Blog Outsourcing - 11/28/11

Welcome to this week's edition of The Morning After.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving Weekend. Thanksgiving is an opportunity for everyone to be appreciative and reflective. I hope you were able to do that with you and your families.

What I am thankful for is that basketball is coming soon to you and yours. It was a warm Saturday afternoon watching live futbol action outside when my twitter timeline just got flooded by stuff from the likes of Woj, Sheridan, Stein and Bucher.

I am pleased that the NBA is back. Hopefully, all the fine lines are smoothed over. The t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. You can get better enjoyment from your football and baseball. My groove is with basketball and now futbol.

Here forth are the links after the jump.
Things are not Fine at Syracuse. (c/o Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician)

The First Fan in action. (c/o Global Grind)

ONIONS! seen at Cameron Indoor West. (c/o Charlotte Observer)

Viva Las Vegas for the Runnin' Rebels. (c/o The Daily Tar Heel)

The perils of tweeting abound, Alex Oriakhi. (c/o The UConn blog)

They miss Steve Lavin. (c/o New York Post)

Ron Zook crashed and burned. (c/o Hail to the Orange)

Two seasons and it's that for Turner Gill. (c/o The Wichita Eagle)

You deserve to be fired when USC is ineligible and you could not win the division that you're favored to win easily, Dennis. (c/o Arizona Republic)

Quite literally, it's BCS or Bust for UCLA. (c/o Los Angeles Times)

Regardless, he should be invited to New York City. (c/o MVP Texas)

Parrish > Lefty. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

The Luke Fickell interregnum. (c/o The Lantern)

The Leader is having a Ball, while waiting for the Spartan Legend at Indianapolis. (c/o Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel & Big Ten Network)

Could Mark Ingram's successor duplicate it? (c/o Sports Grid)

LSU stamping class. Guide if you want to watch it again. (c/o And The Valley Shook)

San Diego gets Tebow'd. (c/o Denver Post)

Matt Leinart is clearly not fit for pro ball. However, Texans still win. (c/o Houston Chronicle)

Raiders get a kick out of the Bears. (c/o San Jose Mercury News)

Just fitting for Ndamukong. (c/o Yahoo!'s Shutdown Corner)

Stevie J in bad taste? But Plax gets final say. (c/o Newark Star-Ledger and New York Times)

Remember Troy Brown in his later years? Meet Julian Edelman. (c/o WEEI)

Astros pressing reset button. (c/o USA Today)

Bobby or Gene, what's it gonna be, Ben? (c/o Call To The Pen)

All systems go for Cotto versus Margarito. (c/o Doghouse Boxing)

It's a great achievement for a team when you last tasted defeat before this was back in April. (c/o The Guardian)

RIP Gary Speed. (c/o The London Telegraph)

Where to, Becks? (c/o BBC Sport)

Lebron 1 - Marc Stein 1. (c/o Belfast Telegraph)

Magpies deny Red Devil satisfaction. (The Daily Mail)

So, you probably had one of this after the long holiday weekend.

Texas State Champions

You got to love college sports. They always bring out the creative minds of the youth. Whether it is from the Philippines or overseas, if you have something creative, it might just be on a shirt.

The latest neat idea came from the twitter feed of CNBC's Darren Rovell, who tweets sports-related stuff from the business perspective. He is referring to 11th ranked Kansas State (15th if you ask USA Today and 16th if you ask the Associated Press), currently toting a 9-2 record (6-2 in Big 12). They are now selling a shirt that is factual and legit.

Now that is what you call sticking it to them. Because the truth hurts.

Blog Outsourcing - November 21, 2011 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

The University of Miami is one very very proud institution that has produced lots of NFL greats then and now. Although it has fallen through hard times as of late both on and off the field, it has always taken pride in the success of its athletes in the NFL, especially in its knack to score touchdowns. In fact, they have scored in 149 straight weeks, far and away the longest for a NCAA team. 33 different alumni from Da U! have scored 661 touchdowns.

That streak is now in question. With Monday Night Football in sight, there are only two Canes' alumni who will be playing tonight. Vince Wilfork and Allen Bailey. Can they continue the streak? Who knows.

