Breaking (Well-Conditioned) Hearts

     In my recent bowling league night, I bowled a total of thirteen consecutive strikes, and while only twelve is needed to bowl a perfect game, I didn't get one because my 13 strikes were split between two games.  I bowled 7 to finish the first game and 6 to start the second.  To make matters worse, I missed the cash prize given for games over 255 because neither of my games were over 255 (242 and 253)! What a heartbreaker!  

     My own heartbreak got me thinking about sport's biggest heartbreaks.  Here are some that I find to be history's biggest heartbreakers and heartbreaks.

Heartbreaker: Steffi Graf

Victims: Jana Novotna and Martina Hingis

     Both Novotna and Hingis, chasing the prestigious French Open Championships, both played tremendous first sets and second sets to bring their finals match to match point.  Graf, however, refused to wilt under the pressure and displayed the fiery form that won her 22 Grand Slam titles.  In both instances, Graf escaped the second set, and then thoroughly dominated the third set, much to the delight of the crowd and the chagrin of the other finalist.  While Novotna and Hingis both retired with their respectve Grand Slam Titles, I'm betting neither will ever forget how Mrs. Andre Agassi broke their hearts.

Heartbreaker: Los Angeles Lakers

Victims: Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings

     On their way to three NBA Championships and numerous trips to the NBA finals, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the trio of Phil Jackson, Shaq O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, made sure they broke several hearts along the way.  The first to experience the pain would be the Blazers of the 2000 season.  Leading big in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, it would seem the Rasheed Wallace-Steve Smith led Blazers would get to taste the NBA Finals.  Unfortunately, the ultra-talented squad, which also featured Bonzi Wells and Arvydas Sabonis, went through an inexplicable dry spell in the last four minutes of the game.  This paved the way for a historic comeback by the Lakers, including a tremendous ally-oop from Kobe to Shaq.  That loss turned out to be last hurrah for the Blazers as that same talented team soon began to implode.  In the coming years, that team became known as the Jail Blazers and soon after that, Portland missed the playoffs for the first time in over two decades.

     The Sacramento Kings were also a talented bunch who fell victim to the Lakers date with Destiny.  The Kings, led by Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, looked to have the Lakers number and needed Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to take the Lakers to the brink.  However, a broken play by the Lakers resulted in a bad shot, a ball tapped to the outside and alas, that dagger three by Robert Horry.  The Kings and their fans never lived that shot down and never really challenged for the title again. 

Heartbreaker: Shawn Michaels

Victims: All wrestling fans in the universe

     It is only fitting that the Heartbreak Kid would be in this list.  While wrestling is entirely scripted, it doesn't mean the fans won't have their hearts broken.  When Nature Boy Ric Flair, a former 16-time World Champion, was punished by Vince McMahon, he couldn't afford to lose a match, lest he be banished to retirement.  Despite this, the Nature Boy still yearned to battle the best, who at that time, he deemed to be Michaels.  So in Wrestlemania 24, Flair fought tooth and nail against the younger Michaels, almost to a tie, until Michaels finished him off with a super kick to the face.  While almost everyone expected the WWE Hall of Famer Flair to lose and retire, his loss that night still triggered tears to fall from the thousands in attendance, including the victor, Michaels.

Heartbreaker: Bal David

Victims: San Miguel Beermen

     Despite a depleted line up propped up only by import Jeff Ward and Nelson Asaytono, the San Miguel Beermen still managed to put up a tremendous fight against sister team, the Gordon's Gin Boars (Ginebra).  The two teams engaged in a fierce semi-finals knockout match, which even went into overtime.  With the Beermen in the lead with just seconds to go and the Boars having no timeouts, it seemed the underdogs were about to steal it.  The Flash, Bal David, however, threw up a seemingly-impossible half court shot that drilled a dagger into many a beermen fan's heart.  While San Miguel and Jeff Ward would be reunited for another go the following year, they never did win a championship together.

     Do you know any heartbreakers more gut wrenching than these? Comment or send me an email at plated_thrills@yahoo.com 

NBA All Star Line Ups (Rants and Rave)

     As much as I claim to be a different and unique individual, there are some things that I enjoy doing just like everyone else.  Take the line ups for the 2009 NBA All Star Game in Phoenix, for example.  Just like everyone else, I've got my rants and raves about them too.

West

Starters: C Yao Ming, F Tim Duncan, F Amar'e Stoudamire, G Kobe Bryant, G Chris Paul

Rants and Raves: Not too many rants actually.  I think the fans got it right this time.  While I would have liked a small forward to be a starter, these five guys have been playing at a high level, especially this year.

Reserves: C Shaquille O'Neal, F David West, F Dirk Nowitzki, F Pau Gasol, G Brandon Roy, G Chauncey Billups and G Tony Parker

Rants:  David West has indeed morphed into a great player for the Hornets, but his inclusion this year leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I think forwards Al Jefferson (23.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game) and Paul Millsap (15.1 points, 9.5 rebounds 1 block and 1 steal per game) have had amazing years and either would have been better than West.  West may be a great player, but not this year.  Tony Parker may be playing great, but maybe I'd feel better if he had played more games this season.  I would have loved it if Kevin Durant, who has been on a scoring tear (22.6 points 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks), was given the spot instead.

Rave: I definitely love the inclusion of Chauncey Billups instead of Camelo Anthony.  Obviously Mr. Big Shot is the main reason for the Nuggets' surge and he deserves an All Star slot for doing what Melo has not been succeeding in (leading the Nuggets).

East

Starters: C Dwight Howard, F Kevin Garnet, F Lebron James, G Allen Iverson and G Dwayne Wade  

Rants: I was hoping that the same populace smart enough to vote an African American genius into the White House would be smart enough to not vote in Allen Iverson, but you can't have everything.  Young point guards like Jameer Nelson (17.5 points 3.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists) and Devin Harris (21.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists) deserve that spot that AI currently has.

Rave: Thank goodness KG has enough fans to prevent a Yi Jian Lan travesty.  Late into the voting process Yi, aided by votes from China, actually threatened to overtake KG for a starter spot. Whew.

Reserves: C Chris Bosh, F Paul Pierce, F Danny Granger, F Rashard Lewis, G Jameer Nelson, G Devin Harris and G Joe Johnson

Rants: Paul Pierce was, is and will be Boston's main man and hero, but he has been less "The Man" and more "The Invisible Man" lately, especially in Boston's slide in early January.  Rashard Lewis is just a beneficiary of Dwight Howard's dominating presence and Stan Van Gundy's three point shooting system so I think the East should have dropped these two forwards and instead taken in Antawn Jamison, who has been a true professional (21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds,1.3 steals), toiling and toiling for the Wizards.  Another great pick would've been G Mo Williams (17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists) who has been instrumental in helping Lebron make the Cavs dominant.

Rave: I'm glad that Joe Johnson is being more and more recognized for the stud that he is.  Atlanta is significant only as far as Johnson makes them.  Year in and year out, he has been the main man for the Hawks and it's always nice when a non-flashy but great player gets an All Star nod. I was also glad to see the Pacers' do-it-all guy Granger get a nod.  He has been carrying the Pacers all year and it's a nice reward for him.

     I know that while I have my rants against the All Star Picks, many will have their own rants and raves about my choices.  Let me know by commenting here or at plated_thrills@yahoo.com

Bowling When It Counts

     Bowling has been in the news a lot lately.  Unfortunately, it's more because of politicking by people who can barely play, and all that politicking, as we all know, amounts to nothing.  This week, though, the bowling world gets a chance to do things that really count.

