I owe Manny Pacquiao at least another post. Although I did not believe he was using steroids, I did express my suspicions in my earlier posts. His latest victory against Margarito proved beyond any doubt (to me, anyway) that Manny is clean. I apologize to you, champ!
Before I continue with the argument for Manny Pacquiao as the new G.O.A.T., let me first differentiate the two superlative words "greatest" and "best". Is there any difference? I see these two words quite often being used interchangeably by journalists and speakers alike to describe a person who is on top of his field. I totally disagree.
Let's go golfing for a moment to allow me to illustrate my point.
Tiger Woods is described by many commentators as the greatest golfer of all time. Manifest nonsense! There is no doubt that he is the best player the game has ever seen, but there is a huge gap between the ‘greatest’ and the ‘best’. Woods' prodigious talent has been severely besmirched by his petulance, arrogance, and glowering bad temper. His contempt for the fans and his utter disregard for the spirit of the game is disgraceful. Add to that his horizontal off-course activities... he is now a figure of ridicule.
Even if he does overhaul Jack Nicklaus’ total of 18 Majors, he will still not hold the crown of the greatest golfer. That title will still be held by Nicklaus. His determination to win many titles was matched by his graciousness in defeat... Who can ever forget Nicklaus conceding a three-and-a half-foot putt to Tony Jacklin at Royal Birkdale during the 1969 Ryder Cup. It is still one of the greatest act of sportsmanship a competitor could have ever done in a game of golf. Jack’s comment later was, “We were not just talking about a putt. We were talking about a man’s life.” That... is the difference between the ‘greatest’ and the ‘best.’
The Case For Manny Pacquiao:
1. There is no other boxer in history who performs public service as an elected government official "while still very much active fighting" in the ring as a professional.
In the Philippines, voters normally choose the candidate who hands them the most cash or who is simply the most famous. I could not disagree more with the general notion that if one has money and fame, he can be elected to any position in government not only as Congressman. But is this true in the case of Congressman-elect Pacquiao?
Pacquiao was soundly beaten in his first attempt at a congressional seat. At that time, he was already the most popular Filipino on earth and had amassed millions of dollars just from his earnings as a professional boxer. What happened to his money and fame?
In his next attempt, he was up against a wealthy family who can match if not better his net worth. In terms of popularity, the Chiongbian family was well known among business circles and the common Filipino who follows the sport of cockfighting. What happened to the family's money and fame? Despite ruling Saranggani for years, the incumbent lost to a neophyte.
It's so amazing to me how people generalize when specifics are called for. Such is the state of the Philippine politics. A true hard worker and sincere politician is never recognized. People who belittle the little Filipino's achievements in the political arena have no idea about the efforts, perseverance, hard-work, determination, and sincerity the man displayed for the people he wanted to serve. The only thing I can say to that is: "Give the Honarable Congressman and our very own Manny Pacquiao a break, if not full credit, for his victories in and out of the ring."
To be continued...
2 comments:
Why is manny pacquiao greater than the rest if not the greatest? Answer, he himself said it very clearly, it's because of his strong faith in the one true God. As he popularly puts it, it's "common sense".
And why are the you best writer in the batch? Answer, it's because you write from the heart. It's "common sense".
classmate tano, i love the accolade but the title of best writer in our batch is reserved for you. i may have more time writing but i do not come nearly as good as you are...thank you for the support.
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