Here forth are the links after the jump:
Before there was Tim Tebow and Twitter, there was Vince Young. (c/o 700 Level)

The train keeps on chugging for the champs. (c/o Total Packers)

Cardiac Comeback Cats. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

Haven't we seen this all too often in San Diego? (c/o Sign On San Diego)

Do you believe in the power of Hanie? (c/o Chicago Tribune)

Could Matt Moore be what Ryan Fitzpatrick is? (c/o Phin Phanatic)

How bout 'em Cowboys? (c/o Washington Post)

Engaging fans in nasty banter is not good. (c/o The Inquisitr)

Could hard work be enough to succeed? (c/o Broncos Talk)

Will he be Boston's Valentine? (c/o Boston Herald)

Looking back at the past to move to the future. (c/o The Chronicle Herald)

Ouch, J.R. (c/o SLAM Online)

Who is your AL MVP? (c/o Toronto Star)

Latest on the Bernie Fine controversy. (c/o Searching for Billy Edelin)

Hello, Robert Griffin III. Goodbye BCSNCG, Oklahoma. (c/o The Oklahoma Daily)

Could the SEC West be the best division in football, college or pro? (c/o Al.com)

If they were 10-2 and not 6-6, they ain't going to do this. (c/o BC Interruption)

Congratulations to David Beckham. Finally. (c/o Soccer By Ives)

To part, here is a tribute to the voice of Georgia

Are we back at the drawing board?

So we end our campaign in the Southeast Asian Games in the sport of men's football. What was thought to be a promising opportunity turned into something quite different. Very very different.

The anthem snafu in the opener versus Vietnam probably signaled the woes that our national team had to face. In that match, we managed to snatch a 1-0 lead, only to lose 3-1, with captain Matthew Hartmann having a hand thanks to a own goal. After a narrow 2-1 defeat against Timor Leste, the next thing we knew was that Matthew is back home, getting into an argument against Green Archer players whilst playing for club team Loyola Meralco.

Then, Joshua Beloya against Laos happened.

It buoyed optimism that we can still make it past the so-called "Group of Hope." Raised fervor and enthusiasm. And then reality smashed our dreams and visions. Myanmar and Brunei ended that for us.

So, two losses sandwich a come-from-behind win. Not really what we had in mind. Hey, they thought they could pull off ten points. So did we. And we are reminded that we are miles away from it. We are reminded that band-aid-esque measures ain't gonna work. This ain't basketball where our collegiate studs would get the job done in the region.

Now what? What lies ahead? The same rhetoric is still echoing. The same issues still remain and prevailing. Divisions and controversies and yet it is just there, waiting for a solution. A sincere fix. A permanent one. Maybe when the PFF elections come later this month. The leadership needs to step up to the plate.

The success opened the eyes of the larger populace. It is expected that we are to make upgrades our well.

Blog Outsourcing - 11/14 edition

Hello and Welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After (which has somewhat morphed into some kind of a weekly thing).

So, there was a fight this Saturday / Sunday. A long awaited fight. Featuring two pound-for-pound greats. One from Mexico, the other, the Philippines. Much has been said before, during and after the match. Lot of debate whether Dinamita won, or should it be a draw, but one thing for sure, come Cinco de Mayo 2012, the Fighting Congressman will be facing someone.



Here forth are the links after the jump to stuff you may not necessarily have missed during the weekend.
The Miami Marlins have arrived. (c/o Call To The Pen)

Cards go back to an old reliable of theirs to retain the essence of Larussa. (c/o STL Today)

How do people deal with Pujols anxiety. (c/o Viva El Birdos)

He's safe and sound now. (c/o Yahoo!'s Big League Stew)

Where should Prince Fielder go? (c/o Detroit News)

Is Dale Sveum the answer? (c/o Boston Globe)

Vermont and baseball. (c/o Chicago Tribune)

He won't solve bat issues, though. (c/o Buzz on Broad)

Here's one rich guy with a good hand. (c/o Compatible Poker)

Yup. Floyd hacked. (c/o Third Age)

Qatar finally gets beaten in securing rights to host an event. (c/o Herald de Paris)

The concept of putting this before the PPV fight was a good idea. (c/o Sportsrageous)

What exactly is Klinsmann's vision for US Soccer. (c/o Sporting News)

The State of the MLS in 2011. (c/o Major League Soccer Talk)

No wonder the NBA needed a lockout. When MLS gets more people to watch games... (c/o BizJournal)

The Best XI have been named. (c/o Washington Times)

3 Lions encouraged after their win against La Furia Roja. (c/o The Guardian)

No Vettel to cause trouble, so Lewis nails a win. (c/o BBC)

Smoke versus the Backflip in Miami. (c/o Examiner)

That means, the JJ dominance is about to close. (c/o Racin Today)

The Carrier Classic is a brilliant idea. (c/o Rivals) What does it mean now? (c/o Searching for Billy Edelin)

Boise gets kicked out of the BCS party. Again. (c/o Idaho Statesman)

Why do you still kick to Devin Hester? Why? (c/o Chicago Sun-Times)

He wants to beat Harvard more than secure a Rhodes. (c/o Bloomberg)

More discussion on Paterno from the collegiate student view. (c/o Student Life)

Soul searching in (not-so) Happy Valley. (c/o The Daily Beast)

