Ball Hog: Manny Pacquiao - De La Hoya News Links

Roach: Hoya is not going to last

“(I told Manny that) in the first round, I want you to go out there and make (De La Hoya) feel that it’s a fucking fight right away,” Roach revealed. “A lot of people tell me that if Manny’s past four, he’s okay. (But) if you give Oscar De La Hoya momentum, he’s going to grow (stronger). “(De la Hoya is) a very skittish person. If you take it to him right away, I think he’ll fold. He’s mentally not strong.”

Legendary Ali trainer predicts Hoya ‘decision’

Dundee still looks at fighters and gives recommendations. He’s far removed from the everyday training preparation for fights, but the legends of the sport still look to him for answers. He’s already picked up several tips to pass to De La Hoya. For instance, he said he sees a flaw from Pacquiao that he also noticed to help Leonard upset Marvin Hagler. “I noticed Hagler, as great a fighter as he was, had to step before he punched,” Dundee said. “Now this kid Pacquiao does that same thing. Oscar will tear him to pieces if he does that.” He even offered a prediction: De La Hoya in a decision.

Dream Match On Internet

Netvision, gives Pinoys in certain Southeast Asian territories the chance to watch The Dream Match between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya live on any computer via the Internet. The match will be live streamed over the Internet at the Netvision website – one of the first in the world to offer a live stream of a popular boxing bout in TV quality.

Conditioning will be key in Dream Match

One reason for the excitement is both fighters had to make adjustments to their normal fighting weights to make the “Dream Match” real: Pacquiao had to bulk up from 135 pounds or lightweight (which weight he now says he doesn’t want to return to after fighting De la Hoya at 147 pounds) while de la Hoya has had to come down from 160 to 147 pounds. There are stiff penalties should any one of the two weigh more than 147 pounds during the official weigh in which will be held Friday afternoon, more than 24 hours before they both actually climb the ring.

Manny Pacquiao P3.6 Million Challenge

Manny Pacquiao shelled out a total of $74,000 or roughly P3.6 million Sunday to friends who passed the weight reduction challenge hurled against them by the boxing superstar. Pacquiao dared his male friends here in LA, including members of his team, to lose 10 pounds in two weeks. If they do, they win $2,000 each, and those who lose 15 pounds get an additional $1,000.

Will Oscar De La Hoya fight sell in a punchless economy?

With the economy in a nose dive, how many people will pay $54.95 to buy Saturday’s telecast of the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight? It’s an intriguing matchup. De La Hoya, the sport’s most popular fighter, against Pacquiao, the current lightweight champion who’s the world’s top-ranked boxer pound for pound, in a bout set at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

De la Hoya not 100 percent

DO you need more reasons to believe that Manny Pacquiao will beat Oscar de la Hoya on Dec. 6? The latest buzz from the US is that De la Hoya is hurting because he may have a rotator cuff injury in his left shoulder. De la Hoya has been seen wearing a neoprene shoulder support when he works out. The brace provides therapeutic heat retention and helps relieve the pain and discomfort caused by injuries and chronic shoulder conditions.

Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer Discuss De La Hoya-Pacquiao
Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News: I know that a lot of people are looking forward to this fight. And, of course, you have those who are not because of the size differential. Now forget about the middleweight thing because Oscar only fought there twice. And he was never really a middleweight. However, he has fought eight times at junior middleweight and Manny has not fought at higher than lightweight. So because of that, some people in the boxing community, including some boxers — and yes, there may be some jealously involved. I understand that — think that this a no-win situation for Oscar. So to convince those people who are wondering if they should buy this fight or not because they might think it’s a no-win situation for Oscar, give me your best sales pitch why should they overlook that and why should they buy it anyway.

Bob Arum: Well, let me tell you that this flies in the face of the whole history of boxing. Where throughout history, smaller guys went up in weight. Now it has to be an exceptional smaller guy. It can’t be the ordinary run-of-the-mill smaller guy. But the exceptional smaller guy went up in weight to fight great, great fighters in a higher weight. And very often the little guy won. That happens all the time. Now from my standpoint as some other caller asked, I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to Manny Pacquiao, who is the icon of a nation of 90 million people.

I would not have allowed this fight to happen if I didn’t feel in my heart of hearts that Manny could win the fight. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to win. I really believe that he will win and that it is very, very competitive. Remember, in Manny Pacquiao, you’re not dealing with just an ordinary fighter or a great fighter. You’re dealing with somebody that represents a country that’s one of the greatest allies of this country that has 90 million people. Now that means something.

And you don’t put somebody in a fight that you believe he can’t win and your matchmakers believe he can’t win just for money. You don’t do that. And so I believe that Manny will win the fight. I believe that he can win the fight. Freddie Roach believes that he will win the fight. Bruce Trampler believes that he will and can win the fight. And those are the people whose views I respect. The haters out there and the know-nothings out there, they can say what they want. It has no effect on me.

Robert Morales: Boy, that’s pretty damn good. I don’t know if Richard can top that or not.

