HEY FOLKS, THERE ARE RULES, YOU KNOW
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 26 Oct 2008
Los Angeles, CA:- Today?s training camp activities came out good as usual. That is, if one is talking about the actual part where Pacquiao was involved.
Pacquiao sparred today with Rashad Holloway and they had a very spirited session. The exchange of punches was torrid and intense. It seems today the coaches where zeroing in on defense and on occasional spurts of relentless offense. We can clearly hear them give instructions to Pacquiao regarding the above.
After the sparring, Pacquiao did the usual routines. He did the speed bags, the double bag, skip rope and shadow boxing before he and a select group of trainers retired to the back room to do the secret training routines that is not shown to people hanging out at the gym.
At the beginning of the day?s training, things are cool and Pacquiao by all intents and purposes was focused. This was specially so during the sparring with Holloway. This was so because only a few people were inside the gym and the noise level from the crowd was almost absent. Those who are allowed in the gym during training know enough to keep quiet. They know the rules!
However, after the sparring and when Pacquiao was about to begin the skip rope routine, a bunch of people walked into the gym. Apparently they are very well connected because no one dared to stop them at the gate. Not even Rob Peters, the security chief. They just walked in and proceeded to gather near the gym section where Pacquiao was doing the skip rope.
Freddie Roach was visibly irked by the sudden influx of people. In fact he had a word with Peters. But it seems that the people are known by the Pacquiao people thus they were allowed to be inside and take photos while Pacquiao was in the middle of training.
Frankly, I for one should not even be affected by the goings-on inside the gym. But, as a concerned person and at the risk of alienating many people, including God forbid- the well connected, I feel I must speak to bring the issue to the open. I have to do it for I know that Pacquiao will never say no to people even if their presence affects the training. He is just that kind of a person. As they say back home,:- ?Mapag-bigay?.
With that, it is my hope that people will understand. Afterall, it?s for the good of Pacquiao.
People should know that Pacquiao is not on a vacation that people can come anytime to see him. I am referring to the so called ?friends? who know nothing of what is involved in training particularly for a fight as big as the one against Oscar de la Hoya.
Freddie Roach set gym rules in so far as ?visitation? is concerned. The rules are not meant to keep people away from Pacquiao per se. They are meant to afford Pacquiao
at least a semblance of privacy so he can focus and train in peace.
Roach?s rules are not totally meant to keep the fans and ?friends? away from Pacquiao. In fact he set time after the training for Pacquiao to have photo sessions and autograph signing. This is done everyday without fail.
The rules are simple. Keep out of the gym during the actual training session. If you wish to visit with Pacquiao, wait until he is done and you can see him for autographs and photo sessions. You can even join him for a late lunch at the Thai restaurant nearby if you are lucky enough to be invited.
They are simple and it does not take an Einstein to understand them.
But sometimes, it is so hard to comprehend why people would deliberately ignore the rules, particularly the one that says ?Keep Out?.
I wonder, what in the sentence they do not understand.
Is it the ?Keep? or the ?Out??
Top photo: Pacquiao (right, foreground) and Holloway are having a spirited sparring session today as Roach (3rd from left) and others intently watch the proceedings. Photo by Dr. Ed de la Vega.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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