How do you win in the BEast this year? (c/o Voodoo Five) And why they might still be able to retain their AQ. (c/o Washington Examiner)

Down on his Luck. (c/o Pacific Takes)

Hmmm... Releasing this to the public is PR positive strike by the NBA. (c/o BlazersEdge)

Now why would you steal Shawn Bradley's bike? (c/o Off The Bench)

Sure feels like the early Nineties, eh? Niners over Giants. (c/o San Francisco Chronicle) Cowboys over Bills. (c/o Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Is it awkward? (c/o Huffington Post)

I don't think 9-7 will be enough when 10-6 was not enough last year. (c/o Philadelphia Inquirer)

Welcome to (Not-So) Happy Valley

The Sandusky scandal has rocked Penn State in a way that has not been seen in a long while.

What happened? Well, Jerry Sandusky was the long-time defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions under Joe Paterno. Just a few days ago, he was arrested on charges of felony sex crimes on children. Crimes that are pretty much too disturbing to illustrate and describe.

This editorial (h/t to the Newseum for this one) pretty much encapsulates the whole thing.

It is unfortunate, but I'm sorry, JoePa. It's time for you to depart the Valley.

Blog Outsourcing - 11/7 edition

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

Currently penning this piece a little early because I will be focused on watching the Philippines' Men's Under-23 football team play their Timor Leste counterparts at 5pm local time (4am in the turf of most of the TVF writers). We had just lost our first match in the Group Stage in the Southeast Asian Games and I personally would like to start off the new week right.

And I'd like to congratulate the Giants for their entertaining win. Just like last time, someone wearing 85 caught a pass that beat a team maintaining perfection. This is a day after Kirk Ferentz somehow saved his job. Sounds like a cranky gambler coming soon.

Oh and by the way, hopefully you guys have already adjusted your clocks.

Here forth are the links after the jump:
Here's one from the Motherland, Mark Munoz. (c/o Bloody Elbow) What's next for him? (c/o Full Mount)

This time, it's legit for Kelly Slater. (c/o New York Post)

Dan Duquette gets the call because the usuals passed on this one. (c/o Lohud Yankees)

MLB sweeps Chinese-Taipei. (c/o Hardball Times)

Extensions galore for Kirk Gibson and company. (c/o Venom Strikes)

Sure, Jim Thome's a good catch, but Michael Cuddyer might be a better one. (c/o Larry Brown Sports)

Adjust the dimensions, sure, but will the Mets hit? (c/o Amazin' Avenue)

Amy K. Nelson for the SB Nation. (c/o Deadspin)

*Insert something here*> Tebow meme gone overdrive.  (c/o Business Insider)

We may have an idea on who will be the one managing the Cubs. (c/o Cubs Insider)

The chase for the Straight Edge Racer has just begun. (c/o Yankees 101)

The Veterans Committee has whittled the ballot down. (c/o Beyond the Box Score)

One week away... (c/o ABS-CBN News)

Floyd always around to steal thunder and make it his own. (c/o Bad Left Hook)

Get well soon, Smokin' Joe. (c/o Yahoo! Sports)

Bute dominant. (c/o Doghouse Boxing)

There's Smoke behind Carl Edwards. (c/o Sporting News)

25 years of Sir Alex Ferguson. (c/o Daily Mail)

Real Madrid on a roll. (c/o SoccerNation)

Yup. It's official. Mizzou is in the SEC East, where they are even further west than LSU. (c/o CBS Sports) And Chuck is disappointed. (c/o College Football Talk)

Jeff Van Gundy's commentary coming soon to a college near you. (c/o Sports Grid)

The Greatests Kabooms in 25 years. (c/o College Courtside)

No sale. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

The lockout simplified for the fan. In other words, we're pretty much screwed. Then again, most of y'all could care less, unlike me. (c/o USA Today)

I blame the lockout for this. (c/o SLAM Online)

Here is the chic Grantland piece of the week from Klosterman. Discuss.

They are rumored to be coming to my region in 2012 and I am a huge fan of theirs.

The Blue-Haired Defense

c/o Life's My Trip

It is very very easy to make allegations if you hid behind the anonymity of a blank face, especially when you making very damaging ones that impede on the integrity of an individual and to a sport and institution.

