BY THIS TIME Talk ‘N Text governor Ricky Vargas should have landed in Capetown, South Africa, after almost a day of hopping in and out of airplanes.
But Ricky didn’t leave for that important business mission without an appropriate sendoff. Two days before he left, he was the guest of honor at the launching of the 2006-2007 PBA Annual. It was the season Ricky served as the league’s board chairman. It was a very good year for the PBA, especially in terms of finances.
Burger King at the Glorietta was already overflowing with PBA stars when Ricky arrived last Thursday afternoon. Commissioner Sonny Barrios arrived early with his staff—comptroller Jimmy Sunglao, operations/technical director Rickie Santos, media bureau chief Willie Marcial and PBA ladies Hazel Ancheta and Roussel Ighot—to find PBA chairman Tony Chua of Red Bull and former Pasig Mayor Mario Raymundo already there. So was the entire Talk ‘N Text team led by coach Chot Reyes and Mac Cardona.
While superstars James Yap and Kerby Raymundo of Purefoods and Alaska’s Willie Miller, the 2006-2007 MVP, graced the occasion, I was eager to meet the special guests invited by Ricky, who, he said, were coming a bit late.
Ricky said he had invited his own basketball team of decades ago—the Kawilihan Compound cage squad—to the event.
* * *
The program had started when Ricky’s special guests arrived: His brother Jay Jay, his cousins Vic-Vic Villavicencio and Louie Vargas and his friend Freddie Ortiz. Tootsie Eduque-Marco, Ricky said, used to lead the cheering squad.
Vic-Vic’s younger brother Virgil was also there but I’m not sure if he played in the same era. Ricky’s cheering squad—Cathy Herrera, Tina Quintos and Alma Polintan—also lent their presence to the occasion.
It’s hard to understand how a simple celebration could make a man of Ricky Vargas’ stature happy but looking at him that night, I believe he was. Ronnie Nathanielsz even managed to make him roar with laughter with his wit.
* * *
Three Manila-based PBA legends were in the list sent by Abe King, chair of the PBA Legends Foundation USA to the organizer of the Philippine Independence day celebration, with a copy being furnished to me.
Allan Caidic, Manny Paner and Manny Victorino are expected to be with the delegation that will be in New York on June l2 for our nation’s Independence Day festivities, which include a parade and an exhibition game.
“We are excited about this event. At least the foundation is starting to be recognized far and wide,” said Abe. “PBA legends from all over North America will be converging in New York on that day.”
In addition to the Manila-based legends and Abe and Ligaya Pascual, others included in the chair’s list are Abet and Maridol Guidaben, Anthony and Emma Dasalla, Marte and Lelet Saldana, Etok and Lina Lobo, Tim and Edith Coloso, Rino and Rose Salazar, Eric Leano, Francis Arnaiz, Bokyo Lauchengco, Rey Lazaro, Estoy Estrada, Peter Aguilar, Jun Jabar, Yoyoy Villamin, Oni Padilla and Foundation officials Rufino Ignacio (secretary-treasurer), Roland Abilo and wife Edith and Danny Manalastas.
* * *
Every year on Mother’s Day, I am reminded of Fil-Am cager Eugene Tejada who suffered a serious injury while playing which resulted in paralysis.
Would you believe it’s been two years since that accident at the Ynares Center?
It happened on a Mother’s Day in 2006 during a game between Purefoods and Red Bull. Eugene was hospitalized for more than two months at the Makati Medical Center, and even at the time he was discharged, the prognosis wasn’t too bright.
Eugene left for California in a wheelchair. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to walk again, much less play basketball.
To this day, Eugene continues to undergo therapy at a well-known rehab center in California. I witnessed personally that he can now walk with the aid of a cane in each hand.
Next Mother’s Day he may be walking with only one cane. Or none at all.
source:
By Beth Celis
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2008-05-11
PBA Legends to grace Independence Day rites
2008-05-09
Deal or No Deal Around the World - VIDEO (Philippines)
The top rated US game show Deal or No Deal and host Howie Mandel are going around the world as it showcases three countries in its Deal or No Deal Around the World special edition.
Mandel and the contestants stopped by the Philippines, Estonia, and South Africa and taped episodes of the highly rated US game show.
