Hooplink

Alaska Has no Plans of Trading LA Tenorio

2012-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

Rumors have been circulating around the net that Alaska is planning to trade star point guard LA Tenorio.

But the Alaska management is quick to react that LA Tenorio isn't going anywhere.

Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo said the team's prized point guard is not on the trading block.

"He's very happy with us and we have no plans of trading him," said Trillo.

"Talks about Tenorio being put on a trading block are all rumors," added Trillo. "In fact, I've talked to La in one of our practices and joked with him that if ever he wants to be traded, isama niya ako"

Alaska so far has one minor addition to its roster and that is Nino Gelig. Gelig began his career with Talk N Text Tropang Texters from 2004 to 2006 and last played for the Welcoat Dragons from 2006 to 2008.

B-MEG's Kerby Raymundo and Alaska's LA Tenorio to be traded?

2012-01-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

There has been rumors circling around the net that B-Meg's star power forward Kerby Raymundo will be traded to sister team Barangay Ginebra. LA Tenorio, Alaska Milk's star point guard is also on the trading block.

Raymundo who was plagued by injury last year, and is just getting his form back, is being eyed to be traded to Barangay Ginebra for JC Intal and a 1st round pick by Barangay Ginebra. Barako Bull is the third team on this trade as sister teams B-Meg and Ginebra cannot traded directly with each other. If the trade do push through B-Meg's gets JC Intal, a 1st round pick and possible Enrico Villanueva. Barangay Ginebra gets Kerby Raymundo and Ababou. Barako Bull will have Ronald Tubid and KG Caneleta.

Several sites and forums have posted that the reason Kerby is being traded is because of a rift between him and James Yap.

But this is still unconfirmed, and remain to be a rumor.

On the other hand a trading LA Tenorio came to me as a surprise, I know Tenorio together with Thoss is the cornerstone of the Alaska franchise. Compared to the earlier rumor of Kerby being traded this one involving LA Tenorio for me is the least to happen.

B-Meg top official Rene Pardo has hinted in his Facebook account trade deals happening in the next few days.

"Daming (several) trade on the table. It's that time of the year again," said Pardo.

The former league chairman defended the need by teams to use this exercise on certain occasions.

"Trading of players is a vital part of the PBA. Sometimes it seems that a team is on the losing end of trade because not all factors are made aware to the public. The important thing to understand is that no team will agree to a trade that will not benefit its objective of being competitive in the league," he said.

Pardo, however stressed there's no final deal yet involving their team.

"Nothing final on our end as of now. Puro what if pa lang," said Pardo.

Petron Blaze Boosters takes 3-1 lead over semifinal duel against Talk N Text Tropang Texters

2012-01-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Petron Blaze Boosters is now one win away from dethroning the defending champion Talk N Text Tropang Texters. Thanks to a impressive performance from the former two time MVP Danny Ildefonso.

Danny played like the MVP he was years ago, leading the Booster's with 22 points, with most of the points coming from dagger mid range shot in the final quarter.

Petron Blaze Booster again made a miraculous comeback erasing double digit lead from the Tropang Texters to pull off a 85-82 win for a 3-1 lead in their best of seven semifinal series in the 2011-2012 Philippine Cup.

Booster's rookie Chris Lutz contributed with 13 points, including two crucial free throws that gave Petron an 85-82 lead with 9.3 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

The Tropang Texters have two chances to tie the game and send it to overtime but misses from Ranidel de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag from the three point cost them the game.

Ryan Reyes led the Texters with 17 points but would likely miss game five as he injured his wrist.

Game five will be on Friday (January 13, 2012) with the Boosters and the Texters playing in the second game at 7:30 pm.

Rain or Shine Won Over Powerade to Tie Semifinal Series 2-2

2012-01-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters entered the game with more intensity in game 4 and shot better from the field goal for a 110-95 win over the Powerade Tigers to even the 2011-2012 PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals at 2-2.

Powerade's Gary David may have scored 30 points his 6th 30 point performance in this conference but still suffered a loss to Rain or Shine.

Jeff Chan led the Elasto Painters with 19 points, with rookie Paul Lee contributing 15 points.

"We just shot better and worked harder. Mas masipag kami ngayon," said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

"Its nice to celebrate the win but we just evened the series. We'll be going back to the gym and prepare for the best of three."

TY Tang helped contribute to the Elasto Painters third quarter break away with excellent passes to his teammates that increase their halftime lead of 54-43 to a 79-61 cushion entering the 4th quarter.

They led by as much as 20 points in the 4th quarter (86-66) and was never threatened by the tigers since then.

Game 5 will be on Friday. The PBA will return to its usual 2 games a day format with Rain or Shine versus Powerade playing first at 5:15 pm.

Petron Blaze Wins Game 3 Thriller Over Talk N Text Tropang Texters

2012-01-10T00:36:00.000-08:00

It was a thriller indeed last night at the Cuneta Astrodome as Petron Blaze came back from a 20 point margin and stunned defending champion Talk N Text, 95-93, on Alex Cabagnot's heroics to take a 2-1 lead in their best of seven semifinal series in the 2011-2012 Philippine Cup.

Talk N Text was full of energy from the start of the game while the Boosters plays sluggishly in the first half, but come 2nd half the Boosters were a different team, behind Denok Miranda and Arwind Santos, the Boosters came roaring back to steal game 3.

Arwind Santos led the Boosters with 25 points while Denok Miranda added 20 points.

But it was Cabagnot's dagger 3 point shot that turned the game in the Boosters favor.

"We designed teh last play for Alex, tapos second option si Arwind kung walang mangyari," said Petron head coach Ato Agustin.

It was a heart breaking loss for the Tropang Texters who led most of the way, and even lead by 20 (46-26) with 4:37 in the second quarter. But the Booster finish strong in the first half to trim the Texters lead to 48-38.

Larry Fonacier had a chance to put the Texters on top but eh missed a three pointer, which led to a split free throw from rookie Chris Lutz that gave Petron a 95-93 lead with 2.6 seconds left in the final quarter.

The Texters had another chance to win the game but Ranidel de Ocampo's three pointer at the buzzer miss.

Ranidel de Ocampo is the high point man for the Texters with 20 points.

Game 4 will be on January 11, 2012 Wednesday.

Powerade Tigers Wins Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals Against Rain or Shine

2012-01-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

The Powerade Tigers take the lead of their semifinal duel against Rain or Shine with a 104-99 win in overtime.

The Powerade Tigers well known for their offensive prowess relied of a superb defensive effort especially in overtime to take a 2-1 lead of the series. This is the first time in the series Rain or Shine was held below 100 points.

The man responsible for this win is no other than Powerade main man Gary David, who is on fire who scored 31 points for the Tigers his fifth 30 point showing this conference.

Rain or shine was still in command with a 3 point lead with 14.6 seconds left in the final quarter. When Rain or Shine rookie Paul Lee fouled David while attempting a three pointer. Gary David swished the three bonus shots to tie the score at 97 with 10 seconds remaining.

In the next play the Tigers force the ball out of Paul Lee, forcing the rookie to pass it to Belga who miss his jumper. Game officials reviewed Belga's last shot and gave the Tiger's 0.6 sec since the ball hit the shot clock, but Doug Kramer missed a well designed play inside the lane, forcing the game into overtime.

Rain or Shine was led by prolific rookie Paul Lee with 19 points. Jeff Chan and Jervy Cruz chipped in 17 points a piece.

Marcio Lassiter added 14 points while Sean Anthony and Doug Kramer each had 12 for Powerade. Game 4 will be on Tuesday January 10, 2012.

Rain or Shine Tames Powerade Tigers to take Game 1 of Semis Duel

2012-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

I consider Rain or Shine to be the dark horse of this conference, especially with their rookie Paul Lee, as for Powerade they completely surprise me with their win over top seed B-Meg on the quarters.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters took game 1 of their best of seven semifinal bout against Powerade Tigers 114-97.

As expected of Powerade after their moral boosting win over top seed B-Meg. They came out firing, led by their main man Gary David. Gary David already had 17 point in the first half leading his team to a 54-43 halftime lead.

But it was a different Rain or Shine in the second half, led by their rookie sensation Paul Lee and sharpshooting Jeff Chan. Rain or Shine exploded for 45 points in the 3rd quarter, and finishing with a whooping 71 points in the second half to take a 1-0 lead in the best of seven duel.

Rain or Shine was led by Jeff Chan with 27 points and rookie Paul Lee with 25 points (22 of those came in the 2nd half).

Gary David led Powerade Tigers with 30 points but sorely miss Lassiter's production who only scored 2 points the entire match.

Game 2 will be on Friday January 6, 2012.

Trade Involving Maierhofer, Maliksi, De Ocampo, Aquino and Future Pick Approved By PBA Commissioner

2011-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

A trade involving B-MEG's Rico Maierhofer, Ginebra's Yancy De Ocampo and Jimbo Aquino, Barako Bull Allein Maliksi was approved by Philippines Basketball Association Commissioner Chito Salud.

In the approved transaction Ginebra will receive Rico Maierhofer and Allein Maliksi, Barako Bull will receive Jimbo Aquino and a 2013 first round and 2012 second round picks from Ginebra, while B-MEG will receive Yancy de Ocampo and a 2012 second round pick from Barako Bull.

With this trade Ginebra Gin Kings has finally found the needed upgrade in their frontline, with Maliksi and Maierhofer.

B-MEG on the other hand has added a center in De Ocampo (Although De Ocampo prefers to play outside the shaded lane) but with a 6'9" height and a nice touch outside would be a good fit in their triangle offense.

Barako Bull on the other hand added a guard to their lineup in Jimbo Aquino a former top gun of the San Sebastian Stags.

B-MEG defeated Alaska 92-89 in a double Overtime

2011-11-13T16:40:00.000-08:00

It was their second meeting this conference, and Alaska was aching to get back at B-MEG for their loss in their first meeting. For Alaska its about revenge and also wanting to get out of the 9th spot since the last two teams on the end of the elimination gets booted out. For B-MEG it would extending their winning streak to 3.

B-MEG won for the second time over Alaska 92-89 in a thriller double overtime game.

B-MEG's superstar James Yap struggled early in the game but was a major factor during overtime and with B-MEG's supersub PJ Simon injured, rookie Mark Barroca stepped up his game to score 22 points his best performance so far this conference.

LA Tenorio who had a sub par game in their first meeting came out on fire in this game as he scored 28 points to lead Alaska, but was a non factor in overtime as he suffered cramps.

JR Reyes could have won the game for Alaska in regulation but missed his under goal attempt.

On the first overtime though, Alaska was in full control leading 80-75 with 2:25 left, but Yap and Barroca hit huge shots to tie it 80 all. Both teams had a chance to take the lead but both failed to make a shot leading to a 2nd overtime.

Then James Yap took over, hitting all of his attempts to give the Llamdos a 92-87 lead with just 43 seconds remaining.

"Very, very important for us to go over .500," said Cone. "Two or three weeks ago, we're in 9th place, now I think we're tied for 5th. We're now making our move and that's very important for us."

B-MEG's next opponent will be sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings, while Alaska will face Powerade Tigers.

