Distractions also hound Pacquiao in US
ONE CANNOT help but be concerned about the many distractions that have affected pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s preparation for his Nov. 13 showdown against the bigger and stronger but concededly slower Antonio Margarito.
What is even more upsetting is the fact that those who criticized the distractions when Manny trained in the Philippines are the very same individuals who have been disrupting Pacquiao’s schedule in the US.
Trainer Freddie Roach has always insisted that he calls the shots when Pacquiao trains especially in Los Angeles but it is becoming more and more evident that it’s the “Fighter of the Decade” who calls the shots as the ultimate Boss. Freddie said quite firmly that once Pacquiao gets to Los Angeles to continue training at the Wild Card Gym it would be all business. But that hasn’t happened.
Last Sunday Pacquiao took a two-and-a-half hour drive to San Diego to coach his ragtag basketball team against a high school squad. While Manny didn’t play, the long drive either way and the time he spent in San Diego when he would have benefited from a good rest after hearing Mass, had to be detrimental. It certainly didn’t help.
Then on Friday, promoter Bob Arum, who criticized Pacquiao’s tendency to participate in events that were of a public service nature such as the 10.10.10 run to save the Pasig River and the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association family sportsfest, flew Pacquiao aboard a private jet to Las Vegas immediately after training last Friday to endorse Arum’s longtime friend Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, who is facing the fight of his political life.
While it was only a one-hour flight either way, the undeniable fact is, it was a distraction and similar to the ones that our good friend Bob Arum had criticized in the past.
One other aspect that has upset us is the fact that while Philippine TV networks and journalists have been kept out of the gyms when Manny spars, HBO and ESPN were often allowed unhampered access. To us, at least, it suggests that Filipinos were being discriminated against in our own country which is unacceptable. The exception came on the final day of training in Quezon City when, despite Roach’s orders, a large throng of fans and pure hangers-on including individuals like Atong Ang, crowded the gym and were able to witness the sparring.
Roach had announced that no footage of Pacquiao’s sparring would be shown but HBO actually did, thereby giving Team Margarito a free preview. Besides, in its latest series, HBO tolerated the vulgar language of Brandon Rios, and even Margarito, against Pacquiao, who is HBO’s premier star and actually helps enhance the 24/7 series. In stark contrast, Manny is always a picture of humility and decency.
They can skin it any way they wish by claiming that HBO had won an award for its work, but we strongly believe that vulgar language has absolutely no place in television unless awards are bestowed for filthy language. Philippine TV may not approximate the quality of an HBO Sports special primarily because of the huge money they spend. However, our networks do an excellent job on a daily basis and help promote the fights of Pacquiao on a continuing basis to some 80 million Filipinos. If these numbers don’t mean anything, we don’t know what does.
What is even more upsetting is the fact that those who criticized the distractions when Manny trained in the Philippines are the very same individuals who have been disrupting Pacquiao’s schedule in the US.
Trainer Freddie Roach has always insisted that he calls the shots when Pacquiao trains especially in Los Angeles but it is becoming more and more evident that it’s the “Fighter of the Decade” who calls the shots as the ultimate Boss. Freddie said quite firmly that once Pacquiao gets to Los Angeles to continue training at the Wild Card Gym it would be all business. But that hasn’t happened.
Last Sunday Pacquiao took a two-and-a-half hour drive to San Diego to coach his ragtag basketball team against a high school squad. While Manny didn’t play, the long drive either way and the time he spent in San Diego when he would have benefited from a good rest after hearing Mass, had to be detrimental. It certainly didn’t help.
Then on Friday, promoter Bob Arum, who criticized Pacquiao’s tendency to participate in events that were of a public service nature such as the 10.10.10 run to save the Pasig River and the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association family sportsfest, flew Pacquiao aboard a private jet to Las Vegas immediately after training last Friday to endorse Arum’s longtime friend Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, who is facing the fight of his political life.
While it was only a one-hour flight either way, the undeniable fact is, it was a distraction and similar to the ones that our good friend Bob Arum had criticized in the past.
One other aspect that has upset us is the fact that while Philippine TV networks and journalists have been kept out of the gyms when Manny spars, HBO and ESPN were often allowed unhampered access. To us, at least, it suggests that Filipinos were being discriminated against in our own country which is unacceptable. The exception came on the final day of training in Quezon City when, despite Roach’s orders, a large throng of fans and pure hangers-on including individuals like Atong Ang, crowded the gym and were able to witness the sparring.
Roach had announced that no footage of Pacquiao’s sparring would be shown but HBO actually did, thereby giving Team Margarito a free preview. Besides, in its latest series, HBO tolerated the vulgar language of Brandon Rios, and even Margarito, against Pacquiao, who is HBO’s premier star and actually helps enhance the 24/7 series. In stark contrast, Manny is always a picture of humility and decency.
They can skin it any way they wish by claiming that HBO had won an award for its work, but we strongly believe that vulgar language has absolutely no place in television unless awards are bestowed for filthy language. Philippine TV may not approximate the quality of an HBO Sports special primarily because of the huge money they spend. However, our networks do an excellent job on a daily basis and help promote the fights of Pacquiao on a continuing basis to some 80 million Filipinos. If these numbers don’t mean anything, we don’t know what does.
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