In the Philippines, Mandel’s counterpart Kris Aquino graced the show and exchanged banter with Mandel and the contestants. Here’s a video of the first part featuring Mandel welcoming American televiewers to the show taped in the Philippines and Aquino explaining the differences between the Filipino and American versions of Deal or No Deal.
source: PINOYMONEYTALK.COM
Pacman’s purse more than $7.5M?
Manny Pacquiao said he couldn’t have asked for more when he signed the contract for his June 28 fight with David Diaz at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
“Matapos kong matanggap at mabasa ang kopya ng fight contract namin ni David Diaz, masasabi kong kuntento na ako at wala nang hihilingin pa (I’m contented with the terms and couldn’t have asked for more after going through a copy of the fight contract),” said Pacquiao.
He said everything is now set for the fight.
“Tuloy na tuloy na ang laban (The fight is on),” the boxer added.
No other details were made available to the press, although it has been reported weeks ago that Pacquiao stands to receive as much as what he got for fighting Juan Manuel Marquez last March 15.
For that fight, he reportedly received a guaranteed purse of $5.5 million plus a share of almost $2 million from the pay-per-view shares. That’s $7.5 million or roughly P307 million.
The Filipino superstar, according to his legal counsel Franklin Gacal, signed the contract earlier this week, and is now all set to train in Los Angeles. He is scheduled to leave Manila on Monday.
Pacquiao said he is contented with everything that was stipulated in the contract that was prepared by Top Rank big boss and fight promoter Bob Arum.
Gacal went to the United States two weeks ago to look over the contract. He was in constant touch with Pacquiao while he was there negotiating with Arum.
“He sounded very happy over the phone,” said Gacal who added yesterday that Pacquiao signed the contract earlier this week.
Pacquiao has been training for the past week now, and said he’d be in great condition by the time he reports to Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood next week.
Pacquiao weighed 146 lbs with clothes on last Saturday, and there shouldn’t be any problem making the lightweight limit of 135 lbs.
“I would like to get him here eight weeks before but he better be ready from the first day because we’re going to go right into it,” Roach told Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.
Roach said he wanted Pacquiao to train eight weeks in LA because Diaz, the reigning WBC champion, is a tough nut to crack.
“He has too many people in his ear telling him it’s an easy fight, which I don’t believe it is,” Roach was quoted as saying 50 days before Pacquiao makes his debut as a lightweight.
source:
By Abac Cordero
www.philstar.com
2008-05-07
RP Youth five bags SEABA title
KUALA LUMPUR—Today, Southeast Asia. Tomorrow, perhaps the continent again.
The Nokia Philippine Youth Team overwhelmed hapless Singapore, 96-55, Monday night to cap a stirring four-game sweep and rule the 7th Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Championship for Junior Men here.
The title victory, in the bag as early as Sunday when the Filipinos routed the Indonesians by 80 points, 123-43, could serve as the start of Philippines’ bid to reclaim Asian dominance, according to its coach.
The 18-under squad swept the tournament they last won in 2004 by an average winning margin of 42 points at the Malaysia Amateur Basketball Association gym.
“We just achieved a small step in trying to regain the glory days of [RP youth] basketball and to earn some respect in the Asian region again,” said national coach Franz Pumaren.
The Philippines thus earned a slot in the FIBA Asia youth championship that will gather all the region’s top national junior squads on Aug. 28 to Sept. 5 in Tehran, Iran.
Dethroned champion Malaysia secured the second and last berth in the Asian tournament with a second-best 3-1 record.
Thailand clinched third place at 2-2, Singapore stood at 1-3, followed by winless Indonesia.
“It’s going to be a tough task for us,” added Pumaren. “But at least with this victory, we proved that we’re still number one among Southeast Asian countries.”
Filipino-Canadian Norbert Torres, who joined the team just a month ago, clinched the Most Valuable Player plum, Mark Joel De Guzman bagged the Top Defender Award, and Pumaren the Best Coach title as the Nokia-RP Youth squad dominated the statistical races.
The 6-foot-7 Torres, playing out of Mother Teresa High School in Toronto, averaged 11 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.25 blocks in four games.
