SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA—I snared the elusive muse just long enough to be able to hook up with you dear readers. I will talk to you once or twice before I go into another lengthy medical furlough here soon.
With South Korea crushing the Philippines’ championship hopes 118-86 in the quarterfinals of the Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon, what’s left as the topic du jour around the office water cooler?
It will have to be PH’s seeming change of heart in hosting the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Last month, Malacañang backed out of holding the 30th biennial event, citing fiscal and security issues because of the armed conflict in Marawi City.
But a report from Inquirer Sports reporter June Navarro said the powers that be appeared to have “breathed life” into our original commitment to hold the 11-nation sporting conclave two years from now after original host Brunei declined, citing lack of preparation time.
Navarro wrote that Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Ramirez met at a luncheon with Cabinet members, and that Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Presidential Management Staff chief Christopher Go, who spoke for President Duterte, inquired if “there was still a chance” to push through with the Games.
Ramirez told Go he did not have a problem if the country were to host for the fourth time at a price that would be a lot more than the reported P500 million spent when Manila last hosted in 2005.
Cayetano announced Thursday that the hosting would push through.
Kenny Bayless, the veteran boxing referee critics say had bailed out Floyd Mayweather from harm in some of his fights, ironically will not be the third man in the ring during Mayweather’s Aug. 26 bout against UFC champion Conor McGregor.
The Los Angeles Times said it learned that Bayless would not be considered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission since it has gotten wind of critical comments he made about the fusion fight.
McGregor said during a recent media talk he did not think “Bayless should work the fight. He (Bayless) can’t be involved in the event,” said McGregor.
The Times said Bayless told a video reporter sometime last year he “wouldn’t want to see Mayweather-McGregor. It’s two different sports. UFC And boxing are two different sports. What would be the point?”
UFC President Dana White recognizes that McGregor could earn in excess of $100 million from the mega fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If the UFC warrior is projected to earn that much, think of the windfall for Mayweather.
Minus his purse and percentages, the potential pay-per-view receipts alone is threatening Floyd’s record 4.6 million buys for his bout against Manny Pacquiao in the so-called Fight of the Century in 2015.