Friday, October 27, 2006
My Baguio Escapades
BAGUIO has always been a point of interest for me. I’ve always wanted to visit it since I was a kid. I’ve heard a lot about it: the climate, the warm people and exciting places. Last October 21, my dream finally came true.
Day one
The night before I hit the bus, I felt kind of scared. I was worried about the possibilities of a surprise bad weather on the way to the City of Pines, scared about possible landslides and earthquakes (which, by the way happened while I was sleeping at a friends house that same night). But since I was wearing my scapular, I told myself that everything’s going to be fine and God will protect me all the way.
Anyways, from 8pm to 12nn, I was really wide-awake. We planned to catch the first trip at 2:30am but despite that, I really wasn’t able to put myself to sleep. Later on I figured that aside from anxiety, I was also quite excited and pumped up to go to “the” place that my adrenaline couldn’t allow me to cool my heels. So as not to waste my time, I started imagining myself strolling along Burnham Park, then being with the Igorots and even going to the Wagwagan shops, which Baguio has recently been famous for. Funny, but I felt like a kid again who is about to go to the carnival or the zoo. Gosh, I missed that feeling!
At 2:00am, we finally arrived at the terminal and after a few minutes, the bus went off (well, not literally ha?).
The travel time from Cavite to Baguio is 8 hours so you could just imagine how long our trip was. So in order to keep my sanity, I tried to mix some activities that only a bus ride can offer. First, when I felt sleepy, I took a nap. Then, when I’m awake, I tried to take pictures of my seatmate, Ces and me. I also tried to enjoy the rice fields, the carabaos and other interesting sites along the way. When I felt bored, I tried to recall my geography class and remind myself that Baguio is just a few kilometers away. Luckily, these things surely helped in preserving my energy and enthusiasm.
At around 10:30am, we finally reached Baguio City, called for a taxi and went to the hotel to drop our baggage.
The first thing I noticed was the cool and soothing breeze of the Summer Capital. All along, the books and other travelogue I watched on TV were true! Baguio really has a very fine climate. In fact, the sun was already up but we were still comfortable wearing our jackets!
Then, at 5pm, we’ve decided to go to SM Baguio. I was so surprised to learn that the mall doesn’t have airconditioning at all save for, probably the cinemas! Henry Sy can’t to that to Manila or Cavite or else we’ll all die of heat stroke!
Anyways, we walked around the mall and played some video games in Quantum. When we got tired, we went home.
At around 7pm, we had our first ever dinner in Baguio. We went to this grill house and ordered for some T-bone and sizzling chicken. The food was amazing and I felt very satisfied after an eternity of munches.
Our next stop was at Burnham Park. It was already nightime and the wind was so cold (good thing I was wearing a thicker jacket) but we still opted to saunter around the very popular park. There were several people strolling all over the park, too! From Burnham, we have an awesome view of the SM Mall. It (SM) was really a good site from there with all the lights showering the mighty structure.
After almost an hour, we came home and retired.
To be continued…
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Purefoods lost to TNT
TALK N TEXT SIZZLES IN BIG 108-99 WIN OVER GIANTS
Carey leads 6 Pals in double figures
Wednesday, 04 October 2006
It probably has something to do with Asi's new 'do, but nevertheless Talk N' Text Phonepals was impressive!
Barry Pascua couldn't put it any better in the first quarter by saying that both teams were just exchanging jabs to size up one another. It was really tightly contested. At one point, Purefoods lead by as many as 4 points but TNT came roaring back to grab the lead by 1. That was pretty much the story of the first inning although, it was clear that TNT was the more agressive team having to score from offensive rebounds and on excellent plays set-up by Alapag.
Now, the real turning point of the game happened in the second quarter when TNT stepped on the gas to erect a fat 20 point advantage at 50-30. And to think that they were able to do that with Asi languishing on the bench made it even more frustrating for me. Jay-Wash, Mac Cardona and Harvey Carey triumverate became "the" thorn on Purefoods cause. They were scrappy and quicker to the ball. They all made Purefoods look like fat cats and the thing is, RG has been preaching his boys to be quicker and faster so seeing them being beaten on every loose ball is really not very pleasing. I thought I was watching a different team, not the champion PF team I knew.
Fortunately, Purefoods was able to comeback in the 2nd half. Coach Ryan might've given them a mouthful in the locker room so they came out with more intensity especially on the defensive end. From 23, they were able to trim down the lead by as low as 7 point at the end of the 3rd. Then, I was practically up on my feet in excitement in the 4th quarter when PJ, James and Kerby combined their powers to make the lead even more manageable. But TNT kept plugging away too, especially behind the guns of Ren Ren Ritualo. In fact, it was him who made the 6-point swing in favor of TNT when he buried a shot from the rainbow territory. While in the preceeding play, James muffed a wide open trey which could've reduced the lead to 4. It was perhaps the play that summarized the story of the game. It's absolutely apparent that TNT has the rhythm and the better feel of the game at this point while PF is still struggling to get back to their old form.
***
The other thing I notice was the impressive play of Jay Washington. From the looks of it, he seems to have earned the confidence that would help him justify his being the number 1 over-all pick last year. Jay was running the whole time, dunking the ball a couple of times, one is on a put back. He was very active and quick to the ball which was a far-cry on his performance during his first few games in the league. He must've learned so much in the off-season. He'll surely be a big help to Taulava, Pablo and Carey on the rebounding department. Same time, I wonder what Air21 had to say about him after the game. They're probably scratching their heads now.
Mark Andaya, had a very amusing debut. He was hustling, he was trying to get as many rebounds as he can and I was really happy about his performance. I think he'll be a decent back-up center.
Boyet Bautista wasn't able to register his first 2 points as a pro but he definitely made a decent account of himself. He almost had his first assist if only Yee was able to score on a lay-up. Sayang, pinaganda pa, eh. With the limited minutes that he played, he showed that he's quick and he's a pure point-guard. He looks very minute though on TV. But I'll take Coach Alas word that amongs the other Letranite draftees, Boyet is the one who can make an immediate impact.
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, our 1-2 punch had a lackluster performance. James misfired alot in the 1st half and committed costly TO in the 4th quarter. Kerby on the other hand, had also his share of missed shots and errors. Apparently, he's not feeling well because of his ankle injury. Nonetheless, seeing them score in double digits while not yet a 100% makes me feel optimistic.
***
Purefoods next assigment is on Saturday, against Ginebra. I expect it to be an even thougher match-up for the Giants but but if they will display the same kind of push, the never-say-die attitude, I think they still have the chance to beat BGK.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
End of Drought
If I were to give title to the story behind the basketball scene here and abroad, it would definitely be “The End of Drought.”
Why not?
In the NBA, Shaquille O’neal and Dwayne Wade joined forces to hand the Miami Heat franchise it’s first ever world championship by defeating Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks in six games. It was mission accomplished for O’neal and comebacking coach Pat Riley who made a promise to the South Floridans that one day, the Heat would parade along Biscayne Boulevard whooping up the Larry O’Brien throphy. They sure did, after 18 years.
The PBA also had the same story with Zandro “Jun” Limpot, the 1993 Rookie of the Year winning his first crown in 13 years. Limpot, also known as the Big Deal and the Main Man finally got his long cherished dream when the Purefoods Chunkee Giants, his third team in 13 seasons, uppended the highly touted Red Bull Barako. For the Giants, it was their first championship in 4 years after winning the Governor’s Cup in 2002.
The National Collegiate Athletics Association took the similar plot when the San Beda Red Lions finally ended twenty-eight years of futility by bagging the NCAA Championship against perennial finalist Philippine Christian University Dolphins. Enrico “Koy” Banal, a Bedan himself, couldn’t help but cry with tears of joy as he was given a well-deserved victory ride by his players and supporters. Banal was given the NCAA Coach of the Year award, while forward Yousif Aljamal was adjudged as Finals MVP.
Meanwhile in the UAAP, Alfredo “Pido” Jarencio, the alumnus and rookie coach of the University of Santo Tomas beat the hell out of Norman Black enroute to a gut clenching 76-74-overtime win by the Tigers over the Ateneo de Manila University Eagles. The Tigers, which was seeded third in the Final Four failed to put Game 1 away, but came back to sweep the next two games to finally put an end to their 10-year title quest. Their last was in 1996.
Interestingly, both SBC and UST have expressed their battlecries by the number.
San Beda banners wrote End 28 @ [Season] 82, while UST rallied with Repeat 96 @ [Season] 69. It doesn’t get more interestting to note that both slogans carried numbers that interchanged one another. If it’s not destiny, I don’t know what else to call it.
Without a doubt, this season was filled with a lot of basketball drama. But more than the satisfaction of champioship hunger of previous losers, more than the number of trophies being hoisted up, this season highligthed what Coach Paul Ryan Gregorio aptly put as, “the triumph of the human spirit.”
What we saw in the Heat-Dallas series is the spirit of courage and love for the game of Alonzo Mourning, who despite his senstive health condition still able to contribute in a big way. Hence, he was paid handsomely—to be a champion after more than a decade of numerous tries.
In the UAAP and in the All Philippine Cup, what we have witnessed is the spirit of hardwork and determination. Who would have thought that the underdogs: UST and PCG could overpower the much deeper, more experienced and talented opponent? It was only them who proved that no mountain is high enough for a determined climber.
In the NCAA, believing was the predominant maxim and the spirit that heartened the San Beda faithful. Fortunately, their patience paid off as they finally found the right mentor and the group of players who could turn their dreams into sweet reality. The celebration and pandemonium at the Araneta is a gleeful display of how sweet the reward for patience and loyalty is.
With all that I have seen this year, I think there’s no other absolute source of fun, entertainment and values than sports. It simply goes beyond the norm, beyond physical aspect or the beauty of every set play. It’s simply a culture that is worth our time, energy and money spent. In away, the recent developments in basketball, be it in the NBA, NCAA, UAAP or PBA, has enable viewers to satisfy their longing for more meaningful viewing. It has quenched their thirst for a real, unadulterated “reality” show.
Speaking of real viewing, the 2005-2006 season has been nothing short of being meaningful. It has been the year of deliverance from past failures and futility. It has been the season of the human spirit. It was the season of hope.
It’s a good year, indeed.
With that, I wouldn’t mind being stuck in this time capsule forever.
Why not?
In the NBA, Shaquille O’neal and Dwayne Wade joined forces to hand the Miami Heat franchise it’s first ever world championship by defeating Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks in six games. It was mission accomplished for O’neal and comebacking coach Pat Riley who made a promise to the South Floridans that one day, the Heat would parade along Biscayne Boulevard whooping up the Larry O’Brien throphy. They sure did, after 18 years.
The PBA also had the same story with Zandro “Jun” Limpot, the 1993 Rookie of the Year winning his first crown in 13 years. Limpot, also known as the Big Deal and the Main Man finally got his long cherished dream when the Purefoods Chunkee Giants, his third team in 13 seasons, uppended the highly touted Red Bull Barako. For the Giants, it was their first championship in 4 years after winning the Governor’s Cup in 2002.
The National Collegiate Athletics Association took the similar plot when the San Beda Red Lions finally ended twenty-eight years of futility by bagging the NCAA Championship against perennial finalist Philippine Christian University Dolphins. Enrico “Koy” Banal, a Bedan himself, couldn’t help but cry with tears of joy as he was given a well-deserved victory ride by his players and supporters. Banal was given the NCAA Coach of the Year award, while forward Yousif Aljamal was adjudged as Finals MVP.
Meanwhile in the UAAP, Alfredo “Pido” Jarencio, the alumnus and rookie coach of the University of Santo Tomas beat the hell out of Norman Black enroute to a gut clenching 76-74-overtime win by the Tigers over the Ateneo de Manila University Eagles. The Tigers, which was seeded third in the Final Four failed to put Game 1 away, but came back to sweep the next two games to finally put an end to their 10-year title quest. Their last was in 1996.
Interestingly, both SBC and UST have expressed their battlecries by the number.
San Beda banners wrote End 28 @ [Season] 82, while UST rallied with Repeat 96 @ [Season] 69. It doesn’t get more interestting to note that both slogans carried numbers that interchanged one another. If it’s not destiny, I don’t know what else to call it.
Without a doubt, this season was filled with a lot of basketball drama. But more than the satisfaction of champioship hunger of previous losers, more than the number of trophies being hoisted up, this season highligthed what Coach Paul Ryan Gregorio aptly put as, “the triumph of the human spirit.”
What we saw in the Heat-Dallas series is the spirit of courage and love for the game of Alonzo Mourning, who despite his senstive health condition still able to contribute in a big way. Hence, he was paid handsomely—to be a champion after more than a decade of numerous tries.
In the UAAP and in the All Philippine Cup, what we have witnessed is the spirit of hardwork and determination. Who would have thought that the underdogs: UST and PCG could overpower the much deeper, more experienced and talented opponent? It was only them who proved that no mountain is high enough for a determined climber.
In the NCAA, believing was the predominant maxim and the spirit that heartened the San Beda faithful. Fortunately, their patience paid off as they finally found the right mentor and the group of players who could turn their dreams into sweet reality. The celebration and pandemonium at the Araneta is a gleeful display of how sweet the reward for patience and loyalty is.
With all that I have seen this year, I think there’s no other absolute source of fun, entertainment and values than sports. It simply goes beyond the norm, beyond physical aspect or the beauty of every set play. It’s simply a culture that is worth our time, energy and money spent. In away, the recent developments in basketball, be it in the NBA, NCAA, UAAP or PBA, has enable viewers to satisfy their longing for more meaningful viewing. It has quenched their thirst for a real, unadulterated “reality” show.
Speaking of real viewing, the 2005-2006 season has been nothing short of being meaningful. It has been the year of deliverance from past failures and futility. It has been the season of the human spirit. It was the season of hope.
It’s a good year, indeed.
With that, I wouldn’t mind being stuck in this time capsule forever.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Ang titser at ang estudyante
“Who can answer my question?”
Minsan naitanong ko sa klase ko ito dahil napansin ko, habang nagsasalita ako, ay nagsasalita rin sila. At habang sabay-sabay kaming nagsasalita, umiingay ang paligid. Natatabunan ang boses ko. Ako pa naman si ayaw ng kakumpetensiya. Gusto ko pag nagsasalita ako, tumatahimik lang sila at nakikinig.
Parang magic potion, pag nagtatanong na ako ng ganoon, para silang mga synchronized dancers na sabay-sabay yuyuko. Merong iiwas ng tingin, merong uubo kunyari, merong magbubuklat kunwari ng notes, merong napapasinga kunyari, merong kumukunot ang noo, nagkakamot, nakatingin sa pinto at yung pinaka-malala yung ngingiti sa iyo na parang “puppy.” (O, yan, cute pa ang description ko niyan, ha?)
Sari-sari talaga ang mga reaction nila. Minsan di ko alam kung magagalit ako o matatawa. Hindi pa nagtatapos dun, pag tumawag ka ng pangalan at pinatayo mo para sumagot, eto pa ang banat sa iyo, “What’s the question again, Ma’am?”
Ang mga estudyante talaga, oo. Tapos pagdating ng evaluation, kung anu-ano pang comment ang isusulat patungkol sa iyo. (Note: Hindi ito patungkol sa akin in particular. Kumbaga, exaggerated examples lang ng mga komento ng mga mag-aaral sa mga teachers nila. Pero malay ko rin, baka may estudyante akong maitim ang budhi na ganyan nga ang mga comment sa akin.)
Si teacher nage-excursion ang laway. Si teacher may P and F syndrome. Si teacher mataas lagi ang BP, my golly. Si teacher kirat. Si teacher ganito, ganyan.
O, natawa kayo? Hindi ba iyan ang mga trip nila talaga?
Pero sa isang banda, minsan naiisip ko, sino ba ang hindi dumaan sa stage na ganito? Hindi ba kahit naman tayo, nung highschool at college ay marami na ring naitalang (lalim!) kalokohan?
Speaking of naitalang kalokohan, meron akong konti niyan. Susubukan kong magkwento, pwede ba?
Umpisahan natin sa itlog. Hindi yung ginagawang dambuhalang tukneneng ha? I’m talking about zero, nil, as in bokya. Alam niyo ba yung unang bes kong naka-zero sa quiz? Medyo matagal na actually, nasa Grade 2 pa lang ako nun. Division ang test namin pero hindi ko masyadong naintindihan ang sinabi ng teacher kong si Mrs. Nicolas. Ang instruction niya if there’s a remainder, express it in fraction. Hindi ko ginawa ‘yun at ang malas pa lahat ng items may remainder, patay na! Ayun, isang malaking itlog ang nakuha ko na sinamahan pa ng sandamakmak na tukso mula sa katabi kong grade conscious. Kaya nung uwian, hinila ko agad ang nanay ko palayo sa mga amiga niya. Alam mo naman kung anong nangyayari pag nagkikita ang mga nanay ng mga grade school pupils, payabangan! Mulan sa baon, brand ng lapis, score sa test ng anak, pataasan yan! Eh ako, ayoko mabuking na zero ang score ko sa Math at mapahiya ang nannay ko kaya kinaladkad ko na siya pauwi sabay hagis ng testpaper ko sa damuhan. Goodbye, testpaper!
