RP TEAM: It's on once again

As early as two weeks ago there were reports circulating that the PBA has once again committed to supporting the Men's Basketball National Team. And so here we go again... What is good for Philippines basketball is good for every hoop-loving citizen in this country. We might fail every single time but we rise up as one every time as well because of our passion for the game.

Excerpts from an article from the Philippine Star:

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios said the coach of the RP team to the world qualifier next year would come from the PBA ranks and would be given full authority to form his team. However, Barrios, the man with the sole mandate to name the next national coach, said he’s not yet ready to make the choice. “I’ll break my head about the national team only after the Fiesta Cup. After the season, I’ll have a better landscape choosing the most deserving coach,” said Barrios. The PBA board of governors, in a special meeting Monday, approved SBP’s request for the pro league to supply players for the national team to the 2008 FIBA Asia championship next year in China. The tourney also serves as regional qualifier for the 2010 world championship in Turkey.

Assuming that it is Yeng Guiao who is tapped for the next one to two years as the national coach... a) There'll be a bunch of (good to great) players who will not be called upon because of attitude problem and the basic necessity to work within the system of a team; b) Dedication on defense c) Consistency (on both ends) off the floor despite inconsistent minutes (which is a tangent of letter a but needs to be addressed nonetheless for emphasis) For a) it's bye-bye to Mark Caguioa, Danny Seigle, Willie Miller and the likes. There are others as well but that's pretty much the A-list for the rather "selfish" and considered by many as non-team players (one way and the other) for b) the premium is on defensive bigmen and energy glue-guys; bye-bye to Yancy de Ocampo (we could use the 6 foot 9 frame with shooting but too lazy), to Arwind Santos (who is good but has very low basketball IQ), to KG Canaleta (who is as good as Santos but has the same level in basketball IQ; his three point shooting is improving though... just to mention some...

So here's my RP National Team for the 2009 qualifiers:

PG - Jimmy Alapag - Clearly his game elevates in the international scene. His heart exemplifies what Filipino basketball should be about)
- Ryan Reyes - He is one of the future premiere guards in the league, his size and heft and the ability to play the point is big in foreign land. Wasn't too impressed with Jay Jay Helterbrand in his last stint, i thought he showed too much immaturity for his age.

SG - Don Don Hontiveros - Couple or more booboos during the pre-tournaments (Jones Cup), but showed he can defend bigger players which is very important for the squad; also his offense did not suffer as much despite being used as one of the main perimeter defenders.
- James Yap - Gunners are at premium and he is the best shooter in the land. Can slide to the 3-spot as well.
- Ren Ren Ritualo - a specialist more than anything.

SF - Gabe Norwood - i hate to start him because he can play 3 positions and that's a luxury off the bench. Nonetheless, he is a shoo-in. He is the reason as well why we don't need a third point guard because he can play that position.

- Jay Washington - tough, tough draw on this one. But if we need quickness and defense and versatility, he fits the bill


PF - Kelly Williams - may slide to the 3-spot when necessary and we want to go big. Slashing and a little bit of range plus his athleticism will surely help us

- Ranidel de Ocampo - Impressive during his stint last time. Showed he can push even though his opponents were 4-5 inches taller. His range helps as well

C - Enrico Villanueva - Might want to start him just to send a message. Maybe too foul prone but he knows that already and we need his fire (and maybe pick a little fight against the foreigners here and there)
- Mick Pennissi - Rico and Mick again? Why not, our big man will be the enforcers and these two are the best in the business. The big errr slick also has that 3 pointer and that helps at the C-spot.
- Japeth Aguilar - More than anything the "project-slash-prospect" of the squad. If he has indeed showed improvement, well and good. If not the experience will pay off down the road.

Outside the bubble (Injury replacements) Asi Taulava is turning 36 in 2009 and Pennissi is 2 years younger... He still can play but we only need one veteran presence down low and Pennisi's range gives him the nod. Helterbrand as i've mentioned is a good player but i think we need Reyes' and Norwood's size down at the position anyway... Cyrus Baguio could be an option, but outside of being Guiao's player his game doesn't fit the internationall ball... Kirby Raymundo showed a lot of heart last time as well, he can replace Aguilar if the latter is deemed not ready...

