All about Manny

CEBU - Everyone is still taking about it like a plague that has hit the entire sports world. And rightfully so, Manny Pacquiao deserves everything after dismantling Oscar de La Hoya last week.

But amidst all the celebrations, praises and cheers, did you know that there is also a down side to Pacquiao’s winning? Along with all the hoopla will come a not so pleasant sight that is so typically Pinoy.

For starters, all the politicians on Pacquiao’s side will claim to have had a hand in the Pacman’s victory and will do everything in their powers to ride on this Pacman fever. Isn’t it so typically Pinoy that our politicians will be the first to greet and congratulate Pacquiao and get media space just for doing so? This is where I feel that we in the media should ignore such type of grandstanding and publicity stunts. We’ve already heard about a resolution to praise Pacquiao to the high heavens. Nothing wrong here but why do I have the impression that the politician’s filing of the resolution is getting more hype than Pacquiao’s win? We’ve also heard how another politico used Pacquiao’s win to criticize the country’s sports program. Why can’t politicians just stick to their jobs of making laws and taking care of us law-abiding citizens?

Another familiar sight on any post-Pacquiao celebration is how every single sportswriter is suddenly an expert on boxing. And this will eventually also include me even if I’ve been writing about boxing ever since we started writing this column. I guess it’s just a natural reaction of media people who also want to ride on the wave with the hope of getting their message across (i.e. to Manny). Note how all these stories, analyses and post-fight talk are all so similar to each other. These range from how Pacquiao did it, how de la Hoya lost, and who’s up next for the Pacman. Amidst all these talk and stories, the most vibrant and entertaining type of talk is that which you’ll hear from the ordinary boxing fan on the streets. This is the genuine, no holds barred commentary that comes straight from the fans’ hearts and which should the hit the sports pages more often.

Another downside which later turned out to backfire was the betting against Pacquiao. Bets for the favored Golden Boy were going at a “logro” of 10-7 or 10-6 with many Pacman loyalists taking the risk to go for it even if de la Hoya was a clear favorite to win not only here but also in Vegas. This only goes to show that bettors don’t care at all about being Pacquiao fans or not. To them, it’s the money they can win that really matters. In the end, they were shocked at their bet’s performance and can only console themselves with the fact that Pacquiao won. The betting grapevines indicate that there were a few big-time bettors who lost a lot of money last Sunday. I guess they just had to pay for it.

But one of the most sickening sights that will dawn on the Pacman will be the hundreds of so-called Pacman loyalists who are bleeding Pacquiao for money. I’m not talking about the poor people of GenSan who troop to Pacquiao’s mansion to ask for money. This is mere petty cash for Pacquiao. Unseen and unknown to many are the people who will be asking for “balato” for being loyal soldiers of Pacquiao. All this started even before the fight took place when Pacquiao gave away tickets for all his legions of fans. While there’s nothing wrong with that, what follows after is the bad news. Some of these fans are also asking for “balato” on top of everything they’ve already received from Pacquiao. I still don’t see the logic when people claim that they deserve to be given balato for no clear reasons. Let’s leave the Pacman at peace with his millions and earn our own money the hard way, just the way the Pacman does it.

I’m not surprised that Pacquiao is leaving for the U.S. just as quickly as he arrived from Vegas. And we all know why he’s doing this. He deserves to rest, get some peaceful quality time with his family and stay away from harm’s way.

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Time-out: Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Have we prepared for the biggest birthday? >>> You can reach me at [email protected]. -THE FREEMAN