Richard Schaefer:No, I’m just going to second it. Look, the fact is when - I think this is - there’s really a lot of jealous people out there. There are some fighters, which are jealous and there are some promoters, which are jealous. And this is very unfortunate that these - as Bob says, these haters and know-nothings feel like they need to attack what will be an unbelievable fight. And I think it really has to do with jealousy. It is unfortunate, but it seems like the sport of boxing has these certain media members and certain promoters and certain fighters, which are always jealous if they’re not part of it. I am going to leave it at that. I think Bob answered it extremely well.

Political Punch

For any ambitious pugilist, though, De La Hoya, 35, remains a certain archetype. Pacquiao admires Golden Boy Promotions, which tried to sign him in 2006 before Arum’s Top Rank won out. (Long story short: Oscar allegedly gave Manny a suitcase of cash in the back of a limo and agreements were broken; people sued; boxing biz as usual.) He especially wants to keep growing the sweet science in his homeland, where the number of gyms and talented fighters is on the rise because of his success. But unlike De La Hoya, Pacquiao has already traced a clear road map to retirement. No more than three bouts after this one — two of which may well be megafights against Britain’s Ricky Hatton and Mayweather — he vows to hang up his gloves for good, likely at age 31. Why then? The hero of the Philippines grins.”In 2010,” he says, cracking his knuckles, “I’m going to run for congress again.”

Pac-mania alive: Dozens of venues to feature Pacquiao-de la Hoya viewing

Boxing fans are expected to troop to various venues that will broadcast the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya match on Sunday. In a report on QTV’s Balintanghali on Friday, organizers at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila are expecting throngs to gather at the 5,000-seater arena as early as 5 a.m. The complex has been a regular venue of Pacquiao’s previous fights. A handful of hotels and bars around the country will also air the match live, but with an average price of P700 ($15). Lunch and drinks, however, are inclusive in most offers. It was also reported that reservations at hotels and bars have mostly sold out.

Nike & Team Pilipinas Quest For Basketball Glory Starts

Last night (Nov. 25, 2008), I am the soldier of HooPh sent to cover the launch of Team Pilipinas and the Nike’s launch of outfits in support of the Philippine team.

Last May 2007, it was also Nike who outfitted the Philippine Team.

Call time for this event is 6pm, but as expected, it didn’t start 6pm. It started around 7pm.

The wait allowed me to take some of pics of the area and window shop inside the sprawling Nike shop and Dimensione at the fort.

The wait is alright. Between 6pm to 7pm idle time waiting for the idols, I think I gulped a liter of free iced tea. Later, 300 kilos of “turon” was served by Nike. Thanks for the free meal and the Manny Pacquiao t-shirt.

Then the launch began. Boom hosted the event.

The commisioner stepped in for the SOP kume speech. He went on saying that he doesn’t like sponsorships that much but was just impressed by what the Nike people offered. And so, he agreed to the partnership with Nike. I guess Commissioner Barrios was also impressed with KFC, with SMART, etc. All, have previously sponsored the WHOLE PBA CONFERENCES. Yes, Barrios doesn’t like sponsorships.

“We are honored to be partners with Nike. The brand has supported us for the past two years and we look forward to their support in the coming years” says Sonny Barrios, PBA Commissioner “The mission of Team Pilipinas has just begun. With a stronger team, we are confident of brining glory back to our nation.”

Anyways, pretty Nike country manager Mae Dichupa talked about the Nike’s continuous involvement in this basketball glory quest. But of course, Nike has business quest as well. So, Nike launched Team Pilipinas kits composed of jerseys, shorts and jackets.

In shorts (pun intended), Nike’s Team Pilipinas kits incorporate the Swift System of Dress basketball uniform that eliminates 25 centimeters of material and reduces current uniform weight by 31 percent. Nike’s new uniform also features Nike Aerographics, an engineered mesh that provides zoned cooling that reduces up to half the yarn, making it more lightweight and breathable. This technology will make Gabe Norwood, Kelly Williams, Arwind Santos and Chito Loyzaga fly higher.

Quick price info… Team Pilipinas replica kits are available at Nike stores nationwide. Jerseys are priced at Php 1,695, shorts at Php 1,295 and jackets for Php 2,395.

Also, doing the talk is coach Yeng Guiao. He talked about the chances, the players reception, the plans, etc. etc. The fake media boy (me) got the chance to do photo op with coach Yeng and he readily posed the killer smile. See, Yeng was having chat with PBA personalities when I asked for a photo-op. Had he been in bad mood, it’s possible, that I get the F-bomb from Yeng. Despite the contrabida looks and his oncourt rugged persona, coach Guiao is pretty good live.

And one thing I found out in this event… coach Guiao’s silhoutte could possibly be a good logo for his own brand of fragrance, or apparel… See his shadow…

(At this point, hidden in the backstage, the production people are mixing the dry ice and preparing to smoke the players during the introduction. Only in the Philippines that it is mandatory to smoke the celebrities during events, programs and shows. This is the German Moreno legacy. The DRY ICE)

Here are Cyrus and Arwind on their way to becoming the first and second PBA player tinapa…

Finally, Team Pilipinas VER2008 in Nike unis emerged. The team is composed of Kelly Williams, James Yap, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Ryan Reyes, Gabe Norwood, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos, Jared Dillinger, Kerby Raymundo, Cyrus Baguio, Ranidel de Ocampo, Sonny Thoss, Asi Taulava and Mick Pennisi. Only Kelly WIlliams is absent.