Rain or Shine defeated Barako Bull 93-81 to remain on Top of the Pact

2011-11-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Rain or Shine is the hottest team in the Philippine Basketball Association right now. Rain or Shine is on a 5 game winning streak right now, and is on top of the standing with a 7-1 records followed closely by defending champion Talk n Text with a 6-1 record.

Rookie sensation Paul Lee lead the way for Rain or Shine with 17 points while veteran Willie Miller top scored for the Barako bull which slid down to 5-3.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said "We came into this game prepared because we respect Barako Bull. We knew it would be a difficult game."

"Our game plan was to play team defense. Buti nalang na-sustain naman," he added

I consider Rain or Shine from the start of the conference as the dark horse to win the title, but I never expected this team to lead this way early.

Rain or Shine will battle Petron Blaze this Sunday.

B-MEG defeated Meralco Bolts 95-79 for their first Back to Back win this Conference

2011-11-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

This was the first time this conference that B-MEG has won back to back victories. With a new head coach in Tim Cone the Llamados are still adjusting to the new system their coach is implementing on them.

B-MEG were able to hold of a feisty Meralco Bolts and was able to hold on to a 95-79 win in the 2011 Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

James Yap led the way for B-MEG with 25 points on 10-18 shooting, giving the Llamados a 4-4 standing.

Although B-MEG were able to notch its first back to back wins, it was in the expense of PJ Simon.

Simon got injured when he had a bad fall on a drive to the basket. B-MEG fans are hopeful its nothing serious because PJ Simon has been a spark for B-MEG in this couple of games.

Gabby Espinas led Meralco Bolts with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The bolts are now 5-4 in the team standings.

Cone now challenges his players to make a run to catch up the leaders in the team standings.

"This is the time we have to make our surge. We can't lag too far back and expect to catch up anybody," said Cone.

B-MEG's next opponent is Cone's former team Alaska this Sunday.

Talk n Text Center Ali Peek Faces Hard Decision May Not Play Again

2011-11-10T18:28:00.001-08:00

Talk n Text center Ali Peek faces a hard decision concerning his condition.

Doctors have given him and his family two options, one to leave the bullet lodged in his nape to sit where it is and guaranteed him that his life will be fairly normal. But he is unlikely to play again.

The second option is to operate on him, remove the bullet and wait just a few month and he will be good as new. But the operation is fraught with danger.

Even the best doctors could not guarantee that an operation of this kind is trouble free since the bullet is too close to the spinal cord, one or two millimeters away.

A missed cut or incision may cause instant paralysis.

On the other hand, the first option guarantees full recovery but he may have to retire from the game. If he opts to play, a hard foul or a fall may push the bullet towards the spinal cord and the result would also be paralysis.

This is a very hard decision for Ali, but for me if he decides to choose option 1, choosing life over his career, why not. Ali has proven many things in the hard court and has won multiple championships already. But then again the decision lies with Ali Peek and his family. Whatever their decision is Talk n Text and basketball fans would respect it. Good Luck Ali and God Bless.

Talk and Text Center Ali Peek was Shot, But now in Stable Condition

2011-11-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

A sad news for Talk and Text fans and also for the pba fans.

Talk n Text player Ali Peek was shot by a still unidentified gunman in Mandaluyong City.

Reports said Peek came from a workout at RFM Gymnasium around 7 pm when he was attacked.

Talk n Text head coach Chot Reyes said in his Twitter account (@coachot) " Ali Peek was shot by an unidentified assailant in d parking lot of RFM gym at around 7 pm today. He's conscious & in stable condition now"

"The Talk n Text family asks d public to respect their privacy at this time. Further details will be released as they become available," Reyes further tweeted.

Citing initial reports, Chief Supt. Francisco Manalo, Eastern Police District director, said Peek was shot once at the nape using an unknown caliber of firearm at the RFM Gym in Barangay Buayang Bato at around 7:30 pm.

The suspect immediately fled after the shooting while Peek was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Reyes said that while Peek is conscious, a bullet remains lodged at the player's neck, which would require a procedure to remove.

Were praying for you big guy, hope for your fast recovery.

Barako Bull defeated B-Meg 87-84 for its 4th straight win

2011-10-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

People from Panabo City got one hell of a treat. A tightly fought game, that went into overtime.

The Barako Bull got its 4th straight win defeating B-Meg in overtime 87-84 in an out of town game in Panabo, Davao del Norte. With this win, Barako now shares the lead with Rain or Shine and defending champs Talk and Text.

The game had several momentum shift with B-Meg starting the game with a 17-0 run, and Barako making a run on the 2nd quarter, from there on the two teams traded runs until the final half.

B-Meg forced extension on the dying second with James Yap knocking a three pointer with 1.8 seconds left in the game. Barako Bulls Miller tried to win it but missed the target.

It was still a closely fought game in overtime, but with B-Meg's Raymundo committing several mistakes, the last was a bad pass to James Yap that resulted with a steal by Jondan Salvador.

James Yap fouled Salvador immediately to sent him to the line, the former Llamados hit his first free throw and miss the second, giving B-Meg another chance for a second overtime. But James Yap missed badly on a three point attempt in the left corner sealing the win for the Barako Bull.

Willie Miller led Barako Bull with 18 points while James Yap top scored for B-Meg with 20 points whose team is now struggling with a 2-4 card while Barako Bull rose to the top of the standing with a 4-1 slate.

2nd Overall Pick Paul Lee Shines as Rain or Shine Defeats Barangay Ginebra Kings 94-93

2011-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

A win is a win though, no matter what the score is. Me and my friends though were just after one thing. To see if the 2nd overall pick Paul Lee was as good as what the papers say. Well he did not disappoint us at all. Considering he's still a rookie, he played great last Sunday's lone opener game.

Paul Lee scored 21 points with 5 rebound and a couple of steals. Although they almost lost the game on a 4th quarter meltdown. Lee showed us how good he is.

JC Intal missed the last of his three charities in the final 1.3 seconds then new look John Wilson (did you see his hairdo?) muffed a follow-up shot as the Kings let the Elasto Painters preserve the win.

"It's a big win for us in the first day, first game of the season. We had some jitters. Good thing, we had a good lead going into the endgame," said ROS coach Yeng Guiao.

As for his prized rookie

"He's physically tough. He's special. You don't coach that. It comes from him, We really have a good pick," said Guiao.

"He's a big help really. We had a hard time breaking the zone. It's easier now with him there," Guiao added.

Now with Paul Lee's impressive first game, other teams will now be prepared for him, and now will really see how good Lee really is.

Los Angeles Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant Gets Offer To Play in Italy

2011-09-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

While the NBA lockout is still not over, plenty of NBA players are being offered to play for different countries. Even a superstar like Kobe Bryant has also been given an offer from Italy to play. Kobe Bryant has been offered a $6.7 million, one season contract to play for the Italian team Virtus Bologna, appealing to his childhood memories of growing up in the country.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar spent part of his youth in Italy while his father played there. He speaks Italian, prompting Bologna to hope he might return if there's an NBA lockout.

Virtus Bologna general manager Massimo Faraoni tells that he's been on conference calls between Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, Bologna president Claudio Sabatini and main sponsor Canadian Solar, which would provide the cash for such a deal.

"I Think the fact that he's lived in Italy makes this appealing to him," Faraoni said.

Virtus has given Bryant four different contract options, stretching from the 1 year deal to two month and one month options, and a per game deal that would come out to $739,640 per home game.

All of the offers are pretax and would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

Korea Defeated Smart Gilas Pilipinas 70-68 To Claim Bronze in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship

2011-09-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

It was a heart breaker and it came from a very familiar foe, Team Korea. I thought the game was on the bag last Sunday afternoon, with the Philippines leading most of the way leading to the final quarter. Then just seconds away a 3 pointer from a Korean player who has been struggling the whole game, poor free throw shooting, a block, the finale? a come from behind win from Korea 70-68 to claim the bronze medal in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship.

Moon Taejong who has been struggling since the China game, buried his only three pointer for the game with 47 seconds left on the game to give Korea the lead 67-65, Gilas has a chance to tie the game in Douthit free throw but he missed the second one but was able to grab the rebound only to be blocked by Moon. Still with the Korea leading by just a point 67-66, Kelly Williams was given 2 free throws on a foul by Oh, but misses both charities.

Smart Gilas still has a chance to tie the game with 9 second on a free throw by Lassiter, he sank the first one making it 69-68 but missed the second one, Douthit was able to grab the offensive rebound but turned the ball over. With Philippines down by one Casio fouled Cho, and sent him to the free throw line, Cho misses the first but sank the second one, giving Korea a 70-68 and the game.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas Won Over Syria 75-52 in the 2nd Round of the 26th FIBA Asia Championship

2011-09-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

It was a shacky start for Smart Gilas Philippines in the first half, having trailed Syria by 9 points 23-32 at halftime. Mainly due to the foul trouble of Douthit. Things were different in the second half, as the Philippines put on the pressure as it won 75-52 to end its 2nd round in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship.

With its win the Smart Gilas Pilipinas is 2nd in its bracket, the Philippines will now face Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.

In a way, it was good that Smart Gilas Pilipinas were not able to show their usual form and true strength against Syria, with the Taiwanese - in full fource in the scouting gallery.

"I deliberately not put in that much Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams in the first half as I calculated some things. We missed lot of shots and it was good we're able to turn things around in the second half," said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

"And it's now the deciding games. We're looking forward to play Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals. We know it's not going to be easy but we're optimistic," Toroman also said.

The knockout quarterfinals are set on Friday.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas Won Over Jordan 72-64 in the 2nd Round of the 26th FIBA Asia Championship

2011-09-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Philippines started the 2nd round on a good note, as it beat Jordan 72-64. It was nice to see Lassiter and Lutz finally having to play, there were still some controversy it was said that on Coach Chot Reyes Twitter

coachot Chot Reyes

RT @NoliEala Great news! Fiba has cleared Lassiter and Lutz to play. Letter already being transmitted to Fiba Asia and SBP. God bless Gilas.

The message was dated Sept 18. Then came a tweet just before the game that

coachot Chot Reyes

UNBELIEVABLE! This is why I'm so disillusioned about FIBA basketball. Ayaw na naman palaruin yung 2!

So I thought Lutz and Lassiter wont be playing the game, but to my surprise they did. As the first half of the game we saw the Jordan team leading the Philippines. It was a different story on the second half as Lassiter provided the spark with his timely three point bomb and Douthit flexing his muscle inside. Although there was moment on the game where Douthit went down it, I was concerned since Douthit is our only big presence down the middle.But came back a few minutes to help the team.

Philippines was led by Marcus Douthit with 19 points and Marcio Lassiter with 14 points. Jordan was led by Osama Daghles with 18 points and Rasheim Wright with 16 points.

Philippines Smart Gilas will face Team Japan tomorrow August 20, 2011.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas Won Over UAE 95-52 in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship

2011-09-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

It was a great start for the Philippine team in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship at Wuhan Sports Centre, winning 95-52 over United Arab Emirates. Mac Barracael lead the team in scoring with 15 points. Although it was a big win for the team, what worried me is not having Lutz and Lassiter in the lineup.

Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were ruled ineligible to play barely an hour before the tip-off of their game against the United Arab Emirates.

Talk and Text coach Chot Reyes broke the news on his Twitter account (@coachot)

"FIBA Commisioner just told me now that Lutz and Lassiter are ineligible. Only an advise from FIBA in Switzerland can make them play now," Reyes said.

