Running out of options, Alberto Contador has finally signed the dotted line (rumored at 8-million Euros!!!) and will fulfill the final year of his contract with ASTANA for 2010. The Spaniard has decide to take the money in spite of the fact four teams, with better support riders but probably lower offers, were after his services.
Earlier, ASTANA’s talented support structured had moved to Lance Armstrong’s new team, RADIO SHACK, leaving Contador with a weak supporting cast in the Tour de France. A weak cast is the least of Contador’s problems as there is a big chance that the TdF will bar ASTANA from the 2010 gig due to ASTANA’s shaky financially and ethically situation. Obviously, the TdF won’t lose sleep over ASTANA and Contador’s absence in 2010 especially when a certain Lance Armstrong will be present. TheTdF knows the Lance is the bigger cash register than Contador.
This is a risky move for the 2-time TdF champion. But at the end of the day, 8-million Euro payday is still a massive 8-million Euros!!!
Money
That Manny Pacquiao is so huge these days can’t be argued. But it would have been interesting to know how, “The Greatest”, Muhammad Ali, would have fared in these days and times.
I remember that during the “Rumble in the Jungle”, the 1974 fight between Ali and then a very young and scary George Foreman, in Kinshasa, Zaire, our teachers told us that classes were cancelled and to go home and watch the fight on TV. I really can’t recall the reason why then President Ferdinand E. Marcos would give us a holiday but as a grade 4 student, but obviously, he was a big fan of Ali.
In our neighborhood, only two houses had TV, all black and white. One owner didn’t like us snotty kids dirtying her floor so we all, including our parents, went to the only place that was happy to see us, the home of the Paterno Israel. I vividly still remember the TV brand, “SINGER” and there was this multi-colored plastic cover on the TV screen that made the TV “colored”. Of course we all know how the fight went. If the fight was held today, I would bet that it would have been bigger than Pacquiao-Cotto fight.
But it seemed a long time ago now. Ali has Parkinson’s disease, Nong Pat passed away a few years ago and Foreman is now a successful businessman and product endorser.
RACE RESULTS:
CRIT, MADAUE RECLAMATION AREA 15 LAPS, 34KM
CAT B: 1- BOY PAGNANAWON, 2- PHILLIP SAINZ, 3-JUNVIE PAGNANAWON, 4- JUN OMERO, 5- JOHANN ERMITANIO
CAT C: 1- TYRE LAMBO, 2- JV ARANETA, 3- HYDE ESMALIN, 4- TATA CODINA, 5- NANIE QUIJANO, 6- MARIO ERABONO, 7- DEDING JALUAG
“It’s long been said that promotions featuring Manny Pacquiao suffer from the language barrier. Even worse, he’s afflicted with a terrible case of good manners. He’s polite and respectful and entirely unwilling to disrespect or diminish his opponents. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Manny Pacquiao is the absolute worst interview in all of sports.”- Mark Kriegel, sportswriter for FOXSPORTS (THE FREEMAN)
