February 10, 2009 -- Long-time Las Vegas fight scribe Tim Dahlberg has been appointed as a Vice President in the Boxing Writers Association of America, joining current VPs Ron Borges, Don Steinberg, and Sean Sullivan. Dahlberg replaces David Mayo, who resigned for personal reasons.

    Dahlberg is a national columnist and boxing writer for The Associated Press. In 1999 he won the BWAA's Nat Fleischer award for excellence in journalism.  Dahlberg was the 2006 winner of the Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma Delta Chi award for national sports column writing. He also authored the popular book Fight Town.

      With his credentials and wealth of experience, Tim Dahlberg will be a great asset to the BWAA.

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A Message From Bernard Fernandez

January 17, 2009 -- For five of the past seven years, it has been my privilege to serve the Boxing Writers Association of America as its president. During that time, and with the support of the organization’s officers and board members, many innovations were implemented to modernize and energize the BWAA.

Since 2001, we have had the “Barneys” to recognize and reward the best boxing writing; more than doubled our membership; adopted a new Constitution and bylaws; appointed regional members of the board of directors; printed the first-ever members directory; gone online with our own web page; updated our logo and staged three of our annual awards dinners (two in Las Vegas, one in Los Angeles) away from the traditional New York site, allowing more BWAA members from across the nation to attend our most prestigious event.

There is a new slate of officers, with new ideas, and I am confident that the BWAA will continue to evolve into an even more viable institution dedicated to the betterment of the boxing industry in general, and more specifically to the betterment of boxing journalism.

Individually, we speak with just one voice. Collectively, we also speak with one voice, but that voice is louder and is more apt to be heard at the highest levels of the sport. Trust me, the voice of the BWAA has resonated in many ways that has benefited its membership.

-- Bernard Fernandez

LOPEZ TO EMCEE AT BWAA DINNER

April 24, 2008: Popular Mexican-American comedian George Lopez will serve as the master of ceremonies for the 83rd annual Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner on Thursday night, May 1, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Lopez starred in the ABC sitcom, “The George Lopez Show,” which ran from 2001 to 2007 and still is seen in syndication on Nick at Nite. Only one television show involving Hispanic actors, “I Love Lucy,” had a longer run. But his TV series comprises only a part of Lopez’s impressive body of work. He has released four albums of recorded stand-up comedy, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2004, appeared in the smash 1993 movie, “Fatal Instinct,” and had his own live-broadcast HBO special, “America’s Mexican,” which was broadcast on Feb. 24, 2007.

An enthusiastic sports fan, particularly of boxing and his good friend, Oscar De La Hoya, Lopez also served as a guest commentator for the long-running HBO series, “Inside the NFL,” during its 2003 season.

De La Hoya takes on Stevie Forbes on Saturday night, May 3, in a bout that will be televised via “HBO Championship Boxing” from the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Lopez also has been frequently honored for his charity work. He received the Manny Mota Community Spirit Award and was named Honorary Mayor of Los Angeles for his extensive fund-raising efforts benefiting earthquake victims in El Salvador and Guatemala, and in Feb. 2004 he was presented the Artist of the Year and Humanitarian Award by Harvard University for his artistic work and charitable endeavors.

Among the award-winners who will be in attendance at the BWAA dinner are Floyd Mayweather Jr., Fighter of the Year for 2007; ShoBox’s Nick Charles, Broadcaster of the Year; Cameron Dunkin, Manager of the Year; brothers Lamont and Anthony Peterson, co-recipients of the Pat Putnam Award for perseverance in overcoming adversity; Steve Sneddon, the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism, and Nigel Collins, editor of The Ring magazine, for long and meritorious service to boxing.

Many notable active and retired boxers also will attend the first BWAA Awards Dinner to be held in California.

The dinner – cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m. PDT, dinner at 7:30 -- is open to the public and tickets are priced at $200. For more information, call the BWAA hotline number (212-969-0401), leave contact information and your call will be returned.

