The Conked-Out Tractor

It has been reported that Robert "Tractor" Traylor passed away in Puerto Rico.



In the aftermath of the Fab Five's arrival and departure, a lot of kids wanted to go to Michigan and be the next Chris Webber or Juwan Howard. It might be a Herculean task to succeed such collegiate legends, even though the win totals were erased from the record books, but they kids certainly tried. One of those recruits was Robert Traylor. A huge body and an immovable force in the collegiate lanes, Robert provided the low post muscle in the immediate post-Fab Five era. That is why he earned the monicker "Tractor."

Season	G	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	FT	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
1995-96	22	19.9	3.7	6.7	.554	1.5	2.8	.548	5.9	0.5	0.9	0.7	2.4	3.1	9.0
1996-97	35	27.3	5.4	9.8	.556	2.3	5.0	.455	7.7	0.9	1.1	1.0	2.8	3.3	13.1
1997-98	34	32.1	6.6	11.4	.579	3.1	4.8	.642	10.1	2.6	1.3	1.4	3.2	3.2	16.2
Career	91	27.3	5.5	9.6	.566	2.4	4.4	.545	8.2	1.5	1.1	1.1	2.9	3.2	13.3

Who were his teammates back then, the likes of Louis Bullock, Maurice Taylor, Jerod Ward and Maceo Baston. He also the NIT MVP in 1997 as a sophomore.

After his junior year, he declared for the draft. The Dallas Mavericks selected him 6th overall. However, Don Nelson, the quirky guy that he is, had an eye for a particular player, a gangly teen from Germany, that people had no idea back then what he could do and what his role should be in the NBA. So, then-Milwaukee GM Bob Weinhauer, who had the 9th and 19th picks, impressed with his pre-draft workout, traded both picks for him. The 19th pick was eventually Pat Garrity, whom the Mavs managed to use in a deal that brought them a young back-up point guard who was playing in Phoenix. You can discern what happens next based from this picture:



This was one of the most lop-sided deals in the history of the NBA Draft, as you can see below, like a tractor, he just chugged and crawled along slowly until it rusted away.

Season	Tm	G	GS	MP	FG%	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
1998-99	MIL	49	43	16.0	.537	.538	1.6	2.1	3.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	2.9	5.3
1999-00	MIL	44	16	10.2	.475	.603	1.1	1.5	2.6	0.5	0.6	0.6	0.6	1.8	3.6
2000-01	CLE	70	7	17.3	.497	.567	1.8	2.5	4.3	0.9	0.7	1.1	1.4	2.9	5.7
2001-02	CHH	61	1	11.1	.426	.631	1.1	2.0	3.1	0.6	0.4	0.6	0.7	2.1	3.7
2002-03	NOH	69	0	12.3	.443	.648	1.6	2.2	3.8	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.8	2.2	3.9
2003-04	NOH	71	0	13.3	.505	.547	1.5	2.2	3.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.9	2.3	5.1
2004-05	CLE	74	6	17.9	.444	.539	1.8	2.6	4.5	0.8	0.7	0.7	1.0	2.9	5.5
Career		438	73	14.3	.474	.577	1.5	2.2	3.7	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.9	2.5	4.8

Of course, based from the news bit, he was last seen playing in Puerto Rico, where he finally bit the dust.

*Stats taken from Basketball-Reference and College Basketball-Reference.

Bring back the Throwback

Looks like it is cool to be strutting the old threads again, as the past year saw the Golden State Warriors adopt a logo similar to their classic ones, the Sixers reverting back to their previous logo pre-dating the Iverson era, and the Jazz reverting back to the note.




If there is one team that should go back to the old ones, it's the Washington Wizards. It is probably unlikely that they will be reverting back to the Bullets, but the red, white and blue is pretty pretty cool.

This is how they rocked it back then:

Now, this is what John Wall and Jordan Crawford will be chucking next season (provided there is one):

If it looks famillar, it reminds you of the Caps, which Ted Leonsis also owns.

Western Conference Playoff Manuscript

Well, this was supposed to be the playoff preview for the Western Conference, but since I'm posting this already after the Lakers get bounced (I predicted the Lakers to supposedly advance in 6, so I am terribly wrong in this case), might as well do a little revisionism and post-script action.

So, let's go straight to the nitty gritty.




2 - Los Angeles Lakers vs 3 - Dallas Mavericks

Regular Season Analysis: The Lakers held a 2-1 edge in the regular season, winning the last 2 meetings. Dallas did not shoot well in their regular season losses against LA. Peja Stojakovic only played in the third and final game.

What went wrong for Los Angeles: True to form to their regular season, save for Lamar Odom, the bench was relatively non-existent.That already put more pressure on everyone, especially with Pau Gasol, who already has been receiving major flak based on his performance in the previous series.

What went right for Dallas: Dallas stroked it from long distance. They tied a playoff record with 20 three-point conversions in a game during Game 4. To put it into comparison, the Lakers converted just 15 threes for THE ENTIRE SERIES. And when you watched the game, most of those were coming off good screens and great execution. The Jet went bananas in the last game, 32 points off a record-tying nine three point conversions. Also give credit to how the Mavericks defended Kobe and made it difficult for him to score. Barea has been a pest and made things brutal for Laker defenders to the point they had Ron Artest guard him.


Man of the Series: Dirk Nowitzki has been great all series long. Unstoppable from Games 1-3. He was there in Game 4, but the BTS took care of things in that one to the point that he was pretty much irrelevant.

4 - Oklahoma City Thunder vs 8 - Memphis Grizzlies

Regular Season Matchup: The Grizzlies have a 3-1 edge in their regular season duels. It is important to note that Rudy Gay only played in the first 2 games before his season-ending surgery. In addition, they only met once after the trade deadline that netted Kendrick Perkins for Oklahoma City and Shane Battier for Memphis. Memphis won said particular meeting. All games were relatively close, with winning margins of 4-9 points. Each team scored in triple digits in all the games.

Keys for the Thunder: Shot selection. The white elephant in the room has been Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant's shot attempts. The issue is not that, because Kevin is a guy that does not really that vocal in demanding the ball. The issue is and remains to be on the decision-making Russell conducts in the process.

Keys for the Grizzlies: Paint dominance. They have two of the better (possibly the best remaining in the postseason) low post scoring options in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Mike Conley has played within himself and controlled the ebb and flow of how things roll.

X-Factor/s: It's all about the Celtic championship pride running down the veins of Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen on each side.

Prediction: Oklahoma City in 6.

Glad that Eric Abidal is back

This article (with some minor alterations) can be found on the Soccer Central Philippines website.

Taken from Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports

Lost in the limelight of FC Barcelona's 1-1 draw against Real Madrid (and 3-1 aggregate final score) in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions' League semi-final was the entry of Eric Abidal as a substitute. It occurred in the 89th minute, replacing Carles Puyol. That substitution spawned massive cheers and celebrations around the Camp Nou.



