Taking (Second) Chances

     On Sunday, UFC Middleweight and MMA Pound-for-Pound Champ Anderson Silva gets yet another main event fight, despite his last three being inexplicable head scratchers.  In his last three main event fights, SIlva toyed around with his clearly overmatched opponents, namely Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Damian Maia, refusing to engage them in any serious exchanges.  It was clear he could knock out any of the three at any time he wanted, but he instead chose to dance around, doing for talking and running than anyone cared for.  This Sunday represents a new beginning for him, his second and last chance, according to UFC President Dana White.  Before he gets anymore ideas to again dance around and waste his second chance against challenger Chael Sonnen, I have some cautionary tales for him.  

Delonte West - Despite being drafted with high hopes by the then rebuilding Boston Celtics, West was quite a disappointment for Beantown fans and his name slowly began fading into oblivion.  The Cleveland Cavaliers, seeking to fit pieces to help Lebron James win a championship, gave West a second chance.  Instead of rising to the challenge, West continued to be an inconsistent scorer, missed games due to a battle with clinical depression and got arrested by carrying not just a handgun, but a shotgun on his all terrain vehicle.  (Plus, there is a rumor that he was having an affair with James' mom.  Okay, so that's not verified. Sorry.) Now, West's appeal for teams have so plummeted that one of the NBA's worst teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves, traded for him, just so they can waive him and save money.  If you get waived by the Wolves?  Ouch.

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Fifty Peso Shots: July 2010

Some shots from the cheap seats:

• A long-awaited light heavyweight match ups has been set up in the UFC.  Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida will face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson  The Dragon vs Rampage match should be a slam bang affair with both looking to rebound after big losses.  I'm looking forward to Machida bouncing back with renewed energy.  Rampage actually nixed this match up earlier to shoot the A Team movie, he can only hope his performance will be miles better than his impression of B.A. Barracus.

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The Kids are Alright

     So, the 2010 Jones Cup has concluded and to no one's surprise, Iran came out on top, yet again.  The Philippines' Smart GIlas, ended up 4th, toting an even 3-3 record.  Looking at the Gilas website, seeing all the panicked, doomsday-like proclamations of supposed, "concerned fans," about how GIlas is doomed and how PBA players are needed for victory,  I was/am incensed.  I am not paid by Manny Pangilinan or Smart GIlas, but I truly support their long term plan for basketball.  I even wrote about why I would bet on Gilas over any PBA team when playing international tournaments.  Rather than rehash all my statements in that article, I decided to play the numbers game.


Head to Head

     Most of the comments long for the inclusion of PBA players, saying the GIlas players were, "less-skilled," kids and the pros would have the capability to do better.  One of the strongest PBA-backed national teams played the Jones Cup last year, so I took a look at the numbers.  Going by team records, Powerade (PBA) finished 7th overall with a 2-6 win-loss record.  GIlas, as menioned finished 4th with 3-3.  It should already say something about Gilas that they needed less games to get to three wins, right?

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For Better or For Worse

     The NBA free agency of 2010 seems to have lost all its hype when Lebron James copped out moved to Miami, but the dealings have not stopped.  Here are some more deals, and how they stack up for the respective teams.

Carlos Boozer signs with Chicago Bulls:  One of the lovers spurned by James, the Bulls went to work immediately, signing Carlos Boozer.  This is a great move, with Chicago finally getting a post presence that has been missing since Elton Brand was a Bull.  Boozer could become the consistent scorer that will complement the Bull's stifling defense and that would mean a long run in the playoffs.

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A Tale of Two (NBA) Cities

     Every father's nightmare is when his daughter begins to fall in love.  Worries about finding the right man would dominate and sometimes eat up a father's life.  Every dad, of course, worries about the "wrong" man, the one who is all flash, promises the world to their daughter, but barely delivers.  They warn their daughters about the man who demands unconditional love while refusing to commit and conitunually flirting with other suitors.  Ultimately, fathers worry that the wrong man will break their daughters' heart, in the worst case scenario, publicly.  This is why fathers pray a different kind of man sweeps their daughters off their feet.  They pray for a man who has enough gumption to have flash, but follows through.  They hope for a man of simple taste, with no ego to feed.  They would kill for man who not only commits to relationship, but continually works hard on it to keep it going strong.

     This is a tale of two (NBA) cities, and of two superstars. 

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The Wait: Over

     I'm not bitter about how the "World Cup fever," encouraged pretenders to claim how obsessed they are about football.  I will be bitter, however, if Filipino sports fans miss one of Philippine sports' most touching moments because of a World Cup we aren't even participating in.  That's why I'm doing my part to make people notice.

     Filipino pool ace Francisco "Django" Bustamante was recently crowned the 2010 WPA World 9 Ball Champion.  The man with one of the most powerful breaks in the game finally got the title that eluded him for so long, beating Taiwanese star "The Little Monster," Kuo Po Cheng, 13-7 in the final match.  Bustamante, who defeated fellow Pinoy  Antonio "Nickoy" Lining in the semi-finals, called the World 9 Ball victory as the one that, "completed" his illustrious career.

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"Free"k Show

     As expected, the NBA free agent bargaining period opened to a flurry of activities, and while the "Big Three," of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have all not signed up yet, it has already become a freak show, with things bordering on the ludicrous taking place.  Here is just a sampling of the circus.


Too Much of a Good Thing

     Every year, some poor team throws too much money at some talented yet undeserving free agent in fear of not getting anyone.  This year, with a huge pool of free agents came a huge amount of head-scratching deals as well.  Just check out this list:


Darko Milicic (Minnesota Timberwolves): Four year deal, at least $ 16 million guaranteed
Amir Johnson (Toronto Raptors): Five year deal, $ 34 million
Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies): Five year deal, $ 80 million 
Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks): Six year deal, $ 119 million


     Now, I love the talent all these players have, and my fervent hope of Darko redemption is unparalleled, but that's a whole lot of money for guys who haven't or will not do as much on the court as that money will on their teams' salary cap.  Sure, big men are hard to find, but Milicic and (Amir) Johnson's upside is worth a lot less.  They're not exactly coveted by numerous suitors.  As for Gay and JJ, they may be franchise players on their current teams, but the max money they're getting are for franchise players on championship teams, not middling teams struggling in playoff situations.  

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