We already know that virtually every person of Filipino descent at least knows about the man, the myth, the ?Pacman? Manny Pacquiao. It?s no secret to his current fan base that he will be tackling the tough battle of stepping up two weight classes in order to challenge ?The Golden Boy?, Oscar De la Hoya later on this year.
The buzz has been around for quite some time now but it?s only going to get bigger once the six city press tour jumps off in just a few short days.
While I can?t comment as to the location of these pressers in places such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, I can comment on the location of the presser in San Francisco.
When the ?Pacman? made his initial press tour to the SF Bay earlier this year, it was held at the Titanium Training Center in the heart of the city. Parking was scarce and the gym was beyond crowded. The turnout was fair but could have been so much more had the presser taken place on a weekend rather than a workday in addition to being held in a place with a greater capacity.
On October 4th, the De la Hoya-Pacquiao press tour will be making a stop in San Francisco in order to promote their December 6 ?Dream Match?. Instead of taking place on a weekday (forcing people to take time off of their jobs in order to attend), it?ll be taking place on a Saturday at noon time.
Whoever chose the Crissy Field location in Golden Gate Park for the spot of this event is indeed quite savvy and has obviously done their homework.
It?s one of the few places within the city that provides plenty of free parking as well as being located outdoors which points to a virtually unlimited amount of spectators. While the majority of those in attendance might already be Pacquiao or De la Hoya fans, it is the buzz and intrigue from them that will create a curiosity amongst non-boxing fans throughout the city.
Whenever a huge crowd gathers around virtually anything, rubber-necking passersby usually can?t help but stop and see what all the fuss is about.
While the majority of Manny fans might not reside in around the Crissy Field area? it doesn?t matter. It?s an accessible location that will drive the yuppies around the area to take a quick peak even if simply due to curiosity. These are the people that will drive the Pay-Per-View sales to levels unattainable by simply the hardcore boxing fans.
I just thought it was great to read that someone has actually put some effort into picking a strategic and potentially extremely effective location for this presser. Many times, for reasons that I cannot fathom, pressers can tend to take place in areas or at times that are ridiculously inconvenient for the general public to attend.
I expect nothing less than several thousand maniacal fans to attend as the SF Bay is considered Pac-land and will hopefully end up being the location for a proposed Hatton-Pacquiao bout in the future.
AT&T Park? 60,000 fans? enough said.
PS. I am willing to bet virtually any amount of money that should Hatton-Pacquiao take place at AT&T Park in mid-2009, it would sellout with a minimal amount of promotion. A minimal amount…
