Pacquiao got advance from TV network

By Ronnie Nathanielsz, Manila Standard Today

MANNY Pacquiao asked for and received a substantial amount of money as an advance from broadcast network ABS-CBN after he signed an agreement giving the network the telecast rights for his May 2 fight with Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Standard Today, www.insidesports.ph and Viva Sports learned about the advance amid indications that Pacquiao repeated what he did when he first signed up with Golden Boy Promotions, received $500,000, including $250,000 in cash from Oscar de la Hoya and just as quickly turned around and signed a contract with Top Rank Promotions for which he reportedly received $1 million.

On Thursday, Pacquiao announced on ABS-CBN that he was moving to the network, which aired some of his previous fights and gave him $4 million to bankroll his fight against Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum.

But he had a change of heart after a meeting with Solar Sports president Wilson Tieng and chief operating officer Peter Chanliong, as well as lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal, Canadian adviser Michael Koncz and business manager Eric Pineda, among others.

While it was Pacquiao, who personally announced that he had approached ABS-CBN, which was confirmed by Solar Sports vice president for marketing Jude Turcuarto on the Saturday afternoon show of former Senator Freddie Webb on dzMM, it was Gacal who made the announcement on TV regarding his change of heart.

Flanked by Koncz and Pineda, Gacal read Pacquiao’s statement, where he apologized to his fans for the confusion caused by his flip-flopping.

In fact, Gacal informed ABS-CBN vice president for Sports Peter Musngi that Pacquiao wanted to meet with him to personally apologize, and perhaps, return the money, but as of press time, the meeting had not taken place. Pacquiao wanted the ABS-CBN executive to go to his Palazzo apartment which, at that time, was crowded with people from Solar Sports, GMA-7 and the people who usually hang around him.

Malacañang entered the picture as Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, in an interview over radio station dzBB, said: “We are all fans of Pacquiao. He has given much honor to the country. He has become a unifying factor. I am glad our friend has settled the matter with Solar Sports.”

Meantime, conditioning expert Alex Ariza laughed off claims that Pacquiao had a hard time against Jorge Linares last Thursday and said they wished the World Boxing Association champion would give him a good workout but he didn’t.

Pacman blames ABS-CBN

As seen on Philstar.com

Manny Pacquiao yesterday claimed that the news video aired by ABS-CBN, which showed him rescinding his contract with Solar Sports, was not supposed to have been shown at all.
Pacquiao said he did not want to go on air and announce that he has switched back to ABS-CBN until it was established that his contract with Solar, good from 2007 until 2011, had indeed been violated.

“Ginawa namin yung video statement basta ang usapan itatago lang at hindi muna ilalabas (We did it based on the agreement that it was for embargo),” said Pacquiao in a phone patch from LA.
“Ayoko muna gumawa sana ng video. Sabi ko titingnan ko pa ang Solar contract kung may violation nga (I didn’t want to make a video because I wanted to see first if my contract was violated).

GMA Network chairman and chief executive officer Felipe Gozon (third from left) welcomes the decision of Manny Pacquiao to honor his contract with Solar Sports and GMA-7 during yesterday’s press conference at the GMA building. Others in photo are (from left) Solar Sports COO Peter Chanliong, Solar Sports chair William Tieng, and GMA Networl EVP and COO Gilberto Duavit, Jr.

“Walang violation so hindi dapat nilabas. Abugado nila ang gumawa ng statement (There was no violation so it shouldn’t have been shown. Their (ABS-CBN) lawyer prepared that statement,” said Pacquiao.

What’s quite ironic, if Pacquiao’s latest statement is true, was that he once again appeared over ABS-CBN last Friday, saying, “My decision is still the same. Watch my fight with Ricky Hatton on ABS-CBN.”

ABS-CBN later announced it wouldn’t make a statement, according to network executive Kane Choa. The other day, the station said it was letting go of Pacquiao.

