This is the scene at Barangay San Guillermo in Laoag, Philippines, sent from relatives dealing withTyphoon Mangkhut. Strong winds. Downed trees. But all safe for now:
Tag Archives: Typhoon
Manny Pacquiao helps Typhoon victims, helps himself; He offers up Rios as evidence that Pacman is not some historic video game, but still a force in the pound-for-pound championship boxing picture; Mayweather on deck? UPDATE: About Pacman’s speech
Manny Pacquiao, wet with sweat and Brandon Rios’ blood, took not just Leyte and Tacloban, but the entire country of the Philippines and lifted them up high in the ring.
It may not stop pneumonia or dysentery, but anything positive is better than the trickle of aid typhoon victims seem to getting these days.
And Pacquiao boxing victories, the first in two years, have been in short supply.
Now that we have one, we should see Pacquiao/Mayweather now.
Neither can wait, as time, skills, and fan interest all begin to wane.
But now things are spiking as Mayweather talks his pound-for-pound trash with no one better to fight. And Pacquiao is finally back on track.
Both men want/need the money.
Even Promoter Bob Arum was talking it up BEFORE Pacquiao’s Brandon Rios fight.
It’s going to happen.
Pacquiao did show the world he still has enough gas to go 12 top-flight rounds with anyone after his unanimous victory over Rios in Macao.
Rios was a bigger, but a slower opponent, and coming off a disappointing rematch with Mike Alvarado (who in turn was beaten by Pacquiao’s old sparring partner Ruslan Provodnikov).
Pacquiao was coming off a two fight losing streak–one loss where he was clearly robbed (Bradley), and the other , that knockout to Juan Marquez. I just never saw Rios in Pacquiao’s league, but there was that thought was maybe Manny was on the decline. IT was the only way Rios had a shot.
But Saturday showed talk of retirement was premature for the Pacman. He’s got a lot more life than an old video game. The quick Pacquiao dominated Rios in the hit parade, sometimes exchanging at a 3 or 4-1 clip, (3 or 4 Paquiao counterhits when Rios opened up with a punch).
Still, there were some moments where Pacquiao just did not look nearly as confident as he’s been in the past. Even HBO commentator Roy Jones noticed something in Paquiao’s ‘body language.” Mayweather folks may have seen that sort of thing as an edge F Jr. can exploit in a matchup.
Junior is so much quicker than Rios who seemed to land his most effective punches while grabbing Pacquiao. If Mayweather believes he has that kind of edge on Pacquiao, it could be the confidence boost to finally say yes to the fight without setting up all excuses on drug testing and such that have only mucked up negotiations in the past.
Pacquiao could schedule one more fight, a Bradley fight to avenge the grand theft. Or one fight against Provodnikov, which would be a great fight (and far from a sure win for Pacquiao). But it sure wouldn’t be the same pay day for Manny.
He just had to show exactly where he is at this point. Still a good fighter, but no longer one with a “turn-off –the-lights” KO punch.
That’s why I think Mayweather saw the fight Saturday and saw dollar signs.
The Rios fight did nothing more than re-open the negotiations for the fight we all want to see.
I bet it happens now.
UPDATE:
On the web, I noticed talk about Pacquiao’s speech (presumably from his post-fight comments in the media), saying that Pacquiao should have a translator. Absurd. Pacquiao’s facility to speak to the people is not the issue. His gift is he speaks like a regular Filipino guy.
In the U.S. we have Joe Sixpack. In the Philippines, it’s Juan Cockfight.
Pac does show poorly if you put him up next to a polished public speaker or a professional pol who graduated from the School of Florid Colonial English with a B.S.
That’s when Paquiao’s fists do the talking.
Pacquiao might benefit from a Henry Higgins-type if Pygmalion were “Pac-malion.” But the major selling point of Pacquiao is his “man of the people” charm. He’s just like them. A regular guy who climbed out of poverty in the Philippines to achieve wealth and world-wide fame.
A translator? Let him speak the way he does. Pacquiao just needs policy folks around him if he’s really serious about doing more in public life than being the local pol who brightens peoples’ lives and fixes their potholes.
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Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, Haiyan to everyone else, seems to be the mother of all typhoons
The reports of just 3 dead on Friday night were wistful.
There are now reports of at least 138 , with Philippines officials saying they expecting that number to climb into “the hundreds.”
Philippine Inquirer.Net is reporting a people finder service:
Looking for your loved ones who are in areas devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda”?
The Philippine Red Cross has launched Social Services Restoring Family Links and Tracing Services.
“If you are looking for a family or friend, contact our Social Services Restoring Family Links and Tracing Services, please call 09175328500,” the PNRC said.
Google, meanwhile, is offering its Person Finder service.
It also has a mobile phone version.
“You can request status via SMS by sending an SMS to +16508003977 with the message Search person-name. For example, if you are searching for Joshua, send the message Search Joshua,” said Google.
Read more: http://technology.inquirer.net/31465/red-cross-google-launch-person-finder-services#ixzz2kAkZnfLh
Manila may have been spared, but the devestation appears to be great around the central part of the Philippines, particularly Leyte and Samar.
Leyte was the WWII battle we celebrated last month, the one that liberated the Philippines. If it survived WWII, It will survive the typhoon. But it will take time and help from around the world.
When the typhoon was first reported on Thursday, friends of mine asked me if I had relatives in the Philippines.
I told them as a Filipino American, I’m related to everyone there.
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