Dun siguro nag-start ang takot ko sa Mathematics. Well, hindi naman siguro takot, dun lang siguro nagsimula kung bakit tensiyonado na ako pag me nakikita akong numero maliban na nga lang kung, pera sa sobreng pampasko yung number na nakikita ko.
Nung highschool naman ako, tinawag ako ni Mrs. Pangilinan to solve a multiplication problem on the board. Ang sabi niya, show the complete solution on the board. Eh, sa sobrang kagustuhan kong ipakita lahat ng solution on the board, sandamukal na zero yung sinulat ko imbes na i-shortcut ko na lang. Nagmukha tuloy polka dots yung blackboard. Sabi tuloy ni ma’am, “Miss Cardano ano ba ‘yan, ibabalik kita sa Grade 1.” Imaginin niyo na lang hagikgik ng mga kaklase ko.
Hindi lang ‘yan ang unang bes na napag-tripan akong “ibalik” ng teacher ko kung saan. Nung freshman year ko sa highschool, nagkaroon kami ng teacher na super cute namang mambara ng estudyante. Filipino subject ‘yun at katabi ko si Joyce na bungisngis din. Eh, ako pa naman si biro, kaya ayun, hagikgik kami ng hagikgik. Napansin kami ni teacher at sinabi, “Gusto niyo bang ibalik ko kayo sa mental?” Siyempre ayokong bumalik, este, dalhin dun no so tumahimik na lang kami. Mukhang dragonda pa naman si ma’am kaya dapat talaga mag-behave.
At speaking of mag-behave, yun naman yung ginawa ko nung unang klase naming sa English nuong sophie year ko sa highschool. Nakakatakot kasi si Miss Guiao, eh. Nung bumuka ang bibig niya, sumunod agad kami sa instruction na isulat ang pangalan at section sa papel. Sa sobrang takot ko, di ko naitanong kung paano isusulat ang pangalan, kung una ba ang lastname, then firstname then middlename o mauna ba ang firstname. Ang siste, dalawang papel ang ipinasa ko. Maya-maya, tinawag na niya kami isa-isa. Bigla siyang napa-tigil at pinag-compare yung dalawang papel na hawak niya. Ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko, nun. Inisip ko, yari, baka sabihin ni teacher “slow” ako. Ilang segundo pa sabi niya, “Miss Cardano… duling ka ba o tanga?” Sa isip ko, yung duling yata ang pinili ko. Nagpatuloy siya, “… kahit pagbali-baliktarin mo man ang mundo, hindi ganito [sinusulat] ang letter E!” Wala na akong naalala nun dahil feeling ko, the whole class was about to explode in laugther. Buti naman hindi. Bwiset kasi ang Eraserheads na iyan eh, pina-uso pa yung pagsusulat ng baliktad na letter E. Pati tuloy ako napahamak nung sinulat ko ng dalawang beses sa papel [Section] II-Tyesa! Pero at least consistent, di ba?
Pero consistent din ako sa ibang bagay pa, consistent mag-cram sa pangongopya ng notes. Ako yun tipong magsusulat ng notes kapag magche-check na ng notebook kinabukasan. Ako rin yung maraming photocopy ng mga notes ng kaklase kasi hindi naman nila pahihiramin yung actual notes nila dahil gagamitin nila yun para mag-review. Physics, English, Filipino, name it, hindi ako masipag magsulat sa mga subject na iyan. Sila rin ang dahilan kung bakit ako napupuyat bago ang exam. Eh, sa nakakatamad magsulat anong magagawa ko?
Sabagay, marami talagang nakakatamad gawin pag wala kang inaalala. Ganun pag estudyante ka. Problema mo lang, baon, quizzes tapos kung paano ka papansinin ng crush mo. Malamang sa hindi, “bahala na si Batman” ang motto ng buhay mo. That’s life, you know? Lahat tayo dumadaan sa stage na iyan. Ang kaso lang, kapag sumobra ka sa mga limitations mo o kaya naman hindi mo napunuan ang mga pagkukulang mo, dun na papasok ang mga problema at sakit na ulo na maibibigay mo sa sarili mo at sa mga taong nakapaligid sa iyo.
Pero ako, iba na ang stage ng buhay ko ngayon. Teacher na ako. At sa loob ng dawalang taon kong pagtuturo, naiisip ko, iba talaga ang tingin sa buhay ng teacher at ng mga estudyante. What’s fun for the students is sometimes childish for us. What’s big deal for them is sometimes so trivial and petty for us. Hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng gap ang tawag dun. Maturity gap siguro. (Kita mo, naka-imbento pa akong ng term?)
Pero ang hindi ko lang maintindihan, sa kabila ng pagsisikap ng isang teacher, para namang sa pakiramdam ng mga mag-aaral ay hindi sila natututo. Parang masakit yata yun para sa mga miyembro ng tinuturing na “the noblest profession in the world.” Minsan, salita ka ng salita, parang wala namang nakikinig. Wala ka ng boses, masakit na ang ulo mo at tiyan sa pagod, hahambalang pa ang mga pasaway sa klase mo, yun bang tipong nagpa-foundation na at lipstick na hindi kapa nagdi-dismiss? Mahirap maging teacher. Mahirap magturo. Heavy ang responsibility, minsan hindi na nakakatawa. Kung magpalit kaya ng pwesto ang teacher at estudyante, kahit one time lang, sino kaya ang mas mag-e-enjoy at sino ang magdudusa?
Now, who can answer my question?
New James Yap Desktop Wallpaper!
The following wallpapers were created by Mr. Epenid. Kindly acknowledge this blogsite and the creator if you would like to use them in your own site.
Mr. Game Boy
Mr. MVP
The Big Game
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Personal:
Thanks Epenid for allowing me to use your wallpapers. Good job, man!
Mr. Game Boy
Mr. MVP
The Big Game
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Personal:
Thanks Epenid for allowing me to use your wallpapers. Good job, man!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Kris and James Newest Fansite
Heya, out there!
Guys, in behalf of my good friend Kara, I'm inviting you all to visit the newest website of the country's most talked about love-couple, Mr. & Mrs. James Carlos Yap at unconditionallove.50webs.com. The site features a wide collection of the couple's pictures and related write-ups PLUS you can also interact with your fellow Yapanatics like me!
Likewise, I'm also inviting you to visit my other sites just in case you want to see and read some of my sports related articles. They're at OC-Online and MissPie.Tk.
Thank you!
Guys, in behalf of my good friend Kara, I'm inviting you all to visit the newest website of the country's most talked about love-couple, Mr. & Mrs. James Carlos Yap at unconditionallove.50webs.com. The site features a wide collection of the couple's pictures and related write-ups PLUS you can also interact with your fellow Yapanatics like me!
Likewise, I'm also inviting you to visit my other sites just in case you want to see and read some of my sports related articles. They're at OC-Online and MissPie.Tk.
Thank you!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Todays Matchup: James Yap vs. Larry Fonacier
TODAYS matchup features two of the most talented, young wingman in the PBA today. One is a former UAAP Finals Co-MVP while the other is the reigning Most Valuable Player and a champion in the PBA. Their on-court battle from the UAAP is now revived in the PBA and definitely a fun sight to watch every time the Purefoods Chunkee Giants battle the Redbull Barakos. Please welcome, James Carlos Yap and Larry Alexander Fonacier.
1. SHOOTING
Larry Fonacier may be last season’s best 3-pointer but no one can argue the talent of James Yap from the perimeter dating back to their college days where he used to burn the hoops of the Araneta. Larry is a great shooter but he needs to be properly set up before he can hit those shots. James on the other hand only needs a few inches of separation from his defender to launch his “snap shot” or his “step-back flip” which could range even a foot away from the rainbow. Last season, Larry shot 56.2% on open shots. Good. James, however will nail the shot 62.4% of the time when left open. Great! Edge: James Yap
2. DEFENSE
Even in the UAAP, Larry has been known as a great defender especially from the perimeter. As a guard, he has excellent anticipation because he uses his head to deny his man. James on the other hand, is a natural scorer and doesn’t focus much on defense. Although, we have seen James develop into a more decent defender the last conference by shutting down Ritualo in the Semi-Finals of the Fiesta Conference, it’s still a long way to go for James to overtake Larry in the defense department. Edge: Larry Fonacier
3. PASSING
If there’s one skill James would need to improve on, it is passing. This is the area, which separates him from great players like Kenneth Duremdes and Vergel Meneses. Last season, James averaged just 1.2 assists per game while Larry registered 2.2 dish-outs per outing. Clearly, Larry a very, very slight edge over James but you can count on that as Larry is sometimes used by Yeng Guiao to play the point. Edge: Larry Fonacier
4. REBOUNDING
With his more athletic physique, big hands and high leaping ability, James is the better rebounder compared to Larry. In fact last season, James was able to register a single double-double performance by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds against no less than the Coca Cola Tigers, which boasts of front liners Ali Peek and Raffy Reavis. For the whole conference, James averaged 4.4 rebounds per game while Larry normed 3.6 boards a ballgame. Larry’s numbers are pretty decent for a role player but for a guy who’s only supposed to contribute on the firing end, James 4.4 is a fairly decent number, too. But if they sure go up one-on-one for a rebound, James would definitely have the upper hand. Slight Edge: James Yap
5. SHOT SELECTION
The stats, as far as the total field goal percentage is pretty closed at 42.1-40.0 with Larry having a 2.1 advantage. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The average minutes played and player roles should also be considered.
As a role player, naturally, it’s imperative on Larry’s part to take the best shot for every second he’s on the floor otherwise, he won’t be able to provide his team some quality minutes. On the other hand, as a designated scorer, James is expected to get the bulk of the shots especially when the middle is too clogged for the Giants big man. But considering his range, no one can simply say that he’s just throwing the ball to the rim because in reality, he can hit those shots. But since Coach Ryan Gregorio challenged James shoot more with accuracy, which for me is an appeal for better shot selection; I’m giving the advantage to Larry. Edge: Larry Fonacier
6. CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
Both James and Larry are great clutch performers because they simply have the instinct to do so not only in the offensive end but in the defensive end as well. Who would ever forget Larry’s go ahead basket in Game 5 of the AFC Finals? How about James step-back jumper in front of two Barakos in Game 6 of the same series? Those are moments that would show how tough they are when the game is on the line.
But the major difference is that, James, as the more athletic and gifted athlete can create his own shots during crunch time while most of the time, Larry due to lack of explosiveness, rely on his teammates for a kick-out pass to drain those big threes. Edge: James Yap
7. ATHLETICISM
Evidently with James bigger stock, big hands and tremendous spring, he is the more athletic player. He is much more sporty because he can hang in the air for a couple of seconds to drain his “separation shot,” his finger rolls and his one-hander. On the other hand, Larry is more of a laid-back player, not very flashy but is very effective at that. He’s a lot less athletic now after suffering from an ACL injury. Edge: James Yap
8. OVER-ALL IMPORTANCE TO THE TEAM
James together with Kerby Raymundo and Marc Pingris are the leaders of the Chunkee Giants. If Kerby is the one taking care of the leadership and Marc on defense, James is definitely in-charge of the point production day in and day out. That is a very, very important role that only he can do as far as Purefoods is concerned. Shall he be taken away from the line-up even for one game, the Giants would perhaps, find it extra-difficult to fare with the other teams in the PBA.
On the other hand, there are a lot of guys in the Red Bull line-up who can assume the role that Larry has been playing. With players like Junthy Valenzuela, Cyrus Baguio and all-star caliber Lordy Tugade, Red Bull is still a force to reckon with at the small forward-shooting guard position. Big Edge: James Yap
9. ACHIEVEMENT
Larry won the ever-precious Rookie of the Year. No doubt, he’s made a believer
out of everybody who thought he might not be able to survive in the PBA after he
suffered a career-threatening injury. In his first season as a pro, he helped Red
Bull to win the Fiesta Conference title where he made commendable contributions.
If there are two things Larry has that James doesn’t, it’s a UAAP and PBL
Championship.
Nevertheless, the advantage should be given to James Yap who in his second year
has become the PBA’s Most Valuable Player beating equally deserving Kerby,
Enrico and Lordy. Not only that, he also helped the Giants bag the AFC Title. He
was also a 2-time All Star First 5, a member of the Mythical 5 and a runner-up in
both BPC award for Season 2005-2006. Major Edge: James Yap
10. MARKETABILITY
With his amiable personality on the court and his mystifying self outside the
court, no doubt James is a good subject for product endorsements.
During the last trimester of his rookie year he almost leveled the stats of Rich
Alvarez. Then, Gov. Pardo was noted saying, “may nagpapadala na nga ng
feelers.” At the moment, if James and Larry were put on the trading block, James
would receive more and better offers not only because of his talent but also
because of his major fan base. Edge: James Yap
In the final analysis and after having weighed the above criteria, I therefore conclude that James Yap is the better, more promising and more marketable player than Larry Fonacier.
1. SHOOTING
Larry Fonacier may be last season’s best 3-pointer but no one can argue the talent of James Yap from the perimeter dating back to their college days where he used to burn the hoops of the Araneta. Larry is a great shooter but he needs to be properly set up before he can hit those shots. James on the other hand only needs a few inches of separation from his defender to launch his “snap shot” or his “step-back flip” which could range even a foot away from the rainbow. Last season, Larry shot 56.2% on open shots. Good. James, however will nail the shot 62.4% of the time when left open. Great! Edge: James Yap
2. DEFENSE
Even in the UAAP, Larry has been known as a great defender especially from the perimeter. As a guard, he has excellent anticipation because he uses his head to deny his man. James on the other hand, is a natural scorer and doesn’t focus much on defense. Although, we have seen James develop into a more decent defender the last conference by shutting down Ritualo in the Semi-Finals of the Fiesta Conference, it’s still a long way to go for James to overtake Larry in the defense department. Edge: Larry Fonacier
3. PASSING
If there’s one skill James would need to improve on, it is passing. This is the area, which separates him from great players like Kenneth Duremdes and Vergel Meneses. Last season, James averaged just 1.2 assists per game while Larry registered 2.2 dish-outs per outing. Clearly, Larry a very, very slight edge over James but you can count on that as Larry is sometimes used by Yeng Guiao to play the point. Edge: Larry Fonacier
4. REBOUNDING
With his more athletic physique, big hands and high leaping ability, James is the better rebounder compared to Larry. In fact last season, James was able to register a single double-double performance by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds against no less than the Coca Cola Tigers, which boasts of front liners Ali Peek and Raffy Reavis. For the whole conference, James averaged 4.4 rebounds per game while Larry normed 3.6 boards a ballgame. Larry’s numbers are pretty decent for a role player but for a guy who’s only supposed to contribute on the firing end, James 4.4 is a fairly decent number, too. But if they sure go up one-on-one for a rebound, James would definitely have the upper hand. Slight Edge: James Yap
5. SHOT SELECTION
The stats, as far as the total field goal percentage is pretty closed at 42.1-40.0 with Larry having a 2.1 advantage. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The average minutes played and player roles should also be considered.
As a role player, naturally, it’s imperative on Larry’s part to take the best shot for every second he’s on the floor otherwise, he won’t be able to provide his team some quality minutes. On the other hand, as a designated scorer, James is expected to get the bulk of the shots especially when the middle is too clogged for the Giants big man. But considering his range, no one can simply say that he’s just throwing the ball to the rim because in reality, he can hit those shots. But since Coach Ryan Gregorio challenged James shoot more with accuracy, which for me is an appeal for better shot selection; I’m giving the advantage to Larry. Edge: Larry Fonacier
6. CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
Both James and Larry are great clutch performers because they simply have the instinct to do so not only in the offensive end but in the defensive end as well. Who would ever forget Larry’s go ahead basket in Game 5 of the AFC Finals? How about James step-back jumper in front of two Barakos in Game 6 of the same series? Those are moments that would show how tough they are when the game is on the line.
But the major difference is that, James, as the more athletic and gifted athlete can create his own shots during crunch time while most of the time, Larry due to lack of explosiveness, rely on his teammates for a kick-out pass to drain those big threes. Edge: James Yap
7. ATHLETICISM
Evidently with James bigger stock, big hands and tremendous spring, he is the more athletic player. He is much more sporty because he can hang in the air for a couple of seconds to drain his “separation shot,” his finger rolls and his one-hander. On the other hand, Larry is more of a laid-back player, not very flashy but is very effective at that. He’s a lot less athletic now after suffering from an ACL injury. Edge: James Yap
8. OVER-ALL IMPORTANCE TO THE TEAM
James together with Kerby Raymundo and Marc Pingris are the leaders of the Chunkee Giants. If Kerby is the one taking care of the leadership and Marc on defense, James is definitely in-charge of the point production day in and day out. That is a very, very important role that only he can do as far as Purefoods is concerned. Shall he be taken away from the line-up even for one game, the Giants would perhaps, find it extra-difficult to fare with the other teams in the PBA.
On the other hand, there are a lot of guys in the Red Bull line-up who can assume the role that Larry has been playing. With players like Junthy Valenzuela, Cyrus Baguio and all-star caliber Lordy Tugade, Red Bull is still a force to reckon with at the small forward-shooting guard position. Big Edge: James Yap
9. ACHIEVEMENT
Larry won the ever-precious Rookie of the Year. No doubt, he’s made a believer
out of everybody who thought he might not be able to survive in the PBA after he
suffered a career-threatening injury. In his first season as a pro, he helped Red
Bull to win the Fiesta Conference title where he made commendable contributions.
