All apologies

Is the world really coming to an end? The Mayan calendar may have been a bit off the mark, but it sure seems like it- what with all the unexpected show of contrition going on around us.

Oscar de la Hoya-straight from his rehab hole, has tweeted an apology to both Manny Pacquiao and Bob Arum.

Now I understand why Oscar would say sorry to Manny for all the unfounded accusations or euphemisms about performance-enhancing drugs.

But to Bob Arum? For what? Trying to be competitive with Top Rank?

Hell, there is no shrewder guy in the business than my fellow lawyer Bob Arum. Remember this is a guy who once freely admitted on record to bribing the IBF to get a better rating for his fighter.

Well, whatever Oscar. If it gets you feeling good about yourself and quicker out of rehab, I’m all for it. It’s good for the sport anyway, as Arum seems giddy about making the big fights happen now that the ice has thawed.

But wait. Senator Miriam Santiago has gotten into the act too. The normally feisty lawmaker has also apologized to Congressman Pacquiao for telling the Sarangani representative to stay away from the Reproductive Health Bill debates.

Well, if that’s the way it’s going to be, might as well open the whole damn dam. Let the milk of human kindness and humility gather and flow freely. There are so much more apologies that need to be made. Some of them long overdue:

Don King for sporting the same hairdo since the 70s.;

Mike Tyson for biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear. Yes, I know “Iron Bite” has already apologized to the “Real Meal” live on Oprah, but he should apologize again. Really. The damage was far more sinister than initially diagnosed. Now, Evander has become totally deaf to all our pleas for him to retire;

Felix Trinidad and Oscar de la Hoya for not fighting each other;

An ancient Larry Holmes and Butterbean for fighting each other;

Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones for fighting each other again;

Floyd Mayweather Jr. for not fighting;

Joshua Clottey for waiting till the Pacquiao fight to reveal that deep inside, he’s really just a bashful, mellifluous cherub;

Shane Mosely for thinking he was on the show “Dancing with the Stars” when he fought Pacquiao;

Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko for being brothers;

Antonio Margacheato for stashing construction materials inside his gloves.

UFC 130. It’s mixed-martial arts time once again, and if you’re one of those partial to action-packed fights as opposed to cerebral struggles, then Quentin Jackson vs. Matt Hamill is sure to get your juices flowing.

Jackson is coming off a controversial split decision victory against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in UFC 123. Hamill, on the other hand, is fresh off a dominant win over another ex-champion in Tito Ortiz.

The winner of this fight should be next in line to get a shot at reigning light heavy king, the unassailable Jon “Bones” Jones.

Though Hamill looks to be the stronger fighter, I’m picking Jackson to win this one by decision. In the Ortiz fight, Hamill had some problems with Ortiz’s striking even though the latter is not exactly known for his stand-up game.

As long as Jackson is successful in keeping majority of the fight standing up, he should win convincingly.

PUNCHLINE. “Gumamit ako [ng pills] na hindi alam ni Manny. Kung hindi naman pala siya payag na magpills ako, hindi ko na ginawa,” she said. -Jinkee Pacquiao (www.gmanews.tv)

LAST ROUND. It’s on Sun.Star Cebu’s dapper sports editor Mike Limpag who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers!

(jingo_quijano@yahoo.com)