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On the Philippine Blog Awards

I originally posted this hurr

http://hoops.blink.ph/2008/09/22/on-the-philippine-blog-awards/



First up, I would like to congratulate my fellow writers and the people behind Blink. Despite not winning the PBA Finals, making it to the finals is already one hell of a feat. To the people who nominated us and our readers who never ceased to support us.

Second, I would like to extend my hand to The Bull Runner team, who won both awards under the category of sports. You guys rock ass! I visited your site last night and you definitely deserved the award. To all the other finalists, better luck next time guys. See you at the awards night next year.

Anyway, I arrived at Esplanade at about 5:30 pm. Registration was kinda sucky because my name wasn’t on the list. After some talk with the guys on the registration booth I finally got in and the first thing that I saw? Yeah… free food :D :D :D

You see that? The food was good too, and so was the punch. Moving on.. the awards started a bit late but it was ok, I met some bloggers while waiting so it was all good. Show opened up with the Philippine National Anthem of course after that, Senator Mar Roxas’ opening speech. The speech was a bit long but it was a good one. I always love listening to smart people talk. He compared the democracy today and the one from 36 years ago back when the former President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law.

After Senator Roxas’ talk, the awarding proper started. I was surprised to hear that they’re going to hand over 36 whooping awards this year. If you want to view the list of the winners, CLICK HERE.

Overall, it was a fun night. I would like to thank the organizers of this year’s Philippine Blog Awards for making this night possible. It was a success to say the least and I’m looking forward to next year’s awards night. Til next time guys :D

Want photos? Click here.



Want to stalk me up? Bark at me over at plurk :D

Last tribute to Evan Tanner, the person, not the fighter.

One thing I admired about this guy is his ability to talk. He's one tough motherfucker in the octagon but outside of it, he's a complex guy. He has a lot of memorable lines that could inspire other people. Here are some of my favorites

It is a shame that in this society we've been taught to judge a man's worth by what he owns instead of who he is. Everything is surface, and so few look beyond it. A man will sell his soul, he will lie, cheat and steal, for money. If he has it, he can buy respect. Wear the right clothes, drive the right car, have the right friends, that's all that matters. Our lives are consumed in a selfish, self absorbed quest for possessions, the latest and the best in a never-ending cycle until the day we die. We forget what it means to be truly human. We forget the things that really matter. We lose the magic of what life should be.

I won't live by rules that make no sense to me.

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I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I feel, I will feel everything. When I love, I will love with everything.

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I'm sitting here in the motel room, flipping through the channels. There's nothing on, nothing I want to watch anyway. Dark crime dramas where someone's been murdered, or someone's been raped, or robbed, or something else screwed up. There was a scene with a body and blood on three channels in a row. Every show seems to be filled with twisted intrigues, lies, deception, murder, rape, something dark. Give me a freaking break. There's enough of it all out there in the world. I try to acknowledge the negative in this world without making the mistake of making it my focus. All the twisted crap in the real world is hard enough to deal with. I definitely don't care to saturate myself with it when I'm trying to relax. I've got enough on my mind.

I don't know. Maybe seeing some of these bad things on TV helps some people feel better about some of the troubles in their own lives.

It's just not my thing.

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"Now you may ask if I regret it, if I would do it differently if I could, if I would take it back. NOT A CHANCE!!!!! I went for it. I put it all on the line. I always will. I knew what the consequences would be if I failed, and I was willing to accept them. So any of you reading who might be feeling a twinge of sympathy, don't. I made my decisions, and I accept the consequences. I'm no victim. And to those who are thinking about preaching at me, don't bother. I won't hear you. I haven't accomplished anything in this life worth remembering by playing it safe. That's boring to me anyway."

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There was a time when I was younger that I didn't know any better than to be a liar, a cheater, and a thief. I have since learned to despise those things. I have had great friendships. I have had great loves. I have been a lover, I have been a son, a brother, and a friend. And I was once a world champion.

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And to think, there are still places in the world where man has not been, where he has left no footprints, where the mysteries stand secure, untouched by human eyes. I want to go to these places, the quiet, timeless, ageless places, and sit, letting silence and solitude be my teachers

And my personal favorite

"Believe in yourself. Believe in your own potential for greatness. Believe that you can change the world. It is something that is within each of us. Believe in the Power of One"

I seriously have never felt this bad for someone that I really don't know personally (Even though he used to reply in my Myspace messages back then). But man, hearing the news that this guy died earlier made me feel down all day. Last tribute for a great man. Rest in peace Evan.

R.I.P Evan Tanner (February 11 1971 - September 8 2008)

I was surprised. I was shocked. I was in disbelief when I heard the news. While he hasn't been relevant in the MMA scene for years now, he remains as one of my idols and I admired how he looked at life. He was a warrior in the octagon, will go down fighting and swinging. In life, he never cared about what others would say, an adventurer, someone who follows his own will and never regrets anything. I'm extremely saddened by the loss of this man.

R.I.P Evan, thanks for the great fights

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From his journal

College dropout, adventurer, seeker, traveler, ditch digger, dishwasher, cable tech, concrete worker, steel worker, salad prep, busboy, ski resort security, ski resort rental shop technician. I've worked in a slaughter house. I've been a landscaper. I've done drywall, tile, countertops, wood flooring, roofing. I have been a plumber, worked as a bottle collector at a bar, a bouncer, a doorman, a head of a security team. I have been a basket room clerk, a carpenter, a framer building beach houses, a truss builder. I've lived on a farm. I've lived in the city. I've earned money mowing lawns, selling on ebay, and fighting. A teacher, a trainer, and a coach sometimes. There was a time when I was younger that I didn't know any better than to be a liar, a cheater, and a thief. I have since learned to despise those things. I have had great friendships. I have had great loves. I have been a lover, I have been a son, a brother, and a friend. And I was once a world champion.

Rest in peace man.

I got two of my blog entries nominated at the Philippine Blog Awards! Wuhooo!