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2007 Award Nominees

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Joe Calzaghe
Miguel Cotto
Juan DIaz
Floyd Mayweather
Kelly Pavlik

FIGHT OF THE YEAR
Cotto-Judah
Cotto-Mosley
Mayweather-Hatton
Pavlik-Taylor I
Vazquez-Marquez II

TRAINER
Enzo Calzaghe
Evangelista Cotto
Jack Loew
Roger Mayweather
Freddie Roach

MANAGER
Cameron Dunkin
Shelly Finkel
Scott Hirsch

BROADCASTER
Nick Charles
Bob Papa
Tony Paige
Emanuel Steward
Joe Tessitore

LONG and MERITORIOUS SERVICE
Nigel Collins
Ken Condon
Lou DiBella
Bouie Fisher
George Horowitz

GOOD GUY
Teddy Atlas
Chris Byrd
Scott Ghertner
Alan Hopper
Carl Moretti

PUTNAM AWARD FOR PERSEVERANCE
Izzy Burgos
Anthony and Lamont Peterson
Victor Ortiz

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2008 Hall of Fame Class Announced

CANASTOTA, NY: DECEMBER 11, 2007 - The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the newest class of inductees to enter the Hall. Living inductees include heavyweight champion Larry Holmes (USA), junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins (USA), promoter Mogens Palle (Denmark), promoter Frank Warren (UK), Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dave Anderson (USA) and journalist Joe Koizumi (Japan). Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians.

"We're extremely excited about the Class of 2008 and very much looking forward to honoring the nineteenth class of inductees," said IBHOF Executive Director Edward Brophy. "All living inductees are anticipated to attend and participate in 2008 Hall of Fame Weekend festivities."

The 19th Annual Hall of Fame Weekend is scheduled for June 5-8 in Canastota, NY. Events including a golf tournament, banquet, parade and autograph card show are planned. A lineup of over 50 boxing greats will attend. The highlight of the weekend will be the Official Enshrinement Ceremony on the Hall of Fame Museum Grounds in Canastota, New York on Sunday, June 8th to welcome the newest members.

The Hall of Fame also released names of posthumous honorees: middleweight Holman Williams in the Modern Category; light heavyweight Len Harvey, middleweight Frank Klaus and welterweight Harry Lewis in the Old-Timer Category; trainer Bill Gore in the Non-Participant Category; and Dan Donnelly in the Pioneer Category.

For more information on the events planned for the 2008 International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, please call the Hall of Fame at (315) 697-7095 or visit www.ibhof.com.

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MEMBER MEETING RECAP & MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

From Tim Graham: For those unable to attend the BWAA's annual meeting, held Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, there were a few significant developments. For one thing, we're about to have a new president. Although a death in the family prevented me from attending and making the announcement myself, I wanted to take the time to inform everyone I have decided to finish my term as president and step aside at the end of the year because of my new job, covering the NFL for the Palm Beach Post.

With nominations being accepted for a month through our Web site and at Friday's gathering, only one person volunteered to run for any of our offices this year. That was Bernard Fernandez, who agreed to return as president. In accordance with BWAA bylaws, since Bernard was an unopposed candidate, he will take over -- refreshed and ready -- at the start of 2008.

As a former president I will join the board of directors, where I intend to remain heavily involved with the BWAA, especially with the sometimes-overwhelming task of staging our annual Awards Dinner. I oversaw one on each side of the country in my two years as president, and I'm eager to assist for many more.

As I leave office, I believe the BWAA is as strong as it ever has been thanks to our officers, executive board and sensational support staff.

I've had the pleasure of working with the same group of vice presidents for the past two years. We also have been blessed to have Tom Gerbasi step in as treasurer. He helped us change banks and facilitate credit-card capabilities to make our Awards Dinner more profitable. Don Steinberg has been phenomenal in revamping our Web site. Not only have Don's passion and cyber skills allowed us to substantially improve the usefulness of our site, but they also let us become independent from our previous provider.

In the past two years we've formed two committees that have been incredibly beneficial. First vice president Steve Farhood oversees the Grievance Committee to investigate credentialing and access issues. The panel has been called upon several times, and I'm always impressed with how judiciously it acts.

Vice president Thomas Hauser heads the Membership Committee, which has been integral in the drive to re-examine our membership rolls. The BWAA has gotten stricter in its criteria, reclassified many members and suspended several for not paying dues, all of which has made us healthier. Secretary Denis Nolan has been essential in helping make that happen.

I also want to publicly thank our event coordinator, Gina Andriolo, and vice president Jack Hirsch for their tireless efforts in putting together our Awards Dinner every year. Without them, the event simply does not happen.

