San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action.

In the classic film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, greenhorns Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt think they have discovered gold. They are set straight by grizzled prospector Walter Huston, who informs them that its pyrite (aka fools gold) but points to a mountain in the distance and assures them that the real thing is up there, up theres where weve got to go.Terence Bud Crawfords dominant decision over Viktor Postol last Saturday to unify two junior welterweight titles was not fools gold, not by any measure. Crawford is a talented, hardworking fighter who is probably going to get even better before hes through.But if hes going to become the new face of American boxing, Crawford still has a steep mountain to climb before he hits the sort of paydirt afforded to boxings elite.Boxing isnt a movie. It has a habit of going off-script. Crawford was clearly superior to Postol, but its doubtful that this fight was what promoter Bob Arum had in mind when he backed the match with his own money because HBO wouldnt.From a technical standpoint, Crawford was virtually flawless. Boxing primarily from a southpaw stance, he negated Postols offense with lateral movement and sharp counters, frustrating the Ukrainian Iceman to such an extent that he blew his cool and resorted to rabbit punches down the stretch.The official scores of 117-108 and 118-107 (twice) were spot on, and it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that Crawford outclassed Postol, a previously undefeated boxer with impressive credentials.So whats not to like?What appeared to be one of those coveted best-fighting-the-best matches going in turned out to be largely uneventful. The thrill meter wavered in limbo for most of the fight, like a rollercoaster losing momentum right before plunging over the crest of a hill.Crawford gracefully circled, first to the left and then to the right, engaging only when a counter opportunity presented itself, which wasnt often. Postol rarely got close enough to lay a glove on him.It brought to mind trainer Eddie Shaws comment about former British and European middleweight champion Herol Graham.Graham has turned boxing into a poetic art, said Shaw. Trouble is, nobody ever got knocked out with a poem.HBOs broadcast crew was uniformly effusive in its praise of Crawford. It was, therefore, left to the networks unofficial scorekeeper, Harold Lederman, to finally give voice to what a lot of viewers were surely thinking.Why didnt Crawford let Postol off the hook instead of going for the finish against an opponent hed twice knocked down in the fifth round? Hed never seemed hesitant in the past, but Crawford failed to press his advantage in the sixth, choosing instead to revert to his move and pop-shot motif.Theres absolutely nothing wrong with that if all you want to do is win the fight. But if you are on the fast track to superstardom, its probably not the best way to advance your cause.According to CompuBox, Crawford threw 388 punches and landed 141. Thats an average of 32 punches thrown per round and just under 12 connects. Postol was even less active, throwing 244 punches and landing 83. This is not the kind of pace conducive to creating exhilarating fights.While purists were ecstatic over Crawfords exceptional display of boxing acumen, there simply arent enough of them out there to make him a major pay-per-view attraction. Maybe thats not fair, but you cant force consumers to pay for a product they dont want.Put yourself in the position of a casual boxing fan that shelled out for that PPV, only to witness a superior boxer effortlessly win round after round but never close the show. How eager would you be to come back for more?The PPV numbers wont be available for a few days, but the crowd of 7,027 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena meant that approximately half the seats were empty. Not an encouraging sign.To be fair, part of that was due to the fact that Crawford is not well known beyond hardcore boxing circles. The Postol fight was supposed to test his marketability outside of his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where hes consistently drawn larger crowds that he did in Vegas.Of course, Crawfords performance against Postol had absolutely nothing to do with the live gate or PPV buy-rate. It did, however, have everything to do with the winners immediate future.Knockouts are the quickest way to the hearts of the masses, always were and always will be. Although the knockout is unquestionably the payoff most fans crave, its not just about the act itself.Theres a primal aura about a knockout puncher that seduces like no other. His art is absolute in a world filled with ambiguities. We crave that aspect of it almost as much as the violent spectacle it provides.The cognoscenti were right to rave about Crawfords boxing IQ, seamless footwork and disciplined fight plan. Buds capable of all that and more, but its the more that was missing against Postol.Those who said it was a boring fight were also correct. We got a brief sense of what it could have been in the 12th, when the opponents engaged in several spirited exchanged and created the best round of the fight.As it was, it took Postols most determined attack of the evening to draw the gritty version of Crawford out of hiding. By then it was too late.How did Postol, who won two rounds, three tops, managed to remain on his feet at the conclusion? Was the Ukrainian a greater threat than he appeared?Did Crawford play it safe because he was nervous about his maiden PPV voyage? Is there something we dont know?Intentionally or not, Crawford answered all these questions in a single declarative sentence, uttered in the immediate aftermath of the fight.I just stick to what I know: boxing.When youre as good at it as Crawford, boxing skills alone can take you a long way. But if you want to be special, youve got to do special things, which almost always requires leaving your comfort zone.I think Bud has it in him to do whatever it takes. When Yuriorkis Gamboa and Hank Lundy came at him hard and fast, he responded in kind and quickly made them regret their impertinence. A man of Crawfords temperament needs those kinds of adversaries to bring out the beast.Is Manny Pacquiao the man for the job?Arum seems to think so. Hes been angling for the match for some time now, probably hoping the aging star of his promotional stable will eventually pass the baton to Crawford.Some will tell you its a done deal, and maybe it is. But despite Crawfords scorecard supremacy, matchmakers may hesitate thanks to the equivocal nature of his performance.Crawford reportedly earned $1.3 million -- a nice payday, but nowhere near the estimated $20 million Pacquiao was guaranteed for his most recent bout, the third fight with Timothy Bradley.That sort of money is still there for the taking -- up where the terrain is treacherous, the competition is fierce and a figurative gold mine awaits those strong enough to claim it. Thats where Crawford has to go.He already has a toehold, but thats all. The toughest part of the ascent is yet to come. Clay Buchholz Red Sox Jersey . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Bill Buckner Red Sox Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. https://www.cheapredsox.com/ . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Wade Boggs Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Rick Porcello Jersey . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. For the sixth season in a row, ESPN.com is ranking the top players in the NBA. Who will be the best player this season?To get the final ranking, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard vs. Chris Paul.We asked, Which player will be better in 2016-17? To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each players contributions to his teams ability to win games.Well roll out the rest of our top 200 players over the next week. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook.On to the list ...37. Rudy GobertJazz | C?| @ruudygobert27Last years rank: 422016-17 projected RPM: 2.dddddddddddd53Insider profile:?Having led the Jazzs surge as a starter after the 2014-15 trade deadline, Gobert put together nearly an identical campaign in his first full season as a starter, both before and after a sprained MCL that sidelined him for a month. Given Goberts age (24), the fact that he didnt improve significantly qualified as a mild disappointment.?Read more ?#NBArank 31-4031: Carmelo Anthony32: Hassan Whiteside33: Kristaps Porzingis34: Gordon Hayward35: Marc Gasol36: Steven Adams37: Rudy Gobert38: Kemba Walker39: Derrick Favors40: Dwyane Wade ' ' '