videosee the video

He is in the car. I am in the car. Physically we are, both of us, in the car. Still, I wonder.

It's now January. In December, I spent a week traversing the Philippine archipelago in a vain attempt to speak with this man. Though it is difficult to arrive at an exact number, it is safe to say that during that week, slightly less than half the national population of 90 million people assured me with a wink that they would get me "in the car" with Manny Pacquiao. But there had been no car. No Manny Pacquiao. (Pronounced like a comic-book sound effect: pack-ee-ow!) I did spend the afternoon of the man's thirty-first birthday in his living room, playing a series of increasingly aggressive Christmas carols on his Yamaha grand piano in a last-ditch effort to flush him from his bedroom. (It was five in the afternoon. He had risen for the day an hour earlier.) But there was no Manny. At 6 p.m., in a single brisk movement, he descended from the balcony—eerily reminiscent of the one on which Al Pacino dies after screaming, "Say hello to my lee-tle frien'!" in Scarface—and out to a waiting caravan. He brushed my shoulder without looking at me as he passed. Or did he? Later, I could not shake my suspicion that the shoulder brush, the whole trip, was a dream. A vivid dream, of a place where every soul and every thing was lit from within by the still, small voice of Manny Pacquiao—Manny… Emmanuel…Hebrew for "God is with us"— but where Manny Pacquiao himself was nowhere to be seen.

But now, at a promotional event in Texas, the first boxer ever to win seven world titles in as many weight divisions, the first athlete ever to appear on a Philippine postage stamp, a man who in 2008 portrayed the Philippine warrior Lapu-Lapu, whose forces killed Magellan and repelled his conquistadores, in a reenactment of the 1521 Battle of Mactan, a man who often survives on three hours' sleep and is said to possess a photographic memory, is "in the car." As am I.

"Manny," I begin, "one of the many reasons GQ wants to feature you is that we want to explain why your appeal in the United States extends far beyond the sport of boxing. Do you have a theory about this?"

The members of his posse, encircling him at ten, two, three, four, six, eight, and nine o'clock, lean in and look. Nothing about the man moves. He remains perfectly postured, eyes forward, arms crossed, the vertical of his chassis aligned with, determining, the center of the SUV's bench seat and of the vehicle itself. Time passes.

"Manny," I begin again, "are you aware that millions of people in this country who don't follow boxing follow you?" I can see myself reflected in his oversize mirrored Oakleys. I look ridiculous.

After a time, the tiniest parting of the lips, just a sliver of a shadow between them, and a low exhalation:

"Yaaah."

Then Manny Pacquiao tilts his head back several degrees to indicate the departure of his presence.

It is then, at long last, that a phrase Pacquiao's people use to explain his mysterious ways—which isn't an explanation at all but a surrender—begins to seem adequate.

Because he is Pacquiao.

After the car ride, we all fly to New York on his promoter's plane. There is great consternation in the hangar prior to departure. Five men huddle over a small package. They look ashen, cancer-stricken. A decision is reached. The tallest of them, a Canadian named Michael Koncz, takes the package and marches, as if toward his own death, onto the airplane.

After takeoff, Koncz opens the package. It's Manny's dinner. Koncz presents the dish to Pacquiao and, in a tone born more in sorrow than in anger, announces that something has gone terribly wrong; instead of rice, the chef has accompanied Manny's meat with mashed potatoes. Manny nods. "I'm so sorry, Manny," Koncz says as he begins to cut Pacquiao's steak and season his cooked vegetables for him. "The bread is very soft, though." Manny prays, eats. After, he reposes on a couch. As one member of Team Pacquiao begins to massage his feet, calves, and thighs, Koncz drapes him in a blanket, methodically but gently tucking its edges in.

"And now," Manny Pacquiao says to me with a lovely smile, "you talk."

*****

You're not a boxing fan? Doesn't matter. We're all fans of the strange, hardwired to seek and behold it—and Manny Pacquiao is the most beautifully strange human being to befall boxing, and perhaps even all of sport, in a generation.

