Emaster wrote: ↑13 Jan 2009, 04:34
The following proposals pertain to the BoxRec database. Suggestions on both BoxRec and the encyclopaedia can be found at the top of
this page. Below is a list of wishes written from a user’s standpoint. There might be technical obstacles or other reasons which prevent the proposals from being realized, of course.
Next to the results on title fights lists (e.g.
this list), BoxRec's Version 2 offered links to the corresponding fight pages in the encyclopaedia. The book icons did not return after Version 3 had come out. I'd like to have them back.
The
schedule page provides various menus. I suggest another one: nationality. It would list the upcoming fights which feature at least one fighter of the selected nationality. Moreover, users should be able to combine choices of different menus, for instance in order to find all scheduled heavyweight fights in the United States. Having the opportunity to select several choices within a menu by checking boxes next to them would be another welcome improvement, which would also benefit the
location page, the
title search and the division menu of the
fighterfinder. For instance, on the schedule page users could create a list showing the upcoming fights from the lightweight division downwards with the WBA or WBC world title at stake held in Japan.
The
name search uses one box for the first name and another one for the last name. If users have copied a name from another place and want to search for it in the database, only one box for the whole name would save them further copy and paste actions.
After one year of inactivity boxers are not rated as active fighters any more. There could be a function which allows users themselves to adjust the period of inactivity after which fighters are excluded from the ratings. The same applies to the fighterfinder.
Scheduled bouts are "subject to commission approval / change" according to BoxRec. Maybe rumored bouts could somehow be distinguished from officially announced ones.
A ratings page lists 20 boxers. In the past it showed 25 or even 50. Couldn't the number be raised again? I wouldn't mind seeing 75 or 100 boxers on one page.
The boxers' residences could be replaced by the dates of their next fights and the names of their next opponents. Thus, schedules sorted by BoxRec's ratings would be created.
What’s the purpose of the black question mark which appears when pointing at a flag icon?
It should be marked on title fights lists which version of a title was on the line (interim, full, or super). Furthermore, the number of the defense and the name of the defending champion could be added to each title fight on the BoxRec boxer pages. For instance, instead of "IBF middleweight title" the line could read "IBF middleweight title (Hopkins's 10th defense)". As proposed in
this section the information that a fight has not been the only one between the two contestants could already be shown on the BoxRec boxer pages (especially valuable to encyclopaedia editors who move fight pages to new titles).
There should be a definition regarding the additional information to be given on fights in BoxRec. I suggest noting basic information, that is, above all, knockdowns and point deductions. The information should be presented as precisely as possible (rather "Smith down twice in the first and three times in the third round" than "Smith down five times"; rather either "Smith twice deducted one point in round ten" or "Smith deducted two points at once in round ten" than "Smith deducted two points in round ten") and in consistent and graceful style: either "
first round"/"round
one" (which I propose) or "
1st round"/"round
1", either "
three times" (which I propose) or "
3 times", either "
round"/"
rounds" (which I propose) or "
rd."/"
rds.", and either "rounds one
and two" (which I propose) or "rounds one
& two". To me "Smith down twice in the first round and three times in round two" is aesthetically more pleasing than "Smith down twice in the 1st rd. & 3 times in rd. 2."
The way knockdowns happened should only be added in the encyclopaedia (even the often-seen "body shot" comment, which can be a matter of interpretation.) Adding what caused referees to deduct points may be a borderline case. Why a bout was stopped/ruled a TKO, an NC/ND or a DQ could already be addressed in BoxRec. The same applies to extraordinary situations, e.g. if a title was at stake for one fighter only as the other one had failed to make the weight or if a sanctioning body did not recognize the ruling of the competent commission. Also data on attendances, gates, or agreed-upon catchweights could be mentioned in the database. Everything else should be elaborated on in the encyclopaedia, which would mean that a lot of information would have to be shifted there from BoxRec pages (e.g. from
Jack Dempsey's page).
The boxers' records do not only show their opponents' names, but also their opponents' records from before their contests, e.g.
40-
20-
10. I suggest including stoppage information as well:
40(20)-
20(10)-
10. NCs should also be included:
40(20)-
20(10)-
10-5. As opposed to stoppage information, NCs are missing on boxers' profiles:
won 40 (KO 20) +
lost 20 (KO 10) +
drawn 10 = 75. I propose including NCs:
won 40 (KO 20) +
lost 20 (KO 10) +
drawn 10 + NCs 5 = 75. The representation of the records should also change in so far as draws should only appear on an opponent's record or a boxer's profile if the opponent or boxer has fought to at least one draw or No Contest ("
15(12)-
9(6)" or "
won 15 (KO 12) +
lost 9 (KO 6)" rather than "
15(12)-
9(6)-
0" or "
won 15 (KO 12) +
lost 9 (KO 6) +
drawn 0", "
15(12)-
9(6)" or "
won 15 (KO 12) +
lost 9 (KO 6)" rather than "
15(12)-
9(6)-
0-0" or "
won 15 (KO 12) +
lost 9 (KO 6) +
drawn 0 + NCs 0", but "
15(12)-
9(6)-
0-1" or "
won 15 (KO 12) +
lost 9 (KO 6) +
drawn 0 + NCs 1"). NCs should only show up on an opponent's record or a boxer's profile if that result has at least once occurred. Furthermore, no stoppage information is required in W or L columns which still show 0s ("
0-
0-
1" or "
won 0 +
lost 0 +
drawn 1" rather than "
0(0)-
0(0)-
1" or "
won 0 (KO 0) +
lost 0 (KO 0) +
drawn 1").
The boxers' profiles on the BoxRec boxer pages should also show the combined opponents' records including stoppages and NCs.
BoxRec pages could feature encyclopaedia pages, for instance below the advertisement banner. There could be kind of an encyclopaedia link of the day or week or month to a significant page or category in the encyclopaedia, which would probably introduce it to a broader circle of BoxRec users. New BoxRec features could be presented the same way to make users aware of them.
