GQ has a profile on Manny Pacquiao.
What’s more, Pacquiao is an unimaginably wealthy self-made man who could easily make himself even wealthier by moving to the United States to decrease his tax liabilities and multiply his endorsement opportunities. This is, in fact, the Philippine way, and has been for more than a hundred years; Filipinos who dream of building better lives for themselves and their families go to America and send money home. But this is not Manny Pacquiao’s way. Because…he is Manny Pacquiao. And Manny Pacquiao has chosen to find his bliss at home. “Not just in the Philippines,” says Abac Cordero, who covers boxing for The Philippine Star. “In his hometown. The place he started. You cannot understand how this has stunned us Filipinos. That Manny Pacquiao chose us.”
I’ve always found the narrative arc of heroes and villains in professional sports more interesting than the fights themselves; something about the evolution of a character’s mythos makes a sport worth watching.
(Here’s a highlight reel for Manny. For shits and giggles, here’s a reel for Roy Jones Jr. (which I find to be a showcase of unbelievable speed and agility).)
Timmy does it again. By one of the slimmest margins in the history of the award, Tim Lincecum nabs his second consecutive Cy Young Award.
I just heard about this off-road sidecar racing deal so I had to go searchin’ for some answers.
I’ve been curious as to why the default broadcasting angle for a pitcher-batter face-off is offset to left field. Slate has a quick history lesson on camera angles and why most broadcasts show the game at an angle rather than dead-on from centerfield. The video comparisons of breaking pitches and how they cross the plate is staggering.
I am completely mesmerized by his setup and delivery. The replays add an extra ‘wow’ when you can see his knuckles nearly scraping the mound.
Since I’ve been on a baseball rampage since the new season started, I’ve had a few baseball articles I’ve been geeking over. An interesting one is from the SF Chronicle contesting the micromanagement of high pitch counts in baseball.
New York Giants pitcher Joe McGinnity, known as “Iron Man,” didn’t start pitching in the major leagues until he was 28. Five times, he pitched both ends of a doubleheader. He worked an astounding 434 innings in the 1903 season, and over his 10-year career racked up 247 wins and 314 complete games. Get this, though: Wandering through the minors until he was 52, McGinnity collected 204 more wins.
It’s interesting how inflated payrolls and contracts changes the perception of stamina and the spirit of the game against the practicality of protecting your financial investment. Pitch count has been an issue, apparently, for major league umpires as well.
The San Francisco Pacifics played against the Fremont Aces in Golden Gate Park last Saturday in an old-school vintage showdown.
Ken Griffey Jr. Slugfest
Ken Griffey Jr. retires.