Beautiful and strange to the eye, of course. That speed! The coil and float. The spooky slowing of time. The suspicion he creates in you that your naked eye only partially apprehends him—that what he does in the ring exceeds your spectrum.

And beautifully strange on paper. At the elite level, a boxer's optimal fighting weight involves a trade-off of speed and power. Particularly in the lighter weight classes, a boxer who enters the ring thirty-two ounces over or under his natural fighting weight is often too slowed or weakened to win. Despite such parameters, Pacquiao has won divisions ranging from flyweight, a belt he won in 1998 as a 112-pound 19-year-old, to welterweight, a division that tops out at 147 pounds, in November 2009. (He began his career in 1995, as a 16-year-old, 106-pound light flyweight.) On March 13, he'll defend his welterweight belt against the Ghanaian fighter Joshua Clottey. According to every metric, Pacquiao…can't be. Which is why, over the past fifteen years, the expert nay-saying has come even from his own corner. "I would think that Manny can fight at 140. But I think going past 140 would be a mistake," Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, told ESPN in December 2008. "Every time I think of Manny in a ring with [Puerto Rican welterweight] Miguel Cotto… it begins to look a little ludicrous." In other words, even Pacquiao's supernatural speed wouldn't matter. A natural welterweight like Cotto would register the punches as love taps; Pacquiao, in turn, would be crushed.

Read More http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201004/manny-pacquiao-boxer#ixzz25oJl9NJP

Manny Pacquiáo
philboxing.com
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion, in which he has won ten world titles, as well as the first to win ... Wikipedia
Born: December 17, 1978 (age 33), Kibawe
Weight: 65.32 kg
Height: 1.69 m
Net worth: US$ 70 million (2011) exploredia.com
Spouse: Jinkee Pacquiao
Albums: Laban Nating Lahat Ito

ROBERT S. JAWORSKI The Living Legend

Robert S. Jaworski
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2004
Personal details
Born     March 8, 1946 (age 66)
Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines
Nationality     Filipino
Political party     Independent (1998-2004)
Spouse(s)     Evelyn Bautista
Children     Ricci Elaine, Robert Vincent Jude, Ryan Joseph, and Ron Michael.
Alma mater     University of the East
Occupation     Basketball player, Politician
Profession     Basketball player, Civil Servant
Religion     Roman Catholicism


Robert Jaworski  The Living Legend in Philippines Basketball Arena,


Robert Salazar Jaworski (born March 8, 1946 in Baguio City, Philippines), also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Robert Jaworski, Sr. or simply Jawo, is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) and PBA basketball player.

Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend during his playing days, Jaworski was a former playing coach—the first ever in the PBA in 1985—for Ginebra San Miguel. In 2000 he was honored as one of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players of all time.


Amateur career
Medal record
Men’s Basketball
Competitor for  Philippines
FIBA Asia Championship
Gold     1967 Seoul     Team competition
Gold     1973 Manila     Team competition
Silver     1971 Tokyo     Team competition
Bronze     1969 Bangkok     Team competition

Born to a Polish American father and a Ilocano mother in Baguio, Philippines, Jaworski grew up in the streets of Pandacan in Manila. Jaworski began to gain fame when he started playing basketball for the University of the East's Red Warriors. In 1966, Jaworski towed the Recto-based school to the UAAP championship in the 1966 and 1967 championships. Because of his outstanding accomplishment with UE, he was first labeled "Big Hands" by sportscaster Willie Hernandez describing the large palms he possessed and how easy it was for him to clutch the ball with a single hand.

In 1966, he was part of the national team that represented the country in the Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand. The year after, he was part of the champion ABC team that played in Seoul, South Korea, beating the host country led by shooting guard Shin Dong Pa. Jaworski and Edgardo Ocampo were responsible for stopping Shin in that finals game. Because of this victory, the Philippines earned the right to represent Asia in the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico. He was also part of the national team that won the 1973 staging of the ABC held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, thereby earning the right to play in the 1974 World Championships held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Pilo Pumaren recruited Jaworski who was about to enroll in FEU in 1963. Jaworski played for UE in 1964 and was the second highest scorer. He (with another UE star player, Nat Canson) played for Baby Dalupan's Crispa as guest player in the MICAA of 1966. Jaworski together with Narciso Bernardo were named as members of the 1967 Asian Basketball Confederation.