If there are two things Larry has that James doesn’t, it’s a UAAP and PBL
Championship.
Nevertheless, the advantage should be given to James Yap who in his second year
has become the PBA’s Most Valuable Player beating equally deserving Kerby,
Enrico and Lordy. Not only that, he also helped the Giants bag the AFC Title. He
was also a 2-time All Star First 5, a member of the Mythical 5 and a runner-up in
both BPC award for Season 2005-2006. Major Edge: James Yap
10. MARKETABILITY
With his amiable personality on the court and his mystifying self outside the
court, no doubt James is a good subject for product endorsements.
During the last trimester of his rookie year he almost leveled the stats of Rich
Alvarez. Then, Gov. Pardo was noted saying, “may nagpapadala na nga ng
feelers.” At the moment, if James and Larry were put on the trading block, James
would receive more and better offers not only because of his talent but also
because of his major fan base. Edge: James Yap
In the final analysis and after having weighed the above criteria, I therefore conclude that James Yap is the better, more promising and more marketable player than Larry Fonacier.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
New Photos
Whew, what a relief! Akala ko malaking problema ang aabutan ko today, hindi naman pala. Promise, promise Lord I'd be smarter next time so there won't be any more major problems regarding that damn thing. Hay, if I only have a choice, I would't do it again. But what can I do, my hands are tied?
Buti na lang walang pasok bukas. At least, I'd be able to rest. Hah? As if I didn't have much rest, eh no? Buong weekends, eh, wala naman talaga akong ginagawa.
Speaking of weekends, malapit na pala ulit mag-Linggo! Oh my, seems it was only yesterday that my mother celebrated her 50th birthday! Happy, birthday ulit Ma! I hope you liked the cake I bought you.
If ever you're wondering what's new to me, eh, eto, I've uploaded some photo's in photobucket. The one above you is one of my favorites. Mukha yata akong tao. I took this picture right before I went to sleep so medyo I got sleepy eyes. Cute ba? (Kapal eh!)
This one naman, is my besty's dog. His name is Aslan. Sounds familiar? Yeah, we actually named him after the King of Narnia which happens to be a lion. We sort of want him to be as clever as King Aslan! Pero alam niyo ba, naku, "special dog" ata yang aso na iyan dahil super kulit!
Here's my best buddies naman, Ces and Jhu. We were at Mt. Sea Resort when I took this picture. Actually it was pretty weird kas nag-swimming kami in the middle of a stormy weekend. Grabe sobrang lamig ng pool. Ayun kinabukasan, tinarangkaso ako! Bad!
Lastly, here comes Aslan again with his "nanay." Grabe, I can't believe he's gone to that stage na pwede pa siyang ikalong. If you see him today, mas malaki pa ata sa akin! Hehe!
So those are my new uploaded pictures. Please don't grab them kasi I would still need them to dispel several roaches at home, eh! Hehe.
I've no work tomorrow so I may not be able to login. I'll come back on Friday to make some comments regarding Purefoods.
God bless guys!
Pie
Buti na lang walang pasok bukas. At least, I'd be able to rest. Hah? As if I didn't have much rest, eh no? Buong weekends, eh, wala naman talaga akong ginagawa.
Speaking of weekends, malapit na pala ulit mag-Linggo! Oh my, seems it was only yesterday that my mother celebrated her 50th birthday! Happy, birthday ulit Ma! I hope you liked the cake I bought you.
If ever you're wondering what's new to me, eh, eto, I've uploaded some photo's in photobucket. The one above you is one of my favorites. Mukha yata akong tao. I took this picture right before I went to sleep so medyo I got sleepy eyes. Cute ba? (Kapal eh!)
This one naman, is my besty's dog. His name is Aslan. Sounds familiar? Yeah, we actually named him after the King of Narnia which happens to be a lion. We sort of want him to be as clever as King Aslan! Pero alam niyo ba, naku, "special dog" ata yang aso na iyan dahil super kulit!
Here's my best buddies naman, Ces and Jhu. We were at Mt. Sea Resort when I took this picture. Actually it was pretty weird kas nag-swimming kami in the middle of a stormy weekend. Grabe sobrang lamig ng pool. Ayun kinabukasan, tinarangkaso ako! Bad!
Lastly, here comes Aslan again with his "nanay." Grabe, I can't believe he's gone to that stage na pwede pa siyang ikalong. If you see him today, mas malaki pa ata sa akin! Hehe!
So those are my new uploaded pictures. Please don't grab them kasi I would still need them to dispel several roaches at home, eh! Hehe.
I've no work tomorrow so I may not be able to login. I'll come back on Friday to make some comments regarding Purefoods.
God bless guys!
Pie
My Photo Album: Purefoods-Ginebra Tune Up Game
The following pictures were taken during the tune-up game between Purefoods Giants and Barangay Ginebra Kings last September 2, 2006 at the SSCR Gymnasium.
James Yap flashing me a smile. He looked even more handsome now, as he was a couple of years ago. James though, only managed to score 7 points in the entire ballgame. But even that won’t prevent Caviteña girls to giggle at the sight of him. Nope, I wasn’t very kilig. Mahinhin ako! Nye!
I actually asked James for a few more mug shots so I would know what angle he's really gwapo at. Hehe! Joke! I took this snap because I was smitten by his great profile. Watch out for Eric Menk in the background.
My good friend Virginia took this shot. I was too shy to ask Noy for a picture because he looked very serious in person. But nonetheless, Golden Boy still looks as glowing as ever!
Cap Alvin, despite his two-year absence in the PBA as a player still proves to be one of the most popular and charismatic basketball personalities in the Philippines today. (Right Cap, you’re doing a great job as team manager. We love you!)
See that girl in yellow flashing a BIG, BIG smile? That’s my good friend Ces. Right, best, headline ka sa blog ko bukas!)
Does that girl in the upper left corner looked familiar to you? Then look again! Yeah, that’s Kath!
Anyway, Cap was really very approachable. This one is Boss Alvin’s one-millionth shot taken during the entire afternoon! (Bait ni Cap!)
This is the man, Marc Pingris.
The venue was pretty hot so Marc sat just beside a mini industrial fan (not shown in the picture.) See that tattoo in his shoulder? That explains how “tiger-ish” he is on the court.
Rich loves the floor! Repeat, Rich loves the floor!
Mr. Yee has had his hands full against Ginebra biggies. In fact, he was very aggressive defensively in the entire game. So aggressive that he fouled out. (Cute mong graduate, Rich!)
Kid Lightning in the house!!
Looks like the camera loves Mr. Paulee! By the way, he nailed a turnaround jumper during the game. Looks like he’s extremely working on it. (Shoot that ball Paulee, shoot that ball!)
Captain KR, yes that’s how he should be called!
Kerby was the only Giant who were able to score in double digits with 10 points. He kept the Giants head above water by playing a great third quarter. He’s also the first red shirt to score for Purefoods. (Way to go, Kid!)
In 2001, Roger Yap was simply the Shark Team’s King Predator. Now he has evolved into a very reliable court general for the Giants.
This picture was taken right before the game started. The man beside him was Jondan Salvador. After a few poses, Roger went to the court and started practicing his jump shot. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Now, here comes the former Montaña King Jewel JD Salvador.
Coach Ryan opted not to let JD play in this particular game, perhaps it will remain that way for the rest of the preaseason games to allow him to preserve his energy for the real battle in October. We shouldn’t really worry about his conditioning because he looks pretty fit to me.
And more pictures...
Okay ba, peeps? Pogi ba?
Oks ba tayo diyan?
Uy, andiyan ka pala!
Kami ang Hagibis!
Pre, sana wag ako ma cut!!
***
So that’s about it, guys. I hope you liked the pictures. Sayang I wasn’t able to get a picture of Cap Rey, Cap Jun and PJ. Di bale, next time I’ll make sure meron na.
For those who would like to view the rest of the pictures I have kindly visit this site.
***
T.Y.
King_Manticore
Leo
Please acknowledge this blogsite if you want to use the photos. Thanks!
James Yap flashing me a smile. He looked even more handsome now, as he was a couple of years ago. James though, only managed to score 7 points in the entire ballgame. But even that won’t prevent Caviteña girls to giggle at the sight of him. Nope, I wasn’t very kilig. Mahinhin ako! Nye!
I actually asked James for a few more mug shots so I would know what angle he's really gwapo at. Hehe! Joke! I took this snap because I was smitten by his great profile. Watch out for Eric Menk in the background.
My good friend Virginia took this shot. I was too shy to ask Noy for a picture because he looked very serious in person. But nonetheless, Golden Boy still looks as glowing as ever!
Cap Alvin, despite his two-year absence in the PBA as a player still proves to be one of the most popular and charismatic basketball personalities in the Philippines today. (Right Cap, you’re doing a great job as team manager. We love you!)
See that girl in yellow flashing a BIG, BIG smile? That’s my good friend Ces. Right, best, headline ka sa blog ko bukas!)
Does that girl in the upper left corner looked familiar to you? Then look again! Yeah, that’s Kath!
Anyway, Cap was really very approachable. This one is Boss Alvin’s one-millionth shot taken during the entire afternoon! (Bait ni Cap!)
This is the man, Marc Pingris.
The venue was pretty hot so Marc sat just beside a mini industrial fan (not shown in the picture.) See that tattoo in his shoulder? That explains how “tiger-ish” he is on the court.
Rich loves the floor! Repeat, Rich loves the floor!
Mr. Yee has had his hands full against Ginebra biggies. In fact, he was very aggressive defensively in the entire game. So aggressive that he fouled out. (Cute mong graduate, Rich!)
Kid Lightning in the house!!
Looks like the camera loves Mr. Paulee! By the way, he nailed a turnaround jumper during the game. Looks like he’s extremely working on it. (Shoot that ball Paulee, shoot that ball!)
Captain KR, yes that’s how he should be called!
Kerby was the only Giant who were able to score in double digits with 10 points. He kept the Giants head above water by playing a great third quarter. He’s also the first red shirt to score for Purefoods. (Way to go, Kid!)
In 2001, Roger Yap was simply the Shark Team’s King Predator. Now he has evolved into a very reliable court general for the Giants.
This picture was taken right before the game started. The man beside him was Jondan Salvador. After a few poses, Roger went to the court and started practicing his jump shot. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Now, here comes the former Montaña King Jewel JD Salvador.
Coach Ryan opted not to let JD play in this particular game, perhaps it will remain that way for the rest of the preaseason games to allow him to preserve his energy for the real battle in October. We shouldn’t really worry about his conditioning because he looks pretty fit to me.
And more pictures...
Okay ba, peeps? Pogi ba?
Oks ba tayo diyan?
Uy, andiyan ka pala!
Kami ang Hagibis!
Pre, sana wag ako ma cut!!
***
So that’s about it, guys. I hope you liked the pictures. Sayang I wasn’t able to get a picture of Cap Rey, Cap Jun and PJ. Di bale, next time I’ll make sure meron na.
For those who would like to view the rest of the pictures I have kindly visit this site.
***
T.Y.
King_Manticore
Leo
Please acknowledge this blogsite if you want to use the photos. Thanks!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Inside Story: PF-BGK Preseason Game
As promised, I am giving you the inside story and some highlights of the just concluded tune-up match between the defending AFC champion Purefoods Chunkee Giants and the crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra Kings held last Saturday, September 2 at the SSCR 4th Centennial Gymnasium, Cavite City. Read on.
The Game
The game started about a few minutes after 4pm with the Giants parading James Yap, Jun Limpot, Kerby Raymundo, Roger Yap and Marc Pingris at the starting line-up. BGK on the other hand fielded in Mark Caguioa, Eric Menk, Romel Adducul, Jayjay Helterbrand and Sunday Salvacion.
It was a pretty close ballgame in the first quarter where the biggest lead by either team was between 3 or 4 points. Eric Menk started the scoring for the Gins while Kerby Raymundo converted the first basket for the Giants. The second quarter was pretty much the same but when Coach Ryan Gregorio inserted his second unit via platoon substitution, the Gins started to regain the momentum and ended the half with a 4-point deficit to the tune of 35-31.
In the third quarter, the lead blew up to 9-11 points courtesy of baskets from Caguioa, Menk and Salvacion. Personally, it was still a very manageable lead but Ginebra rode on the momentum and up the lead by as much as 18 points. Raymundo who didn’t want to lose the game via wide margin, played great until the later half of the quarter scoring a couple of baskets and some free throws which trimmed the lead to somewhat 10 points. The Giants had the chance to cut it down to 8 but they were not able to convert on a turnover point. The lead went back to 14 when the starters sat down.
Before the fourth quarter, I was expecting Coach Ryan to make some defensive adjustment as the Gins were threatening to blow the game wide open but I was a bit surprised when instead of utilizing his best five on the floor, he opted to let guys like Don Camaso, Arnold Gamboa, Ollan Omiping and Jenkins Mesina to play in the entire fourth quarter. As a result, the lead swelled by as much as 27 points. Caguioa and company completed the rout via final score of 70-95 to the delight of the Caviteño fans!
Taking things seriously
Who takes preseason games seriously? Ginebra does.
For my part, I was very impressed with how serious Ginebra was in last Saturday’s game. They brought their A-game and played as if they were in Araneta playing a semi-finals game. Coach Jong Uichico gave his key players extensive minutes and it appears to me that this early, he’s already trying to figure out the smartest way to maximize their advantage at the frontline. In fact, there were several instances were Raffy Reavis, Menk and Rudy Hatfield were used together to man the middle. As a result, Pingris, Yee and Gamboa found life difficult at the rebounding end.
Simply put, Ginebra is sending a message about how dead serious they are with their intention of regaining the AFC championship.
Nothing to worry about
Usually, preseason games are no bearing games at all. I don’t expect it to be as highly competitive as what real games should be. What at stake is not high enough to make players pus themselves to the limit except for rookies and free agents trying to make the cut.
I wouldn’t mind saying that the Giants did not play their usual game. Platoon substitution was nothing but unusual, really! I think they were pretty much relaxed and wasn’t giving their 100%. There's no need, really. Plus, you’ve got to remember that after winning the 2002 Governor’s Cup, the Hotdogs were hounded by injuries. Coach Ryan was just smart enough not to give his best players extensive minutes to avoid them from getting hurt or injured. Clearly, the coaching staff only intends to use this mini tourney as a venue to test their rookies and some free agents before they can sign them up.
Okay, they lost by 25 in front of a different crowd, dyahe. But you have to remember that it was the bench who played most of the game while Ginebra used their best men on the floor. More importantly, we lost to a better team. If it had been against an amateur or collegiate team, I would’ve have reacted on a different way. Now, I have so much fear and respect for the Gin Kings.
Making an impression
Now, let's look at the performances of some free agents.
Mesina and Omiping had a decent game. The latter is no longer new to me as he already played for the Giants in 2003. He was there driving in the lane and shooting some jump shots. I think Jenkins could play small forward. I don't know his height, though. Omiping, on the other hand showed that he can shoot jumpers and he has a quick pair of feet.
Chico Lanete, Gec Chia, Emerson Oreta and Don Dulay bannered the free agent list for BGK. Dulay proved to be a pass first kind of PG. I wasn’t impressed much but he was there setting up his teammates. Chia, on the other hand was, I think a good defensive guard as he just limited JY to 0 points in the 3rd quarter. Oreta looks very athletic but I think Mike Holper is a lot better. Chico Lanete was a deadshot. Between him and Dulay, he definitely has my vote. He’s a shoot first kind of PG, though.
The other free agents for the Giants were Chris Cantonjos (#36) and Toti Almeda (UP, #22) who both did not play.
Some sidelights
* Boyet Bautista was not around so I asked Coach Ronnie Magsanoc who was sitting in front of me: “Coach, asan po si Boyet?” He said, “sinong Boyet?” I replied, “Bautista po.” He snapped back, “Ah, may laro pa kasi sila [sa NCAA], eh.”
* Jondan Salvador was there wearing basketball shorts and a black shirt. He did not play.
* James Yap is already a superstar in the PBA! When he came in from the dugout, the crowd, esp. the women shrieked in delight. He acknowledged that by waiving his hand and saying, “thank you.” Before the game and during halftime, fans wanting to take his picture and authograph mobbed him. Whenever he went, there were people flashing their cameras.
* Cap Alvin looked very, very good. Super gwapo pa rin but humble as ever. Mobbed like JY, his fingers might be hurting already because he signed several autographs! (Just kidding!)
* Marc Pingris really has a nose for the ball. In one play, he sneaked in to get the rebound from a BGK player. That’s right after a fellow Giants missed a freethrow!
* The game barker was pretty out of focus. In one instance, Mesina approached the official table to sub. The barker announced: “Substitution. Jenskins Mesina for Jayjay Helterbrand!” The crowd roared in amusement. I thought there was a trade! In another instance, Richard Yee attempted a jumper from the corner. The ball went around the rim before it decides to curl off. The announcer who thought the shot came in said: “Richard Yee!” Again, the crowd roared and laughed altogether. Coach Koy who also sat in front of me said: “Wala sa focus ‘tong mga ‘to.” (I don’t know if he was referring to his players or to the barker.)
