For those of you that don't know, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant recently embarked on a tour of Asia. One of his first stops was the Philippines, where he is adored by countless fans.
Kobe, however, is not the most popular athlete in the archipelago. That title (along with many others) belongs to arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer around, Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is a native of the Philippines and has surpassed Elvis-like status throughout the island nation.
Pacquiao's popularity has carried over to the United States, particularly Los Angeles. He trains there and the city's large Filipino population has embraced the boxer as their own.
Manny’s the man. He’s got talent and his work ethic is incredible. The first time I met him (during a recent Nike photo shoot in Los Angeles), I saw in his eyes he’s special. He has the look of a man who’s driven to excellence.
Kobe's words are from the heart, I'm sure. But they beg an interesting question: Who's better?
I know, I know...it's apples and oranges. There's no way to compare a boxer and a basketball player. Kobe could post up and shoot over the 5-7 Pacquiao on the court, but in the ring even Kobe's reach advantage would prove futile once the Pac Man hit him with a crippling body blow.
So what can we do?
How about a series of neutral competitions to prove who is the better athlete? Whoever wins the most events gets the crown. In case you're having trouble envisioning it, here are a couple examples:
- Hot Dog Eating Contest: Pacquiao can probably put away some serious grub when he's carbo-loading for an upcoming fight, but Kobe's similarity in name to competitive eating legend Takeru Kobayashi has to give him the edge here.
- Dance-off: While these moves show considerable potential for Kobe, you have to think that the lightning-quick, agile Pacquiao would be able to do some serious damage on the dance floor. Advantage Pac Man.
- Wet T-Shirt Contest: This one would drive the ladies wild and add fuel to countless man-crushes. When you look at the evidence of Kobe's torso and Pacquiao's torso, it's pretty much a no-brainer. Advantage Pac Man.
- Speech and Debate: Kobe's been speaking in public since he was 17 years old, so he clearly has the advantage here. Plus Pacquiao's accent, while endearing, doesn't allow for maximum enunciation. Possible topics include: Rings vs. Belts: the better championship prize?
Well, those are just a few ideas on how to determine who's the better athlete. Obviously those competitions would be pretty hard to hold (Kobe and Pacquiao are both busy men), so I'll leave it up to you to decide.
Answer the poll question and sound off in the comments field. I have to believe Kobe has an obvious advantage since this is, after all, a Lakers column. So Pacquiao fans unite and let your voice be heard! We'll check back in a few days and see how the results are going.
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