Unbeaten Calzaghe Climbs Off Canvas to Get Split Decision
Joe Calzaghe leaped onto the unfamiliar ropes with more hope than confidence, punching his fists skyward but also looking over his shoulder at the judges’ table.
The Pride of Wales had just finished a messy, difficult American debut against Bernard Hopkins, the 43-year-old master who excels at making younger foes look foolish. Calzaghe couldn’t be sure he had done enough to win—until the final judge’s scorecard hailed him as the best light heavyweight in the world.
Calzaghe kept his unbeaten record intact with a split-decision victory Saturday night, tenaciously rallying in the final rounds to end his first Vegas show with a flourish.
{snip}
Hopkins (48-5-1) knocked down Calzaghe (45-0) with a sneaky right hand just 70 seconds in at the Thomas & Mack Center. With grabby defense and canny counterpunching, Hopkins repeatedly negated Calzaghe’s attempts to trade blows and gain physical control, causing more frustration than Calzaghe has ever felt.
But during the 18 years since he last left a ring in defeat, Calzaghe learned he must always keep punching. Constantly wading into the teeth of Hopkins’ defense, he never stopped trying to wear down his older opponent, eventually gaining control in the final rounds—but still wondering about his fate.
Judge Ted Gimza scored it 115-112 for Calzaghe, and Chuck Giampa favored Calzaghe 116-111. Judge Adalaide Byrd gave it 114-113 to Hopkins, as did many reporters at ringside—including The Associated Press, which also favored Hopkins 114-113 despite Calzaghe’s dominance in the final five rounds.
{snip}.
Saturday’s bout has been anticipated for at least six years by fight fans who craved the stylistic contrasts between two of the longest-reigning champions in boxing history. After several false starts and disputes, the bout gained steam last December when Hopkins and Calzaghe got into a shouting match one day before Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s fight with Ricky Hatton.
“I would never let a white boy beat me. Never,” Hopkins proclaimed, and Calzaghe quickly agreed to find out whether the Executioner was correct.
{snip}
(Posted on April 21, 2008)
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"White boy" Joe Calzaghe unloads on Bernard Hopkins.
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Comments
I was incredibly proud of Joe Calzaghe. Unfortunately, everyone I talked to where I was watching the fight had never heard of him before. 99.99% of the Whites were there to watch the UFC.
Posted by Howard in Las Vegas at 5:56 PM on April 21
*“I would never let a white boy beat me. Never,”*
Just wait ‘til the Boxing authorities decide that Calzaghe “cheated”.
Posted by Obscuratus at 6:07 PM on April 21
The story in my local paper still had Hopkins saying he was not beaten by the Breton. Ha! Ha, ha!
Reminds me of when I took judo at my university. The best White guy took down the best black guy in the heavyweight division and held him down for the alotted time to win. Afterwards, the black guy said, “He didn’t beat me. The judge counted too fast. I was counting in my head, and the judge was counting too fast!”
This was in the late sixties; White people still had a shred of pride, so we laughed in his face.
Some things never change.
Posted by Forlorn Artist at 6:25 PM on April 21
I was at the fight. Yes, I paid $900 for two tickets to watch Calzaghe make that racist coward eat his words. First, the fight was not even close. Hopkins won the first round due to the knockdown, but that was it. Frankly, he should have been disqualified for holding, which is his trademark move.
Calzaghe pressed him the whole fight. Twice Hopkins faked an injury to catch a breather (the first one for about 3 min). The entire arena booed him for this. When a fighter does this, it is because he is tired and is getting ready to quit or get knocked out. But true to his nature, Hopkins showed no courage, no class and no integrity either in battle or during the postfight interview.
Sidenote: lots of beautiful, elegantly dressed European women with sharp dressed European men. There were virtually NO fans for Hopkins. Go figure.
Posted by Z at 6:32 PM on April 21
Victory! But you can’t help but wonder the ‘reporters’ and the AP voted Hopkins the victor because he was black. Hardly matters thought. they can be little leftist fools all they like. Hopkins, who declared he’d never be beaten by a ‘white boy’, has indeed been beaten by a white boy. I sure do hope his little black pride trip is now shattered, though knowing blacks. He’ll probably blame racism for the judges voting against him.
