Blue-Chip

March 26th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^

I don't even follow boxing closely, but I always stopped on ESPN if Bert Sugar was on. He was head and shoulders above anyone else covering the sport.

Bombadil

March 26th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^

I used to listen to him on 1080 Primetime in Portland doing his loveable losers. The man was a legend. He used to say the same joke about LA over and over:

"In the winter, when it's -20F in New York, its 78F in Los Angeles.

In the summer, when its 105F in New York, its 78F in Los Angeles.

Where there are 8 million interesting people in New York, there are 78 interesting people in Los Angeles."

itauditbill

March 26th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^

After 9/11, Mr. Sugar was stopped by security and asked to give up his cigar cutter. His reply was classic, "What are you afraid I'm going to circumcise a midget?!!!" Great line and classic Bert Sugar.



RIP Mr. Sugar.

bronxblue

March 26th, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^

Boxing lost one of its last great statesmen with Sugar's passing.  He will be missed, doubly so here because of his connection to the university.

Rhino77

March 26th, 2012 at 12:08 PM ^

Boxing was HUGE when I was a kid (1980's). It's a shame where the sport has gone. Anytime Sugar was on TV I would pause and listen, as if he was narrating a moment of my youth. He could tell a story like no other. He will be missed.

Heinous Wagner

March 26th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^

As a writer, I have marveled at how the best boxing scribes can write with such eloquence about such a brutal sport. Bert Randolph Sugar was the best of the lot. He will receive many memorial 10-counts of the ring bell over the next few days at boxing cards and will deserve them all. 

Tater

March 26th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^

There is a lot of "old school" in Bert Sugar that has died with him.  The man was a treasure trove of boxing knowledge.  Nobody in the game right now does his homework like Sugar did.  His rankings were always a better indication of who the better fighters were than the belts that many of them wore.

RIP Bert Randolph Sugar: the last of the true originals in boxing.

WingsNWolverines

March 26th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^

He was a boxer during his service years with the US Navy and Bert Sugar was a guy he use to tell me tales of. I've seen a few of his clips from back during the 50s and 60s and man could the guy throw down! I'm sure my grandpa is morning his loss too. Was one of his heroes of the ring.

NorthSideBlueFan

March 26th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^

Prior to kickoff of the 2006 mega showdown vs. OSU. He was decked out in old school Michigan colors including navy pants with yellow block M's on it, maize shirt, navy sport coat, trademark hat and cigar. He was an awesome guy who even though was roughly 40 years my senior was a joy to hangout and have a few drinks with. He even let me buy him a couple after flat out denying the offer a couple times prior to proceeded to stand with us at our table! The real unfortunate thing was almost no one knew who he was. Tragic. The stories he shared as well as his friendship for that short time before he had to go get ready for his boxing awards banquet that afternoon has been and will be a fond memory for the rest of my life.



I know, cool story bro, but it really is!



ckersh74

March 26th, 2012 at 7:11 PM ^

Even if you weren't a boxing fan, when Bert Sugar started talking, you shut the hell up because you knew you were 1) going to get a good story, and 2) you were going to learn something.

He was a helluva man, and the boxing world is much, much poorer today as a result of his passing.

DustomaticGXC

March 27th, 2012 at 11:08 AM ^

made a statement along the lines of Bert Sugar knowing more about boxing than any other person has ever known about a sport.  I think this may be a true statement.