"It is impossible to read the background on the nonfight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao without concluding that Mayweather is afraid of the Filipino congressman. Mayweather wants to retire unbeaten and wants to tell the world he is the greatest fighter of all time, but he looks more like a good fighter who picked his spots and ran from trouble at the end.--GENERAL SPORTS COLUMNIST Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe, on Boston.com, Sept. 2, 2010
Dan Shaughnessy is an old friend of mine, going back to the long ago when he wielded a sometimes poison but nearly always on target pen for the now defunct Washington Star.
Like me, he came into journalism as an ink-stained wretch.
Shaughnessy has been a mainstay, the power hitter or David Ortiz if you will, in The Globe's sporting lineup for many years.
Shaughnessy eats, sleeps and breathes baseball, which is the beat from whence he came, but he also devotes ample commentary to the fate of the football Patriots and the basketball Celtics. But it's easy to see the NBA as his second love behind MLB and the Olde Town Team (Red Sox).
So you could've knocked me over with a feather(weight) as I inhaled my bran loaded cereal flakes this morning and saw the above "item" near the top of his random notes column.
Funny thing is, after leaving Wednesday's Margarito-Pacquiao presser, I was wondering what the sports media beyond the boxing division and what the general public thinks about the continuing chasm between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps.
The masses are pounding the table for this super bout to get made and these birdbrains cannot even get together in the same office board room to discuss it. They work only by telephone and, apparently, by carrier pigeon and their "calling card" is the same as that left by the pigeons in the park.
Shaugnessy claims no boxing expertise, he doesn't know the difference between a tainted handwrap and a tainted burrito, really.
He practically invented "the Curse of the Bambino" (Babe Ruth, who was sold from Boston to the Yankees) but I doubt that Shaugnessy has covered any boxing event since the Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler era.
But that's not important.
What is important is that p.r. war between the Mayweather and Pacman camps has long been over.
The continuing silence from Al Haymon, from Floyd's shadow Leonard Ellerbe, and the occasional sputtering of the Golden Boys along with Team Pacquiao's orchestrated public stance has created a giant wall of suspicion about Mayweather's motives.
It's as if Team Pacquio keeps throwing out propaganda and Team Mayweather has quit on its stool or thrown in the white towel of surrender.
Shaughnessy, like millions of others, believes Floyd walks like a duck, talks like a duck and may logically be assumed then to be ducking Manny.
I'm reminded of the old movie about mentally anguished Red Sox player Jimmy Piersall, who once climbed a backstop in a frenzy.
It was entitled "Fear Strikes Out."
Maybe "Duckweather" can borrow the title because that is the public perception.
And you can take it from me, fans, as not only am I as honest as the midsummer day is long, I am also completely netural--like Switzerland during wartime--on the Mayweather-Pacquiao divide.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Comments
"these birdbrains cannot even get together in the same office board room to discuss it. " THESE includes Pacman, as he is part of the negotiations.
A Filipino Congressman with birdbrain, that's insulting!
- You're neutral alright!!
Marley is referring to the "Mayweather and Pacquiao camps". So yeah Manny is included. OUCH!
He's talking about them promoters. Not the Boxers.
Whatever you say mayweather will never ever fight the pacman.period
Floyd knows that if he ever fight Mr. Manny Pacquiao that he will get a VERY BAD BEATING... He is SCARED STRAIGHT of Mr. Manny Pacquiao... Floyd's families, friends, trainers, managers and promoters knows that if he ever get in the ring with the PACMAN that he will get KNOCKED-OUT... PERIOD... Floyd is just a YELLOW BELLY COWARD FLOYD CHICKEN... PERIOD!!!!
MM did not say Manny's dumbass. That's a metaphor of both teams not being able to negotiate with each other...more like both parties do not know what to do..therefore morons on their own expertise.
HELLO I AM BAAAACK!!!! FLOR MAE WEATHER IS BACK...HI GUYS...MWAAAA, MWAAAA, MWAAAA....
But I CAN NOT BE BOTHERED. I AM IN A BEAUTY PAGEANT...AND I WILL WIN AND I WILL BE CROWNED...MIIIIIISS UNIGIRLS!!!! SEE, MY RECORD SOON WILL BE 42-0...
Hail to MAE WEATHER ... no fighter could ever do that!!!!!
If you were actually comfortable with how the world see's Mayweather and Pacquiao you really wouldn't feel the need to keep digging up things like this. Pacland just needs constant re-assurance I'm afraid.
Most boxing fans have read the interviews, and know full well that Pacquiao walked out of a signed deal for the first fight, over drug testing. And refused to make any real concessions for the second either.
Manny just won't take full random drug tests. If he did, he'd have had the first fight, let alone the second
blood test again ! when will you guys stop this non sense. it is not even part of boxing rule, this is just an excuse, a coward is a coward. the entire world knows this. no more excuses. your guy is the most coward boxer ever existed, real chicken
You bet..AGAIN. So just take the test.
No 14 day limit
Jakey oh Jakey...