Here is the said allegation:



It is prudent of a journalist to hear the other side of the story, which the site owner Rick Olivares provided by posting the response around three-and-a-half hours after the anonymous individual placed his. I am posting it here (in full) on a specific post of its own to give it the fullness that it deserves:

This is from Ebong Joson who I have known since our school days in Ateneo. I have also worked with him professionally and have become good friends with in the last few years:

Hello. Si Ebong ito. Gusto ko lang sana malaman kung saan mo nakuha ang info na kumukuha ako sa ticket sales kasi hindi ko kontrolado iyan at ni kailan man ay hindi ako humingi ng cut sa kahit kanino man. Sa totoo lang, ang laki ng nagastos ko just to be able to launch the Kaholeros,at hanggang ngayon ay wala naman akong sweldo dito. Walang perang pampersonal na hinahanap. As for the non-profit incorporation that we are working on, that is the way we can properly seek for sponsorship while giving back to the companies that may help us (and Philippine sports in general and Philippine FOOTBALL in particular) by offering tax breaks to the amount they give. Everything will be in the open. I will never hold any money or bank account, and the distribution and control of assets garnered will be subject to the approval of the Kaholeros board. We will also have a third party auditing firm to make sure everything is properly done. That is why we need the incorportion. Why do we need the sponsorship? Because it costs money to mobilize people. We need to help our members by helping them with transpo, meals, uniforms, and yes, even tickets. Napakarami kong mga members gusto sana mag practice. Gusto sana pumunta sa mga football events, gusto sana makapag cheer para sa PilipinasFutbol, pero hindi kaya kasi sagad ang budget. Yung sponsorships na gusto kong mahanap ay hindi para sa akin kundi para sa mga miyembro ng Kaholeros. Dahil tuwing nakikita ko sila na nahihilo na sa kaka-cheer, iniisip ko kung sila ba ay nakakain ng maigi bago pumunta sa game.

As a parting request, if you really have concrete evidence that I have been raking in the money, or even witnesses to bear to that fact, I would gladly sit down with all of you and Mr Rick Olivares. You can openly reach me on Kaholeros Official (FB Community), or privately through PM in my FB account. Mr Olivares can even put the whole meeting on video, so everyone can see and judge properly the hard work and sacrifice that I and my Kaholeros have made for our country.

Mabuhay, and God Bless.

Ebong Joson
The Blue-Haired Fanatic
Kaholero 

I have seen how much he puts himself into this little vocation and how much he has given to the sport. It is unfair that one individual rewards such sacrifice and nobility with crass. It is not right to impinge the integrity of someone like him if you do not back up what you say. I can personally vouch for the commitment that he puts forth each and every single time.

So please, unless you have something to prove, kindly keep your hands off the keyboard and keep those voices in your head just there, inside your head.

Blog Outsourcing - October 21, 2011 edition

 

Hello and welcome to the Halloween Edition of The Morning After.

As the norm, the 1st day of November is a holiday here in the Motherland with All Saints' Day, where families all across the islands go to the cemetery and visit their dearly departed loved ones. The government has been kind enough to declare today as a special holiday to accommodate the throngs of people who will going back to the provinces.

As for me, I am looking forward to that, although I will be reporting to work today and tomorrow. Hopefully all of those who had to deal with the nasty weather have been able to resolve things correctly. It has been sunny here, but with November coming, the northeast monsoon brings the cold Christmas atmosphere.

Here forth are the links after the jump.
D-Leaguers get you a bronze. (c/o Ridiculous Upside)

Baseball returning to the Olympics? (c/o Washington Post)

End of the road for B.J. Penn (c/o Inside Fights)

You probably have nothing to do on Super Bowl Weekend, right? (c/o Yahoo! via Cagewriter)

Ok, so Bob Arum is being a pessimist. (c/o NBC Sports via Off The Bench).

Still, Floyd brought in the $$$! (c/o Boston Herald)

Marat Safin, parliamentarian. (c/o Daily Mail)

David Beckham > Thierry Henry (c/o Los Angeles Times & New York Times)

Galaxy to the Motherland. (c/o Soccer Central Philippines)

Soccer has concussion issues, too. (c/o Boston.com)

They're back on top. For how long, we will see. (c/o Managing Madrid)

You remember him authoring this. Now he just authored this. (c/o The Guardian)

16 thoughts over 8 goals at Stamford Bridge. (c/o Football 365)

Vettel dominant in India. (c/o Belfast Telegraph)

Open wheel racing near the bossman's turf. Coming Soon. (c/o Newark Star-Ledger)

The three Roushketeers? (c/o USA Today)

Sprint Cup Chase is already Smokin' (c/o Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

New golf rules for Spencer to tinker. (c/o Golf Monthly)

Where was this, Sergio? (c/o The Australian)

Bill Self cracking the whip. (c/o Kansas City Star)

The NCAA is not going to adjust for you, Jim. (c/o Hartford Courant)

Mizzou bringing redemption to Joplin. (c/o Carthage Press)

We knew this will happen to these Tigers. It's an all too familiar script. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Give the guy a break. He's 84. (c/o Chicago Sun-Times)

Andrew Luck bedazzles the Coliseum. (c/o San Francisco Chronicle)

Mats Sundin, Maple Leaf Legend. (c/o Toronto Star)

He's going to be back. (c/o New York Daily News)

Hey, some ballers in the same time zone as I am! (c/o CBS Sports)

Cardinals basking in the glow. (c/o Saint Louis Beacon)

Sure helped the Rams (c/o 101 Sports).

