By Superstar Billy Graham
Reading countless articles, posts, and arguments concerning Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., The Superstar can definitely say the Filipino fans or more appropriate “Fanatics” are like the protective family watch dog. Nobody better try to harm the family or the family watchdog will come charging with all teeth bearing and take a chunk of your family jewels. The Superstar understands why Filipino fanatics are so protective towards Manny, majority comes from patriotism and sharing the same nationality. But another reason why Filipino fanatics protect Manny is not only Manny represents the Philippines in such a positive way but he is in truth the first legitimate Filipino superstar that has crossed all boundaries. He is famous not just in the Philippines but throughout the world. He brings national pride like no other has done before him. Just by looking around the area The Superstar lives, he can see so many Filipinos wearing shirts either bearing Manny Pacquiao’s image or logo, but wearing shirts that bear the Flag of the Philippines. National pride really has not been this evident since Manny Pacquiao came into the scene. So anything negative about Manny Pacquiao will bring swift, and angry response.
The Superstar read a response from a reader that made a point; the Philippines is known as a country that manufactures performance enhancement drugs. This reader does not present any proof or evidence. However, it mirrors the response from Floyd Mayweather Jr. said over a satellite radio station “don’t you know the Philippines makes the best enhancement drugs?” If the Philippines is one of the leaders of making the best performance enhancement drugs, they are surely not reaping the benefits since the Philippines have never won a gold in the Olympics, and the Summer Games. In fact , the last Filipino Olympic medal winner was 1996 Mansueto Velasco. Close to 90 years, only 9 Filipinos have won an Olympic medal. They didn’t win one single gold medal. So if the Philippines makes the best enhancement drugs, then the Filipino athletes are not reaping the benefits of its country best commodity.
So now, we have Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao who is the number one Pound for Pound best boxer in the world, suddenly he is accused on partaking performance enhancement drugs. It seems that the country of the Philippines who has their first legitimate highly successful world class athlete, is now being accused to taking performance enhancement drugs. You would think Manny Pacquiao’s brother Bobby Pacquiao would be a beneficiary of Manny’s using performance enhancement drugs. But Bobby’s success in boxing was not stellar. The reader does not understand if you look at some of the recent Olympic gold medal winners who were caught using performance enhancement drugs, you won’t have to look far particularly in the United States, namely Balco client Marion Jones, other American Olympians were caught using steroids, namely Harry Reynolds, Mike Stulce, Jim Doehring, and Randy Barnes. Now if we go further in sports, just how many US athletes have been caught using steroids? Lets just say a lot.
We all know about Major League Baseball, and the NFL. But now, we have ONE Filipino athlete who has finally cracked the sports barrier being regarded as the greatest Asian athlete in history, and then suddenly is labeled as a cheater. The United States has had many shares of scandals of their athletes using performance enhancement drugs, so throwing stones at the Philippines reeks of hypocrisy. So be opened minded and understand why the Filipinos fanatics are so protective toward Manny Pacquiao. They are trying to revive and preserve national pride that will bring a positive worldwide spotlight. The people of the Philippines have suffered crippling poverty to heavy corruption in their government, and finally they have one person who has brought national pride. Now, they feel someone is trying to take it away, namely Mr. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his supporters. So they are just fighting back.
Excuse The Superstar being off topic, a friend of The Superstar called and reminded The Superstar’s comment on Ricky Hatton. It was during the fight with Clottey vs Pacquiao. The friend pointed out on Manny’s entrance they were showing Ricky getting knocked out over and over at the biggest High Definition TV in the world. They did the same thing at the Cotto fight because the knock out was very devastating. The Superstar told the friend in exact words “watch, Hatton will be pissed off at this.” And the reason is it will be on every Manny Pacquiao video entrance montage. They will not show it once or twice but repeatedly. The Superstar told the friend, Hatton will say something to make the knock out of Hatton questionable suggesting it was from something illegitimate. Hatton will try to distance the legitimacy of the knock out by suggesting it was due to steroids. And The Superstar was right on the money and the Superstar’s friend gave props for predicting it like Nostradamus. Ricky Hatton is just bitter because Hatton probably was getting a lot of flack and ribbing from that scary knock out. And what better way to discredit that knock out by suggesting Manny Pacquiao was on steroids or performance enhancement drugs.
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