     On Friday, January 30, 2009, the Xavier Bowling Team, together with the Xavier High School FACAMPA (the faculty and staff organization), in cooperation with BOSE speakers, presents the 6th Xavier Charity Bowl at the E-Lanes Bowling Center along Ortigas Avenue.  For the 6th consecutive year, the Xavier School family, consisting of students, teachers, parents and guests gather together to bowl in a friendly but nonetheless competitive tournament to raise funds for the Xavier School Educational Trust Fund (XSETF).  While no prizes except medals and donated goods are awarded to the winners, more and more people are joining the Charity Bowl to aid this noble cause.  This XSETF gives talented and deserving students a chance to receive a Xavier School education despite their financial handicap.  This year, the Xavier Bowling Team hopes to increase the funds raised, to continue its tradition of increasing the funds raised each and every year since the charity bowl's inception.  

     While the Xavier Charity Bowl is enjoyed by the entire Xavier family, everyone is invited to take part in the event, as competitors, spectators or even sponsors.  For more information, you may contact Coach Sharwin at plated_thrills@yahoo.com.

     Meanwhile, on Saturday January 31, 2009, bowling shifts to the Green Valley Bowling Center along C-5 as the bowling community urges everyone to participate in the Bayanihan Tournament.  SEA Games Gold Medallist and bowling hero Joonee Gatchalian was recently diagnosed with diabetes and glaucoma and he will be undergoing surgery to combat his blindness.  Unfortunately, only one eye may be saved due to the severity of his glaucoma.  With his medical bills piling up, Joonee needs help to defray these costs.  The Bayanihan Tournament hopes to raise funds, hoping that this time, the country that Joonee has served proudly as a national team member, comes together to serve him.

     The tournament features a simple 8 game with handicap format, with the winner taking a PhP 30, 000 first prize.  There are two squad times competitors can play in, namely the 1 p.m. and the 5 p.m. squad.  Those who cannot play but are willing to donate may do so at Green Valley on Saturday, where hopefully Joonee would be recovered enough from surgery to be there.  For more information please contact Louie Chuaquico at 0917 8120506.

     Both of these causes are very close to my heart and I am looking forward to participating in both these events.   I am hoping my brothers and sisters who bowl will too, and if you can't bowl, why not just come to support it?  I know I won't be the only one thankful for your support.

Sports' Best Monickers

      A lot of sports figures have become household names throughout the world.  No doubt, their unique and astounding skills have a lot to do with their enviable fame, but sometimes, their monickers or nicknames help tremendously too.  Here are some of my favorite sports monickers, names that are not only effective for name recall, but also quite fun too.

UFC/MMA - While names like "The Natural", "Rush" and "The Spider" dominate the win column and the, "Who is the greatest?" debate, my all time favorite monicker still belongs to Ultimate Fighter Alum Keith Jardine.  The bald mixed martial artist who defeated big names like Brandon Vera and Chuck Lidell is now called the "Dean of Mean."  Imagine that.  "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine.  What's cooler than that?

Runner ups - Huntington Beach Bad Boy, The Irish Hand Grenade, The World's Most Dangerous Man

Boxing - "Pacman" Pacquiao and "Money" Mayweather are certainly atop the pound for pound rankings, but in terms of monickers?  In my mind, nobody tops rising Filipino boxing star Donnie Nietes.  The boxer will soon be fighting at the Araneta Coliseum is known simply as, "Ahas."  Yeah, many boxers have been called reptiles before, but the name sounds so much cooler in Filipino.  Besides, Ahas actually brings a live one wrapped around him as he enters the ring.

Runner ups - Hands of Stone, El Terrible

NBA - Many NBA players simply use their initials or a few syllables of their name as their monickers, but some players have some great monickers as well.  Tops on that list would have to be Pete Maravich's.  One of the greatest players to ever play, this point guard revolutionized basketball, dribbling and passing, in particular.  Along with his trademark loose gray socks, is his monicker, "Pistol." Now that's a name.

Runner ups - Magic, Glyde, Mailman

PBA - In the PBA, dozens of players have monickers, thanks to our highly-imaginative commentators.  Of course, with a huge selection, there still has to be a clear winner.  For me, the coolest would still have to be Ricardo Brown's.  The original Fil-Am guard, could play both guard positions and most importantly could shoot from everywhere on the court.  He moved so well on the court that it was only fitting that he be called, "The Quick Brown Fox."  Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's way cool, huh?

Runner ups - Captain Marbel, The Ninja, Skywalker, Robocop

WWE - Of course, I would have to end the article on wrestling.  Sports entertainment would never be the same with the monickers.  In fact, it would be reduced to half with them.  While most monickers are creative, some are just plain better.  Number one on my list would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  I mean how else could you explain his meteoric rise into stardom with his limited physical skills? The Texas Rattlesnake certainly owes a lot to his estranged wife, wh is credited for helping him come up with his enduring monicker.

Runner ups - Demon of Death Valley, Heartbreak Kid, Nature Boy  

     Almost everyone loves monickers, but I'm pretty sure everyone will have their own favorites.  So what are your favorites?  Write in your comments or send me an email at plated_thrills@yahoo.com  

New Year's Resolutions For Sports

     Everyone makes new year's resolutions lists  or wish lists during the new year, and those lists are usually left undone or unrealized.  In any case, making a list for sports is not just wishful thinking, but also great fun as well.  So here are my new year's resolutions if I were these prominent sports figures.  

Roger Federer (Tennis) - To show more emotion in matches and finding a way to defeat Rafael Nadal.

Jose "Peping" Cojuangco (POC)  - To not meddle in sports anymore and just retire NOW.

Stephon Marbury (NBA) - To quit whining and cooperate with a buyout that helps the New York Knicks move on.

Baron Davis (NBA) - To get in better shape and start working harder to help the Clippers.

Jeff Hardy (WWE) - To stay out of trouble and maintain the status of being the WWE's most popular superstar.

Manny Pacquiao (Boxing) - To concentrate on defeating Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather this year.

Brock Lesnar (UFC) - To learn submission defense in preparation for either Nogueira or Mir.

Chot Reyes (PBA) - To give Ren Ren Ritualo more playing time.

Chris Tiu - To play more basketball, either in the national team or the PBA, and do less TV.

Steve Hontiveros (POC) - To either grow a pair and actually work for the betterment of sports or retire permanently for the betterment of sports.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield (WWE) - To get in better shape because flab doesn't invoke fear or hatred.

Brandon Vera (UFC) - To bring back the fire in the heart and the firepower in the fists and knees lest he fade into obscurity.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Boxing) - To put up or shut up regarding Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. (Boxing) - To just plain shut up.

Marlou Aquino (PBA) - To actually earn my paycheck.

Kenneth Duremdes (PBA) - To give up plans for playig and just concentrate on coaching.

     Like I mentioned earlier, resolution lists are usually left undone, but new year's day is also a great time to hope and wish, right?

  

NBA's "Jack in the Boxes"

     Year in and year out, NBA superstars bring out their A games, being models of consistency.  Every year, too, there are "Jack in the Boxes," players who have flown under the radar before suddenly exploding into the world's consciousness.  In this young season, here are my picks for Jack in the Boxes.

OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies - He was a highly-touted pick and a high school phenom, but so was Kwame Brown.  When Kevin McHale traded him away for Kevin Love and Mike Miller, I began to sense a little bit of Kwame in him.  This kid, though, has smashed all expectations, being the first and only rookie since Larry Bird to score double figures in his first 20 games as a rookie.  He is obviously going to be a cornerstone for the Grizzlies' rebuilding project, making Kevin McHale look really bad for trading him away.