Yes, you've heard it right. I got two of my entries nominated at the Philippine Blog Awards to be held at One Esplanade come 21st of September. Picked by Hoops Philippines admins, my Araneta Chronicles: Game 4 and Iran vs Philippines Game Log and Some Late Game Thoughts will be competing under the Sports Division. My HooPH Colleagues Sydman and Benhur will also be competing with their respective entries Barangay Ginebra Kings of the Court, Jawo Air21 Check List and Kobe Supernatural Press Tour. So goodluck to me, Sydman and Benhur.

In other news

Yes, I'm still sick. I'll be having my final laboratory tests tomorrow so please please please, I need your prayers. I don't want to spend my Bday in a hospital bed. I got my second test earlier and so far so good, it's still all normal.

And so we go.. to Game 7

Originally posted here

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This is it ladies and gentlemen. No more buts, no more ifs, no more tomorrow. Come Wednesday, both teams will lay it all on the line.

For Air 21 well.. they proved everyone wrong. They are not some 1 trick pony who got lucky all the way to the Championship. This team is a legit, for real, in your face contender who can beat any team any given day. For Ginebra, well, let's just say that this is where the never say die attitude comes in. Game 2 they got blown out, they lost Jayjay. Now Mark Caguioa is complaining an injury in his knee and we all know that Paul Artadi and Ronald Tubid isn't healthy BUT they still managed to hang on, and force a do or die game come Wednesday.

So let's put all of that aside now and let's talk about the major concerns for both teams come Game 7.

First point: The Flunked and the Dubious

It's no secret. Ginebra, regardless if Caguioa and Jayjay plays at Wednesday, will be playing without a healthy fast and the furious. And we all know what the tandem brings to the team. Well, it's only about 42 points and 8 assists a game. Not only that, it assures them offensive stability and it definitely boosts the crowd whenever they finish a fastbreak. So definitely, regardless of what happens at Wednesday.. we all know it will be a big disadvantage for Ginebra. So what do they need to do to fill the gap that their injured stars made?

Point 1.1: Get their next three guards going

Artadi and Pacana needs to step up badly. We all have seen what happens when Chris and Paul plays a great game together. Ronald Tubid's return should help Ginebra's cause, especially on energy and offense. All three guys needs to play like it's the last games of their careers to draw Ginebra closer to the trophy.

Point 1.2: Tighten up on the defensive end

No matter how hard those three guys try.. they can never match Helterbrand and Caguioa's offensive numbers. But, their defensive intensity makes up for their lack of offensive power.

Tubid, Pacana and Artadi has all done a magnificent job on defending Gary David, Arwind Santos and Wynne Arboleda (All biggger guys btw) and if somehow they limit the trio to atleast 10 points a piece then chalk one trophy up for BGK.

Point 2: Defending the paint

In the past three games, BGK's bread and butter has been the paint. Take for example, Air 21's main problem, Chris Alexander. This guy has been the main reason why the Kings are still alive in this series. In the past two games, Alexander averaged 29 PPG and 22.5 RPG. They need to find a way to stop Alexander or else, they're doomed.

Another problem in this series for the Express has been Eric Menk. Up to now, I've never seen anyone in the Air 21 roster (Except for Steve Thomas of course) who can guard Eric Menk. Eric has been productive as of late and that's not because he's eating some magic beans before the game or some ancient necromancer revived his old self but mainly because of the lack of defense the Express has shown in the past couple of games. He's just too strong for Ranidel and too experienced and skilled for Kramer and Se. He's a problem that also needs to be solved come game time.

Now, I have no coaching experience ever (Except for some stints in Barangay leagues. Lawlz) but if I were Coach Bo, I would gamble with a zone right now. I'd rather let guys like Artadi and Pacana take long jumpers than let Eric Menk and Chris Alexander eat up my boys in the paint. It's a pretty good risk for me.. what do you guys think?

Point 3: Inexperience factor, relevant?

We all have seen how the SL Realtors pulled an upset to Purefoods last conference. Sending all the experience talk down to the trash can. But, not every team possesses the same kind of mentality that the Realtors showed last conference. I'm not trying to bring any team down but with the way the Express played in the last 24 minutes, I might have a point.

Take for example, Arwind Santos taking up three contested three pointers from Eastwood Libis QC. Or Wynne Arboleda forcing up shots late in the game or Steven Thomas giving up shots in the time when he really needs to dominate or Coach Bo's face every time Ginebra makes a basket. Those are all signs of the game-clinch pressures and you might not notice it but take a look at how Ginebra easily fought back from a 16 point advantage. That's a clear sign that they're not ready for the pressure, the feeling that they're that damn close to a Championship. And hopefully for Air 21, everybody learned from the Game 6 breakdown experience.

Well, come game time this Wednesday, everything that happened in the past wouldn't matter. I know it's an old cliche but the game will definitely go to the team who wants it the most. See you at Game 7 guys!

The Araneta Chronicles: Game 4

I originally posted it here

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Before I begin, I would like to clear things out. Yes, I'm a big big Barangay Ginebra fan. Second, I promise I'll try not to sound biased or something in this entry and third, please avoid the "why are you letting this guy do write ups, he's freakin' biased" comments. With that being said let's begin.

The Araneta Chronicles: Game 4

This is the part where I am that damn thankful to my parents that I was raised a Ginebra fan.

Following the sour back to back defeats in the hands of my second favorite PBA team, the Air 21 Express, I thought to myself.. the crowd's going to get rowdier and rowdier come Game 4. And they didn't disappoint.

I told my friends to come early because I didn't want to spend the game standing (like I did with my younger brother in Game 3) and knowing that we only have tickets for Upper Box B, a section that gets filled 10 mins after the Araneta gates open.. we really had to hurry. So there, we reached Araneta at about 6 pm, just in time for the annual awards and my God, I was surprised at the number of people who were already there. Well, atleast we got ourselves some seats to enjoy the game.