* The only dunk of the night came in from Reavis who dunked from the breake courtesy of, I think, Helterbrand pass.
* The H-bomb looks fit and ready to go to battle. In one play, a BGK shot went off so Menk and Hatfield both went up for the rebound. Menk looked like he had control but guess who got the ball? The Fireman!
* Speaking of Rudy, hope you'll love his new "do." He's bald!
* Who says Jayjay is injured? He was there running the floor. So did Adducul!
The Game
The game started about a few minutes after 4pm with the Giants parading James Yap, Jun Limpot, Kerby Raymundo, Roger Yap and Marc Pingris at the starting line-up. BGK on the other hand fielded in Mark Caguioa, Eric Menk, Romel Adducul, Jayjay Helterbrand and Sunday Salvacion.
It was a pretty close ballgame in the first quarter where the biggest lead by either team was between 3 or 4 points. Eric Menk started the scoring for the Gins while Kerby Raymundo converted the first basket for the Giants. The second quarter was pretty much the same but when Coach Ryan Gregorio inserted his second unit via platoon substitution, the Gins started to regain the momentum and ended the half with a 4-point deficit to the tune of 35-31.
In the third quarter, the lead blew up to 9-11 points courtesy of baskets from Caguioa, Menk and Salvacion. Personally, it was still a very manageable lead but Ginebra rode on the momentum and up the lead by as much as 18 points. Raymundo who didn’t want to lose the game via wide margin, played great until the later half of the quarter scoring a couple of baskets and some free throws which trimmed the lead to somewhat 10 points. The Giants had the chance to cut it down to 8 but they were not able to convert on a turnover point. The lead went back to 14 when the starters sat down.
Before the fourth quarter, I was expecting Coach Ryan to make some defensive adjustment as the Gins were threatening to blow the game wide open but I was a bit surprised when instead of utilizing his best five on the floor, he opted to let guys like Don Camaso, Arnold Gamboa, Ollan Omiping and Jenkins Mesina to play in the entire fourth quarter. As a result, the lead swelled by as much as 27 points. Caguioa and company completed the rout via final score of 70-95 to the delight of the Caviteño fans!
Taking things seriously
Who takes preseason games seriously? Ginebra does.
For my part, I was very impressed with how serious Ginebra was in last Saturday’s game. They brought their A-game and played as if they were in Araneta playing a semi-finals game. Coach Jong Uichico gave his key players extensive minutes and it appears to me that this early, he’s already trying to figure out the smartest way to maximize their advantage at the frontline. In fact, there were several instances were Raffy Reavis, Menk and Rudy Hatfield were used together to man the middle. As a result, Pingris, Yee and Gamboa found life difficult at the rebounding end.
Simply put, Ginebra is sending a message about how dead serious they are with their intention of regaining the AFC championship.
Nothing to worry about
Usually, preseason games are no bearing games at all. I don’t expect it to be as highly competitive as what real games should be. What at stake is not high enough to make players pus themselves to the limit except for rookies and free agents trying to make the cut.
I wouldn’t mind saying that the Giants did not play their usual game. Platoon substitution was nothing but unusual, really! I think they were pretty much relaxed and wasn’t giving their 100%. There's no need, really. Plus, you’ve got to remember that after winning the 2002 Governor’s Cup, the Hotdogs were hounded by injuries. Coach Ryan was just smart enough not to give his best players extensive minutes to avoid them from getting hurt or injured. Clearly, the coaching staff only intends to use this mini tourney as a venue to test their rookies and some free agents before they can sign them up.
Okay, they lost by 25 in front of a different crowd, dyahe. But you have to remember that it was the bench who played most of the game while Ginebra used their best men on the floor. More importantly, we lost to a better team. If it had been against an amateur or collegiate team, I would’ve have reacted on a different way. Now, I have so much fear and respect for the Gin Kings.
Making an impression
Now, let's look at the performances of some free agents.
Mesina and Omiping had a decent game. The latter is no longer new to me as he already played for the Giants in 2003. He was there driving in the lane and shooting some jump shots. I think Jenkins could play small forward. I don't know his height, though. Omiping, on the other hand showed that he can shoot jumpers and he has a quick pair of feet.
Chico Lanete, Gec Chia, Emerson Oreta and Don Dulay bannered the free agent list for BGK. Dulay proved to be a pass first kind of PG. I wasn’t impressed much but he was there setting up his teammates. Chia, on the other hand was, I think a good defensive guard as he just limited JY to 0 points in the 3rd quarter. Oreta looks very athletic but I think Mike Holper is a lot better. Chico Lanete was a deadshot. Between him and Dulay, he definitely has my vote. He’s a shoot first kind of PG, though.
The other free agents for the Giants were Chris Cantonjos (#36) and Toti Almeda (UP, #22) who both did not play.
Some sidelights
* Boyet Bautista was not around so I asked Coach Ronnie Magsanoc who was sitting in front of me: “Coach, asan po si Boyet?” He said, “sinong Boyet?” I replied, “Bautista po.” He snapped back, “Ah, may laro pa kasi sila [sa NCAA], eh.”
* Jondan Salvador was there wearing basketball shorts and a black shirt. He did not play.
* James Yap is already a superstar in the PBA! When he came in from the dugout, the crowd, esp. the women shrieked in delight. He acknowledged that by waiving his hand and saying, “thank you.” Before the game and during halftime, fans wanting to take his picture and authograph mobbed him. Whenever he went, there were people flashing their cameras.
* Cap Alvin looked very, very good. Super gwapo pa rin but humble as ever. Mobbed like JY, his fingers might be hurting already because he signed several autographs! (Just kidding!)
* Marc Pingris really has a nose for the ball. In one play, he sneaked in to get the rebound from a BGK player. That’s right after a fellow Giants missed a freethrow!
* The game barker was pretty out of focus. In one instance, Mesina approached the official table to sub. The barker announced: “Substitution. Jenskins Mesina for Jayjay Helterbrand!” The crowd roared in amusement. I thought there was a trade! In another instance, Richard Yee attempted a jumper from the corner. The ball went around the rim before it decides to curl off. The announcer who thought the shot came in said: “Richard Yee!” Again, the crowd roared and laughed altogether. Coach Koy who also sat in front of me said: “Wala sa focus ‘tong mga ‘to.” (I don’t know if he was referring to his players or to the barker.)
* The only dunk of the night came in from Reavis who dunked from the breake courtesy of, I think, Helterbrand pass.
* The H-bomb looks fit and ready to go to battle. In one play, a BGK shot went off so Menk and Hatfield both went up for the rebound. Menk looked like he had control but guess who got the ball? The Fireman!
* Speaking of Rudy, hope you'll love his new "do." He's bald!
* Who says Jayjay is injured? He was there running the floor. So did Adducul!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Pain... don't sob!
Pain is a tough word. There’s no living soul on earth who would want to spend his or her life filled with it. But because pain is such a force, in our lives, at one point or another, we may find ourselves battling against it. Whether we give in or not depends on how we look at it. Pain can be a challenge but at the same time, pain can be a one, tough soul wrecker. Pain can be disturbing, yet it could also be purifying.
Pain comes in various forms, shapes and sizes. It could be classified as physical, mental and emotional. The latter includes the meat of this blog: the “love pain.”
Now, I got you listening.
Just a warning though, I’m not going to talk here as if I am an expert when it comes to love so don’t expect me to make you feel better afterwards.
But I found this story from somewhere about a girl who used to stay up late at night crying, sobbing thinking about the one she has loved for ten years or so. But the problem was, she can never call this person her own for they belong from two different worlds.
First, I thought it was really weird, melodramatic, but there’s one line I couldn’t help but ponder about. It said, “What choice do you have when the things that make you sad are the exact same things that make you happy and alive?”
Then, I ended up sobbing, too.
Love is a wonderful feeling. It doesn’t just make you feel secure, happy, more importantly it makes you feel complete. It also makes you feel whole. The thought of having somebody to care for and who cares for you makes the world turn around in sweet surrender. It’s like seventh heaven. And no doubt, it’s something worth fighting for.
For a person in love, pain is just temporary. It comes and goes. That explains why some opt to keep their patience regardless of how many times they’ve been hurt. They go where pain is because it is with pain that their intentions get purified. It is rather that they hurt and cry and sob than lose the persons that they love the most.
But the story of the girl was rather unfitting for she loves someone who cannot love her back. There goes the problem. And it’s hard to be in that kind of situation. It’s rather sensitive because were talking about false hopes here! Were talking about a potential suicidal causing situation here!
But seriously, it would help to know that pain is good if it helps us to be better and stronger. Pain is good if it makes us grow as individuals. If does not, I don’t think it’s worth it. We should find it comforting to realize that somehow, somewhere we deserve more than our hearts desire at the moment. We need to come to turns with reality. Fantasy is a world of lies. If things cannot, it will not.
I told you I couldn’t help you feel better.
But wait! When God closes doors, he opens Venetian blinds.
Pain comes in various forms, shapes and sizes. It could be classified as physical, mental and emotional. The latter includes the meat of this blog: the “love pain.”
Now, I got you listening.
Just a warning though, I’m not going to talk here as if I am an expert when it comes to love so don’t expect me to make you feel better afterwards.
But I found this story from somewhere about a girl who used to stay up late at night crying, sobbing thinking about the one she has loved for ten years or so. But the problem was, she can never call this person her own for they belong from two different worlds.
First, I thought it was really weird, melodramatic, but there’s one line I couldn’t help but ponder about. It said, “What choice do you have when the things that make you sad are the exact same things that make you happy and alive?”
Then, I ended up sobbing, too.
Love is a wonderful feeling. It doesn’t just make you feel secure, happy, more importantly it makes you feel complete. It also makes you feel whole. The thought of having somebody to care for and who cares for you makes the world turn around in sweet surrender. It’s like seventh heaven. And no doubt, it’s something worth fighting for.
For a person in love, pain is just temporary. It comes and goes. That explains why some opt to keep their patience regardless of how many times they’ve been hurt. They go where pain is because it is with pain that their intentions get purified. It is rather that they hurt and cry and sob than lose the persons that they love the most.
But the story of the girl was rather unfitting for she loves someone who cannot love her back. There goes the problem. And it’s hard to be in that kind of situation. It’s rather sensitive because were talking about false hopes here! Were talking about a potential suicidal causing situation here!
But seriously, it would help to know that pain is good if it helps us to be better and stronger. Pain is good if it makes us grow as individuals. If does not, I don’t think it’s worth it. We should find it comforting to realize that somehow, somewhere we deserve more than our hearts desire at the moment. We need to come to turns with reality. Fantasy is a world of lies. If things cannot, it will not.
I told you I couldn’t help you feel better.
But wait! When God closes doors, he opens Venetian blinds.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Random thoughts Part 2
Dear Bloggers,
Hi! I know, I know, I haven’t been blogging for a while and I think you missed me. Sorry, I was busy. No, I just got lazy. So what’s up? How you guys doing? Here’s to hoping you’re in the pink of health.
Anyways, a couple and one events had passed and as much as I want to share my thoughts with you, because I got too busy with something else, I wasn’t able to do so. So here I am, trying to pick up where I left off, giving a piece of my brain.
First, James Yap has won his first MVP. As a fan, I’d really want to go out in the street and shout his name till my voice would grow hoarse in sheer delight but no, it looked like things were not as perfect as I expected it to be. Unfortunately, there were screaming individuals trying to “question” the man’s ascent to the thrown, so to speak. Some were saying Kerby Raymundo or Enrico Villanueva deserved the award more. Some were faulting Kris Aquino for weaving her charms and magic to lure the press to vote for her husband. But I thought otherwise. James might’ve won because of media votes but let’s not forget that he was the leader in statistics, second placer in player votes and the “unanimous” choice of the 4-man committee. Granting that the PBA removed all the “subjectivity” factor and retain the stats, James would still have won it. Numbers don’t lie. Those who don’t want to believe in that argument might only mean two things: 1.) They envy James Yap and, 2.) They hate Mathematics!
But more than the numbers, who is JY in the Giants roster? A mere scoring machine? Well, yeah, he’s a scoring machine. But more than the points he put up every game, JY, admit it or not is the Giants co-leader along with Raymundo. He doesn’t speak much, but he leads by example. He’s not the one who’ll throw fireball in the locker room, but he’s the one willing to take and make the shot when the game is on the line. I just don’t know why some people cannot take that. Some are even threatened by that even when they shouldn’t be. The equation is not about Giants = Raymundo. The equation is Giants = Raymundo x Yap x Pingris x (rest) + management! It’s about a bunch of guys combining their efforts to achieve team goals. They should all co-exist and not treat each other as rivals. The last time I heard, a tri-captain is now the current trend in sports. The USA National Team for example has James, Anthony and Wade as captains. With our team, the future is in the hands of Kerby, James and Mark. Let’s accept that fact.
Moving along, let’s go with the next event: the AFC Championship. Original Purefoods fan wouldn’t fail to note that the Alvin Patrimonio led-Hotdogs team in the 90’s dominated the All Filipino tourney. The Hotdogs were perennial contender way back until the emergence of a new PBA force: the Filams. With Cap ushering his heydays at the door, compounded by the influx of foreign blood, the Hotdogs failed to maintain it’s illustrious showing in the AFC at the beginning of the new millennium. But on July 21, 2006, Friday, the Hotdogs, now called Giants came back where it once belong and bagged the PBA’s most prestigious title. In the process, the Giants have stamped it’s mark in the history books as one of the last two active ball club who has won at least 4 AFC title. Not bad for a team which is relatively young and new. And they did that at the expense of their equally young and talented rival, the Red Bull Barako.
I was there in front of the TV not wasting any single pixel that depicts the tears, the cheers and the celebration of the newly crowned champs. I was there when Raymundo also broke into tears thanking his family and friends. I was there when the crowd chanted MVP while JY was taking his free throws. I was there when Mark won the Finals MVP and in his speech thanking his family and his baby Danica Sotto. I was there when Jun Limpot was given a victory ride after 13 years. Believe me that was something I would cherish for the rest of my life. Not only because they won a championship, but also because in the process, they made a believer out of everybody. They won so many people’s hearts.
Lastly, the D-day! I was pleasantly surprised when the Giants chose Boyet Bautista. If you would remember, I have been lobbying for the guy in some message boards. Without batting an eyelash, Boyet is the best point guard in the draft minus the hype. Lewis Tenorio is a great player, but Bautista is an all-business type of guy. He’s a proven winner and though he only stands about 5’6, he’s a guy who’s got a big, big heart.
If ever Purefoods would sign him up, he’ll contribute in terms of scoring, playmaking, a little bit of defense and hustle. He’ll be a great threat from the outside that should help in unclogging the lanes for the bigs. Purefoods doesn’t need to give him the starting guard position because he can come off the bench and be a spark.
As for Paul Artadi, I don’t think he’ll be the odd man out. In a team, which thrives in defense and quickness, a three-point-guard rotation is just enough. Roger Yap, Artadi and Bautista can co-exist because they are assets of the team and they bring different facets of the game. Roger can run our half-court offense. Boyet can be used to ignite our running offense. Paul can be utilized for defensive purposes. Thus, having three point guards would make us very formidable in the backcourt.
Well, that’s about it bloggers. I hope I didn’t bore you! I’ll write you again next time!
Pie
For Giants news and updates, click here.
Hi! I know, I know, I haven’t been blogging for a while and I think you missed me. Sorry, I was busy. No, I just got lazy. So what’s up? How you guys doing? Here’s to hoping you’re in the pink of health.
Anyways, a couple and one events had passed and as much as I want to share my thoughts with you, because I got too busy with something else, I wasn’t able to do so. So here I am, trying to pick up where I left off, giving a piece of my brain.
First, James Yap has won his first MVP. As a fan, I’d really want to go out in the street and shout his name till my voice would grow hoarse in sheer delight but no, it looked like things were not as perfect as I expected it to be. Unfortunately, there were screaming individuals trying to “question” the man’s ascent to the thrown, so to speak. Some were saying Kerby Raymundo or Enrico Villanueva deserved the award more. Some were faulting Kris Aquino for weaving her charms and magic to lure the press to vote for her husband. But I thought otherwise. James might’ve won because of media votes but let’s not forget that he was the leader in statistics, second placer in player votes and the “unanimous” choice of the 4-man committee. Granting that the PBA removed all the “subjectivity” factor and retain the stats, James would still have won it. Numbers don’t lie. Those who don’t want to believe in that argument might only mean two things: 1.) They envy James Yap and, 2.) They hate Mathematics!
But more than the numbers, who is JY in the Giants roster? A mere scoring machine? Well, yeah, he’s a scoring machine. But more than the points he put up every game, JY, admit it or not is the Giants co-leader along with Raymundo. He doesn’t speak much, but he leads by example. He’s not the one who’ll throw fireball in the locker room, but he’s the one willing to take and make the shot when the game is on the line. I just don’t know why some people cannot take that. Some are even threatened by that even when they shouldn’t be. The equation is not about Giants = Raymundo. The equation is Giants = Raymundo x Yap x Pingris x (rest) + management! It’s about a bunch of guys combining their efforts to achieve team goals. They should all co-exist and not treat each other as rivals. The last time I heard, a tri-captain is now the current trend in sports. The USA National Team for example has James, Anthony and Wade as captains. With our team, the future is in the hands of Kerby, James and Mark. Let’s accept that fact.