Jose Juan Barea, Dallas Mavericks - This former bench rider was given an opportunity to shine recently, and did he ever.  In the past week, Barea averaged 20 points, 4 assists and 2.5 rebounds as a starter for the Mavs.  If he keeps this up, people will stop talking about how the Mavs are in trouble and Jerry Stackhouse will step up his search for a team that will give him minutes.

JR Smith, Denver Nuggets - I've always thought this guy could play, but I never thought he could get past his craziness to become a reliable player.  This year, Smith has not drunk from the tainted Kool-Aid container and has become a vital cog to the Nuggets' great winning run. This year, the sixth man has averaged 12.4 points and 4 rebounds per game.  More importantly, he is not throwing up wild threes and driving to the basket more.  Nuggets fans have to hope his uneasy truce with Coach George Karl holds up.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics - This young point guard was already a big contributor in the Celts' title run last year, but he has stepped up this year.  While the Big Three remains the Big Three, Rondo is now playing big, averaging 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.3 steals.  Already achieving his first triple double recently, Rondo looks to figure in the who's the point guard of the future conversation soon.

 Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers - While he was stellar during Spain's run in the Olympics, I wondered how his skinny 6'6" frame could stand up in the NBA.  I got my answer as Rudy has become a great spark off the bench for the upstart Blazers.  Fernandez is averaging over 11 points a game and he shoots at a competent 43.4 percent from beyond the arc.  If the Blazers make the playoffs this season, rest assured he will have a hand in that success story.

     The question now is, will they continue to be the biggest NBA surprises this season or will new players take their cue and step up their game as well?

PBA Surprise Packages

     Going into the second round of the elimination round of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, several players have performed way beyond expectations.  These are what I call the "surprise packages," and for their teams, Christmas came early.

Mac Mac Cardona (Talk and Text Tropang Texters) - Captain Hook was already playing well and working hard last season, but who could have predicted this blazing run he is on?  Apart from leading his team and the league in scoring, Cardona also posted 32 and 42 point games back to back.  Cardona is benefitting from a Talk and Text team that is all too willing to defer to him on offense and there seems to be no indication that the team wil look for anyone else to lead the offense in the future.  If he continues on this run, Coach Yeng Guiao may have to add him to the national team roster.

TY Tang (Rain or Shine Elastopainters) - Overshadowed by two higher-profile rookies, Tang has silently gained and then retained a spot in Coach Caloy Garcia's rotation.  Despite his recent two game slump where he has just averaged two points, Tang has become a pleasant surprise, even leading his team to a victory by scoring a career-high 24 points.  His reliable outside shooting and cat-quick drives ensure that ROS can keep their running game going.  The Elastopainters are certainly hoping he can snap out of his slump ASAP.

Bon Bon Custodio (San Miguel Beermen) - The Bonfire, as Quinito Henson calls him, was certainly not in everyone's radar when the conference started, but the spitfirish guard has everyone's attention now.  He has an uncanny ability to score on both drives to the hoop and mid -range floaters.  What is most impressive though is that he seems in control and doesn't force his shots.  Look for the Beermen to trust him even more as they go further into the conference.

Joe Devance  (Alaska Aces)  - I got on his case early in the conference because of his performance for Welcoat, but it seems all he needed was a team system to shine in (or me harsh words).  Alaska seems to have found a role that fits him well, and he has responded with great games after struggling in his first two games.  The Aces' recent drubbing of the Tropang Texters featured Devance's great year so far with him scattering 21 points to go with his 12 rebounds.  It seems Big Joe has found a home with the Aces.

Larry Rodriguez, Gabby Espinas (Red Bull Barako) - Coach Yeng has always been known to get the most of his players and every season, he seems to make a star out of some previous unknown.  This conference, his rookie Larry Rodriguez, and new pick up Gabby Espinas seem to fit the bill.  Seemingly undersized for PF/C, Rodriguez and Espinas battle against the giants in the paint daily and they have been winning their fair share of battles.  Bot have shown great offensive rebounding skills and reliable jumpers.  It's no surprise the Barakos are holding their own this conference. 

In Philippine Sports, Obama's Dream continues to be a Holy Grail

     The recent US elections had the Americans show the world that they are, indeed, ready for change.  They elected Barack Obama as their 44th President, making him the first African American president.  Being overshadowed by this historic election with worldwide implications is a smaller election that is no less important to us Filipinos.

     On November 28, 2008, the different heads of the National Sports Associations will elect a new Philippine Olympic Committee President, along with the other board members and officers.  Running the respective campaigns are incumbent POC President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco of Equestrian and Shooting top honcho Art Macapagal.

     Everyone, even the politicians themselves, says that politics has no place in sports, but as early as last year, it has become clear that politics has once again entrenched itself in this POC election.  Cojuangco, the POC President that was acclaimed into office, has finally encountered a serious threat from Macapagal, who seems to have garnered allies in his quest to change and improve Philippine sports. However, the former congressman has made several moves to ensure his stay as head of POC.  Now, some of his staunchest allies in the POC are entrenched in controversies, all related to keeping the balance of power in his favor.

     Mark Joseph, the swimming head, has been facing raps because apparently, he was only supposed to serve as a transition president until the elections, but he has continued to serve (is that even the right word?) as president for several years.  A group of concerned parents and swimmers have questioned his stay, and while months ago the POC promised to hear their case, the story and the complaint have now been effectively quashed.  Whatever happened to Joseph's promise to face the group and the facts that they have?

     The archery head, his name escapes my mind, is also embroiled in controversy.  According to Cojuanco's own nephew, the "incumbent" Archery prez has submitted an "irrevocable" resignation months ago, but now, this Archery head not only plans to vote in the POC elections, he will also be running for a board seat under Peping's ticket.  According to Peping, the resignation was never "accepted" so he is still the Archery head.  Why was the resignation not accepted?

     Steve Hontiveros, the bowling president and ultimate Peping supporter, will get to be president until December but apparently he will run for reelection in January.  Just recently, the Pasig Bowling Association (PBA), Hontiveros' association , has announced it now has 1000 members, thereby giving the PBA an unprecedented amount of votes for next year's Bowling elections.  An insider was made to finally admit that the membership fees of the 1000 "members" of the PBA (who are apparently PLDT employees), a number unheard of in the history of Philippine bowling, was  paid for by one Peping Conjuangco.  Wow. Will these 1000 members play in the PBA Open this week? 

     So what do the three controversial heads and issues have to do with the POC elections?  All three are penciled in as votes for Cojuangco on November 28.  I guess there's no better way to thank these three than helping them keep their positions in their respective NSAs and giving them prime positions in the POC.  Just recently, Peping Cojuangco assailed the Macapagal team, even saying, "Is winning that important to them?"  Well, Mr. (former) Congressman, right back at you.

     Macapagal is no angel either, but right now, he represents a change Philippine Sports so desperately needs.  Will he be great?  I don't know, but the incumbent will definitely be no better.  In his tenure, he has come up with the worst showing in the SEA Games in decades (2007 Thailand), the worst Olympics in 16 years (2008 Beijing).  His only success is the 2005 SEA Games, where he was fortunate enough that Mike Arroyo was able to cajole private corporations into a one -time effort to financially-support our teams, while our teams were adrenalin-powered by home court advantage.  In those years, he has also managed to bring infighting to basketball, equestrian, archery, swimming and bowling, which I personally witnessed.  