Midway through the awardings, I was bothered by a couple who was arguing at my back. Since they're only about a foot away from my back I can hear what they're talking about and you'll be surprised if you heard it too. Apparently, the wife was angry to his husband for spending the money on the tickets where in they could've spent it on the pambaons of their children. He goes to tell him that he'll be selling some scrap metals as soon as they got home just to give money to their children.

That goes to show you how hardcore the fans of the Kings are. And you know what? Midway through the game, the wife was leading the chants of GI-NE-BRA. And I thought she didn't want to watch?

Anyway, warm up time and the crowd is getting rowdier by the minute. Air 21 goes out first and of course, they were showered by boos. Thank God Ginebra came out a minute after Air 21 went out so the boos were halted and were changed into cheers.

Jayjay went straight to the bench and the guy on my left began talking to me like we were good ol' buddies. You know, the casual basketball talk. Pare di yata maglalaro si Helterbrand, badtrip pre.. pero kaya yan. And I was like, syempre naman, kailangan lang magstep up si Artadi tsaka si Pacana para mapunuan yung absence ni Jayjay. And the talk went on up to the last buzzer.

Game time and Ginebra went off to a blazing start. Crowd were into it early, but was hashed when Gary David converted a three pointer. Then some guy about three rows behind me started shouting Pakyu Dabid! Which drew laughters from the Ginebra crowd.

The biggest applaud of the night was awarded to Ronald Tubid. The moment he got up from the Ginebra bench, everybody was murmuring si Tubid maglalaro yata, oo nga oo nga. And by the time he was checking in the officials table, everybody went crazy. Everybody went crazier when Ronald converted his first basket which extended the Ginebra lead to 12, I think.

Another guy that caught my eye is a guy in his mid 40s wearing an Eric Menk jersey and was acting like the cheerleader of the Ginebra crowd. I dont think he ever sat down. He was reacting to every call, every non-call, every freethrow and time outs. He was just there, dancing, shouting, clapping and jeering, getting lots of attention and laughters to the Ginebra crowd.

Here's an interesting story. Anyone know the Tug and Shoot contest which is being held in timeouts and mid quarters in the PBA? Well, if you've been to a live event before, I guess you know it. After the buzzer sounded and their game stopped, the yellow guy (who was still strapped to the blue guy) began to walk towards the dug out. The blue guy was unaware the yellow guy began walking out, resulting to the yellow guy pulling him out and him falling awkwardly into the Araneta floor, garnering some laughters on the Air 21 and Ginebra crowd. What's funny (or not) is that when the blue guy was walking, we noticed that he was limping. And we were like, pucha napilayan yata

In other news, the winner of the most booed Express player award today goes to Nino Canaleta. After burning Ginebra with a stellar clutch performance in Game 3, we all know Canaleta's going to receive heat from the Ginebra crowd. And that's what exactly happened. Right after Canaleta threw an airball, the crowd started booing him straight into the bench (since Coach Bo called him out) and he stayed there for good.

Anyway, it was a fun fun night. Everybody in Barangay Ginebra can sleep well tonight. Forget the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry or the Letran-San Beda matches.. this is where true basketball fans show up. People who only has 30 pesos on their pockets (Read: Me) but still went on to watch the game anyway. People who will live and die and live to die again only to support a team who was supported by their fathers. People who will neglect heavy rains and will befriend anyone on their side and wouldn't care about the personal status of that guy. This is PBA basketball ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Barangay Ginebra.

Thoughts on UFC 87: Seek and Destroy

This entry is two days late so I apologize.



Anyway, did anyone else enjoy UFC 87 as much as I did? I guess. That was, regardless of the three decision laden matches in the main card, was one of the better cards in MMA this year.

We kick things off on the main card with a middleweight match between Jason McDonald and grappling monster Demian Maia. I thought McDonald tried to grapple with Maia too much and as much as I respect Jason's ground game, it would really be foolish to try and stay with someone like Demian Maia on the ground. I think he would've had a better chance if it was standing.

Anyway, McDonald didn't do that bad on the ground, he had some slick escapes, a guillotine at one point and an RNC in another. Despite being choked out by Maia in the third, McDonald proved that he can hang and give some troubles to someone like Demian on the ground. It was the best fight on that event IMO (Especially for grappling lovers)

Next fight was a lightweight showdown between two contenders. Roger "El Matador" Huerta vs Ken Flo, Kenny Florian. I was very excited about this match when it was announced and I thought it was a bit of a letdown. While it was exciting, the match never really lived up to the hype as Florian went on to fight a technical fight. Stick and run, stick and run. Florian imposed a beautiful gameplan that halted Roger's momentum every now and then. Both guys have a beautiful future but I don't think neither of them are ready for BJ at LW right now.



Next up was the swing bout between Rob Emerson and Manvel "Anvil" Gamburyan. It was a quick 12 second knock out that knocked the doucheness out of Manvel's body. Big win for Rob.. I think he needed that win.

Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring is up next. Brock is showing lots of improvement. His control is unbelievable and we all know now that he can punch. I thought he didn't capitalize on his position that much as he had Heath on his back and on the mount numerous times but he can't finish. But what the heck, it's only his third freakin' fight and I know he's going to improve more. After all, he did beat Heath Herring, a legit proven heavyweight in his third professional MMA bout.



Main event was between UFC Welterweight Champion Georges Rush St-Pierre as he takes on the consensus number 2 Welterweight Jon Fitch. Fitch came with an 8 fight win streak in this bout (Tied with Royce Gracie for most win streak in the UFC)

Turning point of the match is when GSP capitalized on a Fitch mistake and dropped him with a huge right hand. And since then, it's blah blah land for Jon Fitch as St-Pierre was just landing at will with jabs, back kicks, counter-hooks and leg kicks. St.Pierre was unbelievable that night.. for the very first time in the UFC, Fitch's guard was passed. Fitch was fucked up and he knows it.