Clearly, we should simply send the best if we want to have that chance. And there is no other way but to go the PBA way. Now that the pro league is assigned to that, they shall return the favor and send the best players to form the best possible team.

www.quizon.com

Before leaving for Manila from Naga last Sunday, my Pa told me of this certain website that featured a rather familiar name... My father's cousin from Batangas visited our place in Bicol some days back and mentioned about the site which is the title of this entry... Now, now there is no really big deal in discovering a new site here and there for i basically do that everyday--- but a site that features YOUR name? So anyway, i did what my Pa told me and visited the site... Apparently, i had to email the administrator first to have an access to the sub-links of the site and that's what i did.

Fast forward to today and i already have an email correspondence with Gary, who maintains the site and it looks like both parties are glad that we have made contact. i can't explain it really but i felt rather lighthearted after having had short conversations with him. Sure, sure it's not like i recently discovered that there's life outside the Milky Way or that this drastically changes my way of life, but it's simply the obvious fact and realization that there are people who share my name and we, in one way or another, belong to the same family tree.

The more you know, the more you don't know. That applies to probable "distant" relatives as well.

EN'ZO

For the Nth time.

Aram mo kung nasa Naga ka kung...

...gabos na dumanan mo kinse minutos sana ang rayo (with traffic).
...naoogma ka sa "trapik" sa centro (basically, the central business district of the town).
...harayo na ang ma-aabot kang "double-ride" sa tryk.
...supog ka pa sa garo kastang driver kang tryk ta sais pesos (P6.00) lang ang minimum na pamasahe kaya dadagdagan mo na lang ta masupog man garo nagtiios man na marhay.
...naglalaag ka na ning "flag down rate" sa mga tryk dahil sa parehong rason sa taas.
...dakol garo kastang driver. Not to mention, magugulang saka mapanglamang. (Sabagay pareho man lang sa Manila pero iba man pagmati sa sadiring mong teritoryo.)
...paglaog mo sa mall entrance, exit na tulos ang mahihiling mo.
...pagluwas mo ning mall, dae ka naggastos.
...ma kang pakiaram kung dae ka nagkarigos poon kansu Huwebes tapos naglakaw-lakaw ka sa sentro.
...dae ka badtrip sa mga mariribok sa palibot mo ta Bikol ang gamit ninda pagtaram.
...badtrip ka kung may mga nag-Ta-tagalog sa palibot mo ta pagatubang mo si kabatch mo na taga-Kolehiyo. Pa-cute man giraray.
...sanggatok, more or less, ang sarong bucket ning beer.
...sanggatok, less, ang mga pulutan from Chicaron Bulaklak to Sisig to Lechon Kawali to Calamares.
...sanggatok sana ang kwarta mo pero pwede ka na mag-"gimmick". Pwede ka ngani actually maburat saka magpasagad.
...Halos "familiar faces" ang gabos na tawo na nasasabatan mo dawa na first-time mo pa man lang ngani sinda nahihiling (Side note: nagpapangadyi ka man na sana bako saro sinda ang saro sa ex-girlfriend mo)
...pagbaba mo sa bus (haling 8-hour travel from Manila) langit ang nalanghap mong probinsayong duros.
...pagsakay mo sa bus (bago ang 8-hour travel to Manila) impyerno ang pagmati mo ta marayo ka naman sa Naga.

Recipe for your most embarrasing moment

Sad sad day when you think of it. But quite a day for realizations actually. Tops my Most Embarrassing Moments by all means, but proud that i (we) got through with it.

The event: NBA Madness Corporate 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge.
What really happened during the event: 2-on-3 against the giants called Team Caltex.
What really happened during the event which never in my right mind will tell a story about it: 14-0 was the final score. Yes, this was basketball but more like a table tennis score.
Why it happened: Blame C-5 traffic as Paolo, our third teammate was a bit late for the event.
Why it really happened: Even with Paolo, the score would probably, most likely be similar if not the same. (Blame the Team Caltex Giants, though may i add they were such nice gentlemen almost pitying us from the coin toss)
How it happened: i shot 0-of-6 from the field. Pierre was zero percent as well but i won't mention that one because he might mention that i got posterized via a sick blocked shot which i won't forget in this lifetime.
How it really happened; Team Caltex had giants. (Repetition for emphasis)
How and why it really, really happened (You can call this an excuse by all means): Both brought the anti-Gatorade called hangover for the warm-up. (Of course by this time we will pull all stops but as i've said even though we practiced for the event for a month, still the results would have been the same.)
The ugly news: Re-read from the first line to this point.
The bad news: Team BTV-A was scheduled to play first that day.
The good news: Team BTV-A was scheduled to play first that day meaning the crowd watching numbered just under 50 (And to add, Sam something the host/commentator started calling the games from game two onwards...)

