In the sport of boxing, there is probably no other boxer who’s got fans that are as passionate, loyal and, at the same time, as criticized as Manny Pacquiao’s.
An article that just mentions his name spells hits and almost instant money into the pockets of website owners. It’s the same reason that many articles about Pacquiao are often lacking in quality since the main goal most of the time is to post as many articles about him as possible.
But no matter what anyone says about the so-called ‘pactards,’ they have arguably been good for the sport. They helped keep the sport alive during its struggles. Without them, a number of boxing sites wouldn’t even exist because they are the most active as far as following their hero and expressing their opinions.
You don’t believe me? Take a moment and observe some of the biggest boxing sites and count how many Pacquiao articles are posted on a weekly basis and how many news about the pound-for-pound king are recycled.
Still, some of Pacquiao’s fans need to realize that their hero is only human and can make the same mistakes as any other person. When he does, writers have the right to talk about it as much as they do about other boxers.
There’s nothing wrong with being passionate about a certain athlete, especially if it’s Pacquiao, who has brought so much to his country, but it’s another thing to passionately follow one blindly, since it can even be detrimental to the athlete himself. How many times have we seen athletes, who are constantly praised, end up making questionable decisions at the end that often lead to catastrophic results?
A perfect example is Tiger Woods, an athlete who was loved by most and many found difficult to criticize because of possible backlash from fans or fear that he might not attend their tournaments. The truth was that he was doomed to fail from the start because he was put on a pedestal that was impossible to reach or maintain. Actually, a constructive criticism once in awhile and a sense of vulnerability can be great assets for an athlete.
Recently, Dennis Guillermo of Examiner.com wrote an article titled, “The more the MANNY-er”: Examining Pacquiao’s ever growing entourage and current camp that expressed some of his experience during a visit to the Wild Card Gym that drew the ire of Pacquiao fans.
I, for one, can attest that Guillermo’s article is accurate as I was there at the Wildcard at the same time. Pacquiao is well-known for treating his fans well and I can say that personally since I’ve even seen him stop his car after training just to sign and take pictures with his fans. It was not Pacquiao’s fault as much as his handlers. As much respect that Pacquiao deserves, the same respect is also deserved by his fans that have loyally supported him throughout his career.
Many of the fans who came had traveled from distant places and sacrificed their vacation to see their favorite athlete. Pacquiao did not have to sign or acknowledge them to prove that he cares about his fans because we all know that he does. But out of respect for his fans, his handlers should have advised the crowd to leave and not make them wait for hours, as they could have spent those precious times to enjoy themselves or take care of other personal matters. If some still opted to say, then that was at their own risks.
Some fans also couldn’t help being insulted by the fact that Pacquiao’s handlers were trying to escort Pacquiao from the gym to the Thai restaurant undetected. There’s nothing wrong with it if it’s done properly, as Pacquiao deserves time to relax and enjoy some private times with close associates, but when it’s done blatantly, obvious to the fans that have been waiting in line by the gym’s stairs, then it’s easy to understand why some fans felt dismayed, especially if they had just spent $90 on pictures, such as one person did.
As far as the criticisms of Pacquiao’s entourage, I don’t follow Manny consistently, even though I don’t live too far from the Wild Card and never had a bad personal experience with them. But many of those who have, which include some of the most respected personalities in the sport, more often than not, have harsh criticisms for them.
If you think Mr. Guillermo’s criticisms of Pacquiao’s entourage were harsh, then you might need to sit down and put any needed medication at close disposal if you were ever to hear some of the inside information that’s often been told about them.
Although it should be noted that, as a group, Pacquiao’s entourage shouldn’t be generalized, as some of them do serve a purpose and have the best interest of Pacquiao at heart. Actually, in most cases, some of the harsh criticisms are targeted at specific members of Team Pacquiao.
Some may criticize Pacquiao for failing to control them, but that is almost impossible considering his busy schedule. Instead, Team Pacquiao needs to police themselves and control those who are giving their group a bad reputation.