But St.Pierre wasn't the only who was unbelievable last night, Fitch showed a gracious losing performance as well. He was just taking hits and hits and hits and he just kept coming back. He was a warrior. For him to take that kind of punishment and still smile after the match. He was just amazing.



Overall, it was a great event. I give it a 4/5 and could've easily been a five if it wasn't for the three decision matches on the featured matches.

Photo credits goes to MMAWEEKLY.COM

Ranking the Olympics' Men's Basketball tournament

I originally posted this here


This was supposed to be posted last week but I had to finish all of the tune ups before chalking one up for HooPH.

Alright, before I begin, I'll gladly answer the question that I know will be thrown by most of the readers here.

I know most of you will ask, why didn't you rank the US Basketball team as the number 1 team in the world right now?

Three things

1) They haven't won a major basketball tourney since the Olympics of 2000. (WBC 2002 was won by Yugoslavia, Olympics of 2004 was won by Argentina and WBC of 2006 was won by Spain)

2) As of now, while they remain a superpower of basketball, a lot of countries caught with them, introducing styles of basketball which is suited for International tourneys.

3) Other teams are just.much.better right now.

Disclaimer: This rankings is PRIOR to the Olympic games. I may say that this country is number 1 right now but could be goners AFTER the Olympics. Now, remind me to update my rankings right after the Olympics.

And here we go..

12) Iran

Fiba Ranking: 33rd

Key Players: Hammed Haddadi, Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Mehdi Kamrani (I hope I got all their names right)

Call me bitter, but I still think that this spot should've gone to our National Basketball Team. We were a call short of beating this team in the 2007 Asian Championships and we let it slip through our hands. Anyway, frankly, I don't think they'll win a single game in the Olympics. Yes, they're talented but are they talented enough to compete against the best in the world? I'll give you a hint, they aren't.

11) China

Fiba Ranking: 11th

Key Players: Yao Ming, Yi Jian Lian, Wang Zhi Zi and Sun Yue

The fact that most people have the two Asian representatives at the bottom two of the rankings goes to show that we are pretty left behind in terms of basketball. They have the height, the talent and a pretty good system to dominate the Asians but in terms of international play, I think their system is a little bit too conservative. I can see them beating Angola but that's it.

10) Angola

Fiba Ranking: 14th

Key Players: Olimpio Cipriano, Joaquim Gomes, Edwardo Mingas

This team is capable of beating any team on a good day. International experience would be a question for these guys but their system and famillarity to each other makes up for it.

9) Germany

Fiba Ranking: Tied for 9th
Key Players: Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman, Pascal Roller

Help for Dirk has always been the problem for Germany in the past few major tournaments and the arrival of Chris Kaman on the team helped solve that problem a bit. However, the Germans still need to find consistency on their backcourt of Steffan Hamman and Pascal Roller in order to be successful in Beijing.

8) Croatia

Fiba Ranking: 20th

Key Players: Marko Tomas, Zoran Planinic, Roko Ucic

The Croatians are back. The last time the Croatian Basketball Team qualified for a major tournament was at the Olympics of 1996. Since then, they've been cellar dwellars in European tournaments. It just sucks because they had a chance to dominate the World Basketball scene in the early 90s but thanks to the ONE and ONLY Dream Team, they didn't.

7) Australia

Fiba Ranking: Tied for 9th

Key Players: David Andersen, Matthew Nielsen, Andrew Bogut

They came this close of pulling an upset against Team US just last Monday. And what's interesting is that they managed to pull that close against US without Andrew Bogut. Anyway, the Aussies will be a team to reckon with come the Olympics mainly because in their team.. nobody's afraid to shoot. Gone are the days of Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal but this is their best chance IMO to win that elusive medal in Olympic Basketball.

6) Lithuania

Fiba Ranking: 5th

Key Players: Robertas Javtokas, Sarunas Jasikavicious, Linaz Kleiza (I hope I got their names correctly)

Yes, they've been blown out by the US in their tune up game but let me tell you something. Dont.let.that.fool.you. Lithuania brings more in the court than what they've shown against team US the last time around. And believe me when I tell you this, they can beat any team in the tournament any given day.

5) Russia

Fiba Ranking: 16th

Key Players: Sergei Bykov, Jon Holden, Andrei Kirilenko

The 2007 Euroleague Champs is the darkhorse of the tournament. Led by versatile forward Andrei Kirilenko and Jon Holden, David Blatt's squad is ready to take on the challenge and try to win their first medal in the Olympics. It's just sad because Victor Khryapa, a pivotal part of the team, would be missing the summer Olympics due to an injury.

4) USA

Fiba Ranking: 1st

Key Players: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade

They are eager to prove a point. This tournament would either prove that they are still the best in the world or prove that their style of play is no longer dominant in international competition. This team is pretty much the same team that played in the 2006 WBC + KB24 and Jason Kidd. Right now, they have only two weaknesses. 1) Defending the Pick and Roll and 2) Playing a slow tempoed, half court game. Unfortunately, that's how most of the games go in international competition.

3) Greece

Fiba ranking: 6th

Key Players: Vasilis Spanoulis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Theo Papaloukas

My personal favorite and a favorite medal placer this year. I just love watching the Greeks play. Their rugged defense plus killing offensive flow is what finished off the US in 2006 and will be their main weapon coming into the Olympics right now. They are well coached, they're very talented and they are hungry to win the gold.

2) Argentina

Fiba ranking: 2nd

Key Players: Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni, Manu Ginobili

While there have been a few shake ups from their past rosters (No Pepe Sanchez and Walter Hermann this year) Argentina will still be a favorite to win the Gold in Beijing. Why? Two things, 1) Their core of Scola-Nocioni-Ginobili is still intact and 2) Most of these guys have already played together in big tournaments like this. Did I mention they are the defending Champions of the Olympic basketball tournament?

