Pacers Turn Down the Heat

The old proverb that says "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" doesn't apply to the Indiana Pacers.  They can take the Heat and have taken much of the NBA world by surprise.

Many had picked the Miami Heat to dismiss the Pacers in a straight sweep or 5 games at best.  If Paul George played better defense and perhaps if Roy Hibbert was playing in the final seconds of game 1, we could be talking about the Pacers being up (2 - 0) in this series.  Instead Indiana tied up the eastern conference finals with a 97 - 93 victory in Miami last night.

I thought the Heat had plenty to be worried about going into this series and even more to worry about despite winning game 1.  The Pacers have outplayed the Heat for most of this series thus far.  Indiana is a young, quick and well coached team.  They have length and depth and most of all they have heart.  Head coach Frank Vogel has also realized that his team has another distinct advantage over the defending champs.  And that my friends is size.

Roy Hibbert finally asserted himself in game 2 by scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 boards.  Hibbert was dominant down low and he should be.  He's a good 3 inches taller than anyone on the Heat roster and therefore should be controlling the paint.  Hibbert's performance in game 2 has given him the confidence going forward in this series.  I expect more scoring lines like this from the Pacers center throughout the eastern conference finals.

David West, Paul George and George Hill all played well and had significant contributions throughout this game.  West bullied Heat players down low while scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.  Paul George dropped his usual 22 points and Hill knocked down clutch free throws to give the Pacers a 4 point lead and ultimately the game.

The Pacers play team basketball. They are very unselfish and nobody tries to steal the show.  They play suffocating defense and rotate so quickly that their speed and length give them a real advantage.  The Pacers have the ability to take a team out of their game.  We saw how their defense can do that as they forced LeBron James into consecutive turnovers to ice the Heat and leave Miami victorious on their way back home to Indiana for the next 2 games.  If the Heat are going to win this series then other players are going to have to step up and play better like Dwayne Wade, Ray Allen and Norris Cole.  LeBron cannot win this series by himself.  The Pacers are too good.

I think the Heat players are somewhat surprised and taken back at how difficult it is to score against this team.  They also realize that they have problems with the Pacers big men.  The fact is that Indiana has more pieces then the Heat and are a more complete team.  They may not be a better team but they are more complete.  The Pacers only star may be Paul George and he's only 23 years old.  This Pacer team has a chance to contend with the Miami Heat for years to come.  And let's not forget that Danny Granger has been out the entire season and he was considered their best player.  If these guys stay together and Granger can fit back in on this team, well then my friends, we will have a legit contender for the Heat and it won't be a forgone conclusion that the NBA finals will read "Miami vs _____?"

Why returning the Hornets back to Charlotte is Great for the NBA and North Carolina

After the Charlotte Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002, the city was promised another team for the 2004-2005 season. In June 2003, the new team was name the Bobcats. The original owner of the team, Robert "Bob" Johnson named the team after himself even after the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission had a fan vote on the nickname, but Johnson chose the Bobcats over the Charlotte Flight, who won the vote.

The state of North Carolina and the city of Charlotte have never embraced the Bobcats' nickname. That’s why it was a big deal when Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan announced on Tuesday that he's changing his team's name to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-2015 season.

The change must be approved by the NBA Board of Governors on July 18, but unless David Stern veto this much like the Chris Paul/Lakers trade, it will get approved.

Jordan and the franchise needed to change something after nine years of despondency and agony. He needed to do something that will ignite a dormant fan base. The nickname has always belonged to Charlotte. Even New Orleans Pelicans' Owner Tom Benson said the name belonged to Charlotte.

“The Hornets name came from Charlotte. That fits in with Charlotte. It doesn’t fit into New Orleans, La., or our area here. The Hornets don’t mean anything here,” Benson said.

Ever since entering the NBA in the 2004-2005 season, the Bobcats have been near the bottom of league in attendance. Their best season in attendance was during the 2010-2011 season where they finished 21st in the league. Even during the 2009-2010 season when the Bobcats finished 44-38, the team only finished 22nd in league attendance. The attendance numbers are a lot higher than actually people in the stands as Time Warner Cable Arena, which seats over 20,000 because most night it's not full.

