Fair Play: Bashing Nonito Donaire Jr. and football vs. basketball

POOR Nonito Donaire Jr. After vaulting to the top of the boxing world for a world-class beating he gave Fernando Montiel, he is getting a Montiel-like beating from fans for his off-ring moves.

First was his feud with a few sportswriters, which ironically, occurred after his feud with his dad got solved.


Now, he’s getting hammered for jumping from one promoter to another, from Top Rank to Golden Boy.

His wife, Rachel, too, is getting her fair share of the bashing for the excuses she gave for the move—that hubby, among other things, was being overshadowed by Manny Pacquiao in Top Rank.

But were the Donaires being ungrateful for shunning Top Rank in favor of Golden Boy?

I agree, Rachel’s excuses were pretty lame at best and I think the best thing she could have said was nothing, but I think they shouldn’t be faulted for jumping ship.

Donaire’s 28 and at best, has only four years left to build a nest egg for the rest of his life, unlike you and me.

Taking advantage of the best offer out there, for your family’s future, is the best move. That’s why I think it would have been better had Rachel said it simply, “Signing with Golden Boy is the best option.”

I mean guys out there in the real world do that all the time, right? Somebody offers a fatter egg, you jump companies in a jiffy, friends and co-workers be damned.

Why deny the Donaires such option?

Is that being ungrateful? Do you think your friend who left for a better-paying job is ungrateful?

Besides, Donaire just jumped promoters, he’s still the same boxer. It’s not like he jumped from Man U to Chelsea, from San Miguel to Ginebra, from Ateneo to La Salle.

As to the legal ramifications of his jumping ships, I don’t think GBP and Donaire’s representatives are that stupid that they’d sign Nonito up if Arum still has a valid hold on him.

And boxing, like most pro sports, is not about loyalty, it’s about the best business decision, right? If it’s all loyalty, Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. should have fought ages ago and the top European clubs should have local talents.

Boxing is all about the best business decision, so why should promoters monopolize the business side of things?

FOOTBALL VS. BASKETBALL. I was one of those who always wanted to see football upstage basketball. That was back in the days when nobody really gave a rat’s ass about this sport, but the funny thing these days is I spend too much time telling fellow fans to go easy on basketball.

The Azkals Challenge Cup matches in Myanmar will clash with the PBA games on Wednesday and Friday and I know some fans are relishing the conflict, to show that football’s got more bite than that other game.

But I’m hoping otherwise.

I wish the Myanmar games will show that football and basketball in this country can co-exist as fellow No. 1s (ahem). The guys who love the Beautiful Game will have their fix, while those who want to follow the PBA can have their regular dose.

Just do your own thing this week and leave those who want to do theirs, in peace.

But if you share one TV set with a basketball fan, well, you could say, “Come on, it’s not like we have live Azkal games every Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays…”

I’m still curious though, if both the Azkal and the PBA games will be aired live at the same time this Wednesday and Friday, which match do you think will attract a wider audience?

Comments

Bogs said…
-I was one of those who always wanted to see football upstage basketball. That was back in the days when nobody really gave a rat’s ass about this sport, but the funny thing these days is I spend too much time telling fellow fans to go easy on basketball.

We've got the same view about this, but now I get to enjoy the PBA games as well because of the fact that Football is being supported already. Good way to develop an "abundance mentality" character, at least for Philippine Sports.
rhk111 said…
The problem with Nonito, is that he has a beautiful, sexy wife who is also very ambitious, and who is causing lots of trouble in terms of his business dealings.

I pity Nonito, because with the type of wife that he has, she is the type who will leave him once he runs out of money.
Mike Limpag said…
Don't be too quick to judge Rachel.

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