Tebowing sounds like deboning. The latter happened in the Bronco slaughter. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

John Beck is CLEARLY NOT the answer. (c/o Washington Post)

Trick or Treat, everyone!

Beckham(?) and the Galaxy in Manila

So, there have been rumors about some English superstar coming into our shores in the holiday season. Of course, you have seen the reports and you got all too-giddy.

I'd like to remind you of some things.

1. The announcement of whether this is legit or not lies with the LA Galaxy, first and foremost. The only announcement from their end is their friendly against the Melbourne Victory scheduled on December 6 at the Ettihad Stadium in Australia. As per someone, a LA Galaxy official is said to be checking out if Rizal Memorial is ideal for such a friendly to take place. Bugging them Galaxy players about this is not really a good idea given that the team is currently starting its playoff run.

This measure once again reminds us that we really do need an updated stadium. Not necessarily a cavernous one, but nevertheless, a new stadium fit for an impressive friendly / match. It preferably has to be near the NCR, though. Also, wish said stadium is either covered or uses field turf, to ensure all weather availability.

2. Even if the LA Galaxy do want to come here to Manila, we don't know who are they sending here. Their newest acquisition, Ireland captain Robbie Keane, was injured in their Euro Qualifier and will in all likelihood will be missing most, if not all of the playoffs. The MLS Cup (if they get far enough, will be on November 20). And the biggest question of it all, David Beckham is an upcoming free agent. His contract expires at the end of the season. There has been no reports of David renewing his contract with MLS via LA. Plus, he wants to play in Europe once the transfer window reopens at the start of the year. With rumors of offers in England (Tottenham, Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City) and France (Paris-Saint-Germain) out and about, we are not exactly sure if he's coming.

I do, remain hopeful that they come and play. I just want to properly frame myself up and keep expectations modest and at the same time, realistic.

I ain't some kind of a naysayer. I'm just the truth-teller, y'all.

Blog Outsourcing 10/24 edition

So, the legend of Tim Tebow continues to grow, eh. Tim pulls off another comeback against Miami. So what if it was Miami, the guy sure knows how to win games late. So what he was missing the receivers left and right, he made them when it counted late in the game. Another thing, he did not throw a pick in this match, given all those missed opportunities. We'll see if Tebow can pull off another win/s in the next few weeks, with Detroit, Oakland, Chiefs and the Jets on tap.

Here forth are the links after the jump.
The New Zealand All-Blacks are the kings of rugby. (c/o Sports Mole)

They may have lost, but they gave it all out. (c/o The Guardian)

No GSP on UFC. (c/o Yahoo! Sports)

Bernard gets his title back. (c/o Sportsrageous)

Nonito retains but it really felt like a lighter version of Pacquiao vs Clottey. (c/o GMA News)

Why do this, Roy Jones, Jr... Why... (c/o SaddoBoxing)

Would you be interested in Flushing Meadows being the first Grand Slam to be have an official Monday finish? (c/o Tennis Talk)

100 wins for RCR. (c/o Washington Post)

Luke Donald is just being awesome right now. (c/o The Australian)

Why I find all this Native American hullaballoo a little too much ado on PC. (c/o Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy)

Won't be too long before Washington gets involved. Not exactly what taxpayers had in mind with their money. (c/o Inside Higher Ed)

An effort to explain what is going on in Mizzou (c/o Columbia Missourian)

Dominique Davis perfecto! (c/o The Ledger)

Kellen Moore just wins. (c/o One Bronco Nation Under God)

Case Keenum has been around since Phi Slamma Jamma. (c/o Houston Chronicle)

Will Joe Buck ruin World Cup Coverage, too? (c/o Sports Illustrated)

"Rooney Rule" in soccer? (c/o Washington Post)

Levante currently pulling off the unthinkable. (c/o Spanish Football Info)


Old Trafford massacre. (c/o The Guardian)

Thanks to the Twitterverse for this lil' gift below

Carson is back... (In Silver and) Black

The long drama has ended, and Carson Palmer finally gets his wish. He finally exits out of his personal hell in Cincinnati. Took him this long, and finally, after Mike Brown gets a first rounder in 2012 and a conditional first rounder in 2013 (if they procure a playoff win, otherwise it would be a second-rounder) out of the Oakland Raiders.

The guy had been working out with former teammate TJ Houshmanzadeh in the CA, so he won't be moving too far.