For those who were unaware, Abidal or "Abi", a French international defender, underwent emergency surgery for a liver tumor last March. His appearance in the 5th and final El Clasico of the season was his first game back since the removal of the growth. Last Monday, he rejoined the Catalan club and current La Liga leaders for full training after six weeks of rest and recuperation, a welcome presence knowing that his fellow defenders Maxwell and Adriano were both unavailable for the 2nd leg. It may only have been three minutes of game action, but those three minutes were very much cherished for Abi as he is finally back in his field of dreams.

During his absence, his fellow footballers and football fans worldwide were full of tributes wishing him well for his full recovery, from posters to shirts to tweets of support, they all want him to be back on the field as soon as he can .

With the Champions League trophy in sight at the hallowed ground of Wembley on May 28 (and the possibility of a Cup Double), the back line of FC Barcelona just got better in the most opportune time, as they prepare from an onslaught of offense from the likes of Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov, and Giggs.

With all the bad blood and besmirched reputations and allegations that marred this semifinal, Eric Abidal's return to the pitch is a glimmer of hope and positivity in football.

TWTWTNBA: Deconstructing the MVP

Congratulations to Derrick Rose, as he is officially named as the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season. He truly deserved the nod and in fact, was very humbled by it.

Typical of Derrick and his personality, he deflected the prestige of being the best player in the NBA this season, expressing instead his appreciation to Him, his teammates, Bulls management, everyone, and especially his mom Brenda for keeping him in check as he grew up in the South Side.

The Chicago Bulls won 62 games this season under their new head coach Tom Thibodeau, a 21-game improvement over last season. Not surprised that Thibs gets the Coach Of The Year nod.

This is what the 22-yr old Rose averaged this season (h/t to Basketball-Reference):

G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%
81	81	37.4	8.8	19.7	.445	1.6	4.8	.332

FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
5.9	6.9	.858	1.0	3.1	4.1	7.7	1.0	0.6	3.4	1.7	25.0

If you look at the fact that Boozer played in just 59 games (which one might say is very typical from Carlos) and Noah in only 48, and then take into consideration the huge hole at the other guard position (currently filled by Keith Bogans as the nominal starter while Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer alternate), that is a lot of carrying Derrick had to deal with during the whole season, whilst the other teams have had reliable help all year (whether it is the Celtics with their core, the Heat with theirs, Lakers with Kobe and Pau, and the Thunder with Durant and Westbrook). Not just that, the numbers Derrick put up were career highs in almost every single category, both good and bad ones.

Now, let's look at the ballot results: You have to take note that there are 120 voters from the media (composed of sportswriters and broadcasters). Fans also had a say and the NBA gave them a collective vote. That's why you'd might wonder at the excel data below why someone got 121 (Data taken from the NBA's official press release)

2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Award Results

Player, Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Total Points
Derrick Rose, Chicago	113	6	2	--	--	1182 (121)
Dwight Howard, Orlando	3	57	31	16	11	643 (118)
LeBron James, Miami	4	26	39	31	12	522 (112)
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers	1	18	32	40	12	428 (103)
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City	--	6	10	20	38	190 (74)
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas	--	5	3	11	30	113 (49)
Dwyane Wade, Miami	--	1	1	2	6	24 (10)
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio	--	2	--	--	6	20 (8)
Amar'e Stoudemire, New York	--	--	1	--	4	9 (5)
Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers	--	--	1	--	--	5 (1)
Rajon Rondo, Boston	--	--	1	--	--	5 (1)
Tony Parker, San Antonio	--	--	--	1	--	3 (1)
Chris Paul, New Orleans	--	--	--	--	2	2 (2)

I understood the landslide in the first place balloting. The Lebron backlash was not necessarily that atrocious, because he was the guy the second-most 1st-place votes with four, compared to Dwight Howard with 3. Kobe got the other remaining first place vote.

Speaking of Dwight, he was the clear 2nd-best player, he got 57 2nd-place votes. What intrigues me with him is that he had 118 media members voting for him. I wonder who were the two people who left him off their ballots.

I thought Dirk Nowitzki could have gotten more votes that what he received. Ditto for Dwayne Wade, considering the Lebron-Wade dynamic down in South Beach.

For all the sizzle that Amar'e Stoudemire had to kick off the season, that fizzled as he only was in 5 ballots. Also an interesting thing to note, Blake Griffin, Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker each got a vote.

So, a total of 13 players received votes. If we determine the All-NBA teams based on the balloting, I would go out and do it like this.

1st team All-NBA:

Guards: Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant

Forwards: Lebron James and Kevin Durant

Center: Dwight Howard

2nd team All-NBA:

Guards: Dwyane Wade and Manu Ginobili
Forwards: Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin
Center: Amar'e Stoudemire

3rd team All-NBA:

Guards: Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul (I value Paul's numbers more than Parker's)
Forwards: Lamarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love
Center: Zach Randolph

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

C/o ESPN

From the original 8, there are now just four teams left in the East. Congratulations are in order for Chicago, Miami, Boston and Atlanta. Happy trails to Orlando, New York,  Philadelphia and Indiana. Let's see how the teams and match-ups fare for this round:




1 - Chicago vs 5 - Atlanta

Regular Season  Matchup: Chicago won with 2-1 edge. All 3 games were in a span of 3 weeks in the month of March, so they already had Kirk Hinrich in tow. Josh Smith did not play in the first meeting, which was the only one that the Hawks won and was the only close game. The other two meetings were major Chi-town blowouts. Speaking of which, the second game (and first blowout) did not feature Carlos Boozer.

Keys for the Bulls: Derrick Rose went nova on the Hawks, scoring 34 and 30 in their final two meetings. Considering Kirk Hinrich is nursing a strained hamstring, the mismatch got even bigger. In both of their blowouts, they had a huge edge in rebounds, taking advantage of their athletic bigs. There is a slight concern with the ankle, though. Luol Deng has been playing well, but he is mainly benefiting from the presence of Rose and what he does as well as the attention to Boozer.

Keys for the Hawks: They pretty much frustrated Orlando in such a way that it absolutely was putrid to watch their games. Yes, it was really that difficult to watch how ugly this series got offensively. They might have to do the same thing to the probable MVP Derrick Rose. Larry Drew must realize that they don't have much depth, so they'll have to keep things close and not allow Chicago to pull away. As such, he must also figure out a way to minimize the Iso-J**** (Joe, Josh, Jamal) situations a.k.a. Clogged Toilet offense that stops ball flow. Atlanta needs to be efficient with their offense knowing their limitations.

X-Factor/s: Jamal Crawford will be absorbing most of Kirk's minutes, while Jeff Teague will be a nominal starter just like Jason Collins. Hawks cannot afford to have bad nights, so Crawford needs to get buckets. Bulls need better numbers from Carlos Boozer, who struggled mightily in the last playoff series.

Prediction: Bulls in 5.