That's a complete opposite of the Charlotte Hornets, who were for most their existence, were one of the more popular franchises in the league. The Hornets had a sellout streak of 364 games. If you are mathematically challenged, that's a span of nearly nine NBA seasons. The only reason attendance began to decrease was because of the demands of a new arena from then Hornets owner George Shinn.

I'm not saying this will totally solve the attendance problem, but the name change will get former fans of the Hornets excited again. There are a lot of things Jordan can do to get fans excited about the Hornets nickname returning to Charlotte.

Jordan could incorporate former Hornet players like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, Baron Davis and Muggsy Bogues, in to the franchise. Mourning is more identified as a Miami Heat, but you certainly could get help for Rice, Bogues, Davis and Johnson. These are the players that helped the organization make seven playoff runs in its 14 years of existence. This would also help increase fan attendance and merchandise sells.

The three things that are a must are to color Time Warner Cable Arena teal and purple, get professional wrestler Ric Flair involved with the team again and to have this sound during games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsX538vx7eI.

For the people who say, a name change isn't going to change the team's play on the court, they're right. 

This current Charlotte franchise has an overall record of 250-472 during the regular season and 0-4 in the playoffs.  To make matters worse, the Bobcats possibly had the worst campaign in NBA history when the 2011-12 squad went just 7-59, a .106 winning percentage.

The team has employed six head coaches and is actively searching for its seventh since they entered the league in 2004-2005. Michael Jordan has to hire a coach that will bring some stability to this franchise.

Hopefully for Charlotte basketball fans, this is a change in the right direction. I was personally crushed when the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans. My aunt and I use to attend games all the time and we would make a day out of it. The Charlotte Coliseum is where I saw my first professional sports game, first NBA game and first Laker game. It has been a brutal nine years, but it seems brighter days of coming for this franchise.

I just want to thank the three Charlotte area residents have been instrumental in bring the Hornets back to Charlotte.

John Morgan, an elementary art teacher in Monroe, N.C., who started a campaign on Facebook three years ago called "We Believe" after watching the Bobcats lose to the Orlando Magic in the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

Also want to Scotty and Evan Kent, who created the website and Twitter handle, "Bring Back the Buzz." The Kent brothers have allowed myself to post articles and get the message out to you all about bring the Hornets back home.

WE DID!!

The Route 4 Sports Podcast

The R4S Podcast returns tonight after a much needed 2 week vacation.  The Pacers and Heat played an all time classic NBA playoff game last night and we'll be talking about that and the rest of the post season action.  Plus we'll get some NFL in the show and talk about the off season moves and go through the over/under on win totals for each team.  That should be fun!  Call 347-996-5176 tonight between 7:00 - 9:00 pm EST for 2 hours of the most interactive sports talk show on the internet.  Click here for The Route 4 Sports Podcast

Fifty Four by G.W. Gras

As fans, we tend to over-romanticize any and every detail involving the teams that we love.  We embody the spirit, pride and love for our favorite teams and players as most people would for their families and loved ones.  

As a Bears fan who was born and lives in New York, the city that never sleeps - I've worn the Chicago Bears orange, the capital "C" and the "Bear-Down mentality" in a city swarmed with over-enthusiastic Giants fans. . . and the other team that plays here sometimes, the Jets.  

Decades, I've spent supporting this team.  And I'll never turn back. 

Some players mean more on your favorite teams than others will.  I've studied my history and I've read about Sid Luckman, Dick Butkis and Gale Sayers.  As a very young kid, I remember the Walter Payton shoes (remember the company Roos?) and I remember the piercing eyes of Mike Singletary.  My mom bought me the 12-inch vinyl single to the Chicago Bears Superbowl shuffle, and I can recite the song word for word. 

But with all the history I've seen second hand, my times playing Tecmo Bowl for Nintendo and me imitating the likes of Neal Anderson when I played football with friends.  It wasn't until Brian Urlacher came in 2000, that my favorite Chicago Bears player came to light.  

I pretty much thought who the hell I was at the time, but to see that number 54 jersey on the field was mostly all I ever wanted to talk about when discussions of football came up.  He made the "54" number something cool.  Growing up in NY, the only number they tell you a linebacker could be is "56." 

