America may think he's damaged goods but Pac, just like Boxing is bigger than America

Dennis "dSource" Guillermo Sports Examiner January 19, 2010 America may think different of Manny Pacquiao these days, especially after his name has been unjustly associated with EPO and performance enhancing drugs, but just as the saying goes, "sticks and stones..". http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID10947/images/Manny-Pacquiao56(1).jpg See, this is America nowadays. We love eating our own. We fancy seeing our celebrities shoot up to superstardom, just so we can watch them on TMZ crumble back to earth or nit-pick and read about their flaws and shortcomings in the magazines. If the story sells, regardless of how little facts a writer, broadcasters or ESPN analysts have on the subject matter, they will roll with it. As one Teddy Atlas said, "we are paid lots of money for our opinions". My colleague Michael Marley up in the Big Apple published a well written piece recently entitled 'Why America looks at Manny Pacquiao as damaged goods'. It was so well-written that I just had to write something based on it. In the piece, Marley wrote, "Manny Pacquiao, damaged goods. Now on tour in Texas, New York and California. If Manny Pacquaio does not always wear earmuffs, then he can surely hear the giggles, the snickers and the whisper behind his back. If Manny Pacquaio does not wear blinders like the carriage horses who clip clop around Central Park, then he can see how Americans of all descriptions are looking at him differently now, with a jaundiced eye. Like I say I don’t think Pacman is deaf or dumb so he must know what the “man in the street” thinks when he hears his name or sees him. Cheater, drug user, not the marvelous fighter that he’s been billed as. Pacquiao is damaged goods, friends, and whether he has been unjustly accused or not, some of that damage is irreversible." I mostly agree and somewhat disagree. The only part where I feel dissident is the part where it says some of the damage is irreversible. Fortunately for Pacquiao, he lives in the Philippines. He is in America to make dollars, but he goes back home each time to his country to spend it in peso. What does that tell you? Pacquiao probably does not care about what 'America thinks' as much as these mainstream media people think. Whatever America's 'man on the street' thinks-- you can include Joe the Plumber and Hillbilly Bob as well-- Pacquiao does not have to live with it. He actually answered that question manufactured by mainstream media on why would anyone walk away from 40 million dollars because of some blood tests. I have to say mainstream because hardcore boxing fans and most of those who follow the sport closely don't even buy this line of thinking unless it's the pro-Mayweather outlets from his hometown or those who have their ties. A lot of unbiased people simply go by what they've seen. They just haven't seen any significant red flags like how Pacquiao moved up in weight (3-5 pounds gained in the past 5 years) nor the way his body is ripped. These people I am talking about include Harold Lederman, Timothy Bradley, Roy Jones Jr., John Chavez, Ricardo Lois (people think this guy is a Pacquiao hater), Larry Merchant and many many more. These are not nameless reliable sources but real hardcore followers of the sport and if not fighters themselves. In an interview with a local TV station in the Philippines before he left for his press tour in Dallas, Pacquiao clearly stated with conviction that he could care less about the money. He has made plenty already and knows he'll be making more even without Mayweather. The guy is not greedy. He has practically given away more than half of his earnings. Further, he told the TV station that he fights for his country's honor and legacy. All this blood drawing and baseless steroids claims his opponents are spreading to him is simply a ploy to make him weaker and easier to beat on fight night. Because unlike Mayweather, Pacquiao never belittled Floyd's ability. In fact, he considers Mayweather as the ultimate challenge. With that said, why would he come in and fight weakened and compromised? Pacquiao does not just fight for checks like Floyd proudly says he does. Pacquiao fights to win- for honor and glory of his country. SO if America can not fathom that, too bad. But life goes on for Manny Pacquiao. Just in case you haven't realized, all these baseless accusations and negativity all these American media and Golden Boy Promotions together with Team Mayweather have conjured up against him, have even united and made his fans pull harder for him. And unless there's any facts to dispel his innocence, Pacquiao's name will continue to be fragrant. What can I say? This issue can go either way. As much as people will say Pacquiao's fans are blinded, easily they too can be called gullible and blinded by mainstream media, ignorance and prejudice. All they got are theories and doubts, no tangible facts. Fact is, it's American media we are talking about, but America is just a part of the world. There's a whole different level of consciousness outside it and quite honestly, they may not be as simple-minded as America's 'man on the street'. More so, Pacquiao may be 'damaged goods' to some, but is that really news? Didn't his haters say he just beat up a dehydrated Oscar Dela Hoya, a damaged Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto and older washed-up Mexican legends? What else is new? You can't please everybody, and definitely not America. Haters will hate; his fans will believe. But the thing is, what Atlas said isn't really the only word on the street. I am also hearing a lot who consider Pacquiao a modern day Robin Hood; a man of the people being bullied to a corner by the real thieves that steal from the people. Pacquiao has exposed Mayweather's ducking habits to the world. After all, it was Floyd who went out of his way to bash Pacquiao in the past and his father even said that regardless of whatever Pacquiao is taking, that 'steroids does not give you skills' and that his son would still easily beat him. What ever happened to walking the talk? And for Floyd to insist Pacquiao to do these strenuous and intrusive blood tests simply showed how concerned he was of someone he said he would easily beat. The facts are all on Pacquiao's side. And if the speculation slants America's vision of him, that speaks more about America, not Pacquiao. Can you imagine if LeBron James or Peyton Manning were subjected to these kinds of baseless accusations? And it's not that Pacquiao is unwilling to take tests, he just doesn't want them near the night of competition. In fact, he recently tested negative in a random surprise drug testing the Nevada State Athletic Commission demanded for him to take- just like the rest of the times he has taken them. You can insist that blood testing will not weaker a fighter or what not because Michael Phelps had his blood drawn and still won gold in the Olympics and all that, but Phelps is not boxing. Pacquiao stated right after his loss to Erik Morales in 2005 that he felt dizzy, weak and did not have the same power in his fists after blood was taken from here just 48 hours before his fight. Phelps and swimmers don't have weigh-ins. They don't get their heads pounded and cut when they compete. If Pacquiao is speaking from his experience, then who are we, especially all these people who are not Pacquiao and have never competed at the level he has in boxing, to tell him he will not feel weakened? And didn't an Olympic runner say this: 2008 Jamaican Olympics sprinter Asafa Powell said in an article publised by Yahoo.com, Asafa Powell complained he was tested excessively during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, in which he won a gold medal as a member of his nation’s 4 x 100 meter relay team. “I got pretty upset two days ago because since I have been here, they have tested me four times,” Powell said during the 2008 Games. “They’ve taken so much blood from us we’re going to be very weak before the final.” The issue is, when you are free to say whatever you want and have an opinion, popular opinion does not mean the right opinion. And here in America, where Youtube, tabloids, TMZ, marketing and ESPN influence so much of the public's opinion, a Filipino who lives oceans away and has a hard time expressing himself completely in English is such an easy target. Fortunately for Pacquiao, he could care less what America thinks. Just like he says, he fights for the glory and honor of his countrymen. And if you look around, Filipinos today love and support him more than ever and sooner or later, America will come around too. Just like Mark Twain wrote, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." Thing is though, "a lie may have speed, but the truth has endurance". Unless proven guilty, Pacquiao will be forever innocent. America's opinion really doesn't change anything. Pacquiao will go down as one of the greatest. Barry Bonds had people with proof batting against him, but against Pacquiao there is nobody and nothing. Sooner or later, even the gullible minds of America will realize that. After all, not all media, is mainstream media. If they're looking for the truth, tell 'em to go straight to 'dSource'. http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID10947/images/StraightFromDsource.png