RIO DE JANEIRO–Isn?t it bad enough that I am now contemplating death by feijoada?
I will have to cycle from Leme to Bogota and back to work off the tradtional Brazilian Saturday luncheon feast.
Now I see something or more accurately someone has slithered out from under the rock from whence he came.
Yes, I am talking about the Lost Angeles Boxing Examiner, the Cuban Snake, Ricardo Lois.
And I read where Lois is banging body shots into the solar plexus of poor Sugar Shane Mosley.
Lois contends and, for once I agree with him, that this proud man and superb Hall of Fame boxer has been reduced to lowly beggar status in his daily whining about why he and not Miguel Cotto should be the next Manny Pacquiao foe.
But how about a check up from the neck up on the messenger here before we go any further, ladies and germs.
You may want to shoot the messenger here, Pacfans, because it should not be forgotten that this is the same Internet gunslinger who empited all his bullets on Pacquiao before he fought Oscar De La Hoya.
Indeed, the same guy who is now hammering Mosley wrote that Oskie was going to pulverize Manny, wounding him so bad with a two fisted assault that Pacman`?would do the crackhead dance?as he writhed in hellified pain.
Here?s how Dennis Gasgonia of ABS-CBN covered the resulting brouhaha:
War has already erupted three months away from the ?monumental battle? between Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao and international boxing star Oscar de la Hoya. The conflict, however, did not take place inside the ring. And it?s not yet between Pacquiao and de la Hoya.
Rather, it sparked over the internet where sports analysts and commentators squabble over a ?scathing? remark about Pacquiao?s chances against the bigger de la Hoya.
The ?war? started when Boxing Confidential.com writer Michael Marley quoted his executive editor Ricardo Lois as saying that ?after Oscar hurts Manny with a left hook to the brain,? Pacquiao will be ?doing the ?crackhead? dance.?
The same article which was titled, ?Lois: Oscar’s Left Hook To Brain Will Make Pacquiao Do Crackhead Dance? also quoted the executive editor saying that the Filipino boxer ?might do the Zab Judah crackhead dance mixed with some Thomas Hearns wobbly, wobbly. It will be great to see that.?
Lois was also quoted as saying that such an incident ?will make up for what we?ve had to put up with Pacmaniacs over the years.?
The article was posted on Boxing Confidential.com on September 17.
Nathanielsz defends Pacquiao Two days later, Filipino boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz criticized Lois for the remark.
In his article titled, ?Hate has no place in boxing, most of all from journalists? posted on Philboxing.com, Nathanielsz said that what distressed local analysts was Lois? ?seeming hatred for Pacquiao?.
?To put it bluntly that?s a cheap shot,? he said in the article. ?How in the name of sanity if not fair comment can a boxing writer in the position of Lois draw satisfaction for the irrational and sometimes vicious and vulgar comments by Pacquiao fans by enjoying the demolition of Manny ? if it happens at all??
Nathanielsz stressed that Lois? seem to want the spectacle of seeing Pacquiao suffer to savor the joy of getting back at some of the Filipino?s rabid fans.
?We expected more class from an American boxing writer but then again, that may be too much to ask just as it is in expecting some foul-mouthed Pacquiao supporters to change their ways and bury their seeming hatred,? said the veteran boxing commentator.
Yes, it?s true that Lois crafted a written apology but it was slathered with sarcasm.
Lois refused to properly dine on crow and humble pie when it was his turn in the barrel.
He gave it a quick?`my bad` and then kept rolling.
Ordinarly, folks, I am forgiving. Ordinarily, I say do not blame the messenger, blame Western Union or AOL os someone else.
But this is just the same as in judging a chef, one must consider the sauce.
Bottom line, Lois makes Benedict Arnold look like a team player.
This Foe of Pacquiao, this enemy of all that is good and holy on this side of balut and San Miguel, is now an FOP, a Friend of Pacquiao.
The devil wears many disguises, my friends.
He doesn?t always come at you wearing the red outfit, belching fire and bearing that plastic pitchfork.
Sometimes he comes out from under a boulder slithering as only a seprent can slither.
Suddenly, shockingly, Lois is an angel dancing on the head of a pin. Suddenly, he objects to a qualified opponent going on the beg to land a Pacman bout and the resulting jackpot attached thereto.
The key question here, folks, is why.
Why is the expert who predicted Manny would ?do a crackhead dance?now looking out for his best interests?
Lois reminds me of the great Cus D?mato saying, the one that says people who are born round don?t die square.
Believe me, Lois has more angles than a poolroom hustler.
What?s his angle here?
He is not now, nor will he ever be, an FOP.
Inquiring minds want to know.
And that, my friends, is the boxing truth.
Three final words for tried and true Pacquiao fans, especially the nuthuggers, when it comes to Lois.
Don?t trust him!
He?s already bitten you once.
I wouldn?t stand on the same corner every day when you know a drive by shooter is around.
Fie, fi, fo, fum.
I smell a Pacman foe, not a friend.