     At this most crucial time in Philippine sports, we stand at the proverbial crossroads.  During Obama's victory speech, I was moved to witness that his slogan, "Yes we can!" finally came to fruition and I constantly ask myself why we can't say the same with regard to our sports.

     The answer? A picture of Peping Cojuanco saying, "No you can't."   

A New Motown Hit?

     Hidden behind the brouhaha over the US elections, a big deal was completed in the NBA.  The Detroit Pistons shipped "Mr. Big Shot" Chauncey Billups and Antonio Mcdyess to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.  Who benefits from this? Let's find out.

Winners

Detroit Pistons

     After crashing out of the Eastern Conference Finals yet again, General Manager Joe Dumars warned that sweeping changes could be made to the team, who seemed to have grown into contented cows.  Over the summer though no deal was made, so man thought he had given up on this plan.  With this deal, though, Dumars has again demonstrated his savvy as an executive.  First of all, AI brings excitement into a team desperately in need of a spark.  Secondly, this human scoring dynamo called Iverson will no doubt bring a "scorer" much needed in a Pistons offense that grows stagnant on a nightly basis.  With Detroit, AI gets another shot at reaching the NBA Finals, so he will be a good citizen and fit in nicely with the Pistons.  Thirdly, moving Billups and Mcdyess will give young guard Rodney Stuckey and young bigs Jason Maxielle and Amir Johnson more minutes to show their wares.  In this way, the transitional period of a supposedly aging team will go on while they are still playoff worthy.  Lastly, even if AI turns out to be a dud, his contract expires at the end of the year, along with Rasheed Wallace's.  That means of 40 million of free cap space.  (Just wait for the call from Joe D, Lebron)

Rodney Stuckey and Carmelo Anthony

     Both these young guns will benefit with this trade, even if they express any sadness about their former teamates' departure.  Stuckey will be the unchallenged starter so added minutes and confidence should help his game.  He can use this year to solidify his position on this team.  'Melo, even if he will den it, must be salivating over the prospect of more shots.  With Iverson around they had to share the scoring load, but Billups is more of a point guard than Iverson, meaning he will get 'Melo more touches.  

     I would include JR Smith in this list, but I would have to observe his mental state before declaring anything.  He is, after all, JR Smith.

Antonio Mcdyess

     Dyess will probably b waived and bought out by the Nuggets, and the Pistons have already signified their intentions to resign him.  So basically, he gets a little more money and a 30 day vacation as he waits to clear waivers.  30 days is a boon for those wear knees as he prepares for the playoffs.

Losers

Denver Nuggets

     For a team that supposedly wants to shed hefty and long contracts, they sure do a lousy job.  The Nuggets basically gave away Marcus Camby to lighten their contract payments, but then they also give away Iverson's large but expiring contract.  Furthermore, they take on Billups smaller but longer contract.  This means they're tied to another significant contract for three years, instead of getting rid of an enormous one by the end of the year, which could help them make a play for a younger free agent.  Billups will certainly help the Nuggets an probably push the Nuggets into the playoffs again, but they are a long way from the Championship.  My guess is they make the playoffs for another two years, while they pay around seven million dollars in luxury tax, three huge contracts for an aging point guard in Billups and two forwards with three gimpy knees in Kenyon Martin and Nene.   

     Will AI be another motown hit? I think he would be, but if he isn't, his expiring contract will surely be.

NBA Starting Five (Story Lines)

     The new National Basketball Association (NBA) season begins on October 28 and it promises to be another exciting one filled with numerous back stories and plots.  Here is my Starting Five story lines for the upcoming season.

1.  Can the Celts do it again?

     The $64 million dollar question for all champions is whether they can do it again.  They have kept most of the team together (although James Posey has signed on with the Hornets) and more importantly, the Celts, especially Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, have said all the right things about not getting complacent and working hard.  With those two at the helm, it is safe to say that the Celtics will play and compete hard.  What remains in the balance though, is will the big three get some help from bench players Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt?  

2.  Are the Lakers really better this year?

     Despite having the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kobe Bryant, many claimed the Lakers were short-handed facing the Celtics in last year's NBA finals.  With Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza finally healthy, and with Pau Gasol in for a whole year, this year will be the true test of the Lakers' championship mettle.  Are the Lakers destined to be world champs?

3.  Cavaliers and Hornets.  Are they for real?

     Last season, these two young teams have shown up the "veteran" teams by performing well despite their relative young age.  During the offseason, they both not only kept the core of their line ups, they each also added a player that they feel could get them over the hump.  The Cavs added PG Mo Williams to add a ball handler and scorer to take the load of Lebron James, while the Hornets brought in veteran SG James Posey, a great shooter, perimeter defender and more importantly, a good locker room presence to guide the younger players.  Will these additions and another year of playing together take these teams to the promised land? 

4.  Will the Rockets finally have lift off?

     Despite the talented duo of Tracy Mcgrady and Yao Ming and their record-setting 22 straight wins, the Rockets have failed to move past the first round of the playoffs in five seasons.  A lot of that could be attributed to the two stars constantly getting injured, but it could also be pointed at their relatively thin bench.  This year, the Rockets added another big time player in SF Ron Artest and a veteran shooter in SG Brent Barry.  Will they be enough to improve the team?  Will the Rockets stay healthy and deep enough to go past the first round of the playoffs?

5.  How old is old?

     The aging line ups of the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs were tweaked very little in the off season, meaning the teams are looking for another title run.  This season will reveal if age has finally caught up with them.  Grizzled veterans Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons and TIm Duncan of the Spurs will continue battling down low, but can they still carry their teams?  Will age and various injuries finally catch up to them?

Playing Fantasy? Some Sleepers for You

Fantasy sports is getting a lot more popular these days, even in the Philippines. Being a basketball-obsessed nation, the most popular one is of course the NBA fantasy league. I'm currently involved with two leagues, and I'm sure hundreds of you there are too. That's why I thought I could help out those who are playing by revealing my picks for fantasy sleeper picks.

Everyone knows about the top picks (Lebron, Chris Paul, Kobe etc.) so my picks will be the unknowns, great for those in deep leagues or looking for great 8th player or lower type of picks.

NBA Fantasy (Top 5)

David Lee (New York Knicks)

Yeah the Knicks still suck even with Mike d'Antoni, but his running game will mean some players, particularly athletic and hardworking ones, will benefit from the system. Lee is one such player. Already, there is talk that he will already be in the starting line up, and that could be a boon to his numbers. Last year, he tallied 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and just one turnover. Look for him to increase points and rebounds this year.

Louis Williams (Philadelphia 76ers)

We saw glimpses of this combo guard last year and he was quite a contributor. With Philly fguring to run and Andre Miller showing that he can play with Willaims in the backcourt, look for Williams to be a great contributor off your bench. His points (11.5), assists (3.2) and steals (1.0) will increase this year. He is getting popular, though, so he might get picked early.

Jason Maxiell (Detroit Pistons)

He didn't get most of the minutes on the floor, but when he was on the floor, he made the most of his minutes. With the starters aging, look for Detroit's second team (Afflalo, Stuckey and Maxiell) to get more minutes, especially early in the season. More importantly, I love his FG percentage numbers (53.8) and this number has increased every year.

Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)

Usually, I don't like to pick rookies, but centers are hard to come by these days, and if you still lack a center, Hibbert might give you good minutes and numbers. The Pacers traded away Jermaine O'Neal and are thin at center (oft injured Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster) so Hibbert might get the chance to strutt his stuff. In a pre-season game against the Grizzlies, Hibber put out 12 points and 12 rebounds and stuffed the Grizz's shots 4 times. Certainly a center who scores, rebounds and blocks will be an excellent addition to your team.

