Fifty Peso Shots: February 2011

     Some shots from the cheap seats:

• Kudos must go to the "Filipino Wrecking Machine" Mark Munoz, who scored an impressive KO of CB Dolloway in UFC Live on Versus 3.  Munoz, who was once known as too one dimensional a wrestler, showed of his new-found striking skills learned from Black House.  How about a fight with Michael Bisping next?

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The Big Difference

     One of the things coaches can recognize over the years is an athlete's potential for greatness.  The thing is, people point to many things, like talent, training or IQ, but the difference between greatness and anything else? The ability to rise to the occasion.  This week, the sporting world gave us a stark contrast in examples.


Flash Forward

     It's easy to overlook Nonito Donaire when your country's most well-known boxer is 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.  Donaire knew that and he sought out Fernando Montiel for a high profile fight to formally announce his greatness to the world.  Shoved into the spotlight this past Sunday with his nation hoping and the world watching, the "Filipino Flash," delivered, and he did it in spades.

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11 for '11 (Part 2)

    The start of the new year is always the best time to hope, since there is a ton of time to get things done.  The start of 2011, then, is where I will post the 11 things I hope will happen in the sports world in 2011.  Pleas enote that I used the word HOPE and not WISH, so I cannot put "Peping Cojuanco resigns from POC as one of the 11, since it's impossible"  I've also ranked the 11 based on my level of desire to see it happen and on each item's feasibility. Read part one here on this link.

5.  The NBA owners and players avoid lock out.

     The problem with the players' union and the team owners looms large as both sides expect a lock out.  In reality, both sides have to be honest and consider the other side's points.  As much as team owners keep harping on how much they lose, a lot can be done to tighten belts and cut costs without affecting player salaries.  Exercising caution in signing mid-tier players and some cuts in scouting and office costs will do wonders for a team.  I mean, owners may be losing money because of sky-rocketing salaries, but who's to blame for offering Joe Johnson USD 120 million and Amir Johnson over USD 50 million anyway? Meanwhile, players can also help owners out by playing more consistently, not just on contract years to help convince owners to shell out the cash.  Acting more responsibly helps too.  It's hard to convince owners to increase salaries on players who have fist fights on a plane over a card game, who come in late because their I-Phone 4 alarm didn't go off or who don't come into practice and then offer no explanation.  In the end, both sides will want to keep the audience happy so throw pride and the lock out out the window.

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Top 10 "Top 10s": Most Awesome Knockouts

     In this second of my top 10 "top 10s," I name the most awesome knockouts I've seen and know of.

Parameters:  Since From the Fifty Peso Seats covers both Boxing and UFC, it would be fair to give 5 slots each to both sports.  They will all be ranked under one list though.  While knockouts come in many forms, I am most awed by quick, sudden and unexpected knockouts.  Here we go:

10.  UFC - Matt Hamill vs Mark Munoz

     In what was a memorable UFC debut, Munoz, the Filipino Wrecking Machine, underestimated fellow wrestler Hamill's stand up game and well he, as my friend put it, "got wrecked." Hamill absolutely destroyed Munoz with a well placed head kick and the fight was over.   I'm still a fan of Munoz though and his recent victories over Nick Catone and Kendall Grove have me smiling.

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