WHENEVER MANNY Pacquiao steps unto the ring, you can be sure that you will be in for some wild and wooly boxing action. Fireworks, drama and suspense are staples of every Pacquiao match I have seen from the time I covered him as a gangling flyweight on the defunct TV show, “Blow by Blow” to his big time bouts in the last few years. Pacquiao gives everything he’s got whenever he fights and that is what has endeared him to his legions of fans.
Off the ring however, he has proven to be unpredictable and many say, unreliable. One only has to read of the many commitments not honored and the countless schedules not followed to realize that predicting Pacquiao’s next move could drive any soothsayer to bankruptcy.
It is a sad reality that lately, his most ardent fans have been thrown into a great divide. Some of the Pacman’s fans have started to question his motives, choices, morality, his decisions and the manner in which they are reached. Some have taken to disgustedly questioning even his sanity (go to to see some vivid examples). From signing diametrically opposed contracts, to his dalliance with politics and his carefree lifestyle in between fights, these are all appetizing fodder to a public that devours any news regarding one considered as a national icon.
Perhaps it is too much to ask of a simple man ill-prepared for the myriad responsibilities that come with fame, fortune and national, even international ogling. His training in the ring is considered sensational but obviously, he was never prepped for the peripherals.
But the fact remains that brickbats, criticisms and unsolicited advice are part of the trade-off that comes with sudden and wide-reaching attention, admiration and abundance.
We commiserate with Manny for the complexities he is faced with. Beneath the veneer of relaxation and devil-may-care attitude must reside some gnawing fear of the unknown and unexpected. And when he looks about him and sees the people physically close to him and who are the subjects of suspicion, nay derision of a suspicious public, what goes through his mind? Does he trust them explicitly? Does he have much of a choice really?
Does he ever wonder what happened to the people who were with him on the way up or why they are no longer with him? To be sure, his old buddy Buboy Fernandez is still around, but he is mostly holed up in his home in Albay until summoned for training.
We can only hope and pray that Manny Pacquiao somehow makes the right choices. For his sake and for all of us who have enjoyed this wonderful ride that he has taken us on.
After all, it’s never too late…until it’s too late. Whatever happens, thanks anyway.
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I took the family last weekend to watch the “Melanj on Ice” show at the Ninoy Aquino Memorial Stadium. I must admit I went for the sake of the kids. I surprised myself when I yearned for more when the show was over.
While I had seen my share of ice-skating shows in my youth, this was a whole new experience as it showered us with a m?lange of color, artistry and even tasteful sensuality. The grace and skill of the performers, made up of pedigreed skaters who cut their teeth in various regional competitions in Europe, the Americas and the Olympics, were a feast for the senses.
The inclusion of our own local skaters who are starting to get international attention was also heart-warming. There is also a Fil-American named Dianna Ramos who acquitted herself creditably as a regular part of the talented troupe.
To a man, everyone I talked to after the show was mesmerized and flushed with excitement after the show.
“Melanj on Ice” goes on daily at the Ninoy Aquino Memorial Stadium until February 11. For tickets, call 911-5555 or text MELANJ and send to 2948.
The family is going for seconds this weekend.
