Nuffnang

Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Answer adds a punctuation to his career.

I already wrote about this a couple of months ago. Now it is official.



The transcript of his retirement can be read here.

What is his legacy?



Thanks, Allen. I know you have been to SE Asia already. Hope you come here, soon.

Rubber City Soul: The Lyrical Tapestry of one LeBron James


Talent is given... Greatness is earned.  (Lemon Andersen, 2013)

Last night, LeBron James played 38 minutes, scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished off eight assists and stole the ball once, as the Miami Heat opened their title defense with a 107-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls. It marked his 11th season in the league. And it meant we, as fans of the association, have been basking in a decade of LeBron.

To commemorate that feat, our friends at Nike asked award-winning poet and playwright Lemon Andersen to compose a poem about the King, who happens to be the second player to have had a series of shoes as long as he has. You probably know the other one.

The result can be seen below.



The woven tapestry of words, can be read as follows after the jump:

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Skyforce takes Game 1 of 2013 Danny Espiritu Cup Finals

Skyforce took Game 1 of the best-of-three finals of the Danny Espiritu Cup last Friday at the Letran Gym, issuing a 94-49 beatdown of top-seeded MOB.

The losing finalists from last year pounded on their opponents from the get-go, opening a 29-13 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, pushing the lead to as large as 45 points.

Skyforce held a 51-32 rebounding advantage. They also owned a 32-12 edge on points off turnovers and second chance opportunities.

Leo Avenido led all scorers with 14 points while MC Caceres and Jemal Vizcarra each adding 13 and 11, respectively.

Mac Montilla and Raymond Maconocido led MOB with eight points each, while Jopher Custodio and Jeff Viernes were limited to a combined eleven markers, as they suffered their second setback of the competition.

Skyforce can sweep its way for the title if they can secure the victory at the Lyceum Gym tonight at 7pm.

The scores:

Skyforce 94 - Avenido 14, Caceres 13, Vizcarra 11, Sanders 7, Tolomia 6, Vergara 6, Misolas 6, Allera 6, Sta. Maria 5, Sotto 5, Dedicatoria 5, Enrile 4, Sta. Cruz 3, Tan 3, Capistrano 0.


MOB 49 - Montilla 8, Maconocido 8, Reyes 6, Acosta 6, Viernes 6, Suguitan 6, Custodio 5, Tajonera 2, Darroya 1, Sarangay 1, Gonzalgo 0, Ranises 0.

Quarters: 29-13, 43-25, 63-38, 94-49.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Stafford magic

c/o Detroit Free Press

I like Matthew Stafford. Always liked him. Solid at Jaw-juh. Although we have to add (if he stays healthy) to his surname, he is a capable QB and leader for the Detroit Lions.

As someone who is technically ambivalent about my rooting interests in American football (as compared to my peers / writing contemporaries here), it was amazing to be able to watch and observe how Stafford, way back as a rookie back in 2009, carried the Lions through the best and worst of times. This was probably his signature moment that season.



Fast forward to yesterday. Everyone thought it was over. Even Brian Billick said so. Then this happened.


And the Lions escape with the 31-30 victory. Of course, much credit goes to Megatron and his 329-yard performance, and turning Dez Bryant into a whiny Star Scream. But credit needs to be given to the QB for his heads-up play.

As a result, mediocrity rules in the NFC East, as the standings CLEARLY show.
NFC East
W
L
T
PCT
PF
PA
STRK
4
4
0
.500
230
186
L1
3
5
0
.375
176
211
L2
2
5
0
.286
173
229
L1
2
6
0
.250
141
223
W2

Friday, October 25, 2013

Breaking down the 2013 PBA Draft Pool - Bigs



84 names filed their applications for the upcoming PBA draft (of course, the league will whittle that down after vetting the list).

Time to figure out who these are, based on how I remember them / after some minimal research.

Part I - The Bigs

Centers.

The pool had seven players listed as Centers. You definitely know five of them. If you are a basketball nut, you'd recall the sixth. And then there's John Usita.

It is expected that the top 3 players of this upcoming draft will be Ian Sangalang, Raymond Almazan and Greg Slaughter, in some order. Ateneans know the importance of Justin Chua during their dynastic run, something Blackwater fans would understand. JP Erram once was thought to be Nonoy Baclao's replacement when he started to wear the Blue & White. He might possibly just take away Baclao's spot on a pro roster as well.

Holstein is 6'9", but also raw, because if he's good, we would talking about him along the lines of the above four guys who have had D-League experience (EA Regen's Almazan and Sangalang, NLEX's Slaughter & Blackwater's Chua).

And then there is Usita. 6'8" and 255. He once was listed as 275 a couple of years ago. If I am correct, Matthew Manotoc somehow found him in Hawai'i. He's also the second-oldest player in this draft (at 28), so he has to be a sure thing to be relevant. He's said to a banger and a low-post player.

