By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach is allowing his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao to participate in basketball games after his training is done for the day. I just don’t want to see Pacquiao hobbled before this big fight and end up with an excuse or a delay. We don’t need a postponement for this fight. Marquez, 38, is already old enough as it is. We don’t want him to get any older on us.

Roach, with a rolled up newspaper in hand, needs to march out on the basketball court and escort Pacquiao off the court and back to his home. If he gets lippy, swat him a couple of times. But seriously, basketball is too dangerous right now.

Pacquiao is currently getting ready for his November 12th fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, and it’s surprising that Roach is allowing his fighter Pacquiao to play a game as dangerous as basketball when the possibility of an injury is very high.

All it takes is one trip and fall and Pacquiao could wind up with an injured hand, wrist, arm or ankle. There’s also the loss of energy for Pacquiao for his training the next day. If Pacquiao is wearing himself out with basketball games, he’s likely to have less energy the next day for his basketball training.

Roach’s permissive attitude towards Pacquiao is really worrisome. Supposedly Pacquiao is being allowed to play basketball for him develop speed and to help his conditioning, but I think it’s stupid and not worth the risk. If I was Pacquiao’s trainer, I’d be laying the law down with an iron fist, and ruling out basketball or any other possible dangerous activities. You might as well have Pacquiao riding motorcycles and surfing in a stormy ocean with huge waves, because basketball games are a serious risk for a fighter.