2 - Miami vs 3 - Boston

Regular Season Matchup: Boston won with a 3-1 edge, winning the first three. It is important to note that all three wins by Boston came before the Kendrick Perkins trade. The first two games also featured Udonis Haslem for Miami, who then got hurt. Also playing in two games were the O'Neals. Shaq played in the first two, Jermaine played in the first and the last. Delonte West only played in their final meeting. The three Boston wins were close to an extent, but the Miami win was a huge blowout.

Keys for the Heat: The supporting cast. Sure, they probably have the best collection of young studs, but they can only get you so far. Will Mike Bibby, Mike Miller and James Jones be enabled to shoot? Can their collection of bigs get the job done down low, or in Z's case, make the 15 foot jumper?

Keys for the Celtics: The supporting cast. All three wins in their regular season faceoff also had a role player making a major contribution, from Glen Davis to Nate Robinson to even Von Wafer. They'll need that because it will entail a massive effort from Paul Pierce to have to deal with limiting Lebron James. Oh, and Rondo needs to get off his funk. Sure, he eviscerated the Knicks at Madison Square Garden the past game or two, but his form has been off in general compared to how he got serious MVP votes

X-Factor/s: Shaq did not play in the first round against the Knicks. He did not play in Game 1, but he did travel to Miami. As they traded away Kendrick Perkins, it is a must that Shaq plays. On the other hand, Joel Anthony has been the solid defensive presence to complement Chris Bosh, something sorely missing due to Udonis Haslem's injury. Can he keep that up? We'll see.

Prediction: Celtics in 6.

Blog Outsourcing - 5/2 edition

Hello! Good Morning.

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

I was supposed to be doing a little experimentation for today's edition of TMA. But instead, I'll have someone else speak to you.


Here forth are the links.



The Mets fittingly won yesterday in extras. Watch as sports and media merge. (c/o Huffington Post)

Also befitting, the Yankees (c/o National Post), the Nationals (c/o San Jose Mercury News) and the Pirates (c/o Bucs Dugout) (Pittsburgh being the nearest team to Shanksville, where United 93 crashed).

Tom Thibodeaux named as the Coach of the Year. I doubt that the curse it brings will affect the Bulls as they play the Hawks later today. (c/o Chicago Sun-Times)

Celtics (c/o Celtics Hub) get screwed, while the Thunder get shocked (c/o Norman Transcript).

These ain't no choking Sharks, yet. (c/o New York Times)

Time for some grease, Lightning. (c/o Washington Times)

Will this happen on Saturday / Sunday? (c/o Yahoo!)

To part, it was only yesterday that the Vatican has decided on officially beatifying Pope John Paul II. His feast day has been set for October 22, which was the day he ascended onto the Papal Throne. Sports connection? He was actually a goalkeeper in his youth. The simple song I have here is the theme song to the World Youth Day back in 1995 when it was held here.

The Aggregate Early Entry Candidates for the 2011 NBA Draft

 Taken from Draft Express.

With the NFL Draft about to commence in a matter of hours, inclusive of the chaos partially induced by Judge Nelson's recent court decision declaring the current lockout illegal, the NBA Draft is the next step. The Association just released the complete list of early entry candidates, both from the US Collegiate scene and those plying their trade overseas.

A total of 89 players, with 69 from the US, comprise the said list. From this list, the candidates can decide to withdraw their names from consideration until 5pm ET of June 13, 2011

The NBA Draft will be held on June 23 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

After the jump, you will see the enitre list of candidates.

EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES FOR 2011 NBA DRAFT
Player School Height Status
Olu Ashaolu Louisiana Tech 6-7 Junior
Keion Bell Pepperdine 6-3 Junior
Jacob Blankenship Southeastern (FL) 6-9 Junior
Laurence Bowers Missouri 6-8 Junior
Alec Burks Colorado 6-6 Sophomore
DeAngelo Casto Washington State 6-8 Junior
Roscoe Davis Midland JC (TX) 6-10 Freshman
Mamadou Diarra Chaminade (HI) 7-0 Junior
TyShwan Edmondson Austin Peay 6-4 Junior
Kim English Missouri 6-6 Junior
Ashton Gibbs Pittsburgh 6-2 Junior
Troy Gillenwater New Mexico State 6-8 Junior
Jeremy Green Stanford 6-4 Junior
Jordan Hamilton Texas 6-7 Sophomore
Tobias Harris Tennessee 6-8 Freshman
Desmond Holloway Coastal Carolina 6-3 Junior
Terrell Holloway Xavier 6-0 Junior
Tyler Honeycutt UCLA 6-8 Sophomore
Scotty Hopson Tennessee 6-7 Junior
Kyrie Irving Duke 6-2 Freshman
Reggie Jackson Boston College 6-3 Junior
Terrence Jennings Louisville 6-9 Junior
Orlando Johnson UC-Santa Barbara 6-5 Junior
Reggie Johnson Miami 6-10 Sophomore
Tiondre Johnson Coastal Bend JC (TX) 6-6 Sophomore
Kevin Jones West Virginia 6-8 Junior
Terrence Jones Kentucky 6-8 Freshman
Cory Joseph Texas 6-3 Freshman
Enes Kanter Kentucky 6-10 Freshman
Ryan Kelley Colorado 6-5 Sophomore
Dan Kelm Viterbo (WI) 6-0 Sophomore
Brandon Knight Kentucky 6-3 Freshman
Malcolm Lee UCLA 6-5 Junior
Kawhi Leonard San Diego State 6-7 Sophomore
Travis Leslie Georgia 6-4 Junior
DeAndre Liggins Kentucky 6-6 Junior
David Loubeau Texas A&M 6-8 Junior
Shelvin Mack Butler 6-3 Junior
Greg Mangano Yale 6-10 Junior
Keishawn Mayes Campbell 6-7 Junior
Cameron Moore Alabama-Birmingham 6-10 Junior
Darius Morris Michigan 6-4 Sophomore
Marcus Morris Kansas 6-9 Junior
Markieff Morris Kansas 6-10 Junior
Darrion Pellum Hampton 6-6 Junior
J.P. Primm North Carolina-Asheville 6-1 Junior
Willie Reed St. Louis 6-9 Sophomore
Jereme Richmond Illinois 6-7 Freshman
Ralph Sampson III Minnesota 6-11 Junior
Carleton Scott Notre Dame 6-8 Junior
Josh Selby Kansas 6-3 Freshman
Iman Shumpert Georgia Tech 6-5 Junior
John Shurna Northwestern 6-8 Junior
Chris Singleton Florida State 6-9 Junior
Greg Smith Fresno State 6-10 Sophomore
Tony Taylor George Washington 6-1 Junior
Isaiah Thomas Washington 5-8 Junior
Trey Thompkins Georgia 6-10 Junior
Hollis Thompson Georgetown 6-7 Sophomore
Klay Thompson Washington State 6-6 Junior
Tristan Thompson Texas 6-8 Freshman
Thomas Tibbs Jr. Staten Island 5-10 Junior
Nikola Vucevic Southern California 6-10 Junior
Kemba Walker Connecticut 6-1 Junior
Antoine Watson Florida International 6-4 Junior
Charlie Westbrook South Dakota 6-4 Junior
Derrick Williams Arizona 6-8 Sophomore
Jordan Williams Maryland 6-10 Sophomore
Brandon Wood Valparaiso 6-2 Junior


