The company you keep -- can hurt you
The world’s best pugilist, Floyd Mayweather has, at times, behaved like a street thug—nightclub scuffles, battery and domestic violence convictions. Serious stuff, no doubt. Insofar as I can deduce from Review-Journal coverage of Mayweather’s support for Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate should’ve executed a rope-a-dope—bobbing, weaving and ducking Mayweather’s overtures. As it were, Mayweather no-showed at last week’s launch of African-Americans for Obama at the Ice House.
If Obama was looking for prominent and active local black athletes, Mayweather certainly made sense: In May, he fought Oscar De La Hoya in one of boxing’s biggest-ever bouts, for which he pocketed $20 million for 36-minutes work. (Can you say, large campaign donation?) He stands to make millions more in his December 8 showdown with undefeated Ricky Hatton.
Besides, tapping other athletes (retired NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham) or anyone of the dozens of NFL and NBA players with homes here wouldn’t have had the same effect. It’s not like the pool is stocked. The St. Louis Rams’ Steven Jackson is a local boy, but he’s not Mayweather famous-notorious. The Phoenix Suns’ Marcus Banks is good, but he rides the pine behind of the world’s great point guards, Steve Nash.
He could’ve tried to see if Tiger Woods—who’s not a resident, but is here often—was busy. If he wasn’t so hard up for an actual athlete, I suppose he could’ve approached actor Jamie Foxx. He played a star football player in Any Given Sunday and used to live here. Or comedian George Wallace? He’s big as an NFL lineman and his brother, Steve, played offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers in the ’80s.
Alas, choosing someone other than Mayweather would’ve been the safe, politically expedient and spineless thing to do. Yes, spineless. When their supporters get in trouble politicians, forever keen to public perception and poll numbers, often race to disassociate themselves. Witness Hillary Clinton’s high-stepping away from Norman Hsu, an adept fundraiser jailed in September after 15 years on lam. He was convicted on grand theft charges in California in 1992. Or Rudy Giuliani’s deftly severing of all ties with ex-business partner Bernard Kerik. In the coming weeks Kerik is likely to be indicted on tax evasion, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit wiretapping charges stemming from his tenure as New York police commissioner. And Kerik was “this close” to becoming the Homeland Security secretary in 2004!
The Obama-Mayweather connection is different in two significant ways: Clinton’s and Hsu’s and Giuliani’s and Kerik’s were close relationships built over nearly two decades. Not so for Obama and Mayweather—each side told the R-J the respect was mutual. Most importantly, however, Mayweather isn’t facing any jail time.
With a big fight looming and millions on the line, the Pretty Boy (Mayweather, not Obama) will probably be on his best behavior leading up to and through the bout (fingers crossed.) All bets are off after that. So while people have every right to question Obama’s choice of surrogates, to view his embrace of Mayweather as acceptance of the boxer’s past criminal transgressions is patently myopic.
Damon Hodge joined Las Vegas Weekly, in 2001. His specialties include hard-news stories, music reviews, pop culture commentary and occasional forays into social advocacy journalism. Hodge has won numerous awards from the Nevada Press Association. Email him at [email protected]