Former Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) Executive Director Noli Eala said in his twitter account (@NoliEala) that "FIBA is invoking the wrong rule, Marcio (Lassiter) and Chris (Lutz) did not acquire citizenship by naturalization. They are natural born Filipinos by virtue of a Filipino parent."

Eala, who is also part of FIBA legal committee , has already advised the SBP on what to do next to salvage Lutz and Lassiter stint in FIBA-Asia.

Their eligibility was questioned by FIBA-Asia Deputy Secretary Hagop Khajirian, who is a Lebanese.

This is sad a bad news for our team, and if i not mistaken this guy Hagop has been in our country during a certain basketball event. Are they that threatened with our team? Lassiter anf Lutz have been playing for the team on several FIBA sanctioned games already and now they filed a petition for the two? this is plain BS. I just hope the two can get cleared and play the game against China.

Time Cone Is Now The New B-MEG Llamados Head Coach

2011-09-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I updated this blog, and my last post was about Tim Cone retiring. Although there were rumors circulating in the net that Cone will end up coaching a SMC team preferably B-MEG the rumors fizzled out when Del Rosario was named acting head coach. Days passed and a new rumor came out again. This time Tim Cone will be back but not as a coach but as a consultant for B-MEG then after 1 conference he will assume the Head coach position from Del Rosario.

Then came the big surprise, I think B-MEG can't wait to have Tim Cone handle the Llamados as Tim Cone is now officially the new Head coach of the Llamados. Along with Tim Cone is his former players Johnny Abbarientos and Jeff Cariaso. Now its clear that the Llamados would use the triangle offense with Tim and his former players around not to mention Devance is also in the Llamados lineup.

Things look brighter now in the B-MEG's camp, with the Llamados almost having all of their injured players back, except for Jonas Villanueva and maybe Barroca if he will still be in the Gilas lineup.

Time Cone Retires: Joel Banal is Aces New Head Coach

2011-08-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

Whoaaa, when I first saw PBA, Jawo was still playing, Ginebra was for me the Bad Boys of the PBA, I think purefoods at that time look like the glamour boys of basketball - as for Alaska, I always say to my self the team with the American coach, who always wear sleeves and ties.

There were many coaching change during those year's and Tim Cone remained as an Alaska coach for so long, and now HE'S RETIRING OR PLANNING TO RETIRE?

I first saw this in a newspaper. Tim Cone will no longer be the head coach of the Alaska Aces as he will retire soon. His retirement will be announced by Mr. Fred Uytengsu, the President of the Alaska Milk Corporation. The possible replacement of Cone will be coach Joel Banal who steered the Ateneo Blue Eagles to a championship in 2002.

Some of the Alaska fans doesn't want coach Tim to leave. They are saying that Alaska could no longer give the salary that Cone wants that's why he's leaving the team. But apparently, they are all wrong because Mr. Uytengsu said that it's about coaching fatigue. Here's what he said:

"Coaching fatigue. He wanted to do something different. Tim's assistant, Joel Banal, will replace him"

FATIGUE? All I know is if you loved your job, you wont even feel fatigue. But hey, that's just me.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz Both Tested Clean for Drug Test

2011-08-31T22:48:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz both tested clean for their commission mandated drug test, one month before that are set to face each other in Nevada. Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chairman Keith Kizer said that the results of the urine tests for both Ortiz and Mayweather came out clean and free of banned substance.

Ortiz, the WBC welterweight champion, is set to face the undefeated Mayweather on September 17. It will be Mayweather's first boxing bout in 16 months.

JV Casio is Number 1 Pick in this Years PBA Rookie Draft 2011

2011-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

In it's bid to be competitive, Powerade Tigers picked JV Casio as this years number 1 pick. There's no question Casio will be picked at number 1, seeing the way he play with Smart Gilas. Is Casio the answer to Powerade's rise to PBA, remains to be seen. Although Casio will provide the scoring and stability in their backcourt. Their froncourt personnel remains a big question mark. Powerade also picked Casio's Gilas teammate Marcio Lassiter at number 4.

The top ten picks are:

1. JV Casio(Powerade)

2. Paul Lee (RoS)

3. Chris Lutz (Petron)

4. Marcio Lassiter (Powerade)

5. Mark Barroca (Shopinas)

6. Marnel Baracael (Alaska)

7. Jason Ballesteros (Meralco)

8. Allein Maliksi (Barako)

9. Reil Cervantes (Ginebra)

10. Dylan Ababou (Barako)

I didn't bother watching the 2nd round though, sorry guys.

TNT's Jimmy Alapag is the 2011 PBA MVP

2011-08-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

There was no doubt Jimmy will be the winner in this years MVP, his team TNT has already won two titles and needed only to win this conference to gain the rare grandslam feat. I always considered Alapag as the heart-and-soul of the Tropang Texters, Alapag played a key role in getting the telecommunication franchise to where it is at the moment – a title removed from completing a historic Grand Slam.

Jimmy Alapag is only the fifth point guard to win the MVP trophy, Alapag said he never once thought of bagging the award ever since he learned the rudiments of the sport.

“Ever since I’ve been playing basketball, I’ve never gone before the start of the season working hard to win an MVP," said the player known as the `Mighty Mouse’. “It’s always about winning championships. If I ever was blessed, it was a huge honor.

Alapag compiled 1,888 points to bag the league’s highest individual title, winning over Santos, the Best Player of the Governors Cup (1,687) and Caguioa (1,317)

Congratulations to Jimmy and I hope they will get the Grand Slam feat.

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose was paid $400,000 each by Manny Pangilinan

2011-07-28T03:01:00.000-07:00

The 3 superstars who played two games here in the Philippines have been reportedly paid $400,000 each for the exhibition games held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The amount that have been given to the NBA superstars was first reported by Sports Illustrated writer Sam Amick.

Wow, $400,000 is equivalent to almost 17 million pesos, and that's for two games only. Well I think that's within their talent fee, considering those three, are superstars in the NBA, and those amount are nothing to Manny Pangilinan. But the real winner in that event are the fans, man if it was held here near our place, I would surely watch it.

The Smart Ultimate All Star Weekend was brought about by the major sponsors of the Philippines National Basketball Team, the Smart Communication. Chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, Manny Pangilinan was the main man behind the invitation of NBA Players to play in the Philippines.

China's NBA Star Yao Ming Retires at 30

2011-07-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

So sad not to see him play again. Yao Ming has announced his retirement on Wednesday after a trailblazing career that made him China's best known athlete abroad and helped spur the game's global growth.

Yao Ming made the announcement during a press conference in his hometown of Shanghai after his last two seasons with the Houston Rockets were dogged by injuries. "I would like to thank you for giving me a great nine year career," he said. "Nine years ago I came to Houston as a young, skinny player and the entire city and team changed me into a grown man, not only a basketball player."

He enjoyed a high profile, but the rigors of top flight basketball proved too much for his massive frame and his career has been marked by lengthy absences from the court due to a succession of mostly foot injuries and leg injuries.

I'm really gonna miss the 7 foot 6 inches height of his, rarely would you see such height like Yao that is a great low post presence and can shoot well outside too.

A Comeback for Kenneth Duremdes in the PBA

2011-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Captain Marbel is returning? for me I think he should re think it first. The level of play in the PBA is way above during his time, and at 37 years old, I don't think he can keep in par with the much younger and athletic players of the PBA today.

There are rumors circulating in sites and forums that Kenneth Duremdes is thinking of coming out of retirement to join the Powerade Tigers next season. Duremdes planned comeback started circulating in social network site shortly after Powerade finished it campaign in the PBA's 36th season with a 86-81 win over Meralco.

Duremdes is currently one of the assistants of coach Bo Perasol and an executive pf the team under Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines. Perasol neither confirmed nor denied it when asked on Duremdes planned comeback by next year. "It can happen but I think it's a way of honoring him."

It maybe a rumor, if its true or not I don't care that much. But if the Tigers want to make a noise next year they should focus on what the team needs, rather than getting a retired player that is past his prime already.

Kobe Bryant, CP3 and other NBA Superstars vs PBA All Star and Smart Gilas

2011-07-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, that's all I can say. I enjoyed watching online when Kobe went to visit Manila, and played briefly for the UAAP Selection against the Smart Gilas. It was a great to see such player of Bryant's caliber to play along side our college up coming stars and our countries representative Smart Gilas.

If that wasn't enough Kobe will come back on July 23 and 24, not by himself but together with several NBA stars like Hornet's Chris Paul, the King's Tyreke Evans, Thunder's James Harden.

Chot Reyes, the executive director of MVP Sports Foundation was the one who made the official announcement yesterday in a media conference inside the Big Dome, with him at the presscon were PBA Chairman Rene Pardo, Commisioner Chito Salud, and MVP Sports Foundation president Al Panlilio.

The PBA selection will be the first to play the NBA team on July 23 at 7pm and Smart Gilas on the next day at 1pm.

Tickets are at Php 5,500 for the patron, Php 3,800 for lower box, and Php 1,600 for the upper box section. General admission tickets are priced at Php 300.

For more info please visit the PBA website www.pba.com.ph

Andre Agassi Enshrined into Tennis Hall of Fame

2011-07-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Retired American professional tennis player Andre Agassi was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Almost 5 years after he retired from the game.

A former world number 1 who captured eight grand slam singles titles, Agassi was enshrined at a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, along with Fern Lee 'Peachy' Kellmeyer, a trailblazing administrator in women's professional tennis.

Now 41, the American was in a reflective mood at his induction, admitting he made mistakes but was grateful for everything the sport gave him.

Congratulation for Agassi, it was during his time that I was hooked in watching tennis. I love the way he returns those powerful serves by opposing players, especially against power hitters like Pete Sampras.

In 2001, he married fellow tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf of Germany. The couple have two children and live in Las Vegas.

Factors to Consider in Owning Your Dream Car

2011-07-10T02:11:00.000-07:00

I have always loved riding cars and I always wanted to have one. May it be a muscled car, exotic car, vintage car, I really adore them. I'm taking a public vehicle when I go to work and the route to my office always passes by a car shop, and today they are showcasing the Toyota Camry. Wow the first time I saw that car I really wanted one but I always think of several factors to consider when trying to own one.

First to consider would be the price of owning a car, a Camry will cost maybe around $25,000 to 27,000. Second would be the auto insurance, yes of course you need to have one because let's face it, your car would be the second big investment to make next to your house. I'm not that good when it comes to insurance but a friend of mine gave me a good auto insurance tips. Lastly would be if the car you gonna buy would have plenty of available parts on the market. So that if there's any problems with your car parts you won't be having a problem trying to find a replacement.

Considering these factors, all I can say is that my dream car would indeed remain a dream.

Fighting at 144lbs Juan Manuel Marquez will be at a Disadvantage Against Manny Pacquiao

2011-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

"I just don't think Marquez holds that weight really well," boxing coach Ron Frazier cited. At a 144 pound catch weight, Juan Manuel Marquez will be at a disadvantage against Manny Pacquiao. Frazier who trained the likes of UFC superstar Randy Couture and MMA heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga, thinks the added weight will slow down Marquez.

