A lot of people have been discouraging Manny Pacquiao from running for political office, claiming sports and politics shouldn't mix. Then, add in the history of athletes in our political world (i.e. Senator Robert Jaworski, Secretary Eric Buhain) and you've got yourselves a compelling reason to agree with those people. Let's think about it though. What if the right athletes made the trek to the political world? Our country may find its best government yet, so to our upcoming new (hopefully!!!) president, take a gander at these potential cabinet appointees from the sporting world.
Paeng Nepomuceno (Department of Health) - The four-time World Cup Champion and Greatest Amateur Bowler on the Planet is over fifty years old, yet he looks not a day over 40. Still competitive against the world's best, Paeng has repeatedly stated his secret is keeping in shape. He bikes, runs and does calisthenics, all while eating right. My brother, who was roommates with Paeng during the Asian Games can attest to Paeng's supreme work ethic, as he wakes early every morning for sit ups/crunches as well. Wouldn't it be great if we were all a la Paeng, healthy and looking good even at 50 years old?
I just love Ball Don't Lie , the Yahoo! basketball blog. They recently posted one of the funniest things I've read in months, jokingly describing that the Phoenix Suns have an, "Other Brother Experiment." I didn't get it at first, but then I realized that the among the players listed in the Suns roster are Robin Lopez, Taylor Griffin and Jarron Collins, all players with more accomplished or famous brothers in the same sport. Now, while I found the blog comment funny, my heart does go out to the world's numerous "Other Brothers," since I am an "Other Brother," myself. That's why I thought it would be nice to mention other "Other Brothers" in sports. Those athletes who never could make it unlike their more illustrious brothers.
Harvey Grant - Horace Grant is known for his tremendous work ethic, defense and rebounding and these talents made him a vital cog in the Chicago Bull's first "Three peat" run with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Then, he went ahead and won another championship as a veteran off the bench for Shaq and Kobe's L.A. Lakers. Unfortunately, that level of enviable success did not run in the family as Horace's twin brother Harvey. While Harvey was a an NBA player himself, his level of success certainly pales in comparison. Harvey had a 5-year NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets and the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists, numbers that aren't that bad, until you realize that in Horace's 17 year career, he was not only an NBA All Defensive Second Team four times, but also an NBA All Star, playing in the annual event in 1994. Hey, at least when I used Harvey Grant in NBA Jam, he could make three pointers. That's always a plus, right?
I don't smoke, I have never and will never get near illegal drugs (take that Floyd Mayweather!) and I hardly drink anymore. That's why it's hard to imagine that I would ever get moments of insanity or delusion. These sports developments, however, had me second guessing myself a bit.
We all know about the top 4 teams of the NBA's Eastern Conference, and it's already quite a surprise that Atlanta is third, not Boston. The real clincher? Take a gander at the fifth and sixth seed. Perennial whipping boys Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats are deep into the playoff race and they seem to settling in. Wow.
Say goodbye to Purefoods. After winning the PBA Philippine Cup Championship, the Tender Juicy Giants are changing names. While it's tough to not see the name Purefoods in the roster of PBA teams, what really takes the cake is the name they're changing into. From now on (hopefully only this conference), they will be known as the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. That's right. That's the name. That's a big mouthful. Of livestock feed. Goodness.
In a doubles exhibition match with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, "legends" Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, armed with aging bodies and wireless mics, proceeded to have a highly uncomfortable, supposedly funny and good-natured ribbing that turned into a horrible PR nightmare. What started as a funny Sampras imitation of Agassi turned into Agassi calling Sampras a cheapskate and Pete serving a ball straight into Agassi. What's worse than two great tennis players in an immature bickering match? Two RETIRED former great players in an immature bickering match in a charity event. Yeesh.
Manny Pacquiao is surely the biggest sports icon in our country today. Maybe ever. So what does it say that the best and most comprehensive story on the Philippines' National Fist was written by an American (Andrew Corsello) for the American GQ magazine? Don't believe me? Read the article here.