The following is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into the 2011 NBA Draft:

Player Team/Country* Height Status__
Andrew Albicy Paris-Levallois (France) 5-10 1990 DOB
Furkan Aldemir Karsiyaka (Turkey) 6-9 1991 DOB
Davis Bertans Union Olimpija (Slovenia) 6-7 1992 DOB
Bismack Biyombo Fuenlabrada (Spain) 6-9 1992 DOB
Nihad Djedovic Lottomatica Roma (Italy) 6-5 1990 DOB
Emmanouil Koukoulas Ilysiakos (Greece) 6-11 1991 DOB
Joffrey Lauvergne Chalon (France) 6-10 1991 DOB
Abdoulaye Loum Le Havre (France) 6-10 1991 DOB
Nikola Mirotic Real Madrid (Spain) 6-10 1991 DOB
Donatas Motiejunas Benetton Treviso (Italy) 7-0 1990 DOB
Lucas Riva Nogueira Estudiantes II (Spain) 6-11 1992 DOB
Femi Oladipo Crailsheim (Germany) 6-7 1990 DOB
Leon Radosevic Cibona (Croatia) 6-10 1990 DOB
Negueba Samake Rouen (France) 6-11 1990 DOB
Tornike Shengelia Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium) 6-9 1991 DOB
Abdel Kader Sylla Nancy (France) 6-9 1990 DOB
Jonas Valanciunas Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) 6-11 1992 DOB
Jan Vesely Partizan (Serbia) 6-11 1990 DOB
Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann Telekom (Germany) 6-10 1990 DOB
Tomislav Zubcic Cibona (Croatia) 7-0 1990 DOB

 *Country indicates where team is based, not country of nationality.

The 2011 NBA Playoff Context (Western Conference)

With the 2011 playoffs having commenced with all teams getting a taste of the playoff action, it is time to peer into what I see.

Since no one is aware, this is how I picked the West 1st round: San Antonio in 6, Los Angeles in 4, Portland in 6, Oklahoma City in 7.



1 - San Antonio

The Good: They missed Manu in Game 1. His presence is essential in their win on Game 2. Tony Parker has been fine in the three games. We know Tim Duncan is on a decline, but he still can dominate if he wants to.

The Bad: The Gasol-Randolph bruise brothers are just dominating against TD, Blair, Dice, Bonner.

The X-Factor/s: Richard Jefferson can be lost in the shuffle with TP9, TD and Manu all afoot, but he has been a modest contributor.

2 - Los Angeles

The Good: Kobe Bryant and his determination. After his performance in Game 1, he decided to use the energy to try to D up CP3. It limited his production on the offensive end, but it did affect Chris' numbers. However, all eyes are now on his ankle. Lamar Odom just won the 6th Man of the Year and showcased the reason why in Game 2 as Kobe focused on the defensive end. Ron Artest making major offensive contributions (31 pts in the first 2 games).

The Bad: Pau Gasol has been really soft in this series. Someone needs to knock some sense into him.

The X-Factor/s: The steadiness of Andrew Bynum continues. Double-double average so far. He's a major reason why they're controlling the boards.

3 - Dallas

The Good: The Mavs deciding to use a time machine and use it for Jason Kidd in this series and Peja Stojakovic in Game 2. Dirk being Dirk as he goes for 28 in Game 1 and 33 in Game 2, while making 28/30 shots in this series from the charity stripe.

The Bad: Minimal rebounding numbers. Shawn Marion being really quiet on the stat sheet.

The X-Factor/s:Without Beaubois, It's up to the liliputian backcourt (Terry, Barea) to step it up offensively, as you're pretty much getting next to nothing from Deshawn Stevenson. Having Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood tag-teaming on Aldridge makes sense.

4 - Oklahoma City

The Good: That someone has stepped up to provide offensive oomph alongside KD and Russ. Has been different guys. From Maynor in Game 1 to Ibaka in Game 3, someone has joined in the offensive cudgels.

The Bad: Not much, but they are still prone to being victimized by spurts. That's mainly due to the team's relative youth as a whole, especially their core guys. Oh, as you saw in Game 4, Russell Westbrook took more shots than Durant, 30 to 18.

The X-Factor/s: We know what KD and Russ would do. We don't know how much Serge can do alongside Perk. Well, Ibaka has been a monster alonside the Scowl, especially in Game 3.

5 - Denver

The Good: The relative balance. Virtually anyone can rack up points anytime at any point.

The Bad: Lack of a real go-to-option late in games. That happens when you trade Carmelo. George Karl will probably go with the hot hand, but it has be from whatever Ty Lawson sees. Defense has been an issue with how they have been lit up by Durant and Westbrook and in Game 3, Ibaka.

The X-Factor/s: JR Smith. He simply can shoot you into games, like he almost did in Game 3. Or drive you crazy. All in a matter of minutes. The most volatile person on the Nugget roster. Oh, and the health of Arron Afflalo is a key. He's one of the sought after defenders that they can put on either Durant or Westbrook.

6 - Portland

The Good: Lamarcus Aldridge's emergence continues into the post-season. Someone from the wings has been stepping up. Still needs them most, if not all, to click to ensure victory.

The Bad: Brandon Roy being reduced to a non-factor early, no thanks to the mismatches caused by the lilliputian yet speedy Mavericks backcourt, although he proved us wrong in the last 2 games (especially in Game 4).

The X-Factor/s: Andre Miller has to have a heady and steady play at the point, because of Roy's state.

7 - New Orleans

The Good: CP3 made sure people know that it is not just about the likes of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. Trevor Ariza in Game 2 showing why the Lakers immediately sought his services when he was in Orlando during their Finals tussle. He has been the other major minute burner for the team.

The Bad: Lack of rebounding strength, and that is without Pau for the Lakers.

The X-Factor/s: Carl Landry needs to approximate the numbers David West had. Jarret Jack also needs to keep the offense going as both CP3's chief reliever and wingman. Aaron Gray's ankle.

8 - Memphis

The Good: Marc Gasol has been the better Gasol in the playoffs. Zach Randolph has been a beast, giving San Antonio fits alongside the Wendigo. Tony Allen has personified how the Grizzlies are now as a team.

The Bad: They're still a turnover-prone bunch, which is a given due to their lack of experience and relative youth. They also get into stretches where they go into droughts, which would be minimized if Rudy Gay was not injured.

