Back in the era when the lowly Irish had taken political control of Boston, it was said that the city had only two types of people, those who were Irish and those who wished.
This was in a time when the mayor was so popular that he could be, and he was, elected or relected even while sitting in jail cell. The slogan was vote often and early for your man, James Michael Curley.
I bring this up to spotlight the fact that Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, the world?s most popular pugilist and a shining beacon for his people, only has two kinds of followers.
One, I respect. Those are the tried and true genuine article fans of Pacman, some of whom know a left hook from a Cebu fish hook and some who don?t. You can be a real deal Megamanny fan without knowing or caring about boxing in general or other fighters in particular.
The second group is problematic. By now, we all know these socially inept types as the Pacnut huggers. In an effort to less crude, let me break Pacman?s adherents into groups labeled ?Fans? and one entitled ?Huggers.?
Forget how to tell if you?re a redneck for I now provide this public service, enabling one and all to look into a mirror and tell if he or she is an MP ?Fan? or just a lowly ?Hugger.?
You?re a Pacfan if you concede that Manny has unfinished business with Mexican ringmaster Juan Manuel Marquez?
You?re a Hugger if you hate and badmouth not only Marquez but all of the wonderful Aztec ring warriors from the great country of Mexico?
You?re a Fan if you have some appreciation of your country?s great ring heritage, pre-Pacman, and know that the Phillipines boxing history did not begin with Manny?
You?re a Hugger if you don?t know the difference between Flash Elorde and Flash Gordon?
You?re a Fan if you still wonder why Manny signed contracts with both Top Rank and Golden Boy?
You?re a Hugger if you think this was some stroke of brilliance to milk the rival promoters?
You?re a Fan if you respect and appreciate the fighting spirit and skills that Ricky Hatton will bring into the opposite corner on May 2?
You?re a Hugger if you dismiss the plucky Hatton as some unworthy fool who will be dribbled all over the ring canvas by Manny. That may happen but Hatton is not without weapons?
You?re a Fan if you can see the marked improvements Coach Freddie Roach?s tutelage has made in prized pupil Pacman?
You?re a Hugger if you look at Coach Roach as some porcelain god and can?t name another two, three or four competent boxing trainers. They are out there?
You?re a Fan if you admire the beauty, charm and grace of Manny?s wife, Jinkee?
You?re a Hugger if you regard someone like Selma Hayek as a beast compared to Mrs. Pacman?
You?re a Fan if you know the deep history of and some of the great fighters Pacman promoter Bob Arum has been involved with over the decades?
You?re a Hugger if you think Arum is merely some exploitative thief in the night who should not get paid for his work?
You?re a great Fan if you know who Fil-Am journeyman fighter Rudy Barro is?
You?re a hopeless Hugger if you say, ?Rudy who???
You?re a Fan if you realize that beating Mexican legends was the mountain that Pacquiao had to climb to become known as the Pound For Pound ruler supreme?
You?re a dimwitted Hugger if you post slurs about Mexicans and their ring heroes on the Internet chat boards?
You?re a Fan if you know that Pacman has lost fights, that he?s even been knocked out?
You?re a Johnny Come Lately Hugger if you think he?s never lost a bout?
You?re a Fan if you read all the way to here, the end of this list?
You?re a hapless Hugger if you don?t now know the difference between true Pac fans and the moronic Pac nuthuggers?
Or, as Dallas wit Matt Stolow puts it, if his grandmother had wheels, bells and was painted red, she might be a fire engine.
Fan or Hugger, which are you?
One group has class, the other got left behind in elementary school class.