Here's what else happened at Friday's meeting:

2007 AWARDS NOMINATIONS: Upon nominations made via the Web site and by members at the meeting, full members in attendance voted on finalists for the awards ballot. The selections are pending the final weeks of December, and the results have been embargoed until after the New Year.

DINNER PLANS: Specifics on the next Awards Dinner will be announced soon with multiple sites still under consideration for the spring. Bernard already has taken the bull by the horns and is making considerable progress, but given our problem with The Borgata pulling out on us last year, we'll make sure everything is nailed down before we say anything prematurely.

MIDWEST: Because of Michael Hirsley's retirement from the Chicago Tribune this year, David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press has stepped in as Midwest representative on our board of directors.

LOGO TRADEMARK: An update was provided regarding the BWAA's application to trademark its name and logo. Approved at the annual meeting at The Borgata in 2006, the lengthy process is evolving as expected. Our trademark attorney informed me the logo has been accepted, but not the name yet.

BARNEY TIME: Please get your Barney Awards submissions together now. The deadline likely will be a little earlier this year because the burden of arranging the entries and having them judged in a timely manner is taxing. Thanks for your consideration.

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MEMBER MEETING
ANNUAL AWARD NOMINATIONS
DECEMBER 7, 2007, MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS

The Boxing Writers Association of America will hold its annual membership meeting Dec. 7 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in Studio 1 on the lower level of the arena. The BWAA annual membership meeting is a great opportunity for all members to gather, discuss future endeavors of the organization and get involved. The main orders of business are determining finalists for our awards ballot, announcing any candidates running for elected office and raising issues of general concern or interest members deem necessary. All members are encouraged to attend, but if you cannot, you still can have your voice heard. Members may make nominations for BWAA awards or announce their interest in running for office by e-mailing graham@bwaa.org. Please be specific in the award for which you are making a nomination, and remember the James J. Walker (long and meritorious), Marvin Kohn (good guy), Pat Putnam (perseverance) and Sam Taub (broadcast journalism) Awards cannot be won by the same person twice. Please consult the list of previous winners at www.bwaa.org/all_awards.htm. Winners for the James S. Farley (honesty and integrity), A.J. Liebling (outstanding boxing writing) and Nat Fleischer (excellence in boxing journalism) Awards are selected by panels and not voted upon. Details for our annual writing awards, the Barneys, will be released soon. If you're interested in running for office, please mention the position for which you would like to run. Last year our membership amended our bylaws to make our election process accessible even to those who cannot attend the winter meeting. This added function to our Web site allows you to participate as much as you would like. I hope to see you there. Sincerely, Tim Graham President, BWAA

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BWAA 2006 AWARDS

Pacquiao and Roach top boxer and trainer;
Ali, Merchant among others honored

Barneys: Hirsley inks two 1st prizes, Weinberg takes second three times

Casino, Bello are top photo shooters

Michael Hirsley of the Chicago Tribune came away with two first-place finishes in the 2006 Barney Awards, the Boxing Writers Association of America's annual writing contest. Hirsley won in the column and news story categories, making him the lone multiple top-prize winner.

David Weinberg from the Press of Atlantic City earned three second-place finishes, and Ron Borges of the Boston Globe received one second- and two third-place honors.

Other first-place finishers were Steve Springer (event coverage), Mark Kram (feature under 2,500 words), Tim Graham (feature over 2,500 words) and John Whisler (investigative reporting).

For the first time, the Barneys are recognizing honorable mention honors for stories the judges deemed remarkable. Norm Frauenheim of the Arizona Republic received the most honorable mentions with four.

Winners were honored at the 82nd annual BWAA Awards Dinner on June 8, 2007, at the Copacabana in New York. The full list of 2006 Barney winners is available here.

The BWAA named Kevin Iole winner of its Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism. Iole wrote for the Las Vegas Review-Journal through early 2007 and now is national boxing reporter for Yahoo! The Fleischer Award is the highest honor the BWAA can bestow on a writer and has been presented since 1972. The winner is determined by a fraternity consisting only of past Fleischer winners.

For its annual boxing awards, the BWAA selected super featherweight Manny Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach and the breathtaking brawl between Somsak Sithchatchawal and Mahyar Monshipour as its best of 2006.
Pacquiao received the Edward J. Neil Trophy as fighter of the year for going 3-0, including two knockout victories over Erik Morales, in 2006. Roach, who was in Pacquiao's corner for all three fights and also worked with James Toney, Peter Manfredo Jr., Robert Guerrero and Neil Trophy nominee Israel Vazquez, was chosen for his second Futch-Condon Award as trainer of the year. He won his first Futch-Condon award in 2003.