“Is there anything new? I thought we’ve let go (of Pacquiao) as per yesterday’s statement. But from what I know it was Pacquiao who dictated the timing (of the news video),” said an ABS-CBN insider.

“Manny Pacquiao approached ABS-CBN to be his media partner in airing his next fights. We thank him for trusting us. He signed a contract with us, but we will not stand in the way if he decides to change his mind. We respect it (Pacquiao’s decision to honor the Solar contract), wish him good luck and we wait to hear from him,” said ABS-CBN in a statement the other day.

The video, shot in the balcony of Pacquiao’s LA apartment, was aired Wednesday evening over ABS-CBN, and triggered a very heated argument between ABS-CBN and Solar/GMA-7.
In that video, Pacquiao said Solar erred in delivering part of his payment for his May 2 fight with Ricky Hatton, so he decided to rescind the contract and switch back to ABS-CBN.

“After a thorough thinking, I have decided to approach ABS-CBN and I have decided to renew my partnership with them. This is my own decision,” said Pacquiao in the news video.

“Sabi ko sa kanila huwag muna kami gumawa ng video pero sabi nila ‘gumawa na tayo pero itatago muna namin ( I told them let’s not make a video but they said we go ahead and keep it for the meantime),’” said Pacquiao without saying whom he was talking to on behalf of ABS-CBN.
Faced with a legal battle with Solar Sports and GMA-7, which may take years and cost him millions, Pacquiao recanted his statement last Saturday after he established that his contract was not violated.

“Everybody makes mistakes. Again, I apologize. What I learned from this is that I’m wiser now than yesterday,” said Pacquiao, drawing laughter from those listening to the phone-patch interview.

“Next time I will really think it over and not get carried away by emotions,” he said during a press conference at the Skyline Restaurant on the 17th floor of the GMA-7 Bldg. along Edsa.
He assured everyone that the incident won’t happen again.
In attendance were GMA-7 chairman and chief executive officer Atty. Felipe Gozon, chief operating officer Gilberto Duavit, Solar COO Peter Chanliong, and chairman William Tieng.

“It’s time to move forward. It’s all in our hopes that Manny Pacquiao triumphs in his coming fight,” Duavit said.GMA Network also said it welcomed the decision of Pacquiao to retract his earlier announcement and honor his contract with Solar Sports.

A profile of a young Warriors of great potential — Anthony Randolph

By Angelo Merino

Oakland, CA—At 6’ 10", 205lbs, Anthony Randolph, Born: Jul 15, 1989 in Wurzbach, West Germany at 19 is the youngest player in the NBA today. On June 26, 2008, Randolph was the 14th pick by the Golden State Warriors. In his very first professional game, playing in the Summer League for the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Randolph scored 30 points on 12-18 shooting, made 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and blocked 2 shots.

Randolph went to school in Pasadena, California, and Little Rock, Arkansas, before coming to Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas as a junior. Playing for Pat Washington at Woodrow Wilson, he averaged 25.8 points per game and 12.6 rebounds as a senior. He was named to the first team All-Area Dallas Morning News boys basketball team and had 21 points in the 2007 Round-ball Classic in Chicago.

In college, Randolph made an impact on the court immediately, as he had six blocks in just the third game of his freshman season. He was the only LSU Tiger to start all 31 games. Although the team ended up with a 13-18 record, Randolph finished strong, averaging 20.1 points during the last nine games.

Although Anthony has a long way to go on this league, he is being compared to players whom the leagues considered amongst most exciting player on the court today. His high-energy blocks and acrobatic dunks keeps spectators off their feet and alert for what more daring moves he is going to do next. Anthony is getting much more confident and accurate in his perimeter shots too. He is a player of great potential.

My prediction, if Anthony will stay with Golden State, free from injury and of the same tutelage from Coach Nelson, Smart, Jackson, etc., he will be a player that teams be closely guarding and will not be long to be a member of the all star team—NBA.

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