Here’s the center of attraction… THE ROCK!

The Air-21 representatives…

Here’s Gabe Norwood flashing his Philippine record 1 inch deep dimple.

With James Yap in the line-up, there is certainly HOPE!

Ryan Reyes, a bigger guard to the rescue.

This is JayJay Helterbrand’s second tour of duty. This time, sans Mark Caguioa. But Willie Miller aint no lightweight either. He surely can fill Spark’s place.

Aside from the Nike-Team Pilipinas kits, a specially designed Nike-Team Pilipinas crest was also launched to symbolize the team’s mission.

The team is scheduled to play in their first major tournament in May 2009 for the Southeast Asian Basketball Association. But before that, it is possible the Team Pilipinas will play in the PBA all-star events versus some of the other PBA-Philippines best (or second best, since they were not chosen) and powered by imports.

We’ll be watching this team coz this is our team, the TEAM PILIPINAS. And, with the Team Pilipinas dressed in sleek ‘n nice Nike outfits, we’ll watch closely even more.

Speaking of sleek n nice, I’ll end this post with this. a Lia Cruz pic…

Cheers!

SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN THE PBL

They are talents…

… Talents that are being put to the test this season.

Their entry kind of reminds me of Don Allado’s entry. The DLSU Archer vowed to help his school in winning a UAAP crown, sacrificing a Rookie of the Year citation for the greater glory of the DLSU faithful. Back then, the PBA season starts at January.

Don Allado eventually played his rookie season late that year. He might have been a sub for a then still-dominating Bong Hawkins… but he jobbed for the Alaska Milkmen with a UAAP ring.

Nowadays, it is easier to jump from the collegiate ranks to the big league since the PBA starts exactly AFTER UAAP and NCAA. The first major name to use this new ruling was Leo Najorda. Najorda, a senior for the San Sebastian Stags, was a NCAA MVP. Though he barely gained any PBL experience, he was selected ninth by Red Bull in the 2005 Draft. Used sparingly in his early years, the former Stag eventually became a fixture in Yeng Guiao’s rotation. While he was playing, a player from the same batch languished in the bench.

Cyrus Baguio would eventually gain mileage and become one of the big guns of the league.

There were players that thought they needed seasoning before they jump to the pro circuit. JC Intal, TY Tang, LA Tenorio, Joseph Yeo, Gabby Espinas, and possibly Chris Tiu and JV Casio were among the players who opted to gain PBL EXP before jumping to the PBA. The reason is basically to gain further enhancements to not look like an idiot when they jump to the big league. And when they reach the PBA, you can see how their futures unfolded. Tenorio after years of playing behind Olsen Racela’s shadow is now the “Johnny A in training” for the Alaska Aces. Yeo after a weak rookie season is now a key cog off the bench for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. Espinas, a former NCAA Rookie MVP, had to endure years at the reserved list before breaking out for Red Bull. TY Tang is having a good rookie year despite limited minutes for Rain or Shine… while JC Intal struggles to breakout from a slump that started in his rookie year.

Say what you want about the PBL being a lackluster league with little following and dismal broadcast setups but they are true in making the best collegiate finds to become legendary stars.

So why the long introduction? This season, we saw three players moving up. A fourth could have been Leimar Navarro, a player in the mold of Najorda. The PCU Dolphin unfortunately was not picked up in the draft and is not even racking up stats in the PBL.

Beau Belga is the youngest player to be drafted this season. Mikee Romero and the Harbour Centre franchise hoped the burly PCU powerhouse would wait for at least a next year to improve his skills. But with PCU opting to rest in next year’s NCAA tourney and perhaps for financial reasons, he made the jump and was picked seventh by the Purefoods TJ Giants. In fairness to Belga, he has made ample contributions for the Giants. He has recorded two games where he scored in double figures. With Kerby Raymundo in hiatus, he launched a career high 16 points in a losing effort. That game proved to be his breakout as he relieved Jondan Salvador of his minutes and became the chief big man off the bench for the Giants.

However, this can’t be said for Pong Escobal and Kelvin dela Pena.

Dela Pena, a former NCAA MVP from Mapua, was picked fifth in the second round by the Alaska Aces. Unable to join the Aces early because the Cardinals were still playing in the Final Four would be one of two factors why he continues to play in garbage time for the Aces. Alaska is a hellhole for rookies. Two years ago, Aaron Aban (Letran) and Christian Luanzon (UST) were picked by the Aces. Luanzon was released after playing limited time (and games) for the Aces while Aban had to wait a couple more years before breaking out… in Purefoods. Last year, Alaska drafted behemoths Ken Bono and JR Quinahan in the first round while selecting Ardy Larong in the second. Larong didn’t even suit up for the Aces (he would play for a year with Purefoods in his rookie season before getting his walking papers this season) while Bono and Quinahan got a chance to play for SMB and Air21, respectively. This season alongside former UE star Mark Borboran, Dela Pena is riding the bench for the Aces. He gets minutes when the games are decided and he gets cheered by the fans to score… certainly these are reasons for having a bad opening year. While Dela Pena suited up for Pharex in the PBL, he was not known for having breakout games. He was merely another good player from a non-UAAP team. He could have used a lot more PBL exposure before jumping to the pros.