Moving along, let’s go with the next event: the AFC Championship. Original Purefoods fan wouldn’t fail to note that the Alvin Patrimonio led-Hotdogs team in the 90’s dominated the All Filipino tourney. The Hotdogs were perennial contender way back until the emergence of a new PBA force: the Filams. With Cap ushering his heydays at the door, compounded by the influx of foreign blood, the Hotdogs failed to maintain it’s illustrious showing in the AFC at the beginning of the new millennium. But on July 21, 2006, Friday, the Hotdogs, now called Giants came back where it once belong and bagged the PBA’s most prestigious title. In the process, the Giants have stamped it’s mark in the history books as one of the last two active ball club who has won at least 4 AFC title. Not bad for a team which is relatively young and new. And they did that at the expense of their equally young and talented rival, the Red Bull Barako.
I was there in front of the TV not wasting any single pixel that depicts the tears, the cheers and the celebration of the newly crowned champs. I was there when Raymundo also broke into tears thanking his family and friends. I was there when the crowd chanted MVP while JY was taking his free throws. I was there when Mark won the Finals MVP and in his speech thanking his family and his baby Danica Sotto. I was there when Jun Limpot was given a victory ride after 13 years. Believe me that was something I would cherish for the rest of my life. Not only because they won a championship, but also because in the process, they made a believer out of everybody. They won so many people’s hearts.
Lastly, the D-day! I was pleasantly surprised when the Giants chose Boyet Bautista. If you would remember, I have been lobbying for the guy in some message boards. Without batting an eyelash, Boyet is the best point guard in the draft minus the hype. Lewis Tenorio is a great player, but Bautista is an all-business type of guy. He’s a proven winner and though he only stands about 5’6, he’s a guy who’s got a big, big heart.
If ever Purefoods would sign him up, he’ll contribute in terms of scoring, playmaking, a little bit of defense and hustle. He’ll be a great threat from the outside that should help in unclogging the lanes for the bigs. Purefoods doesn’t need to give him the starting guard position because he can come off the bench and be a spark.
As for Paul Artadi, I don’t think he’ll be the odd man out. In a team, which thrives in defense and quickness, a three-point-guard rotation is just enough. Roger Yap, Artadi and Bautista can co-exist because they are assets of the team and they bring different facets of the game. Roger can run our half-court offense. Boyet can be used to ignite our running offense. Paul can be utilized for defensive purposes. Thus, having three point guards would make us very formidable in the backcourt.
Well, that’s about it bloggers. I hope I didn’t bore you! I’ll write you again next time!
Pie
For Giants news and updates, click here.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
A Chunkee Champion Heart
The Gran Matador All Philippine Cup has just concluded last July 21, 2006 with the Purefoods Chunkee Giants emerging as the national champion.
With the leadership of Ryan Gregorio from the bench and of Kerby Raymundo, James Yap and Marc Pingris on the battlefield, the Purefoods’ franchise has captured its 7th title and 4th in an AFC format tourney. Making them share top honors with San Miguel Beermen, and Crispa Redmanizers for most number of AFC championship.
The feat is alot sweeter for veteran superstar Jun Limpot, who, after 13 years and 500+ games played has finally won a ring. For Jun, it was an answered prayer.
But in capturing the PBA’s most prestigious tournament, the Giants had to overcome a steep and challenging path.
First, they had to overcome the loss of key players to injuries. Second, they had to overcome a huge 1-3 series deficit against Alaska in the semis. And lastly, they had to overcome the tough Red Bull Barako team in the finals. But, as they say, the Giants proved nothing is impossible.
On my part, honestly, I’ve only been able to witness 3 championship celebrations, which featured then known as the “hotdogs.” But I must admit, the last one held in Araneta is pretty much the most dramatic of them all. Well, why not? From start to finish, the series have been espoused by several subplots: the MVP race, Eugene Tejada, the Red Bull-Purefoods rematch, Yeng Guiao’s quotable quotes, etc.
But it was all worth it for the Giants. And Gregorio couldn’t have put it any better. James, Kerby and company did not only win the championship, but they showed the power and the triumph of the human spirit.
The message was deeply inspiring.
Essentially the Giant Attitude is: "if they tell you you’re small, you tell them you’re quick. If they tell you can’t do it, show them you can. If they tell you it’s impossible, you tell them you’d work hard for it. If they claim you are a jinx, prove them wrong but never lose your patience."
And they did just that. With flying colors. Look where they are now? Somewhere, vacationing with their respective families and should be back to practice after 5 weeks. Perhaps, any moment now, they should be getting their bonuses or should be packing their bags for an out-of-the-country trip. That’s the prize of success!
Being a supporter, I’ve nothing more to ask for. I’m delighted not only because they capped a wonderful season with a championship but also because all throughout this past year, the team displayed their courage and their big heart. As a result, they made a believer out of me and of everyone who watched them, PF and non-PF fans alike.
In the next conference, the Giants will face a tough task of defending their crown against the shored-up roster of TNT, BGK and Alaska. The Giants might continue to lack a legitimate big man but if they can sustain their energy, focus and dedication, they’ll have a huge crack at duplicating their feat and in the process rewrite history.
Nothing is impossible.
When asked how would an undersized bigman with a long wingspan can compete with taller, pure centers a poster once said: you don’t use your head when you play. That’s quite literally. And I agree.
So does with my basketball maxim: The hand registers points, but the game is won by heart.
This time, make that a Chunkee champion heart.
For more news about the Giants, click here
With the leadership of Ryan Gregorio from the bench and of Kerby Raymundo, James Yap and Marc Pingris on the battlefield, the Purefoods’ franchise has captured its 7th title and 4th in an AFC format tourney. Making them share top honors with San Miguel Beermen, and Crispa Redmanizers for most number of AFC championship.
The feat is alot sweeter for veteran superstar Jun Limpot, who, after 13 years and 500+ games played has finally won a ring. For Jun, it was an answered prayer.
But in capturing the PBA’s most prestigious tournament, the Giants had to overcome a steep and challenging path.
First, they had to overcome the loss of key players to injuries. Second, they had to overcome a huge 1-3 series deficit against Alaska in the semis. And lastly, they had to overcome the tough Red Bull Barako team in the finals. But, as they say, the Giants proved nothing is impossible.
On my part, honestly, I’ve only been able to witness 3 championship celebrations, which featured then known as the “hotdogs.” But I must admit, the last one held in Araneta is pretty much the most dramatic of them all. Well, why not? From start to finish, the series have been espoused by several subplots: the MVP race, Eugene Tejada, the Red Bull-Purefoods rematch, Yeng Guiao’s quotable quotes, etc.
But it was all worth it for the Giants. And Gregorio couldn’t have put it any better. James, Kerby and company did not only win the championship, but they showed the power and the triumph of the human spirit.
The message was deeply inspiring.
Essentially the Giant Attitude is: "if they tell you you’re small, you tell them you’re quick. If they tell you can’t do it, show them you can. If they tell you it’s impossible, you tell them you’d work hard for it. If they claim you are a jinx, prove them wrong but never lose your patience."
And they did just that. With flying colors. Look where they are now? Somewhere, vacationing with their respective families and should be back to practice after 5 weeks. Perhaps, any moment now, they should be getting their bonuses or should be packing their bags for an out-of-the-country trip. That’s the prize of success!
Being a supporter, I’ve nothing more to ask for. I’m delighted not only because they capped a wonderful season with a championship but also because all throughout this past year, the team displayed their courage and their big heart. As a result, they made a believer out of me and of everyone who watched them, PF and non-PF fans alike.
In the next conference, the Giants will face a tough task of defending their crown against the shored-up roster of TNT, BGK and Alaska. The Giants might continue to lack a legitimate big man but if they can sustain their energy, focus and dedication, they’ll have a huge crack at duplicating their feat and in the process rewrite history.
Nothing is impossible.
When asked how would an undersized bigman with a long wingspan can compete with taller, pure centers a poster once said: you don’t use your head when you play. That’s quite literally. And I agree.
So does with my basketball maxim: The hand registers points, but the game is won by heart.
This time, make that a Chunkee champion heart.
For more news about the Giants, click here
PUREFOODS CLAIMS PHILIPPINE CUP
Raymundo, Yap, Pingris hand Limpot 1st PBA title
Friday, 21 July 2006 pba.ph
Purefoods Chunkee’s miraculous recovery in the semifinals did not go for naught as the Giants came up with one big game Friday night to subdue the Red Bull Barakos, 90-83, and capture the Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup title.
Displaying solid teamwork, determination and grit, Purefoods put Red Bull away with an 8-2 run in the fourth quarter to wrap the series up, 4-2.
It was the first championship for the Giants since 2002 and they did it with a cast of young players whom coach Ryan Gregorio assembled and painstakingly steered from the time he officially took over the reigns in 2003.
Kerby Raymundo, who took the mantle of leadership from Alvin Patrimonio (now the team’s manager), led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as he carried the fight for the Giants all night.
But he wasn’t alone. He got splendid support from James Yap, who edged him out for the coveted MVP trophy, and Mark Pingris, named MVP of the series.
James Yap scored 25 points while Pingris added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
But the victory was most definitely the sweetest for veteran and 1993 No. 1 overall pick Jun Limpot, who went 13 years in the PBA without a title until the Giants’ title-clinching win.
“Sa wakes nakuha ko na rin ang matagal ko nang pinapangarap,” said the 33-year old forward, who was given a victory ride by his teammates shortly after the final buzzer sounded.
After Red Bull beat in Game 5 to keep their victory party on hold, the Giants took Eugene Tejada’s No. 33 off their jerseys and changed it with the letters “ET”.
“We took off the No. 33 because we didn’t want Red Bull to tie the series at 3-3. We replaced it with the letters ET because it meant End Tonight,” explained Gregorio, who picked up his second championship and got himself in position to bag the Coach of the Year award.
“I’m so happy with what we have accomplished. I’m happy for Jun and I’m happy for the organization,” said Gregorio, who completed one of the greatest playoff comebacks in league history.
Nobody had expected the Giants to reach this series after they fell 1-3 against the Alaska Aces in their semifinal series.
But in an unexpected twist of fate, the Giants brought the Aces down three straight games to set up a sequel to their Fiesta Conference title showdown which was won by the Barakos.
As Gregorio proclaimed before the Finals, he has learned his lessons from his first meeting with Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.
In this series, the youthful coach was in total control, making substitutions at the right time and keeping his players highly motivated despite coming off a loss.
For Guiao, the loss was another opportunity that slipped away in his quest for the most coveted championship.
The Giants threatened to break the game wide open right the opening quarter as the Barakos struggled with their offense – something that has troubled Red Bull in the series.
With Red Bull throwing bricks, James Yap, Raymundo and Roger Yap seized the opportunity by outscoring the Barakos, 26-10, in a span of eight and a half minutes that propelled the Giants to a seemingly comfortable 30-14 lead at end of the first quarter.
The Barakos were far from finished though.
They battled back behind a sterling defensive effort that saw them deflecting passes, contesting shots and battling for loose balls. By the end of the first half, they were just five points behind, 34-39.
Red Bull kept the game close but couldn’t put together a run that could enable them to force a deciding seventh game.
Lordy Tugade scored 21 points to show the way for Red Bull but shot just 6-for 20 from the floor. Junthy Valenzuela tallied 19 points and Mick Pennisi added 15 for the Barakos, who made just 18-of-30 free throws that contributed to their poor field goal shooting. (DBC)
The scores:
Purefoods 90 – Raymundo 27, Yap J. 25, Pingris 10, Limpot 9, Castillo 9, Yap R. 7, Camason 2, Yee 1, Artadi 0, Simon 0.
Red Bull 83 – Tugade 21, Valenzuela 19, Pennisi 15, Villanueva 11, Baguio 8, Robinson 4, Fonacier 2, Cruz 2, Najorda 1, Bugia 0, Hrabak 0.
Quarters: 30-14, 39-34, 65-59, 90-83.
TJHOTDOGS.COM, PBA
Friday, 21 July 2006 pba.ph
Purefoods Chunkee’s miraculous recovery in the semifinals did not go for naught as the Giants came up with one big game Friday night to subdue the Red Bull Barakos, 90-83, and capture the Gran Matador Brandy PBA Philippine Cup title.
Displaying solid teamwork, determination and grit, Purefoods put Red Bull away with an 8-2 run in the fourth quarter to wrap the series up, 4-2.
It was the first championship for the Giants since 2002 and they did it with a cast of young players whom coach Ryan Gregorio assembled and painstakingly steered from the time he officially took over the reigns in 2003.
Kerby Raymundo, who took the mantle of leadership from Alvin Patrimonio (now the team’s manager), led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as he carried the fight for the Giants all night.
But he wasn’t alone. He got splendid support from James Yap, who edged him out for the coveted MVP trophy, and Mark Pingris, named MVP of the series.
James Yap scored 25 points while Pingris added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
But the victory was most definitely the sweetest for veteran and 1993 No. 1 overall pick Jun Limpot, who went 13 years in the PBA without a title until the Giants’ title-clinching win.
“Sa wakes nakuha ko na rin ang matagal ko nang pinapangarap,” said the 33-year old forward, who was given a victory ride by his teammates shortly after the final buzzer sounded.
After Red Bull beat in Game 5 to keep their victory party on hold, the Giants took Eugene Tejada’s No. 33 off their jerseys and changed it with the letters “ET”.
“We took off the No. 33 because we didn’t want Red Bull to tie the series at 3-3. We replaced it with the letters ET because it meant End Tonight,” explained Gregorio, who picked up his second championship and got himself in position to bag the Coach of the Year award.
“I’m so happy with what we have accomplished. I’m happy for Jun and I’m happy for the organization,” said Gregorio, who completed one of the greatest playoff comebacks in league history.
Nobody had expected the Giants to reach this series after they fell 1-3 against the Alaska Aces in their semifinal series.
But in an unexpected twist of fate, the Giants brought the Aces down three straight games to set up a sequel to their Fiesta Conference title showdown which was won by the Barakos.
As Gregorio proclaimed before the Finals, he has learned his lessons from his first meeting with Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.
In this series, the youthful coach was in total control, making substitutions at the right time and keeping his players highly motivated despite coming off a loss.
For Guiao, the loss was another opportunity that slipped away in his quest for the most coveted championship.
The Giants threatened to break the game wide open right the opening quarter as the Barakos struggled with their offense – something that has troubled Red Bull in the series.
With Red Bull throwing bricks, James Yap, Raymundo and Roger Yap seized the opportunity by outscoring the Barakos, 26-10, in a span of eight and a half minutes that propelled the Giants to a seemingly comfortable 30-14 lead at end of the first quarter.
The Barakos were far from finished though.
They battled back behind a sterling defensive effort that saw them deflecting passes, contesting shots and battling for loose balls. By the end of the first half, they were just five points behind, 34-39.
Red Bull kept the game close but couldn’t put together a run that could enable them to force a deciding seventh game.
Lordy Tugade scored 21 points to show the way for Red Bull but shot just 6-for 20 from the floor. Junthy Valenzuela tallied 19 points and Mick Pennisi added 15 for the Barakos, who made just 18-of-30 free throws that contributed to their poor field goal shooting. (DBC)
The scores:
Purefoods 90 – Raymundo 27, Yap J. 25, Pingris 10, Limpot 9, Castillo 9, Yap R. 7, Camason 2, Yee 1, Artadi 0, Simon 0.
Red Bull 83 – Tugade 21, Valenzuela 19, Pennisi 15, Villanueva 11, Baguio 8, Robinson 4, Fonacier 2, Cruz 2, Najorda 1, Bugia 0, Hrabak 0.
Quarters: 30-14, 39-34, 65-59, 90-83.
TJHOTDOGS.COM, PBA
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
It's now just a matter of time!
July 2, 2006 would probably go down in my memory bank as one of the happiest days of my life. How could it not be when there was I, in front of the television watching my favorite team, the Purefoods Chunkee Giants conquer a tough foe and a huge, huge 1-3 series deficit? Definitely, it was some some sort of history and boy, was I glad to be a part of it.
But what makes the moment even sweeter is the fact that my boys have already been declared losers, written off, predilected by some experts and yet they were able to muster enough strength to rise above the 1-3 deficit. It has never happened since 1991 at least in the PBA. But they did it. For some strike of luck, they did it. And they deserve it.
But more than a won series, the Semis experience has proven to the entire PBA nation what the Giants are made of. It may sound a bit corny, but it proved that the Giants have a heart bigger, larger than Cuneta Astrodome. So big we can all fit in it. So big it can conquer the hardest test and the most grueling task. That's what it's all about.
On Wednesday, the Giants enters the AFC finals with the same enemy they faced in the Fiesta Cup. Armed with a great bench, superb key players and a brilliant Coach, defeating the Barakos is like a hard climb towards the summit of Mt. Everest. But it can be done.
So far, they have all the motivational tools they need to make it done: Eugene, Jondan, MVP, JL's first ring etcetera.
And believe me, it's just a matter of time.
TJHOTDOGS
But what makes the moment even sweeter is the fact that my boys have already been declared losers, written off, predilected by some experts and yet they were able to muster enough strength to rise above the 1-3 deficit. It has never happened since 1991 at least in the PBA. But they did it. For some strike of luck, they did it. And they deserve it.