Below is the picture of less than losers:












The big question: will we do it again? i have to ask Pierre on that one, but i would. Really. Really really.

Dissecting Blanco

Or specifically, dissecting Rico Blanco's Yugto. It's too much really. Especially if you are not really a music expert but just an armchair critique doubling it up as being the semi-to-full biased fanatic... What you get is a Tom peeping through that temptation of a hole hoping to find eroticism in anything but what he gets is an explosion of colors; a random play of puppets which strings are rather familiar... A familiar pattern of colors but you can't seem to name each. A familiar script of the play but you can't seem to digest the plot... That people is a description of Blanco at his best. And simply, that is what he is in his latest installment called "Yugto."

In one forum, i compared Rico to Neil Gaiman in such a way that Yugto is much like a collection of different influences much the same way as the Sandman graphic novels is a fusion of the different literary genres. Yes, such a lofty comparison but not something i will back off when pressed to argue. And here's an argument that i will constantly offer: it's not just listening to music (or for analogy, just reading a book/graphic novel) it's experiencing the entirety of that artist (author) and how he defines his craft plus himself through that craft.

So here's a Yugto dissection, chapter by chapter. After listening to the song, 20 times earlier today.

Intro is pretty much the playful Blanco respecting his roots and obvious awe of the ethnic Filipino and Southeast Asia sound. The symphonic orchestra with the strings reminds you of Joey Ayala and Rico will admit that indeed he is influenced by this artist's sound, one way or the other. (And also the Rico-ish oh-oh-oh to start the vocals immediately establishes who is the artist on this one)

Sa gitna ng kagubatan may ahas na hahalik
Tatawagin kang kaibigan na pinaka matalik
Pupulupot sa leeg mo’t sisipsip ng iyong dugo
Ipapako ka sa krus kapag ikaw ay natuyo

sa gitna ng kaguluhan may kumukulong bulkan
Di ma pigil ang yabang at sakdal na kasakiman
Susubukang angkinin ang lahat ng hindi kanya
Kung kaya kang paikutin tiyak paiikutin ka

From there, Rico sets up the base-line heavy first through second stanza. Remember the progressive base-lead in Atomic Bomb's The Chase? Shorten the progression put a lyrics and sing it, that's a basic base-drums-effects for you that is not dissimilar to Rico's take on the pair of stanzas.

Ngunit hindi nila kayang baliin ang iyong loob
Ang pag-ibig na hawak mo’y hindi malulubog

Now the above part is rather familar. It's the Tuloy Ang Ligaya-Rico with a little bit of Alab ng Puso (Buhay Kamao soundtrack) and some in Tuloy ang Ligawa's Umaaraw Umuulan... Even the fire in his singing of..

Lumiyab ka...

which is the part of the chorus sounds very much like his take on Alab... Of course this time with a little more conviction. Plus the Rico-ish oh-oh-oh returns to lead back to the next stanza...

Sa gitna ng kadiliman may buwitreng nagmamasid May magbabato ng putik ngunit walang mayayanig Iiyak ang mga batang nahulugan ng candy Laging mga problema sa iba’y sinisisi

More effects (strings and synths, i believe) on that previous stanza. A little tweak here or there with the stanzas background (more horns and others which offers another feel) from hereon...

Sa gitna ng kagubatan may ahas na hahalik
Itinuring mong kaibigan na pinaka matalik
Leeg mo’y pupuluputan dugo mo’y sisipsipin
Kapag wala ka nang pakinabang ang ending mo’y sa bangin

Same and same to lead once again to an engrande bridge...

Ngunit hindi nila kayang baliin ang iyong loob Ang pag-ibig na hawak mo’y hindi malulubog Lumiyab ka….

Piano and voice and Queen-esque (Bohemian Rhapsody) vocal renditions, even a choral part which Queen will be proud of.. (even the baseline were almost trip-hop leading up to this one)

Tuwing hating gabi maririnig mo ang huni
Ng mga kaluluwang naliligaw
Lahat ng pera sa mundo hindi kayang gawing ginto
Ang huwad na tao..

Piano, trip-hop base play and voice and Queenesque vocal renditions which Freddie Mercury will be proud of...