The same could be said to Pong Escobal. If Dela Pena’s exposure in the PBL was limited, Pong Escobal barely played in the PBL. Worse, he played in the PBL via the league’s collegiate alliance system. When San Beda wants to take all their players out, he had no choice but to join them, just like what the Lions did for the Magnolia Spinners a few years back. If the PBL is an OJT of sorts for the PBA, then colleges shouldn’t partner with commercial teams so that their players would experience growth. The ex-Lion was picked eleventh in the 2008 Draft but players like Jeff Chan, Jonathan Fernandez, and even Chito Jaime is getting more minutes than the former collegiate star.

Imagine if Cyrus Baguio feuded with Nino Gelig or LA Tenorio matched up with Magnum Membrere in the PBL? These players were adjoined every time in the PBL and look what happened? Surely you know the guys that got the better end of these “partnerships”.

Just like San Beda teammate Yousif Aljamal, Escobal is playing in TNT’s knee-deep rotation. Aljamal was another player that has yet to grow (or evolve) in TNT where he was taken in because of TNT’s association with San Beda. Frankie Lim, TNT’s team manager, also serves as mentor for the Pals. Aljamal seen as the league’s Vic Pablo, is barely coming out as the league’s second coming of Benny Cheng. Aljamal gets considerable time but he still needs to get more minutes in the court. Escobal is worse. With the release of Donbel Belano and the retirement of Patrick Fran, the former top guard of the Lions should be becoming the team’s future. Unfortunately Jimmy Alapag’s heir apparent is probably living up to be Jason Castro. Castro is a more seasoned player than Escobal but worse, they both come from the same batch. Without PBL experience Escobal seems like a college guy playing ball with a mere mission to not screw things up. In the PBA, a point guard needs to never be overwhelmed at the talent that he organizes or the talent that guards him. That is why the PBL is an important place to hone one’s skills. Escobal could have played with different scorers with varied expertise like Rico Maierhofer, RJ Jazul, Jervy Cruz, and even Chris Tiu and Rabeh Al-Hussaini. In college, it is okay to shoot in awkward places and turn over the ball in relative succession.

Not here though.

Worse, your confidence could be sapped after hibernating in reserve status. Remember the once-blossoming career of Boyet Bautista? Or how about Sam Eman? These are one of the hundreds whose careers got wasted because they ended up playing in teams where the only growth they could get is another career.

By the way…

THE POWER RANKINGS PART 8

GAME STARTS NOW!

25 HARVEY CAREY – TNT (LW # 23)
24 BONBON CUSTODIO – SMB (NEW ENTRY)
23 LARRY RODRIGUEZ – RED BULL (RETURNING)
22 DORIAN PENA – SMB (LW # 24)
21 WYNNE ARBOLEDA – AIR21 (LW # 17)
20 CYRUS BAGUIO – RED BULL (LW # 21)
19 JOE DEVANCE – ALASKA (LW # 22)
18 SOLOMON MERCADO – ROS (LW # 19)
17 ALEX CABAGNOT – COCA-COLA (LW # 18)
16 ENRICO VILLANUEVA – PUREFOODS (LW # 16)
15 JAMES YAP – PUREFOODS (LW # 11)
14 GABBY ESPINAS – RED BULL (LW # 12)
13 GABE NORWOOD – ROS (LW # 15)
12 GARY DAVID – AIR21 (LW # 13)
11 NIC BELASCO – COCA-COLA (LW # 9)
10 JAY-R REYES – ROS (LW # 14)
9 JAY WASHINGTON – SMB (LW # 10)
8 KELLY WILLIAMS – STA. LUCIA (LW # 6)
7 RANIDEL DE OCAMPO – AIR21 (LW # 8)
6 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND – GINEBRA (LW # 7)
5 KERBY RAYMUNDO – PUREFOODS (LW # 5)
4 ARWIND SANTOS – AIR21 (LW # 3)
3 WILLIE MILLER – ALASKA (LW # 4)
2 ASI TAULAVA – COCA-COLA (LW # 2)
1 MACMAC CARDONA – TNT (LW # 1)

LET’S END THIS NOW!

SURF PORN!

The Rise of Manny Pacquiao (ESPN Video)

Related poll…

Poll: To Hire or Not To Hire an International Coach

Chot Reyes, Ryan Gregorio, Boyet Fernandez and Jong Uichico all say, YES to SBP’s hiring of Serbian RAJKO TOROMAN . Yeng Guiao says no to Toro! How about you?
Answers	No. Of Votes
Answer 1:   No	26
Answer 2:   Who cares?	8
Answer 3:   Yes	66
Total Votes: 100

Poll is closed by you may still send your piece via comment section.

John Dizon, picked as the lucky voter in this poll. He’ll get the pouch bag. We’ll send in bunch again next week/s.

