Manny’s subdued return; furor over SEAG fiasco

SACRAMENTO, California—It was a subdued homecoming for the National Fist, to say the least. For the first time in a long time, Manny Pacquiao returned to Manila last week without the usual pomp and panoply. He arrived not to the honking of horns and the blaring of music, and alas, minus a waiting multitude. The champ’s slim victory over a guy who’s got his number—Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez—had controversy written all over it. But it was a triumph nonetheless.
So where were the chosen few from the government glitterati who usually trip over each other to roll the red carpet for a returning hero?
The Chief Executive did not offer a handshake at Malacanang’s Heroes’ Hall. The photo opportunity with the Who’s Who in politics and show business never happened.
And where was the mayor of Manila? I am left to marvel at the guy as he faced a crucible. Always outsmarted by his predecessor when it comes to exploiting Pacquiao’s public relations force field, Hizzoner thought about mounting a motorcade on Manila’s main streets.
But did the waving, the smiling and the jostling for the closest position to Manny aboard a caravan’s lead vehicle lose its political and popular shine this time around?
For all we know, Manny himself probably opted out of the hoopla. And clearly, the prevailing wisdom must have been to allow him to reflect on his close shave with defeat at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last month.
Marquez stood on the ropes with arms held high after the fight to proclaim he was on top of the world—a la the De Caprio character in that blockbuster movie about a sinking ship. In an apparently rehearsed show of swagger by a usually subdued guy, the Mexican warrior, who lost on the scorecards, may have ended up winning the mind game on fight night.
Which brings us to a burning question. What would you have preferred to help tilt the emotional war in the champ’s corner: A somber reception or a rousing welcome?
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After the fervor and frenzy of the recent Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, the
Philippine delegation hobbled home with a sixth-place finish in the biennial regional picnic.
Like clockwork, the Congress already has sprouted sports experts who will follow a time-honored tradition—go for the scalp of every sports official in sight and score nothing in the end.
There’s this ultimate solution to our woes in a wrong war we could not win. It is the one spoused by many, including former sports czar Michael Keon. We should scratch the SEA Games from our sports calendar altogether.
If we insist on going to the SEA Games, we should learn from our neighbors with absolutely no focus on the overall championship and the medal standings for that matter.
Malaysia, for one, sent mostly athletes in Olympic sports, prioritized teams in four sports disciplines and sent young, second-tier athletes for exposure to competiition and tryouts for the Asian Games and the Olympics.
Breast-beating was not the Malaysians’ cup of tea.
In a conclave where the only booty is the bragging rights among 11 countries, Malaysia left that exercise to the host country.
Through the sports version of dagdag-bawas (that dreaded election cheating scheme), the hosts always end up the automatic overall champion anyway.