Mark Joel De Guzman went perfect from the field for 13 points in the first quarter to set the tone for the rout, before Ryan Roose Garcia took charge in the next two periods and towed the young nationals to a 42-point advantage, 75-33, late in the third period.
The Singaporeans simply wilted from the heat of the Filipinos’ solid all-around form.
De Guzman, an unheralded 17-year-old guard from the College of St. Benilde, wound up with an average of 10 points, 1.75 assists and a tournament-best 3.75 steals per game.
“My guards really played well, particularly RR (Garcia) and Joel (De Guzman),” said Pumaren. “Of course, my big guys really contributed a lot.”
The young nationals, though, are set for a tougher grind ahead with powerhouses China, Japan, Korea and Iran looming large on the Asian championship horizon.
Torres, who has opted to study at De La Salle University this year after he finishes high school in Toronto this June, and Fil-American 6-6 Kyle Pascual have both committed to don the national colors anew in Tehran.
“They expected me to do good, so it just made me work harder,” said Torres.
Pascual said he needs to go back to the States for his high school graduation but, like Torres, is “looking forward to training with the rest of the squad and competing in Fiba Asia.”
Reclaiming the SEABA junior title, however, proved much harder than what the final scores suggest.
The Filipinos rallied from a double-digit deficit with a remarkable second-half run to best host and 2006 titlist Malaysia, 98-67, in the Thursday opener.
On Day 2, the Filipinos banked on a late scoring splurge to turn back Thailand, 92-76.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 96—Garcia 16, De Guzman 14, Pascual 12, Marata 10, Torres 9, Golla 8, Tolentino 7, Sangalang 6, Banal 6, Manguera 4, Mendoza 4, Terso 0.
SINGAPORE 55—S. Lim 16, Poon 10, Chia 6, Pek 6, B. Lim 4, Ang 4, S. Chua 4, Koh 2, Pung 2, Leong 1, D. Chua 0.
Quarters: 35-10, 52-31, 77-36, 96-55
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquire
Amazing Barako seek solo lead vs Realtors
MANILA, Philippines—Red Bull, the surprise package of the Smart PBA Fiesta Cup, tries to get back on track Wednesday as the Barako slug it out with Sta. Lucia Realty with no less than the solo elimination-round lead on the line at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Barako have been nothing less than stunning, going 5-2 in their first seven games even with a local roster decimated by trades. Helping Red Bull cover-up the holes left by those trades is an unheralded import who quickly established himself as the yardstick among reinforcements.
Game time is 4:50 p.m. with the Barako trying to bounce back from a 102-95 loss suffered at the hands of Magnolia last Saturday in Lipa City, Batangas, even as Barangay Ginebra tries to win for the second straight night when it battles Air21 at 7:20 p.m.
The Gin Kings, who snapped a five-game losing streak with a 102-99 decision of Purefoods last Friday, will again be led by Chris Alexander, their third import for Kings in the tournament. And judging from the way he debuted, Alexander looks just like what the doctor ordered for Ginebra.
Alexander, a 7-foot-1 former NBA Developmental League standout, shook off jetlag to score 18 points, grab a season-high 27 rebounds and swat six shots for coach Jong Uichico.
His brilliance gave the Kings a new confidence boost, as admitted by Uichico after the win, and Air21 would provide a good second test to see if Alexander can put a lock on his job.
“Looks like we have who we need,” Uichico said Friday. “It’s a good thing we won because we were starting to doubt ourselves. Now we know that there is nothing wrong with this team.”
Mark Caguioa and Jay-Jay Helterbrand will banner the local offensive charge for the Kings, while Arwind Santos and Wynne Arboleda will be there to lend support to Steven Thomas and help the Express snap a two-game slide.
Red Bull has so far shown that it has the best reinforcement in Adam Parada, another 7-footer who has done what has been asked for the Barako to win.
And together with Cyrus Baguio, the Barako have become a potent force, despite their shallow bench.
Parada will be pitted against Wesley Wilson, the agile and strong Sta. Lucia import who has made the Realtors even more fearsome underneath. But the key to winning against the Realtors would have to be for Red Bull to be able to come up with the same defensive intensity it has shown thus far.
source:
Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2008-05-05
NBA's Fil-Am Spice Boy Spoelstra heats up Miami Heat
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – "Where Amazing Happens" is the theme of the National Basketball Association's advertising campaign this season.