The weight factor, he said, will be important when Marquez fights the lightning quick Pacquiao on November 12. "I think that he could probably make 130 from I've seen when he's come by our gym a couple of times. He's not a big guy at all," he said.

Marquez the reigning WBA and WBO lightweight champion, currently fights at 135 lbs. He agreed to face Pacquiao for the third time at the 144 lb. catch weight. Pacquiao the WBO welterweight title holder fights at 147 lbs.

Frazier thinks the Filipino champion won;t have problems making the catch weight. "Manny is a freak of nature athlete who has carried that weight very well for himself," he said.

I hope Manny finally beats Marquez convincingly to finally shut Marquez up. Marquez always thinks he should have won their matches. I hope Manny silences this guy once and for all. Marquez is gonna need plenty of urine to beat Manny now hahahaha if you forgot about Marquez urine drinking click this link to see. Marquez drinking his urine.

Spanish Basketball Star Ricky Rubio will finally Suit up for Minnesota Timber-Wolves

2011-06-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Finally Ricky Rubio will play for the T-Wolves. The Highly rated Spanish point guard will leave REgal Barcelona to play for the Minnesota Timber-wolves in the NBA next season.

"I have finally decided to go to the NBA. I have a dream that now can become a reality," Rubio told a news conference in Barcelona last Friday. The 20 year old Spain international was selected fifth in the draft by the Timberwolves in June 2009 but at the last minute decided to stay at home for two more seasons to be better prepared for the rigours of the NBA.

Rubio is the latest Spaniard to make the transition to the NBA, following brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies respectively. Rubio has been compared in appearance and style to American former NBA player Pete Maravich, a five time All Star, known as "Pistol Pete" and who died in 1988 aged 40.

I have only seen Rubio play, when US battled Spain, but was able to handle himself good against the NBA powered US team. I hope he can improved more once he will enter the NBA, especially his physique and shooting.

Manny Pacquiao named Richest Boxer by Sports Illustrated

2011-06-21T03:37:00.000-07:00

Philippines boxing star Manny Pacquiao is not only the best boxer today but also happens to be the sport's richest fighter. The eight time world champion earned $52.5 million (Php2.250 billion) last year, easily landing him a spot in the Fortunate 50 list of Sports Illustrated's highest earning athletes.

The 32 year old Filipino boxing sensation is ranked fourth behind top golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and tennis star Roger Federer. He is second behind Federer, owner of 16 grand slam titles, in the list of the highest paid non American athletes.

The earnings represented the prize money and endorsement made by Pacquiao in 2010, the year he collected $20 million each in the two fights he had with Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito for the WBO welterweight tittle and WBC super welterweight crown respectively.

Only last month, Pacquiao upped his ante by netting a total of $30 million (almost Php 1.3 billion) for successfully defending his WBO 147 belt opposite Sugar Shane Mosley with a 12 round one sided decision. Pacquiao who is guaranteed a $ 20 million prize purse for the Mosley fight, is the only boxer to make SI list and comes in the wake of a recent Forbes ranking where the reigning pound for pound king placed 24th in the World's 50 highest paid athletes with the net earning of $25 million.

James, Wade and Bosh too Much for Mavs in Game 1 of NBA Finals 2011

2011-06-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Trio of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was just too much for the Dallas Mavericks in game 1 of their NBA Finals as Miami wins 92-84. James led Miami with 24 points while Wade and Bosh each scored 22 and 19 points respectively. While Dallas was led by Dirk Nowitzki's 27 points.

Although the games was tight on all 3 quarters of the game, the Heats power trio exploded in the 4th quarter and blew the game wide open.

I gotta admit it, I did not expect Miami to reach the NBA finals this year, I thought they can only reach as far as the Eastern Finals. I know that they would be a powerhouse team, but I never thought they would be this dominant this year, maybe the following year, but not this year.

Game 2 is Thursday in Miami.

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat - The Redemption, The Decision

2011-05-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

The NBA finals showdown is a complete surprise for me. I have never thought that it would be the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat that will battle for this years crown. The west in my opinion would be the toughest to win because of teams like the defending champs Lakers, the surprise Spurs and the ever improving Thunder. But with the Mavs sweeping the Lakers theres no doubt the Mavs will represent the west whoever opponent they will met in the west finals. In the East I always thought that it would be a toss up between the Heat and the Celtics, but since this two met earlier in the 2nd round the winner would be the one representing the east, and with the Heat defeating the Celtics the torch for east supremacy would clearly be in Miami's hand.

So now we have the Heat and the Mavs in the finals next week. For the Mavs it would be a sort of redemption for their collapse in the 2006 finals against the Heat, especially for the remaining player's on that rooster namely Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. It would also be redemption time for one of the league best point guard in Jason Kid, Kid has been in the finals twice, and loosing it both. As for the Heat, its the well known, controversial Decision, of Lebron James to leave the Cavs to form a formidable Trio with Bosh and Wade in Miami. Lebron has been the talk of the town because of that decision, especially with their shaky start of the season, people would always pick on the Heat for every loss, mistake they commit. With the Heat on the finals, this would be a good way to shut the mouth of people who have criticize their decision.

This will be one heck of a NBA finals showdown, I hope the Mavs win it, I.m not a Mavs fan or a Heat fan. But I think this would be a good time for the Mavs to win, with their superstar Nowitzki and Kidd and also Terry in their late 30's. For the heat hey, I know they'll win more championship with those three.

Manny Pacquiao Meets Sexy Paris Hilton

2011-05-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton, the sexy American socialite is a big Manny Pacquiao fan. Paris, along with her sister Nicky Hilton, trooped to the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday to watch Pacquiao's bout with Shane Mosley.

On Twitter, Paris praised Pacquiao for being "an incredible fighter" following his victory over Mosley. Manny Pacquiao won the fight via unanimous decision.

The Hilton sisters stayed after the bout to attend the post fight news conference. Paris also got to meet Manny's wife Jinkee. Paris tweeted:"Hanging out with @Manny Pacquiao and his beautiful wife Jinkee. They are such a sweet and down to earth couple! Love them! :)"

Paris reportedly had a hard time leaving the room as Filipino fans mobbed her. Paris also announced that she is coming to the Philippines this year, and she is planning to visit the country's prized fighter and his family.

Boston Bows to Miami in Overtime in Game 4

2011-05-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Now its the Boston Celtics who is in danger of bowing out of the playoff. Its looks like this year, is the year of the young, well if you consider the Dallas Maverick young after dethroning the Lakers via sweep and the surprising YOUNG Memphis Grizzlies upsetting the no.1 seed in the west the San Antonio Spurs.

The Miami Heat won in overtime 98-90 against the Boston Celtics, and is now in a commanding 3-1 lead and things couldn't be better for the Celtics as game 5 will be played in Miami.

After the Jordan era with bulls the Spurs, Lakers and Boston are considered the top dogs in the NBA. Since the last championship of the Bulls in 1998, these 3 teams especially the Spurs and Lakers have won multiple titles spanning from 1999 to 2010. With the spurs winning it 4 times (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007) and the Lakers winning it 5 times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010). The Celtics, Heat and Piston won it once during this stretch.

But now we are witnessing the birth of a new top dog, in the East we have the power trio of Miami Heat ( that if they close out the Celtics in game 5) and the young Bulls with their MVP Rose (that if they can get past the pesky hawks, they are now tied 2 games a piece). In the west the Dallas Mavericks (well they have been a powerhouse team through these years but never seem to win it. I think they have a great chance this year) the team that sweep the defending champs. And the young Memphis Grizzlies who have upset the number 1 seed Spurs and is now leading the also young Thunder 2-1.

Texters Defeats Ginebra in Overtime to win Commissioners Cup

2011-05-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Talk n Text defeated the Gin Kings in overtime 99-96 and is now poised to win a Grand Slam if it will win the last conference in the PBA, the Governor's Cup.

Jimmy Alapag and Jason Castro lead the TNT with Alapag scoring 24 points with 6 assists and 5 rebounds while Castro has 19 points. The kings was led by Willie Miller with 21 points and Brumfield who did not finish the game due to cramps scored 18 points.

I never thought the Kings would give this much a challenge to the powerhouse TNT squad, but they did, and this was such an finals. Credits should be given to the Kings, who after being defeated in game 1, most critics and fans already assumed that the kings wont stand a chance against TNT, but they did, and in game 6 the kings could have extended the series to a winner take all, but fell short in overtime.

As for the Tropang Texters in winning their back to back championship. They will surely go all out next conference to win a grand slam, which I think the last team to achieve this is Alaska.

Manny Pacquiao Dominates Shane Mosley to Retain Crown

2011-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

It was fun to watch the fight, well that was until the 3rd round came, and when Mosley went down on a Pacquiao left hook it was never the same. It was like watching Pacquiao vs. Clottey 2. Well Mosley didn't cover much of the way like Clottey did, but he just ran away, after feeling Pacquiao punch he don't want any of it anymore.

At the end Manny Pacquiao won a lopsided 12 round decision. It was all boos from the crowd because Mosley refused to trade punches. Pacquiao won every round on two ringside scorecards in extending the remarkable run that has made him the most exciting fighter in the sports.

The only bright spot on Mosley against Pacquaio was on the 10th round when referee Kenny Bayless mistakenly ruled that Mosley knocked Pacquiao down, when replays show that he didn't even hit Pacquiao with a punch. I think that only made Pacquiao mad.

Now can we see a Pacquiao Mayweather fight? Commentators on the fight said Pacquiao probably fight Marquez. Who cares about Marquez, Manny has nothing to prove by fighting him. Fight the biggest mouth and ego on the boxing industry and that's Mayweather. Congrats Manny.

Floyd Jr.s Legal Woes Turn to the Worst

2011-05-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Mayweather Jr. legal woes just goes on and on. After being charged with misdemeanor harassment for reportedly threatening to have two security officers shot over ticket citations.

According to a criminal complaint reported by celebrity website TMZ.com, the boxer allegedly threatened security officers in October 2010 when they issued citations on Mayweather's cars parked outside his mansion in Las Vegas.

"My homies have guns. If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of you," Mayweather was quoted as having said. "These are my (expletive) cars. Don't touch my (expletive) cars," he allegedly said. The episode reportedly took place before Mayweather's face poking incident last year, which also involved a security guard.

Mayweather was charged with criminal battery for poking at the cheekbone of the security guard also for ticket citations. The boxer also has a pending domestic battery case for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris.

Manny Pacquiao Urges Fans to Wear Yellow on his Fight

2011-05-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao will be wearing a pair of yellow gloves when he trades punches with Shane Mosley for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao said he picked the yellow as this is a symbol of unity in his fight to eradicate poverty in his beloved land. "All my life I've had to fight. As a child I had to fight just to eat," Pacquaio said during a media conference Wednesday. "The biggest fight in my life is not in boxing. The biggest fight in my life is how to end poverty in my country."

To draw support for his cause, Pacquiao then urged his followers to wear yellow clothing on the day he will square off with Mosley. And the moment he steps into the ring, Pacquiao will also be wearing for the first time blue colored sneakers, his brand new boxing shoes from Nike.

I may now wear a yellow clothing during his fight but I'll be cheering for the PacMan to win this fight.

