JUST LANDED, NEWARK AIRPORT?There is a feel good factor in the wake of Manny The Magnificent?s virtuoso performance in battering Oscar De La Hoya into retirement.
It reminds me, on a lesser scale, of the public mood when Barack Obama?s message of change was accepted by American voters.
It doesn?t matter if you?re Fil-Am or an OFW working in Nigeria, you?ve got to be excited and delighted by the National Fist?s marvelous effort.
Pacman specializes in entertaining people, making people happy, and millions around the world had some extra pep in their step, some glide in their stride, this Sunday.
You could even temporarily forget the terrible economy. Manny?s Season?s Beatings job on Oscar De La Hoya brought a lot of cheer to a lot of people.
Some of them were showing it even 35,000 feet in the air on a Continental Airlines flight.
There were about 10-15 Pinoys on my flight back from Vegas and one of them was a skinny boy, about 10 years old. As he passed my aisle, I gave him the thumbs up sign and said, ?You saw Manny fight.?
The youngster?s smile was so bright it could?ve lit up the entire airport.
I also spoke to a young man who seemed to be of drinking age and he was also over the moon about his idol?s great victory.
This guy had the funniest line about meeting and tossing down some drinks with future Pacman foe Ricky Hatton.
The Pac fan ran into the boozing Brit in not one but in two different casino bars.
?Nice guy, down to earth,? the Megamanny follower said, ?but I?ll never bet on any fighter who is hanging out all night drinking with me.?
Best laugh I had all week, folks.