The mind-blowing bout between Sithchatchawal and Monshipour on March 18 in France became a cult classic among boxing fans thanks to Internet video site YouTube. ESPN.com columnist Dan Rafael called it "raw, unvarnished, jaw-dropping brutality," writing the bout featured "more head-snapping uppercuts landed than in all six Rocky movies put together." Sithchatchawal stopped Monshipour in the 10th round. Monshipour was at the ceremony to accept the award.

Longtime HBO analyst Larry Merchant was given the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service. The straight-shooting commentator is a former columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and New York Post whose broadcast contributions were recognized by the BWAA in 1985.

Top Rank public relations tandem Lee Samuels and Ricardo Jimenez shared the Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award. Samuels and Jimenez combine to form one of the most efficient and multi-faceted publicity departments in boxing.

Steve Albert, in his 20th year calling fights with Showtime, received the Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcast journalism. He previously worked for ESPN and SportsChannel and has handled NBA play-by-play for over two decades.

Muhammad Ali was honored with the Pat Putnam Award for Perseverance. The legendary heavyweight went toe-to-toe with the political establishment in the turbulent 1960s, changing his name from Cassius Clay and refusing induction into the army. Ali's recent years have been spent coping with Parkinson's syndrome, but his indefatigable charisma has only solidified his status as one of the most inspirational athletes ever.

New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens received the James A. Farley Award for honesty and integrity. The Farley Award is a rarely bestowed honor voted upon by the BWAA's officers and board of directors. Stevens was a ring announcer, journalist, broadcaster, matchmaker and promoter before taking over one of the most prominent boxing regulatory bodies in the world in 2003.

BWAA members voted not to bestow a 2006 Al Buck Award for manager of the year.

A full list of the 2006 nominees is available here.

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Ron Scott Stevens Wins Farley Award

The Boxing Writers Association of America has selected New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens to receive the James A. Farley Award for honesty and integrity.

The Farley Award is a rarely bestowed honor voted upon by the BWAA's officers and board of directors. Prior to last year, when there were four recipients, the Farley Award hadn't been presented since 1996.

Stevens will become only the 11th person to receive the Farley Award since its inception in 1977. He will be honored at the 82nd annual BWAA Awards Dinner on June 8 at the Copacabana in New York.

The New York native has been involved in boxing for more than a quarter century in a variety of roles. Among other things, he was a ring announcer, journalist, broadcaster, matchmaker and promoter before taking over one of the most prominent boxing regulatory bodies in the world. In June 2003, New York Gov. George Pataki appointed Stevens chairman of the troubled NYSAC.

"Under Stevens' watch, the NYSAC has gone from a corrupt, useless entity to overseer of a boxing renaissance in New York," George Willis wrote in August 2006 in the New York Post.

Stevens has been a staunch advocate for safety and medical accountability in the sport. Under his watch, the commission implemented mandatory MRIs for all boxers and initiated steroid testing procedures.

Stevens boldly placed Evander Holyfield on medical suspension for diminished skills after the former heavyweight champion lost to Larry Donald in November 2004. When James Toney tested positive for steroids after defeating John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight championship in April 2005, the NYSAC changed Toney's victory to a no-decision, leading the WBA to strip him of the title.

In addition to his work in boxing, Stevens is a playwright. His fourth play "Cherry's Patch," a firehouse drama, was dedicated to the New York City firemen who died while responding to the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

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BWAA President's Statement on Borges Plagiarism Accusation

The Boxing Writers Association of America takes seriously charges of plagiarism against any of our members. I was deeply troubled by the allegations that were levied recently against Boston Globe writer Ron Borges, who serves as one of the BWAA's four vice presidents.

The Boston Globe last week suspended Borges for two months without pay and prohibited him from making broadcast appearances. The paper found that a March 4 NFL notes column written by Borges "contained verbatim passages" from a story that ran on February 25 in the Tacoma News Tribune.

Many within the BWAA and in the boxing community have inquired with regard to how the BWAA will address this matter. Plagiarism is a high journalistic offense. When I ran for office, one of my top priorities was to establish guidelines for ethical conduct among all of our members, but I feel BWAA officers should be held to an even higher standard.