Centers / Forwards.

Aside from the players above, there are four more C-F bigs available, with most seasoned by D-League duty. Mark Bringas has the big body to bang around, Mike Parala and Jaymo Eguilos can rebound. As for Vince Tinte, he probably got tired of waiting to be elevated to Team A. Guy needs to play in D-League for seasoning.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Viernes lifts MOB past Sealions; sets date with Skyforce in Danny Espiritu Cup Finals



MOB is set to face Skyforce in the finals of the 2013 Danny Espiritu Cup, using an 11-2 ending run to dispatch Sealions, 83-74.

Current PBA Draft prospect Jeff Viernes ensured their entry to the finals, leading MOB with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Sealions, led by Egay Billiones, managed to force a winner-take-all after beating them 89-86, just fell short of their goal to make it to the finals.

The first two games of the best-of-three finals is scheduled on October 24 at 27 at the Letran Gym, and if there is a need for a decider, Game 3 will take place at the Lyceum Gym on October 29.

UFL Cup Rosters - Group E

Names denoted with an asterisk are foreigners.

Navy FC

AGBANIYO, Daniel
ASPA, Rogelio B. Jr.
BAUTISTA, Lynnard N.
CABURAL, Roberto M.
CALUMPANG, Bern Anthony A.
CAMINOS, Jose Alfe C.
CARIÑO, Arnold M.
CLARIDAD, Genevic John
CORNEL, Michael Ritz
DIALLO, Mohamed*
DIMZON, Jimmy P.
DORMENTE, Andres
GUNDA, Rachy
INQUIG, Alain
LEYBLE, Richard P.
MONTAÑA, Arnaldo Jr.
OKORO, Friday*
PARONG, Perzeus
SATURINAS, Mark
SOLATORIO, Adolfo S. Jr.
SOMOZA, Norman G.
VANZEKIN, Friday Imonah*
VILIRAN, Gary N.
YAPI, Boni Didier Richmond*
ZAMORA, Lyndon J.

Loyola Meralco Sparks FC

AMITA, Arnel
ASHIME, Yves Felix*
BONNEY, Samuel*
BUGAS, Paolo
CAÑAS, Joaquin*
CAÑEDO, Robert
CUARESMA, Ref Delaney
DE RAMA, Aaron Rozzell
DORLAS, Bongbong Roxy
ELNAR, Alexandro
FADRIGALAN, Peter John
GONZALEZ, Alfredo
GOULD, Chad Edward
GREATWICH, Simon Clive
HARTMANN, Matthew James
LEE, Joo Young*
LEE, Won Hyung*
MORALLO, Jake
NEMBOT, Rodrigue Talla*
PARK, Min Ho*
ROMERO, Jonahan Anthony*
SAMPANA, Baba*
VILLASEÑOR, Chy
YOUNGHUSBAND, James Joseph
YOUNGHUSBAND, Philip James

Green Archers United FC

AGUISANDA, Ronnie
BOCOBO, Patrick Joseph
CALIGDONG, Emilio
DEYTO, Patrick Philip
ESCOLTERO, Tommy
FERNANDEZ, Raymark Kenneth
FRAIRE, Ivan
GARCIA, Diego Xavier
GARCIA, Miguel Angel
HUGO, Jake
IKEGWURUKA, Lawrence Obinna*
JOHNSON, Shag Shapay*
LEE, Sean Saeyoul*
LOPEZ MENDY, Robert Waly*
MARTINDALE, Jesse*
MELLIZA, Jesus Joaquin
OLOWOYEYE, Agbayomi Gabriel*
PASILAN, Floriano Jr.
PASINABO, Arnie Jr.
SCHNEIDER, Powell*
SIMPRON, Jovanie
SOLIMAN, Arvin Jay
VILLAREAL, Reynald

Dolphins United FC

ATUEL, Juncel G.
BALEOS, Bryan A.
BARITUGO, Rex Ares
BARON, Jerad Champ
CABALLERO, John Reginald
CALAWOD, Ronnie C.
CLEMENTE, Jeremiah James A.
CLEMENTE, Timothy Titus A.
CONCEPCION, Michael Lemmanuel B.
CUYOS, Jerome A.
DELANTE, Anthony B.
ECHIN, Romnick A.
ELAT, Lambert
ESCALONA, Nikko
EUPEÑA, Rex A.
LELIS, Bernard A.
LEWIS, Enow*
LEYCO, Jhonel
MOUSSA OBONO, Abdou*
NAYYEF MNAWER, Saleh*
NKEM, Alain*
PABIA, Oliver C.
TABA, Kami*
TRANSPORTO, June
VARQUEZ, Abednego B.