A Movie about the Dark Side of Sports

2011-04-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

There's not much movie on sports that dwells deep into the bad side of gambling I think except for the movie Two for the Money. Of course its really hard to bet on sports, you have to have all the statistics and probability to really guess who's gonna win, and of course it's also hard to predict how an athlete may react to a certain situation.

I think you should watch this movie, its nice to see the other side of the action, that people can't see while the game is being played. I like the character of Al Pacino in this movie, well who wouldn't like Pacino, he's a great actor, and for me Al Pacino is the one that keeps this movie interesting. Matthew McConaughey is also good as the golden boy who's good at predicting the outcome of the game.

Overall if you like movie about sports and what you wont see on the sidelines gambling side of the game, then this movie is for you. For the ladies, Matthew will still take off his clothes to flash his body and abs just like any movie he's into hahahahaha. Lastly, this movie is based on a true one, so this really makes the movie interesting.

It's Ginebra Versus TNT in the PBA Commissioner's Final

2011-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ginebra defeated Smart Gilas 92-85 last night to face early qualifier TNT. Lets talk first about Smart Gilas at the start of the tournament I was not in favor of letting Smart Gilas joining the conference, because for me it would not benefit the Smart Gilas team, but against Ginebra I have changed my mind. The physical play of Ginebra, the defense, and the way the fans of ginebra was in all out support of the Gins King was for me a very good experience for the national squad. I think with this experience I hope it would toughen up the Nationals to help them reach their goal in qualifying for the Olympics.

And now for the winner Ginebra, with their import struggling their locals showed up to play, especially Ronald Tubid, his 3's in the final quarter was a dagger in the hearts of the nationals, Tubid end up scoring 22 points to lead the Gin Kings, while Douthit in foul trouble in the second half lead the nationals with 25 points.

The best of 7 finals between TNT and Ginebra will be on Wednesday (April 27, 2011).

Sports Memorabilia Autograph Authentication

2011-04-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Having your sports idol signature on your item be it a hat, a ball, a t-shirt or a card is a die hard fan's wish come true. A sports memorabilia for some fans is a personal treasure and for some, it's some sort of a personal achievement, especially if you are the one who sacrifices and spends long hours waiting in line under the the heat of the sun just to get that precious signature or your idol. There are also some who go online or go to auctions to buy their sports idol signature items. This things however can be very expensive, and paying for something you are not even sure if it's original or fake is a risky thing to do, and many fans and item collectors get victimize by this. We fans are not experts on determining whether an item is fake or not, and spending money on an item and ending buying a fake one can be very disappointing and disheartening for a die hard fan. What we fans need is an expert, to be precise what we need is an Autograph Certification Experts, that can examine items and determine if it's fake or not.

Being a huge basketball fan myself, I always look for memorabilia and souvenirs with my favorite basketball players. I collect caps, t-shirts, cards, mugs, bubble heads and my shoes are even those endorsed by my favorite players. My biggest challenge is when I collect items through online purchases and auctions. Having to know if the signatures on these items are authentic and worthy to be part of my collection makes me really scratch my head.

Searching online, I came across a site where there are experts in autograph authentication. The ACE experts are excellent in determining the real signatures from those fake ones. Having a staff of experts, like Justin Priddy, they are the best in signature authentication industry using state of the art technology and a wide collection of known signatures library. They determine authenticity through pen pressure, slant, size, spacing and many more to accurately determine authentic signatures from fake ones. So, If you want to acquire more items to your collection, don't gamble, you better have it certified by a leading authentication company.

Smart Gilas Perfect No More

2011-03-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well you can't win them all. Smart Gilas suffered its first defeat, losing to the BMEG Llamados 98-90 in overtime. Smart Gilas is now tied with TNT with identical record 5-1. There's one thing that is bothering me with the Gilas loss, they were defeated because Douthit was injured. So is the Gilas only good with Douthit around? what will happened if such thing will happened during the Olympic qualifier, can they win if Douhtit got injured or has a bad game? The second thing is that with Douhtit injured, I thought Gilas remaining players can still dominated a BMEG team plagued with injuries, but to my dismay they were still defeated.

I do praise Gilas coach for giving playing time to Slaughter, although he was slaughtered by Kerby and Spears inside. He still manages to collect 7 blocks and that monster two hand dunk.

The once Mighty San Miguel Beermen is now last on the PBA standings

2011-03-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

This is an unusual sight for the fans and also for the SMB franchise. The San Miguel Beermen lost another game last Sunday against sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings, 106-92. Now the Beermen is on the bottom of the team standings at 1-5 and is in danger on bowing out early. That is if they don't win in their last games against TNT and if the following teams Powerade, Air21 and B-MEG fail's to win in their last assignment but that is a big IF.

Some of my friends always argue of the trade SMB did with Air 21 saying SMB lost some veterans that are contributing to the team compared to the 3 rookies of Air 21 wherein only Al-Hussaini seems to be the only one productive. But maybe the management and coaching staff of SMB saw another thing, after all rebuilding a team takes time, maybe a conference or two will see if those 3 new acquisitions of SMB are really worth it.

B-Megs Derby Ace Kerby Raymundo will suit up against Alaska

2011-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

A good news for B-Megs fans out there B-Megs captain is back!! Kerby Raymundo who has been sidelined by hip injury will be playing for B-Meg Derby Ace when they face up against Alaska.

"The doctors have given me the green light to play. I will definitely play on Sunday against Alaska," said Kerby Raymundo .

With injuries to Rico Maierhofer, Raffi Reavis and Don Allado. Kerby would really be a big help for the injury plague Llamados.

SMB trade with Air 21 top rookies is finally granted by Salud

2011-03-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Finally SMB wish of acquiring Air 21 top 3 rookies was approved by the commissioner. SMB's revised offer now involved Danny Seigle, Dorian Peña, Paul Artadi and Dondon Hontiveros for Air 21's Noy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Rey Guevarra.

Salud said "This revised trade is certainly a marked improvement from the first trade offer San Miguel made to Air 21. I assessed the trade both on the market balance of the seven players involved. I'd like to believe that this trade isn't one sided anymore"

I'm surprised that SMB included Dondon Hontiveros as part of the trade. SMB have plenty of players in Hontiveros position which they can offer like Tugade and Salvacion. But that just my opinion. With this trade its evident SMB is on the rebuilding process of getting younger. Which was evident when they battle TNT on the just finished All Filipino finals, SMB old age was exposed as TNT was just a tireless workhorse through every game, while the beermen was gasping for air come crunch time.

Smart Gilas Coach bares his wish list of 10 PBA players

2011-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

Will this be enough? I ask myself, would adding PBA players disrupt the Gilas chemistry? Well Coach Rajko Toroman think otherwise, as he disclosed his wish list of 10 PBA players to reinforce the national basketball team vying for a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics at the FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China on September 15-25.

The 10 PBA players are Meralco's Asi Taulava, TNT's Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes and Ranidel de Ocampo, SMB's Arwind Santos and Jay Washington, B-MEG's James Yap and Alaska's SonnyThoss and Joe DeVance, of the 10 only five will be picked for the national squad.

Trade Between Air 21 and SMB was turn down by Commissioner Salud

2011-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

It would have been great if the trade wasn't turned down, well great for SMB. The trade involved Air 21's top three picks of Noy Baclao, RAbeh Al-Hussaini and Rey Guevarra, in exchange for SMB's Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi and Joseph Yeo.

Salud made the swift and decisive move to turn down the offer of the beermen to acquire the services of the top three picks in exchange for the veterans. "The trade involving Air 21 rookie pick Baclao, Al-Hussaini and Guevarra for San Miguel's Seigle, Pennisi and Yeo has been turned down because I believe the trade is lopsided," Salud stated.

But the Beermen informed Salud that they will come up with a better offer to get the services of the three rookies. "Whatever they will offer, that will also be subject for study," added Salud.

I think the Commissioner made a good decision because lets face it, those top 3 picks against those SMB veterans? Seigle for me is already damage goods because of his repeated injuries, Pennisi is getting old and Yeo well his kinda lost in the SMB rotation.

Scrub Suit for Casual Wear

2011-03-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Scrub suits nowadays are not only used for nurses working in the hospitals or student nurses for their scrub uniforms. Even people not from the medical field are using scrub suits as a casual wear. Some people wear scrub tops together with a denim jeans, especially males.

I don't know the reason behind this trend if I may call it that way. Maybe because of the design of the scrubs. I can't blame people why they like wearing one, because during my days as a nursing student I too love wearing my scrubs outside of my duty. Scrubs are comfortable to wear, it's loose, it's elegant, the V-neck design makes us big guys look smaller hahahaha.

Most people buy their scrubs online because of the various designs they can offer. I too am planning to buy a color green scrubs because I really like earth colors. You should try buying one too, you won't be disappointed.

Alaska's LA Tenorio is PBA Player of the Week

2011-03-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

With LA's performance in the past week, and giving Alaska a 2-0 start, earned him the honor's of Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week. LA is the first to receive the award in this years Commissioner's Cup.

With his crucial play against the Gin Kings last week where in he had a triple, a steal, all in the final 4 seconds to help Alaska seal the win over Ginebra was more than enough to prove his the player of the week. Aside from averaging 18 points.

Cone must be really proud of his starting point guard.

TNT wins the PBA Philippine Cup plus a brand new car

2011-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

If winning the finals was a great reward for TNT, their players and head coach was rewarded with a 1 month bonus and a brand new Toyota Vios each. Coach Chot Reyes said the car same as a pleasant surprise, but nothing was sweeter than winning the championship over SMB.

The win was a great start for TNT which had won no championship last year. Reyes has already won 6 titles in the PBA. TNT will be a force to reckon with in years to come, and come to think of it, I think they hold the rights to Japeth Aguilar? and if ever Aguilar will come back to the PBA, TNT will be a much stronger team.

Talk and Text is the Champion for this years PBA Philippine Cup

2011-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Watching the game you can feel that the TNT would surely win it, the way they played last night you can just see, they were the more determined team, they were hungrier, their execution was great and above all they are just full of energy.

The Talk and Text won 4-2 with a 95-82 game 6 win. To be the new Philippine Cup. Ryan Reyes and Jimmy Alapag lead the way for TNT with 17 and 15 points respectively. Jay Washington top score for the Beermen with 29 points.

At the start of the finals everyone was saying both teams are equals, with both of them having all star lineups and deep bench. But the way I see it, TNT was of a clear advantage from the start, yes both of them have star studded line up but TNT lineup was more athletic and much more younger than SMB. But for now Congratulations to TNT for a job well done.

PBA will take a short break and will resume on Feb 18 with teams parading imports with 6'4" in height.

Talk N Text takes game 5 to lead 3-2 in All Filipino Cup Finals

2011-02-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Talk n Text is now 1 win away to win the All Filipino Cup Finals with a 99-75 win in game 5 over SMB. TNT was led by Jimmy Alapag who scored 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as TNT took a 3-2 lead.

SMB got close to within four in the third 59-55, but TNT outscored them 21-9 for a 74-64 lead going in to the final quarter.

The onslaught continued in the fourth as Fonacier hit 3 straight triples for a 96-72 lead for TNT, with 5:30 left to play.

Game 6 is on Friday.

RP Gilas team will compete in the 2011 Commissioner's Cup

2011-01-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

With the Leave of Absence of the Barako Bull approved, this has now allowed the entry of RP Smart Gilas national team for the second conference 2011 Commissioner's Cup.

