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Vitali Klitschko vs. Manny Pacquiao? Can anyone else handle the Filipino superstar?

In a wonderful performance Manny Pacquiao firmly established his credentials as the number one pound for pound performer in the world. Cotto certainly didn’t disgrace himself, fighting bravely and executing the important aspects of his game plan. The shocker, the “twist”, was the surprising development that while Pacquiao could hurt Cotto, Cotto could not hurt Pacquiao. Cotto landed to the body, scored some sneaky uppercuts, and generally fought with courage and tenacity. But he could not impact in any significant fashion the Pacquiao “express”. Conversely, the former flyweight was able to bludgeon, cut and bruise the Puerto Rican. As a supporter, in financial terms, of Cotto, I found myself feeling strangely satisfied by the nights outcome. Miguel fought as well as he could and we are left with no lingering “what ifs”. He was just not as good as Pacquiao and, surely we all agree, would find himself wobbled and broken by Pacquiao ten times of ten. We actually made money on the fight when Cotto’s courage extended the fight past the midway point of the tenth (over, +115) but the lasting impression is certainly of the electrifying brilliance of the Filipino…

GRID IRON..Bill Belichick did nothing wrong by going for the first down on a 4^th and 2 last night. Putting the ball in Tom Brady’s hands is never preposterous, but not doing everything you can to keep the ball away from Peyton Manning is. It’s a shame the play failed if only because by challenging the orthodoxy of the NFL Belichick has been exposed to the scathing criticism of lads who consider Grade 4 the best three years of their lives…if you care, the site advancedNFLstats.com can provide you with a statistical analysis proving Belichick’s controversial decision gave the Pats the best possible chance to defeat the Colts…the sagging New York Jets could ill afford the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Next up is an extremely ornery New England squad…the Philadelphia Eagles threw on 56 of the 69 plays they ran from scrimmage in a losing effort against the San Diego Chargers…okay, okay, how do you see the trap, examine the trap, and then still walk right on into the trap? I’m still learning and view my wager on the Denver Bronco’s, off the short week with perhaps the biggest game of their year on tap, as a wicked slap upside the head. Stupid, stupid bet…my selection in the Suicide Pools was the Minnesota Vikings and that made for a comfortable experience. With the amount of teams left to play dwindling, I’m forced into a fairly taxing selection of a shaky Dallas Cowboy squad at home against the surging (?) Washington Redskins…Oakland Raider QB JaMarcus Russell was 9 of 24 for a laughable 67 yards before being benched in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. Time to end the experiment…the Dallas Cowboys certainly did not have their “A” game yesterday while playing Green Bay at Lambeau. But if Roy Williams had not made a couple of key errors, including a fumble and a dismal drop, the ‘Boys would have been in the thick of it. Williams has the talent and the attitude, but is missing that special “something” that all great players possess…Brian Westbrook was concussed Oct 26^th and again yesterday. The Philadelphia Eagle back should take a step back and consider if his football career is worth the growing possibility of long term damage to his brain. It’s time to hang up the cleats…isn’t there even a little part of you that wants to watch the Sunday Cleveland at Detroit instant classic? The loser gets dibs on the “worst team in football” tag…Minnesota Viking back Adrian Peterson picked up 133 yards on the ground after only 18 carries against the Lions yesterday. The Vikes are humming like a Cadillac with the suddenly conservative and austere Brett Favre at the helm…Josh “The Milkshake Man” Freeman fumbled four times as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned to form with a loss at Miami yesterday…Trent Edwards of the Buffalo Bills hit the bench after his weak little girly arm wobbled a particularly disgraceful interception yesterday aginst Tennessee. On the very next drive replacement Ryan Fitzpatrick was also picked…Steven Jackson of the St Louis Rams ripped the New Orleans run defence for 131 yards on 26 carries in a losing effort. It is so unfortunate that this great runner ply’s his talent for such a squalid franchise…the Carolina Panthers had started to play some nice football but must be crushed with the news their fine Left Tackle Jordan Gross is out for the season with a broken ankle…Troy Polamalu, all-pro safety for the Steelers, is injured again and expected to miss one to three weeks…

ICE..Marc Savard is close to agreeing to terms with the Boston Bruins for a contract extension. Savard had been due to become a free agent at the end of this year. Toronto Maple Leaf fans had been salivating at the prospect of reuniting Savard with sniper Phil Kessel…wee little Brian Gionta was mysteriously absent from the Habs line-up Saturday night. After taking part in the warm-up, Gionta suddenly disappeared. The Canadiens have yet to reveal the nature of his injury…

THE RAIL..hordes crowded into the pub for the fight and it was a good natured and vibrant crowd. It was a brilliant night. For the most part. The Beat Poet and I actually started a loud “countdown” as the fight approached the under/over dividing line. While we both bet Cotto to win, we could still salvage pride and coin by hitting the over. A night at the Rail watching a scrap and, I tell you, at times it felt as if the blows were ringing from all around me, and that there were real pools of blood on the floor…

PUG LIFE..Miguel Cotto graciously allowed that Manny Pacquiao “was the best fighter I ever fought”. For the third fight in a row, the Pac Man’s opponent was unable to attend the post fight press conference. De La Hoya, Hatton and now Cotto all required medical attention and were in the hospital while Manny met the press…the judges scores at the end of the eleventh were 109-99, 108-100 and 108-99, all for the Pac Man. The Meridian had the fight tabbed 108-99, scoring only two rounds for Cotto while also giving Pacquiao two 10-8 rounds…Cotto’s comments in the ring were eerily similar to Oscar De La Hoya’s. Cotto said, “I didn’t know where the punches were coming from”. The speed and constant movement of Pacquiao is proving insurmountable for even the best fighters of his generation…genuinely great news for boxing fans with the announcement of the Shane Mosley - Andre Berto welterweight fight Jan 30^th. Mosley represents the dangerous, cagey old dude while Berto has serious claims on being the best of the young welters. It will be a terrific fight with a likely “pick ‘em” wagering scenario…

PONIES..the horse racing world is in mourning after the death of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. The California trainer had been battling leukemia and succumbed to the illness at 9 o’clock this morning. Frankel had raced stock at Woodbine and, unfortunately, was involved in the sordid 2005 Queens Plate when the winner, Wild Desert, ran in his name while regular trainer Rick Dutrow served a suspension. Frankel is remembered as the trainer of a host of brilliant runners, including the incomparable Empire Maker and Horse of the Year winner Ghostzapper. Frankel was 68. Rest in peace…