Blue Guards

ARABIA, Alexandre Omar O.
AUSTRIA, Rosscard P.
BORJA, Jomar G.
BRAGANZA, Gilbert Magno C.
BRAGAS, Georg S.
CARON, Mark Christopher V.
CRUEL, Thomas Julio P.
FACTURANAN, Ronald C.
GOLAN, Yoav*
INGLES, Enrico M.
KING, Edward F.
LETARGO, Samuel B.
LEVY, Tuvia*
LOCSIN, Luis Francisco G.
McARTOR, John Douglas P.
MILO, Jose Mari L.
PALANCA, Isauro P. III
REYES, Noel S.
RODRIGUEZ, Ramon F.
SHAMRIZ, Roy Lulu*
SULIT, Carlos R.
SULIT, Roger R.
TE, Edgar B.
TONGOL, Philip Christopher T.
ZABELLA, Conrado L. Jr.

UFL Cup Rosters - Group D

Note that names marked with an * are foreigners. In addition, names in italics are currently in dispute and awaits resolution from the UFL.

Team Socceroo FC

ABELLO, Rowell D.
AKUT, Filsan G.
AMISTOSO, Fernando Anton Jr.
AVELLANA, Jose Antonio S. III
CABANIERO, Rolando E. Jr.
CHIO, Dexter Jae R.
DA SILVA, Jonathas P.*
DE LEON, Maurice D.
DINGLASAN, John Philip M.
DURUACHAZIE, Ikechukwu (Jude)*
KHODARAHMI, Sajad Allan A.
LARSEN, Martin T.*
LEE, Jeong Woo*
MALU, Glen*
MURAOKA, Danstin Hideo*
OBIANG, Alex*
PARK, Yi Young*
PINGA, Andres Lorenzo
REYES, Joannes Paulus Mari V.
REYES, Michael Mari V.
RIVERA, Mark Daniel L.
TALAROC, Richard
UY, Matthew Christopher C.


Global FC

AGUINALDO, Amani Manuel
ALTICHE, Aaron
ANGELES, Marwin Janver
BAHADORAN, Misagh
BARBASO, Jerry
CHRISTIAENS, Jeffrey
CORTES, Mark Angelo
DE JONG, Jason Maria Nicolas
ELHABIB, Izzeldin*
GUIRADO, Angel
GUISSO, Ange Marius Tressor*
HARTMANN, Mark Andrew
HOSHIDE, Yu*
KAMA, Valentine*
KANAYAMA, John Christopher*
MULDERS, Paul
OCHOTERENA, Niño
SACAPAÑO, Eduard
SADIA, Roland Dely*
SANCHEZ, Rufino Familiar*
SHAW, James*
STAROSTA, Ben*
YAO, Patrick Delon*

General Trias International FC

CAINGLET, Robin Allen H.
CAMBA, Perry O. Jr.
CHA, Won Jae (Drake)*
CHOI, Yong Ok*
DE LEON, John Kenneth S.
HONG, Seong Wook (Peter)*
JEON, Shin Seok (Billy)*
KANG, Dae Han (Thomas)*
LEE, Hyeon Seung (Jason)*
LEE, Jae Ho*
LEE, Jeong Mu (Alex)*
LEE, Jeong Woo (Tony)*
LORILLA, Julius A.
MIN, Young Gi (Prince)*
MOON, Byung Hyun*
NAM, Gi Won (Tom)*
OBERO, Alvin M.
ORCINE, Dhan Jervin B.
ORCINE, Kaiser Keen B.
PARK, Yi Young (Justin)*
PINAT, Quizyval E.
PINO, Cristituto A.
SEO, Seung Seok (Tod)*
SONG, Ji Hun (Kevin)*
SONG, Woo (Tim)*

 Forza FC

ADEBANJO, David*
AUMAN, Allan Jr.
BIOUMLA, Ruben*
BURDA, Stephen Juriel M.
CAGAYANAN, Elle J.
CELDRAN, Luis Miguel R.
ESPINOSA, Ronie A.
GASPE, Arvin
JOHNSON, Foday N.*
JOHNSON, Jangobah N.*
LALUCES, Nico Patrick A.
MARCELLANA, Elvin T.
NGOM, Armadou Lamine*
PACQUIAO, Gerald P.
PASCAL, Tano Dibi*
PIERSON, Russel Anthony
ROMERO-SALAS, Enrique J.
SALVADOR, Joseph Timothy G.
SARAGA, Jun Mark
TAMSI, Roald
VILLAFLOR, Martin

UFL Cup Rosters - Group C

Note that names marked with an * are foreigners.