This will be part of the Smart Gilas preparation for the 2011 FIBA-Asia championship, a qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics. With their entry, it completes a 10 team league for the import laden Cup, won for the last time by Red Bull in 2005.

Smart Gilas will play by the rules of the professional league and will only have 14 man in its line up. Gilas will be led by naturalization candidate Marcus Douthit.

With the leave of absence, all players of Barako Bull will be put on a dispersal draft to allow them to play for other teams. However, they will return to their mother club if the team sees action in the Governor's Cup.

I dunno if this will be a good thing for the Smart Gilas team, I would prefer them playing some International Games than rather playing in the PBA.

Can't Read his Poker Face

2011-01-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

Well, its definitely not the song from hit maker Lady Gaga hahahaha. Its one of the common phrases you hear from a person when he looks at a guy who seemingly has no change in his reaction or expression in his face when facing different situations. I have a friend who is very good at this. Usually when we play card just for fun he just has no change in facial expression, so you can't read if he's having a good hand or a bad one. He plays online poker though and mentioned that he uses Pokerstars Bonus Code.

So in this age of technology, and since there are also site that you can play poker, the poker face is gone. I even had trouble beating an AI opponent hahahahaha since facial expression is already gone. But if you wanna try playing online poker, there are some good sites you can go to, one of which is Flop Turn River which offers a Pokerstars Marketing Code which can give you a nice benefit, and a Pokerstars Bonus Code can give you some great incentives.

Most Consecutive Losses to Start a Season in the NBA

2011-01-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

The New Jersey Nets started the 2009-2010 season with a record 18 defeats in a row from October 28 to December 3 2009.

Talk N Text wins game 2 to take a 2-0 lead

2011-01-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Unlike in game 1 were the SMB just ran out of gas in the final quarter, they where in the thick of things in the 4th. But even that was not enough, and now Talk N Text is up 2-0 winning game 2 110-102.

Talk N Text was ahead 42-40 at the end of the half before Fonacier, Alapag and de Ocampo made a 10-0 run to take a 52-42 lead. It seems that game 1 would repeat itself again for the Beermen but this time SMB was up to the challenge as they rallied behind Alex Cabagnot in an 18-7 rally to get close, 59-58, TNT finished the 3rd period was a 73-69 lead.

But in the 4th quarter, Jason Castro together with Jared Dillinger took over,a s they built a 12 point lead 91-79. Dillinger who had 11 of his 20 points in the 4th quarter was forced to sit out after committing his 5th foul but a 3 point play by de Ocampo got TNT ahead 97-84.

Talk N Text will gun for a 3-0 lead this Friday, while the Beermen will try to do the impossible - win four of the next five games to steal the crown.

Talk and Text Takes Game 1 of the All Filipino Cup Finals

2011-01-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

TNT showed why they are the top team after the eliminations as they beat the Beermen 92-81 in Victorias City.

TNT point guard Jason Castro led the way with 18 points, and also earned the best player of the Game that day.

San Miguel took a 20-11 lead in the first quarter, but TNT managed to trim the lead 46-44 at the end of the second quarter. In the second half the Beermen was still holding the lead 68-67 but TNT went hot on the fourth as they opened a 10-0 run to take the lead 77-68. But SMB was not the same when Washington went down due to cramps and seemed to lost the fire and their execution resulting in some costly turnovers.

Betting Time come Playoff Time

2011-01-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

January is about to end, and after the All-Star break NBA teams are gonna scramble for a place in the playoff. Come playoff time some of my office mate are gonna begin betting with each other. There are plenty of stipulation when my friends would bet at each other. Some of it for example, who ever wins the series gets the money. Some would bet for every win in a game on a series, that means in a best of seven series, if you bet 100 for every win in a game, if your team sweep the opposing team you get 400, but if it goes on a deciding game 7, and you win, you only get a 100.

But of course this is the modern day, and the age of internet, and betting has also penetrated the net. Some of my friends would bet on sports online. Wow, what wonder technology has offered. Some sites even offered strategies and tips regarding this matter. How about you guys what are your stipulations or rules against your friends or officemates?

Most Assists in one quarter in the NBA

2011-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Steve Blake of the Portland Trailblazers recorded 14 assists in the first quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 22, 2009. Blake matched the marked set by John Lucas of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets on April 15, 1984.

San Miguel Beer Forward Jay Washington is PBA Player of the Week

2011-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

With the seat to the finals at stake, SMB forward Jay Washington, is taking his game to a new heights. Against the crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra, the 6 foot 7 forward shone the brightest for the Beermen in their on going duel in the PBA Philippine Cup. Putting up impressive numbers that made him the Accel PBA Press Corp's Player of the Week for the period of Jan 5 to 9.

In the first 3 games of the best of 7 series, Washington average 20.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots.

The 2005 top draft pick first scored 19 points in the first game and 29 on the second game, all of which SMB has won.

The Beermen though have lost game 3 last Sunday 95-78. Game 4 will be this Wednesday 5:00pm.

Most NBA Championship Titles won by a Coach

2011-01-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well if your a basketball fan, I'm sure you already know who this person is. In 2009 Phil Jackson won his 10th NBA title as head coach, surpassing Red Auerbach nine titles. Jackson won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in 1991-93 and 1996-98, and four with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000-02 and 2009.

Highest 3 Point Field Goal Percentage for an NBA Player (Career)

2011-01-07T01:18:00.000-08:00

Steve Kerr recorded a 3 point field goal percentage of .454 playing for six different teams from 1988-89 to 2002-03.

Highest Margin of Victory in a NBA Play-Off Game

2011-01-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

The highest margin of victory in a playoff game happened on April 27, 2009. The Denver Nuggets beats the New Orleans Hornets by 58 points, in a play-off game that they won 121-63, matching the Minneapolis Lakers 133-75 win over the St. Louis Hawks in 1956.

TNT defeats B-Meg in Game 1 of their series

2010-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

TNT Tropang Texters takes game 1 of their best of seven with a 98-91 win over the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. Jimmy Alapag led the way for TNT with 20 points spoiling B-Meg's superstar James Yap 36 points. The game was close in the first quarter with B-Meg leading by just one. But things started to heat up for TNT in the 2nd quarter mainly because of Ranidel de Ocampo's 16 2nd quarter points most of it coming from the 3 point area. Though TNT look to take the game wide open in the 2nd half B-Meg just won't quit and just began chipping on the lead of the TNT behind James Yap, even cutting TNT's lead to two 87-89 with just 4 minutes left in the game. But TNT floor general Jimmy Alapag took the game over, especially his dagger 4 point play that practically destroyed any B-Meg hopes to win the game.

I expected this to happen, after all, TNT is up against a depleted B-Meg team. B-Meg is already without its main low post threat in Kerby Raymundo, and their starting center Rafi Reavis add to that Roger Yap who wasn't able to play due to a foot injury. But I gotta give it to B-Meg for really giving it all against a mighty team like TNT who has such a star studded line up and a very deep bench. Game 2 will be on January 5, 2011.

New Look Magic stop Streaking Boston Celtics

2010-12-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

A good move perhaps? After all the trading the Orlando Magic has done on its lineup. Maybe we are beginning to see the fruits of those trades. After defeating the league leading San Antonio Spurs the Magic then snaps Bostons 14 winning game streak with a 86-78 win, and they won this one with Howard playing most of the game with foul trouble and scoring only 6 points. The Magic led by Bass 21 points and old reliable Turkoglu with 16 points. Kevin Garnet top scored for Boston with 22 points. After struggling early in the season the Magic decided to change their roster and traded Lewis for Arenas and send Carter, Pietrus and Gortat for Richardson, Turkoglu and Clark.

Miami Heat defeat Lakers behind King James Triple Double

2010-12-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

A statement game? maybe too early to tell, but the Miami Heat just showed us today how good they can be by defeating the defending champs 96-80, behind Lebron James triple double 27 point, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Bosh had 24 points and Wade 18 points . I have been waiting for months for this two teams to meet, wanting to see whether the Miami Heat would be a threat to the Lakers. Well if we are to look at this game, well they are. But the Lakers are on the west and Miami being in the East should still overcome Boston whom they have yet to defeat this season, the newly revamp Magic. But still it's nice to see the Miami heat playing this good compared to the early round of the season.

George St-Pierre defeated Josh Koscheck to retain title

2010-12-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

I was meant to post this earlier, after watching the fight last Sunday night, but I was really busy at work. Well GSP as it turns out, dominated Koscheck from the beginning to the end. Koscheck has no answer to GSP fast jab (maybe his visit to the Philippines with Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach help a bit) because this fight was more of a stand up fight than the usual take down's and submission from this fighter. GSP jasb was so fast and accurate and strong that it made Koscheck eyes swollen, it was so swollen that the physician has to take a long look at it, for the fight to continue. The result a unanimous decision for GSP and maybe shutting the mouth of Josh Koscheck for good.

Top 10 Highest Paid Players in the NBA 2009-2010

2010-12-03T01:27:00.000-08:00

1. Tracy McGrady
Houston Rockets
$23,239,561

2. Kobe Bryant
LA Lakers
$23,034,375

3. Jermaine O'Neal
Miami Heat
$22,995,000

4. Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs
$22,183,218

5. Shaquille O'Neal
Cleveland Cavaliers
$20,000,000

6. Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks
$19,795,714

7. Paul Pierce
Boston Celtics
$19,795,712

8. Ray Allen
Boston Celtics
$19,795,712

9. Rashard Lewis
Orlando Magic
$18,876,000

10. Michael Redd
Milwaukee Bucks
$17,040,000

Former NBA Star Stephon Marbury leaves former team in China

2010-12-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard from this guy in a long while. The last time I saw Marbury was in a Celtics uniform, and now Marbury has parted with his current team in China to sign with another Chinese team. Marbury who went to China to resurrect his career.

Marbury signed a contract with the Chinese Basketball Association's Foshan Dragon Lions. That came after the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons released him last week, citing salary reasons and the inability of Marbury to guarantee his fitness to play.

Marbury ,meanwhile accused the team of "lying to him and Shanxi's fans", giving no details.

He joined Shanxi in early 2010 to revive his career and to market his "Starbury" brand of basketball shoes.

I hope he would straightened things up there in China, just hate to see a guy who used to be an All-Star in the NBA end his career on an ugly finish.

Manny Pacquiao Demolishes Bigger Antonio Margarito

2010-11-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Well he did, watching the television yesterday, and witnessing how Pacquiao just demolish Margarito round after round. Although Pacquiao slowed down a bit I think in the 9th round, he came back strong again in the 10th until the 12th round. Pacquiao was just too fast for Magarito, who has no answer to the combination's that Pacquiao has thrown at him. At the 11th round Pacquiao even turned to the referee several times, hoping the referee would stop the fight. Paquiao won the fight via unanimous decision. Who's next? would it be Mayweather? But for now Congratulation Manny Pacquiao.

The 10 Last Undisputed World Heavywieght Boxing Champions

2010-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

1. Mike Tyson
Reign Began : August 1 1987
Reign Ended : May 6 1989
(Tyson held the WBC, WBA and IBF titles from August 1 1987 to February 11 1990 and was generally acknowledge as the universal champion despite the fact that a new body, the WBO, came into being in 1988 and had it's first heavyweight champion (Francesco Damiani of Italy) on May 6 1989.)