The X-Factor/s: OJ Mayo seems to have accepted his role as the key 6th Man for the Grizz. A team with little oomph offensively as it is right now without Gay, OJ needs to literally juice things up.

Blog Outsourcing - 4/25 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

Happy Easter, everyone. The significance of the holiday for Christians all across the world signifies one's faith.

"If you have faith, you have hope. And if you have hope, you have life."

I love that quote. And more impressively, that quote came from Sixers head coach Doug Collins.

Easter means the end of Lent. It means the end of my sort of penance. Mine has been to not to order burgers and fries for the entire span. Yup, 39 days of no burgers. (I did have a one day cheat by having this). Now I can finally have my taste of Baconators, Big Macs, Double Downs, Champs, etc.

Lots of great action over the past two days in the Association. It would be a total shame if both the owners and the players decided to chuck it all away with a stupid lockout, I tell you.

So what went on in the NBA Playoffs? Here is my take on the scene.
The Celtics easily dispatched the Knicks via a sweep (c/o Newark Star-Ledger). Quite simply, no Billups? Gimpy Amar'e? No chance. That buys time for the C's with Shaq (Boston Herald), whom they'll need in the next round. As for the Knicks, all about whether Donnie (c/o Sporting News) stays and to a lesser extent, D'Antoni.

The Sixers denied Miami the privilege of sweeping them (c/o Miami Herald). Heat can be great when they have their 2 1/2 Men on full blast, but sometimes, just 5 five field goals from your seven other players might not cut it on some days.

Just like the Sixers, the Indiana Pacers also denied Chicago a chance at a sweep (c/o Indianapolis Star). Derrick Rose (c/o Chicago Now) will be just fine, so never fear. In other notes, Jeff Foster has been upgraded (c/o Chicago Daily Herald).

The shocker has been how Atlanta has continued their in-season form against the Magic. They're one game away from advancing (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Yup, they won their latest without Zaza Pachulia (c/o SB Nation) and withstood the charge from Gilbert Arenas (c/o Magic Playoff Beard). With Rick Adelman just wandering around, the pressure is on for Stan Van Gundy.

The maddening JR Smith. He first hints he may not sign with the Nuggets (c/o Scoop Du Jour). Then, he almost single-handedly got them back in Game 3 (c/o The Oklahoman). Still, the Thunder are up 3-0 and are looking towards advancing.
Brandon Roy may be far from his all-star days due to his knees, but he can still get it done for the Trail Blazers (c/o Portland Tribune). Mavs paranoia reigns again.

Lakers got Jack'd up (c/o New Orleans Times Picayune). Chris Paul has the same number of triple-doubles as a Hornet with Baron Davis. Kobe sprained his ankle, spawning lots of buzz against low-cut sneakers (c/o OC Register).

Speaking of Gasols, the one who's playing better is the one in Memphis, as they have a 2-1 lead over the top-ranked San Antonio Spurs (c/o Today). Nope, there will be some Dice action later (c/o Project Spurs).

Here forth are the other links:

Yes, my beloved Bolton Wanderers beat the Kroenke Gunners (c/o The Guardian).

The guy worth 50 million pounds finally paid off. *sarcasm* (c/o Caught Offside)

Real Madrid get a replica after they dropped it. (c/o Inside World Soccer) Meanwhile, they (c/o Scottish Daily Record) and Barcelona (c/o Tribal Football) did fine in their warm-up for their huge Champions' League donnybrook this week.

Shakira and her boyfriend are getting it on whilst the game is going on. (c/o Dirty Tackle)

Can you imagine if there was promotion-relegation in the four major American professional sports? (c/o MLS Talk)

David Beckham has gotten "the plush invite." (c/o NDTV) Here are the others. (c/o The Sun)

Eric Cantona has a plan for the New York Cosmos. I think it is inevitable that if LA has two teams in MLS, NY should have two of their own as well. (c/o ESPN)

Moneyball making its way to Liverpool (c/o NESN)

Finally, a Klitchko agrees to fight David Haye. (c/o Boxing Scene)


At least we know someone who's doing fine with the lockout ongoing. (c/o Chicago Tribune)

Could be the end for Randy Couture (c/o MMA Weekly).

Giddy for GSP vs Shields (c/o Fighters)?

Poker being compared to the Prohibition era. (c/o Los Angeles Times)

Hindsight is 20/20, Rich Rod (c/o Orlando Sentinel).

Hey, there was a spring game in Columbus. (c/o Eleven Warriors)

Gee thanks, Janoris Jenkins. (c/o Lost Lettermen)

How Jim Larranaga became the head man in Miami. (c/o South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Interesting possible list of Larranaga replacements for George Mason (c/o Washington Examiner)

The Blackhawks just. won't. die. Game 7 beckons. (c/o Vancouver Sun)

Flyers and Sabres also have a duel to come. (c/o Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Predators finally advance (c/o On The Forecheck). Yup. More hockey in Tennessee.

Obviously, he has never been to the Winnipeg scene. (c/o AZCentral)

The Habs are now on the microscope. (c/o Globe and Mail)

Sharks try again. (c/o The Union of Grass Valley) So do the Pens (c/o Fox News).

Feels good for the Caps to exorcise their first round woes (c/o Washington Times).

What's new in the Brandon Marshall scenario? (c/o The Phinsider)

Jerryworld and bowling. Who knew? (c/o FS Southwest)

Could the Dodgers take a cue from the Packers? (c/o Forbes)

The #herewestay meme might have just worked. For now. (c/o Sports Illustrated)

Letting you know where is Paul Harris right now (c/o Niagara Gazette).

Parting gift: Here's a little 30 seconds to Mars

The 2011 NBA Playoff Context (Eastern Conference)

With the 2011 playoffs having commenced with all teams getting a taste of the playoff action, it is time to peer into what I see.

Since no one is aware, this is how I picked the East 1st round: Chicago in 4, Miami in 4, Boston in 6, Orlando in 6.




1 - Chicago

The Good: Derrick Rose stamping his class so far. 39 in Game 1 and 36 in Game 2. 66 free throw attempts in 2 games is amazing.

The Bad: The Game 1 performance of Carlos Boozer is not ideal. At least, the bounce back was admirable Also, poor shooting numbers from Joakim Noah in both games. The rebounding numbers and the defense have been ok, to his credit.

The X-Factor/s: The Bulls are totally dependent on Rose for their rhythm. It is essential and important that they need to dispatch this Pacer team to get him rest. At least, for their sake, they are not getting the Heat or the Celtics in the next round. CJ Watson needs to be a really adequate back-up. They also need production from their other guard complementing Rose. Kyle Korver was that in Game 1 with 13 and CJ scored 7 on Game 2.

2 - Miami

The Good: Their team defense has been holding up well as the Sixers have shot 41% and 34% on both games. They're slowly figuring things out on how they can succeed. Game 2 was a blowout, but in Game 1, Wade was doing the closing.