1) Spain

Fiba Ranking: 3rd

Key Players: Rudy Fernandez, Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Calderon

I'll be honest with you, I don't think there's anyone who's capable of beating the Spaniards this year. I don't know, I just have that gut feel that they're the one who's going to dominate the Olympics. But who wouldn't have that gut feel? They're prolly the tallest team in the Olympics (6 players over 6'6) and they prolly have the best backcourt in the league too (The backcourt of Calderon, Fernandez, Rubio, Navarro, Rodriguez and Lopez)

The Royal Express Encounter: My two cents on the PBA Finals.

I originally posted this here

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Procrastinating over. Let’s get back to work.

Air 21 vs Ginebra. Two teams that thrives on energy, on fastbreak and lives and dies on turnovers. Well, if that’s the case, then get ready for an up and down, fast paced and run and gun finals. Now the question is, will Air 21 deliver? or will we see another royal run from the Kings? Here’s my personal take on the match ups and the what’s what in this finals.

The Backcourt Battle

Jayjay Helterbrand vs Wynne Arboleda and Mark Caguioa vs Gary David. Two very intriguing matches. Of course, the Fast and the Furious would be advantageous on paper, especially with what they’ve done this conference but Arboleda and David are no pushovers and they can definitely give the Kings a tough tough challenge. IMO, Caguioa is a tougher cover than David because he can create better situations for himself (It’s not like Gary D can’t create, but Mark simply does it better) while on the other hand, David has been relying on moving without the ball, running for fastbreak layups and set up threes.

The main question in the point guard battle would be on how Wynne Arboleda can control Jayjay’s numbers. Right now, Jayjay Helterbrand is the best point guard in the league. He dominates the game with his crisp passes and timely jumpers, that’s why he’s a tough tough cover. On the other hand, Wynne Arboleda is one of the best defensive point guards in the league today. Named part of the All Defensive Team last year, Wynne’s main task would be to limit Helterbrand’s numbers and prevent him from taking over the game.

The backcourt of the Kings wouldn’t be complete without Paul Artadi of course. Artadi has been a relevation for Ginebra in their last couple of games. Ever since the Sta.Lucia series, Artadi has been averaging 10.5 PPG, 5.5 APG and 2.5 APG. Those numbers alone are better than what any starting point guard (Minus Helterbrand) has produced for their team in the semi finals. Now, if Artadi continues to play that way.. the richest guy in the PBA would have to double his numbers.

With that being said, I give the backcourt advantage to the Kings.

Shootout on the wings

Air 21 has VERY TALL wingmen. Led by MVP Candidate Arwind Santos, Ranidel de Ocampo and Nino Canaleta, look for Air 21 to get much of their point productions from their wingmen. Ginebra’s wingmen on the other hand has experience on their side. Junthy Valenzuela and Sunday Salvacion are tough covers, especially when it comes to crucial stretches. Remember Sunday’s barrage of triples against San Miguel when they last won a Championship? That’s what I’m talking about.

However, advantage goes to Air 21 when it comes to the wing department. Let’s just say that Ginebra’s offensive focus comes from their guards and their import while Air 21 heavily relies on Arwind Santos and Ranidel de Ocampo when it comes to produtions. Ranidel is a tough tough match up for anyone, ask the Double Dannys of Magnolia. He can post you up, take you off the dribble and shoot three’s on you. He can also draw the defenders and drop off to Homer Se or Steve Thomas. In this series, he can be Ginebra’s biggest problem.

The Inside Grind

Steve Thomas vs Chris Alexander. Two of the best reinforcements we’ve had in this conference. Thomas is an inside operator who has a variety of post moves. However, he hasn’t showed up his former self eversince the start of the Semi Finals. Alexander however, is someone who’s.. let’s just say, more relaxed. Why? Because he doesn’t carry the offensive load of his team unlike all the other imports in the league. His scoring mostly comes off putbacks and drop passes from the guards and rarely do I see him create a shot of his own from the post.

In the local department, Air 21 will be led by their own Semi Final revelation Homer Se. However, he definitely needs help from guys like Kramer, Espinas and Sotto to control the board dominance of Reavis, Mamaril, Menk and Crisano.

With that being said, advantage goes to Ginebra here based on the fact that their import, Chris Alexander, doesn’t carry the same amount of pressure Steve Thomas carries in Air 21.

The Intangibles

Advantage goes to Ginebra. Ginebra is coming off a sweep of Red Bull and hasn’t tasted defeat in months. While Air 21 is coming off a tough 6 game victory against Magnolia. Another thing, Air 21 will be playing against Ginebra in a 7 game series.. that would be like the Lakers playing in Boston for 7 freakin’ games. Bo Perasol even said it, it’s Air 21 vs the Philippines.

The X Factors

For Ginebra, it’s Paul Artadi. If the Semis and the Quarters would be any indications on how Paul will play in the Finals then I expect a rough rough stretch for Air 21 in the upcoming games. Here’s a bet, I say everytime Paul Artadi makes a three pointer.. Ginebra will win. Anyone interested?

For Air 21, Homer Se. Homer has been a monster in the Magnolia series. Homer averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.8 RPG against the frontline of Magnolia. If Paul Artadi is the main energizer of Ginebra’s backcourt, then Air 21 would have an answer inside if Homer Se is in the game. Consistency would be the key for Air 21’s success.

The verdict

Should be a very interesting and exciting series. Air 21 should give Ginebra problems at times but I see them pulling it off based on experience alone. I say Ginebra in 6 exciting games.

Back to his rightful throne

Fedor Emelianenko returned to his rightful throne.. in the top of the hill.

Fedor Emelianenko shut down his critics with a quick and dominant win over former 2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, 6'8 Militich Product, Tim Sylvia.

