Manny Pacquiao Fans: Don’t lose any sleep over the Pacman not winning the Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year Award which today went to New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
This is a self-serving award similar to the Associated Press award and other similar awards.
What I mean is that Sports Illustrated covers baseball full blast 45 weeks a year. So it behooves SI to give the award to someone in the nation’s media hub that it already covers if he or she is anywhere near deserving of the award.
I believe if Manny Pacquiao was anywhere close, it was to simply round out the field and make the process look international and democratic.
Timing is also very important. Since I was a child the National Football League always made official announcements of its upcoming season schedule on the opening day of major league baseball.
Everybody is in on it. The main stream sports all last nine months and overlap each other.
Pacquiao fans should take pride in his 2009 and 2010 could be even greater. But put into historical perspective how far he has come in lifting the spirits of his country but balance it with how much further he has to go to actually win the award.
There will be many bigger, more prestigious awards in Manny Pacquiao’s future.
Don’t be upset with Derek Jeter either. If you follwed him, he would have been your second choice because he has many of the same qualities as Pacman.
