Tuesday, November 07, 2006 Sayson: Stamina, superstition and Pacman’s flaming trunks By Homer Sayson Secondovertime
CHICAGO - With Pacquiao-Morales III just around the corner, my Inbox is beginning to clutter with e-mails about the highly anticipated Nov. 18 fight. Allow me to share a few of the interesting letters.
Joseph Pardo of UC Main (joseph.inseptember@gmail.com) begins the fireworks with his knowledgeable take on the upcoming event: "I'm not a boxing guru in the mold of SunStar Cebu columnist Jingo Quijano, but I believe Pacman will win, by KO inside 10 rounds, or by unanimous decision beyond it.
"Erik's battle to reduce weight will sap the power of his fists and legs, not to mention his stamina. If Erik's handlers will tell him to do a Barrera, he's dead. Pacman cuts the ring sharply, reducing it into a one square meter battleground. Also, Manny has the stamina to go a full marathon."
I agree with you Joseph, I think Manny will win, too. But it won't be as easy as you make it sound. Erik's reported struggle to make weight isn't as dire as his last tango with Manny. And El Terrible, having trained in seclusion for weeks now at the Otomi mountains in Mexico, appears to be in superb physical shape.
Javier Javier (javjavier1975@yahoo.com.ph) asks: "In various interviews at different TV networks, Freddie Roach said Pacquiao will knock out Morales between rounds three to six. He also said a KO will occur on Round 7 or no later than Round 12. Why is he tentative? Is he boastful or very confident?"
Given the incredible number of microphones he has to answer to, I wouldn't get it past Freddie to give varying predictions, but cut the man some slack. He is not a prophet. Freddie is neither tentative nor boastful. He's just supremely confident that Manny is the better fighter than Morales.
John Zantino-Soon (tikoyski@yahoo.com) wonders: "As the Grand Finale nears, one thing bugs my mind. What color will the Destroyer's trunks be for the grudge match? In the first fight, he wore the flames of fire that was red with the everlasting No Fear logo. He abandoned it in the second fight in lieu of the lesser flames in white and won. This time around, is it better for Pacman to wear black with the flames on it? Just being superstitious."
I don't want to make light of your superstitious nature, John, but it doesn't really matter if Pacquiao's trunks will be black, white, red or fuchsia pink. The Grand Finale will be won or lost by skill and will, power and stamina.
KOBE AND THE LAKERS. Rey Higgins (ohiggins31@yahoo.com), who pens his address as "overlooking Mabolo and Mandaue" offered the following: "The Buss-Bryant Show will never make it to the championship level. Wonder what Jerry West thought of the Shaq trade, did he call Riles? How long will Kobe's marriage last? Which will come first, the trade or the divorce?"
I don't like Kobe, but I hope he would never go through a divorce. I've been through a broken marriage once, and I can't begin to tell you how tough it was. There are no winners in this kind of fight.
Anyway, a trade involving Kobe is hihgly unlikely, his $136 million contract petrifies a lot of owners. As for the Shaq trade, it's water under the bridge. Let's just leave it at that.
Perhaps fed up with my occassional jab at the Lakers, a certain Justin Oh (asdf991155@yahoo.com) e-mailed me his rebuttal. In sending his message across, however, he sadly felt the need to call me a "dimwit."
Look, I'm notorious for being sometimes harsh on my readers, but I've never resorted to name-calling or character assassination. It's unacceptable in a family oriented newspaper like Sun.Star Cebu.
Anyway, Justin protested: "You really think last years squad would have magically consumed all of the triangle?... Last year, Kobe basically played with pain the whole season...Know that he's gotten surgery, he'll fell as good as new."
Oh Justin. your ill manners are your parents' burden, not mine. So I will let the "dimwit" remark slide.
But I insist you learn the following: Get a refresher course on the use of apostrophes, a sign indicating that we are talking about a single Lakers season, not a decade.
Don't be too cute with your choice of words, you'll only end up being vague and silly. You see, the triangle offense is not some food that can be "consumed," it's a knowledge or techinique that needs to be absorbed. And finally, unlike the word "knife," you don't need a "k" to spell the word "now."
I may be a "dimwit" but I'm also smart. But hey, isn't a smart dimwit an oxymoron, Justin my dear?
P.S. TO MY BANKING FRIENDS....My good pal Romy Comabig, branch manager of RCBC Consolacion, told me yesterday that their work force will all troop to SM to watch the Pacquiao-Morales III rumble this Nov. 19 (Sunday). Enjoy!
Greetings to Voltaire Rosal and his peers at PS Bank Cebu Jones. A lot of PS bankers root for Pacman with gusto. They religiously follow the NBA, and they are loyal fans of this column, Rosal said. Thanks for the support, guys... (homsay@hotmail.com)