2. Leon Spinks
Reign Began : February 15 1978
Reign Ended : March 18 1978
(Spinks was stripper of his title by the WBC for refusing to fight their No. 1 contender Ken Norton.)

3. Muhammad Ali
Reign Began : October 30 1974
Reign Ended : February 15 1978

4. George Foreman
Reign Began : January 22 1973
Reign Ended : October 30 1974

5. Joe Frazier
Reign Began : February 16 1970
Reign Ended : January 22 1973

6. Muhammad Ali
Reign Began : August 1 1987
Reign Ended : May 6 1989
(Ali was stripped of his title by the WBA and then WBC for failing to be drafted in to the US Army.)

7. Casius Clay(later became Muhammad Ali)
Reign Began : February 25 1964
Reign Ended : June 19 1964
(The WBA withdrew recognition of Ali after refusing a re match with Sonny Liston.)

8. Sonny Liston
Reign Began : September 25 1962
Reign Ended : February 25 1964

9. Floyd Patterson
Reign Began : June 20 1960
Reign Ended : September 25 1962

10. Ingemar Johansson
Reign Began : June 29 1959
Reign Ended : June 20 1960

The Day The Philippines Stood Still

2010-11-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well I'm just exaggerating here hahahaha, but yes, come this Sunday, almost all the people here in Philippines will be glued either at home watching TV or at mall and restaurants watching Pay per View fights of Pacquiao versus Margarito. When Pacquiao became a ring icon in boxing, whenever he has a fight, streets are not busy, less traffic, less people on the streets, no crimes hahahaha. Pacquiao really commands that attention and support from his fellowmen. Come this Sunday I too will be glued at my TV set cheering for the pound for pound king, The PacMan, The Mexikiller, The Mexicutioner or whatever people are calling him nowadays. I hope he wins this Sunday and lure out Mayweather for their dream fight.

AIR 21 PICKS BACLAO NO.1 IN THE PBA 2010 DRAFT

2010-08-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well it came to a surprise for me last Sunday with Air 21 picking Nonoy Baclao as the top overall pick over Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Which in turn led to some report that because of that Rabeh was a little hurt. But I think it doesn't matter if you get to be the first pick or the last pick, as long as you get selected and get to play. Air 21 also get to pick on no 3 and selected Rey Guevarra.

The list of players drafted:

1. AIR 21 - Nonoy Baclao
2. AIR 21 - Rabeh Al-Hussaini
3. AIR 21 - Rey Guevarra
4. ALASKA ACES - Elmer Espiritu
5. RAIN OR SHINE - Josh Valmandingham
6. AIR 21 - Sean Michael Anthony
7. GINEBRA - John Wilson
8. GINEBRA - Jimbo Aquino
9. B-MEG - Narciso Llagas
10. MERALCO - Shawn Weinstein
11. MERALCO - Riego Gamalinda
12. GINEBRA - Robert Labagala
13. B-MEG - Val Acuna
14. MERALCO - Claiford Arao
15. RAIN OR SHINE - RJ Jazul
16. MERALCO - Khasim Mirza
17. BARAKO - John Hermida
18. POWERADE - Jose Reyes
19. POWERADE - PASSED
20. AIR 21 -PASSED
21. ALASKA - Marvin Hayes

Yao Ming Declared Ready To Play This Season

2010-08-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

A good news to Houston fans and also to the NBA. Yao Ming who miss the last year season after undergoing surgery on his left foot, was cleared by team doctor to resume basketball activities. The Rockets will open training camp on Sept 25. They will travel to China in mid October for two preseason games against New Jersey. With Yao back the Rockets would be a playoff team entering this season. But I doubt would make a serious threat to the Lakers.

CARDONA GOES TO MERALCO

2010-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Whoaaa, its been a long time since I've updated my blog, I have been busy lately but now I'm all geared up to start again. Although its been weeks already but congratulation to the Alaska Aces for winning the Fiesta Conference. There have been plenty things happening around in the PBA lately. No more Sta. Lucia and enter Meralco. The new team on the block has been busy lately having acquired the services of B-MEG coach Ryan Gregorio to pilot the new team and just this week got TNT prolific scorer in Mac Cardona. Gregorio earlier announced he wanted a franchise player a scorer, and it didn't take long for his wish to come true. Meralco is on the right path in creating a team that can be an immediate impact to the PBA.

ALASKA GUNS FOR 3-0 LEAD AGAINST SMB

2010-08-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

Never expected this from the beginning , I thought this would be a tight match that will stretch to until game 7. But Alaska has other plans in mind, after being swept by Purefoods on the All Filipino Finals, they are now up 2-0 against the fancied SMB team and is gunning for a 3-0.

Cant wait to go home early tonight to watch the game, and also to see who wins the MVP this year. Also to be awarded tonight will be the Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Mythical Selections and the All Defensive Team.

But of course the highlight will be game 3 of the finals match. I just hope for SMB that Gabe Freeman won't be in foul trouble again, because he really is the spark that SMB needs to overcome the Aces.

IT'S ALASKA AGAINST THE BEERMEN FOR THE FIESTA CONFERENCE FINALS

2010-08-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

Whoaaaa, my wish come true heheheh, I have posted before that I really wanted an Alaska SMB finals match, and bot it came true. I just see Alaska as the much better team to face a powerhouse SMB Beermen. After defeating a star studded TNT team last Wednesday 90-81 winning their series 4-3. They will go up this Friday against another star studded team the Beermen, the defending champion for the Fiesta Conference.

Diamon Sompson led the Aces with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Which will be a good match against last year best import Gabe Freeman.

Can't wait this Friday for their match.....

San Miguel Beermen are back in the Fiesta Cup Finals

2010-08-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Beermen are the first to enter the Fiesta Cup Finals and are set to defend their title, as they defeated the B-MEG Derby Ace 91-83. The Beermen also got their revenge against the Llamados who defeated the Beermen last on the All Filipino conference. The Beermen now will have to wait for their opponent as the Aces and Texters are all tied 3 games a piece and will battle it out this Wednesday.

Gabe Freeman had another monster game as usual, the reigning best import had 26 points and 22 rebounds. The Llamados were led by Tony Washam with 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Watching the game last night, I really wanted the Llamados to win not that I'm their fan but so that i can watch more basketball games this Wednesday hahaha. But I expect the Beermen to win this one, mainly because of their import Freeman and also the Llamados are without Kerby Raymundo, without Kerby the Llamados don't have an inside threat, that can draw double teams away from perimeter players such as James Yap and Washam. Don't feel bad Llamados fans, there is always the next season. As for the Beermen I hope they would go up against Alaska, Why???? I just don't like the Texter's especially last conference where they walk out of the game, what kind of player and coach gives up on the game, the HELL if the referees are blind as the bat or the call is not going their way. They just have to fight it out. So for me I would really prefer an Alaska vs SMB duel hehehehhehe.

BROCK LESNAR DEFEATS CARWIN

2010-07-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Its nice to see Brock Lesnar back at the octagon. Everybody was waiting for this fight to happen, between this two monster. Lesnar the defending heavyweight champion against the perfect 12-0 record of Shane Carwin. At the start of the first round, Brock was in trouble after being rock by a right by Carwin, I though to myself, was Brock out of shape? or maybe it was just too early for him too comeback from that intestinal disorder that really threatened his career. But as the champion, Brock weathered the storm, surviving the barrage of punches that Carwin unloaded on him. And as the first round ended. It looked like he has consumed all the gas in his tank. And when the second round started, it was evident he has no more stamina to go up against the Lesnar. Lesnar easily takes down Carwin to the mat, then later when for the choke, and after Leasnar tightened the submission from the side Carwin has no choice but to tap out.

Congratulations to Brock Lesnar, nice to see you back again.

Los Angeles Lakers repeat as NBA champions

2010-06-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

It was a great game yesterday, i had to take my lunch a bit late, just to finish watching the game between the Lakers and the Celtics. I was really hungry that time, but the game was just too good to pass up. The Celtics was much in control over the 3 quarters, but the Lakers just won't give up, and just keep hanging close to the Celtics's lead. Before taking the lead midway through the fourth period. The game for some maybe ugly, because of the low scoring of both team, but for me, that's how you play a winner take all championship game, you grind it out, play defense to the end.

The Lakers won the game 83-79, even though Kobe Bryant has 23 point on 6-24 shooting. The other Lakers step up, especially Ron Artest. This was Bryant's 5th title and Jackson 11th. Congratulations to the Lakers and hope to see them go for the their 3rd straight title next season.

WIFEY AND DWIGHT HOWARD

2010-05-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yup, it,s the Orlando Magic's center Dwight Howard, well it's not the real one, just a replica. I ask the Adidas store personnel if this mannequin is a replica of the real thing and they said yes. They said it has the same height and built as the real thing. So i had my wife stand next to it, just to see how tall and big Dwight really is hahahha, and boy this guy is big and tall.

Ohh, speaking of the Magic, they are down 0-2 against the surging Celtics, by the look of things, maybe we'll have a rematch between the Laker's and the Celtics come June. But though it's too early to tell, but if the Magic and Suns wont win game 3, it will be a tall order to come back from a 0-3 deficit and win it all. Not with the way the Laker's and Celtic's are playing.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE PBA??

2010-05-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

The NBA season is about to end come this June and I will be left with the PBA to watch, Im not against the PBA in fact I like it, well that was before, but today?? The league is not balance at all, especially with SMB and TNT beefing up its line up they got Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes!!!!(well they have the money to do it too). I heard rumors that Sta. Lucia might be selling it's team so maybe that's why they are doing this. But common who would like to watch a TNT vs a Redbull, or Air 21 or even Sta Lucia? TNT will just demolish those lowly teams, leaving maybe a SMB to contend with. Im really disappointed at where the PBA is going now, which is down....

SUNS, MAGIC AND LAKERS ADVANCE TO NEXT ROUND VIA SWEEP

2010-05-10T22:48:00.001-07:00

Phoenis Suns won against the San Antonio Spurs 4-0, the Phoenix suns finally gets to defeat their long time nemesis the spurs, not even with Steve Nash having to play with an almost close right eye can stop the suns. Well for the aging Spurs it's a sorry loss, having acquire Richard Jefferson is still not enough to for the Spurs. For the Suns their reward for having defeated the Spurs is the defending Champs, The Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers sweep the Utah Jazz 4-0 but compared to the other two who advance to the next round, the Jazz really put up a good fight against the champ. But I guess having been push to the limit by their first round opponent the Thunder, the Lakers where just to focus to be defeated in this one. My favorite game is the game 3 between the two, wooow it was a see saw battle right to the very second. But i guess that loss really took the wind out of the Jazz. With the Lakers win, all they need to do is defeat the Suns to go back to the NBA finals.

On the East the Orlando Magic has yet to be defeated on the playoff, they are already 8-0 after sweeping the Atlanta Hawks 4-0. this one was just a lopsided match, I didn't even bother watching the game, after seeing how the Magic demolish the Hawks. And maybe with the addition of Vince Carter and a healthy Jameer Nelson, maybe this time they'll win it all. But that remains to be seen since their other opponent the Cavaliers and the Celtics are lock in 2 games a piece and by the look of things maybe we'll be seeing another game 7 showdown between these two.