Posted by Stuck in No Mans Wal Mart at 6:38 PM on April 21
It is not mentioned here that the one judge who decided in favor of the Afro is herself one. But it was a close fight.
Posted by White Gene at 7:24 PM on April 21
If Calzaghe would have made the same racial remarks re Hopkins, he would have been kicked out of boxing.
Posted by Question Diversity at 7:31 PM on April 21
I saw this fight. Joe could have done even better if he had listened to his father -who happens to be his trainer.
W.H.I.T.E. B.O.Y. = “Watched Hopkins Indeed Take Eventual Beating Over Yakking”
Yes, Joe wore him down by his constant jabbing: J.O.E. C.A.L.Z.A.G.H.E. = “Jabs Of European Came As ‘Lasers’, Zapping Afro-american’s Great Heart/Energy”
Posted by White is Beautiful Robert at 7:54 PM on April 21
YES! Puts Hopkins in his place with his racist rant against a “white boy”…..Now to put Bonds in his place with his racist remark to Kittle, that he doesn’t sign baseballs for White people!
Posted by at 8:47 PM on April 21
Gee what would the MSM have done if the tables were reversed and Calzaghe had said , ” I would never let a “black” boy beat me, NEVER”…..Imagine the hoopla..
Indeed, God help us all.
Posted by dark gospel at 8:55 PM on April 21
I mentioned Hopkins comments prior to the fight on a forum and the usual liberal morons made every excuse in the book for why Hopkins comments weren’t racist. As I pointed out at the time, yeah yeah, I know, only whites are racist.
Anyway, I’m glad he lost and did worry Calzaghe wouldn’t get the decision as it was clear which way Adalaide Byrd would go in a close fight as she is an African American woman. Sure enough she’s the only one giving Hopkins the fight. Go figure!
Posted by Bluemeanie at 9:00 PM on April 21
I love to see a nigerian get his words, as well as his teeth, shoved down his throat.
Kudos and congrats, Joe Calzaghe, light heavyweight champion of the world!
Posted by Tidey-Whitey at 9:24 PM on April 21
Whites have aways been the most proficient at sports.
It is the caste systems of America and other multicultural nations which bring complexity to a rather simple understanding.
Posted by AmtrakToPennsylvania at 9:48 PM on April 21
At the close of 2007, whites boxers held 16 of the 20 belts from middleweight to heavyweight.
But Calzaghe beating Hopkins the racist was sweet!
Posted by Bernie at 10:21 PM on April 21
Oh, and the one judge who scored it for Hopkins is black (Adelaide Byrd). Surprise, surprise!
Posted by Bernie at 10:23 PM on April 21
Black Boy Loses to White Man!
http://www.castefootball.us/viewarticle.asp?sportID=15&teamID=0&ID=23288
Posted by Caste Football Follower at 10:35 PM on April 21
I know there’s a lot of complaining about Hopkins’ racist remarks, and what if the reverse had been said by Calzaghe. But bear in mind, dear friends, that part of the reason for the hypocrisy is that nobody - not even liberals - takes what a black man says seriously.
The PC enforcers go apoplectic over the remarks of white people because they are afraid, very afraid, of what white people say and think. They fear us because they consider us formidable foes. They don’t fear blacks, which is why they pay little attention to what they say.
My advice: ignore racist blacks. It’ll drive ‘em crazy.
Posted by Crimethinker at 12:57 AM on April 22
To “Z” at 6:23 PM.
I live in Vegas and also saw the fight. Because I’m writing on this forum and a member of AMREN it’s obvious where my allegiance lies. You don’t do our people justice by giving an untruthful account of what happened in the fight. Your posting replicates the qualities we don’t like in other races by being dishonest and onesided despite evidence to the contrary.
Calzaghe won the fight but it was close. Hopkins was getting exhausted by the end and used every advantage to try and get additional rest. The punches where Hopkins was given extra time were because of low blows. Calzaghe won because he was by far the busier fighter but this was by no means a runaway. You do realize the fight was ruled a split decision.
Calzaghe was was in better condition and he had an age advantage. Hopkins is 44 years old and obviously past his prime but he is a Hall of Fame boxer and in his prime would have destroyed Calzaghe. It became apparent after seeing Calzaghe fight that he has avoided fights in the states because of the competion ala Rickie Hatton.