Making a correct and fair decision is more important than making a swift decision. The Boston Newspaper Guild is appealing the suspension of Ron Borges on his behalf and challenging the characterization of his conduct as "plagiarism." The BWAA has chosen to allow that process to run its course before acting.

Tim Graham
BWAA President

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2006 Awards Nominees Announced

Jan. 8, 2006 - The Boxing Writers Association of America has selected the finalists for its 2006 awards. BWAA members chose the five top candidates for each category at the annual meeting. Nominations were made through the organization's Web site, www.bwaa.org, and in person at the meeting in Atlantic City. Winners will be decided by BWAA members via mailed ballot and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The nominees:

Edward J. Neil Trophy for Fighter of the Year:
Joe Calzaghe
Bernard Hopkins
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Manny Pacquiao
Israel Vazquez

Harry Markson Award for Fight of the Year:
O'Neil Bell KO-10 Jean Marc Mormeck (Jan. 7)
Manny Pacquiao TKO-10 Erik Morales II (Jan.21)
Somsak Sithchatchawal TKO-10 Mahyar Monshipour (March 18)
Sergei Liakhovich UD-12 Lamon Brewster (April 1)
Israel Vazquez TKO-10 Jhonny Gonzalez (Sept. 16)

Futch-Condon Award for Trainer of the Year:
Enzo Calzaghe
Naazim Richardson
Freddie Roach
Emanuel Steward
Victor Valle Jr.

Al Buck Award for Manager of the Year:
Shelly Finkel
Scott Hirsch
Bernard Hopkins
Frank Warren
No award this year

James J. Walker Award for Long and Meritorious Service:
Larry Hazzard
George Horowitz
Larry Merchant
Ring 8
Ron Scott Stevens

Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award:
Chris Byrd
Ernie Gabion
Alan Hopper
Carl Moretti
Lee Samuels/Ricardo Jimenez (nominated in tandem)

Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism:
Steve Albert
Nick Charles
Max Kellerman
Tony Paige
Joe Tessitore

Pat Putnam Award for Perseverance:
Muhammad Ali
Izzy Burgos
Joe Cortez
Jason Litzau
Anthony and Lamont Peterson (nominated in tandem)

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BOXING WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA RE-LAUNCHES BWAA.ORG

Aug. 10, 2006

The Boxing Writers Association of America has unveiled a revamped Web site that will serve as an invaluable resource for its members and boxing fans alike; www.BWAA.org is back, more accessible and informative than ever.

Visitors to the site's previous incarnation immediately will notice a new design that might not be as flashy, but will be remarkably more useful and easier to navigate. Like the steamy, spartan gym with stains on the canvas compared to the sterile fitness club that teaches execuboxing, members will get significantly more out of our newer, grittier digs.

BWAA.org now features an Online Resources page that could be the world's most comprehensive list of boxing-related links -- more than 200 sorted in such categories as news, organizations, boxers, history and multimedia. The BWAA Clipfile will allow members to forward links of their daily work so it can be enjoyed in one place. Other pages are devoted to the BWAA's annual boxing and writing awards.

Better yet is the re-launched BWAA.org will continue to grow. Other features will be added to the site in the future. One possibility is a Members Only area, where members may access credential applications, news conference transcripts and press releases. Plus, BWAA.org is a journalism site. Members eventually will be able to share their opinions on how to write more colorful stories, research subjects more thoroughly and pitch proposals to prospective editors with a higher success rate.

Philadelphia Inquirer boxing writer Don Steinberg, inspired by the classic, bold design of vintage fight posters, is responsible for the site's refurbished design. The BWAA owes Don immense thanks for his efforts in turning our site into a relevant tool that can be used to help us cover boxing more efficiently every day.

The BWAA was founded in 1926 to foster the highest professional and ethical standards in boxing journalism, both print and electronic, and to promote better working conditions for those who cover and report on the sport. The BWAA honors boxing's best each spring at its annual awards dinner, the most prestigious night in boxing. The organization also plays a significant role in determining induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.

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ANNUAL MEETING NOTES: BWAA to hold VP elections

Dec 3, 2006 -- A lot of ground was covered at the BWAA's annual membership meeting Dec. 2 at The Borgata in Atlantic City. For those unable to attend, here is a quick rundown of highlights:

* Upon nominations made via the Web site and by members at the meeting, full members in attendance voted on finalists for the awards ballot. The selections are pending the final weeks of 2006, and the results have been embargoed until after the New Year.