It's easy to understand but not altogether forgivable that most people forgot that Manny Pacquiao was not the only Filipino that fought in a boxing ring last weekend. Filipino pugilists Richie Mepranum and Eden Sonsona also took to the ring and like their idol Manny, ended up victorious. (Michael Farenas also fought but the fight ended in a no decision because of a clash of heads) Mepranum outworked and outpointed previously undefeated flyweight Hernan Marquez in their 10-round battle in the Gaylord Hotel on the eve of the Pacquiao fight. Meanwhile, Sonsona reminded the world he was the Sonsona to remember (and not Marvin) as he knocked out former world champ bantamweight Mauricio Pastrana in the 8th round. So devastating was his knock out that the referee didn't bother to count out the Colombian when he fell to the canvass. Mabuhay!
Fill 'Er Up
If people are still wondering just how many Pinoys are already in the U.S., they need to look no further than Sunday's Pacquiao-Clottey fight. Cowboy Stadium, configured for 45,000 seats, welcomed 50,994 people, the third largest boxing audience in an indoor arena in U.S. history. Judging from the amount of flags seen along the stands and the deafening roar for Pacman, it can easily be surmised that Pinoys made up a good number of that crowd. Pinoys, not only from Texas but as far as New Jersey and Chicago, according to an APReport. Talk about people power.
Action Star
Of course, the best example of Pinoy dominance last weekend is the planet's best boxer, Manny Pacquiao. Pacman unleashed a flurry onto challenger Joshua Clottey, pounding the Ghanian into a dominant, unanimous victory. While many concentrate on Clottey's reluctance to punch (actually I did too on my Facebook status), what many should consider is that Clottey's intention to not get knocked out is not the only reason he didn't punch. For anyone who doesn't, here are two questions. Have you seen what happens to people (like Miguel Cotto, David Diaz and Ricky Hatton) who trade punches with Pacquiao? What do you do when a hurricane of punches named Manny comes? The answers are, "They get knocked out," and, "Cover up like hell." So, as much as last weekend's massacre was a function of Clottey's lack of resolve, it's also about Pacquiao's sheer brilliance, ferocity, speed and power.
photos courtesy of the AP and special thanks to Tiborce and his tremendous blog
It could be Pacquiao's sheer dominance and brilliance in his past 5 fights or it could be Clottey's relative anonimity. It could even be disappointment over the postponed fight against Mayweather. Whatever it is, there just doesn't seem to be enough buzz for this Sunday's fight between Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines' greatest boxer and Ghana's former Welterweight Champion, Joshua Clottey. While many people scoff at Clottey's chances, I think there is more than one reason to find this fight more than exciting.
Machete?
Despite being a heavy underdog, people don't seem to remember that Clottey has never been hurt in a fight. He has lost, twice by (controversial) decision and once by disqualification, but no opponent in his career has ever hurt him enough to get him in trouble. Even when Miguel Cotto knocked him down, it was one of those flash knockdowns, and Clottey promptly stood up and almost ended up beating Cotto. Clottey is always chiseled and in shape. He has excellent defense (even Kevin Iole calls him a modern Winky Wright), making him tremendously difficult to hit and when he does get hit, he has shown he can take it. That's why this fight, as much as it is a test for Clottey, it is a actually a true test for Pacquiao. If people want to see just how strong Pacquiao is and exactly how technically sound his offense is now, this is the fight that will show them.
Three Handed Monster
Joshua Clottey, as powerful as he is, is even more dangerous because he is, as my brother calls it, a "three handed monster." Aside from his heavy right hand a capable left, Clottey has a penchant for using his head, the illegal way. Call it whatever you want, dirty or just lunging, the fact of the matter is, Clottey's opponents have a high percentage of getting hit with a head butt. That's why a lot of Clottey's opponents have ended up bleeding. This is a significant problem because as tough as Pacquiao is, he hates bleeding. He hates blood tests and he loses speed and ferocity when he starts bleeding in fights. It can be remembered that he had a lot of trouble in the fights against Agapito Sanchez and Erik Morales, where he was bleeding from head butts. (He lost to Morales, while Sanchez was disqualified) That's why this fight is a lot more dangerous than people anticipate. It's hard to fight an opponent who uses his head (illegally).
Pressure Points
The problem with being the great one like Pacquiao is, everyone now expects him to dominate everyone not named Mayweather. Now, Manny is the ultimate favorite, and all the pressure to dominate and win is all on him. That, coupled with the pressure to win for the entire Philippine nation is more than enough for mere mortals to carry. That's why this fight is tougher for Pacquiao than usual. This time, he has to win and dominate. Otherwise, his aura of invincibility loses a lot of luster.