The Miami Heat's hiring of Erik Spoelstra indeed lends credence to the league's current branding effort. A promotional spin-off should be tag lined "Where the First Asian Head Coach Happens."
Spoelstra, the 37-year old wunderkind from Portland, Oregon refers to himself as a "Dutch-Irish-Filipino." His dad, Jon is a retired executive of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. His mom, Elisa Celino, hails from San Pablo City, Laguna.
Spoelstra is now the NBA's youngest head coach. With his boyish looks, he appears even younger than his actual age.
There is no mistaking the guy's Filipino lineage, with his black hair, brown complexion and smiling, bright eyes.
You'd easily mistake this bachelor for one of the Spice boys of the Philippine Congress – those erstwhile 30-somethings critical of the Joseph Estrada administration in the late '90s and who played a key role in his removal from office.
Erik isn't just the youngest of NBA head coaches right now (he's 69 days younger than the New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank). He is apparently the first Asian American to crack the head-coaching ranks in any of the three major sports leagues – the NBA, National Football League and Major League Baseball.
By naming the first Asian American head coach, the NBA has wittingly or unwittingly scored a marketing coup. It has amplified the league's popularity in the Asian continent, including the Philippines, a rabid basketball country.
And, all of a sudden, the NBA has just become more compelling to watch for the basketball fans among 11 million or so Asian Americans. Eric will be in their radar screen as he helps rebuild the 2006 NBA champion Heat, owners of the worst record in the league this season (15 wins and 67 losses).
Previously, Asian Americans felt a small sense of pride in Chinese imports like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian who are making good in the NBA. They were walking on air when Erik was named to fill the shoes of Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley in Miami.
source:
By Percy D. Della
Philippine Daily Inquirer
RP Youth 5 'still lacks killer's instinct'
KUALA LUMPUR – There's no pleasing national coach Franz Pumaren just yet, even if his 18-under squad looked poised to capture the crown in the 7th Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship for Junior Men here.
"The team made an agreement that even if we win, we would still [keep our] focus," said Pumaren. "We're still going to play hard. It's only in the bag if we play against four guys. We're all five guys playing on court, anything can happen. What if [our last two opponents] nail all their attempts."
Yet the Nokia Philippine Youth Team showed it can rise from adversity.
Twice it subdued a tough challenge in the first half by employing Pumaren's trademark defensive press and orchestrating huge comebacks in the closing period.
By finishing strong, the Filipinos scored back-to-back routs over host and defending champion Malaysia and Thailand. The Malaysians went down, 98-67, in the Thursday opener and the Thais succumbed, 92-76, on Friday.
The young nationals will shoot for the crown against Singapore Monday night.
Going into its match against Indonesia Sunday, the Philippines led the way at 2-0, while Malaysia stood second at 2-1 after repulsing Thailand, 85-68, Saturday night.
Thailand fell to 1-2, while Singapore scored its first win in two games via a 68-50 drubbing of winless Indonesia.
The top two teams in the single-round tournament will qualify for the FIBA Asia Youth championship slated in Iran this September.
"I've been telling the boys that if we're boxers, we're just doing some jabs," said Pumaren. "We're not doing a 1-2-3 combination to knock out the opponent right away.
"That shouldn't be the case. We're not that good a team to be doing that. And it's a bad habit for the team and for the players if we continue doing it."
Among Pumaren's wards, guards Mark Joel de Guzman and Joel Tolentino and 6-foot-7 Fil-Canadian Norbert Torres are proving to be the most consistent.
A 17-year-old recruit from the College of St. Benilde, the 6-foot De Guzman averaged 10 points and four steals in his first two outings.
Tolentino of University of the Philippines Integrated System normed 13.5 markers, but played an even more sensational game against Thailand. The grandson of former Vice President Arturo Tolentino and son of ex-pro bowler Vicar collected a team-high 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Despite being a late acquisition from Toronto, Torres made a quick impact by dominating the paint with 13 points, 6.5 boards and 2.5 blocks per game.