Why Oakland?  Well, he and Raiders Head Coach Hue Jackson are familiar with each other. Hue recruited him to USC and was in Cincy during Carson's best years as a Bengal. This also brings the Jason Campbell chapter in Oakland to a close. He's a free agent after the season. And nope, Terrelle Pryor clearly is not yet ready for the big lights.

The cost may be a little too exorbitant to their liking, but hey, the Raiders must be smelling something we do not know, that they can win the AFC West and make the postseason.

Sisters-In-Arms

Remember these names. These ladies are going to play for flag and country. Let's pray for their success and effort.

Ya Gotta Believe

Thank You Evan. (h/t to SI's Vault)

It's Amazing. 9 games out in early September. After Game 162, they are one game ahead.

Definitely One.Wild.Night.

Blog Outsourcing - 9/26 edition

Hi and hello! It's the final Monday of September in 2011.

Summer just ended this past weekend, and it is already the start of autumn, where football is afoot and in-depth.

Olympic qualifying for the automatic spots just finished yesterday. China is the last amongst the FIBA regions to lock up an automatic spot with their win over Jordan by a point. They join Great Britain, Tunisia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France and the United States. The three remaining spots will be fought over in a wildcard tournament. 12 countries (Angola, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Jordan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, Macedona, Lithuania and Greece) get a shot at those slots.

Why am I discussing basketball? Well, the Motherland had a chance to seal its first berth in ages if they beat the Koreans, which they were not able to fulfill (again). It's their best finish though after 27 years, so it's a positive sign.

The other thing? My alma mater is one game away from clinching its fourth straight men's basketball championship.



Here forth are the links after the jump.

Nothing like racing under the lights. (c/o London Telegraph)

It's now official. The state of Texas now official has a SEC feel to it. (c/o I am the 12th Man)

Los Lobos needs a new head coach. (c/o Lost Lettermen)

Bayou Bengals geaux on top of the AP Top 25. (c/o National Football Post)

Red Sox overpaid to get their own Brett Gardner? (c/o FanGraphs)

Nittany Lions (c/o York Daily Record) and Sooners (c/o The Oklahoman) lose key cogs.

MMA Expert Steven Seagal breaks down UFC 135's main event. (c/o Around The Octagon)

Our thoughts are with Jerry Kill. (c/o Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

(Van) Chew on this, Toledo. (c/o Big East Coast Bias)

What does the new Big 12 Commish need to do? (c/o The News Tribune)

End of an era? (c/o Cagewriter)

He's done for the year. Is it enough for Cy Young recognition? (c/o True Blue LA)

Probably one of the most bizarre stories in baseball ever. (c/o SportsGrid)

Encapsulating why it's not happening in the Twin Cities. (c/o Big League Stew)

200k's worth of games. (c/o Sporting News)

Grantland puts out great stuff. Here's the latest. It's the sweet science.

Not much, because I am writing early to attend to some matters of my own later. But to part, here it is, which is appropriate as they end their run.

And here is the song i am currently humming as of late.

The Mat Project

We know that the government does not really have much financial clout to do much, and if they do, they need to allocate it to the proper parties. So, it is appropriate to do fundraisers of their own to achieve the needed money to get what they need. And, it is up to us to provide the means to help those who deserve it.

I am writing here about a certain cause being undertaken by a couple of professors (Eloi Hernandez and Grace Gregorio) at the University of the Philippines. These two individuals are also the mentors and guardians of the multi-awarded University of the Philippines Pep Squad. Yup, if you recall last weekend, they did a Madonna routine


The UP Pep Squad is something that not just the Iskolar ng Bayan would be proud of, but for all of us Filipinos. In fact, they will be representing our country in a competition later this year (the 6th Cheerleading World Championships), not unlike SMART-Gilas in Wuhan or our beloved Azkals, whose manager Dan Palami has already tweeted his appreciation for the school.

Of course, so that the Pep Squad can prepare for the competition, they'll need new equipment, specifically mats, about 300 of them. Now these mats cost 900 a piece, so it's a little pricey. Like what I said above, the school does not exactly have the finances to shell out, so let's do our role and chip in, if you can. Now as of the latest information, they have already secured enough for 264, so they need just a little more. If you want to make a pledge to help, you can donate here:

Account name: UP Varsity Pep Squad
Checking account no: 1078012117
Bank : BDO

Just make sure to email the details of your pledge to graciegregorio@gmail.com. You may email there for any questions and inquiries as well.

Thanks and Good luck to you.

UAAP Finals Poster (or Not)

Thanks to @carlo_pamintuan for the tweet containing this.

Just had to post this because it's cute. #GoAteneo

Kindly oblige me. It is my alma mater after all. The quest for four beckons.