He then played for Elizalde-owned Yco Painters under Coach Caloy Loyzaga in 1967 national Seniors' Nat. Invitation (YCO regained the titles) and transferred to Meralco in 1968 but was not able to play in the MICAA due to lack of release papers.

His first MVP was during the Presidential CUP of 1970. He was mentioned in the Basketball History of the Philippines (by Boni Escoda) as the best Filipino player in the MICAA from 1971-74 by topping all the rest with an Player's All-around Value of 35.7.

He almost died in a critical fall off Yutivo's Casimiro Santos on January 6, 1971 (first Filipino MICAA).

He moved to play for the Meralco Reddywatts in 1970, a team considered as Crispa's arch rivals in the MICAA. However, in 1971 he and Big Boy Renoso were banned for life by the BAP for assaulting two basketball officials, Eriberto Cruz and Jose Obias, who were making a series of bad calls favoring the Crispa Floro team. Meralco team was behind 65-50 against the Redmanizers. Meralco disbanded the team in 1972. The two sure shoo-ins for the RP team to the 1972 Olympics missed the national team for the first time in their lives.

Owing to the immense talent that the two cagers possessed,they were reinstated in 1973 and played for Meralco only in an exhibition match versus the Japanese national team which they won.

They went back to Meralco and later on teamed up in the national team for the 1973 ABC. Jaworski was the lead guard of that team alongside Francis Arnaiz, Ramon "Tito" (later called "Mon") Fernandez, Reynoso and William "Bogs" Adornado. Other players in that team included Rogelio "Tembong" Melencio, David "Dave" Regullano, Rosalio "Yoyong" Martirez, Manuel "Manny" Paner, Alberto "Abet" Guidaben, Jaime "Jimmy" Mariano and Ricardo "Joy" Cleofas.

It was also around this time when the nickname "Big J" was given to him, resembling the "Big O" tag given to Oscar Robertson who Jaworski played like.

They, with other Meralco players, Tino Reynoso (died in 2008), Fort Acuña (who committed suicide in 1981), Francis Arnaiz and Orly Bauson were taken by the Silverio-owned company Komatsu Comets-(later became Toyota) and was responsible for giving a couple of championships in the MICAA. Jaworski became a court general and led the Toyota to the 1973 MICAA title. Reynoso, Jaworski and Armaiz made it to the 1973 and 1974 RP team that regained the ABC crown and went to the 1974 World Basketball.

When the PBA was formed in 1975, Jaworski was part of the original core of Toyota players who donned the Comets uniform at the inception of the league. Jaworski had for his original teammates names like Arnaiz, Reynoso, Fernandez, Reynoso's younger brother Cristino (Tino), Rodolfo "Ompong" Segura, Oscar Rocha, Joaquin "Jake" Rojas, and Orlando "Orly" Bauzon.
Professional career
Toyota

Jaworski was part of Toyota for nine seasons, from 1975 until its disbandment at the end of the 1983 season. He was the acknowledged leader of the Toyota squad which had many fiery matches with their rival, the Crispa Redmanizers. Together with Francis Arnaiz and Ramon Fernandez, they formed the troika of Toyota's vaunted offense.

He was a major player in Toyota's nine championships and was named Most Valuable Player in 1978. Jaworski's MVP performance may arguably be considered as the most dominating ever in one season after he averaged 20 points, 12 assists and close to nine rebounds per game. This was done despite the presence of hulking imports with no height limit - imports he played alongside and against with. The closest that would compete for domination would be Ramon Fernandez's scintillating 1984 season for Beer Hausen where "El Presidente" averaged 27 points, 15 boards and 9.9 assists per game. The difference though was that Jaworski led his Toyota team to two championships that season (the Open and the AFC) while Fernandez failed to bag a title in 1984.