Where have you been boy? How often do you read boxing news? Haven't you heard that Pacquiao agreed to full random testing up to the day of the fight? It's in the news boy. Go, read more!
Its really sickening to see how gayfeather fooled stupid boxing fans into believing his blood circus crusade demanding that it should be random when he himself did not adhere to it cutting at 18 days ha ha ha...Another thing these morons who keeps on insisting about this blood crap are totally unaware that this useless method has never caught any juicer in the olympics ever since its introduction and i dare anybody here to produce any documented case where an olympic athlete got caught juicing with this crap. The bogus fighter's purpose in demanding this bullcrap is just to annoy Pacman but in reality the bogus fighter has no intention of facing Pacman.
You are living in denial! Manny never walked away from blood testing.
You know nothing but everything the Mayweathers, Tygart and their cohorts say, which you swallow hook line and sinker, beceause of your ignorance, bias and even racism.
Considering the very biased views and stances of Tygart and the Mayweather camp, it is very possible that shady acts can be done during blood drawings and the handling of Manny's blood/urine samples. So,if there will be any kind of blood/urine testing outside the standard tests, Tygart & his outfit should never get involved at all because they are under a dark cloud of doubt.
Open up your brain to receive untainted info, Jakey501!
Mayweather will never ever fight the best in welterweight especially the pacman. huh
Just tell your "COURAGOUS??" idol to man up and face Manny Paquiao.
blood test again...
,,,in the first place if maynevergayweather didnt ask for it then we already have hospitalized duckling...
...and whats the difference of random drug testing until the fight night and right after the bought, yousee if manny is on roids woudnt the thing be detected aslo after the fight...
...you see manny is not an ordinary boxing anymore he is a legend now and no ugly duckling will just dictate anything he wants to the king...beside Pacman always reiterate that he will abide whatever rules the commission put forth so if they say random then manny will do random but the thing is the commsision had independently verified for fighters to have their blood taken very close to the fight so they also set their cut off dtae which manny agreed also....
Mike, go on any boxing boards in the world, and at least 50% of the fans will be just as critical of Pacquiao, as they are Mayweather.
Guys like you and your friend Shaugnessy, write for casual fans, who don't even buy fights. Anyone with a brain.
You write for reads. Write for a pat on the head from Arum. Everyone knows the difference between the actual truth, and what hacks like you come up with to sell an article.
Roger Mayweather came out last week and said that the fight never went anywhere, as Manny refused to agree to random drug testing.
Did Manny or Arum respond? Hell no.
Of course that's the reason.
Dennis 'dSource' Guillermo is worse.
"Dennis 'dSource' Guillermo is worse."
Oh hell yeah. I read an article once where he said "only real fake fans hate the Manny vs. Margarito fight. Real fans want to watch it"...................
Mayweather jr. ducked away from Pac. That's the main reason. Plain and simple. Deal with it
If you believed roger mayweather, then let me show you my summer vacation house up at Mt. Everest I'd like you to buy.
yeah, you're right, steve. believe in the mayweathers when they say the filipino warriors were into a-meth whatever as early as centuries ago, and that they were oblivious to bullets. case closed.
As many fans think Pacquiao is a drugs cheat, as they do Mayweather is a ducker.
That's fans for you.
No that's called stupidity sprinkled with a bit of ignorance.
FACT: Pac NEVER tested positive for any banned substance. There is NO proof what-so-ever to even hint anything out that Pac ever used any steroids or PEDs. This BS all started from a hater better known as Floyd Sr. after Hatton got laid out.
FACT: Mayweather is a ducker! How long has Mayweather been in the WW division? Minus SSM name another ELITE WW that Mayweather has fought? Didn't fight Cotto, not Margarito (he even came up to Mayweather and said that he wanted to fight him), and the most obvious ducked Pac.
So let me get this straight, you got Mayweather that was quoted saying that MP is "one-dimensional, has no skills, and would get whooped EASIER than JMM & SSM" BUT and that is a resounding BUT MP needs to take this drug test even though FMJ would still whoop him easier than both JMM & SSM?
That makes absolutely no sense, this goes to show that FMJ is a certified coward and graduated with honors. You got FMJ talking all this crap but yet can't take HIS OWN advice and "step up to the plate?"
If that is not obvious enough to see please get your eyes and your head examined, I could smell the BS from the Mayweathers ever since the 1st negotiations.
BLAH...BLAH...BLAH......
Just take the test....full random no limit!! What's that? WHY?
Hey "BLAH BLAH" why don't you take Floyd's vagina out of your face first and read up on Marley's past article. Pac did agree to Mayweather's testing demand WITH no cut-off date INCLUDING 60/40 split, EVERYONE including MP, Arum, and HBO was trying to make the fight happen. The split was going to be 60/50 in technical business terms. The 50% that MP was going to get 10% of that was going to come out the pocket of Arum and HBO. Obviously they wanted to make the fight happen unlike Mayweather.
See that's how I know you're frail, with that asinine post that you made and can't even put up a good post to debate what I wrote. Oh wait that's right it's because it's the truth, and at this point when you're backing a fraud like Mayweather, truth hurts.
