A self-serving trade organization called the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP) has named its award recipients for 2005. The honoree for “Outstanding Contribution to Boxing” is NBC’s recently cancelled “reality” show “The Contender.”

The AAPRP’s stated rationale for honoring “The Contender” is that the “production exceeded the medical requirements of any State or Indian jurisdiction in the entire country. Their pre-fight evaluations were meticulous and, in conducting their exams, utilized only experienced ringside physicians.”

That’s nonsense. “The Contender” prevailed upon the State Athletic Commission in California (where the show was taped) to allow fighters to enter the ring under questionable circumstances. Viewers know that Anthony Bonsante fought a week after he tore his hamstring muscle. Alfonso Gomez went into his semifinal fight against Peter Manfredo Jr. with the skin around both eyes bruised and swollen. Jesse Brinkley suffered a cut on his left eyelid that required five stitches, then fought Sergio Mora three days later, and the cut opened up again.

In an honest moment, AAPRP President Michael Schwartz acknowledged, “In the real world, when a fighter gets stitches, he’s suspended for 30 days.”

In other words, the California Commission was seduced by the lure of Hollywood into compromising its standards for fighter safety. “The Contender” production schedule, which included sending inexperienced fighters into the ring on just a few days’ rest, was given priority over good medical care.

As for those “meticulous” pre-fight evaluations, the AAPRP seems to have forgotten about Najai Turpin. As the selection process for “The Contender” narrowed, each of the fighters vying to be among the 16 finalists was tested to determine his anger management skills, ability to deal with stress, and predisposition to depression. Turpin finished last out of the 16 fighters chosen. Subsequent to the show being taped, he tragically committed suicide.

That’s quite a “contribution to boxing.”

So what’s the real reason behind the AAPRP’s award to “The Contender”?

Let’s start with the shameless pursuit of publicity. Honoring “The Contender” means that the reality show’s publicity machine is likely to come into play in support of the AAPRP. Hey, co-hosts Sylvester Stallone and Ray Leonard might even attend the awards dinner on September 23. That would mean increased ticket sales.

And let’s face it: The AAPRP is interested in ticket sales. It appears to be more than coincidence that last year, when the organization held its annual awards dinner in Miami Beach, Florida’s own Dr. Allan Fields was given the honor of “Ringside Physician of the Year.”

That was a nice turnaround from 1999, when the Office of the Chief Inspector General of the State of Florida conducted an investigation and found that Dr. Fields had engaged in unethical conduct by (1) misrepresenting himself as chief physician for the Florida State Boxing Commission; (2) taking improper gratuities in the form of airfare, hotel accommodations, and fight tickets, and (3) using his position on the medical advisory board of the commission to pressure promoters to hire him as a ringside physician.

This year, the dinner is being held in Atlantic City. Surprise! Larry Hazzard, the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, is being honored as “Administrator of the Year.”

With NBC having dropped the show due to feeble ratings, there’s now talk that ESPN might pick up “The Contender” for a second season.

Would some AAPRP doctors like to show up on SportsCenter? You bet they would.