There?s a downside to social media. Anything that pops into our heads or appears on our iPhones, however inane, is grist for the mill that has reduced discourse to the lowest common denominator.
For some, that?s fine and dandy. It?s the coin of their realm. For others, it?s another excuse to howl at the moon. But when one is the highest paid athlete in world, that old chestnut, ?discretion in the better part of valor,? especially holds true.
An image of Oscar Le La Hoya appeared on Floyd Mayweather?s Instagram account over the weekend. Above the head of the troubled Golden Boy are the words MEANWHILE IN REHAB. Below the photograph it reads: OSCAR: I gave Canelo the wrong Blueprint I was high.
No doubt someone associated with Team Mayweather laughed themselves silly, and it wasn?t the punctuation they found so funny. They posted it on Instagram to spread the good cheer but the aftershocks came at once.
Money May, sensitive to public relations, was not amused at his underling?s poor taste. After hopefully demoting whoever it was that saw fit to circulate this nonsense, Mayweather released a statement disavowing any knowledge and denying approval of the lame attempt to be amusing:
It?s unfortunate that a stupid picture was posted to my Instagram account earlier today that was not posted by me or authorized by me to post.
As I clearly stated during my fight week and again in the post-fight press conference, I completely support Oscar De La Hoya and his family during this difficult time in his life. Although we have had our differences in the past, I stand by him unconditionally and would never personally disrespect him or anyone else who struggles with addiction.
I apologize to Oscar and his family for this posting. I wish him well and am rooting for him to win his fight too. I also apologize to all of my followers for this ridiculous post. I have no ill-will towards anyone and have repeatedly stated that I only seek positivity in my life and for others.
This is a distraction, and a pointless one at that, but at least Mayweather cleared the air, at least for now.