* Members Robert Ecksel and George Kimball were nominated to run for vice president, creating the need for an election. They will run against incumbent vice presidents Ron Borges, Steve Farhood, Thomas Hauser, and Jack Hirsch with the top four taking office. Ballots have been mailed out and must be returned by Jan. 15.

* No candidates were nominated for the other executive positions, and those officers were retained.

* The BWAA will trademark its name and logo to protect the organization. This also will lead to the production of merchandise such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, etc.

* To better manage our ever-growing ranks, all memberships will be reviewed upon submission of 2007 dues.

* Officers are exploring the implementation of a code of ethics for members and stricter journalistic guidelines for joining the BWAA.

* The deadline and other particulars for our annual writing awards, the Barneys, will be posted before the end of the year. Bernard Fernandez will continue to handle the contest and is in the process of opening up a P.O. box to handle the crush of entries.

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BWAA SUMMER UPDATES

June 8, 2006

Dear BWAA members:

I know many of you will be attending the big fights in New York and New Jersey this weekend, but if you're planning on going to the International Boxing Hall of Fame festivities, be sure to find me and say hello. We'll have plenty to talk about ...

A lot of interesting developments are taking place with the Boxing Writers Association of America, and I wanted to take the time to get everyone caught up on a variety of topics.

Our 81st annual BWAA Awards Dinner at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was a success. Feedback from members, sponsors, fans and honorees was overwhelmingly positive and I hope you were able to experience it.

That said, next year's dinner should be every bit as spectacular and then some. An early commitment from The Borgata in Atlantic City has allowed us to begin preparations already. Management at the resort has come up with many exciting ideas to further solidify our gala as the most prestigious night in boxing. It will be held one of the first two Fridays in May 2007.

As one might guess, a majority of our officers' time and effort are dedicated toward staging the annual dinner. Now that this year's celebration is behind us, we now can focus our attention on other matters.

New Address: Bernard Fernandez was gracious enough to remain highly involved in the BWAA through the dinner and maintained the address in Drexel Hill to process yearly dues and dinner reservations. Beginning immediately, however, all correspondence should be sent to:

BWAA
P.O. Box 41
Buffalo, NY 14223

Grievance Committee: In a few days I will send out a release detailing the formation of a grievance committee to handle disputes between our members and promoters over credentialing issues.

Updated Bylaws: At election time earlier this year, our bylaws were exposed to be not totally effective for our needs. Our officers are drawing up and discussing new bylaws that our members will vote on for adoption this summer.

Code of Ethics: Without naming names, I was disturbed to see at a major bout earlier this year one of our members standing on his seat at press row to applaud the ring entrance of one of the fighters. We should be expected to act as professionals at all times and should have no trouble abiding by the same simple journalistic tenets as in other sports. Details on the BWAA's Code of Ethics will be disseminated soon.

Membership Cards and Directory: New membership cards are being printed up and will be mailed out within the next couple weeks. They should have gone out months ago, but given the problems encountered at election time and before the annual awards dinner, there were delays. An updated membership directory with everyone's numbers and e-mail addresses also will be printed and sent out later this summer.

BWAA Internship: As proposed by our most recent Fleischer Award winner, Tim Smith, I'm exploring the possibility of creating an annual BWAA Internship that will allow a college journalism student to experience covering boxing at a major daily newspaper.

Website: We are in the process of revamping our website. We had been dealing with an outside web designer but are working toward a more independent setup that will allow us to make changes to our site far more often and less expensively. We're also looking to incorporate a members-only section that will include downloadable credential applications, teleconference transcripts and news releases. Eventually, I also want our site to become a must-visit site each day so we can enjoy each other's work.

Coverage Study: Behind a tremendous suggestion from Don Steinberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the BWAA will conduct a study on the coverage of boxing and where it's going. This would be a gathering of ideas and success stories on how we can convince our editors to dedicate more space to the sport.

Before ending this long missive, I'd like to make an overdue announcement of two new members on our board of directors. Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times and Santos Perez of the Miami Herald have been appointed regional representatives for the West and Southeast, respectively.

I've been impressed by the number of members who have wanted to get involved in the organization whether it be through offering ideas or volunteering their services. Thank you all for your help and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,
Tim Graham