Bernard Fernandez | Champion of the community

YOU MIGHT NOT think that someone whose preference for dark, pin-striped suits, which hint at a certain 1930s gangster chic, would be such a staunch advocate of law enforcement.

You also might not think that

a pugnacious older guy who still trains in a boxing gym almost every day would be a tireless proponent of peace and brotherhood.

Center City lawyer James J. Binns, 68, is an unabashed fight buff; he is a former honcho with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, the former general counsel to the World Boxing Association and

a part-time actor with speaking roles in "Rocky V" and "Rocky Balboa." You can often spot him at ringside for bouts staged in and around Philadelphia.

These days, though, the lean, silver-haired Binns funnels much of his energy into causes he believes in. And people are sitting up and taking notice.

Tomorrow night in the Wanamaker Tea Room, Binns will receive the prestigious Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League. A press

release states that the ADL's Torch of Liberty Award "recognizes exceptional business and civic leaders who demonstrate a commitment to humanitarian values and a responsibility to public service, nurturing the future of the community through their endeavors."

Twelve years ago, Binns founded a Jewish school at Roman Catholic High in association with the Congregation of Rodeph Shalom.

"We've educated over 500 Catholic kids about Judaism

and the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament," Binns said. "So many of the conflicts around the world are religious-based. That's what it's all about . . . interfaith

understanding."

Binns also has established a non-denominational program that has placed 274 in-ground plaques honoring cops and 284 in-ground plaques honoring firefighters. He is behind a drive to replace all 62 motorcycles for the Philadelphia Police Highway Patrol and Traffic Unit with newer bikes, the first 20 of which will be delivered next month. Oh, and he chairs the

Hero Thrill Show, which raises scholarship money for the children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Just last week, Binns was named Man of the Year by the Shomrim Society, a national

organization for Jewish law

enforcement officers.

But, as they say, you win some, you lose some. Binns, who still has influence with the Venezuela-based WBA, had arranged to bring that sanctioning body's annual awards dinner to the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue on July 28, the first time Philadelphia would have played host to the event since its 16-year run here ended in 2001. Political tensions in the South American country prompted a cancellation.

"Things are tough down there, very tough," Binns says.

Binns also is disappointed with the failure of Broad Street Boxing, a venture he and his son, Jimmy Binns Jr., launched on Nov. 9 at the Wachovia Spectrum in conjunction with the brothers

Damon and David Feldman.

Although the senior Binns

predicted the company would

become a "boxing dynasty" with monthly cards, the first show - the main event of which had junior middleweights Harry Joe Yorgey and Martinus Clay fighting to an entertaining, 10-round draw - also was the last.

Mike Cassell got the idea for his Web site and newsletter,

Philadelphia Boxing Report, from his late grandfather, Tony Petti, a former lightweight who

published Brooklyn Boxing

Report in the 1930s.

Philadelphia Boxing Report - philaboxingreport.com, for you fight-loving Web surfers - was launched in February 2006. You would have to figure Cassell's grandfather, who died in 1961, would be amazed by the advances in technology over the past

70 years.

Now Cassell and his partners, Dean Rubenstein (whose grandfather, Louis Rubenstein, was the captain of the Temple boxing team in the '30s) and Jeff Izes, have reached an agreement to expand to a national audience.

Cassell and Bob Seelah, of

Comcast SportsNet, recently reached an agreement to do

delayed boxing programming,

not only in this area, but

throughout the country.

The first fight card was taped at the Blue Horizon on June 1 and will be rebroadcast on Comcast SportsNet on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. It also has afternoon time slots on Saturday and Sunday.

"We ended up in most of the markets Comcast serves," Cassell said. "We got Mid-Atlantic Comcast, Southeast Comcast and West Coast, which is based in

Sacramento [Calif.]. Detroit is showing our first card four times. A lot of places want the content."

Many of the fight cards will be taped at the Blue Horizon, which Cassell describes as "our homecourt," but he also is looking at venues in Atlantic City, Dover, Del., and elsewhere.

Longtime HBO analyst Larry Merchant, who received the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service to boxing at the 82nd annual Boxing Writers Association of American Awards Dinner on Friday in New York, has a new 2-year deal from HBO, with a mutual 2-year option beyond that.

Merchant, 76, whose contract expired June 1, will work some "HBO Championship Boxing" dates while Max Kellerman, 33, gets others. *

Send e-mail to fernanb@phillynews.com