But more than a won series, the Semis experience has proven to the entire PBA nation what the Giants are made of. It may sound a bit corny, but it proved that the Giants have a heart bigger, larger than Cuneta Astrodome. So big we can all fit in it. So big it can conquer the hardest test and the most grueling task. That's what it's all about.
On Wednesday, the Giants enters the AFC finals with the same enemy they faced in the Fiesta Cup. Armed with a great bench, superb key players and a brilliant Coach, defeating the Barakos is like a hard climb towards the summit of Mt. Everest. But it can be done.
So far, they have all the motivational tools they need to make it done: Eugene, Jondan, MVP, JL's first ring etcetera.
And believe me, it's just a matter of time.
TJHOTDOGS
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
NBA FINALS | HEAT vs. MAVERICKS
Bracing for Big D
Dirk Nowitzki, who is averaging 28.4 points in this year's postseason, will present a matchup problem for the Heat. But Dallas is hardly a one-dimensional team.
BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
igutierrez@MiamiHerald.com
TWO days after experiencing the most euphoric moment in franchise history, it was back to work for the Heat, with a new opponent in mind but the same goal at hand.
Heat coach Pat Riley began preparing his team for the Dallas Mavericks, and for the possibility of being NBA champions.
'The main thing he's been saying to us is -- `Y'all think this feeling is good, wait until you win it all,' '' a still-weary Dwyane Wade said Sunday. ``He said we've got a lot of hard work to get to that point, but he said we can do it.''
The final obstacle between the Heat and a title is its toughest opponent yet. The Dallas Mavericks feature a player in Dirk Nowitzki with the most unique combination of size and skill in the game, a budding star in Josh Howard who can affect the game on either end of the court, a point guard in Jason Terry who can shoot it with the best of them, and a defense that ranks among the best in the league.
NO CONTEST
In two meetings this season, the Heat lost to the Mavericks by 13 at home, then by 36 on the road Feb. 9 in a game that prompted a team meeting afterward, led by unusual suspects Gary Payton and Udonis Haslem.
'That night after that game, me and Gary were very vocal about, `Either you're 100 percent in, or you're 100 percent out,' '' Haslem said. ``Everybody has to have each other's back and everybody has to be on the same page and you have to trust each other and let things fall where they may.''
The turnaround wasn't immediate, but the Heat did win 10 straight after that game to begin a transformation to what the team is today, a cohesive unit on its way to the NBA Finals.
So, just as the Heat said during the Nets and Pistons series, the regular-season experiences against the Mavs mean nothing at this point of the year.
''Make no mistake about it: They handled us in those two games,'' Haslem said. ``But we're not the same team.''
`GREAT, GREAT PLAYER'
But that doesn't make the task of beating Dallas any easier. And atop the list of priorities for Miami is finding a way to handle Nowitzki, who is averaging 28.4 points in the postseason while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 39.5 percent from three-point range and 89.7 percent from the foul line.
So who guards Nowitzki?
''Everybody,'' Riley said. ``We'll start with Udonis on him. He's a great, great player. We know he can shoot it. We know he isolates a lot. He's getting to the free-throw line a lot.
``So we'll have to do some different things, give him some different looks.''
In the two regular-season games against Miami, Nowitzki averaged a somewhat modest 25 points, but he shot 56 percent from the floor. And in the playoffs, Nowitzki is showing a consistently aggressive approach, which has resulted in 10.2 free throws a game -- 1.2 more than Wade has gotten in the postseason.
''I think he's a lot more aggressive than he was back when I played with him,'' Antoine Walker said. ``I think he gets to the basket a lot more. I think you see 15, 16 free-throw attempts from him that he didn't get in the past. So that's where his game's changed.''
But the Mavericks offense is much more than Nowitzki, with five players averaging double figures in the playoffs, including 14 points a game from reserve Jerry Stackhouse.
A DIVERSE GROUP
''They're very, very good in the pick-and-roll,'' Walker said. ``Jason Terry and Devin Harris force the tempo and really put you in a bind. And Josh Howard is having an All-Star type of year. And then Stackhouse comes off the bench and gives them a tremendous spark. And they also have some bigs inside that can challenge shots with [DeSagana] Diop and Erick Dampier.
``We've got to play our game. Our game is the inside game. We can run when we want to run. We want to establish our game. They want to play up and down.''
Despite the distinct styles, Riley said the two NBA finalists took similar paths to reach this point, which should make for a captivating championship round.
''We're a little bit different than they are,'' Riley said. ``But in order for them to get there for the first time in their franchise's history, they beat the world champions [San Antonio]. And in order for us to get there, for the first time in our franchise, we beat a world champion and a two-time finalist [Detroit].
``Both teams deserve to be there because they've beaten the best.'
--------------
Finally, the Miami Heat reaches the finals after a long 18 years! Thanks to Superman Shaq O'neal, Flash Dwyane Wade and the rest of the "justice league" and of course, Riley Legend!
But Miami fans, let's not be too eager. There's one great team that stands in our favorite teams way: the explosive Dallas Mavericks. And if the game against the Suns is any indication, we might have our hands full.
But first, let's set the numbers straight. The Heat is 0-2 against the Mavs this season. In their first encounter, the Heat succumbed to the Mavs sans Shaq via tune of 103-90 in South Beach. Last February, the Heat lost again, this time with 36 points in Dallas with Shaq on the line-up. And as Wade put it, it was embarrassing!
That was four months ago. Four months of struggling to get better. Now the Heat has become more of a contender rather than a pretender. Funny, they needed to be drubbed before deciding to put it all together. But nonetheless, it helped them to be the team that they are right now.
The stage is now set for the bigger battle. The Heat should leave the ghost behind esp. when they have several things going for them:
1. Defense. Miami has tougher D compared to Dallas with UD, Zo, GP and D-Wade around. Udonis takes care of Dirk. Zo takes care of the shotblocking. GP will always be GP. He'll make Dallas' backcourt lose focus. And lastly, Dwyane takes care of the steals and the shotblocks from the blind side.
2. Shaq. Diesel is goin' to be the big difference whether the series become short or go the distance. If he makes up his mind to dominate, he will dominate. Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY in the Dallas bench can guard him.
3. Flash. Sounds corny, but if the Flash ran rings around the best defensive team in the NBA, what more with the Mavs? Sure they got quicker players, but Wade is just too spectacular for them. He likes to slash to the middle and if they don't deny him the ball, in every opportunity it's either he goes to the foul line or straight to the rim. That, if he becomes bored of shooting jumpers that are pretty accurate against Detroit.
4. Experience. The Heat has several championship experience and veteran smarts among them. Pat has been there. Shaq has been there. Mavs and Dallas hasn't so expect the Mavs to play tight and Shaq to play alot smarter. Sure Mavs got fresher legs, but the Heat will sure have the nerves of steel when the game is on the line.
5. Rebounding. Mavs has outrebounded their opponents in the playoffs but you've got to admit, it's a different story now goin' up against Shaq. He's too big and too strong for Dirk. In this series, Shaq will control the glass and he will not give Dallas any chance.
6. Supporting cast. Against Detroit, Wade and O'neal played superb ball but the role players should be given equal credit. Williams, Walker, GP and even Posey contributed alot for Miami in both ends of the floor. They made life alot easy for Shaq & Dwyane and if they keep playing the same way they did all throughout the playoffs, the Heat will be looking good.
7. Law of Averages. Heat is 0-2 in the regular season. Mavs look like they own them but if the LOA is to be consulted, the balance should tip now in favor of Miami.
8. Pat Riley. Simply put, AJ is the Coach of the Year. But Riley is a legend. He'll figure out what to do.
But that's easier said than done now. With the way Mavs dethroned the Spurs, it's going to be tough beating them. No, it won't be a walk in the park. But the Heat is equally tough. And considering all other several factors, it seems that the NBA Finals is going to be close, exciting and hardfought. But the team who will be able to execute, the team who'll get the breaks in the dying seconds will win it.
It's going to be Shaq versus Dirk. Pat versus AJ. Wade versus Dallas' backcourt.
Heat in 6!
Dirk Nowitzki, who is averaging 28.4 points in this year's postseason, will present a matchup problem for the Heat. But Dallas is hardly a one-dimensional team.
BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ
igutierrez@MiamiHerald.com
TWO days after experiencing the most euphoric moment in franchise history, it was back to work for the Heat, with a new opponent in mind but the same goal at hand.
Heat coach Pat Riley began preparing his team for the Dallas Mavericks, and for the possibility of being NBA champions.
'The main thing he's been saying to us is -- `Y'all think this feeling is good, wait until you win it all,' '' a still-weary Dwyane Wade said Sunday. ``He said we've got a lot of hard work to get to that point, but he said we can do it.''
The final obstacle between the Heat and a title is its toughest opponent yet. The Dallas Mavericks feature a player in Dirk Nowitzki with the most unique combination of size and skill in the game, a budding star in Josh Howard who can affect the game on either end of the court, a point guard in Jason Terry who can shoot it with the best of them, and a defense that ranks among the best in the league.
NO CONTEST
In two meetings this season, the Heat lost to the Mavericks by 13 at home, then by 36 on the road Feb. 9 in a game that prompted a team meeting afterward, led by unusual suspects Gary Payton and Udonis Haslem.
'That night after that game, me and Gary were very vocal about, `Either you're 100 percent in, or you're 100 percent out,' '' Haslem said. ``Everybody has to have each other's back and everybody has to be on the same page and you have to trust each other and let things fall where they may.''
The turnaround wasn't immediate, but the Heat did win 10 straight after that game to begin a transformation to what the team is today, a cohesive unit on its way to the NBA Finals.
So, just as the Heat said during the Nets and Pistons series, the regular-season experiences against the Mavs mean nothing at this point of the year.
''Make no mistake about it: They handled us in those two games,'' Haslem said. ``But we're not the same team.''
`GREAT, GREAT PLAYER'
But that doesn't make the task of beating Dallas any easier. And atop the list of priorities for Miami is finding a way to handle Nowitzki, who is averaging 28.4 points in the postseason while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 39.5 percent from three-point range and 89.7 percent from the foul line.
So who guards Nowitzki?
''Everybody,'' Riley said. ``We'll start with Udonis on him. He's a great, great player. We know he can shoot it. We know he isolates a lot. He's getting to the free-throw line a lot.
``So we'll have to do some different things, give him some different looks.''
In the two regular-season games against Miami, Nowitzki averaged a somewhat modest 25 points, but he shot 56 percent from the floor. And in the playoffs, Nowitzki is showing a consistently aggressive approach, which has resulted in 10.2 free throws a game -- 1.2 more than Wade has gotten in the postseason.
''I think he's a lot more aggressive than he was back when I played with him,'' Antoine Walker said. ``I think he gets to the basket a lot more. I think you see 15, 16 free-throw attempts from him that he didn't get in the past. So that's where his game's changed.''
But the Mavericks offense is much more than Nowitzki, with five players averaging double figures in the playoffs, including 14 points a game from reserve Jerry Stackhouse.
A DIVERSE GROUP
''They're very, very good in the pick-and-roll,'' Walker said. ``Jason Terry and Devin Harris force the tempo and really put you in a bind. And Josh Howard is having an All-Star type of year. And then Stackhouse comes off the bench and gives them a tremendous spark. And they also have some bigs inside that can challenge shots with [DeSagana] Diop and Erick Dampier.
``We've got to play our game. Our game is the inside game. We can run when we want to run. We want to establish our game. They want to play up and down.''
Despite the distinct styles, Riley said the two NBA finalists took similar paths to reach this point, which should make for a captivating championship round.
''We're a little bit different than they are,'' Riley said. ``But in order for them to get there for the first time in their franchise's history, they beat the world champions [San Antonio]. And in order for us to get there, for the first time in our franchise, we beat a world champion and a two-time finalist [Detroit].
``Both teams deserve to be there because they've beaten the best.'
--------------
Finally, the Miami Heat reaches the finals after a long 18 years! Thanks to Superman Shaq O'neal, Flash Dwyane Wade and the rest of the "justice league" and of course, Riley Legend!
But Miami fans, let's not be too eager. There's one great team that stands in our favorite teams way: the explosive Dallas Mavericks. And if the game against the Suns is any indication, we might have our hands full.
But first, let's set the numbers straight. The Heat is 0-2 against the Mavs this season. In their first encounter, the Heat succumbed to the Mavs sans Shaq via tune of 103-90 in South Beach. Last February, the Heat lost again, this time with 36 points in Dallas with Shaq on the line-up. And as Wade put it, it was embarrassing!
That was four months ago. Four months of struggling to get better. Now the Heat has become more of a contender rather than a pretender. Funny, they needed to be drubbed before deciding to put it all together. But nonetheless, it helped them to be the team that they are right now.
The stage is now set for the bigger battle. The Heat should leave the ghost behind esp. when they have several things going for them:
1. Defense. Miami has tougher D compared to Dallas with UD, Zo, GP and D-Wade around. Udonis takes care of Dirk. Zo takes care of the shotblocking. GP will always be GP. He'll make Dallas' backcourt lose focus. And lastly, Dwyane takes care of the steals and the shotblocks from the blind side.
2. Shaq. Diesel is goin' to be the big difference whether the series become short or go the distance. If he makes up his mind to dominate, he will dominate. Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY in the Dallas bench can guard him.
3. Flash. Sounds corny, but if the Flash ran rings around the best defensive team in the NBA, what more with the Mavs? Sure they got quicker players, but Wade is just too spectacular for them. He likes to slash to the middle and if they don't deny him the ball, in every opportunity it's either he goes to the foul line or straight to the rim. That, if he becomes bored of shooting jumpers that are pretty accurate against Detroit.
4. Experience. The Heat has several championship experience and veteran smarts among them. Pat has been there. Shaq has been there. Mavs and Dallas hasn't so expect the Mavs to play tight and Shaq to play alot smarter. Sure Mavs got fresher legs, but the Heat will sure have the nerves of steel when the game is on the line.
5. Rebounding. Mavs has outrebounded their opponents in the playoffs but you've got to admit, it's a different story now goin' up against Shaq. He's too big and too strong for Dirk. In this series, Shaq will control the glass and he will not give Dallas any chance.
6. Supporting cast. Against Detroit, Wade and O'neal played superb ball but the role players should be given equal credit. Williams, Walker, GP and even Posey contributed alot for Miami in both ends of the floor. They made life alot easy for Shaq & Dwyane and if they keep playing the same way they did all throughout the playoffs, the Heat will be looking good.
7. Law of Averages. Heat is 0-2 in the regular season. Mavs look like they own them but if the LOA is to be consulted, the balance should tip now in favor of Miami.
8. Pat Riley. Simply put, AJ is the Coach of the Year. But Riley is a legend. He'll figure out what to do.
But that's easier said than done now. With the way Mavs dethroned the Spurs, it's going to be tough beating them. No, it won't be a walk in the park. But the Heat is equally tough. And considering all other several factors, it seems that the NBA Finals is going to be close, exciting and hardfought. But the team who will be able to execute, the team who'll get the breaks in the dying seconds will win it.
It's going to be Shaq versus Dirk. Pat versus AJ. Wade versus Dallas' backcourt.
Heat in 6!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Can't take the Heat!
Sorry, Detroit fans, the Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals.
No, I’m not talking crap but with a 3-to-1 deficit, it would be entirely difficult for the motor town boys to upend the scorching Heatians.
It’s no-brainer actually.
With Dwyane Wade shooting 70% from the field, waaay above Abdul-Jabbar of 74 (66.3% vs. the Bulls) and Shaquille O’neal of 98 (63.0% vs. the Sonics) and with Shaq back in his healthy-dominating self, the Heat we’ll be locking up one seat in the world championship.
It’s revenge, baby!
And you’ve got to love the White Hot Heat campaign for it.
Figuratively, it’s making the Heatians hot making it appear that their 2005 defeat courtesy of the Pistons a major fluke.
But so much for D-Wade and Shaq’s magnificent performances, the Heat are playing great team ball. That’s something you’ve got to give to Riley. He created this team in the off-season despite having a lot of doubting Thomases. I mean, who would have thought that the King of Gab, the Boston choker and the messed up White Chocolate would blend together to form a great supporting cast? Not I. But certainly Pat did and that’s what makes him a great playoff coach.
And also, what sets him apart from Flip Saunders.
Well, maybe just for the time being now that his team is looking like a *dysfunctional outfit.
What Flip needs to do is to find away to fire up his wards and make them believe that he can take them to the next level. And he has to be honest in doing so. From now on, it’s only going to be the “truth” inside the locker room. And the truth says one thing: they’re not playing like the old dominant Pistons who topped the NBA in the regular season.
It aint over ‘till the fat lady sings.
But first things first, they need to stop the Flash and the Diesel. They can’t afford to give them great scoring nights more so, to rely on the law of averages in the hope that Wade and O’neal will miss their shots later on in the series. Simply put, they should start making them throw bricks instead of wishing that they missed.
Game 5 goes back to the state of Michigan.
Thus, Detroit fans need to pray the cool weather and the isolated rain showers cool off the Heat.
Or else, the season’s over for ‘em.