"I'm fortunate we all have nice kids in the team," said Pumaren. "Walang matigas ang ulo (No one's hard-headed). Even our Fil-Am and Fil-Canadian, they're very nice and coachable."
source:
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2008-05-04
De La Hoya wins easy decision
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Oscar De La Hoya showed he could still beat a contender. Next up is cashing in again like a champion.
In what was little more than a tuneup for a much bigger fight, De La Hoya kicked off his retirement tour Saturday night before an appreciative crowd by pitching a near shutout over a game but overmatched Steve Forbes.
De La Hoya got a chance to shake off ring rust and put on a show in front of his hometown fans, who came out in big numbers to cheer him on against a fighter whose previous biggest claim to fame was losing in the final of the "Contender" reality series. He didn't disappoint, battering the smaller Forbes around on his way to an easy 12-round decision win in his first fight in a year.
The win set up a September rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who beat De La Hoya by split decision last May in what was the richest fight ever. And, even though De La Hoya was a 17-1 favorite, his dominating performance against Forbes will likely do what De La Hoya wanted by helping sell the second fight with Mayweather.
De La Hoya won all 12 rounds on one judge's scorecard and 11 out of 12 on the other two. He bloodied Forbes face, but he failed to knock out an opponent who had never been stopped in 38 previous fights, like he had vowed to do before the bout.
The Associated Press had De La Hoya winning every round, and scored it 120-108.
"I was hoping I'd stop him or knock him out," De La Hoya said. "I'm a little disappointed."
De La Hoya had little to fear from the light-hitting Forbes, a former 130-pound champion fighting at 150 pounds, and it showed. He attacked from the opening bell, and the fight soon settled into a predictable pattern, with De La Hoya stalking Forbes and punishing him with combinations to the body and head.
But he was greeted by scattered boos by the crowd at the end of the fight after failing to either put Forbes down or stop him.
De La Hoya, who says he will retire at the end of the year after two more fights, needed an impressive performance to help set up a second fight with Mayweather. He hand-picked Forbes, a decent fighter with little power, to be an opponent who would showcase his skills while at the same time not pose too much of a threat to his plans.
Forbes cooperated by doing his best, but he rarely was able to get inside De La Hoya's reach or mount any sustained attack. As he kept losing rounds, his corner became as desperate as the fighter, imploring him to land one big punch.
"Try and make him walk into something," trainer Jeff Mayweather told Forbes after the fourth round
The fight hardly seemed suited for an outdoor arena and a primetime audience on HBO, considering one fighter had lost two of his last three fights and the other had dropped three of his last five. But De La Hoya remains a box office attraction despite a middling 7-5 record over the last eight years and, with his retirement looming, this was the only chance for many in his hometown to see him live.
An announced crowd of 27,000, lured by ticket prices as low as $25, came to the Home Depot Center to do just that, even though the two fighters could barely be seen by fans in the upper reaches of the soccer stadium.
source:
By TIM DAHLBERG
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ieXxHH3rcX8svFPYkP5LnU-jGzdAD90EJ2D80
2008-05-03
RP Youth crushes Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR – The Nokia RP Youth team came out full of fire from the halftime break, totally outclassing Malaysia in the final half for a 98-67 rout at the start of the seventh SEABA junior men’s championship at the MABA gym here Thursday night.
The RP juniors fired on all cylinders in the third quarter, clamping down on the Malaysians on defense and scoring heavily on transition plays in a big turnaround from their sluggish first half.
Gabriel Banal, Mark Joel de Guzman, Frank Golla, Norberto Torres and Joseph Emmanuel Tolentino starred for the Nokia RP squad as they put their act together in the third period, outscoring the badly stunned host team, 29-4.
“We’re tight in the first half maybe because it’s our first international game. But we were confident we can pull it off because we’re down by only four at the half even as the Malaysians have obviously put in their best effort,” said coach Franz Pumaren.
The Malaysians pressed from the start and that proved to be their biggest mistake as they could no longer keep up with the Nokia RP team when the Filipinos put up their own pressing defense in the second half.
Three Malaysians in Juin Wip, Tian Yuan and Han Sin weren’t able to finish the game due to severe cramps. Juin and Tian were still down on the sidelines long after the game was over.
