I didn’t get a chance to attend the Manny Pacquiao “meet and greet” at the Hiddenbrooke Golf Club last Tuesday. I’m not afraid to admit that I was willing to shell the $150 because it was going to support a good cause — The Manny Pacquiao Foundation. I was also proud to know that, for at least one day, Vallejo was going to make headlines for something positive.
Since I couldn’t attend, I read the Times-Herald article to see how the event went. The article left me the impression that the event went well without a hitch and everyone came away happy. Then, I started to read the message boards … then the Filipino Channel coverage … and the follow-up article in the Times-Herald (which was also reprinted in the Contra Costa Times). As a result, Vallejo is, once again, the laughing stock of the Bay Area.
Because I wasn’t there (and there are a million different explanations why the event went awry, not to mention the many fingers being pointed at one another), I have no idea who’s at fault for this event. What I do know is that professional athletes rely heavily on their inner circles to help navigate their everyday lives. So, it’s likely that Pacquiao didn’t even know there was supposed to be a “meet and greet” portion of the event.
Since 2003, I have helped manage the business and personal life of an NBA player (he retired after last season). My job was to help him with all of his affairs off the court so he can concentrate on basketball. Most of the time, he was Advertisement
unaware of the many distractions that tried to reach him on an everyday basis (so-called business proposals, superfans hounding for autographs and pictures and bogus associates looking for a job).
It’s always difficult holding an event when it involves a professional athlete, and it hardly ever turns out perfect — but it always turns out OK at the end. And if it doesn’t, we would hold ourselves accountable and do whatever was necessary to make things right. In the case of the Pacquiao event, people were quick to be part of the promotion, but were just as quick to blame each other once they realized there were going to be many angry fans.
Now that I think about it, I now question the $150 that was charged at the event. If anyone knows Manny Pacquiao, they know that he does not normally hold fundraisers and — in fact — he donates a large portion of his own money to help people in the Philippines. His generosity once prompted trainer Freddie Roach to express his concern over the possibility of Pacquiao giving all of his money away. And if you’re the owner of eight championships in eight weight classes, it’s hard to explain why a fundraiser would even be necessary.
Because of the lack of accountability, the ultimate loser in this mess is the city of Vallejo. This was an opportunity to show the Bay Area that Vallejo more than a bankrupt city. It was a chance to show that it could play host to professional athletes and global icons.
What’s done is done. We cannot turn the hands of time. But Vallejo does have a shot at redemption next summer. Pacquiao agreed that he would sing in Vallejo’s annual Pista na Sayon in June. If that’s true, we can only hope for better planning, better organization and happier fans.
Chris Navalta
