with death. But what she done was totally disrespectful toward you even if she didn't know the type of relationship you and your father had. It is not cool whatsoever to be cracking jokes and smiling during someones period of mourning. There is an appropriate time and place for all of that.

I'll give you an example, my closest uncle died at the beginning of March. He was my father figure growing up and also the guy that got me into boxing. Well he left behind two sons and he was a single father. One of them is an introvert and the other is an extrovert so they both dealt with his death differently. Yes they both mourned along with the rest of our family but his youngest son just completely shut down! He wouldn't talk to nobody, he wouldn't meet with nobody or nothing. Well after the funeral when everyone was back at the house eating and carrying on he just didn't want to come out and talk to nobody. So I started cracking jokes about memories we both had with Uncle/his father. He played basketball and his father helped coach his team so all of his teammates where there. I called them back to the room just to put him around his friends cause some of them are straight up clowns. Next thing you know everybody is laughing and cracking jokes just to help cheer him up. Everything we talked about was related to my uncle whether it was something fun he did or how he helped one of the fellas on the team out. Hearing all of these stories and jokes helped my cousin with his mourning. No he isn't completely over it which I doubt he will be but the point I'm trying to make was he helped with his mourning process. It was the appropriate place outside of the church during the actual funeral but still the same day as the funeral.

Like I said earlier everybody deals with it differently. The laughing and going on during the funeral is not cool at all especially if her intentions weren't to try to help you with your mourning but in my cousins situation he needed those laughs and jokes to help him get through that period.

You are a damn fool!

3King3- Sorry for your loss also. I appreciate your words and can relate to everything you said and I totally agree with you. Thanks.

Sorry for getting off topic.

Preciate it man

"Care" is an interesting word to choose. I don't know how many people actually "care" for Tyson, but I'm sure a lot of people are still "curious" about him.

But that's not the point...the point is, the blog post was more about Rafael's opinion as opposed to real news about Tyson. Quite frankly, if nobody could give a shit about hearing how Rafael is doing, I can't see why they'd really give a shit on what he thinks about Mike Tyson getting married two weeks after the death of his daughter. The motherfucker ain't Dr. Phil...if he's a boxing columnist who wants to give his opinion, he should give it on something boxing related...not on the personal life of someone in boxing. I mean, I may be mistaken, but I don't recall him giving out his opinion on Jim Lampley smacking around his girlfriend.

I myself did not see a problem with the article. He reported on it...and despite his honest opinion that it might be a mistake....he wished him luck. There is nothing worng with being realistic with any given situation. And ultimatley....it was simply his opinion...which is what a blog is all about.

I don't have an issue with it.

I appreciate you explaining to me the purpose of a blog, but I think I already know.



I'm not saying I was surprised or offended either (after all, he wasn't talking about me), but what I'm saying is that it was unnecessary. While it was simply a rambling in a blog, it was also a headlining topic on ESPN's boxing home page and in my opinion, the move was tasteless. ESPN is a big enough site that they don't need to pull such a low move in hopes of generating traffic. I mean, even the leadoff...



That seems pretty cheap...almost on par with:



I would have expected better tact from ESPN.

Isn't that a "Tweet"?

Per Rafael...

Haha, apparently. I don't use tweet and never will. But it does sound like it's something they do.

lol I don't know if he's saying that Shelly Finkel broke it to them or if he's saying this after the fact.

When HBO elected not to buy the June 27 Wladimir Klitschko-Ruslan Chagaev heavyweight title fight>>

Did it get moved back a week or was this a typo by Rafael?

i dont critize writers

i heard a lot of brittish scribes talking about how hatton would win and how he coulda won if it happened again

thats their opinion

and i respect it as i have my own

but to talk about personal matters such as this is not only unnecessary but potentially harmful

we all know mike has serious issues and bringing this up could damage him and his family

i dont know why he got married, perhaps it was his wife's idea as a way to begin the healing process, perhaps he couldnt deal with the reality and thought it best to move on

in the end the Tyson families privacy should have been extended on this account

what good does this do for boxing? all it does is bring into questoin a guy who has just lost his child? is there really no other way to attract redearship than give an opinion about a guy going through turmoil and questioning his motives?

the point of writing an article is that it is to be read, everyone has an opinion but what does this do except make tyson look bad, does the writer really know whats in tyson's mid? if not then why write it at all other than to get more readers

this is tabloid journalism and it sucks tha people have to resort to this

Do you reside in the US? I'm thinking no....because that's the ONLY type of "journalism" we got here buddy! lol

Seriously.....I've lived close to the Coast my entire life.....I remember back when I was a kid....if a Hurricaine was building....they would mention it and move on....they would not start actual coverage until it was a real threat.

NOW DAYS......if a Mexican so much as passes gas on the beach.....they sound the alarms and tell everybody to get their survival gear!

United States Journalism is nothing but tabloid.

An another thing about American Journalism thats getting on my damn nerves...every damn night Nancy Grace and all the other CNN reporters are talking about another damn missing child. This shit is ridiculous! I swear I want to call the show one day and tell all of them to STFU!