Malaysian coach Tan Kok Hi admitted the gambit backfired. “My players got tired. But I can’t make that as an excuse, I have big respect for the Philippine team. They’re the better team.”
The RP Juniors had some anxious moments in the first half, trailing by as many as 12, 15-17, as they took sometime to get their game going.
They played catch-up from the start and finally pulled even only at 47-all on back-to-back baskets by the 6-foot-7 Torres and Jaypee Mendoza to start the second half.
Stepping up their press before cheering Filipino fans led by benefactor Jun Sy of Tao Corp., the RP juniors raced to a 67-49 lead and never looked back.
“There’s no reason to celebrate yet because the mission is not yet over,” said Pumaren whose boys were up next against Thailand last night.
The Thais, handled by American coach Felton Sealy, walloped the Indonesians, 82-50, in the other game Thursday.
Guard Chun Khee, his stocky built belying his eligibility in this 18-under tourney, proved to be a big problem for the Filipinos early on, coming through with baskets from all angles..
He scored a game-high 23 points but he himself struggled on the efficient defense put up by the Filipinos in the final half.
Gabriel Banal, son of long-time national player and now Alaska assistant coach Joel, fired 16 points leading the Nokia RP team in a well-balanced scoring.
The Xavier High product, an incoming freshman at La Salle-Taft, made nine points in the third period.
The RP juniors, despite having the smaller frontline, dominated the battle of the boards, 46-25 with Torres, Pascual and Sangalang each pulling down at least seven rebounds. The three went up against Malaysian behemoths Yong Jing, 6-foot-9, and Tian Juan, 6-foot-8.
source:
By Nelson Beltran
www.philstar.com
All eyes on two new RP Youth standouts
KUALA LUMPUR – There's inevitable pressure but the best that North American high school standouts Norbert Torres and Kyle Pascual can do is brush off the high expectations that come with their role as new cornerstones of the Nokia Philippine Youth Team.
"It's a new experience for me," said Torres, the top center of Mother Teresa High School in Toronto. "This is the first time I'm playing for the Philippines in an international competition.
"There's pressure not just from the team, but also from my family. They expect me to do good. But it just makes me work harder."
Setting foot on his parents' homeland for the third time last week, the 6-foot-7 Torres later left for Malaysia to spearhead the 18-under squad in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Championship for Junior Men.
All the attention similarly motivates the 6-foot-6 Pascual, a recipient of the Esperanza High School Aztec Award in California for being a model student-athlete.
"There's pressure, but I can't let it affect my game," said Pascual, a second-time visitor to the Philippines. "I'm hoping to contribute as much as I can, like in getting the rebounds."
National coach Franz Pumaren said the two burly 18-year-old acquisitions bring in more than just their dominating presence at the paint.
"Their addition is morale-boosting for the team," said Pumaren. "During our first few (tune-up) games, when they were still not part of the team, I think we lacked ceiling. With them, it gave us a little flexibility in terms of rotating the players, if we need to play big or small."
Both Torres and Pascual believe their RP Youth team has a strong shot at reclaiming the championship the country last won in 2004.
"I think this is a competitive team; everyone's working really hard," said Pascual, whose father is from Manila and mother from Cebu.
Torres, whose parents hail from Bulacan, added: "It's a young team. We have four 16-year-olds. They're still developing, but there's a lot of potential around here."
source:
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2008-04-30
Windows XP SP3 now available via Windows Update
For the people who doesn’t want to download from pirated sites and who were waiting for the official release of Windows XP SP3, now the wait is over and it is available for download via Windows Update site though it is still not available on automatic updates. This is the full 316MB file size.
The Windows XP SP3 packs over 1000 hotfixes, patches and updates, coupled with some new features such as new activation scheme, Network Access Protection Module, Black Hole Router Detection and Kernel Model Cryptographic Module.
This file can be downloaded here
source:
techtoday
FIL-AM to coach MIAMI HEAT
Eric Celino Spoelstra, a Fil-Am who once missed a crack at the PBA, will now call the shots for one of the teams in the NBA.
The 37-year-old Spoelstra, who traces his roots to San Pablo, Laguna, was named head coach of the Heat following the resignation of Pat Riley Tuesday, making him the first mentor with Filipino roots and youngest to ever coach in the league.