Ronnie Brewer (Utah Jazz)

This relative unknown has been starting for Coach Jerry Sloan for the past year and he is a value pick. He averages 12 points and more importantly, 1.7 steals. Steals are hard to comeby but it is still a category just the same. Look for Brewer to augment your steals cat while he won't hurt your TOs (0.7).

These picks may not bring staggering numbers for your fantasy campaign, but sooner or later, you will feel a pinch here and there to help you win one category or two. Then, you will truly know why the bench is as instrumental as the starters.

Two Cents for Coach Yeng

     Coach Yeng Guiao of the Red Bull Barakos has now been named as the Head Coach of the Men's National Basketball Team of the Philippines.  In line with Coach Yeng's Maverick style, he has already ditched the try outs and he said he would just name the team/pool and then start practicing.  Being a meddler, I decided to give my two cents worth of advice, whether he wants it or not.

     Keeping in mind that this team is only being formed for the FIBA Asia Tournament in 2009, I see no need to form a team with players filled with "potential."  The team should be filled with players who will be good in 2009.  I picked my team with the traditional 2 players per position plus two extra players and here they are by position, and I picked as if only PBA players could be picked.

Center - In amateur games, the center is mostly relied on to rebound and defend, not really pound the ball inside.  The SBP plans to get a naturalized center to play for us, so if that were the case, these choices would be scrapped.

Starter: Pauliasi Taulava (Coca Cola Tigers) - Asi is still the best "big" we have, even at age 34. He seems to be in shape for this season, so in another season he will still probably be the best.  At 6'9" and over 270 lbs, he will provide the bulk and size to defend the paint and rebound.  More importantly, he checks his ego at the door.  He never pouts if he doesn't get his shots.

Reliever: Michael Pennisi (San Miguel Beermen) - Mic is another big bodied and tough 6'9" center and he does possess an outside shot that can help draw out the defense.  More importantly, he is our resident "bad guy," an enforcer that isn't afraid to get tough with the opponents.  We need toughness to intimidate opponents and Mic is what the doctor ordered.

Power Forward - Power forwards in recent amateur tournaments have morphed into tall, athletic players that can play both outside and inside.  Big bruisers like Karl Malone type players are no longer in style.

Starter: Kelly Williams (Sta. Lucia Prime Properties) - The PBA Most Valuable Player is just that, valuable.  6'6" and freakishly athletic, he will contribute on both defensive and offensive rebounding and he can defend both in the post and outside.  It doesn't hurt that he can shoot too.

Reliever: Jean Marc Pingris (San Miguel Beermen) - While Pingris' outside shooting can be described as spotty at best, he has a tremendous nose for the ball that helps him get to every rebound and loose ball available.  While he is a mere 6'4", his athleticism and unusually long arms more than make up for that.

Small Forward - Small forwards will need to be able to able the post in the zone defense, and they may also be asked to defend outside.  Outside shooting will be key as well as they may be the ones left open in the outside most of the time.

Starter: James Yap (Purefoods TJ Giants) - Another former MVP, Yap was not given a chance in the previous national team, but he is deadly from the outside and lately, he has developed some deceptively quick slashing moves.  Meanwhile, he should be athletic and built enough to play down low on defense.   

Reliever: Arwind Santos (Air 21 Express) - The jack of all trades is an excellent small forward as well.  While being reed-thin, he has the uncanny ability to get to a lot of loose balls and defend anyone from point guard to small forward.  His athleticism and long arms are probably the reasons why.  On offense, he has developed a great outside shot and he is also a great offensive rebounder.

Shooting Guards - Well, they have to be able to shoot, but they need to be able to slash through the defense or run downcourt for a fast break play.  Most importantly, they need to be unaffected by playing against usually bigger and longer defenders.

Cyrus Baguio - "Skyrus" has really developed into a prime time player last year and while man still doubt his abilities, they really shouldn't.  His slashing and high-flying offense has now been augmented by his suddenly-reliable three point shot.  Besides, he is already familiar with Coach Yeng's style so that is a plus.  Furthermore, he seems a good locker room presence and he can bring a team together, as evidenced by the South All Stars horrific but funny dance number during the PBA's All Star Game.

Reliever: Willie Miller (Alaska Aces) - The thriller is way too unpredictable for some coaches' tastes, but he fits the bill actually.  He does have a solid outside shot and he can certainly slash through the defense.  As long as he is used in spurts, he will prove to be an effective player in his position.

Point Guard - There is no position as important as PGs will b the coach on the court, directing the plays.  Adding PGs with outside shots and slashing abilities will make the offense even more potent so it would be a good idea to get players that fit the bill.

Starter: Jimmy Alapag - One of the previous national team's brightest stars, Jimmy can control the offense and play both slow down and sped up ball.  His outside shot is pretty great and he can take the ball to the hole despite his diminutive size.  He just needs to stop taking pull up threes, that's all.

Reliever: Anthony Helterbrand - The Fiesta Cup's best player, Jay Jay is also excellent at the PG position.  Previous knocks of him being a shooting guard and not a point are now unfounded as he proved last conference.  He can pass, he can shoot and he definitely can slash to the basket.  His in between game (medium range jumpers and pull ups), will be very effective in the amateur game.

Two extra slots - With all five positions filled, the two extra slots should be given to players that can play multiple positions, plug in the holes, so to speak.  

Slot 1 - Gabriel Norwood (Rain or Shine Paintmasters) - Gabe, with his height and athletic ability, would be able to play four positions, and he seems willing and able to do it.  His ability to play the point makes him a valuable third guard and he would be most effective at shooting guard.  His outside shooting is not as reliable as I would want, but a year in the PBA should help things along.

Slot 2 - Ranidel de Ocampo (Air 21 Express) - Ranidel is another player that can play multiple positions, from SF to Center.  He has a dizzying array of post moves and his outside shot is very reliable as well.  Besides, he and his side burns provide the team with another tough guy to enforce some intimidation.

     With this line up, Coach Yeng will have the quick, athletic team that plays tough defense and shoots from the outside.  With all the long armed and high leaping players, he can put on a stifling pressure defense (ala La Salle) and go for easy hoops by forcing turnovers.  The team should also be able to play great half court offense with its wide array of shooters.  Meawhile, half court defense won't be a problem as well, what with all the tough guys in there.

     So what about it Coach Yeng? You can thank me next time.

Sigh...

This past week or so, I have been disappointed and saddened by some developments in the world of sports. First, Sacramento Kings Forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced that he would retireafter 12 seasons in the NBA. Then, I found out that in selecting Rabeth Al-Hussaini as this year's UAAP Basketball Most Valuable Player (MVP), the committe barely even bothered to take a look at JVee Casio of La Salle or Al-Hussaini's teammate, Chris Tiu. Lastly, as Ateneo won its first UAAP basketball championship in 6 years, the defeated La Sallians did not even bother to pick up their 1st Runner -up trophy.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim entered the NBA via the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1996 out of California and quickly showed what he could do. He was a quick and cerebral forward who was very effective both in the inside and outside. For twelve years, he averaged 18.75 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, which is quite impressive for a player who played for four teams. He was a very consistent and professional player, always around to do his job on the court, quite a friendly presence off it, and he rarely complained or asked to be traded. Actually the knock on him was that he was too consistent, too, "vanilla," and that he wasn't a winner as he only reached the playoffs once in his career. I, however, liked his game as I deem consistency as a great asset to any team. I think it was unfortunate that he was never able to play on a championship team. Besides, he was able to win a gold medal in the Olympics with the 2000 U.S. Basketball Team, a feat that has eluded countless NBA "stars." I jst regret that his career ended not on his own terms, but with an injury. I would have loved to see him win an NBA Championship by finally joining a great team. I am glad, though, that the Kings will give him a front office job soon. He deserves it.