Of course, like any other FIlipino, I am still 100% behind Pacquiao. I'm still predicting an impressive win, 9th round or later. It's just that, I think I'm going to be a lot more excited than others about this fight. You would be too if you agree.
Obviously, the San Miguel Corp franchises are looking to repeat their dominance in the PBA's import-flavored conference. Much of their success will depend on their imports, though. For this conference, the San Miguel Beermen will bring back last year's best import, Gabe Freeman. Fresh off a stint with the Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League, Freeman is in great shape and look for the Beermen to be back in the title hunt yet again. The Ginebra Gin Kings hope former NBA player Awvee Storey can help augment their sometimes sputtering offense. Storey, who averaged 3.5 points and 2 rebounds in 26 games for the Bucks, can help. The only concern is his head. The 33 year old has bounced around the world, not because of lack of skill but because of behavior. His checkered past includes trouble with Gilbert Arenas and the police and punching a teammate in the NBDL. The Kings may want to grab a replacement import, just in case. All Filipino Champs Purefoods have their eye on Reggie Larry, who despite barely playing in the Golden State Warriors' Summer League Team, does have tremendous hops, as seen in the video above. The question is, will he mesh with the league's most potent defensive team?
Where's the Beef?
The answer to that question may be Ginebra. Obviously lacking in size when they lost to the Alaska Aces in the semi finals of the All Filipino Cup, Ginebra is on the prowl to increase size. Rebounding and hustle will no longer be franchised by Willie Wilson alone, as the Kings have re-signed the "H-Bomb" Rudy Hatfield for the year. Although years older and our of competitive basketball for a while, look for Hatfield to grab Ginebra at least an extra two to three possessions a game. Then, the Kings look to find a true center who can block shots with a rumored deal sending former Ateneo Blue Eagles Rich Alvarez and Doug Kramer in exchange for Yancy de Ocampo. De Ocampo, who rotted on the Talk and Text bench averaging less than 15 minutes a game, is no game changer, but he's still a 6'11" non game changer.
Back in the Flash?
In other PBA related news, guess who's back in town after retiring to the U.S. to live a quiet life? Bal "The Flash" David, the former blur of a point guard of the Ginebra Kings, is back in town and involved in basketball again. Fortunately, he isn't trying to stage a comeback playing. He is now mentoring the Fern C basketball team in the Philippine Basketball League. Call me evil, but I saw a Fern C game last week, and as I gazed at David pacing the baseline and calling out instructions, one thought came to mind, "If he keeps asking his players to play tougher defense, one of his players will certainly ask him why he didn't bother playing any during his Ginebra days?" Like I said, evil. I wish you luck Bal! Peace!
This year's Wrestlemania in Arizona looks to be another blockbuster pay-per-view event for the WWE, and it should, since it will feature Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels 2 ('Taker's Wrestlemania undefeated streak of 17 wins vs Michaels' career.) This was a rematch over a year in the making and in the wrestling world, a year is an eternity. This got me wistfully thinking about other matches that should've gotten a rematch, but didn't.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls (early 90s NBA)
The two teams met in the 1992 NBA Finals, with the Bulls, courtesy of astounding play and suddenly accurate three point shooting from Michael Jordan taking the championship. Both teams were very loaded, with the Blazers having Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams, Cliff Robinson and Kevin Duckworth. Meanwhile, the Bulls featured John Paxson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and B.J. Armstrong and the two teams were just evenly matched, that it seemed they would be headed for an intriguing rivalry for at least another 2 years. Alas,it was not meant to be as the revamped Phoenix Suns emerged as Western champs the following year and then Jordan retired the 1st time after that. Just the thought of the aerial battle between His Airness and the Glide is more than enough to be wistful about a rematch.
Mike Tyson vs James Douglas (Heavyweight Boxing)
In what was easily the upset of the decade in boxing, "Buster" Douglas knocked out the until then indestructible "Iron" Mike Tyson, taking his undisputed heavyweight championship. Douglas was at his best, moving, jabbing and frustrating Tyson until the fearsome champ tired out. Finally, he seized his opportunity in the 11th round, dropping Tyson for the first time in his career. Despite this almost perfect night from Douglas, it was still a close fight, as Tyson also dropped Douglas with a smashing right in the 10th round. That is why a rematch would've been tremendous for the boxing world. Unfortunately, the loss was only the first of a string of bad developments for Tyson, who then was found guilty of rape, sent to jail and found himself bankrupt. Douglas, meanwhile, enjoyed his championship too much, showing up bloated for his first title defense against Evander Holyfield and got knocked out of significance.