SYDMAN’S POWER RANKINGS WEEK 6 (NOV 12 - 16)

There’s a new player up top the rankings. I think you know the guy but who are the other players that made the most superb cream of the crop grading system in all of internet-land!

SIDEDISH: TOP ROOKIES
Gabe Norwood (1) and Solomon Mercado (2) were the only rookies that made the Power Ranks. Although, looking near the quota were Larry Rodriguez (3), Bonbon Custodio (4), and Jared Dillinger (5). Against Red Bull, Chot Reyes saw the importance of Jason Castro (6). Only getting minutes after the halftime show (due to coming in late), the 4-time PBL MVP played most of the second half and gave the team instant energy which Jimmy Alapag seems to be lacking nowadays. TY Tang (7) struggled this week, Jeff Chan (8) is slowly getting Yeng Guiao’s nod, and Beau Belga (9) got his second double-digit game but just like his 16-point output, the Giants failed to win the game. Rounding up the Top Ten is Kelvin Gregorio (10), who played a career game after Sta. Lucia lost Kelly Williams to injury.

GAME STARTS NOW!

POWER RANKINGS 2008 PHILIPPINE CUP 6TH EDITION (NOV 12 to NOV 16)

Note: Due to earlier commitments (WORK), the list will be a bit shorter than usual (less talk, less filling).

25 LA TENORIO – ALASKA (NEW ENTRY)
STATS: 12.4PPG, 3RPG, 5.1APG, 1.1SPG
The Blue Eagle is booming. Leading a team to a shitless record this week is no cakewalk.

24 DORIAN PENA – SAN MIGUEL (LW17)
STATS: 10.7PPG, 8.5RPG, 1APG
He barely played against Coke. Bad sign for his Fantasy fans.

23 HARVEY CAREY – TALK N TEXT (RETURNING)
STATS: 9.7PPG, 9.3RPG, 1.7BPG
His stats moved up this week but sharing time with Ali Peek will eventually sink it.

22 JOE DEVANCE – ALASKA (LW24)
STATS: 13.7PPG, 6.4RPG, 1APG
Making a mark for the Aces but he is far from dominating. More inside presence please.

21 CYRUS BAGUIO – RED BULL (LW18)
STATS: 13.1PPG, 3.7RPG, 3APG, 2SPG
The leader of the Bulls is currently undergoing verbal bashing from Yeng Guiao.

20 DONDON HONTIVEROS – SAN MIGUEL (LW20)
STATS: 15PPG, 4.2RPG, 2.2APG, 1SPG
The Cebuano Hotshot is topping his team in points despite limited minutes.

19 SOLOMON MERCADO – RAIN OR SHINE (LW19)
STATS: 14.3PPG, 3.8RPG, 4.9APG
The only thing that is messing his stats right now is his shot selections.

18 ALEX CABAGNOT – COCA-COLA (LW22)
STATS: 12.8PPG, 3.5RPG, 5.2APG, 2.4SPG
If Ryan Reyes is playing right now, this should have been the stats he would be making.

17 WYNNE ARBOLEDA – AIR21 (LW21)
STATS: 12.9PPG, 4.5RPG, 5APG, 1.8SPG
Some guys excel because of their talent while The Snatcher excels due to his brains and brawns.

16 ENRICO VILLANUEVA – PUREFOODS (LW16)
STATS: 12.4PPG, 9.9RPG, 1.3APG
If he keeps on “not” dominating, Purefoods will continue to hit the deepest trench of the standings.

15 GABE NORWOOD – RAIN OR SHINE (LW12)
STATS: 12.4PPG, 8.4RPG, 3.8APG, 1.6SPG
Bad week for offense but his stats are still there. Please score more… you can do it.

14 JAY-R REYES – RAIN OR SHINE (LW10)
STATS: 15.5PPG, 8.6RPG, 1.1APG, 1.2BPG
He failed to make more stats because Mark Isip played better than him. Wait… what?

13 GARY DAVID – AIR21 (LW14)
STATS: 19.7PPG, 4.1RPG, 2.5APG
He continues to display scoring awesomeness… which oftentimes translate into wins.

12 GABBY ESPINAS – RED BULL (LW13)
STATS: 16.1PPG, 9.7RPG
He should be moving up of the rankings but his team’s record is pulling him down.

11 JAMES YAP – PUREFOODS (LW15)
STATS: 19.8PPG, 5.1RPG, 1.5APG
Always heavily-guarded and barely getting any rest. He cannot do everything alone.

10 JAY WASHINGTON – SAN MIGUEL (LW7)
STATS: 13.1PPG, 9.2RPG, 3.7APG, 1SPG
Closing the week at second, J-Wash needs to exert more on the scoring side.

9 NIC BELASCO – COCA-COLA (LW9)
STATS: 15.3PPG, 10.3RPG, 2.1APG
Mark Telan closed on his output despite limited time which is good but they still lost.

8 RANIDEL DE OCAMPO – AIR21 (LW11)
STATS: 13.3PPG, 10.5RPG, 3.6APG
Getting monster outputs need not come in small dosages. This is Ranidel’s biggest problem.