I more than anyone want to root for the white fighter and they are doing well especially the heighvyweight division. I can’t stand Hopkins and his typical black anti-white rhetoric. I wanted Calzaghe to beat him senseless and make him eat his words but lets be honest or we are no better than the people we criticize.
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 1:21 AM on April 22
Most fightfans agree that this bout wasn’t even close. Calzaghe was dominant.
Click on the link below and note the top fighters in 4 of the 5 biggest weight classes are white. The exception being the cruiserweight division with a mulatto champ named David Haye.
Posted by Madison Grant at 1:51 AM on April 22
To HaplogroupR1a1
Calzaghe is only six years younger then Hopkins, so age wasn’t a huge factor. However Calzaghe had been challenging Hopkins for the last eight years but Hopkins always shyed away from it. Over the last few years Joe had beaten Mitchell, Jeff Lacy and Kessler, three excellent fighters and his unbeaten record is close to Rocky Marciano’s. The main reason Joe didn’t fight earlier in the States is because money and fame were never his priority, however he will be fighting Roy Jones Jnr in November so that should be a good fight.
Posted by AD at 10:40 AM on April 22
Hey Haplogroup,
I’d have to disagree with you. I watched the fight, and despite the first round knockdown, it was Calzaghe’s fight all of the way. He was constantly coming forward, throwing punches while the best Hopkins could manage was single punches and holding. It was a very defensive performance by Hopkins, who is without a doube a Hall of Fame fighter. But to say that Hopkins would have destroyed him in his prime is a bit hyperbolic. Did you see Calzaghe’s demolition of the much vaunted Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy? It looked like a pro sparring with an amateur. Anyway, let’s see who the great Welshman decides to fight next before we start accusing him of avoiding fights in the US because of the competition. Apparently Emmanuel Stewart (the great trainer) has more respect for Calzaghe than you do. Go figure.
Posted by seeingclearly at 11:27 AM on April 22
Is “I would never let a white boy beat me” racist because Hopkins reduces Calzaghe to his skin color? Please explain.
And apparently y’all haven’t been watching the Jeremiah Wright “controversy” unfold re: Obama.
Posted by Francis Gallton at 11:34 AM on April 22
Something I noticed during the fight which I think deserves mention was the fact that Calzaghe wore a small Italian Tri-colore on the bottom of his trunks.
What is significant and symbolic, especially due to B-Hop’s ‘white-boy’ comment and the ensuing racial controversy, is the fact that Calzaghe came in to the ring waving a Welsh flags and to the cheers of multitudes of Welsh fans.
He as a EUROPEAN of Italian ancestry was able to assimilate and become a part of his adopted home of Wales. One cannot tell his ethnic lineage from the surface. Just like other Europeans who come to a new world founded predominantly by Britons, and were able to join in and contribute properly based on shared history, customs, religions, and respect for civilized concepts like the rule of law.
This is why my stomach turns when liberals keep falling back on that misused phrase: “We are a nation of immigrants”.
No, that is a great LIE!
America is Europe…the people who founded and built it were moving from one part of Europe to another, they were not immigrants!
European laws, traditions, languages, religions, dress, foods and peoples = European nation.
Posted by Joe Z at 2:03 PM on April 22
“I more than anyone want to root for the white fighter and they are doing well especially the heighvyweight division. I can’t stand Hopkins and his typical black anti-white rhetoric. I wanted Calzaghe to beat him senseless and make him eat his words but lets be honest or we are no better than the people we criticize.”
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 1:21 AM on April 22
I agree with you as far as the pitfall of falsifying results and pumping up attitude as a reaction to anti-white taunting. However, you must realize that at this point, it is not about trying to be seen to be better than our foes by “playing the game” in the old Victorian sportsmanship style era of gallant sportsmanship because those foes of whites are not playing the game right. AND they are not going to notice or give you credit if you do, they just see the advantage as we present our softness for them to further maul and debauch.
On the other hand, I want to know why this Hopkins can makes obvious anti-white hate speech remarks and not be censored. Apparently, this was not his first time.
Posted by Whiteplight at 2:53 PM on April 22
To “Z” at 6:23 PM.