Any Bears fan who watched Brian Urlacher play the game of football had this arrogant-like thought in their head like : "We got one." 

That one was you Mr. Urlacher. And in this Bears lineage of historic players - I can confidently say, you truly cemented my fandom for life and I will be tied to the Bears for the rest of my days.

13 years - 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. NFL 2000's All Decade Team. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000.  Eight-time pro bowler.  

Someone must be putting down the chisel work on a bronze bust for the hall as we speak.

The leadership, the grit - the blue-collar type of work ethic he was known to exhibit in the locker room and on the field are all characteristics which make him legendary as not only a Chicago Bear.  But as an NFL player as well.  

He even went out with class : “After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made a decision to retire,” Urlacher said in a statement. “Although I could continue playing, I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that’s up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after a 13-year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear.

Once again, thank you 54 and congratulations on a great career. 

GW Gras

@GeeSteelio

Getting Knicked Up

Successful.  Improved.  Satisfied.  These are some of the positive words that Knicks fans use when describing their season.  I however like to use the words - disappointing, unfulfilling and over-achieving when I recap my beloved New York Knicks 2012-2013 NBA season.  I do hesitate to say the season was a failure though as many of my Knicks brethren have thrown that word around...

I didn't expect them to make the NBA Finals nor did I expect them to beat the Miami Heat in a 7 game series.  I did however expect the Knicks to at least show up and play ball this post season.  They looked pretty good after the first 3 games in the 1st round of the playoffs against the Celtics.  Then J.R. Smith got a technical foul and suspended for a game after throwing an elbow into Jason Terry's face.  New York subsequently lost their next two games before taking the series from Boston (4- 2).  But the truth is that the Knicks never looked the same after Smith threw that elbow.

But the Knicks didn't lose the conference semi-finals because of an elbow.  They lost because the Pacers absolutely dominated them and exposed the Knicks for what they really are...and average team.  Sure they won their division for the first time since the Great Depression and had a sweet 13 game win streak, but besides Carmelo Anthony, what are teams really worried about when playing the New York Knicks?

It certainly isn't Tyson Chandler and his 10 points a game.  Not the overpaid bench riding Amare Stoudemire.  We know J.R. Smith is a very streaky player and Raymond Felton is completely unreliable.  Everyone else on the Knicks are old and past their prime like Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin who actually gave the Knicks some good defense for a while.  Chris Copeland, a youngster with potential was able to knock down a 3 pointer but couldn't play defense at all against the bigger guys.

The one player I really do like on this Knicks team besides Melo is Iman Shumpert.  This kid is better than I think he even realizes.  And it's not because he hit 3 three pointers in a row on Saturday night.  It's because he plays excellent defense and is extremely athletic.  He needs the opportunity to open up his game a little more and drive to the basket.  The problem is that's a hard thing to do when Carmelo Anthony is in isolation every other time down the court.  But if they can find a way to work together then I believe they can be an excellent combination.

Realistic Knicks fans know they can't hang with the Heat and now know they can't even hang with the Pacers either.  More moves need to be made and money will have to be paid.  Some pretty big names pop up on the free agent list over the next couple of seasons.  The Knicks need to decide if they are content with being at best in the conference finals or do they want to go to the NBA finals, which would mean beating the Heat in a 7 game series.

May Struggles of the Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox surprised everyone by finishing April with the best record in baseball. While April was better than fans and experts expected, May has been catastrophic so far. 

The excellent offense we saw the first month of the season has all but disappeared in May. The Red Sox have averaged 3.3 runs in its past 11 games. In their last two games, the Red Sox are 0-for-20 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-37 in the past three games.   

David Ortiz, who got off to a hot start has seen his bat cool off in May as he’s hitting .179 for the month so far. Leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury is only hitting .204 in May and his on-base percentage is .259. Ellsbury is the table setter for the Red Sox and if he’s not getting on base, then hitters like Ortiz and Mike Napoli can’t drive home runs. Hitting isn’t the only concern for Red Sox players and fans, the pitching hasn’t been good in May either.

The Red Sox ERA during the first month of the season was 3.58 ERA, but so far in May it’s 4.76. Even the starters’ ERA has gone from 3.24 in April to 4.54 in May. Ryan Dempster was having a good start to the season before Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays as he had a 2.93 ERA entering the game. Dempster’s ERA went up to nearly a full run after Sunday’s game to 3.75.