Enter Sandman, Exit (to) Greatness

Hey you, 602. (Thanks to the New York Daily News)

The statistic that a journalist created in the 70s has said to be the most overrated one amongst all the different statistics being recorded in the national pastime. It changed the game from what it was back then, to what it is now with the specialization of the pitcher. Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated wrote about it.

His legend continues to grow, and it looks like he is not finished yet writing his epitaph.

Congratulations, Mariano. It is as if he needs this record to validate his greatness. Nope. He already has it way before he came close to 602.

Blog Outsourcing - 9/19 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

Well, well, well. Floyd Mayweather reminded us all that we need to PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. He also reminded us all that he is such a punkass idiot. Seen here below.


I can't wait for the time Manny knocks him into submission, although that will be wishful thinking as of the moment.

Here forth are the links to make your morning, after the jump:
To make up for the idiocy above, here is a Samsung Stunner.


The "Cold War" mirrors itself in Rugby. (c/o Washington Post)

Twitter mess makes its way to the Rugby World Cup. (c/o Planet Rugby)

Luck of the Irish. (c/o Irish Independent)

He really is a World Champ Titleholder. (c/o USA Today)

WADA with a more determined stance to figure out solutions to doping. (c/o The Australian)

What's Happenin' in the Big Easy. (c/o Cage Potato)

I believe this must be the same house that was on Cribs. (c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer)


El Canelo defends his trinket. (c/o Doghouse Boxing)

2nd Mexican to win trinkets in four weight divisions. (c/o Eastside Boxing)


Hey look, the Davis Cup final is set. (c/o CBC)

How the mighty have fallen, eh. (c/o CBS Sports)

Look who got President's Cup berths. (c/o The West Australian)

The British Isles got one in over their continental neighbors. (c/o Leadership Golf)

What now for the non-football BEast peeps? (c/o New York Daily News)

UConn wants dibs on the ACC, too. (c/o Houston Chronicle)

All these news is in bad taste given what happened to Dave Gavitt. (c/o Forbes)

The PAC-16 is closer to becoming reality. (c/o Austin-American Statesman)

Spain nails Eurobasket. (c/o BallinEurope)

Bo McCalebb was the star of EuroBasket for Macedonia. (c/o New Orleans Times-Picayune) / (c/o New York Times' Off The Dribble)

It's Not Happening for Justin Morneau. (c/o The Republic)

Justin Verlander is very good. (c/o Motor City Bengals) 24 wins and 24 (times 10) K's

A Buffalo QB wearing 14 leading a comeback. Sounds familiar. (c/o Buffalo Rumblings)

Cam Newton is good, eh. (c/o NFL Mocks)

Romo survives a bad rib. (c/o Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Here are some weird statlines. (c/o FIBA-Asia)

To part, here is the winning performance in the 2011 Samsung UAAP Cheerdance Competition.

Revisiting The UAAP Season 74 Preview

Taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

With the regular season ending, it's appropriate to look back at how I fared in trying to figure out the season.

I posted this in the middle of July. The breakdown after the jump.

Adamson: The Falcons can be likened to a mid-major team in the US NCAA, stocked with quality juniors and seniors who played heavy minutes throughout, with a heady and smart veteran tactician. As such with the US NCAA. they are always strong on backcourt play, and they have arguably the best point guard tandem in Lester Alvarez and Jerick Canada. Jan Colina is one the most underrated bigs in the UAAP, even though Greg Slaughter took him to school last Sunday. Austin Manyara and Eric Camson constitute the big men rotation. It's up to the shooters of the Soaring Falcons if they can finally get over the hump.

Well, it was really up to the shooters of the Soaring Falcons. Their offense relies now on their perimeter game and their penetration. I thought Lester was disappointing this season in that I expected more out of him, but he and Jerick have been a heady PG combo. Jan, though is probably one of the bigger disappointments of the season not wearing green.

Ateneo de Manila: The defending champs may have lost its Stag essence (Eric Salamat via graduation, Ryan Buenafe sitting out the season), but Ateneo in this new iteration never rebuilds. It merely reloads. Kiefer Ravena may have had a whimper of a start, but no one questions the potential. Greg Slaughter on the other hand, 23 points for his debut wearing the blue and white. Served notice to everyone. Still, the key cogs are all back, from Justin Chua to Nico Salva to Kirk Long and Eman Monfort. Best of all, you always bet on (Norman) Black. The school along Katipunan is unfazed, and so does its Sixth Man.

13-1, folks. 13-1. It took a A+++++ game from the Falcons to pull off that win.

De La Salle University: Quality depth all throughout the roster, with lots and lots of role players and glue guys, from the comebacking LA Revilla the Zobel alums Luigi Dela Paz and Joshua Webb, to the gaggle of bigs from Jovet Mendoza to Papot Paredes and Yutien Andrada. Relative youth still a major concern, so it's up to the veterans like Simon Atkins and Maui Villanueva to fill the leadership void.