I live in Vegas and also saw the fight. Because I’m writing on this forum and a member of AMREN it’s obvious where my allegiance lies. You don’t do our people justice by giving an untruthful account of what happened in the fight. Your posting replicates the qualities we don’t like in other races by being dishonest and onesided despite evidence to the contrary.
Calzaghe won the fight but it was close. Hopkins was getting exhausted by the end and used every advantage to try and get additional rest. The punches where Hopkins was given extra time were because of low blows. Calzaghe won because he was by far the busier fighter but this was by no means a runaway. You do realize the fight was ruled a split decision.
Calzaghe was was in better condition and he had an age advantage. Hopkins is 44 years old and obviously past his prime but he is a Hall of Fame boxer and in his prime would have destroyed Calzaghe. It became apparent after seeing Calzaghe fight that he has avoided fights in the states because of the competion ala Rickie Hatton.
I more than anyone want to root for the white fighter and they are doing well especially the heighvyweight division. I can’t stand Hopkins and his typical black anti-white rhetoric. I wanted Calzaghe to beat him senseless and make him eat his words but lets be honest or we are no better than the people we criticize.
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 1:21 AM on April 22
I live in Vegas too and watched the entire fight and kept score. By my unofficial scorecard I had the fight easily for Calzaghe. I gave Hopkins the first round and then 3 other rounds for a total of 4 rounds won. The first round was obviously a 10-8 for Hopkins. The entire fight Hopkins tied up Calzaghe. He fought a defensive fight landing only that one good shot in the first. As for his age Hopkins is 43 and Calzaghe is 36. They are both past their prime so I think it’s presumptious to say Hopkins would “destroy” Calzaghe if he was in his prime.
Posted by Howard in Las Vegas at 4:41 PM on April 22
To HaplogroupR1a1
As I pointed out, the only reason the fight was a split decision was because an African American woman gave the fight to Hopkins.
Posted by Bluemeanie at 4:59 PM on April 22
Hopkins said the same thing after his three other loses. He fights a very defensive style that makes it hard for him to get hit. He is also a dirty fighter who headbuts his opponents hoping to open up cuts over their eyes. He failed at doing that in this fight despite repeated efforts, but has been succcessful at this tactic in the past. H
In this fight, he backed up almost the whole time and when ever Calzaghe got close, he held him. He seriously must have clinched 50-75 times in that fight. I’ve never seen anyone hold that much. He should have had points deducted. The “low blows” clearly didn’t hit his groin area and he was obviously milking it because he was tired.
They need to bring back 15 round fights. The fight ended right when Hopkins was starting to fall apart. Three more rounds and the fight would have been a lot less close.
Posted by Joe at 10:11 PM on April 22
I suggest we all have a Steinlager to celebrate. They got it right (in this commercial, obviously NOT seen in the U.S.) back in 1995.
Posted by Wild Eyed Charlie at 10:25 PM on April 22
Bluelmeanie is correct. If you watch the fight, Hopkins won only 4 rounds of the 12, and one of those could be disputed. The referee, Joe Cortez, allowed Hopkins to grab and clutch to get inside, something he never allows white fighters to do - look at his work in the Hatton - Mayweather fight for example. Cortez allowed Hopkins to “sell” claims of effective low blows. The black female judge showed incredible bias in giving Hopkins the fight, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Blacks are openly racist, rarely being called on it. If they are called on it by a white, they simply call the white racist and get the entire media behind them as this “judge” would if her racism were openly commented on. She’s been known to do this for a long time, as anyone who’s seen her score fights before can tell you.