Ang mga tinig palakas ng palakas
hanggang gumuho ang mga hadlang

...even that choral part... Almost eerie like you want to sing and be a part of that troop sent to a war...

hanggang gumuho ang mga hadlang

... then re-affirms it with a whisper but not a whimper on that one... followed by a Smashing Pumpkins-slash-Radiohead lead for the adlib going into the prophetic finale...

Saksi ang langit sa lahat ng naganap Saksi ang langit sa ikalawang yugto … Lumiyab ka….

... James Iha in Gish and Jonny Greenwood in The Bends makes a timely return to end the song...

To end, i would like to mention that.... i believe the "downloaded" version is an unfinished copy! No worries, Rico lit up a fire in my ass that i will definitely buy the ORIGINAL version when the full length album is released this July. First one in about four years probably, but it's worth it. Rico set such a high standard with this single, time will tell if other songs will play up to this level.

Meantime, it's now the 44th time that i listened to Yugto today.

One Dream, One World, One U?!

The tag line should be familiar. It's a spin-off of Solar Entertainment's "One Dream, One World, One Channel" theme for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics starting this oh-eight oh-eight and oh-eight. Yeah, it's in China and and the Chinese beliefs including using the right numbers for good luck. When writing the figure "8" it's supposed to point up and that means a charm to them... And we damn need the same charm for the next few weeks for everything to work... So anyway...

One U is the name of the college recap-features-news show starting the 22nd this month on BTV (Tuesdays, 9PM). From the name itself it's rather self-explanatory that it came from the words "one university"... Basically, the school of thought (pun intended) of the said show is to recap anything-and-everything college hoops in the Philippines--- yes, not only the more popular NCAA and UAAP but ALL university basketball across the islands... Meaning the Golden Knights from Naga will have a chance to compete for air time. Or not. i am not even sure if that team is #1 in that city, let alone in that province. Let alone in that region. Let alone in that zone. (And yes, i am confused with the zoning qualifiers so let's leave it at that first.)

Outside the news and update persona, the show will also serve as the hype-machine of the Philippine Collegiate Championship--- where the who's who in the college scene battle it out to decide who indeed is the best college squad in the land. "There can only be one" the league's battle cry... So here's one for the schools; that they send their Duncan Mcleods rather than mere mortals called Team B...

One U will feature writers from the www.inboundpass.com as the guest analysts and will be hosted by Mico Halili (most likely) and a female host i can not name yet. Mico, by the way is a respected commentator from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coverage. And the female host will hopefully have more than basketball brains than just a simple beaut.

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Solar's Olympics coverage will start in exactly a month. Expect a full court, end to end coverage of the greatest show on earth! To show how serious Solar is with this event, the company decided to open up slots and airing time for Olympic events in entertainment channels such as ETC, 2nd Avenue and JACK TV! Not to mention that CS/RPN plus BTV and Solar Sports will have of course their take on this large piece of cake...

Solar Sports will also feature hourly Olympic updates starting at 9 am to 10 pm and a Olympic recap show before the day ends.

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Met Gilbert Arenas yesterday at the Adidas press con at the Manila Peninsula. Such a nice, nice guy. So much for my bias that he is one of the more arrogant and overconfident players in the NBA, he is simply an outspoken player that is misunderstood in many levels by many people. i am a convert and i will never look the same way again at Arenas as i look at the Kobe's and McGrady's who were nice but did not show they had the grounded personality that Agent Zero had. Hibachi!

And damn it, i did not bring a camera.

i don't know what to post but here's a picture that should paint a thousand words and a thousand other emotions that involves a non-dinner.

Poker in Taglish! Why not?

(For intro refer to previous post)

Host 1: So, nandito po tayo ngayon sa Casino Filipino para sa isa na namang torneo ng mga mga sinungaling at nagsisinungaling.

Host 2: Sigurado masisiyahan kayo sa aksyon na mapapanood nyo ngayon nandito po ang mga propesyonal sa larong ito at karamihan dito ay hindi Filipino. Kung meron man ay medyo may katagalan ng natanggal ang ating mga pambato.

Host 1: Si Mr. Felizardo "Hari" Pascual, number one player galing sa 'Pinas ay nagtapos sa ika-532th na pwesto at ngayon nga ay nandito tayo sa final table kung saan walong manunugal ang nakarating para paglabanan ang tatlong milyong dolyar (Unsaid: Marahil karamihan nito ay galing din sa mga Pinoy)...