The depth was there, but too many inconsistencies. The potential and disappointment can defintely be pointed at both the coaching staff and the players. Expect turmoil in Taft for the time being.

Far Eastern University: The losing finalists are aching to come back into the chase, with a returning MVP in tow. Bert Flores returns from his consultant duties after Glenn Capacio was let go. JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos are still there, but the key cogs remain it's small ball power of RR Garcia, Terence Romeo and Jens Knuttel providing change of pace. Not having Pipo Noundoo

It's actually Tolomia who got the minutes Jens was used to playing. If you follow TJ Manotoc on Twitter, Pipo is going to finally play in his final season, as they need to beat Adamson twice. Of course, the usual meltdown came, but it arrived in the middle part of the season. JR Cawaling has missed the entire second round with his knee issues, but is also said to play as well. It's still RR Garcia's team, and they lived and died with him.

National University: The Bulldogs hitched themselves onto one man to carry them back into the Final Four conversation. Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. He sputtered in his first collegiate game, but they were one miss away from winning against the Tigers last Thursday. Emmanuel Mbe also returns, but can Eric's recruits from the RP Youth program he devised lead to better things?

It's obvious the RP Youth guys were not ready for prime time.They had to ride the coattails of their prized recruit. Given that it is natural that he stuffs the stat sheet. So there. It did not help that the veterans were not really the major contributors. Once the pressure was off, though, they were able to pull out some amazing wins to close the season.

University of the East: The Red Warriors were gutted in the offseason losing key cogs, including Paul Lee, Ken Acibar, James Martinez. They also lost their coach, Lawrence Chongson, who is pretty much preoccupied with PEx as of now. New taskmaster Jerry Codinera asked for commitment, effort and hustle from his crack squad being led by Paul Zamar, JR Sumido and Roi Sumang, but it can only get you far...

Yup, it is all about the hustle. That's how they got their three wins, by outworking their opponents (NU, UP and La Salle).

University of the Philippines: A new regime begets a new era for UP, as it has been 25 years since the special Spirit of '86 squad. Ricky Dandan is banking on the Mike and Mike to greater heights. They already did by ending the 18-game losing streak last Sunday. Alinko Mbah provides the necessary size and anchor down low for the Diliman-squad.

Disappointing. In the sense that they could have gotten more than the two wins they secured this season. Considering though, two is two more than last year.

University of Santo Tomas: Pido Jarencio put some pressure on himself with the Final Four or bust mantra, but it sure helped that they won their first game. They still are a relatively small unit, but Karim Abdul is there to provide size, even if he looked relatively raw. Kevin Ferrer proved to be the goods against NU, and Jeric Fortuna went out with guns blazing after halftime.

At least Pido gets another year. Thanks to the Jerics, he gets to stay and produce more PIDOisms. Karim's play improved once his papers got settled.

Personal Preseason Awards:

UAAP PreSeason 1st Team: RR Garcia, Rayray Parks, Mike Silungan, Nico Salva, Greg Slaughter.

Revised 1st Team would be Ravena, Nuyles, Parks, Salva, Slaughter. Nico really benefited from having Kiefer and Greg get all the attention.

UAAP PreSeason 2nd Team: Kiefer Ravena, Joshua Webb, JR Cawaling, Jan Colina, Aldrech Ramos

Thinking Joshua Webb has to be the worst call I made this season, followed by Colina (as seen above). Cawaling got hurt and missed the whole second round, if I am correct. The revised 2nd team would be Fortuna, Garcia, Abdul, Ramos, Teng.

Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Slaughter - because he's going to rack up double-doubles and blocks.

Yup. Although not much on the double-doubles, since guys like Karim Abdul had better numbers. Still, his presence made a living hell out of anyone trying to drive in the lane or make their living down low.

Most Improved Player: Jeric Fortuna - freed from the PG-by-committee shackles by the academic ineligibility of Clark Bautista, this is the cue for him to rise up and take over.

Agreed. Eric Camson and Tonino Gonzaga would be a close second, here.

Freshman of the Year: Kiefer Ravena - Is there anyone else?

Next. Easiest thing to call, out of all the awards.

Newcomer of the Year: Rayray Parks - Unlike Greg, the pressure is with him more

When you look at the roster NU has, it's built around the former GaTech committ.

MVP: RR Garcia - He's going to rack up statistical points like crazy.

Right explanation. Wrong guy. That mini-slump FEU had to close the 1st round and the start of the 2nd round killed his chances.

PreSeason Final Four:  Ateneo, FEU, Adamson, NU (over La Salle and UST)

Got it close.