By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
From Time Magazine:
Heroes & Icons
1. Michelle Obama
2. Chesley B. Sullenberger
3. Richard Phillips
4. Seth Berkley
5. Michael Eavis
6. Leonard Abess
7. Hadizatou Mani
8. Rick Warren
9. Van Jones
10. Somaly Mam
11. Rafael Nadal
12. Suraya Pakzad
13. Jeff Bezos
14. Tiger Woods
15. George Clooney
16. Brady Gustafson
17. Sister Mary Scullion
18. Oprah Winfrey
19. Sarah Palin
20. Manny Pacquiao
Mannymania continues to run rampant across the United States.
It seems that every day a new honorific or a new media outlet is profiling the Pinoy Idol.
At this point, we need to start talking about how Pacman has crossed over into the American public consciousness in a way that few prizefighters ever have.
Muhammad Ali did it and, to a lesser extent, superstars such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler did also.
But they were all in their prime years before the Internet explosion.
TV Giant Oprah Winfrey
Pacquiao = media phenomenon. And it just figures to grow exponentially what with the planned superbout March 13 against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
That’s a super platform for our sport’s two most shining lights, smaller in physical stature yes but on a par with the first Ali-Frazier bout in 1971 or the first Leonard-Hearns bout in 1981.
We used to talk about the Filipino fighter possibly crossing over where he would get attention from the wider public which really could care less about boxing.
His charming appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show was just the tip of the iceberg.
He’s already there, folks. Naturally, his promoter, Bob Arum, cosigns this notion completely.
Arum sees it as a beyond boxing media avalanche which will only intensify.
The Top Rank honcho said that former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was on the right track in comparing not their relative importance in world affairs but popularity of Nelson Mandela and Pacman.
“I’m not comparing any boxer to a great leader like Mandela, of course,” Arum said. “But that’s the kind of feeling you get.”
Arum said even non sports fans are getting to know Pacquiao.
“He is admired by people who don’t care for sports,” Arum said. “He’s an exotic because of all the happiness he’s brought to his own people and people everywhere recognize that. People look at him as symbol of hope because he came up from poverty.
“It’s a feel good story with his background and history. It’s resonate with people all over no matter their nationality. He’s long been the icon of the Philippines and now he’s becoming an icon in the United States.”
This may be an avalanche but it’s no snow job.
Source: examiner.com
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