The Bad: Mike Miller being a total dud so far, with a combined total of 5 minutes in 2 games. The specter of migraines for Dwayne Wade almost cost him Game 2.

The X-Factor/s: Joel Anthony. The Heat need someone to do the dirty work and be the defensive workhorse and enforcer, especially since your fellow big man is Chris Bosh. So far, he's been doing the job that Udonis ought to be handling. With Lebron now doing most of the ballhandling chores, perimeter shooting is a need, and the likes of James Jones, Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby need to make 'em jumpers.

3 - Boston

The Good: Jermaine O'Neal being alive. He was 6/6 in Game 1. He wasn't needed that much in Game 2 because of Amar'e situation. The RPGA Tour is humming. Jesus Shuttlesworth scored the winning basket in Game 1. Rondo flirted with a sneaky trip-double (10-9-9) in that game, then scored 30 in Game 2. 2 playoff games, 2 double-doubles for Garnett.

The Bad: Still no Shaq in sight. Bench contributions have been minimal at best, but they could do much better.

The X-Factor/s: Jeff Green needs to convince us all that he's a quality reserve. I am also a little disappointed that Big Baby really not getting much love in the 6th Man voting.


4 - Orlando

The Good: Dwight Howard being a modern facsimile of what Wilt was back in the day. Jameer Nelson's scoring output during the 3rd quarter of Game 1. Their defense in Game 2.

The Bad: Outside shooting has been bad. 45 attempts and 22% shooting from beyond the arc so far. Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu have been really disappointing.

The X-Factor/s: Someone other than Dwight and Jameer need to step up. Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson scored 8 apiece after getting goose eggs on Game 1.

5 - Atlanta

The Good: Hawks coach Larry Drew taking a page from the Doc Rivers / Gregg Popovich playbook on how to handle Dwight Howard. It has worked somehow in both games. Kirk Hinrich being a steady presence at the point. The J's presence offensively (Joe, Jamal, Josh).

The Bad: Their shooting in Game 2. Larry Drew's bench Horford if he gets 2 fouls for the rest of the 1st half principle.Marvin Williams so far.

The X-Factors: They amassed a roster of role bigs (Jason Collins, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Powell, Etan Thomas in Game 1, Hilton Armstrong in Game 2) designed to shadow Dwight one-on-one. That's a lot of fouls they can use. Any positive contributions they produce is a bonus.

6 - New York

The Good: Amar'e had his way with whoever guarded him in Game 1.Carmelo also had his way, especially when he was the only one left standing with the injuries. He scored 42 in the loss. Another thing, considering their situation, they have not yet been blown out to smithereens.

The Bad: The final minute of Game 1 was a head-scratcher for the Knicks. Chauncey Billups missed Game 2 and is still unknown when he'll return. Amar'e had back spasms and only played 17.5 minutes in Game 2. The 0/11 Bill Walker put up. The non-existence of Landry Fields in both games.

The X-Factor/s: Toney Douglas has been a bright surprise for New York in minimizing the loss of Mr. Big Shot. He can shoot the three and can score in bunches if allowed to do so.

7 - Philadelphia

The Good: Thaddeus Young becoming an option. He finished a far third in the 6th Man voting won by Lamar Odom, he already has been the top scorer for both games. They have done well from beyond the three-point line in the past two games. They shot better there than their overall shooting in Game 2.

The Bad: They can't make buckets.They can't get rebounds (39 with -13 and 40 with -6, respectively). Elton Brand just mustering 3 points in Game 2.

The X-Factor/s: Andre Iguodala needs to pick it up offensively. He has been great in reprising his Team USA role for Philly this season. Although, his eventually successor to that role (Evan Turner) did well in Game 2 amidst the blowout loss.

8 - Indiana

The Good: They have yet to be blown out by the Bulls so far, which is a plus.  In fact, they have competed well and might even say were better than the Bulls for stretches. Having Paul George guard Derrick Rose has been effective at times.

The Bad: Darren Collison's ankle injury in Game 2. They also shot 41.6% overall in Game 2.

The X-Factor/s: AJ Price played adequate in Darren's absence. If he can't play, they'll need a career night from him. The North Carolina connection of Hansbrough (UNC) and McRoberts (Duke) need to play well to match the impact Carlos Boozer provides.

Blog Outsourcing - 4/18 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of the Morning After.



Yesterday is Palm Sunday in the Roman Catholic calendar scheme of things, so this will be a special week. Holy Week means a time to reflect on its significance on the Christian context. You probably heard of people in my 'hood getting crucified as a way of expressing their faith and belief and devotion. No, I am not going to go to that level of expression, but I do have my own ways.

Might as well do my own little TWTWTNBA via the links, so to start if off, here is a preview vignette c/o Two Man Game via Youtube). You want more in depth, check my site later.



I originally pegged a Laker sweep of the Hornets, but CP3 willed New Orleans to victory with a 33-7-14 monster stat line. (c/o Sports Illustrated) Hidden in that was the idea that the Lake Show only forced 3 turnovers.

I had pegged the Spurs to advance in 6, so it is inevitable that the Grizz to seal their first-ever win in the playoffs (c/o Memphis Commercial Appeal). Oh, it has been a huge day for the Battiers (c/o Ball Don't Lie) and also for Z-Bo (c/o ProBasketball Talk).

I had pegged the Blazers to beat the Mavs in 6. Unfortunately, there was some sort of home cooking Dallas (c/o Mavs Moneyball) provided for Portland to taste. It left Nate McMillan with a bitter taste in the mouth (c/o Inside Hoops).

I had pegged the Thunder to beat the Nuggets in 7. Thunder pull out the win (c/o The Oklahoman). Boy, it had the social media abuzz with a certain goal-tending non-call (c/o Real Aspen). And you will not be getting incendiary comments / retorts from Kevin Durant anytime. He's too nice.

I had pegged the C's in 6 over the Knicks. Jesus Shuttlesworth (c/o Boston Herald) just showed us why Bill Simmons values him more over Reggie Miller. But Knicks got no chance if Billups (c/o MassLive) will be sidelined for a while. Oh, who knew that Jermaine O'Neal (c/o Sporting News) was the go-to- O'Neal for this game?

I had pegged the Bulls to sweep the Pacers, but Danny Granger was *that* close to winning this game. It's just the guy (c/o Indianapolis Star) he compared to a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend (c/o Cosby Sweaters) just raised the ante. Yup, A Rose is a rose is a MVP.

I also had pegged the Heat to sweep the Sixers, but just like the Bulls, the Heat (c/o Miami Herald) can figure things out just like that. Again, Wade is the closer. Lebron needs to feed him the ball and let him do his schtick.

I had pegged the Magic to beat the Hawks in 6, but the Hawks somehow successfully allowed Dwight Howard to dominate and still won the game (c/o SB Nation Atlanta). That's surely going to make someone's day a little more frustrating, eh? (c/o Magic Playoff Beard)

For non-NBA Playoff links:

MLS should bring back the New York Cosmos (c/o New York Times).