Stallion FC

ALBIÑO, Joevic M.
ALQUIROS, Nathaniel Andrew C.
AMISOLA, Carl B.
ANENDS, Milan Justin
BARRERA, Diego A.*
BASA, David Mark S.
BOBLO, Nathaniel
CLARINO, Mario Javier J.
DOCTORA, Ruben B. Jr.
DOROMAL, Reynan B.
GORDON, Benjamin M.*
HASEGAWA, Guilherme G.*
HÖHN, Jeremy T.*
ITALIA, Bervic S.
LOZANO, Jose Luis
MARENCO, Pedro P.
MARTINEZ DE MURGA, Antonio
MUÑOZ, Jim Junior J.
NIERRAS, Matthew Erwin Thomas
PARK, Bo Bae*
PAVONE, Paolo Alessio T.
PETTYS, Charles
TORRES, Carlos
ZAGHI, Hector M.*
ZAMORA, Cesar

Philippine Air Force FC

ALBOR, Antonio D. Jr.
ARANETA, Ian B.
BALLO-ALLO, Joel B. Jr.
BAYONA, Herbert T.
BEBANCO, Rodolf P.
BELA-ONG, Randy T.
BERMEJO, Joebel B.
BRAGA, Vince Chester S.
BULAQUIÑA, Glenn O.
CAROLINO, Michael Jayson F.
DOCTORA, Martin O.
DOLLOSO, Kenneth R.
FERNANDEZ, Mark Anthony B.
GUSTILO, Francis L.
LEONORA, Neckson J.
LEONORA, Nicolas Erwin J. Jr.
LOBATON, Kenneth D.
MARTINEZ, Romeo R. Jr.
SOBREVEGA, Louie Jay P.
SORIANO, Jalor B.
SUBERE, Winnie J.
TACAISAN, Mark Gil W.
TOMODOS, Erl H.
TONOG, Jezurel P.
VERGARA, Jimmy R. Jr.

Cebu Queen City United FC

ABADIA, Carlito Jr.
AGUILAR, Junard
ALYAZIDI, Amran*
APURADO, Siegfred
ARMAMENTO, Aljohn
BAUNSIT, Limhar
BOLO, Carlos C. Jr.
BOOTH, Thomas Louis
BORDALBA, Ryan
CAHILIG, Ariel
CAMARA, Ahmed Cheick*
CAMPO, Henderson Jay G.
CUBELO, Marion Rey
CUIZON, Rommel
DIALLO, Oumar Cheick*
ISIC, Frederick
JONES, Christopher E.
KABULO, Pintho*
MENCHAVEZ, Rene Jr.
PAGHUBASAN, Jade
RODRIGUEZ, Joseph
TAN, Leonardo C.
VILLACIN, Nicholas Christian
VILLARICO, Dan
VILLARTA, Charles Wayne A.

Bright Star FC

ABARINTOS, Jeffereson Rey A.
ACAMPADO, Mark M.
AIZATE, Rodolfo I. Jr.
BAYAN, Ronilo V. Jr.
CAMARA, Mohamed K.*
CENTENO, Everez R.
CERDEÑA, Joseph Anthony T.
DELOS SANTOS, Jayson P.
DIABYRA, Aboubacar*
DIARRA, Moustapha M.*
GUINTAO, Jeffrey C.
JOOCHIM, Amani N'ori*
KIYEK, Paul*
MADIA, Lester D.
MARTINEZ, Christ Jude P.
MARY, Bah*
MONSALES, Diosdado L. Jr.
NIDEA, Cidepher L.
NSANGOU, Aime William*
ORLANDEZ, Roberto Jr. T.
SANTIAGO, Joseph Cesar
SISSAKO, Mahamadou*
TAN, Fred P.
TOURE, Vaseeba*
WLEH, Patrick*

Agila FC

ABAD, Stefano Ramon Luigi D.
AJAH, Goodluck Stanley*
ALILAM, Paolo Gabriel R.
ANDRES, Jose Roberto
BAKARE, Olayemi Victor*
BAYEMEG, Simon Pierre*
BHAT, Shewtank*
BIÑAS, Kevin Regan R.
ELOUNDOU, Gaston Franklin*
GAUDIEL, Renko F.
GONZALEZ, Gabriel Luis V.
MANEJERO, Michael B.
MONTEMAYOR, Jin Daniel A.
PEREZ, Alvin A.
POLI, Marco C.
ROSALIA, Benito T. Jr.
ROXAS, Julian Vincent A.
STROEM, Eirik Andreas L.
TRAORE, Ben Konimba*
TUNDE, Dimeji Babs*
UGEDI, Godwin Seikiri*
VAGBE, Wanyou Yannick Ayala*
VASQUEZ, Laureno III
VERSARIO, Dexter Dean G.