7 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND – GINEBRA (LW8)
STATS: 20.5PPG, 3.6RPG, 4.5APG, 1.5SPG
His scoring was there but the return of his assists stats is a welcome development.

6 KELLY WILLIAMS – STA. LUCIA (LW4)
STATS: 14PPG, 12.8RPG, 1.8APG, 1.2APG
Williams’ injury is something to make Boyet Fernandez worry. His scoring slump is another thorn he needs to overcome.

5 KERBY RAYMUNDO – PUREFOODS (LW2)
STATS: 17.9PPG, 8.1RPG, 3APG
He has been inconsistent as of late. This could be blame for a thing we call “amoebas in the tummy area”.

4 WILLIE MILLER – ALASKA (LW5)
STATS: 17.1PPG, 7.6RPG, 5.2APG, 1.2SPG
The Thriller is finally getting support from his teammates and not only this translated into victories, it also made his game a lot easier.

3 ARWIND SANTOS – AIR21 (LW6)
STATS: 18.2PPG, 9.2RPG, 1APG, 1.2SPG, 1.8BPG
His 26-point outburst proved vital in performing he did to accomplish a win for the Express!

2 ASI TAULAVA – COCA-COLA (LW1)
STATS: 17.4PPG, 12.2RPG, 2.6APG
The Lava Man had setback after setback which prompts the Tigers to get magnetized to the cellar. An example of which would probably be his 5-point 6-board output.

1 MACMAC CARDONA – TALK N TEXT (LW3)
STATS: 26.1PPG, 5.2RPG, 2.7APG
His career high 42 points were enough to pull him on the driver seat. With Mark Caguioa out, he is the only player consistent scoring in the 20’s. While the Texters have yet to reap the damage Captain Hook is admonishing, expect hordes of defenders alternating and ganging on him every time he steps in the court.

Until then surf porn!

HooPH MMA: Weighing in on Brock Lesnar

On the night of UFC 91, Brock Lesnar did what seemed to be impossible to say for us fight fans 9 months ago when he got submitted by Frank Mir at UFC 91.

Yes, Brock is now the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

And he did it by knocking out the five time UFC Champion in brutal fashion. A shot to the temple and a barrage of hammer fist and that’s all she wrote. We now have a guy with 4 professional wins as our UFC Heavyweight Champion. And as ironic as it may sound the man that Lesnar beat to become the Champion also won his first title in his 4th professional fight, beating Maurice Smith via majority decision in UFC Japan in 1997.

While to most MMA fans, Lesnar didn’t deserve a shot at the title after beating Heath Herring, he certainly proved to the MMA community that while he technically didn’t deserve to fight for the title, he can beat and he already did beat the Champ. So that proved something about his skills.

Sadly, people still think of Brock Lesnar in Mixed Martial Arts is a joke, mainly because Lesnar fought or acted in World Wrestling Entertainment before. That I think is pretty darn stupid. MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba fought in numerous Pro-Wrestling organizations before becoming one of the most beloved figures in the history of Mixed Martial Arts, what about that huh?

Are we forgetting that Brock is a former National Amateur Wrestling Champion? A former 4 time All American? Has a 106-5 record in the NCAA before being hired by Vinnie Mac. Forget the fact that in his first three fights in the UFC, he has fought Mir (Former Champion) Herring (MMA Vet) and Couture. He’s a pro wrestler and he doesn’t deserve to be here!

Alright, enough with the sarcasm.

At some point, I think the people would realize that Lesnar is for real and is the future of the young UFC HW Division. If you see how he works in his first four fights, beating Herring and Couture in his 3rd and 4th professional fight, imagine how he’ll do in about 2 years. 2 years of working with Greg Nelson’s camp, 2 years of training with Rodrigo Comprido, 2 more years of MMA experience. Imagine that.

With his dick-like tattoo in his chest aside, I’m going to go out and say this guy is going to be unstoppable in 2 years.

Like what Dana White said..

He’s fucking fantastic.

Ball Hog: Sports Mirror & New RP Five

Sports Mirror

Check out Business Mirror’s sport section if you like fresh basketball write-ups. They got correspondents/contributors the do blog-type articles. Today, Mirror posted that Elasto Painters are getting fan’s attention. I very much agree on this. That’s expected, as the team plays fast (and hard), they are young (with equally young coaching staff) and they got exciting and explosive players. They got the “Gabe Mercado Combo”, silent shooter Tang, Jay-R Reyes (poor man’s Kerby) and Ryan Arana (poorman’s Mac Cardona) to anchor the team.

New RP Five

Well, not exactly new as this team was built with the 2007 Team Pilipinas as the foundation. This line-up was already leaked a week ago, formal announcement just now. Subtracted from the 2007 team are Renren Ritualo (he can’t even break Tropang Texter’s rotation), Danny Seigle (age), Mark Caguioa (injury & whatnot) and Jimmy Alapag (size?).

New entries are 2-time MVP Willie Miller (finally), Cyrus Baguio, Jared Dilinger, Arwind Santos, Ryan Reyes and Sonny Thoss. Sonny Thoss will play the role of EJ Feihl back in 1998. Panakot!