In basketball, the MVP award is the most prestigious individual award given to a player. In my eyes, it should be given to the player whose presence is the most key factor in the team winning. Picking Al-Hussaini, who has averaged a double double in points and rebounds this season, may not be a horrible decision, I think it's erroneous nevertheless. Ateneo's victory this season was a testament to team play and defense, two things all coaches preach. Coach Norman Black did a masterful job of molding this team and while Al-Hussaini was the most high-profile player because of his points, I think Chris Tiu deserved at least a co-MVP award or even just a mention of his name during the deliberations. Tiu was the team's clear leader this season, and while his number were great, his contributions far outreached his statistics. A certain calm and swagger can always be clearly seen whenever Tiu presided over the team's offense and this, oftentimes, kept the opponents from coming back once Ateneo established a lead. Tiu was the selfless leader, as Black said who never cared about the stats, and btw, he managed to be on the Dean's List while studying at the Ateneo. How many MVPs can boast of that? Picking Al-Hussaini just continues the trend of picking high profile players to win the award. Picking Tiu would have had better impact. What better way to convince kids that sports is not the be all and end all and that studies are just as important than by picking an unselfish leader on the court who was also Dean's Lister?

Losing is never a great thing, but losing to bitter rival is much worse. Losing to a bitter rival with controversial call up in the air (I thought Maierhoffer deserved the ejection, but it was still a close call) is the worst. Nevertheless, not coming out to receive the 1st runner-up award is the most embarrassing thing La Salle has done in quite a while. At least their other controversies, the Manny Salgado incident and the falsified player records, had unsavory individuals causing the incidents. This pitiful display of classlessness is nothing like the exemplary values being taught at La Salle. I have tons of La Sallians as friends and none of them are sore losers like this. I understand the players not wanting to come out because of the sheer frustration of losing, but the managment and coaching staff should have known better. They should have convinced their player to come out, hold their heads up high for giving Ateneo a good fight and accepted the 1st Runenr-up trophy. Instead, we've got officials silent and coach Franz "abandon" Pumaren castigating referees for what he deemed as the, "worst officiated game of his life" and a game scripted for Ateneo to win. It's great to know that Coach Pumaren also handles the NATIONAL YOUTH TEAM. It's never too early to teach the kids to find excuses for losing, eh?

These three stories have saddened me enough to write a column about it, but I would be daft to stop watching sports. After all, where else can I find great and inspiring stories like this teamwork-loaded Ateneo team, and players like Abdur-Rahim and Tiu.

Dreams May Come

Over the past couple of months, a couple of "dream match ups," previously thought of as impossible, became realities. Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya sealed the deal and will fight later this year, while American pros like Walter Ray WIlliams Jr. and Tommy Jones were finally able to bowl in the Bowling Men's World Championships. This got me to thinking about "dream sports match ups," and while some will be impossible to arrange, it was still nice to consider them. Here are just some of the "dream match ups" I thought out:

Basketball - Dream Team 1 (then) versus the rest of the world (now)

People keep talking about matching up the original Dream Team (Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird) with this year's Redeem Team (Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade), but I think the better way to compare them would be to see if the original Dream Team can still win the Olympic Medal with the much-improved international teams. People keep claiming that the U.S. simply could not dominate anymore because all the other countries have improved, and that claim would be answered if the original Dream Team could play in the Beijing Olympics. (Runner-Up: 1993 Chicago Bulls vs the 1994 Rockets)

Bowling - Walter Ray Williams Jr. versus Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno

Williams, with the most Professional Bowling titles in history, was finally able to compete in the World Championships in Thailand this year. However, Paeng shied away from joining the team this year. It would be great to see them on a one on one match on wooden and synthetic lanes, with different lane conditions. The greatest pro bowler vs the greatest amateur bowler in history. What's not to love? (Runner-Up: Dick Webber versus Pete Webber)

Basketball - Grand Slam Crispa Teams versus Grand Slam San Miguel Team versus Grand Slam Alaska Team

Each team boasts of the fact that no other team could beat them in a whole season. It would be great to see which team would beat which. A mini-tournament featuring the four teams would be sight to watch. Imagine the match ups of Johnny A vs Bernie Fabiosa or Hector Calma, Atoy Co vs Ricky Brown or Jojo Lastimosa and Philip Cezar vs Ramon Fernandez or Bong Hawkins. Araneta wouldn't be big enough to fit the amount of people who want to watch this one. (NCC National Team versus the 2007 PBA National Team)

Boxing - George Foreman versus Mike Tyson

This dream match between tremendously powerful sluggers would have been possible were it not for Mike Tyson's trouble-making ways. This won't be a pretty fight, but it sure would be a great one to watch. A knock out is almost guaranteed as neither would rely on sticking and jabbing or other pretty boy stuff like that. (Runner-up: Manny Pacquiao vs. Roberto Duran or Oscar de la Hoya vs. Marvin Hagler)

MMA - Anderson Silva versus Royce Gracie

Silva has been named MMA's best pound-for-pound fighter ,while Gracie has been widely-regarded as the sports greatest ever. The spider-like smooth moves of Silva, combined with his scary knock-out power, would be put to test against the tough, patient and crafty Gracie. Whether the fight ends with a knockout by Silva or a submission by Gracie, the fight will surely be a dandy. (Runner-up: Brock Lesnar versus Dan "the Beast" Severn or Ken Shamrock vs Frank Shamrock)

Pro Wrestling - The Rockers vs The Hardys

While pro wrestling can always bring the old guys back, this match up seems to be only possible as a dream match up since Marty Jannety is nowhere to be found. These two teams revolutionized the Tag Team genre and their high-flying antics would surely be entertaining, no matter how fake wrestling is. In fact, the only match better than this would be these four guys in a Tag Team Ladder Match. If only Vince McMahon read my blog... (Runner-up: Undertaker versus Rick Flair)

Of course, these are only dream match ups that I want to see. Place your comments if you have other dream match ups. I would love to read about them.

PBA Draft: Grades are In (part 2)

Rain or Shine (Grade: A)

Notable Additions: Gabe Norwood (Draft 1st round), Solomon Mercado (traded from Alaska), TY Tang (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: Joe Devance (traded to Alaska)

Notes: When you're the cellar dweller, there is little room to go down, but this team figures to go up.  Obviously, Norwood will have an immediate impact on the team with his court generalship and athletic abilities, and he will most likely surface as the team's go-to guy.  Trading Devance for Mercado was quite a coup, since Devance was disgruntled with the coaching staff anyway, while Mercado gives them another quick and agile guard.  A potential steal in the draft is Tang, who is, at 5'7", tiny by PBA standards, can give the paintmasters a quick, heady guard to run the team.  A run and gun team with a three guard rotation like Norwood, Mercado and Tang is probably already causing Coach Caloy Garcia to salivate with anticipation.

