1. As a husband and father, he should preserve his health and use his energy raising his family as a non-boxer, something he is well-equipped to do.
2. As a congressman, he must devote more time (the time he spends in training and fighting which is about three to four months a year) to his constituents in Saranggani. Congress should file a bill (I’m sure Coach Roach would file it if he could) requiring him to quit, for his own good, for his family’s good and for the country’s good. That is, if the Speaker is brave and wise enough to do so.
3. He has nothing else to prove – he already has 8 belts. 8 is a well-rounded and double-rounded figure connoting infinity or completeness. There might be better boxers than him; but he has proven he is the best in all 8 divisions. 9 could be unlucky for him. As they say, stop while you’re ahead.
4. He should stop punishing himself and others, in that order. “Galing ko, aray ko!” (My secret to my greatness is my ouch, to paraphrase the ad) Pacquiao claims, commercially. In reality, genuine “galing” or talent (or literally, wellness) involves keeping yourself “unstained” in this world. So, one might do well in one area but miserably fail in another. Or, more graphically, your face might be stainless (pun intended) but if your body or hands are blood-stained or spotty, you cannot attend the Great Banquet in Heaven. So what’s stain-ful about boxing? Next item please. . . .
5. Manny should stop making himself a tool of those who run gambling shows and joints. Or of those who simply want to gamble. For boxing is one big gambling event. Having the fights in Houston and not in Las Vegas does not make it any less a gambling extravaganza. As they say, in Texas, they do things in big or bigger ways. Back home, I saw one of his constituents in Saranggani say that he was looking for someone to lend him his whole month’s salary which he wanted to bet on Pacquiao. Retiring and teaching his people to make more decent and lasting means of livelihood would make the Champ a real social change-agent and values-reformer.
6. Proof of this exploitation that Manny allows himself to be a tool of is the fact that Margarito was chosen precisely to make the fight more exciting and to sustain the interest of people (and gamblers): a much taller opponent with a longer reach. Before the fight, I had to doubt Manny was going to stop Margarito, not because I knew Pacquiao was better but because I knew what promoters were thinking. (That Manny was up for the challenge made the whole thing more thrilling. And so many bought into it.) You can be sure that they will do the same thing the next time around, whether it is Mayweather or not. It seems now nobody will fit the tab or even dare take up the challenge. I hope that is enough reason for Manny to quit now. Unless the promoters come up with another wild idea, like resurrecting Pancho Villa – now that would be one show indeed. Maybe Manny should just make that dream-movie and make as much money. We can still see him fight and win. The gamblers can still bet if the movie will make money or not. Besides, there are many ways to reinvent boxers. For Manny -- the lawmaker, the singer, the actor and the product-endorser -- the list is endless.
7. Boxing is a cruel sport not so far removed from the bloody gladiatorial bouts in ancient Rome. Everybody loves a winner but not everyone loves a winner who punches peoples’ faces to a pulp. We all love a hero but not all would want to honor someone who makes a living by hurting others. Yes, it is only sports but one that has sent many to death or a coma or dealt them with broken bones, Parkinson’s disease or damaged organs. People who have fun watching boxing, whether they admit it or not, have a degree of sadism in them that allows them to feast upon such a melee. (Manny himself wanted the fight stopped but the referee, who must have been instructed by the promoters to keep the fight on, had no other choice. "Kill or be killed" was the gladiator's motto.) It is among the original reality shows and one that has survived because people feed upon the boxer’s cruelty and vice versa. Without equally bloodthirsty fans, the gladiators in Rome would not have made good money for their promoters. Why would the Romans spend so much for a huge coliseum if there was no money in it? (I like to believe the early Christians kept away from those fight-to-the-death games; but today this Christian nation literally stops to watch Manny’s fights without losing much sleep over it. Nah, it even holds feasts to honor St. Pacman!) If only for this reason, Pacquiao should retire right now.
8. And finally, in the eighth round, Manny has built so much goodwill among his country-folk and throughout the world that he has enough to make him an effective leader and an ambassador of goodwill. Starting from his hometown, he can show what anyone with the guts and talents can accomplish and thereby lead others to make their lives and their communities better. Fighting is all about perseverance and dedicating yourself to your goals in life, one that Manny has shown excellently as an athlete. Manny Pacquiao has attained his goals, he has reached the peak and he has garnered the wreath of honor. All that he needs to do now is to lead others to be where he is now, unparalleled and unchallenged – at the pinnacle of triumph. The Philippines remains in shambles today. We desperately need more people like Manny who can develop the courage and determination among the people to make their country a Victor and not a Loser. How much happier we would all be if the country earned the billions and benefited from them through a productive and equitable national economy and not just one person who regularly wins a boxing fight?
Take the challenge, Congressman Manny Pacquiao! Be the true leader God wants you to be.
(Painting above: Pacman in action against Diaz, an oil painting by John Murawski.)
No comments:
Post a Comment