With the naturalization plan blocked, Asi still made the team. If ever we get pass FIBA-Asia, by the time we play in the World Championships, Asi Taulava is already 47 years old. Also Mick Penissi is in. Yes, PENISSI Is In!

Rounding up the team are 2007 veterans Gabe Norwood, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jayjay Helterbrand, Gabe Norwood, Mick Pennisi, Kery Raymundo, James Yap and Kelly Williams.

Possible addition next year is Japeth Aguilar.

They’ll play on the SEABA first (in May), then some pocket tourneys here and there, the Jones Cup perhaps and come September 2009, They’ll Punch The Moon (not the Korean player, the moon above), for a chance to guard KOBE BRYANT in the Worlds!

Comments?

POWER RANKINGS (NOV 5 - 9) - MAN OF THE WEEK, RANKINGS, ETC.

MAN OF THE WEEK: Yes, Hoops fans, we adore Richard del Rosario. Our favorite benchwarmer-turned-analyst is getting rave marks for his really cool humor. His latest annotation with Jude Turcuato seriously helped the debacle that turned out to be the Alaska versus Purefoods match. Sure, Mr. Kaboom was a great commentator to begin with, but you have to love the kind of awesomeness they produced in a match which barely had excitement in the end game stretch. Jason Webb and Vince Hizon, despite their so-so stints at one point or the other (I am talking about Hizon’s post-MBA pro league stint and Webb’s first and second SLR stints) prove no match for RDR’s career-long brilliance. While it should be embarrassing for him to become the butt of every commentators’ jokes, you can’t help but be pleased at the things he do to make PBA broadcasts worthwhile.

SIDEBARS: TOP ROOKIES
10 CHITO JAIME – He did in two games what Kelvin Gregorio couldn’t do in 6 games!
9 BEAU BELGA – He was the only player that got all the blessings in Kerby’s injury.
8 JEFF CHAN – He was another player that got a career game last week.
7 TY TANG – Scored 20 points versus Ginebra… and they won.
6 JASON CASTRO – He also scored a career-high output this week.
5 JARED DILLINGER (see Goodbye section)
4 BONBON CUSTODIO – Looming to be the PG of the future for SMB.
3 LARRY RODRIGUEZ (see Goodbye section)
2 SOLOMON MERCADO (see Rankings)
1 GABE NORWOOD (see Rankings)

SAY GOODBYE TO:
JARED DILLINGER (LW # 24) – The TNT slasher had his first scoreless outing in a loss against the Giants. (11.6PPG, 5.5RPG, 1.4APG, 1.1SPG)
LARRY RODRIGUEZ (LW # 20) – The PMI PF had an atrocious showing to send him bye-bye in the Power Rankings. (11.5PPG, 6RPG, 1.8APG, 1.5BPG)
HOMER SE (LW # 19) – One week after his debut in the P25, the ex-San Sebastian Stag bows out this week. (12.3PPG, 5.4RPG, 1.3APG, 1.1SPG, 1BPG)

GAME STARTS NOW!

POWER RANKINGS (NOV 5 TO 9):

25 REALTORS – NELBERT OMOLON (RETURNING)
Without Ryan Reyes, Omolon needs to double his efforts to help Kelly Williams in their bid to re-capture their Philippine Cup crown. (14PPG, 5.1RPG, 1.9APG)

24 ACES – JOE DEVANCE (NEW ENTRY)
Finally an Alaska player that is not Willie Miller! Last year’s top pick has been hitting his shots from all angles. Also, his rebounding strength is proving vital for the Aces. (13.6PPG, 6.6RPG)

23 TROPANG TEXTERS – ALI PEEK (LW # 16)
Ugh. After an impressive start, the Man-Mountain suffered an avalanche of struggles, which prompts TNT to share cellar honors with three other teams. (11PPG, 9RPG, 1.3APG, 1.8BPG)

22 TIGERS – ALEX CABAGNOT (NEW ENTRY)
Cabag-naughty’s debut came into reason by a string of good games for the Tigers. Not enough to move Coke up in the standings though. (11.9PPG, 3.5RPG, 4.8APG, 2.4SPG)

21 EXPRESS – WYNNE ARBOLEDA (LW # 23)
The Snatcher upped his game these past few games but the Express can’t buy a win even in these times. (13.3PPG, 4.6RPG, 4.4APG, 1.7SPG)

20 BEERMEN – DONDON HONTIVEROS (LW # 21)
The Cebuano Hotshot performed extremely well in the scoring column for the Beermen. (15.1PPG, 4.6RPG, 2.4APG, 1SPG)

19 ELASTO PAINTERS – SOLOMON MERCADO (LW # 18)
Why is Rain or Shine in the upper half of the standings? Because this guy can actually score and pass shots! (14.3PPG, 3.6RPG, 5.2APG)

18 BARAKOS – CYRUS BAGUIO (LW # 17)
While he wasn’t as explosive last season, Red Bull’s leader is making sure they are at the heap despite playing alongside untested ballers. (14.5PPG, 3.5RPG, 3.3APG, 2.1SPG)

17 BEERMEN – DORIAN PENA (LW # 22)
Raising five notches, the Big Dawg is smoothly controlling the inside for the dominating SMB group. (11.6PPG, 9.6RPG, 1.1APG, 1BPG)