Mike from PTI: "You're a coward!!" <---- That's truth for ya.
The vast majority of fans are now pretty suspicious that Manny is drugs cheat.
And if Manny passes random drugs tests, and doesn't win, his entire career will be tainted (if it's not already) as people will think he only won all of his fights because of PEDs.
Mayweather won the PR war a long time ago
Mayweather's PR is brilliant!! Let the crowd decide for themselves.
Floyd is ducking...yes, because Manny is a suspected drug cheat.
Correction. Mayweather jr. lost the PR game a long ago. When he ducked the best dudes at WW.
Pacman did not fail any tests whatsoever. mayduckerchickenweather failed the courage test.
Aah, floyd won the PR war. Is that why Manny got Nike endorsements and he (pussyboy) got the mediocre ones?, ha haha.
If Pacquiao fans were genuinely happy about what people think about both fighters, they wouldn't need to be reassured every single day.
Dragging up regional articles from the boxing globe?
50% of the sport think Pacquiaos just as much to blame. And a heck of a lot of people think he's not taking the fight, because he's a drugs cheat.
Floyd wins
More than 50% now believes he's a drug cheat. Even fellow Filipinos.
TAKE THE RANDOM TEST......NO LIMIT
You're right. People are questioning Pacquiao's entire career, after refusing to take random tests.
Stupid to say Manny has won the PR war. He's the big loser
Pacman passes all test conducted by the NSAC. Never been tested positive by any substance. Deal with it. Don't let Floyd Jr. pollute your minds.
NSAC tests??!! That's it. It's a JOKE!!
EVERYONE knows their tests are inferior and insufficient to detect EPOs.
Pac did agree to the testing with NO cut-off. He even accepted the 60/40 that Mayweather wanted. Get your facts right. Dana White was even disappointed in Pac because he agreed to what Mayweather wanted when it came to the testing since White (and alot of other people) believe that it is NOT the fighters job to dictate such testing and that it should be left to the Commission.
The drug testing debacle was OBVIOUSLY a ploy from Floyd to duck the fight but needed it to happen to thye SSM fight to not make it look like he did that to duck Pac.....obvioulsy.
FACTS, we're talking about FACTS. Who has the FACTS? What you have are perceived facts.
Yes, it's a fact Pacman said he agreed to FULL RANDOM testing, but when? During the negotiation or 2 days ago?
Who has the FACTS, show the evidence. Until then, Pacman's word against the world.
News circulated long before that MP did agree to FULL random testing and not just "2 days ago" research can be such a friend if you took the time to actually do it.
Anything can be ON THE NEWS. News from a blogger? hardly 'news'.
The one you consider "news" are only documented speculations/hearsay.
If you're in denial then any piece of news stating that Pac agreed to the FULL random testing will just be denied from your POV. The man agreed to the testing whether you like it or not and that's the truth. Google is your friend I suggest you use it. You don't even have to Google sh!t, if you have a sound mind with a bit of common sense then you should be able to smell the BS from the Mayweather camp. Common sense isn't so common nowadays.
Don't know about the rest of you but I won't respect anyone that talks a boatload of sh!t and at the same time throw in hurdles and road blocks making the fight harder to make. And then talk more sh!t as if you ain't the one to blame. That's pussies galore.
If Pac was the one pulling that BS, then I'd say f*ck that coward.
HELLO I AM BAAAACK!!!! FLOR MAE WEATHER IS BACK...HI GUYS...MWAAAA, MWAAAA, MWAAAA....
But I CAN NOT BE BOTHERED. I AM IN A BEAUTY PAGEANT...AND I WILL WIN AND I WILL BE CROWNED...MIIIIIISS UNIGIRLS!!!! SEE, MY RECORD SOON WILL BE 42-0...
Hail to MAE WEATHER ... no fighter could ever do that!!!!!
No offence, but if Michael Marley or Bob Arum says anything, I think it's probably BS. Boxing fans are intelligent Mike. They know how the sport works. If Manny would take full random drug tests, Mayweather would have nowhere to go
Brilliant!No were to go?How about 70-30 for duckweather favor, using pillows instead of proper gloves,making fight in his gym so on and so never ending demand.
I would rather believe M. Marley and Bob Arum than the mayweathers, and that's a fact.
The simple fact is, if Manny would take full random drug tests, Mayweather would have nothing else.
As long as Manny just keeps refusing to make concessions on this, he's always going to be blamed just as much as anyone else
MP agreed to the 2 biggest demands from Floyd which includes drug testing with no cut-off and 60/40 for Floyd. Get your facts right, this writer (Marley) even wrote that (minus the ca$h split) in a past article.
Nowhere during the negotiations Pacman agreed to full random testing. He's just saying it NOW.
Research it smart guy, there were even debates in MP's actaul website whether MP did agree to FULL testing or not, guess what the outcome? Oh and btw that was more than 2-3 weeks ago.
AND SO NEGOTIATIONS ACTUALLY HAPPENED? WHY WERE THEY DENYING ABOUT THAT! WERE THEY AFRAID WHEN PACK AGREED?
Pages
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!