Red Bull Barako (Grade: C)

Notable Additions: Gabby Espinas (Traded from Air 21) Larry Rodriguez (draft 1st round), Jeff Chan, Mark Cuevas (draft 2nd round), 

Notable Subtractions: Topex Robinson (released to Purefoods), Paolo Bugia (released to Air 21)

Notes:  Red Bull was probably looking for more size upfront, since most of their marquee big men (Mick Penisi, Mike Hrabak, Rich Alvarez) play better offense on the outside, but they took what they could from the draft.  Larry Rodriguez played big in the PBL finals, but he is still not the post threat that would make this team more complete.  Jeff Chan will bring in his outside sniping (just under 40% in the PBL), and could replace the loss of Larry Fonacier.  He will, however find lots of competition behind Cyrus Baguio, Leo Najorda, Kiko Adriano and the like.  Overall, their draft picks don't seem to make the Barakos better, at least on paper.  They will need to magic of Coach Yeng Guiao to squeeze the best out of his players again if they want to contend for the title.

San Miguel Beermen (Grade: B)

Notable Additions: Jay Washinton (traded from Talk and Text), Bon Bon Custodio (draft 1st round)

Notable Subtractions: None so far

Notes:  After dropping their old name (Magnolia), the beermen began to search for a point guard.  While veteran Olsen Racela remains a great player, they are beginning to look towards the future.  They are pinning their hopes on Bon Bon Custodio, a 6'0" guard from San Mig Coffee in the PBL who played well enough in the semi finals to merit a second look from the Beermen.  Custodio will have the luxury of learning from nt only Racela, but also Mike Cortez, so there will be no rush on his development.   The real story of their off season is netting Jay Washington for a draft pick.  Washington gives them size, speed and an outside shot, which they hope would offset the loss of Danny Ildefonso, who is again slowed by injuries.  If Washington can fit into the system right away, the Beermen look to go long into the post season.

Sta. Lucia Realtors (Grade C)

Notable Additions: Kelvin Gregorio (draft 1st round), Chito Jaime, Christian Cabatu (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: None so far.

Notes: Winning the franchise's first All Filipino crown is more than enough motivation to keep the team's core intact.  That's why most of Sta. Lucia's picks are more for upgrading the future rather than add anything significant. THey would have been better served picking a point guard like TY Tang, though, since Paolo Mendoza seems to have a difficult time with the point guard slot.  The Realtor's picks, including first round pick Kelvin Gregorio will face uphill battles to find roster spots, let alone playing minutes.   

Talk and Text Phone Pals (Grade: A+)

Notable Additions: Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro, Rob Reyes (draft 1st round), Pong Escobal (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: Jay Washington (traded to San Miguel)

Notes: The busiest team in the draft also seems to have benefitted the most.  Giving away forward Jay Washington netted them an extra pick and they used that one and their other two first round picks in the best way possible.  Early picks Dillinger and Castro are athletic and cat-quick guards that will definitely boost an already strong Talk and Text backcourt while Reyes and Escobal will provide a spark in the frontcourt.  There will be no more excuses for Talk and Text.  Management really did their homework in this year's draft.

PBA Draft: Grades are In (part 1)

The Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft 2008 was held recently at the Market Market Activity Center and it's time to grade the teams. Please note that the grades are reflective of the teams' offseason moves, like draft picks and trades, not how well they will play in the season.

Air 21 Express ( Grade: B)

Notable Additions: Mark Borboran (draft pick 1st round), Cholo Villanueva (draft pick 2nd round)
Notable Subtractions: None so far

Notes: With teams that reach finals series, very little or no subtractions might be as important as additions. Air 21 has kept its core intact and added another mobilie big in Mark Borboran and a tough swing man in Villanueva. Borboran will figure into the mix as Air 21 likes to play big. His top 5 ranking in blocks and steals in the PBL will definitely please coach Bo Perasol as Air 21 continues to attempt to improve its defense. Villanueva may have to struggle for his minutes as the Express are loaded at the 2 and 3 positions, unless he can prove that he can play the point guard position.

Alaska Aces (Grade: C)

Notable Additions: Kelvin de la Pena (draft pick, 2nd round), Joe Devance (trade from Rain or Shine)
Notable Subtractions: Solomon Mercado (trade to Rain or Shine)

Notes: Alaska has always been about Tim Cone's triangle offense, so they almost always pick what they need and not necessarily the best player left. When they picked Solomon Mercado, I thought that was a great choice and fitting substitute for the aging Jeff Cariaso, but they quickly traded him for Joe Devance. The 2007 1st overall pick, despite having a good shooting touch for a big man, spent a rather disappointing year in Welcoat, especially when he clashed with the coaching staff. Cone says he fills a need, but they would have been better off with Mercado. Devance is still more of a shooter at the three position, where they already have Tony de la Cruz. Their need was a big man to replace aging rebounding demons Jon Ferriols and Reynel Hugnatan, and Devance has not proven he can do that. If Cone can rein in Devance and utilize his size and shooting skills well, this will look like a great choice. That is a big if, though. Kelvin de la Pena was a solid PBL player for Noosa Shoes, and if he can demonstrate that he can learn Cone's system immediately, he may yet become a good back up guard for the Aces.

Baranggay Ginebra Kings (Grade: INC)

Notable Additions: None so far
Notable Subtractions: Johnny Abarientos (retirement)

Notes: Being the recent champs, not too much movement was expected of GInebra and giving away their picks helped make sure that exactly that would happen. Nevertheless, Ginebra's line up looks very formidable already, so changes may not be necessary in the near future. Coach Jong Uichico has mentioned his interest in seeking a trade though.

Coca Cola Tigers (Grade: INC)

Notable Additions: None so far
Notable Subtractions: None so far.

Notes: The Tigers traded away picks so they joined Ginebra as inactive teams in the draft. This makes them ungradable at this point. What they can look forward to though, is a full year of Asi Taulava with this team and the possible full emergence of last year's steal of the draft, Ron Jay Buenafe. It was a prudent move to dispatch aging vets Kenneth Duremdes and Jon Arigo to the bench and go for a litlle youth. Without any additions, though, the team may be hard pressed to win it all, especially in the All FIlipino Conference.

Purefoods Giants (Grade: B+)

Notable Additions: Beau Belga (draft 1st round), Jonathan Fernandez (2nd round), Rommel Adducul (back from illness)
Notable Subtractions: Rey Evangelista, Noy Castillo (retirement)

Notes: The Giants' frontcourt will now a get a big boost with the anticipated return of Rommel Adducul and the addtion of Beau Belga. Belga a 6'6" rookie from Harbour Center, was one of the team's key players in their finals victory. He and the comebacking Adducul will give Kerby Raymundo and Enrico Villanueva the back ups they sorely missed last conference. Meanwhile, Jonathan Fernandez three point shooting in the PBL, (over 46%) will be a big help, since James Yap is the team's only pure shooter. Purefoods, though, might have benefitted more from picking a point guard to help run their offense. Roger Yap has done well, but a true, pass-first point guard will help them achieve a title run. The Giants didn't get to pick early, but they did make good use of their picks.

(part 2 to be posted soon)

Dissecting the Olympic Debacle (part 2)

Foreign Investment

While many grumble about recruiting Fil-Foreigners to the national team, I most welcome this move. After all, they are Fiilipinos too and they have every right to compete for national team slots. Hopefully though, these FIl-Foreigners are not given free passes to join the team. Let them try out and just give them slots because they were trained somewhere else. Furthermore, if we are going to recruit Fil-Foreigners, let's make sure we recruit the best ones, ones who can win, or young enough to improve and win. Please, no more supposed saviors like Athletics' David Bunevacz or Tennis' Eric Taino. Why didn't we get Swimming's Coughlin, who is now a two-time Olympic gold medallist or BMX Cycling's U.S. National Champion Caluag, who desperately wanted to represent us but was ignored by the cycling NSA? Recruiting Fil-Foreign players will help us, as long as we get the right ones. If we can't train the right ones, then let's go homegrown for that particular sport.