UFL Cup Rosters - Group B

Union Internacional - Manila FC

ALI, Mahmoud
ANGELES, Marvin Janwer
BEHGANDOM, Milad*
BERTOTTO, Juan Pablo*
BUENSUCESO, Raymund
DELOS REYES, Norman
DIBEH, Abdulazziz*
HAJIMAHDI, Hamed*
HASSAN, Muhamed*
HODREAL, Jan Cedric M.
JACOBS, Everett
JAFARI DASTJERDI, Shayan*
KLARIĆ, Ivan*
MAHDAVI, Majid*
MANSBRIDGE, Rory
McMAHON, Mark E.
MEILAN, Ivan*
NEUBAUER, Heinz-Wilbur
NNABUIFE, Fidelis*
NORBERT, Eric*
PASCUAL, Jose Paolo
SHEEHAN, Alexander*
SUTCLIFFE, Charlie
THEUER, Jeremy James
UCHE, Friday*

Manila All-Japan FC

AQUINO, Jenno K.
AZAÑES, Niño Jamin B.
BABELONIA, Juan Pablo M.
DE JESUS, Jomar
DIZON, William
FARIÑAS, Rizaldy L.
GASIC, Nelson M.
IDA, Yoshifumi*
ITO, Yoshinori*
KONO, Ryo*
MANTUA, Renando Y.
MARCOJOS, Lendon Loi T.
NAKAGAWA, Yusuke*
OKEYUI, Brian
ORADA, Jeffrey M.
SALAZAR, Deney F.
SHIRATORI, Naoya*
SHOGAMI, Takuro*
SORONGON, Mark Evans B.
SUGISAKI, Eiji*
TANAKA, Yuki*
VENA, Russel Y.
YAGI, Masahiko*
YAMASHITA, Akio*
ZENKI, Shigeo*

Kaya FC

ALVAREZ, Matias*
BAGINSKI, Scott Justin*
BEDIC, Jovin
DANIELS, Kenshiro Michael
DAVIDSON, Mitchell Neil*
DE JONG, Danilo Pascale Jolly
DEL ROSARIO, Anton Edward
DEL ROSARIO, Dominic Liam
GARMAROUDI, Saba Sadeghi*
GREATWICH, Christopher Robert
HOSOE, Toshiya*
LEWIS, Fabien*
LIAUW SOEN-TJOEN, Andrew Lesley F.
LIAY, Leo Carlo
MALLARI, Edward
MATSUNAGA, Daniel Kenji
MBATA AMEACHI, Emmanuel*
O'DONNELL, Nicholas
OMURA, Masanari*
PORTERIA, Jose Elmer
SORIANO, Janrick
UGARTE, Antonio

Cimarron FC

ARAÑAS, Alvin
BALLESTEROS, Angelito
BAYA, Feb B.
CABALLES, Tyrone
DE-LUIS, Yves Luthi*
FRANCISCO, Albert
JAUCIAN, Matthew Allan L.
LEE, Yong Seok*
LEUNG, Jerome Stefan
LIAO, Michael Angelo E.
LIZA, Francis John
LOPEZ, Marcus Philip*
LUNAG, Mandie Boy V.
MANLUNAS, Jon Joseph G.
MERCADER, Andrei Karloff O.
MISA, Enrico Paolo
PERMANES, Ralph Stephen E.
RUBIO, John G.
SANGUYO, Eugene M.
SOLTANI, Mehdi*
SOONG, Jason O.
UCANG, Jusua
VALERIO, Solomon
YATCO, Albert Eli L.
YOSSE, Eric S.*

UFL Cup Rosters - Group A

Note: Names with* are foreigners. Names in italics are currently in dispute and awaiting UFL resolution.

Philippine Army

BECITE, Ricardo B.
BEDUA, Lauren D.
BETITA, Rodrigo E.
BRETAÑA, Relan D.
BRILLANTES, Luisito B.
CAIN, John J.
CILEZ, John B.
DELA CRUZ, Wilson W.
GEMPISAW, Eduardo L. Jr.
GENER, Roel J.
GENER, Ronel J.
LOBATON, Jeoffrey O.
MADALI, Nolan T.
MARGARSE, Nestorio B. Jr.
PABILONA, Efren M.
PABILONA, Elmo E. Jr.
PELAYO, Meliton C.
SESCON, Carlos A. II
SILVESTRE, Erwin U.
SINGSON, Joshua A.
TROYO, Victorino T.
VESTAL, Romano H.
VILLANUEVA, Gil B.
VILLARUEL, Rommel S.
VILLEGAS, Jan Freeman C.

Pachanga Diliman

AMIRKHIZAN, Reza*
APPIAH, Ernest*
BURKEY, Nathaniel George
CLARINO, Randolfo Paolo N.
CORTINA, Davide*
CUTAMORA, Jayson Z.
DIOP, Ousseynou*
EUSEBIO, Jay R.
FORNEA, David Franz P.
GADIA, Daniel Bernan R.
GONZALES, Andres Crisanto S.
GOODZARI, Payam*
KIGBU, Alu*
OCAMPO, Alvin Rafael T.
OCTAVIO, Nathan
RANCES, John Edward
ROY, Juan Miguel A.
SANTIAGO, Andrew Gerard
SEGUNIAL, Deo M.
VALMAYOR, Gerardo W. III
VERSALES, Kim Kristiane
YAMBOU, Steve W.*
ZERRUDO, Ariel Jr.

