McCain talks boxing, gambling and steroids
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As a U.S. senator, John McCain has been something of an activist when it comes to proposing legislation for boxing. Much of what he’s pursued -- including a boxer’s union and a pension plan for athletes -- has failed to materialize.
On Tuesday, ESPN will broadcast an interview in which the Republican presidential candidate shares some of his thoughts on the sport’s future, along with MLB’s bid to rid baseball of performance-enhancing drugs and America’s obsession with gambling on college sports.
‘SportsCenter’ host Bob Ley interviewed McCain in Loudon, N.H., before the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Here’s some of what McCain has to say.
The state of boxing:
I don’t think it’s as good as it could be. I think pay per view has had unintended consequences as well as intended, and it has narrowed the viewing audience. You see this ultimate fighting filling in a bit of a vacuum there. I’m a proud conservative, I still think it is the sport that needs a union because these are the people with the shortest spans of participation. They need to have retirement benefits, and they need it as badly or worse than any professional sport.
On why legislation that would have banned gambling on college sports in Nevada failed to draw support:
I think one reason is Americans like to wager. But I also think that we have seen from time to time this temptation overcoming some young athletes. So we need to watch very carefully. But frankly, that legislation isn’t going to pass, so let’s do everything we can to make sure these young athletes are aware of the temptations that are out there.
On MLB’s bid to rid baseball of performance-enhancing drugs:
Fortunately we have moved forward with meaningful reform. But you know, and everybody watching knows as well as I do, there’s somebody in a lab right now that’s trying to be one step ahead.
ESPN previously had interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. That interview ran Aug. 25.
-- Greg Johnson