Learning from Jedi Masters

Almost all sports officials try to look learned by exclaiming we always need "grassroots development program" to boost sports development in our country. The problem is, nobody is really creating a proper grassroots program for any sport. Most "grassroots programs" here are nothing more than kids playing and enjoying the sport. Nothing wrong with that, but the program should be designed with a particular goal and time frame, if we want to develop future world champions. The problem is, most of our coaches, especially in these youth programs are former players or relatives with no coaching experience or training. No offense to these people as they are mostly volunteers, but how are they expected to imbibe the proper fundamentals if they don't know them themselves? What we need are elite coaches for oth the national AND grassroots programs, or better yet, we should pay the elite national coaches enough to handle both programs. This will ensure continuity between the two programs. At this time, though, most of our sports are in need of elite coaches, and admittedly most sports would need foreign coaches. Our national coaches are mostly great people (and I have met a lot of them), but we all need additional knowledge from them. Hiring all these coaches would require tons of money, but it is the proper step to the right direction. Also, that's why it's key to pick very few priority sports.

Pruning the Weeds

It's a common refrain to ask officials to step down whenever we lose, and I have to say, there is some prudence in that call. Unfortunately, many of these sports officials don't actually leave or find a roundabout way to come back. Sports officials are not politicians. Their roles include promoting the popularity and development of the sport. They are given funds and they have to manage these between international tournaments for the national team and different tournaments for the promotion of the sport in the country. This is not a job for people who don't play the sport. This is not a job for people who can barely play. This is not a job for politicians. We should have officials who have been working for the NSA for several years, beginning with the dirty work like arranging events, looking for private sponsors and the like. This way, they can learn the job first ad become the NSA Head when they are good ready. We should have officials who play and enjoy the sport, so they have a better idea on how to promote it. Lastly, we should have officials who go around the the happenings of the sport so they can truly understand the athletes and the sentiments of all participants. Sports officials should be people completely immersed in the sport, like the eer humble and passionate William Ramirez, not politicians who lose their congressional bids or brown nosers who cling to positions like barnacles.

There you have it. They are simple solutions but seemingly out of our sports officials' collective brains. Hopefully, sports politicians, especially those currently on the upper echlons of our sporting world, will soon find themselves jobless, and that will get the ball rolling. In this way, it won't hurt so bad to root for our national team.

Dissecting the Olympic Debacle (part 1)

Another Olympics, another debacle for Team Philippines.

I actually smelled the proverbial sharks circling the waters as early as when the disaster named, "Eric Ang eliminated in first round," reared its ugly head, but rather than just call for heads to roll, I watched and cheered for the rest of Team Philippines, then set up a plan for for the future. After all, when the team wins, we all win.

The first thing we have to do is redirect some of our sports programs. Our sports officials aren't all dumbells. I mean, a lot of them are, but a good number of them are also on the correct path. Some of their plans have a good motive behind them, but I feel they have been used incorrectly.

Selecting the Selection

A couple of years ago, with the overall victory of the 2005 Sea Games a recent memory, the President declared that we must select 10 priority sports. These would be (Olympic) sports where we could excel in, and the government would provide extra funding to the national sports associations (NSA) to help them prepare for the Olympics.

This was a plan I was actually supportive of, until I heard the sports that were picked. Among the picks were Diving, Boxing, Taekwondo, Wushu, and the reason I hated this move was that a lot of these sports were "judgment sports," meaning winners would be decided by judging. Every year, at least a couple of our NSAs would bemoan that we lost in some competition because we. "got cheated," in the judging. In fact, all our boxers in the Olympics have been somehow "cheated," if our officials are to be believed. The most recent example would be, Harry Tanamor in the 2008 Oympics. Even if I believe that we were shortchanged each and every time we competed in the Olympics, all that means is that since 1964, we have been continually screwed and we have been unable to do anything about the judging. I fthis is the case, isn't it about time to avoid "judgement sports?" It has been well documented that the host almost always wins the judgment sports, and since we won't and can't host an Olympics anytime in the next few decades, it might be prudent to pick priority sports with no judges involved.

Reality Bites

Another thing to consider in picking our priority sports is our Filipino body structure. Most of our people are short and while we have some pretty athletic people, we will never outjump or outrun everyone else in the world. Maybe it's time to pick sports that don't put a premium on athleticism or height. With this in mind, we have to say no to swimming, athletics events, basketball and the like, as painful as it may sound. Instead, we should look into Olympic sports that we can really compete in, with the proper training. A good start would be table tennis, equestrian and sailing. Some of these sprts may be expensive, but if we cut the funding of the sports we can't excel in, we can then have the extra cash to fund these sports instead. Finite sports, sports where athletes do not bodily compete against each other (meaning they guard or try to stop each other) are good sports to develop. Some examples would be archery and shooting (I know, our two athletes were destroyed in Beijing, but with mroe exposure and training, we can produce better athletes in this field.)


(part two to be posted soon)

No More Debates Please - Phelps is the Best

After winning his eighth gold medal in these 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Michael Phelps and his singular achievement have provided an answer to a question that was supposed to never have a clear-cut one. Who is the greatest olympian of all time? Clearly, it is Micahel Phelps, and it will be for years to come.



Astonishingly, there are still those that would contend this. Apparently some claim that Phelps "had it easy," since swimming has a veritable plethora of medals available for the taking. Some claim that other olympians, like Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis, have more significant or memorable olympic achievements. Whatever the reasons being given, they all have one thing in common. They are all rubbish.



Barring a negative drug test, what Phelps has achieved is nothing short of super human. While I may have to defer to Jesse Owens as the olympian with the greatest impact on the world and its history, the "American Superfish" produced the greatest olympic performance in the history of mankind.



For the record, Phelps won eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympic Games, plus another six in Athens in 2004. Not only does he have the record for most medals won in one olympics, he also has the distinction of the athlete with the most olympic gold medals ever.



In these Beijing Games, Phelps pocketed five individual golds and three team golds. Phelps reigned in the 400m individual medley, 4 X 100 freestyle, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4 X 200m butterfly, 200m medley, 100m butterfly and the 4 X 100 medley.



If the question is about the variety of his medals, remember that he won multiple medals on both the free style and butterfly, and he won on the 100, 200 and 400m events. If the question is about dominance, how about considering that he set either a world or olympic record in each of the events that he joined. If the question is about being challenged, remember that he is the most bemedalled athlete in a non-boycotted games. That means that the world sent its best. In fact, he faced tough challenges from France (which threatened his 4 X 100m freestyle gold) and from Croat Cavic (who threatened his 100m butterfly gold), but he still came out on top. What was most amazing about this achievement was that he did it under the greatest of pressures, with his country hyping up his every move, and the best swimmers in the world all after his head.



If doing what Phelps did in Beijing is so freakin' easy, why hasn't this achievement been done before? (Mark Spitz, the previous record holder, won 7 over 30 years ago!) It simply cannot be denied. In this olympic journey where the weight and pressure to achieve "8" was strong enough to make the toughest of men choke and wimp out, Phelps stood tall and delivered. In this sport where a thousand things could wrong and over a dozen competitors aimed to destroy your legacy, Phelps persevered and beat everyone fair and square.



The scary part about it all? He is still going to compete in London four years from now. Is Michael Phelps the greatest olympian the world has ever seen. Yeah. (8x)