16 GIANTS – ENRICO VILLANUEVA (LW # 11)
His stint this week was a letdown. To think he should have been productive on the inside with Kerby Raymundo at the sidelines. (12PPG, 10.7RPG, 1.3APG)

15 GIANTS – JAMES YAP (LW # 15)
King James suffered the wrath of the Aces with him as the lone scoring option for the Giants. Thank Tony Dela Cruz for this offensive mishap. (19.3PPG, 4.8RPG, 1.1APG)

14 EXPRESS – GARY DAVID (LW # 25)
The Rankings biggest upsurge this week, his offensive guns came in full throttle as he averaged 30 points in two games this week. (19.6PPG, 4.1RPG, 2.4APG)

13 BARAKOS – GABBY ESPINAS (LW # 13)
Fantasy league’s most productive pickup continues to make waves for the Barakos. They can’t find their winning ways though, so most of Espinas’ outputs are for naught. (15.8PPG, 9.6RPG, 1.1APG)

12 ELASTO PAINTERS – GABE NORWOOD (LW # 14)
Sure he plays nice, soft in other people’s standards, but he plays excellent ball in all aspects. Critics argue that he can score more if he wants to. We will wait for that day. (13PPG, 8.8RPG, 3.7APG, 1.4SPG)

11 EXPRESS – RANIDEL DE OCAMPO (LW # 7)
Diving out of the Top 10, De Ocampo had a couple of bad games that made his production drop. Imagine if his three-point buzzer beater wasn’t counted as a two-pointer… that could have boosted his waning stock. (12.9PPG, 10.2RPG, 3.4APG)

10 ELASTO PAINTERS – JAY-R REYES (LW # 12)
Rain Or Shine’s frontliner continues to lead the charge for the Painters… reasons why he is one of the most sought after finds in the Fantasy League roster. (16.3PPG, 8.8RPG, 1.2APG, 1.3BPG)

9 TIGERS – NIC BELASCO (LW # 10)
Kenneth Duremdes may have kinks in his roster, but you can’t say anything about the work ethic St. Nic brings to the squad. (15.8PPG, 10.5RPG, 2.3APG)

8 KINGS – JAYJAY HELTERBRAND (LW # 8)
Helter-skelter was unstoppable in their win against the Tigers. Last week they were cellar dwellers and this week they are PART of numerous cellar dwellers. MAY IMPROVEMENT! YEAH! (20.9PPG, 3.3RPG, 4APG, 1.4SPG)

7 BEERMEN – JAY WASHINGTON (LW # 9)
Remember when he was a rookie and PBA marketing guys vehemently state that we should address him as Anthony Washington? Well, true enough J-Wash is better. (14.3PPG, 10RPG, 3.8APG, 1SPG)

6 EXPRESS – ARWIND SANTOS (LW # 5)
Spidey didn’t have monster figures in their game against Rain or Shine last Saturday. Blame that for Doug Kramer’s break out game. (17.3PPG, 9.5RPG, 1APG, 1.4SPG, 1.8BPG)

5 ACES – WILLIE MILLER (LW # 3)
The Thriller did not play like his normal self against the Giants. Fact is, he never needed to. Merely passing and letting his teammates look good was what he did in that game. It did had its downside but they did get the win. The Letran Knight leads the league in assists. (16.8PPG, 7.7RPG, 5.3APG, 1.2SPG)

4 REALTORS – KELLY WILLIAMS (LW # 6)
Last week was horrible for the reigning MVP. Everything was bad during that game. This week however was the return of the Machine Gun. While his points has yet to explode, his rebounding is currently the league’s best. (15.4PPG, 12.9RPG, 1.9APG, 1.4SPG)

3 TROPANG TEXTERS – MACMAC CARDONA (LW # 4)
The leading scorer of the tournament leads seven other Texters with 9 or more points. Except for him though, none of these players are consistently scoring for TNT, prompting them to fall deep in the standings. (23.4PPG, 5.4RPG, 2.9APG)

2 GIANTS – KERBY RAYMUNDO (LW # 2)
You know that most of the top guys had a bad week when they fail to overtake a guy that sat out their last game. Yes, the Kid was absent in their game against the Aces. He was sorely missed as Purefoods got toyed by Alaska. (19.4PPG, 9RPG, 3.1APG)

1 TIGERS – ASI TAULAVA (LW # 1)
For the third straight week he is on top, dominating and dictating the pace for the Coca-Cola faithful. Now if only his skills could give the Tigers a shot out of the bottom… (20PPG, 11.4RPG, 2.4APG)

Until the next installment… SURF PORN!

National Billiards League Is A Go

The National Billiards League (NBL) has found a home for its much-awaited inaugural season next year.

The AMF-Puyat Bowling Inn and Billiards in Malate, Manila is undergoing a P2.5-million renovation to make it a state-of-the-art venue for the world’s first season-long professional league.

Located on Taft Ave., between Quirino and Remedios, Bowling Inn, as it is popularly known, will sport a lively set-up as the proponents of the league want it to be more than just a plain billiards competition, but also to provide fascinating entertainment.

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