Pacman probably just finished taping an episode for Manny Many Prizes.
But my view is this is deliberate by his minders. He even arrives very late for his own press conferences in Madison Square Garden.
This is a well practiced method.
Tell the people, the media the time of a certain interview. They will arrive there well before or on time. Wait for them to settle down, wait, then after 30-60 minutes the "star" will arrive to an adoring public. The wait is like an entree...it makes them "hungrier" to see the "star"...and by the time he arrives...there will be an outmost outpouring of adulation (like a horde of barbarians running towards the buffet as if its the last meal they will ever eat)...then the "star" will "humbly" accept the welcome - wave, shake hands and if time permits sign autographs etc etc.
My thoughts are that there was probably "back-stage" discussions between Beckham's and Manny's minders before the event. There is a unwritten policy that you can't have TWO superstars arrive at the same time (that is why during the Oscars you can't have all the stars arrive all at once).
The event is for football. Hence, no Manny (because it will distract the focus from football and beckhamania). So, let the 1st half kick-off without Manny, hence the attention will be on football and Beckhamania (which is Azkals-LAG is all about). 40 plus minutes is enough for the pinoy public to absorb Beckhamania (more so this is his first time in the country)...after enough saturation from Becks...then enters the other global superstar.
People might think that Manny was late. I believe it was all planned and scripted..as per my reasons above. Those two do not pull in multi-million dollar contracts for nothing.
I believe Manny knows all about football. After all he is from the visayas and visayas is the strong-hold of football in PHI and he would have known about it from his childhood. However, as a boxing global superstar, he knows his marketability and he knows his place when it comes to PR....well, so does Beckham (and Becks have been doing it since he was 17 with Man U).
You can't have two superstars "collide"....a good PR manager / promoter will arrange it in a way that two superstars "coincide" not collide.
As a I said in a previous reply, pinoys have a "saving face" culture. The opposite of that is "Showing Face". One thing pinoys believe that we have is our hospitality. Specially to visitors. Hence, let Becks star in his LAG team without other distraction. Then enter our own hero to his own adulation.
Had Manny arrived first - this will be a bad move. Because after the first whistle all the attention will be on the azkals, LAG, and Becks. You can't have our own local global superstar be 2nd fiddle in his own country....thats bad PR and thats a bad move. Hence, arrive late.
Even England media have to do a balancing act when Becks was a Real Madrid / AC Milan player. Whenever, Madrid or Milan comes to England to play against English clubs, the media always do a balancing act, on one hand they welcome home Becks (the English team captain, golden boy who has served his country more than any other player), but do not give Becks all the exposure (after all he plays for the "enemy"), the majority of the media exposure should be focused on patriotism for the English team playing against Becks' team.
"Do or do not. There is no try" (Master Yoda)