It should also be pointed out that white males have been dominating boxing for several years now from 160 lbs to heavyweight, with droves of American black champs avoiding the European fighters. Hopkins had his chances for years to fight the Europeans he avoided, as did Roy Jones and others. They all avoided them to avoid the shame of losing to white fighters. Now they take the fights because they can claim they are “old”. It’s been the blacks avoiding white champs and doing all they can to avoid fighting white champs in Europe. All black champs seemingly insist on Atlantic City or Las Vegas where the favoritism toward black fighters, the bad decisions given to black fighters, are legendary. It’s been the blacks waiting, hiding, then taking the fights late in their career, sometimes out of arrogance, sometimes out of cowardice. No white fighter is allowed to do this today. Calzaghe and Hatton for example had beaten their black and hispanic competition, Hatton finally losing when moving up in weight AND being handcuffed in tactics by referee Joe Cortez as mentioned above. Jack Johnson beat an over the hill Jeffries, a man who had been retired for years but that fact is never mentioned these days. Just as Angelo Dundee admitting he had to cut Ali’s glove to stall for time to allow Ali (Clay at the time) to recover from devastating punches from Henry Cooper. Ali then used the damaged glove to inflict cuts on Cooper thus having the referee stop the fight when the cuts became too much. Something that the re-writers of history try to say is not true today, but Ali’s trainer and corner people openly admit this today. Boxing has been fixed in more ways than one for years after the Marxists took over the media and much of organized sports. Just as major league baseball ignores many whites in order to flood the game with hispanics and other non-whites, boxing was rigged to attack white confidence, with many, many talented white fighters never given a chance to move up, the same way blacks were kept out of the game for years. The NFL is rigged in the same way, you’d never know that the only event blacks dominate at the combines is the 40 yard dash, and they don’t dominate that by near what the media would make you think. Whites so overwhelmingly dominate the shuttle run and strength tests that the only test of “strength” you’ll see is players bench pressing 225 lbs for reps, something that most white high school linemen can do without much effort.
Posted by White in CA at 10:45 PM on April 22
How good it is to see a White MAN beat a Black BOY! That’s basically the way another website - castefootball - described it. In years gone by boxing used to make the front page, like in the days of Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Ali, Frazier, Marciano, etc. I wonder if it’s the fact that White men are now owning some of the championship belts instead of Blacks? I wonder if the controlled media doesn’t publicize the fights like they used to because of more White dominance today? We know how they hate to give any credit at all to White athletes, especially when they defeat Black athletes.
Posted by Awakened at 10:47 PM on April 22
I am glad I stayed up late for this fight and its cheering result. It is good to find that some of our American cousins were supporting Joe Calzaghe and to read their comments. Thank you Madison for referring us to the site giving an overview of the international boxing positions.
Incidentally, the Mail on Sunday (UK) ran a good report, with pictures of Calzaghe’s gym - a long shed by a rugby football club ground on a misty freezing Welsh hillside, home of a truly grass-roots boxer.
Posted by A Mayer at 3:59 PM on April 23
“Unbeaten Calzaghe Climbs Off Canvas to Get Split Decision”
After hitting the deck and getting up, how can anybody be accurately described as climbing off the canvas?
Journalism schools need more journalism and less concentration of leftist ideology.
Posted by w.r. at 7:53 PM on April 23
OK, I took a beating myself in saying “it was close”. I agree that Calzaghe did win the fight rather easily. However I thought the tone of the comments were so one sided and wanted to point out that it wasn’t the crazy runaway everyone was talking about. I’ve witnessed a lot of fights that were worse in that respect.
To say such things as white in Ca. did that “Hatton finally losing when moving up in weight AND being handcuffed in tactics by referee Joe Cortez” does our cause a diservice by exaggerating the truth. I don’t know if Howard in Las Vegas will agree but I didn’t see Hatton land a clean punch the entire night. Mayweather doesn’t always look great because he’s a counter puncher but Hatton would not have won that fight no matter who the referee was. Mayweather was the better fighter.
I fully recognize the greatness of whites in sports and especially the gains they’ve made in boxing and MMA in the last few years. I really feel stupid siding with a black fighter as I’m a white nationalist, but I believe truth trumps everything. Next time I’ll be more careful.
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 12:42 AM on April 24
Haplogroup,
Sorry, but you are wrong. What exactly did I say that you disagree with? The fight was NOT close in my opinion. I boxed in the amateurs and when a fighter grabs constantly, he needs to have points deducted and if it continues, disqualified. For an alleged champion to run and hold all night is a disgrace.
I NEVER said it was a great fight, or that Calzaghe whipped his ass. In fact, it was an ugly fight. That being said, because Joe pressed all night while Hopkins, despite his big talk, ran and held, the fight was not close. Tell us, please, which rounds Hopkins won other than the first round?