(13 hands later)

Host 1: Ayan po napahiya po yung 'kano na si Mr. Anthony sa nakaraang kamay. Ilinaban nya ang pares na tres bago pa ang plop (flop) at pinatulan naman siya ng intsik na si Mr. Li.. Tulay ayan luhaan sa may tabi at kokonti na lang ang bala sa laban na ito.

Host 2: So nandito tayo sa ika-labing apat na kamay kung saan ang Koreanong si Mr. Park ang nangunguna sa bilangan sa chips.

Host 1 : Binigay na ng dealer ang kanilang mga bagong kamay... Action on Mr Li... Ayan nakita natin may dalawa syang reyna! Mahilig siguro ito si Mr. Li sa tsiks kanina pa kasi to nakakahawak ng magagandang baraha sa kanyang kamay.. Ayan.. Medyo agresibo ang kanyang gustong ipahiwating at dinoble ang mga malaking bulag sa gitna ng mesa.

Host 2: Next up ay si Mr. Ashcott ng England... Agad nyang tinapatan ang taya ni Mr. Li ano kaya ang hawak nito.. Ah. Sampung puso at isang jack na diamante. Marahil umaasa na madungtungan ito sa komunidad ng mga baraha...

Host 1: Balik tayo sa aksyon kay Mr. Anthony.. Naubos na ang kanyang chips sa pagtaya sa maliit na bulag kaya wala na siyang ibang gagawin kundi maghintay... At manalangin. Ang kaniyang baraha ay... Mabaho. 2 at 7.

Host 2: Mr. Park naman na halatang relax at sigurado ay pwede nya ng tulak tulakin ang mga kalaban dahil sa mala-building na chip stack nito. Ayan, pinatulan nya rin at tumaya para sumama sa laban sa kamay na ito... Ang kanyang baraha ay isang hari ng mga puso at isang ace ng parehong hitsura. Good call by Mr. Park. Baka nga naman may lumabas na pares so komunidad ng mga baraha simulan natin sa plop...

Round 13 :
Li - QH, QS
Aschott - 10H, JD
Anthony - 2S - 7C
Park (chip leader) - KH, AH

Host 1: Tingnan natin ang plop na unti-unting binubuksan ng maganda natin dealer na mukhang model talaga (at amputi!)

Flop - QC, JH, 2H

Host 1: Ayan na po. Si Li ang mukhang nagbida matapos ang unang bisita ng tatlong baraha...

Host 2: Si Mr. Anthony po ang unang sasabak sa aksyon.. Ay! All in na pala sya kanina pa.

Host 1: Si Mr. Park naman.. Agresibo pa rin at tumaya sya ng apat na daan libong piso!

Host 2: Si Li na may trio nga ay tumutulak na ng chips.. At lahat tinulak! ALL IN!

Host 1: Dapat lang dami nya tsiks eh.

Host 2: Si Mr. Ashcott ang huli... Di nagpahuli at nag ALL IN din! Patay!

Host 1: Balik tayo kay Park na madalian sumangayon! 4-way action po tayo! Mas matindi pa to sa napanood ko noong araw bida yung Viva Hot Babes...

Host 2 (Siniko si Host 1): Oo at maaring tapusin na ang lahat ni Mr. Park dahil sa kanyang lakas ng loob! Tingnan natin habang binubuka nang lahat ang kanilang mga kamay...

The Hands:
Li - QH, QS
Aschott - 10H, JD
Anthony - 2S - 7C
Park (chip leader) - KH, AH

Flop - QC, JH, 2H
Turn - 9D

Host 2: Ayan buhay pa ang lahat maliban kay Mr. Anthony... Si Li pa rin ang nangunguna matapos ang pinabaliktad ang liko..

Host 1: Mukhang si Li nga kung malalampasan nya lang ang ilog... Kailangan ni Park ng kahit anong diyes para maipanalo ang tatlong milyon!

The Hands:
Li - QH, QS
Aschott - 10H, JD
Anthony - 2S - 7C
Park (chip leader) - KH, AH

Flop - QC, JH, 2H
Turn - 9D
River - 10S

Host 2: At diyes nga!!! Galing ng tawag ni Mr. Park. HE IS THE MAN!