Ricardo "Ric Ric" Marata

2010-04-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my vacation, and was shocked to see the news that Former PBA player Ric Ric Marata was dead. Although I had a few memory of Ric Ric as a player since i was still an elementary student at that time or high school, although he was not the superstar for the team he played he was a key player because of his tenacity and of course his shooting prowess ( he had an awkward looking jump shot if i recall correctly).

Marata, 45 died early Saturday morning (2:30 a.m.) in New York. The real cause of death has yet to be determined.

Marata's nephew, Ginebra's high leaping swingman Cyrus Baguio, is among the second generation of Marata players. His other nephew is La Salle Green Archer Samuel Joseph Marata.

FOODS TO FLATTEN YOUR BELLY

2010-04-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

When your into sports, it is also nice to know your foods to help your body become into tiptop shape. Here are some certain foods and styles of eating that can help you flatten your belly.

1. Give me a C. Research says that food rich in Vitamin C, such as citrus, cantaloupe and red pepper, reduces fat absorption. You can meet your daily Vitamin C intake of 75 milligrams by snacking on an orange or a cup of strawberries.

2. Tea up. Women with the highest consumption of catechins, the plant based antioxidants in tea that may boost fat burn, put on fewer pounds than those who drank less tea. The green or white varieties contain the most catechins.

3. Peel it off. Banana, which contains 422 mg of potassium, controls the amount of puff producing sodium in your system. Snack on a banana and you'll banish bloat fast.

4. Go low. A meal of low glycemic index foods, which the body digests slowly, makes you feelfuller. These includes oatmeal's, vegetables and some fruits like grapefruits and blueberries.

5. Stroll away your sweet craving. Can't resist chocolates? A little dark chocolate is fine, but if you've already hit your limit, it's time to lace up your sneakers! a 15 minute walk is reported to reduce yearning of sweets during and even after the walk.

6. Ditch high fructose corn syrup. Research suggests that high fructose corn syrup causes a surge in blood sugar and messes up your hunger and satiety signals, leaving you less satisfied and causing you to eat more. The extra calories you eat get deposited as fat. So next time you shop, scan labels and trade packaged foods with high fructose corn syrup for ones with healthy fats and fiber.

7. Snap your snack. Take a photo of everything you eat for five days and chances are, you will consume fewer snacks and less likely yo go back for seconds.

MOST PLAYOFF GAME APPEARANCES (INDIVIDUAL)

2010-04-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

If youre a basketball fan, you should know this one, call him whatever you want, but for me his Mr. Big Shot himself Robert Horry. He has made 244 appearances playing for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonion Spurs from 1992 to 2008.

MOST THREE POINT FIELD GOALS IN AN NBA CAREER

2010-03-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

Reggie Miller scored 2,560 three point field goals for the Indiana Pacers between 1987 and 2005, a career record for an NBA player.

PUREFOODS SWEEP ALASKA TO WIN 2010 KFC PHILIPPINE CUP

2010-03-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Defense is again the key to Purefoods victory as it limited Alaska below 80 points to win 86-76, sweeping Alaska in the best of seven finals. Before the game Purefoods James Yap was named Best Player of the Conference then at the end of the games was honored as Finals MVP, which was fitting as he led Purefoods in scoring in 4 games. But its not all James Yap, its all in the teams effort and their excellent defense. It was a nice run for the Purefoods TJ Giants which went on a roller coaster ride during the elimination round, then being pushed to the limit by Rain or Shine, survive the star studded San Miguel Beermen, then sweeping the number1 team Alaska.

Purefoods also became the first team in the PBA to sweep a best of seven affair in an all Filipino tournament. Congratulations Purefoods for a job well done.

And now we wait for the import reinforced tournament.

PUREFOODS A WIN AWAY FROM WINNING THE TITLE

2010-03-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

Purefoods can finish off the Alaska Aces this Wednesday and claim the All Filipino Title. Purefoods is showing us that defense is the key to winning games as it limit Alaska to an average of 81 points per games, Alaska only scored 78 in Sundays loss to the Giants 79-78. James Yap lead Purefoods again with 14 points while Willie Miller pace Alaska with 20 points. But the play that caught my attention was KG Canaleta's dunk in the baseline. Its been long since I saw Canaleta explode like that, ever since winning the past slam dunk title (which makes up for his bad decision in the late seconds where in he fired a long three with much time to consume).

History is against Alaska now as no team in the PBA has climb back from a 3-0 deficit in a best of seven battle to win the series.

PUREFOODS LEADS ALASKA 2-0 ON THE PBA FINALS

2010-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Just finish watching the game tonight and it was a thriller right to the end, with Purefoods winning 85-86. I don't have the exact statistic of the game this evening but ill try to inform you of what I can remember as of this moment. Purefoods came out strong early in the 1st quarter to take a 10 point lead 18-28 and sustained the lead at the end of the 1st half 39-48. At the start of the 3rd quarter Alaska started to pick things up, especially Willie Miller who took charge and scored most of his points in the 3rd quarter to overtake Purefoods 62-57. At the 4th quarter it looks like Alaska would tie the series as it stretched its lead to as high as 11 points but Purefoods main man James Yap just won't quit as he keeps Purefoods within striking distance. I think it was about on the last 1 minute or less that Purefoods took the lead courtesy of a James Yap free throw to make it 84-85 Purefoods. With seconds remaining and Alaska with the possession Joe De Vance drove of Rafi Reavis at the right baseline but failed to convert only to grab the rebound again and was fouled by Reavis with 5.7 seconds remaining i think. Joe De Vance miss his first free throw and sank the second one to tie the ball game at 85 all. Purefoods took the time out and in bounded the ball at the right side of their court. With 5.7 seconds Kerby Raymundo took the ball dribbled near the center of the 3 point line advance a little then took a fake shot sending Joe De Vance to the air then shoot over Joe De Vance but failing to hit the rim. But to the surprise to the Alaska, the referee called a foul on De Vance sending Raymundo to the line with 1.7 seconds remaining I think( im really not sure of the time). Raymundo sank the first one and purposely miss the second one with the ball being tapped by a Purefoods player (not sure who it was) out of bounds the time expired with Purefoods winning it by 1.

I hope i had informed you with the correct detail of the game. But after the game Alaska coach Tim Cone was furious about the last second call. Well its the break of the game and the referee made a judgment call on that one. Leading Purefoods in scoring was James Yap with 32 points going 4-6 beyond the arc and sinking 8-9 free throws. Tenorio leads Alaska with 19 points on 5-6 from the 3 point area. Good night everyone.

PUREFOODS TAKES GAME 1 OF PBA FINALS

2010-02-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

I just got homes from work, turn on the TV and i made it just in time for the tip off for game 1 of the beast of 7 series between Alaska and Purefoods. And the game was indeed a battle of who can play better defense than the other, with Purefoods winning game 1 with a 81-77 score. Purefoods is the number team in defense while Alaska is number 2, which only shows that defense can win championship. I think the key to Purefoods winning last night was disrupting the offense of the Aces particularly with LA Tenorio, he only scored 8 points and dish out 4 assists and was in foul trouble and had to even exert more effort defensively guarding a much bigger James Yap, its just asking too much of you're best point guard. Alaska's big man Sonny Thoss was also held down to 9 points. As being the best in the league in defense Purefoods made the Aces shoot a low 36.1% shooting, Purefoods on the other hand hit a 45.7% clip.

Leading for Purefoods in scoring was James Yap with 24 points while Alaska was led by Willie Miller with 23 points. Game 2 will be on Friday February 26 at 7pm.

RUDY HATFIELD TO RETURN TO THE PBA

2010-02-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Rudy Hatfield is set to return to the PBA and will resume playing for the Ginebra Gin Kings. Hatfield is one player that i like because of his tenacity, and his nose for the ball. And the Gin Kings could really use his help down low after suffering a 4-0 defeat against Alaska which showed the Kings lacking a strong inside defender and a scorer. Hatfield took a leave of absence from Ginebra in 2007 for personal reasons. Hatfield played 6 years in the PBA, averaging 13.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. This is a very good news to PBA fans and especially to the die hard Ginebra fans.

ALASKA ACES ARE IN THE FINALS

2010-02-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

Alaska Milk is in the All Filipino finals. Well i didn't expect this to happen, well the 4-0 standing of their best of seven against Ginebra King. Although i knew that Alaska will win that series, because alaska have been a consistent team through out the elimination except for those couple of games on the end of the elimination round. I was expecting it to be 4-1 or 4-2 cause i know the kings are also that a strong team together with their sixth man the fans. But i think injuries to Menk and with Helterbrand and Caguioa coming off injuries, the Aces are just too much for the Kings.

Alaska won last night over Ginebra 102-95 . La Tenorio led the team with 20 points 10 assists and 2 steals while Ginebra was led by last year MVP Jayjay Helterbrand with 20 points 6 assists and 2 steals.

Alaska awaits the winner between the San Miguel Beer and Purefoods which is currently tied with 2 games apiece.

ALASKA MILK SIGN SAMIGUE EMAN

2010-02-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

This was no surprise, Samigue Eman can't improve himself just by being a bench warmer, in San Miguel he simply can get enough playing time since the Beermen are loaded with plenty of superstar, in his position alone he will have to fight it out with the likes of Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle, Dorian Peña, Mick Pinissi, Jay Washington. So i think going to alaska might benefit him.

Alaska Milk signed Eman to a 3 year contract worth 11 million pesos, which gives the Aces a potent triple tower combination, with Joe Devance, and Sonny Thoss. (looks familiar? much like the dreaded triple tower of the Lakers Gasol, Bynum and Odom).

I just hope Eman will have more playing time with Alaska although its impossible for him to play in this conference which is already in the semis phase, but maybe in the next conference. And wish he can improve in his game. I saw him play before when he was still in college at Davao, at he was a sore to watch, people sometimes would laugh cause here is a 6 foot 9 guy, who gets push around by other schools centers who are way smaller than him. But i know that he only lacks a good trainer and a coach that will guide him. Good Luck to you Eman hope you can make us Davaoeños proud.

Nate Robinson defends his title as Slamdunk Champion

2010-02-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of was the skills challenge and the 3 point shootout. The slam dunk competition for me has become a bit too boring or too predictable. Gone are the excitement that MJ or Wilkins or Spudd brings to the floor.

New York Nate Robinson became the 1st 3 time Slam Dunk Champion. Although he barely won against Toronto rokkie DeMar DeRozan. Although i did like some of their dunks especially DeRozan dunk where in his teammate bank the ball of the sideboard then DeRozan caught it at the side of the backboard and slammed it with his right hand on the other side of the hoop.

MAYWEATHER VS MOSLEY FIGHT A DONE DEAL

2010-02-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

Mayweather got himself an opponent and this time its the dangerous Sugar Shane Mosley who boast a (46-5, 39 KOs) record. Mayweather has already finalized the deal on Wednesday, the fight is on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

This is Mayweather second fight since coming of from since retirement. "This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with meaningless tuneup bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since i came back to the sport that i only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Mayweather and Mosley agreed to participate in Olympic style drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims he did so inadvertently through a coach who had connections with the BALCO lab.