The bullpen has been in been in shambles as of late with Andrew Bailey going on the disable list and Joel Hanrahan is out for the season a  torn flexor tendon. Junichi Tazawa has been named closer by manager John Farrell, but it remains to be seen if Tazawa can handle the role long-term.

Tuesday will mark the start of a nine game road stand for the Red Sox. With the Yankees surprisingly playing well despite all their injuries, the Orioles in second place and the Rays starting to play better, this is a crucial stretch for the Red Sox. They start a three game series against Tampa Bay Tuesday night, followed by trips to Minnesota and Chicago before coming back home on May 23 against Cleveland.

This could be the trip that determines if April was a fluke, or if the Red Sox really are contenders in the American League East.

My Confession

Here is the deal. I was born in Boston , many of you know that and you also know that I support all of the Boston teams . It's a must or your birth certificate suspiciously disappears. With that being said ...I have a confession to make and I know it is going to anger a lot of people. However, I can no longer hold it in. So ...

Wait a second let me give you insight

My family and I moved to Miami in 2003. I was offered a great job and I couldn’t take the cold weather anymore. I had visited Miami several times to seal the deal on employment and fell in love with the Beauty that is Miami. The ocean, the causeways , the palm trees etc....We tried to gauge the sports “vibe” down here and we were disappointed greatly. There was no fervor for sports. Residents go to the beach , go to festivals, go anywhere except to sporting events. We were puzzled. I mean come on , Im from Boston! You don’t dismiss your teams in any capacity...its unwritten LAW!

We took a dip

With that all being said. We decided what the hell, let's go to a Marlins game. We even bought some swag. It was a lot of fun and back then The Marlins had Cabrera, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett to cheer on. Good times! We went to several games, however they were never ever sold out. It was a shame, especially considering they won The World Series in 2003. We went to the parade and the celebration. I wanted my kids to see what winning a series was like. I had never experienced that in Boston. Not to mention they beat the Yankees – hell I was almost converted into a full blown Marlins fan just for that reason alone! Almost.....

What I hear that you don't

There are two things in Miami that we hear about that the mainstream media does not cover. Number 1. Cruise ship catastrophe's are so common that you will never see me on a cruise EVER! I am not kidding. We have 2 ports for all of the cruise lines and not a week goes by without some cruise ship having an issue. Number 2. I listen to Miami sports radio and I hear all the interviews with the players of every team. Some make me shake my head and I feel blessed to be from Boston. However...sometimes I hear things that make me go hmm. As is , I never knew that or Wow , what a great guy etc...You will never hear what I hear as these stories are not covered and/or the interviews won't make it on your city's sports radio program. Due to the fact that I have heard and have seen these instances happen is why I am writing this piece and have a confession.

Can you handle the truth?

I may lose a lot of respect for this confession and I understand, I get it. Before you judge me ask yourself if not The Red Sox then who ? If not The Patriots then who ? If not The Bruins then who? If not The Celtics then who? Most Boston fans have a plan B. They are teams we keep an eye on if ours do not make the playoffs. Its a given and ok unless it is a rivalry team. I will NEVER root for The Yankees, The Lakers , The Jets , The Giants etc...can't and won't do it. My confession is quite stunning and I am not sure Bostonians can handle the truth. My allegiance to my Boston teams is of no question here. I’m die hard , all in , balls to the walls. I have all the shirts, hats and bumper stickers to prove it.

You are why this is so hard

Boston fans are why making this confession is so damn hard. I will be judged. I will be torn to shreds by a few and possibly lose some friends. I realize that. I have to question though , really? This one confession could make or break a friendship or acquaintance? I lost some friends due to my comments about NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and his unwillingness to help his team mates. Whatever ...I’m not crying a river. If that comment alone made you decide that I was no longer of some value , then good riddance. I believe people can agree to disagree without such vitriol. It is what YOU believe that is is the issue here.