*Courtesy of Kobewankenobi
MY WEBSITE
No, I’m not talking crap but with a 3-to-1 deficit, it would be entirely difficult for the motor town boys to upend the scorching Heatians.
It’s no-brainer actually.
With Dwyane Wade shooting 70% from the field, waaay above Abdul-Jabbar of 74 (66.3% vs. the Bulls) and Shaquille O’neal of 98 (63.0% vs. the Sonics) and with Shaq back in his healthy-dominating self, the Heat we’ll be locking up one seat in the world championship.
It’s revenge, baby!
And you’ve got to love the White Hot Heat campaign for it.
Figuratively, it’s making the Heatians hot making it appear that their 2005 defeat courtesy of the Pistons a major fluke.
But so much for D-Wade and Shaq’s magnificent performances, the Heat are playing great team ball. That’s something you’ve got to give to Riley. He created this team in the off-season despite having a lot of doubting Thomases. I mean, who would have thought that the King of Gab, the Boston choker and the messed up White Chocolate would blend together to form a great supporting cast? Not I. But certainly Pat did and that’s what makes him a great playoff coach.
And also, what sets him apart from Flip Saunders.
Well, maybe just for the time being now that his team is looking like a *dysfunctional outfit.
What Flip needs to do is to find away to fire up his wards and make them believe that he can take them to the next level. And he has to be honest in doing so. From now on, it’s only going to be the “truth” inside the locker room. And the truth says one thing: they’re not playing like the old dominant Pistons who topped the NBA in the regular season.
It aint over ‘till the fat lady sings.
But first things first, they need to stop the Flash and the Diesel. They can’t afford to give them great scoring nights more so, to rely on the law of averages in the hope that Wade and O’neal will miss their shots later on in the series. Simply put, they should start making them throw bricks instead of wishing that they missed.
Game 5 goes back to the state of Michigan.
Thus, Detroit fans need to pray the cool weather and the isolated rain showers cool off the Heat.
Or else, the season’s over for ‘em.
*Courtesy of Kobewankenobi
MY WEBSITE
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Random thoughts...
PBA is drama!
Who says you can only get mushy, angry and amused just by watching Pinoy soap operas (insert Gulong ng Palad)? Since the inception of the PBA’s new slogan, “Laban kung laban” the league literally became an interesting source of melodramatic spectacle. But caveat, it’s not for the fainted heart! I mean, from Caguioa’s 80k fine, to Eugene Tejada’s freak accident, name it the PBA has it! Where else could the drama possible be?
OK, so I’m just exaggerating. (Later I shall write a drama skit for my parents.)
At least I have your attention now.
Moving along here's the deal: asked by many about my opinion regarding several PBA matters, but declined to make a major blow. Glad, I now have the time to fire back.
Quick, read on!
On Mark Caguioa’s 80K fine…
On the mega-trade between among TNT-ALA-Air21
On Eugene Tejada’s freak accident
On Noli Eala’s verbal clashes with Beth Celis and Zaldy Perez
MY WEBSITE
Who says you can only get mushy, angry and amused just by watching Pinoy soap operas (insert Gulong ng Palad)? Since the inception of the PBA’s new slogan, “Laban kung laban” the league literally became an interesting source of melodramatic spectacle. But caveat, it’s not for the fainted heart! I mean, from Caguioa’s 80k fine, to Eugene Tejada’s freak accident, name it the PBA has it! Where else could the drama possible be?
OK, so I’m just exaggerating. (Later I shall write a drama skit for my parents.)
At least I have your attention now.
Moving along here's the deal: asked by many about my opinion regarding several PBA matters, but declined to make a major blow. Glad, I now have the time to fire back.
Quick, read on!
On Mark Caguioa’s 80K fine…
The money is way too petty compared to the amount of joy he could’ve given the people of Misamis Oriental had he appeared in the All-Star festivities. But what bothers me to no end was when he said in an interview that, “ayokong makipag-plastikan.” (I don’t want to be hypocrite.) What did he mean by that? Did it find it a bitter pill to swallow to mingle with the fans and his co-players? Is he that arrogant now? I don’t know where could that idea come from. Kids, maybe.
And for that, here’s an additional 10 slaps for you, Mr. Spark.
On the mega-trade between among TNT-ALA-Air21
I had three feelings regarding this trade.
One, devastation. I instantly felt a chill knowing that TNT will have a strong, strong team with the recent inclusion of Don Allado and RenRen Ritualo. On paper, they’re invincible. And even if they fail to make headway this conference, I’m sure as hell they’ll dominate the league once they get the chemistry and balance they need.
Second, disgust. For the nth time, Air21 made another stupid move by shipping their franchise player. Was there money involved? We can only speculate. But one thing is for sure: the think tanks of Air21 may have been filled with too much jellyfish that’s why they keep on mismanaging the team. How could they possibly end up as champions when they keep on giving away players of Ritualo’s caliber? I so wish they’d prove us all wrong.
Third, relief. Tim Cone and the Aces have been very much loyal to the triangle. In the past, it has rewarded them with several championships. In this new generation however, it seems not to be working out fine. Now, with the inclusion of flamboyant Willie Miller and mobile big man John Ferriols, it seems the Aces would be running and gunning. I wonder what took them so long since they have the wares to do it much earlier? Ah, at least Timmy is learning to adjust and perhaps, to adapt… in the nick of time.
On Eugene Tejada’s freak accident
I honestly want to propose that it was just an accident that no one desired to happen but in the back of my mind, I really want to curse some people for making it that worse. But it’s not proper to dwell on the negative especially when you read everyday are news telling the whole nation that Gene was in high spirits and he freely accepted that what happened to him was indeed a freak accident. I realize we should go away with negative vibes that may in one way or another hamper his recovery.
But it’s not all just a painful sight. There are so many things to learn from it like giving a hand to those in need, like forgetting about personal reservation in times of human crisis, like the value of being alert. What happened to Eugene is both bitter and sweet. It allowed us to open our eyes to several possibilities that we never deemed possible until that moment. Let’s not waste the teaching fruit brought about by Eugene’s fate.
Ambulance please...
On Noli Eala’s verbal clashes with Beth Celis and Zaldy Perez
No matter how sloppy an article maybe, it is still unbecoming of a PBA Commissioner to flay a journalist be it a tabloid writer or a well-respected columnist from a popular broadsheet. Simply put, there’s no reason for Kume to be “palengkero.” Not if he knew from his heart of hearts that the article has no hint of truth in it.
Enough said!
MY WEBSITE
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Giants vs Realtors: Keys to winning
PUREFOODS CHUNKEE GIANTS may have already secured themselves of an automatic semis berth but that doesn't mean battling against the Realtors will be like a walk in the park.
SLR, who have won against TNT last night, on the other side, might be in cloud nine. The fact that they fought minus Duremdes and their headcoach ejected, added to their morale going to Sunday's game. I'm sure they'll prepare well for the Giants whom they've never humbled in three games dating back to the Fiesta Cup.
But what are the keys in defeating SLR?
I have three.
Defense. In their first encounter, the Giants have allowed SLR to shoot 48.3% percent from the two-point field goal. It seems alot to get worried about considering that inclusive of this high percentage was Espino's 10-of-19 shooting from the field which produced 31 big points for the fellow. However, it all went to naught as the Realtors had a miserable 4-of-28 (14%) clip from beyond the arc! You don't win a basketball game by throwing alot of low percentage shots! This made the job alot easier for the Giants defensively. Their defense held up in the second quarter (where they only allowed 9 points), and from then on, the Realtors never recovered.
TO points. In that same game, SLR committed 18 turnovers and the Giants with 15. The numbers were decent for the entire ball game but what's more telling were the points scored in each error a team commits. This was another area in which PCG edged out SLR. The Giants scored 19 TO points as opposed to SLR's 11. That's already an 8 point difference that might've changed the complexion of the game in favor of PCG.
Sharp shooting. If ever Kerby Raymundo would sit out this Sunday, undoubtedly, it would be another task for the Giants to challenge SLR's frontline. Aquino and Espino are great defenders and it would be very difficult to penetrate the middle. The key to offset this huge frontline is of course constant movement, proper positioning and more importantly better shot selection. And when I said sharp, I meant sharp. In their first meeting, James Yap shot 4-of-9 from rainbow country and 10-of-12 from the field for a total of 34 points. This remarkable shooting has paralyzed the frontline defense of SLR particularly the zone and in turn enabled the Giants' bigmen (Limpot, Pingris & Raymundo) to score in double digits.
Interestingly, both teams are coming off huge wins against similar opponent and are admittedly inspired going to the ball game. PCG won against TNT in the absence of key players and Eugene Tejada. SLR won against the same team sans Al Chua. But which inspiration could work in favor of whom this time?
PCG defeated SLR 3 times this year, would the law of averages finally work against the Giants?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But considering how the Giants are playing as of late, add the fact that should they win this Sunday, they'll end up number 1, it seems to me that they have a bigger motivation and slight advantage.
But who's to know?
SLR, who have won against TNT last night, on the other side, might be in cloud nine. The fact that they fought minus Duremdes and their headcoach ejected, added to their morale going to Sunday's game. I'm sure they'll prepare well for the Giants whom they've never humbled in three games dating back to the Fiesta Cup.
But what are the keys in defeating SLR?
I have three.
Defense. In their first encounter, the Giants have allowed SLR to shoot 48.3% percent from the two-point field goal. It seems alot to get worried about considering that inclusive of this high percentage was Espino's 10-of-19 shooting from the field which produced 31 big points for the fellow. However, it all went to naught as the Realtors had a miserable 4-of-28 (14%) clip from beyond the arc! You don't win a basketball game by throwing alot of low percentage shots! This made the job alot easier for the Giants defensively. Their defense held up in the second quarter (where they only allowed 9 points), and from then on, the Realtors never recovered.
TO points. In that same game, SLR committed 18 turnovers and the Giants with 15. The numbers were decent for the entire ball game but what's more telling were the points scored in each error a team commits. This was another area in which PCG edged out SLR. The Giants scored 19 TO points as opposed to SLR's 11. That's already an 8 point difference that might've changed the complexion of the game in favor of PCG.
Sharp shooting. If ever Kerby Raymundo would sit out this Sunday, undoubtedly, it would be another task for the Giants to challenge SLR's frontline. Aquino and Espino are great defenders and it would be very difficult to penetrate the middle. The key to offset this huge frontline is of course constant movement, proper positioning and more importantly better shot selection. And when I said sharp, I meant sharp. In their first meeting, James Yap shot 4-of-9 from rainbow country and 10-of-12 from the field for a total of 34 points. This remarkable shooting has paralyzed the frontline defense of SLR particularly the zone and in turn enabled the Giants' bigmen (Limpot, Pingris & Raymundo) to score in double digits.
Interestingly, both teams are coming off huge wins against similar opponent and are admittedly inspired going to the ball game. PCG won against TNT in the absence of key players and Eugene Tejada. SLR won against the same team sans Al Chua. But which inspiration could work in favor of whom this time?
PCG defeated SLR 3 times this year, would the law of averages finally work against the Giants?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But considering how the Giants are playing as of late, add the fact that should they win this Sunday, they'll end up number 1, it seems to me that they have a bigger motivation and slight advantage.
But who's to know?
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
"I’m sorry, coach" - Eugene
THIS IS AN EXCERPT from the column of Quinito Henson in the Philippine Star dated May 16, 2006 referring to the injury of Eugene Tejada:
In the game of basketball, if a player goes down hard on the floor, experienced an eventual mix of pain and numbness, the only thing you’ll hear is a cry of agony.
Right?
Yes, but not all the time. Sometimes there’s an unexpectedly more heart-wrenching cry:
“I am sorry, coach.”
I was wondering, what was there for Tejada to say sorry for? Was it because he failed to cash in on a putback that could’ve narrowed the Giants deficit? Was it because he didn’t follow Ryan Gregorio’s previous instruction?
I think not.
Tejada sought for forgiveness for having himself hurt. It was, perhaps, an apology for his over eagerness to play hard even though he wasn’t feeling really well while the game was lopsided, anyway.
What a guy. If that wasn’t a showcase of dedication, then I don’t know what is.
Tell you, in the NBA, when a team is being drubbed by a wide margin, some players would refuse to be fielded in for another second. It is some sort of an embarrassment. You could even ask Steve Francis about it. Mind you, they couldn’t care less about the fine for as long as they keep their egos intact.
But I have a different concept of embarrassment especially in the context of a basketball game.
What is embarrassing is the refusal of any player to give his all, sacrifice his body for every possession or to take the lead just when he is needed the most. But what’s more embarrassing is to see a guy who’s stronger than a water buffalo play ineffectual and unmindful of the upset fans so long as they get a fat paycheck at the end of the month.
What a waste.
Ah, at least Eugene has done something really good. He exemplified what a real “astig” player is: selfless, hardworking, gung-ho and dedicated.
This has now become a rarity.
Shame goes to those who lack the same character and love for the game. Come to think of it, they have more ugly tricks to be sorry for. Isn’t about time we hear them say:
“I’m sorry coach for coming late for practice.”
“I’m sorry coach for playing dirty and for hurting this guy.”
“I’m sorry coach for not obeying you.”
“I’m sorry coach for not doing my job.”
Perhaps, it is. But I doubt if they have the nerves to do so. Hmm… probably some other time.
Meanwhile, if you happen to talk to Eugene tell him he shouldn’t say sorry anymore. What we need to know is that he’ll be safe and okay. And by the time he's able to feel and walk again, we will be there to see him grab rebounds and shoot the ball again. He'll come back like nothing happened.
We will be there.
For your prayers and messages pls go here, TJHOTDOGS.COM
"It is indeed a very unfortunate incident," said Gregorio. "In times like that, winning or losing does not matter anymore. My primordial concern is the health of Eugene. I was touched when I approached him. He looked at me and said, while he was lying on the floor, ‘I’m sorry, coach." Great heart. I told him not to say sorry. I whispered to him, ‘stay strong and we love him." When he left the court, I huddled my players to say a prayer for Eugene. We kept on praying ‘til the end of the game."
In the game of basketball, if a player goes down hard on the floor, experienced an eventual mix of pain and numbness, the only thing you’ll hear is a cry of agony.
Right?
Yes, but not all the time. Sometimes there’s an unexpectedly more heart-wrenching cry:
“I am sorry, coach.”
I was wondering, what was there for Tejada to say sorry for? Was it because he failed to cash in on a putback that could’ve narrowed the Giants deficit? Was it because he didn’t follow Ryan Gregorio’s previous instruction?
I think not.
Tejada sought for forgiveness for having himself hurt. It was, perhaps, an apology for his over eagerness to play hard even though he wasn’t feeling really well while the game was lopsided, anyway.
What a guy. If that wasn’t a showcase of dedication, then I don’t know what is.
Tell you, in the NBA, when a team is being drubbed by a wide margin, some players would refuse to be fielded in for another second. It is some sort of an embarrassment. You could even ask Steve Francis about it. Mind you, they couldn’t care less about the fine for as long as they keep their egos intact.
But I have a different concept of embarrassment especially in the context of a basketball game.
What is embarrassing is the refusal of any player to give his all, sacrifice his body for every possession or to take the lead just when he is needed the most. But what’s more embarrassing is to see a guy who’s stronger than a water buffalo play ineffectual and unmindful of the upset fans so long as they get a fat paycheck at the end of the month.
What a waste.
Ah, at least Eugene has done something really good. He exemplified what a real “astig” player is: selfless, hardworking, gung-ho and dedicated.
This has now become a rarity.
Shame goes to those who lack the same character and love for the game. Come to think of it, they have more ugly tricks to be sorry for. Isn’t about time we hear them say:
“I’m sorry coach for coming late for practice.”
“I’m sorry coach for playing dirty and for hurting this guy.”
“I’m sorry coach for not obeying you.”
“I’m sorry coach for not doing my job.”
Perhaps, it is. But I doubt if they have the nerves to do so. Hmm… probably some other time.
Meanwhile, if you happen to talk to Eugene tell him he shouldn’t say sorry anymore. What we need to know is that he’ll be safe and okay. And by the time he's able to feel and walk again, we will be there to see him grab rebounds and shoot the ball again. He'll come back like nothing happened.
We will be there.
For your prayers and messages pls go here, TJHOTDOGS.COM
Monday, May 15, 2006
A bad fall undeserving for a good man
“Forget about the game. Forget about the semis berth. This guy’s livelihood is in jeopardy. Let’s pray for him.”
This was the message I got last night from a friend named Jojo Ponce in reaction to the accident suffered by Purefoods Chunkee Giants Fil-Am forward, Eugene Tejada in the game against Red Bull at the Yñares Gym in Antipolo last night, May 14, 2006.
Down by a wide margin at the 5:42 mark in the fourth quarter, Roger Yap drove to the basket for a lay-up when the ball hit under the rim. Hustling for the rebound, nearby Tejada jumped for the ball and fell on his buttocks. Mick Pennisi, who were also fighting for the rebound fell backward and over Tejada which caused the latter’s body to make a dangerous recoil. When the smoke cleared, Tejada was prostrated at the floor with his head above his right limb, which was then stretched upward. He was grimacing in pain saying, “I can’t feel! I can’t feel.”