Bite the Bullet: On Packy, Poker and Softdrinks

Damn it. Am not drinking anymore. It's just sad. Another weekend wasted. Another 48 hours of non-stop drinking (exaggeration) which could have been devoted to blogging or even doing advance work for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic. Nah. i won't make any promises because i'll break them 5 minutes after making it so i won't be saying i won't be drinking ever because it only means i am on my way to the nearest sari-sari store to buy a couple of Red Horse (If i am not that tired) or a couple of San Mig Light (if i am not that bored).

That's just probably hangover talking. You know, it's always like a bad breakup... Always that cloud in your head after such such a great time.

Hangover: "It's not you, it's the times"
Me: "Shut up and sleep."

So without further ado here are some realizations over the weekend which i'd like to call the Biting the Bullet segment. Yes, yes it's just a lame play with the word "bullet" (points) and the biting part is a rather interesting word in its own right (when used with reality you can really have something there)--- there, i just explained it. Creativity even in a pun with nothingness, imagination without reason. (Wait i am getting ahead of the so without further ado part, and so, the bullets begin:)

• Blame Kristian (Encarnacion's) 28th birthday for another stupid (but fun) act when semi-drunk ( i shall be posting the picture anytime this week and that would explain both the fun and stupid part. As i've told Pipoy, with this group i can't seem to beat them (there it goes again, i just admitted that even this is competition.. No, make that with this group of fun-loving and generally happy people) with their bag of jokes and random acts of witty gags all i can do really is apply the "one time, big time" approach. The softdrinks story should be one of them. (The picture is adobephotoshopped . Promise.)

• Blame Mr. NG for a little problem with our Ray Ban Poker offtube later this week (for backing out but he was never in, he told me over a text message because nobody said anything to him. How's that for organization?)... That little on our end cost me this particularly interesting exchange and errr idea for future poker events... i asked myself why not Poker in Tagalog or Taglish!!! Well, i know i know it wouldn't sell with such an elitist target of the sport (ok, the game) but nonetheless i think it will click as a plug of sorts (how to suggest it to the higher-ups is the next step though)... (Come to think of it, it deserves another entry right after this one so...)

• Blame Monday's sickness on all of weekend of sleeping and practically doing nothing. The sickness's name? She's called laziness as well.
• Lots to blame still including Manny Pacquiao who made us proud once again. But sleep is starting to take over and it's a rare thing. i should take advantage.
  

Sibling Rivalry Week!

Stern should just do it.

Spanish sistahs Pau vs. Marc:



All-American Bros Brook vs. Robin:
















The scrubs Jason and Jarron:

No token white guy

That should be a racist comment some years back, but these days it's rather accepted calling African-Americans black and Caucasian (Americans) white. It's just the way things are nowadays. Only the paranoid reacts and only the ones who overreact are paranoid enough to blow things out of proportion.

That said, here's a very interesting article (Who's Joe Alexander? Just ask NBA scouts by Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo Sports) i found over the net earlier today:

LAS VEGAS – The father’s cell phone rang back in Beijing and Steve Alexander sensed such joy in his son’s voice. Steve and his wife had dropped off Joe in Morgantown, W.Va., for the start of his freshman semester, and now the kid’s words tripped over themselves.

“Dad,” Joe Alexander gushed, “I love this place.”

For a moment, Steve wanted to believe such enthusiasm had been about the campus, the girls – and maybe God forbid – the classes. And yet, back in the Far East, where he had raised his son, Steve could just grumble an, “Oh no,” when Joe finally spit out these words:

“They’ve got a couch in the basketball locker room.

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“I’m blown away by him,” one Western Conference executive said. “He’s a freakish talent. And it’s scary how good he could be, because he’s just now starting to figure it all out. He isn’t driven, he’s obsessed. I think he’s the next Tom Chambers.”

Alexander sighs. “How come,” he asks, “they only compare me to the white guys?”

The most improbable story of the NBA draft on Thursday comes shrouded in mystery out of the Far East, the son of an American CEO who found great inspiration studying a culture where millions of people worked in fields so long and hard for so little. As much as greatness obsesses him, Alexander is just as moved to obliterate stereotypes and force people to reassess the way in which they label basketball players, the way they assign attributes based on race and background.

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Once, the power was lost in the West Virginia coliseum when he was shooting baskets late at night. So, Alexander drove his Nissan down the ramp and turned on his headlights to finish his workout. West Virginia’s coaches would always tell his father, Steve, these stories, and on a visit to Morgantown, his son was getting antsy in his dorm room at 9:30 one night. “I need to go shoot,” Joe told him, and soon, Steve had an uneasy feeling in his stomach when his son knew the one coliseum door he could jerk open to shimmy them inside.

