The Final Score: Are Pacquiao's belts heavier than Asian Games gold?

Manny Pacquiao wins and we all become friends for one day. A Filipino wins a gold medal in the Asian Games and, in return, most of us half-smile and shrug. Is this Philippine sports at a glance? Has Pacquiao's greatness altered our sense of sports achievement? A gold medal in the Asian Games used to mean the world to us. But since Pacquiao is now a world champion eight times over, I start to wonder if the race for the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal is still as intense. Nothing left to prove, no one else to face. Even with bruises on his face and ribs that ache with every breath, Manny Pacquiao is at the top of his game. The chase for world recognition, even the big payday, seems to be over. In Pacquiao's inner circle, some want the chase to continue, maybe there are others who want it to end. But with eight belts and his place in boxing secure, how compelling is the need to fight a few times more? If we only count fighters willing to face Pacquiao (not the ones artfully dodging the mega-bout everyone wants to see) then, there is no one left to pummel. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the Joe Frazier to our Muhammad Ali. The demand for Pacman-Floyd 1, however, isn't at a fever pitch. It was. Not anymore. Worthy adversaries are never dragged out of hiding. Pacquiao and Mayweather will only collide when Mayweather decides to fulfill his end of the physics equation. Until then, there is no one else. Should Pacquiao retire for the sake of Philippine sports? Perhaps it's time for Pacquiao to let the rest of Philippine sports enjoy the kind of public attention and advertising revenue he has rightfully earned. Is Pacquiao finished? Absolutely not. Manny, however, casts a shadow over local sports the size of Mayon Volcano. People gaze at the perfectly-shaped cone and ignore everything else in the peripheral. He forces fans to sit like sardines inside public arenas, line-up at cinemas and subscribe to pay-per-view just to watch him fight. In contrast, the Asian Games (which used to be a big television event) will most likely start and end unnoticed. The general public and a gamut of sponsors follow Pacman's every move. It's not Pacquiao's fault that he’s now Oprah in shorts and gloves. Little, however, is left for the rest of the sports community to fight over. Over-emphasis on Pacquiao is great for sports officials hiding their sins, dreadful for athletes trying to attract sponsors and competing for acclaim. If Pacquiao decides to retire, maybe sports fans and corporate backers will have an opportunity to shower other athletes from other sports with the same adulation. Or maybe they won't. Pacquiao, after all, is Pacquiao. But at least, without the mammoth shadow of Pacman's reign, others will have a chance to enjoy the monetary gains of a country's love for sports and, as athletic heroes, win a moment under the spotlight for a change. - GMANews.TV