Here it is …

I have only seen this team play three times. Each time I had fun. They are an entertaining team and I see the bandwagon fans and they make me ill. If I was born and raised here I would go to as many games as possible. I would have all the swag. I do not get why Miami only jumps on board during the playoffs. Its a mystery. I am talking about …..The Miami Heat. So there it is...my confession. I forced myself to watch three games and I enjoyed myself. I hear all the players interviews and as stated you don’t hear what I hear , you don’t know what I know. Lebron James has matured so much and his biggest regret was “The Announcement” he stated that it was a learning experience and he regrets it deeply. Chris Bosh , Dwayne Wade and LBJ all do so much for the community of South Florida its astounding. They give back all the time. They don’t take their fans for granted as they realize during the regular season all they have are the few diehards and celebrities that use them to be seen. How sad is that? You're a Championship team yet your own community will not be there unless you are in the playoffs and purchase your “ White Hot “ T shirt. I am and always will be a Celtics fan however, if The Celtics are out of the playoffs I have to root for my home team, my plan B ….The Heat. I think they need me more than I need them.....

Forgive me Boston for I MAY have sinned...or maybe not.

Do You Know Evan Gattis?

Most see players in the major leagues as lucky—lucky that they are millionaires—lucky that they get to play the game they love every night. As the casual fan, we think they get it easy. We assume that their lives have been cakewalks. Maybe not always, but in most cases, these guys have been living the dream ever since the little leagues.
Not Evan Gattis.

The right-handed utility player for the Atlanta Braves is living that dream now, but his life has been anything but “lucky”.

Gattis grew up in Northeast Texas doing the thing he loved, playing baseball. He wasn’t your average, everyday baseball player; he had a true gift. The coaches at Texas A&M University realized this when he was just a teenager, as they offered him a scholarship to play baseball.

Millions of little-league players share the same dream game after game—being good enough for a big-time college coach to see them, and want them enough to offer them a shot to be well-known big league ball player.

Gattis got the chance that millions will never get, but he didn’t ever get the opportunity to take one step on the diamond at Texas A&M, and he never would.

Just before turning 20 years old, the talented baseball star sharply decided he wasn’t going to take the opportunity, and fell into the world of drugs and alcoholism. Some say it was because of anxiety. Others make the case that Gattis was afraid of failure and didn’t want to go to college because he might not produce. Either way, Gattis’ hopes of being a big-league player came to an abrupt halt. What came next was anyone’s worst nightmare.

His mother decided that he needed help with his addictions, and would go on to enroll him in a drug rehab facility, which would end up being the beginning of four months of rehab and therapy. He would try to play baseball at a small school in 2006, but he injured his leg and quit the team.

According to an article on MLB.com, Gattis’ first job after abandoning baseball was as a valet driver in Texas. From top-baseball prospect to valet driver, Evan Gattis had experienced the biggest high of his life, to see all of his dreams and potential diminish. Where would he go now? Battling depression, just getting over addiction, and having to battle odd-jobs like being a valet driver and ski-lift operator, Gattis probably didn’t know where he would be next week, nevertheless next year.

Thankfully for Gattis, things picked up in life. He became successful at doing something that kept him occupied with his brother, Chase. He worked as a janitor at Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems. Imagine this:

Being a janitor became the best thing Evan Gattis had accomplished in years. That surely put’s things into perspective looking at his current state. “Lucky” and “cakewalk” aren’t the words we would use now.

After another mishmash of odd-jobs and towns, Gattis decided that he wanted to play baseball—again. His skills were certainly exceptional years ago, surely they could be enough now, right? With the work ethic that he possesses, his size, and of course his raw talent, Gattis got back into doing what he loved most—playing baseball. After a short stint at a small school in Texas batting over .400, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 23^rd round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

Gattis would work his way up the minor leagues in just three years. This season, the Braves invited the big kid from Texas to join them in spring training. He impressed coaches by batting over .350 in their games in March and got the perfect opportunity when Atlanta catcher Brian McCann starting the season on the DL. Gattis made the opening day roster as a catcher, and certainly made the most of his opportunities. He earned NL Rookie of the Month honors in April for slugging six home runs in a limited role.

Currently, Evan Gattis, former janitor, ski-lift operator, and drug addict, is batting .243 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI’s. He is emerging as one of the MLB’s best rookies of the season and it’s only May.