He was also the first point guard to achieve 1000 offensive and 2000 defensive rebounds. He is also the PBA's All Time Leader in Assists.

In 1967 Jaworski and veteran internationalist and Asia's best forward, Narciso Bernardo were named as members of the Mythical Five.
Ginebra

When Toyota disbanded at the end of the 1983 season, the team was sold to Basic Holdings, Inc., the company that owns Asia Brewery. Jaworski balked at the idea of joining Beer Hausen, the brand name of Basic Holdings after describing what he felt was a sale done without giving due respect to the personalities involved. Jaworski described the sale as a 'farce,' and that players like him should not be sold "por kilo." At that time, Beer Hausen was intent on making Fernandez as the franchise player of the team with Jaworski relegated in the background. Eventually, then PBA president Carlos "Honeyboy" Palanca III made a decision that was the most controversial and history-making move in the PBA. Palanca, owner of La Tondeña, Inc. which owns Gilbey's Gin (later Ginebra San Miguel) in the PBA, decided to take in Jaworski and best buddy Arnaiz to the team. This marked the cornerstone in making Ginebra arguably the most popular team in Philippine basketball history with Jaworski at the forefront.

Jaworski and Arnaiz turned the moribund franchise into a competitive one almost overnight when in the first conference of the 1984 season, the All Filipino, he led the team to a runnerup finish against powerhouse Crispa. Gilbey's Gin was then led by Arturo "Turo" Valenzona, a former nemesis of Jaworski from their MICAA days. A power struggle was already ensuing thereby leading to the breakup of the Valenzona-Jaworski partnership at the start of the 1985 season. Jaworski took over as playing coach of Ginebra San Miguel while Valenzona went on limbo before latching up with the Tanduay Rhum Makers in the 1986 season.

The Big J's first championship as a playing coach came in the 1986 Open Conference when he, alongside super imports Michael Hackett and Billy Ray Bates, dominated the entire conference to win the championship finals at the expense of the Manila Beer team, then led by former Crispa players Abet Guidaben (who was traded from Tanduay vice Fernandez) and Atoy Co, alongside imports Michael Young and Harold Keeling.

In Game 4 of that Best of Seven series, Jaworski played the entire game that needed two extra overtime periods to beat Manila Beer 145-135, thereby taking a commanding 3-1 lead. Jaworski was 40 years old at that time and yet became a PBA record holder for being the local who played the longest in one game. Jaworski's wedding godson, Zandro "Jun" Limpot eventually would break that record while playing for the Sta. Lucia Realtors as a rookie in 1993 by playing 60 minutes in a triple OT victory against SMB. Paradoxically, Jaworski owns the PBA record for playing the shortest time in a PBA game, at one second. In a game against the Alaska Milkmen in 1996 and behind by two points with one second in that game, the Big J fielded himself to handle the inbound. While the inbound was successful, the team failed to convert this into a basket and lost the game.

In 1988, Jaworski finally won his first and only All Filipino championship in a controversy-ridden championship at the expense of the rookie team Purefoods Hotdogs, led by Ramon Fernandez who also coached the team in the previous (Open) conference before relinquishing the job to Cris Calilan early in the All Filipino conference. Jaworski and Fernandez were involved in a running feud dating back when Toyota disbanded in 1983 and this became the climax of their rift. In Game 1 of that finals, Anejo Rum 65 upended Purefoods to gain initial lead in the series. Purefoods owner Jaime Zobel De Ayala and president Renato Buhain publicly accused Fernandez of dropping Game 1 and ordered his benching for the entire series. Because of this controversy, Anejo Rum went on to win the series, 3-1, including the deciding Game 4 where Jaworski became best player of the game - topscoring for his team with 28 points.