You don’t reward a fighter for holding. Personally, I favor fighters who press the action. So maybe we just disagree about how to score fights. Fair enough, but spare me the nonsense about “not doing our people justice…” Your allegations about my “dishonesty” tell me you like to attack people’s motives rather than their arguments. So who’s doing a diservice here?
Hopkins is lucky that he is 6’2” and has been allowed to hold his entire career. I like fighters who come to rumble.
By the way, Ray Leonard was my idol growing up. Hearns tried to knock your head off. If Hopkins was such a great champion, why did he wait so long to move to light heavy?
Posted by Z at 3:42 AM on April 24
I fully recognize the greatness of whites in sports and especially the gains they’ve made in boxing and MMA in the last few years. I really feel stupid siding with a black fighter as I’m a white nationalist, but I believe truth trumps everything. Next time I’ll be more careful.
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 12:42 AM on April 24
I’m not trying to beat you up, but Whites have not “made gains the past few years in MMA”. Whites have dominated MMA since the beginnnig. From Ken Shamrock to Royce Gracie(the Gracie family immigrated for Scotland to Brazil) to Matt Hughes to Chuck Liddell. White fighters have been the top fighters. The concensus number 1 fighter in the world is Fedor Ememlianenko, a White Russian. Mayweather beat Hatton. That punch in the 9th changed the fight. Up until then it was even. Calzaghe beat Hopkins.
Posted by Howard in Las Vegas at 4:31 AM on April 24
I don’t know if Howard in Las Vegas will agree but I didn’t see Hatton land a clean punch the entire night. Mayweather doesn’t always look great because he’s a counter puncher but Hatton would not have won that fight no matter who the referee was. Mayweather was the better fighter.
I fully recognize the greatness of whites in sports and especially the gains they’ve made in boxing and MMA in the last few years. I really feel stupid siding with a black fighter as I’m a white nationalist, but I believe truth trumps everything. Next time I’ll be more careful.
Posted by HaplogroupR1a1 at 12:42 AM on April 24
Mayweather won by knock out so there is nothing we can say. Whites have dominated MMA since the beginning. Calzaghe easily beat Hopkins.
Posted by Howard in Las Vegas at 5:09 AM on April 24
Mayweather is supremely talented and was way too big and strong for Hatton. Mayweather should have tried to knock out De La Hoya, but I believe he did not want to risk getting knocked out himself. Great Champions always try to finish the other guy.
Posted by Z at 3:19 PM on April 24
“Royce Gracie(the Gracie family immigrated for Scotland to Brazil)”
They may have immigrated from Scotland, but they interbred with a few Quantaviouses, and Taneeshas along the way. Sorry, Ive been to Scotland and I’ve never seen Scots who looked like that.
Posted by at 7:04 PM on April 24
The full ESPN article seems to fawn over the loser, Hopkins. And in the quotes from “B.Hop” afterwards he comes off, at least to me, as a poor loser with no class. It’s fair to say Hopkins showed very little class before and during the fight, as well.
Calzaghe’s achievement matters. The politically correct will feed you the brainwashing that you shouldn’t take pride in the achievements of whites who have nothing to do with you personally. But that point of view is itself very white. All others naturally feel pride in their people’s accomplishments, without apologies. What Calzaghe has shown does matter to all whites. Because the ceaseless, false propaganda that white men are weak, and black men are stronger, is part of the forces demoralizing and dispossessing us. To learn to believe in ourselves again, we need many examples like Calzaghe.
Posted by Recovering Republican at 6:54 AM on April 25
The Gracie sons are somewhat dark, about like Geraldo Rivera, but the father of the clan, Helio, is as White-looking as anyone in Northwest Europe.
Posted by the Fundament at 6:26 PM on April 26
It’s about time there truly was a “Great White Hope” out there in boxing. Blacks have dominated that sport too for way too long.
I’m not a boxing fan but hooray for the Wales guy.
Posted by Gayle Sollenberger at 10:57 AM on April 27
“It’s about time there truly was a “Great White Hope” out there in boxing. Blacks have dominated that sport too for way too long.
I’m not a boxing fan but hooray for the Wales guy.”
You mustn’t be a boxing fan because blacks haven’t dominated boxing for the last nine years now.
A white beating a black like Calzaghe vs Hopkins is hardly unique now.
Posted by Brick at 12:35 PM on April 28