The next time you see a major league player, don’t jump to conclusions. They might be “living the dream” now, but you don’t know what got them there. In some cases, they may have beaten all of the odds to get where they want to be.

In Evan Gattis’ case, that would be true.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the Ranks

It's impossible to deny that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the best boxers we have ever seen.  He's smart, tactical, defensive, strategic, quick and determined.  His (44 - 0) flawless pro record is outstanding.  He's beaten every fighter that stepped in the ring with him in his professional career.  While he usually wins by unanimous decision, boxing fans are left without what they really crave.  And that my friends is the knockout blow.

Mayweather has one K.O. in the past 14 years.  That is one of the many variables going against Money Mayweather from being atop the greatest of all time.  Names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis and etc get named in the boxing ranks ahead of Floyd in almost every debate.   And to be fair, that's not exactly his fault.

One of the biggest reasons why is because of the era he is currently fighting in with a huge lack of worthy opponents.  He has been able to dominate most of his fights but another knock against him is the fact that he doesn't knock people out.  He has 1 K.O. since 1999.  While winning the fight is the most important thing, a K.O. is what the fans want to see and is also something that separates the greats from the greats.

But everyone will say "oh well even Ali and Joe Louis lost, Sugar Ray Robinson the all time greatest in many eye got beat several times."  We all thought Mike Tyson was the best.  Maybe at ear biting!  We said to ourselves, man this Roy Jones Jr. is legit.  Then he met Antonio Tarver in 3 fights and lost twice.  The one that Jones won was highly controversial.  Good bye, Good night Jones.

Now all the Mayweather supporters of being the best pound for pound fighter have one key phrase they love to use and only use..."(44-0).  Yes his record is unblemished, undefeated, yet not unanimous by my account. Having a perfect record is extremely impressive after 40 professional bouts.  But did you know he's not the only undefeated fighter?

You guys ever hear of Lazlo Papp, Joe Calzaghe, or Jimmy Barry?  How about Ricardo Lopez 51-0-1 pro boxing record.  Does the name Rocky Marciano ring a bell?  Yeah, his record was a perfect (49-0).  Besides Rocky, have you guys ever heard of any of these people before reading this article? In an honest moment most of you would say no.

The reason you don't know these boxers names are because they are insignificant when it comes to the era they fought in.  The competition wasn't as fierce and competitive way back in the day.  As the years went on, towards the 60's and 70's, boxing became quite possibly the most popular sport in the world.  Even with perfect records, the casual boxing fan has forgotten all about those aforementioned because of the era's they fought in.

The same may be said about Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is currently fighting in the one of the worst era's professional boxing has ever seen.  He beat Oscar de La Hoya when he was at the end of his days and the same can be said about Shane Mosley.  Miguel Cotto gave Mayweather a bit of a scare by buckling his knees a few times in the early rounds.  But again the problem is lack of competition.

The only competitor that that the fans felt worthy to fight Money Mayweather is Manny Pacquiao.  After years of treadmill discussions began about a possible bout between the worlds 2 best fighters, the match and mystery came to a screeching hault when Manny got mashed in the face by Juan Manuel Marquez and lost by K.O.

But before that all occurred Mayweather was viewed by many in the public eye as ducking Manny Pacquiao.  Floyd asked for all sorts of demands during these negotiations.  Things like blood testing close to fight time, money discrepancies and who gets top billing.  Mayweather continuously shot down Pacquiao's request at a 50/50 money fight and to have the test just a bit earlier so it doesn't effect his fighting stamina and endurance.  Seems reasonable to me!

So there you have it my friends.  If Floyd Mayweather Jr. is to become the greatest ever, he'll have to fight and beat Pacquiao, even after his loss to Marquez.  He must then also beat the #2 ranked fighter and prove he can take on some young hard hitting studs coming up in the game.  Plus he fights once a year whereas fighters used to have 3 to 4 matches a year.  His competition is relatively speaking, awful.  And they call him Pretty Boy Floyd for a reason.  He doesn't like to get hit and gets shaken when he does, and he fights way too defensively.  You have to go for the K.O. sometimes.  Going 12 rounds throwing 20 punches per round is not a champion to me.  A smart fighter, yes, but not an all time great.