In 1989, Jaworski and Fernandez eventually reconciled, ending a long feud. Ironically, it was Baby Dalupan, coach of their arch rival Crispa team that made it possible. Dalupan, then coaching the Veterans team of Jaworski and Fernandez in the 1989 All Star Game against the Rookies and Sophomore team, encouraged the two to shake hands after the game where both of them led to victory by two points, 132-130. In the final 4 seconds of that game, Jaworski inbounded the ball and gave the pass to Fernandez who streaked past Benjie Paras and made a twisting "elegant" shot for the two point win.

The reconciliation didn't turn out to be for a show though as Jaworski, after being appointed national team coach by the BAP, selected Fernandez in the team to represent the Philippines in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, China. Fernandez was among 12 players personally chosen by Jaworski to lead the charge for the team - others included Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Avelino "Samboy" Lim, Yves Dignadice, Hector Calma, Venancio "Benjie" Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc, Zaldy Realubit and the Big J's players with Anejo - Dante Gonzalgo, Chito Loyzaga and Rey Cuenco. This team salvaged the silver medal against host China but not after giving the Chinese a good fight in the finals, losing 90-76.

In 1991, Jaworski won his third title at the expense of Formula Shell in Game 7 of the Open Conference. In that deciding game, Jaworski inbounded from the endline to Rudy Distrito with 4 seconds remaining. Distrito made a difficult, twisting, off-balanced and falling shot over the outstretched arms of Paras to pull off a two point win and to the delight of millions of Ginebra fans watching the game. Jaworski ended up once more as the best player of that game with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 8 feeds in an all-around effort not common for a 45 year old man. This marked the first time in the history of the PBA that a team came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.

From 1992 to 1995, Ginebra suffered a drought owing to budgetary constraints experienced by the franchise. Jaworski belabored with marginal players and washed-up veterans in trying to earn respectability during this period. In 1995, a PBA record was established when the Big J took in his eldest son Robert, Jr. (Dudut), in the second round of the rookie draft, making this the only time when a father and son played for the same team. However, the two never got to play together as Jaworski contented himself coaching the team while Dudut got his few minutes as a starter.

It was in 1996 when the breakthrough came in for Ginebra, now called Ginebra Na! After years of savoring for super rookie Marlou Aquino, he finally got the 6'9 beanpole as top draft pick of 1996. He also got Bal David from the free agent ranks after the latter displayed capability as a point guard when he and Aquino led the national team to the gold medal in the 1995 SEA Games. David was also the celebrated point guard of the PBL, leading the Stag team to twin championships in 1995. But 1996 was Alaska's year - and the grandslam was accomplished with Gordon's Gin at the losing end in the 3rd and final conference. In 1997 though, Jaworski finally earned his 4th jewel, mentoring the team to the 1997 Commissioner's Cup championship at the expense of the Alaska Milkmen. The team won in 6 games, including a 126-94 rout in the final game.

Jaworski remained as coach of the team until April 1998 when he announced his intention of running for the Philippine Senate in May that year. Jaworski wounded up 8th overall in the Senate race, making him one of the few cagers to become a Senator of the Republic - following the footsteps of Ambrosio Padilla and Freddie Webb. Fernandez tried to run for the Senate in the 1995 elections but wounded up 19th overall.

After being proclaimed Senator, Jaworski turned over the coaching chores to his long-time assistant Quirino "Rino" Salazar while taking a leave of absence from the basketball scene. But in 1999, a controversy erupted when Ginebra owner Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. announced the promotion of Allan Caidic as playing assistant coach of Jaworski in Ginebra. The Big J didn't take this well and resigned from his position as head coach after feeling insulted of not being informed about it beforehand. Salazar took over and later on handed the reins to Caidic when he had to migrate to Alaska and join his family.

