Does he or doesn’t he? Only his haberdasher knows for sure.
The question is whether Manny Pacquiao uses steroids, and it was raised this week by Floyd Mayweather Sr., which doesn’t exact give it any journalistic validity. Pacquiao is far more powerful at 144 pounds than he was at 124, but that’s probably because 144 is closer to his natural weight. He doesn’t need steroids, and I think he’s too sensible to use them.
Still, I couldn’t help noticing in recent photos that Manny’s head is really huge, almost O.J.-like, especially compared to that of Nov. 14 opponent Miguel Cotto.
The issue was put in perspective at AT&T Park, where we watched Barry Bonds’ skull grow faster than his home-run totals. Pacquiao’s noggin wouldn’t seem to stand out in those environs, unless the opposite is true. His head has always been large, and perhaps the Barry Bonds get-up conveyed an inappropriate subliminal message as to why.
This has been compounded by other Pacquiao-Cotto publicity tour stops such as Yankee Stadium, where comparisons to Babe Ruth are inevitable.
Head size is apparently a longstanding issue in baseball, as this Sports Illustrated anecdote involving Pete Rose and Ty Cobb attests.
When Pete Rose was chasing Ty Cobb’s record for most career hits, New York Times sportswriter Dave Anderson asked Rose how much he really knew about Cobb. Rose, being Rose, indelicately answered, “I know everything about Ty Cobb except the size of his c—.” Of course, The New York Times — the Gray Lady — could not report it quite that way. So the quote was delicately repackaged like so: “I know everything about Ty Cobb except the size of his hat.” Rose was furious. He knew damn well that Cobb’s hat size was 7 5/8.
But I digress. The question germane to Mayweather Sr.’s accusation is not whether Pacquiao requires a Size 9 hat but whether he requires a significantly larger hat than he used to.
Editor’s Note: Colin Seymour has a tiny head.