Purefoods coaching staff, PBA physician and Red Bull doctors rushed to his aid and found him unable to feel any sensation from his hips down and his right hand was also numb. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, they’ve decided not to touch him as to prevent any more aggravation to the injury. He also busted his kisser, which have gone black and blue. He was down on the floor for almost 30 minutes
What happened the entire lull was an all-time touching scene.
Girlfriend Jenny Hernandez, who was watching the game, went down from the bleachers, wiped Eugene’s tears and assured him that everything’s going to be all right. Teammates Kerby Raymundo, James Yap, Rey Evangelista, Roger Yap, Paul Artadi and others gathered up around to keep him calm while Ryan Gregorio, Governor Rene Pardo and Team Manager Alvin Patrimonio intently watched and observed.
Meanwhile, Coach Yeng Guiao and the entire Red Bull bench was obviously as shocked and as somber as they offer a moment of silence for the beleaguered opponent. Yñares fans were also up on their feet eagerly waiting for further development.
Soon the paramedics came and took Tejada to the Makati Medical Center. Jenny and some members of Purefoods the medical staff accompanied him.
The Giants then huddled for a few minutes as the action resumed to offer a prayer for their friend and teammate. The game went on as the Giants succumbed to the Bulls via score 92-75.
Later in the evening, I received another text message. This one’s a forwarded message originally sent by Kuya Rey Evangelista. The text went: “CT Scan showed dislocated cervical vertebrae c-2-c-7. [We will] start medical management and cervical traction. MRI [is] to follow. FYI.”
Just what does it mean by dislocated cervical vertebrae? Not minute, really.
According to the website www.peacehealth.org, the vertebrae and spinal nerves are organized into segments. One of which is called the Cervical segment, which pertains to the neck area. It contains 7 cervical vertebrae (C1 through C7) and 8 cervical nerves (C1 through C8). Cervical injury usually causes loss of function in the chest, arms, and legs. This explains the numbness on Tejada legs and arms. Indeed, it is life threatening.
That night it made me wonder, how could something so bad happen to a good man?
Prior to the game last night, Tejada sat out on the Giants two assignments due to a sprained foot. He wasn’t a hundred percent. But Kerby went down so Coach Ryan had no choice but to field him in to help in the rebounding department. Despite his condition, Eugene showed his usual devil-may-care attitude and hustle. He wouldn’t have fallen as hard if he weren’t going ferociously for the ball. But we can’t blame him. That’s how he plays. That’s the kind of player, a man that he is. He surely deserves our adulation and praise but more than that, our prayers.
Yes, prayers.
But, what occurred in Yñares last night shall also serve as a reminder that accidents can happen to anyone, anytime especially in the world of sports that’s why athletes need to be extra careful and oftentimes, prayerful. On the part of the PBA, it showed their unity in times of adversity. But more than that, the incident reminded us of the things that should matter more: life, health, our love ones and friends.
That for sure is bigger than the outright semifinals ticket.
In parting, let’s pray for Eugene’s speedy recovery. Let’s hope that may his family have the strength to stand next to him all throughout these trying times.
You’ll be all right, Gene! We’re right behind you.
Prayer:
Lord heal him, we rebuke any paralization in his body. We ask for quick recovery in Jesus name, amen.
Please pass.
This was the message I got last night from a friend named Jojo Ponce in reaction to the accident suffered by Purefoods Chunkee Giants Fil-Am forward, Eugene Tejada in the game against Red Bull at the Yñares Gym in Antipolo last night, May 14, 2006.
Down by a wide margin at the 5:42 mark in the fourth quarter, Roger Yap drove to the basket for a lay-up when the ball hit under the rim. Hustling for the rebound, nearby Tejada jumped for the ball and fell on his buttocks. Mick Pennisi, who were also fighting for the rebound fell backward and over Tejada which caused the latter’s body to make a dangerous recoil. When the smoke cleared, Tejada was prostrated at the floor with his head above his right limb, which was then stretched upward. He was grimacing in pain saying, “I can’t feel! I can’t feel.”
Purefoods coaching staff, PBA physician and Red Bull doctors rushed to his aid and found him unable to feel any sensation from his hips down and his right hand was also numb. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, they’ve decided not to touch him as to prevent any more aggravation to the injury. He also busted his kisser, which have gone black and blue. He was down on the floor for almost 30 minutes
What happened the entire lull was an all-time touching scene.
Girlfriend Jenny Hernandez, who was watching the game, went down from the bleachers, wiped Eugene’s tears and assured him that everything’s going to be all right. Teammates Kerby Raymundo, James Yap, Rey Evangelista, Roger Yap, Paul Artadi and others gathered up around to keep him calm while Ryan Gregorio, Governor Rene Pardo and Team Manager Alvin Patrimonio intently watched and observed.
Meanwhile, Coach Yeng Guiao and the entire Red Bull bench was obviously as shocked and as somber as they offer a moment of silence for the beleaguered opponent. Yñares fans were also up on their feet eagerly waiting for further development.
Soon the paramedics came and took Tejada to the Makati Medical Center. Jenny and some members of Purefoods the medical staff accompanied him.
The Giants then huddled for a few minutes as the action resumed to offer a prayer for their friend and teammate. The game went on as the Giants succumbed to the Bulls via score 92-75.
Later in the evening, I received another text message. This one’s a forwarded message originally sent by Kuya Rey Evangelista. The text went: “CT Scan showed dislocated cervical vertebrae c-2-c-7. [We will] start medical management and cervical traction. MRI [is] to follow. FYI.”
Just what does it mean by dislocated cervical vertebrae? Not minute, really.
According to the website www.peacehealth.org, the vertebrae and spinal nerves are organized into segments. One of which is called the Cervical segment, which pertains to the neck area. It contains 7 cervical vertebrae (C1 through C7) and 8 cervical nerves (C1 through C8). Cervical injury usually causes loss of function in the chest, arms, and legs. This explains the numbness on Tejada legs and arms. Indeed, it is life threatening.
That night it made me wonder, how could something so bad happen to a good man?
Prior to the game last night, Tejada sat out on the Giants two assignments due to a sprained foot. He wasn’t a hundred percent. But Kerby went down so Coach Ryan had no choice but to field him in to help in the rebounding department. Despite his condition, Eugene showed his usual devil-may-care attitude and hustle. He wouldn’t have fallen as hard if he weren’t going ferociously for the ball. But we can’t blame him. That’s how he plays. That’s the kind of player, a man that he is. He surely deserves our adulation and praise but more than that, our prayers.
Yes, prayers.
But, what occurred in Yñares last night shall also serve as a reminder that accidents can happen to anyone, anytime especially in the world of sports that’s why athletes need to be extra careful and oftentimes, prayerful. On the part of the PBA, it showed their unity in times of adversity. But more than that, the incident reminded us of the things that should matter more: life, health, our love ones and friends.
That for sure is bigger than the outright semifinals ticket.
In parting, let’s pray for Eugene’s speedy recovery. Let’s hope that may his family have the strength to stand next to him all throughout these trying times.
You’ll be all right, Gene! We’re right behind you.
Prayer:
Lord heal him, we rebuke any paralization in his body. We ask for quick recovery in Jesus name, amen.
Please pass.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Sweet memories
Heyo! Musta? I have been trying my best to post everyday kaso minsan me writer's block ao. Anyway, thank you lang sa pag visit ng blog ko kahit hindi halata. Pasensiya rin sa iba kung medyo napupuno na ang email account ninyo ng mga notification letters ng blog ko. Kulit ba? Haha.
Anyway, naisip ko lang kagabi... dami ko pa lang mga kaibigan na hindi na nakikita. Kumusta naman kaya sila? Si Chris kaya musta? Dhey me balita ka ba run? Ngek, ikaw pang tinanong ano? Ikaw nga wala akong ideya kung nasaan. Paramdam ka naman1 mag-reunion kaya tayong lahat? Nah, wag muna...di pa ako mayaman!
Okay, so bottomline, miss ko na kayong lahat. I really hope you guys are having the time of your life. Life hasn't been the same seen we separated 8 years ago. You know there are times when I reminisce the older days right before I retire in bed. Natatawa ako, minsan naasar, minsan nato-touch. You know, the times we spent together are my treasure. It makes me feel young again. Well, not that I feel old ha? Kung iisipin natin parang kailan lang iyon eh.
Parang kailan lang...
Yung we went sa Philam Life Theatre to join a choir competition? Remember how we enjoyed singing My Heart Will Go On right after we finished brushing up on our piece? Bayan ko ba yun? Tell you a secret, sa theatre na yun, that's when I first saw a drinking fountain! Grabe, promding-promdi ang dating! Sobrang jologs natin nun kasi we rented, actually sina Ma'am Kit yung nag-rent ng sasakyan natin na baby bus, tapos opponents were brought there using their own cars or vans! And remember how shocked we were when we heard St. Scho girls screamed and shrieked on top of their lungs when they won the competition? Di ba parang nakakawala sa kural??? Oh, that was one of my favorite experiences in high school!
Eh, how about yung mga misadventures natin sa CAT?? Wow, I can't believe I permitted myself from waking up at 4am in the morning on a Saturday just to attend training! Sobrang nakakahilo minsan! How many times have we jogged along CNHS oval while singing military chants?? Kapag me obstacle, naalala niyo pa ba?? Sobrang...nagawa natin yun??? And how about our trip to Tagaytay? Nakakita ba si Roda nun ng ahas o timbabalak? Basta alam ko lang na-shock siya nun sa damuhan! Hehehe! Eh yung mga...."talupaaaaaadaaaaaaa." Yung mga paghahabol natin sa mga officers natin para lang sumaludo naalala niyo pa? What about the feeling the first time a cadet saluted us? High!
Yung time gumagawa tayo ng Caviteñan? Si Chris, Checo at Ces sobrang... hats off ako sa mga taong yan sa pagiging dedicated sa campus organ natin. Sayang di ako nakasama sa RSPC.
Yung mga kalokohan ni Chichay? Remember nung nag-debate pa tayo kung "dugo" o "pawis" yung kamay na ipinakita dun sa Titanic habang naglo-lovemaking sina Jack at Rose? Eh sa mga ka-close namin diyan, naalala niyo pa ba yung "collection" niya ng bleep...bleep! Basta alam niyo na yun kung talagang kino-corner niyo si Chichay bago ang time sa journalism! Hehe! And this I bet you will never forget: Miss United Nations? I have no face? Chay..what did you mean by that? Pero in fairness, you made quite an impression ha? I thought you were just goofing around when you said you're going to wear something outrageous. Outrageous indeed, as I almost dropped when I saw you coming out of the pack! Hehehe!
Speaking of Titanic, remember how crazy we were about Jack and Rose? Hey, Chris you still have the pin-ups, news articles and pictures of Titanic? Remember nag pa photocopy pa tayo nun? Remember how we cried when Jack died?
And how about basketball? Sobrang addict ang klase nun sa basketball! Si Cynthia solid Vince Hizon yan! Si Jade maka-Jerry! Si Jack maka-Olsen! Si Rhoda..hmm.. Rodney Santos? Si Imee..Rommel Santos? (san na nga kaya si Rommel)? Remember yung mga kantiyawan? Nung nanalo si Ces sa ending?
And how about our collective passion for music? Oy, yung mga maka-EHeads diyan lumabas na. Eh, tayong mga maka-Rivermaya, papatalo ba? Remember nung second year nagdadala pa talaga tayo ng mga tapes nila. At sa mga songhits..my God...paramihan yata!
And how about our adventures with Ma'am Ocampo? Remember the first time we met her? Sa sobrang takot ko talagang iniksian ko ang palda ko. Si Paula naman...nag necktie talaga! As in yung parang di na siya makahinga. Remember nung pinagalitan niya tayo and ended her sermon with "do you know where you're going to" that made us smile? It surely made her smile, too! Kanta yun eh!
Remember how we used to call Ma'am Kit "Garfield?"
Remember how Ma'am Guiao asked me, "Duling ka ba o tanga?"
Rmember the first time we made Ma'am Tapiru really..really mad???
Remember how Miss Antig used to dismissed us by saying "evaporate?"
Ah, if I had to enumerate the times we've been together baka maubos yung space. Where are you? Do you still remember these? I hope you do. It's been 8 long years and God knows when shall we meet again. But wherever you go you will always be a part of me. These memoris may be nothing to you pero sa akin it reminds me of one thing:
Tama si Inay...
High School life...oh my highschool life so exciting..kay ganda.
Anyway, naisip ko lang kagabi... dami ko pa lang mga kaibigan na hindi na nakikita. Kumusta naman kaya sila? Si Chris kaya musta? Dhey me balita ka ba run? Ngek, ikaw pang tinanong ano? Ikaw nga wala akong ideya kung nasaan. Paramdam ka naman1 mag-reunion kaya tayong lahat? Nah, wag muna...di pa ako mayaman!
Okay, so bottomline, miss ko na kayong lahat. I really hope you guys are having the time of your life. Life hasn't been the same seen we separated 8 years ago. You know there are times when I reminisce the older days right before I retire in bed. Natatawa ako, minsan naasar, minsan nato-touch. You know, the times we spent together are my treasure. It makes me feel young again. Well, not that I feel old ha? Kung iisipin natin parang kailan lang iyon eh.
Parang kailan lang...
Yung we went sa Philam Life Theatre to join a choir competition? Remember how we enjoyed singing My Heart Will Go On right after we finished brushing up on our piece? Bayan ko ba yun? Tell you a secret, sa theatre na yun, that's when I first saw a drinking fountain! Grabe, promding-promdi ang dating! Sobrang jologs natin nun kasi we rented, actually sina Ma'am Kit yung nag-rent ng sasakyan natin na baby bus, tapos opponents were brought there using their own cars or vans! And remember how shocked we were when we heard St. Scho girls screamed and shrieked on top of their lungs when they won the competition? Di ba parang nakakawala sa kural??? Oh, that was one of my favorite experiences in high school!
Eh, how about yung mga misadventures natin sa CAT?? Wow, I can't believe I permitted myself from waking up at 4am in the morning on a Saturday just to attend training! Sobrang nakakahilo minsan! How many times have we jogged along CNHS oval while singing military chants?? Kapag me obstacle, naalala niyo pa ba?? Sobrang...nagawa natin yun??? And how about our trip to Tagaytay? Nakakita ba si Roda nun ng ahas o timbabalak? Basta alam ko lang na-shock siya nun sa damuhan! Hehehe! Eh yung mga...."talupaaaaaadaaaaaaa." Yung mga paghahabol natin sa mga officers natin para lang sumaludo naalala niyo pa? What about the feeling the first time a cadet saluted us? High!
Yung time gumagawa tayo ng Caviteñan? Si Chris, Checo at Ces sobrang... hats off ako sa mga taong yan sa pagiging dedicated sa campus organ natin. Sayang di ako nakasama sa RSPC.
Yung mga kalokohan ni Chichay? Remember nung nag-debate pa tayo kung "dugo" o "pawis" yung kamay na ipinakita dun sa Titanic habang naglo-lovemaking sina Jack at Rose? Eh sa mga ka-close namin diyan, naalala niyo pa ba yung "collection" niya ng bleep...bleep! Basta alam niyo na yun kung talagang kino-corner niyo si Chichay bago ang time sa journalism! Hehe! And this I bet you will never forget: Miss United Nations? I have no face? Chay..what did you mean by that? Pero in fairness, you made quite an impression ha? I thought you were just goofing around when you said you're going to wear something outrageous. Outrageous indeed, as I almost dropped when I saw you coming out of the pack! Hehehe!
Speaking of Titanic, remember how crazy we were about Jack and Rose? Hey, Chris you still have the pin-ups, news articles and pictures of Titanic? Remember nag pa photocopy pa tayo nun? Remember how we cried when Jack died?
And how about basketball? Sobrang addict ang klase nun sa basketball! Si Cynthia solid Vince Hizon yan! Si Jade maka-Jerry! Si Jack maka-Olsen! Si Rhoda..hmm.. Rodney Santos? Si Imee..Rommel Santos? (san na nga kaya si Rommel)? Remember yung mga kantiyawan? Nung nanalo si Ces sa ending?
And how about our collective passion for music? Oy, yung mga maka-EHeads diyan lumabas na. Eh, tayong mga maka-Rivermaya, papatalo ba? Remember nung second year nagdadala pa talaga tayo ng mga tapes nila. At sa mga songhits..my God...paramihan yata!
And how about our adventures with Ma'am Ocampo? Remember the first time we met her? Sa sobrang takot ko talagang iniksian ko ang palda ko. Si Paula naman...nag necktie talaga! As in yung parang di na siya makahinga. Remember nung pinagalitan niya tayo and ended her sermon with "do you know where you're going to" that made us smile? It surely made her smile, too! Kanta yun eh!
Remember how we used to call Ma'am Kit "Garfield?"
Remember how Ma'am Guiao asked me, "Duling ka ba o tanga?"
Rmember the first time we made Ma'am Tapiru really..really mad???
Remember how Miss Antig used to dismissed us by saying "evaporate?"
Ah, if I had to enumerate the times we've been together baka maubos yung space. Where are you? Do you still remember these? I hope you do. It's been 8 long years and God knows when shall we meet again. But wherever you go you will always be a part of me. These memoris may be nothing to you pero sa akin it reminds me of one thing:
Tama si Inay...
High School life...oh my highschool life so exciting..kay ganda.
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