Jaworski's last game in the PBA was in March 1997 in a game held at Dumaguete City. He did not play much in that game but owns the record for being the oldest player ever to play in the PBA at 50 years old. This on top of being acknowledged as the league's most popular player ever and the icon of Philippine basketball for several years.
2003 Crispa-Toyota exhibition

In 2003, after 23 years of giving Philippine basketball fans scintillating performances, he once more thrilled the public when the fabled Crispa-Toyota rivalry was relived in a historic reunion match on May 30, 2003 that played to a packed Araneta Coliseum. The match did not fail to disappoint as the game was tantalizingly close until the dying seconds of the game when Jaworski, reprising his old role, sank a three pointer from atop the arc from an assist by Fernandez to give his old team one last triumph over their old nemesis.This one last act on the basketball hardcourt cemented his legendary status in the hearts and minds of Filipino basketball fans.
Political career
Robert S. Jaworski
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2004
Personal details
Born     March 8, 1946 (age 66)
Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines
Nationality     Filipino
Political party     Independent (1998-2004)
Spouse(s)     Evelyn Bautista
Children     Ricci Elaine, Robert Vincent Jude, Ryan Joseph, and Ron Michael.
Alma mater     University of the East
Occupation     Basketball player, Politician
Profession     Basketball player, Civil Servant
Religion     Roman Catholicism

Jaworski ran for Senator during the 1998 national elections as an independent candidate, which he won. Due to this, he was forced to leave the coaching chores to Ginebra assistant Rino Salazar. After a dispute with the new officials at Ginebra's mother company, San Miguel Corporation, Jaworski quit his duties as head coach and concentrated more on his political duties.

Jaworski was Chairman of Economic Affairs, Trade and Commerce Committee and was also a member of the Games and Amusement and Sports Committee.

Among the 300 or so bills he has authored or co-authored, he is most proud of eventual laws that:

    declared the Mt. Kitanglad Range in the province of Bukidnon a protected area;
    established the Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Isabela as protected area;
    established the Batanes Group of Islands as protected area;
    established Mt. Kanla-On as protected area; and, to the consternation of logging companies,
    regulated the ownership, possession and sale of chainsaws. Jaworski the senator also introduced legislation that protects the country’s national marine sanctuaries and filed a bill imposing strict penalties on oil pollution damage on Philippine waters.

He co-authored the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.

In 2004, Jaworski lost running for re-election as senator.
PBA Return

The Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Manila Times reported on February 13, 2007 of Jaworski's possible return in the PBA as coach for either the Air21 Express or the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals for the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference but declined to accept the offer since talks stalled before any contract offer was made.

After the tournament, talks resurfaced again between Jaworski and the Air21 management. But in several newspaper articles, it was said that both parties reportedly had agreed in principle with the Living Legend expected to make a decision upon the offer made by the team.

However, with the resignation of Noli Eala as league commissioner, Jaworski is one of the names mentioned as replacements for the said post although no offer has been made.

In the end though, Jaworski did not accept either offer.
Career highlights
PBA career

    Most Valuable Player in 1978
    Mythical First Team Selection in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1986
    Mythical Second Team Selection in 1985 and 1988
    All Defensive Team in 1985 and 1988
    Four time PBA All-Star
    Won four championship as a playing coach in 1986 Open Conference, 1988 All-Filipino Conference, 1991 First Conference and 1997 Commissioner's Cup all with the Ginebra franchise
    Coached the 1990 PBA All-Star Veterans, 1991 PBA All-Star Dark Team, 1992 PBA All-Star North Team, 1996 PBA All-Star Rookie/Sophomore/Juniors, and 1997 PBA All-Star Veterans
    Finished his career with 5,825 career assists, 605 more than the second-running total of Ramon Fernandez.
    PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005

Other

    Member, 1966 Asian Games
    Member, 1967 Asian Basketball Confederation (Champions)
    Member, 1968 Olympic Games
    Member, 1969 Asian Basketball Confederation (Third Place)
    Member, team captain 1971 Asian Basketball Confederation (Second Place)
    Member, 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation (Champions),
    Member, 1974 World Championship
    Member, team captain, 1974 Asian Games
    Head Coach, 1990 Asian Games (Silver Medal)

Jaworski was the team captain of the 1971 team (2nd placer in the 1971 ABC in Tokyo) and 1974 RP team form the Asian Games (4th place)