The 1st El Clasico of 4 in a span of 18 days began with a simple draw that in all likelihood, sealed FC Barcelona's La Liga title. (c/o The Guardian). Up next, the Copa Del Rey match at the Mestalla on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

The FA Cup Final is set in stone at Wembley. Manchester City (c/o The Daily Mail) and Stoke (c/o The Sun) will face off. Stoke already playing with house money because they're guaranteed to play in Europe (Via the Europa League, thanks to City being ensured with a Champions League spot due to their current placement as one of the top 4 teams in the Barclays Premier League.) As a Bolton Wanderers fan, it was an excruciating experience.

In other English football news, Arsenal only drew with Liverpool, increasing the chances of Manchester United sealing their title hopes. (c/o A Different League)

Goooooooooooooooaaaaaaaallllll!!!!! Dutch treat! (c/o SB Nation)

I guess the American invasion into football ownership is not just an English matter. (c/o BBC Sport)

Gareth Bale is the best player in the EPL. (c/o London Telegraph)

Brad Penny is one very very lucky guy (c/o Moondog Sports)

The Red Sox won and yet they still have the fewest wins in the majors. (c/o Boston Globe) At least Josh Beckett is doing quite ok. (c/o WEEI)

Jason Heyward is batting second. Finally. (c/o Talking Chops)

It still remains Opposite Day in the AL Central, as Cleveland (c/o Massillon Independent) and Kansas City (c/o Kansas City Star) are still neck-and-neck.

Nice to know leaving Rihanna is paying dividends for Matt Kemp (c/o Los Angeles Times).

Good luck with rules enforcement, NCAA Football. (USA Today)

Steve Spurrier gets paid. (c/o The Gamecock)

The Champs get a parade. W00t! (c/o The Day)

These guys might be the first batch to be affected by the new CBA. (c/o Slam Online)

Andre Berto (c/o The Cruelest Sport) and Juan Manuel Lopez (c/o Doghouse Boxing) have been dropped from the ranks of the unbeatens.

Meanwhile, The Wrath of Khan wants Pacquiao if he is able to beat Timothy Bradley. (c/o Scottish Daily Record)

7 straight Monte Carlo Masters titles. Wow. (c/o Tennis Earth)

Quite simply, Talladega. It was wild. (c/o From The Marbles)

As a fan of Formula 1, I relish the idea of its drivers making headway into NASCAR. I want to see the Iceman do it. (c/o Speed)

Lewis Hamilton ends the Vettel charge. (c/o The National)

Canucks just keep on rollin' (c/o Vancouver Sun) Oh, and if you think the Timbers Army is raucous, well, Canadians raise the ante up a notch. (c/o Youtube via Bill Simmons)

Wings without Zetterberg (c/o Detroit News)? Flyers without Pronger? (c/o Philadelphia Inquirer)

Parting shot, because it's Angry Birds:

MLB Divisional Realignment - A Possible What If? Moment

Bud Selig has been quoted as saying that he is tinkering with the idea of divisional realignment. Sometimes, talk is talk. Most of us are proactive people. I believe someone already provided a link to a possible realignment on the basis of 2 teams getting contracted, which I doubt will happen.

The more probable solution would to add 2 more teams, and then create a fourth division. The wildcard will have to go unless you expand the playoffs, which might be too taxing for their own ends. So, only the division winners get playoff aspirations. To make the divisions geographically sound and snippy, I made it predetermined to select the appropriate places for expansion.



The American League

AL North: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto. Toronto is the lucky team that gets to escape the shadow of the Yankees and Red Sox. For the White Sox and Tigers, there is no way they ought to be screwing things up with the plucky Twins no longer being the default choice of many to win the division.

AL Pacific: Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, AL Expansion Team (Vancouver / Portland): The teams with a coastline will get an expansion team in the Pacific Northwest, where a rivalry with the Mariners would stoke the region.

AL East: Baltimore, Boston, New York, AL Expansion Team (Tennessee / Carolina). Looks like Baltimore will the unlucky team that still has to be stuck with the Yankees and the Red Sox. And the expansion team will be the one being fed to the lions.

AL MidWest: Colorado, Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas. In order to acquire the Rockies, we had to trade away the Rays, because they are the geographic misfit of the American League. The Royals and the Twins from the old AL Central and the Rangers from the old AL West join them in what looks to be one long ball of a division.

The National League

NL West: Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego. Probably the easiest division to form, with all being clumped together in the southwest corner. Also preserves the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.

NL East: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, Washington. The Pirates get ported from the old Central to the East. There is some major level of losing, with the current state of the Pirates and Nationals, to the traditionally mediocre Mets, and the Phillies being the team with the most number of losses amongst all the MLB teams.

NL North: Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis. The old rivalries between the Cardinals and Cubs as well as the dynamics of the Reds and the Brewers make this formerly known as the NL Central intriguing.

NL South: Atlanta, Florida, Houston, Tampa Bay. This new division takes Houston from the old NL Central and the Marlins and the Braves of the NL East. They also acquire the Rays, which makes geographic sense and does not necessarily have the traditional pedigree.

Permanent Interleague Rival Designates:

NYY vs NYM, KC vs STL, LAA vs LAD, BAL vs WSH, CLE vs CIN, CHW vs CHC, TEX vs HOU, OAK vs SF

The other 8 match-ups will be on a rotation, along with the interleague inter division match-up.

Blog Outsourcing - 4/11 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

The office confines had a very very interesting visitor during the past week, as long-time NBA veteran A.C. Green actually visited the office and said hello. As part of the occasion, the peeps can opt to shelve the normal attire for the jersey of my fave team. I, of course, opted to go with my alma mater. I seized the opportunity and had a picture taken with him. Looking at the picture, I really have to figure out losing weight. I might turn into Big D's mini-me. (if I haven't already evolved into one)

A.C. was in the country as part of the Jr. NBA Training Program, which is a means to preserve the future of Philippine basketball by finding, then developing, young promising cagers from all across the Motherland. It's a little disappointing that I failed you guys in getting a more investigative interview or something similar, but then again, it'll pale in comparison to someone who pulled off the Matt Bowen interview.


Meanwhile, I also had the chance to visit the Manila International Auto Show. Here's a little snapshot of my visit.

Here forth are the links to make your week:

The Boston Red Sox (c/o Newark Star-Ledger) are a game ahead of my Tampa Bay Rays (c/o Creative Loafing Tampa). And my Rays only have one win.

Beantown on lockdown. (c/o Boston Herald)

15 k's for Jered Weaver. (c/o Los Angeles Times)

Matt Holliday lost an appendix, but it's all good. (c/o San Jose Mercury News)

Imagine if the Bryan Stow incident transpired in Philadelphia. (c/o Philly2Philly). Meanwhile, expect top-notch security at  Chavez Ravine (c/o New York Daily News).