Ryo Chonan vs Anderson Silva
Silva, generally considered the best mixed martial artist in the world, pound for pound, has been undefeated in the UFC. Before he got his aura of invincibility in the UFC, however, Silva lost four times. One of those losses in the now defunct Pride Championship in Japan, was to Japanese Ryo Chonan who is currently in the UFC roster as well. In what has to be one of the most spectacular finishes in MMA, Chonan unleashed a flying scissor takedown which led straight to a heel hook to defeat Silva. It's almost a certainty that Silva would want to avenge that fight, but Pride has been bought out by the UFC and Chonan, while still in the UFC, has seen his career fade into oblivion. A rematch may not draw as much interest, so it's unlikely a rematch will be set up.
In the recently concluded Winter Olympics, Sven Kramer of the Netherlands won a gold in the 5,000 meter long track speedskating event, and he was well on his way to winning his second gold in the 10,000 meter version. Then, he didn't. An apparent miscommunication with his coach and an unforgivable mental error cost him, as he forgot to switch lanes at the race's halfway point. The error effectively disqualified him, leaving him with no medal for this event. Furthermore, it became apparent that he lost a world record time as well. Kramer, in the heat of the moment, first blamed is coach for telling him to take the wrong lane, but in the end, he did admit that he had no one to blame but himself. Ooops.
Foot in Mouth Disease
Even with an upcoming match against the fearsome Shane Carwin (who has a habit of destroying opponents in the first round), former UFC Champion Frank Mir was preoccupied with arch enemy and current UFC Champion Brock Lesnar. In a recent radio interview, Mir was all bravado and he had this to say.
"I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries. That's what's going through my mind."
Days later, Mir did apologize (probably, as Lesnar later said, "after his wife apologized."), but the damage has been done. In a sport that is striving to gain mainstream recognition and acceptance, it needs this wanton and careless act like a hole in the head. Several states in the U.S. and Canada have not legalized it, and the Australian press even went as far as calling it "bloodsport" when the UFC held a show there. What the UFC needs are instances where hardwork, dedication and sportsmanship are championed, not threatening lines fit for an action movie. Mir may be great in the ring, making very few errors, but behind the mic? That was a big ooops.
Bad Time for the Good Times
Canada's Women's Hockey Team made millions of Canadians delirious with their gold medal victory in the 2010 Winter Olympics on their home soil, beating the U.S.A., 2-0. They were pictures of true champions, politely accepting their gold medals and acknowledging the adoring crowd. Over half an hour later, they buckled down to business, the business of celebrating. They went back on the ice and partied. In typical hockey fashion, they were seen guzzling down champagne and beer, and puffing on some stogies for good measure, all with their gold medals hanging around their necks. While a lot of writers and fans (and even my friends) are quick to point out that this type of celebration is very typical in the hockey world, two things make it not. Firstly, the celebration was done in British Columbia, where the legal drinking age is nineteen. That becomes a sticky situation, as one of the team's players, Marie-Philip Poulin, who had a beer can in her hand, is still eighteen. Secondly, they were celebrating during the Olympic Games, where health and clean living is promoted heavily. Olympic sports are supposed to capture the imagination of the youth and engage them enough to want to join a sport and live healthy. Downing Duffs a la Homer Simpson is not exactly in the Olympic Charter. While it doesn't take away the hard-earned victory of the Canadian lasses, the celebration could be considered an ooops moment too.
Sharwin L. Tee is Chef/Host of Lifestyle Network's Curiosity Got the Chef. He is a personal chef, catering to prominent families across Metro Manila, Philippines. He prepares meals for their sit down dinners and cocktail parties.
He is also a bowling coach. He was a member of the Philippine National Bowling Team coaching staff from 2006-07, and the head coach of the Xavier Bowling Team from 2000-present. He is one of the first Filipinos to be certified by the United States Bowling Congress as silver-certified coach.
Sharwin has also been an NBA fan for over 15 years, Philippine Basketball Association fan for over 20, Professional Bowlers' Association fan for over 14. He is also a fan of Boxing, MMA, Volleyball, WWE, and Tennis. For some reason, he has accumulated a scary amount of trivia in each of these sports.