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...He comes out of nowhere, out of the Far East and the hills of West Virginia, the biggest story of this NBA draft for the simplest of reasons: Joe Alexander wouldn’t take no for an answer.

So thank you to Mr. Wojnarowski for writing that article, i think and i feel that i have found a new player to follow in the NBA. Some posts back, i explained why i always like having point guards (in the NBA or the PBA) as my favorites--- and it's for the sheer reason of height and imitating their game in real life. Now i have some explaining to do why all of a sudden i picked this 6 foot 8 forward--- for sheer reason that i will have no rhyme and reason of imitating him at all in real life (Heck, he can touch the rim with his head according to the article!

There's only one reason: that article alone speaks of his passion for the game. And that's not hard to like at all. Not at all. Now, player fans like me? We adjust teams so here's hoping it's not the Milwaukee Bucks that draft him.

Pacman for Four!

First things first, these keys to the bout will look (sound) bloody familiar come Sunday (Catch the Solar coverage over Solar Sports or GMA; or if you don't want any part of the "delay" in the not-slightly-delayed telecast go to your nearest movie house, most likely they'll be offering this box-office hit) when you listen to misters Quinito Henson and Chino Trinidad, this year's pair-up who will go to Las Vegas to call the shots for the Lethal Combination: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz fight.

My own prediction is listed below the LETHAL LIST--- do's and don't's for the pair of boxers who will slug it out for the lightweight championship.

LETHAL LIST: PACQUIAO

• PRESSURE COOKER
  
• Pacquiao is raring to become the first ASIAN to hold four titles in four different divisions! That’s pressure for any level of boxing especially for Pacquiao who carries a nation’s weight on his shoulders…
• Rather Pacquiao should forget about the “pressure of winning” but focus on the task at hand that is: to put “pressure on his opponent!”
• WEIGHT WOES
• Is Pacquiao indeed ready for the big time? Big time meaning bigger and heavier opponents?
• Yes, he dominated fighters in the super feather, but will his SPEED and POWER be diminished against a larger fighter in his first fight as a lightweight?
• Finally, how will this new weight affect Pacquiao’s strategy and game plan? Will he be more of a technical fighter and be conservative? Or will he revert to the old lock-and-load bruiser, banger go-go fighter and be aggressive?
• Other notes: Will the new weight affect his performance if the fight go the whole nine yards?
• MAN ON A MISSION
• The mission is: Beat Diaz not Who’s Next.. Focus focus focus…
• Pacquiao is now a grizzled vet inside the ring, but no mission is bigger than this one; Pacquiao realizes that and will use this as his primary motivation
• It should be clear with Manny that any future fights should be forgotten on this night and focus on the task at hand and not “the plans” after the fight

LETHAL LIST: DIAZ

IMMEDIATE BUT NOT INTIMIDATED

• Diaz should attack early and often but do not back down from the more popular (and crowd favorite, most likely) Manny…
• Reputations are earned inside the ring not what writers or critics say, Diaz should simply fight and not be distracted by the high-profile fighter opposite him
• BOSSY LIGHTWEIGHT
• Diaz is the lightweight champ and Pacquiao half-a-division lower… David should show Manny that rising in the weight division is serious business
• Since Diaz has been fighting in this division longer than Pacquiao, he should be better in recognizing which of the advantages should he use and disadvantages he should avoid…
• Diaz is in familiar territory, and he should act like it and force Pacquiao to make the necessary adjustments and not him.
• BRIGHTEST LIGHTS, BIGGEST NIGHT
• Diaz is fighting the fight of his career--- this is his biggest match yet, and he knows that.
• Diaz should be fighting like it is his last because this is his chance to be among the big-name fighters in boxing
• A Diaz win would mean more big-money fights in the future at the same time spurning one of the fighters who is one of the most popular in the world today

As they say, come fight night all the pre-bout keys and notes will be useless; this is so, so true from the point one boxer eat the knuckles of his opponent and the blood unabashedly comes out of that big embarrassed gash in either eyes.

My fearless forecast? Pacquiao in the later rounds, specifically the 11th round; two minutes and a half gone by and Diaz is bye-bye. Biased? Probably. Just win Manny, just win.