Fedor put on a very impressive show, raining down a barrage of punches on Timmy before putting him in the clinch and connecting with an uppercut that floored Sylvia and finish him off with a rear naked choke at 0:36 seconds of the very first round.
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Quick results

-Fedor Emelianenko def. Tim Sylvia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 0:36, R1

-Andrei Arlovski def. Ben Rothwell by KO at 1:13, R3

-Josh Barnett def. Pedro Rizzo by KO at 1:44, R2

-Mark Hominick def. Savant Young by Submission (Armbar) at 4:25, R2

-Renato “Babalu” Sobral def. Mike Whitehead by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3

-Matt Lindland def. Fabio Negao by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

-Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Edwin Dewees by TKO at 4:06, R1

-Mike Pyle def. J.J. Ambrose by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:51, R3

-Vitor Belfort def. Terry Martin by KO at 3:12, R2

-Paul Buentello def. Gary Goodridge by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Noli de Castro ftw!

You know what our VP is doing while our country is having a freakin' economy crisis? He's right there.. sitting beside BJ fucking Penn, watching Forrest Griffin vs Quinton Rampage Jackson in Las Vegas.

Take a look at it here if the gif doesn't move (Right side of BJ, left side of the screen)




Btw, BJ's girlfriend is hot

Will write for a new amplifier

Alright I'm bored. As usual. I should be hitting the sheets right now but what the heck, I still want to write.. and here I am writing non sense.

Anyway, while browsing the Sherdog Forums, one exact thread caught my eye. And it's the thread that's comparing the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin to our very own, WBC World Lightweight Champion Manny Pacquiao (Read thread here) I think it's fucking ridiculous. I'm a big fan of both but the comparison is really absurd. You don't have to read the comments to know the sentiments of the Sherdog memebers (Prolly one of the biggest MMA Forums in the WORLD) I'll just gladly narrow it down to a few sentences for you because I'm thinking the same way too.

Forrest Griffin is nowhere near Manny Pacquiao's explosiveness, power and speed. Sure, they are both Champions and they are both exciting.. but that's it. And that's why the thread starter took so much heat from the members of that forum, it's just an absurd comparison.. that goes to show you how much Manny has gained the respect of the people all over the world.

Anyway, I'm broke. Fuck that. I have only 20 pesos on my wallet and I have lots of places to go tomorrow. Holy crap, here's me hoping for a miracle.

James Yap gets chased by Talk and Text Import (LOL)

LAWLZ! Talking about hitting and running. After a brief altercation between Jondan Salvador and Talk and Text Import Terrence Leather, James Yap decided to join the fun by literally kicking Terrence Leather’s ass when Leather wasn’t looking. And you know what happened as soon as Leather fronts James? James Yap ran, like a little kid who’s caught peeping in a bathroom. (The chase starts at 0:51) And you know what? After being separated, James Yap actually had the balls to even throw a ball at Terrence Leather…. when there were like 10 people separating them. Lawlz (See it at 1:11)

Funny stuff, the look on the Talk and Text’s enraged import and the scared face of James Yap is priceless. Awesome stuff.

Problem would be, if Terrence Leather would be suspended (Which I know he will be) TNT could be playing without an import in all important do or die game against SLR tomorrow. Wow, what great timing by James Yap’s kick. Lol

My two cents,

1) James Yap SHOULD HAVE been thrown out for his actions earlier. He threw a kick (No matter how soft it is) and that kick aggravated the heat. Everything was under control, until James threw that kick (I don’t know why, James seems to be a very cool guy on the court)

2) The Talk and Text Import needs to get anger management. Really. This is like the fourth time he got into a fight against a local. (Billy Mamaril, Eric Menk and Homer Se) and the second time he got thrown out. I expect a suspension and a fine.

3) Ali Peek is the real incredible hulk. You see how he dragged Enrico Villanueva away from Leather? Rico weighs about 250 pounds man and he just threw him out like Enrico was a little girl. Man oh man, what the heck was Robert Sanz thinking?

Forrest Griffin - UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

DID I JUST SAID THAT? FUCKING YEAH I DID!

Forrest Griffin is the new UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION MAN! That's something I never thought I can say or blog about after 86.

I'm a big Griffin fan but even at my wildest dreams I never expected him to go toe to toe with Quinton Rampage Jackson for five freaking rounds man. I thought the only way he was going to win is to catch Rampage with a submission, but even that is close to impossible. But here I am, blogging about the New Light Heavyweight Champion of the World and it's just crazy man.

PS

For those who are interested on how I scored the bout here's my round for round analysis

Round 1: 10 - 9 Rampage. Rampage dropped Forrest with a huge uppercut which could've ended any fight, but Forrest managed to hang on

Round 2: 10 - 8 Forrest. I never thought I'd see a round of pure dominance from Forrest Griffin. The leg kick that buckled Rampage really turned everything around in this match.

Round 3: 10 - 9 Forrest. Tough round to score but I gave it to Griffin, Rampage had harder shots but Forrest landed more. Leg kicks and head kicks won the round for Forrest here.

Round 4: 10 - 9 Rampage. Page landed more blows, had the takedown and controlled the tempo for most of the round. Forrest had a triangle however, but was quickly broken up by an attempt of a Rampage powerbomb.

Round 5: 10 - 9 Forrest. Forrest pushed the pace here. Controlled the round, fighting very cautiously but effectively.

So yeah, I had it 48 - 46 for Griffin too. :D

Chris FTW! I'm playing for Team QC in the National Compets

The best news I've heard this week so far. Coach June Golosinda, my Highschool Coach in World Citi Colleges, asked me to play for him in the upcoming National Basketball Competition to represent The Quezon City Basketball Team. And I was like, Oh yeah, sure why not?

Yesterday marked the first practice session of the team, I came as their most seasoned player, knowing that I've played for four years in highschool and I'm 17 (The event is 18 and below). I saw my teammates and what can I say? They're tall, agile and talented. Then came my coach, we haven't seen each other for months and he was shocked when he saw his most hardworking player from his last year's team out of shape, about 20 pounds overweight and out of condition.

