Fair Play: Friends, wine and stories in PAL media golf

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's Feb. 26 edition)
I MISSED the first few days of the PAL Interclub coverage due to the Thirsty Cup and other responsibilities, but I made sure to attend the awarding ceremony of the media tournament last Tuesday night at Lantaw SRP.

This particular media awarding was unique as it’s the first time that the Manila writers, who usually dominate the tournament, are not in the top three. Nimrod QuiƱones won the event, and a cool round trip business class ticket to the US (for the May 2 fight?), while Rey Fortaleza of Canada and Imee Garcia of Sun.Star Davao got the second and third places, respectively.


Nimrod, the lone representative from Cebu for years, said it was his first time to win the tournament, though he’s led them a couple of times. Next year, I hope another Cebu entry gets to keep it.

This year also marked the return of Charles Maxey, formerly the sports editor of Sun.Star Davao, to the tournament. Nope, he didn’t join--they don’t make golf holes big enough for Charley and I--but he’s here to cover the event for Edge. And knowing Charley and how he works, the Edge just got the edge in the sports and business pages.

Of course, the PAL interclub isn’t complete without the legends Jake Ayson and Al Mendoza around and PAL’s very own Charles Erojo, whose voice will shame those pretenders in the voice.

And, perhaps just like in any gathering of sports buffs recently all over the world, the topic shifted to Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, and Al, who covered the Thrilla in Manila, sees the American winning by decision in the first of three fights.

Remember what they said about having no rematch clause in the fight? Well, that’s a load of baloney and I think Sir Al is right that the May 2 fight is just the curtain-raiser for a trilogy. It’s business and a trilogy makes everybody laugh their way to the bank.

Al pointed out the boxer’s ages and said the next two fights in the trilogy will all happen before May 2016, unless you think that watching a 42-year-old Mayweather fight a 40-year-old Pacquiao is enjoyable? Manny’s share of the purse P3.5 billion, but a portion of that goes to his trainers and the bulk to Kim Henares’s BIR.

So this latest trilogy will do wonders for his fiscal health.


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