Manila Jeepney FC

ARCEO, Christopher Joseph*
ARROYO, Jason Joker
AYI, Nii Aryee*
BEHGANDOM, Milad*
CONMIGO, Jaymile P.
DUMAGAN, Paulie B.
ENRILE, Paolo
FLORESTA, Severino F. V
GOLEZ, Juan Carlos Miguel M.
ILIFF, Sean Stewart*
LAGRIMAS, Ronnel B.
MABANAG, Michael Jerremy B.
NDEM A KIYECK, Guy Herve*
OUATTARA, Alassane Nambirgue*
PADILLA, Ricardo I. Jr.
REGIS, Divino M. Jr.
RELOVA, John Kerbie P.
SANGARE, Mamadou*
SHADIDEH, Masood*
TORRES, Jay
TUASON, Yannick Pascal R.
VALEROSO, Mark Alvin M.
VILLON, Mark Peterson
YURAG, Ronaldo Y.

Laos FC

ALMENTO, Jhomar
ATIENZA, Michael Aubrey
AYUBAN, Jemson
BUENAFLOR, Ryan
DALMAN, Jhonny
DIANO, Michael
DIAZ, William
ELHABBIB, Badreldin*
EMESON, Austin Dakup
FRANKSSON, Patrick James*
GAMBANA, Vincent*
GHASEMI, Mohammad*
GUMELA, Bryan
JUKES, Reginald Roel Jr.
LEAR, Rolly
LYTOLL, Ryan James
MADAYAG, Maverick
MARAVILLA, Lexter
MORENO, Oliver
REGIS, Ernani
SANDOVAL, Diego
SERY, Remi Serge-Alain*
UBIAM, Ugochukwu Okoro*
VILLAESPIN, Rezziel
VILLARINO, Joseph Jino

Ceres-La Salle FC

ANTONY, Hanesin Prince B.
ARIOLA, Jimuel J.
BEDIA, Joel G. Jr.
BELOYA, Joshua M.
CASAS, Louie Michael R.
CLAXTON, Daniel A.*
CORODVA, Jason T.
KIM, Jin Ho*
HYOUN, Jae Hun*
OLANIYI, Samson Olatunji*
MARASIGAN, Angelo
OKUNAIYA, Oladipo Babsola*
PANHAY, Jayson A.
PARK, Guen Hyeong*
PARK, Hwa Seo*
PODEROSO, Jaime E. Jr.
SHIN, Seung Hyun*
SIM, Hyung Min*
SORIANO, Jalsor B.
TACUSALME, Camelo P.
TACUSALME, Carlo P.
TONGSON, Anthony M.
UNABIA, Lemuel S.
YOON, Byeong Jun*
YAOGO, Younousse*

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Scapegoating Aljon?


I took that from Aljon Mariano's Twitter account (@aljonmariano), because it is the right and appropriate decision to do.

Scapegoating is the natural response mechanism for us whenever something goes wrong, resulting in an outcome that is not ideal.

This is especially true in sports, when one miscue could lead to a totally different outcome. Could even cost you your life, when you think about it.



Mariano had been going through a rough stretch offensively, which statistically can be taken back to as far as their 2nd round meeting against DLSU. This was made more apparent in the past two games of the Finals, due to the mismatch of having to deal with the Hefty Lefty in Jason Perkins and even Norbert Torres when DLSU went into their Twin Tower combo with Arnold Van Opstal.

But the forward wanted to help UST win. He already bailed them out before.



But he was struggling from the field shooting. He missed all of his attempts. So this happened with over six seconds left in regulation, with the Tigers having the opportunity to clinch a championship.



At least he can still redeem himself, right? Unfortunately, this happened.



And you know what immediately happened afterwards.



Almond Vosotros' baseline jumper gave La Salle the last lead change in the game. Scanning through the timeline DURING the game (and this was before the two "miscues") was not very flattering for Mariano, what more when he audibled on the final play of regulation as well as when he threw the ball away. One might say, it was very vitriolic, made magnified by the circumstance.

I think it is natural and human that we have a need to point to someone as the one who caused this pain and suffering. It is instinctive. However, we can't hold a grudge like that forever. You can express such hate, but just on that "heat of the moment" portion.

Aljon understood that well. That is probably why, I guess, it took him THAT long to reappear on social media. He allowed everyone to express their emotion, their passion and their love for the alma mater; and allowed himself to think, reflect on the moment, understand and appreciate things. If they are hard on you, what more you are to yourself? One can't really imagine that unless you yourself felt it. And when you do, you got the meaning and its significance. The better thing is that he acknowledged his faults and vowed to bounce back from them. Meaning, he didn't shirk from the moment. That is an admirable and teachable moment.

