Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Manny Pacquiao’s Foot Locker Ad and Online Eavesdropping


Aside from climbing up the ring and exchange punches with Chris Algieri for the WBO welterweight crown in Macau on Sunday, November 23, though outside of the ring, there’s another big event in line with Manny Pacquiao’s (56-5-2, 38 KOs) episodes of money-making efforts as a product or company endorser. On that same day while Manny is busy  with things related to his fight against his American rival Christ Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), the American shoe store chain Foot Locker will be inaugurating its commercial via the so-called “Week of Greatness” promo. But aside from Pacquiao, the ad campaign has also featured mainstream sports stars like NBA players Derrick Rose, James Harden and Tim Duncan, plus WWE wrestler John Cena. OK, watch this video and see for yourself, so just click THIS.

Foot Locker Retail, Inc. or Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer and in service in more or less 20 countries all over the globe.

You have probably watched the ad by now and as you have seen, it begins with two men in a gym talking about the chain's "Week of Greatness" promo while all of a sudden an eavesdropping Pacquiao appears over the ring ropes and said, "Wait, wait. So the thing the people wanted is finally happening?" Pacquiao then gets excited, exclaiming "He's going to fight me!" over and over while shadowboxing. The ad is funny, except of course to Floyd Mayweather Jr., and his supporters!

Though the ad is about the chain’s promotional sale, allow me to lead you to the bit mysterious human phenomenon called Eavesdropping.

Netizens as we are, whether we admit it or not, are involved in eavesdropping specifically over Facebook forum and discussion threads that are gradually turning into a hotbeds of bad behavior specially when we comment and post on socio-political issues. One cannot avoid eavesdropping and commenting in a venue where stupidity, bragging, bashing and all the crimes against grammar, among other misdeeds that even myself at times is guilty of, are tolerated. A space where the prevailing mantra is this: “Engage in the social media conversation” according to Martin Miliev, writer at Perceptica. So be it.

Social communicators like me cannot afford to restrict our mind when crowded with people who are afraid of or allergic to profundity. But just like in real life, in order to have a quality conversation, one needs to learn to listen (or in this case, read) first. Aside from active reading, the objective eavesdropper comment only on what s/he perceives as the most relevant social topics at hand. S/he responds to people whom s/he knows personally and vice versa, and not be obsessed with nonsense metrics and knows how to ignore those posters under fictitious identity, then there should be a quick examination of conscience before we click the “Enter” key.

I am a little nosey (though my seasonal/perennial rhinitis lately sidelined me) since birth and in this positive sense, I love eavesdropping.  

Meanwhile, as a boxing fan and a compatriot of Manny Pacquiao, I am wishing him a convincing win over Algeiri on Sunday. Without it, the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega dream bout would make the grapevine soundless about it and that moment would be doomsday for the eagerly anticipating eavesdroppers in boxing today…

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(Photo; Rappler)



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