It's nice to know that Cleveland (c/o GoErie) and Kansas City (c/o SB Nation Kansas City) are on the leaderboard. Could it be Opposite Day?

Miami finally figuring out Boston? (c/o Miami Herald)

Lakers now sputtering to the finish line. Still willing to give them a pass. (c/o Lake Show Life)

Looks like Joe Dumars will get a free hand. Although, it is probably inevitable that Kuester is screwed. (c/o The Detroit News)

Jenn Sterger ain't a gold-digger. (c/o Huffington Post)

Mark Richt is already behind the 8-ball with his attempt to save his job. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

UNLV goes back to its Tark roots. (c/o CBS Sports)

Manchester United remains on track to seal their league title. (c/o Telegraph)

Louis Van Gaal gets Ned Yost'd. (c/o Dirty Tackle)

The St. Louis Rams have a new cousin in Arsenal (c/o World Soccer). They are the third "cousin" tandem after the Bucs and Manchester United (c/o the Glazer family) as well as Liverpool and the Red Sox (c/o Fenway and as of late, Lebron James)

4 El Clasicos in a stretch of 18 days is, in all likelihood, imminent. Isn't that a great thing? (c/o The Guardian)

Erik Morales had a Rocky Balboa moment. (c/o Underdog Boxing)

A view into the right-hand man of the boxing icon. (c/o Solar Sports)

I will choose to believe this more if the news actually came from your end of the woods and not ours. (c/o Philippine Star)

Congrats to Charl. He got green (c/o New York Post).

And to part, here is an interesting modern take into an old classic song by The Human League.

Deconstructing the From the Stands Podcast - Episode 10

Being friends of the people involved the From the Stands podcast, I always download and listen to their shows over its different iterations. I decided to finally give in and deconstruct their discussions onto a post.

The first episode I will decipher and react to would be Episode 10.




Rain or Shine: I think the great stretch that RoS had can be attributed to the cupcake start to the conference. With the format being a quick single round robin, it would be advantageous to have a quick start, which they did in winning three straight. Sure helps when you have an import like Hassan Adams.


B-Meg vs SMART Gilas: What made that game fun was that at the same time it was being played (It was on a Wednesday), was that simultaneous to it, the Philippine Men's Football Team, or most commonly known as the Azkals, were playing in Burma against Palestine. That game was not shown on live television, but most of us were tracking the tweets as it came. Both games went down the wire, making it a double thriller when we were at the NSG.

SMART Gilas: If you look at the international game now, the three-pointer have become THE weapon of choice for the offense. The main reason we needed Marcus was that need for a legitimate big man who will do the dirty work. One might say, a really really bigger version of Marc Pingris or Doug Kramer. In the PBA, given the lack of size, it bodes well for us to take advantage of Marcus in the pain, thus the huge numbers he is putting up. It's clear what the roles are on the team. You are either one or more of the following: distributor, creator, shooter, defender, hustler. If you can do more than one of those, that would be even better.


On Japeth Aguilar: He screams (to borrow Dick Vitale's terms) Potenial! Potential! Potential! On the cusp of possibly becoming an Ateneo legend, he abruptly goes to the States to pursue his dream, entering Western Kentucky and becoming the first Filipino on the roster of a team in the NCAA Tournament in the modern era. Unfortunately, he never really got on track to playing for Darrin Horn (who recruited him there) due to an injury, then when Ken McDonald took over as Horn left for South Carolina, he did not get much floor burn. It's definitely a an issue with confidence for him. Not just that, he is also having an identity crisis as to what his exact role is. He looks like a stretch four like a Channing Frye but he could be more than that. I agree that our patience is wearing thin on him, but there is still time for him to rectify some things and habits.

Greg Slaughter: It's nice to know he has stepped up in play when he is being asked to contribute as the main back-up for Marcus. It's also encouraging that he's going to be even better come the UAAP season.

Chris Tiu: If you are a PBA team looking for maximizing marketing potential, he is probably the biggest meal ticket in a while. With his squeaky-clean reputation, no franchise can refuse his charm. He'd be a mighty fine backup combo guard for a good team who could start in a pinch.

Nelson Asaytono vis-a-vis Kerby Raymundo: It's like the Amar'e Stoudemire vis-a-vis Carlos Boozer. The Bull was an unstoppable force on the offensive end, unleashing hell on whoever tried to defend him. Kerby on the other hand, can be an unstoppable force if he decided to turn on the jets, but also recognizes that he can contirbute on other aspects as well as be deferring when needed to. He also inherited the perpetually injured gene likewise.

The New York Knicks: The three were trying to figure out the malaise that affected the Knicks, pointing out the Melo trade and whether they should have pulled the trigger. I believe we have gone through that road previously. I think the hosts missed what probably is the most important issue that is ailing them during the stretch (7-11 record in March, including a 6-game losing streak), which has always been the lack of a consistent effort on the defensive end. They allowed an average of 106.3 PPG in March. That, of course, is par for the course in the SSOL of D'Antoni. People also have to realize that the Knicks are still an unfinished product that is happy to have made their return to the playoffs.

Post-AS Weekend runs of LA and Chicago: Let me show you how good the Lakers are when they decide to just turn it on.(ATL, @POR, LAC, @OKC, @MIN, CHA, @SAS, @ATL, @MIA, @DAL, ORL, MIN, POR, PHO, LAC, NOH, DAL, @UTA, DEN). Just two losses (Miami and Denver) during that span. Said interval also showed a commitment to defense. If you look at the box scores, there were just 3 games where the opponent scores 100+ and 8 games where opponent scores 90+. The champs are currently chasing down Spurs (2.5 games back from home court as of the time I was writing this). But the more important underlying current is that they're 1 game back from Chicago and 2 ahead of Boston (again, as of the time I am writing this). Lakers want to secure home court if they ever make it back to the Finals, especially if the Celtics win the East.

Lebron James & Liverpool

We all know about Lebron and his desire to become a global icon. That is probably one reason why he left Cleveland for South Beach.
According to Wikipedia (which you may take seriously or not):

Endorsements

James has endorsement contracts with Nike, Sprite, Glacéau, Bubblicious, Upper Deck, McDonald's and State Farm.^[132][133] With Nike, James has released six signature shoe styles, and four additional shoes (20–5–5, Soldier, Soldier 2, Ambassador). He has acted in a 2007 series of commercials called "The LeBrons", as well as had his likeness voiced by Kenan Thompson in a 2009 commercial series titled "MVPuppets". In December 2007, James was ranked at #1 in the Forbes Top 20 Earners Under 25 with annual earnings of $27 million.^[134]

Now, Lebron, Inc. takes the next step in building his brand in an attempt to be a global marketing tool. He is now a minority owner of Liverpool FC. Yes, the team with the iconic anthem.


As such, maybe he is the magic talisman that would bring luck and hope to a star-crossed franchise. Wait, I think I have seen this scenario before...