In the post-Chris Lao ("I'm not informed") era, we sometimes overstep the boundaries and enter into some kind of cyberbullying. We ought to recognize that this does happen, normally unwittingly thanks to the "heat of the moment," but when you now know that you do, one should acknowledge it and publicly let it go and accept fate. He accepted it. We should and ought to, as well.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Sealions, Mighty Sports advance to Danny Espiritu Cup Semifinals

The Final Four is complete for the 2013 Danny Espiritu Cup.

Sealions and Mighty Sports secured the remaining two open spots after winning their respective matches in the quarterfinals.

Sealions relied on Egay Billones to beat Naughty Needlez, 88-76 at the Lyceum Gym. The former PBA point guard scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and contributed four steals in the victory.

Trailing by two at the half, Naughty Needlez struggled in the third quarter, scoring just ten points to allow Sealions to pull away. They were also erratic all game long, committing 27 turnovers that led to 29 Sealions points. Topscoring for them is former UE Red Warrior James Martinez with 17, while Warren Ybanez and John Hall each added 12.

The other quarterfinal saw Mighty Sports bury Expert Global Solutions, 95-74 at the Reyes Gym. The defending champions easily took care of things against EGS, whom they just faced in their last elimination round game. They would erect a lead as large as 32 points in the final quarter.

All ten players field by Mighty scored at least seven points, with Robby Celiz leading the way with 13 markers. Ron Arias led EGS with 15 points.

The semifinal pairings sees the defending champions tangle with Skyforce in a rematch of last year's finals, while Sealions will face top-seeded MOB.

The scores:

October 4

Sealions 88 - Billones 22, Martinez 14, Malabanan 13, Garrido 8, Asoro 9, Villareal 7, Raymundo 4, Ricafuenta 4, Alao 2, Junio 2, Zagala 2, Solis 0.

Naughty Needlez 76 - Martinez 17, Hall 23, Ybanez 12, Vijandre 10, Taupa 7, Alandy 4, Cunanan 4, Nunez 0.

Quarters: 21-20, 43-41, 69-51, 88-76.

October 6

Mighty Sports 95 - Celiz 14, Santos 13, Franco 10, Lozada 10, Marquez 9, Colina 8, Gamboa 8, Dimaunahan 8, Ferrer 8, Aquino 7.

EGS 74 - Arias 15, Valena 11, Ranises 10, Kalaw 10, Caspe 9, De Vera 8, Feliciano 4, Melano 3, Siguq 2, Catamora 2, Lanzar 0, McCoy 0.

Quarters: 32-19, 57-29, 77-74, 95-74.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Philippines' FIBA U-16's achievement

from the FIBA-Asia website. Photographer is Milad Payami


The Philippines just made history earlier tonight, in spite of their defeat.

Our Under-16 team battled, fought and willed their way against the formidable Chinese, who have never been defeated in their previous 25 games. Sure, they became victim number 26, and China remains the king of the Under-16 in the region, but they managed to do something that has never been done before.

They lost by just 7 points, 85-78.

China has dominated the U-16s, dusting off scores like 109-29 in 2009, 100-19 in 2011 and 100-48 in 2013. This is the first time in the tournament's history that they beat someone in single digits. All 25 wins previously were of double figures.

2009:

Prelims:

80 over Saudi Arabia
73 over Jordan
74 over India

2nd round:

47 vs Chinese-Taipei
70 vs Korea
50 vs Japan

Knockout:

19 vs Philippines
35 vs Korea

2011:

Prelims:

37 vs India
31 vs Chinese-Taipei
61 vs Malaysia

2nd Round:

43 vs Iraq
46 vs Lebanon
31 vs Korea

Knockout:

81 vs Saudi Arabia
39 vs Japan
40 vs Korea

2013:

Prelims:

34 vs Syria
52 vs Hong Kong
49 vs Bahrain

2nd Round:

67 vs Malaysia
26 vs Iran
12 vs Korea

Knockout:

27 vs Kazakhstan
21 vs Japan
7 vs Philippines


Regardless of their result in the final, they officially have secured a spot in the 2014 FIBA U-17 World Cup that is to take place in Dubai (with Japan securing the third and final Asian berth). Oddly enough, no team from the West Asian region made it save for the hosts UAE. Another milestone for Philippine basketball and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Kudos to these group of youngsters, who will follow the footsteps of their elders as they move forward and challenge the best of the rest of the world.