Well, atleast I finished the practice without blowing up or getting cramped. We have a good coaching staff; Coach P from Ateneo to take care of the conditioning duties, Coach Ollie from SCS to take care of our skills and Coach John to act as our Scouting coach. Of course, Coach June will handle the team, and I think he's one of the best Coaches in the Philippines right now.

Next practice session is thursday afternoon. Wish me luck. The National Competition starts at January 15 next year.

UFC 79: Nemesis

The best card on the year as advertised.. and I couldn't agree more. After having Welterweight Champion Matt Serra withdraw due to back injuries, who would've ever expected that the current champion's injury would be a blessing in disguise to us fight fans and to the organization itself.

A day after Serra withdrew from his title bout against Matt Hughes, UFC.com confirmed that former Welterweight Champion and current number 1 contender Georges "Rush" St.Pierre would be fighting Matt Hughes, and it will be for the Interim Welterweight Championship.

Not only will we see two of the best welterweights in history, we will also get to see the rubber match of the said fighters. In the war of '04 (UFC 50), Matt Hughes defeated Georges St.Pierre via submission with only a second left in round 1. However, GSP bounced back from that loss in UFC 65: Bad Intentions, where in he dominated the then champion Matt Hughes from the get go until the fight was stopped early in the second round.

After that GSP loss his title in an upset to Matt Serra in UFC 69:Shootout then outwrestled wrestler Josh Koscheck at UFC 74:Respect. Matt Hughes won his match against Chris Lytle at UFC 68: UPRISING, then went on to coach the ultimate fighter series, against Matt Serra.

In the Co-Main event of the evening, the match everyone has been waiting for. The most dominating Light Heavyweight in UFC history Chuck Liddell takes on the most dominating Middleweight in PrideFC history, Wanderlei Silva.

This match is long overdue, considering that the two fighters are coming off of two loses. And some would even say that the match wouldn't be as good as it should've been two to three years ago. But either way, I expect this match to be a war.

Another match worth waiting for is the debut of the African Assasin in the UFC, Rameau Sokoudjou as he takes on undefeated Light Heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida.

Other matches in the event are:

Nate Mohr vs Manvel Gamburyan (Lightweight)

Rich Clementi vs Melvin Guillard (Lightweight)

Tony DeSouza vs Roan Carneiro (Welterweight)

Dean Lister vs Jordan Radev (Middleweight)

Doug Evans vs Mark Bocek (Lightweight)

Eddie Sanchez vs Soa Palalei (Heavyweight)

First Impressions: The Rookies

The opening week of the PBA is probably the most exciting week the league has to offer. Well, that excludes the Championship series of course. But yeah, I think I've always been excited during the first week of the PBA.

One big reason for that is the rookies. I've been curious on how those new guys will adjust to the PBA after playing in the Amateurs, I know I'm not the only one who's excited but what the heck, here are my first impressions on the new breed of PBA superstars.

Magnolia Beverage Masters

Their prized 6'9 rookie Samigue Eman had a rude welcome in their game against Air 21. First shot, Blocked. A back to the basket move, Stolen. I mean, how bad could it be? But I know this guy's going to get better. He must make use of Dorian Pena's injury to get those oh so precious minutes on the Magnolia rotation. Had Five points and two blocks in 15 minutes on his debut btw.

Thanks to the deep deep Magnolia bench, Jonas Villanueva received his very first DNP on the stat sheets.

The rookie grade:I'll give Sam Eman a B- on his debut and Jonas Villanueva an INC :P

Air 21 Express

The team with the most first round picks, Air 21 never hesistated to showcase them. The Ateneo duo of JC Intal and Doug Kramer didn't have a great debut, like what those old guys say "May Niyerbos pa" but they'll get better, Marvin Cruz impressed me btw, played only 11 minutes but managed to score 7 points grab 3 rebounds and dish out 2 assists.

The rookie grade: JC Intal and Doug Kramer - C
Marvin Cruz - B+

Purefoods Chunky Hotdogs

Well, let's just say their rookies didn't have a good offensive night but what the heck, that was a respectable debut, atleast by my standards. Chico Lanete scored only 3 points but grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 4 assists, Rob Sanz had two crucial steals and a crucial lay up at crunch time and Ardy Larong provided energy and hustle.

The rookie grade: Chico Lanete - B
Rob Sanz - B
Ardy Larong - B-

Sta.Lucia Realtors

Everybody's been talking about Ryan Reyes, but someone forgot Christian Coronel. Coronel stole the show in their first game, scoring 12 points grabbing 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Ryan Reyes and Dennis Daa's game wasn't so bad either, although I expected more from Ryan but I know he has more to offer. Ryan scored 8 points grabbed 2 rebounds and stole 3 possesions and fouled 6 times. Dennis Daa had 8 and 4

The rookie grade: Christian Coronel - A-
Ryan Reyes - B
Dennis Daa - B

Talk and Text Phonepals

With that much talent on your team, it would be hard for Yousif to get playing time. He had 5 points a rebound and an assist in 10 minutes of play

The rookie grade: Yousif Aljamal - B

Alaska Aces

I can say, The Bruise brothers 2000 impressed me last night. Playing with limited minutes, Bono and Quinahan showed that they belong in the PBA. Quinahan had 10 points 5 rebounds and 2 blocks on 22 minutes of play while Ken Bono had 7 points on the same number of minutes

The rookie grade: JR Quinahan - A
Ken Bono - B

Coca Cola Tigers

Ronjay Buenafe is the most impressive rookie this year by now. Scored 16 points grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 2 assists and was monumental on their comeback trail against the Welcoat Dragons.

The rookie grade: Ronjay Buenafe - A+

Welcoat Dragons

Sucks to see Joe Devance leave the court after hitting a wide open three pointer. Joe left because of a sprained right ankle. Played for 4 minutes and scored 3 points and dished out an assist. Ryan Arana wasn't much of a factor too, scored 6 points on his debut game

The rookie grade: Joe Devance - INC
Ryan Arana - B-

Barangay Ginebra Kings

Coach Jong was confident with JR Aquino.. and he didn't disappoint. JR Aquino scored 7 points but other than that, his defensive intensity on the court was the one that impressed me. Macky played for only 5 minutes and scored 2 points. Got his shot blocked by Junthy on a fastbreak btw.

