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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Oyson: RP is ‘selective’ in idolizing sports champs?
By Manuel N. Oyson, Jr.
Counter Punch
I hate to say this, but it seems that Filipinos are elective in so far as choosing and idolizing sports heroes. They also have short memories. To hear it from noted sports columnist Recah Trinidad of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manny Pacquiao is the flavor of the nation. Let me add that Ray “Boom-Boom” Bautista and Brian Viloria, who shared center stage with Pacquiao last Sept. 11, were just the icing on the cake.
The whole county erupted in ecstatic jubilation when Pacquiao stopped Mexican Hector Velasquez in the sixth round of their WBC international super-featherweight fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Immediately after Pacquiao was ushered out of the boxing arena, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo promptly went on national television and congratulated Pacquiao. It was a great opportunity to score pogi points, hard to miss.
PRAYERS HEARD? She was bound for New York to preside over a meeting of the UN Security Council. The epic triumph of the three Filipinos was the adrenaline that she needed to buoy up her sagging stock after being hounded by the pro-impeachment calls and protest rallies the preceding weeks.
With Pacquiao’s victory, PGMA could not resist claiming on TV: “God heard my prayers that he win. His fight is the fight of all Filipinos.” She was light hearted when she went on TV, compared to previous appearances where she pouted a dour face, her words lacking fire and sincerity.
Let me just say that Filipinos love and idolize a sports hero when he is on top of the crescent. The moment he is gone, only his name is remembered, his exploits all but forgotten. There are some former world champions who still can count on a few friends who are not whether-whether lang, Let us take the case of Luisito Espinosa, who was nicknamed the “Tondo Boy” and proud of it, to associate him from the squatters’ area in Manila from whence he grew.
He was better than Pacquiao and ruled two divisions longer in his prime.
PENNILESS. He held two world-boxing championships for seven years, bantamweight and featherweight (with two years in inactivity). Cebu’s Dodie Boy Penalosa is the only other Filipino who was a double world champion: Light-flyweight and flyweight. The Philippines was not in a political crisis during the years 1989 to 1997. Cable TV was not so widespread during the years when he was at his peak. He did not attract such media hype then as Pacquiao does at present. His world title wins merited just enough newspaper space befitting his stature.
When he defended his WBC featherweight crown against Carlos Rios of Argentina in the “Rumble at the Mountains” in Koronadal, South Cotabato on Dec. 6, 1997, Espinosa’s career went on a downward spin. It continues to this day. For one, he is almost penniless. The promoters of his fight have yet to pay him his purse of $150,000 (roughly P8 million). The case he filed against the promoters, including a former provincial governor and a boxing promoter, are still hibernating in a Manila RTC.
SELECTIVE. Espinosa even appealed to PGMA in an open letter in the newspapers to help him collect his delayed purse to take care of his family in California where he went after the GAB and the promoters ignored his plea for help. He also asked his godfather, businessman Eduardo Cojuangco, to bankroll a fight for him to earn money now that he is jobless.
But the latest word is that the California Boxing Commission has stopped him from fighting again following four straight knockout defeats. He has been knocked out permanently. With practically no one to turn to, Espinosa has found an angel in Lito Atienza. The Manila mayor has booked two Philippine championship fights as main events a month from today. It will be televised.
Dubbed “Fight for Love,” the card will be exempt from amusement taxes since the proceeds will be given to Espinosa to support his court battle against the promoters in the Cotabato fiasco. Even the use of the San Andres Gym in San Andres will be free.
Spearheading the project is North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, himself a former sportswriter. RP lightweight-champion Fernando Montilla defends against Dexter Delada, while Bernabe Concepcion challenges Eric Barcelona for the latter’s RP junior-bantamweight title. Madame PGMA, Espinosa may not be what he was 10 years ago, but are Filipinos only flavor-licking when a sports icon is on top and no longer when he is down and out? We are not selective in recognizing sports champions, are we?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I don’t know how we can win medals in the Olympic Games with this kind of treatment for sports development.” – Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez on the slashed budget of the Philippine Sports Commission from P70 million to P27 million next year
(mno@sunstar.com.ph)
(September 27, 2005 issue)
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