4 - Diego Dario (UPIS)
5 - Matt Nieto (Ateneo de Manila HS)
6 - Enzo Navarro (San Sebastian College-Recoletos HS)
7 - Matt Nieto (Ateneo de Manila HS)
8 - Mikel Panlilio (Beacon)
9 - Arnie Padilla (Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu)
10 - Jolo Mendoza (Ateneo de Manila HS)
11 - Paul Desiderio (UP)
12 - Jolo Go (Hope Christian HS)
13 - Carlo Abadeza (LSGH)
14 - Richard Escoto (FEU-D)
15 - Mike dela Cruz (LSGH)

Head coach: Jamike Jarin

P.S. Interesting set of U-16 alums

This is the 2009 team:

4 Kiefer Ravena
5 Von Pessumal
6 Jeron Teng
7 Dan Sara
8 Kevin Ferrer
9 Joshua Alolino
10 Paolo Romero
11 Cedrick Labing-isa
12 Jeff Javillonar
13 Nestor Bantayan Jr.
14 Michael Pate
15 Mike Tolomia

This is the 2011 team:

4 Jay Alejandro
5 Jay Javelosa
6 Isaac Go
7 Tomas Ramos
8 Prince Rivero
9 Hubert Cani
10 Joshua Dalafu
11 Jess Diputado
12 Joshua Caracut
13 Kyles Lao
14 Henry Asilum
15 Jordan Heading

Friday, October 4, 2013

Quick musing on the UAAP Statement re: scalping and ticket overpricing

Here is the UAAP statement released this afternoon on the prevalence of scalping / ticket overpricing

The UAAP denounces the overpricing of tickets to Game Two of the UST-De La Salle championshiop showdown and fans are advised not to deal with scalpers. But fans should also realize Araneta Coliseum’s capacity—not everyone could enter the venue. Our (UAAP) 80 percent ticker allotment were already divided and distributed to UST and De La Salle. Araneta Coliseum holds the remaining 20 percent of the tickets to be sold to the public at their outlets.

In addition, a further breakdown of ticket allocation can be explained like this (h/t to TJ Manotoc, who tweeted this):

20% Araneta Coliseum
20% ABS-CBN (to sponsors)
10% UAAP schools not named UST or DLSU
25% UST
25% DLSU

Hope this sheds light and clarity.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

MOB sweeps Danny Espiritu Cup elims


MOB swept the elimination round of the Danny Espiritu Cup, thanks to a 97-86 victory over a skidding Sealions side to complete the feat and secure one of the two outright semifinal slots.

Jeff Viernes led the way with 23 points anchored on five triples, with Raymond Maconocido and Eric Suguitan each adding 17 markers.

Gilbert Malabanan led Sealions with 22 points, as they fell to 3-3. They face Naughty Needlez in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Mighty Sports managed a couple of victories to end the eliminations with a four-game winning streak. The defending champions secured a 104-86 blowout of Naughty Needlez at the Lyceum Gym and an 88-79 win over Expert Global Solutions at the Reyes Gym.

In the former, Mighty Sports relied on balanced scoring, with six players chipping in at least nine points, while surviving the scoring outburst of Gerald Anderson, who erupted for 39. In the latter, they survived an attempted EGS comeback from 19 points down early in the fourth to a two-possession game with under 3 minutes remaining, but Janus Lozada and Mac Sabellina preserved the victory, sending them to their fifth loss in six outings. EGS, however, will have a chance of immediate vengeance as they face Mighty in the quarters.


The scores:

September 25

Mighty Sports 104 - Acibar 15, Sabelina 12, Marquez 11, Lozada 11, Colina 9, Ferrer 9, Santos 7, Duremdes 7, Celiz 6, Franco 6, Dimaunahan 6, Gamboa 5.

Naughty Needlez 86 - Anderson 39, Martinez 13, Nunez 10, Cunanan 8, Andaya 8, Taupa 6, Tolentino 2.

Quarters: 25-28, 56-52, 79-67, 104-86.

September 27

MOB 97 - Viernes 23, Maconocido 17, Suguitan 17, Tajonera 9, Montilla 9, Custodio 8, Reyes 6, Melencio 6, Sarangay 0, Acosta 0, Corpuz 0.

Sealions 86 - Malabanan 22, Billones 15, Zagala 14, Garrido 9, Asoro 7, Alao 6, Junio 5, Martinez 3, Solis 3, Raymundo 2, Ricafuente 0, Villareal 0.

Quarters: 25-28, 45-48, 70-63, 97-86.

September 29

Mighty Sports 88 - Celis 15, Ferrer 12, Lozada 11, Sabelina 9, Evangelista 9, Marquez 7, Acibar 6, Manuel 6, Santos 5, Colina 4, Aquino 3, Wongchuking 1, Gamboa 0, Dimaunahan 0.

EGS 79 - Arias 17, Melano 10, Ranises 10, Caspe 9, Kalaw 9, De Vera 7, Feliciano 6, Catamora 4,  Valena 3, Valera 2, Lanzar 2, Sigua 0.

Quarters: 23-18, 52-32, 69-55, 88-79.: