Breaking (?) News: Jerry Jones has flatly rejected Bob Arum’s nomination of “Flea Circus” as the nickname for the big fight, saying, “My billion dollar stadium is not to be confused with some sleazy flea circus!”)
It’s been said that parsimonious Bob Arum only gives away ice in the midst of an Artic blizzard.
It’s been rumored that the Top Rank head honcho thinks Tipping is a city somewhere in China.
But now Uncle Bob is dipping into his own overstuffed pockets to offer a public service to any and all media who turn up at this week’s Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquaio press conferences in Beverly Hills, New York and Arlington, Texas.
You’ve heard, I’m sure, of the smash hit TV program ?Glee Club.?
Arum and his minions are calling this ?Flea Club.?
As a reaction to Yahoo boxing scribe Kevin Iole’s column in which he lambasted Pacman for fighting the disgraced handwrap cheater from Mexico, Arum believes the right thing to do is to delouse all media types BEFORE they can become infested with pesky, irritating fleas which might be already already dug in deep not only to Margarito and the Pinoy Idol but also their camp followers.
?Iole wrote that Manny has laid down with a flea infested dog meaning Antonio,? Arum said. ?He is entitled to his opinion but I am not going to let this flea thing get out of hand. We will give everyone from the media a flea gun blast as they enter into the press conference venues.
Arum pointed out that, as a ?rabid? Basset hound owner, Iole might want to check his own house for flea infestation before claiming that others have such problems.
?I am not going to say that Iole is in the Top Rank doghouse,? Arum said. ?Let’s just say that the purple prose he produced, well it just really ticked me off.?
Pacquiao’s promoter said the flea gun shots will be free of charge save for a small ?conveniece fee.?
?We are going to charge $10 as a handling and convenience fee sort of like those robber barons at Ticketmaster do,? Arum said. ?But before anyone start bugging out, what do you think it would cost each media person to hire an exterminator to come to their home or office to eliminate these pests??
Arum insisted there would be no recriminations for Iole’s lashing out at the promotion.
?None whatsoever, although I would suggest that Iole may want to invest in an extremely powerful pair of binoculars as I hear his media seat at Cowboys Stadium may be in the upper reaches of the top deck. He may get a rarefied view of this fight, something like when Brewster McCloud was soaring around the old Houston Astrodome.?
Arum did add that each media person will be limited to one blast from the flea removal device.
?This not an all you can itch situation, I don’t want any of these freeloading bums taking advantage of my gesture here.?
Let’s just hope no media types take ?a powder? on these vital press conferences.
Finally, give Arum a little credit for putting up the scratch which may prevent some scratching.
PRESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION
This Wednesday! September 1 at 11:30 A.M. ET
Chelsea Piers ? Pier 60 in New York
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
NEW YORK (August 30, 2010) ? Ten-time world champions Congressman MANNY ?PacMan? PACQUIAO and The Tijuana Tornado ANTONIO MARGARITO, their respective trainers FREDDIE ROACH and ROBERT GARCIA, along with Hall of Fame promoter BOB ARUM, will host a news conference luncheon to announce PACQUIAO vs. MARGARITO World Super Welterweight Championship. The news conference, which is open to the public, will be held at the Chelsea Piers ? Pier 60 (23rd St. & The Hudson River, New York, NY 10011), This Wednesday! September 1. Media Report Time is 11:30 a.m. ET with the news conference beginning promptly at Noon. Lunch will be served to media following the news conference.
Paid parking is available near the entrance to Chelsea Piers via the southbound lanes of Route 9A, off the West Side Highway, at the entrance opposite 23rd Street. Taxi pick-up and drop-off locations are located at Pier 61 and Pier 60 along the Chelsea Piers Access Roadway.
The U.S. Media Tour, which begins in Los Angeles on Tuesday, will conclude on Friday with a news conference, open to the public, at Cowboys Stadium-East End Zone Platform, beginning at 11:30 a.m.CT. Pacquiao and Margarito are also scheduled to attend Thursday night’s preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cowboys Stadium and MP Promotions, PACQUIAO vs. MARGARITO will take place Saturday, November 13 in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. The $1.2 billion stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, and Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs), of Tijuana, M?xico, will be battling for the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight title. Pacquiao vs. Margarito will be produced and distributed Live on HBO Pay-Per-View?, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