The rookie grade: JR Aquino - B
Macky Escalona - B-

Red Bull Barako

Their lone rookie Jojo Duncil did not play

The rookie grade: Jojo Duncil - INC

So that's it, I'd prolly post my rookie rankings next week, right after everybody plays their second game. :D

The Nike "My game" documentary post screening thoughts

Last night, Nike launched their 60 minute documentary called "My Game" at the Powerplant mall in rockwell. Nike collaborated with Cannes award winning director-producer tandem of Carlo Ledesma and Mel Lozano, to come up with an inspiring documentary about the lives of six of our basketball heroes today.

The show started at around 8pm, Boom Gonzales was the host of the show btw, kicking off the evening by introducing the director, producer and the players who were involved in the said event.

Poof, the video starts and they show video clips of Quinito Henson, Coach Norman Black, Coach Chot Reyes and Coach Franz Pumaren being interviewed. They talked about the basketball situation here in the country, and how the filipinos are hooked with the sport. I love the way Coach Franz described basketball here in the Philippines, he said;

Here in the Philippines, there are only three things you can talk about, alam mo, yung pwedeng pagusapan magmula sa higher class hanggang sa masa, 1) Showbiz, 2) Politics and 3)Basketball

First player-docu is shown, Renren's story is shown first. Renren talks about how he wasn't intimidated with taller players, how small he was when he was a kid, how really wanted to play for La Salle and how his jersey was retired in DLSU. He even throwed in some jokes while being interviewed.

Syempre masarap maglaro, tapos sa la salle ka pa, tapos lagi pa kayong champion.. apat na beses.. hahaha

Next up, James Carlos Yap. Quinito Henson puts him as a player with a high basketball IQ, I couldn't agree more. They showed pictures of James as a young kid, playing in Escalante, Negros Occidental. Who would've ever expected that that young skinny kid would become a PBA Superstar/MVP and be the husband of the daughter of a former president of the Philippines? His HS coach said James averaged 32 a game in his Highschool days, his uncle was the one responsible for James' basketball stardom in Negros. So all of you James Yap fanatics out there, you should thank his uncle.

Up next, Dondon Hontiveros. Interesting fact, Dondon wanted to be a priest when he was a young kid. He said, if he's not going to be a varsity player for his school then he'll definitely be a Priest. Dondon showed us his roots in Cebu, the old basketball court where he used to play and his old friends he used to play with.

Arwind Santos was featured next, the documentary showed Arwind's humble roots, started out playing in barangay courts in Pampanga, then played in the Mayor's Cup before he was eventually discovered. He pointed out the difference between playing outside and playing in the UAAP. It also showed how basketball brings hope to less fortunate people. Beautiful clip.

Next up, UAAP idols Rico Maierhoffer and Jobe Nkemakolam. Two players with contrasting beginnings, Rico started out playing in the half courts in Puerto Prinsesa while Jobe was discovered playing in the rural streets of Galicia, Manila. Jobe's documentary was heartwarming though, from starting out as a street thug to playing in Ateneo to being cut from the team and to returning to Ateneo to play again. Very beautiful clip, I think it's the best feature among six players.

Overall, I salute Nike. This will not only show the humble roots of our basketball heroes today but will also bring inspiration to kids who's dreaming of making it in the big league. Beautiful documentary, hats off to Director Carlos Ledesma, Mel Lozano and everyone who made this documentary possible. I do hope other people would get to see this, to show the significance of basketball here in the Philippines.

It's down to blue green and red.

Originally posted here http://hoops.blink.ph/2007/09/24/its-down-to-blue-green-and-red/

Hold on tight UAAP fans, we're now approaching the final chapter of the league. After 14 grueling games in the eliminations.. a couple of classification and knock out games, we're now down to three teams. Ateneo, La Salle and UE.

How it came to be

The elimination round ended with UE sweeping all of their games.. thus gaining an automatic spot in the Championship. Adamson and UP were eliminated early, ending their season with 2-12 and 0-14 records respectively. The initial reaction of UP's winless season was Coach Joe Lipa's departure.

Next up the NU Bulldogs. They showed signs of breaking into the top four early in the season but eventually got booted out of contention with three straight loses to UE, UST and La Salle. However, they ended their season strong with a win against Ateneo, leaving every Atenean wanting to commit Azucena because that win should've given the eagles an automatic twice to beat advantage in the step ladder format.

Of course, FEU did the unthinkable this year. Coming off a team disbandment, who would've ever expected that the young team led by Glenn Capacio would even tie for the fourth best record this year? They forced a knockout game by beating the defending champions UST in their last game of the eliminations only to lose against the same team in the knock out game.

La Salle lost their last two assignments against UE and Ateneo, a win against one of those teams would've guaranteed the archers an automatic twice to beat advantage slot but that did not happen. However, thanks to NU's win against Ateneo, they had one more chance to win the coveted twice to beat advantage and eventually, they had it won. Leading to The Ateneo-UST knock out game to formally open the step ladder round.

Ateneo dethroned UST in that game, leading to the fourth DLSU-ADMU game this season.

Forecast

(Now, I'll write my forecast the way I see it)

DLSU will eventually beat Ateneo in two games. La Salle's twice to beat advantage is just too much for the Eagles. Yes, they do have La Salle's number but take note, La Salle is an experienced team with an experienced coach. Talent wise, they're arguably the most talented team in the league right now behind UE. So once again, I'm putting my money against the Eagles.

However the championship series would be different. I see UE stopping La Salle in a tightly contested three game series. The Depth of The Warriors would play a big role in all of their games. And I just can't see UE losing the championship after rampaging against everyone in the eliminations.

So that's it, UAAP season 70 in one single article.