(NBA Playoffs stories on A-32)
“I believe Erik Spoelstra is one of the most talented young coaches in a long time,” Riley, who steered the Heat to the NBA crown in 2006, told a news conference.
Spoelstra, son of Irish-Dutch Jon Spoelstra, a long-time NBA executive involved with the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets, said he’s proud of his Filipino roots even as he previously said he regretted declining an offer to play in the PBA.
Born in Portland, Spoelstra, whose mother Fe Celino is from San Pablo, Laguna, has been to the Philippines only once.
“I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve visited the Philippines only when I was three years old,” said Spoelstra in a previous interview with The STAR. “I’m definitely planning to go again. I have lots of relatives who live just outside Manila. I’m hoping that someday soon, I’ll be able to visit and maybe, do some coaching clinics so I can share whatever I know about basketball.”
At the time of his appointment as head coach, Spoelstra just completed his 13th season as a member of the Heat staff and his seventh in the role of assistant coach/director of scouting where he had the primary role of developing game plans for upcoming opponents.
Spoelstra was responsible for coordinating the video staff and advance scouts while also overseeing the development of scouting reports and videos. He has been in charge of the Heat’s Individual Player Development Program and has served as the head coach of the Heat’s summer league squad each of the past three summers.
Spoelstra originally joined the Heat as the team’s video coordinator in 1995. He spent two years in that role where he was responsible for preparing scouting tapes and heading up the team’s information technology for the coaching staff.
Born on Nov. 1, 1970, Spoelstra has become the NBA’s youngest current head coach, 69 days younger than the second youngest head coach, Lawrence Frank of the New Jersey Nets.
A 1992 graduate from the University of Portland, Spoelstra was the starting point guard for four years for the Pilots and was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. After college he spent two years as a player/coach for Tus Herten, a team in the professional sports league of Germany.
In a previous interview, Spoelstra said he’s aware of how basketball is loved by Filipinos.
“I know about the PBA,” said Spoelstra. “I know Billy Ray Bates played there. Jim Kelly invited me to play in the PBA some years ago and I think it was for the Coca-Cola team. I would’ve been eligible to play as a local.”
Cited by Sports Illustrated (May 30, 2005) for his work in honing star guard Dwyane Wade’s shooting balance and smoothing out his release after the Flash’s return from the Athens Olympics, Spoelstra said working with Riley and predecessor Stan Van Gundy has been an awesome learning experience.
However, Spoelstra will have a lot of rebuilding to do as the Heat, hobbled by injuries to key players, including Wade, and hampered by the loss of Shaquille O’Neal in a trade with Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, finished with the worst record this season with a woeful 15-67 (win-loss) mark.
source:
By Dante Navarro
2008-04-29
REYES FACES TEENAGER IN IPT VIEWERS CHALLENGE MATCH
Efren “Bata” Reyes’ magical shot-making will be put to the test in the Viewers Choice Ultimate 8-Ball Challenge Match against teenage prodigy Austin Murphy on April 29. The matches begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time in the U.S.
Reyes edged Murphy for the top spot in online voting conducted by the International Pool Tour due largely to the support Reyes received from fans of Philboxing.com after an appeal for support was posted on the widely popular boxing site. Until then Reyes was in third spot behind early front-runners Vilmos Foldes and Gerda Hofstatter.
The match between pool legend Reyes and the young upstart Murphy will be preceded by a pre-game show and Straight Pool match between German ace Oliver Ortmann and American John Schmidt.
Pool fans can watch the matches “live” by simply logging on to the International Pool Tour website. Its free of charge.
IPT Tour Director Deno Andrews is hoping that Filipino pool fans will register and watch the matches where the quality of the streaming so far. In the last match between Marlon Manalo and Rodney Morris the signal quality was very good.
source:
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
2008-04-27
CONCEPCION STOPS DANIELS! (video)
NABF superbantam champ Bernabe Concepcion defended his title with a second round technical knockout win over Torrence Daniels moments ago at the Plaza de Toros Juriquilla in Queretaro, Mexico.
The win improves Concepcion's record to 25-1-1, 14 KO's and solidifies a possible shot at IBF champ Steve Molitor.
Concepcion did not show any hint of fatigue despite his failure to make weight during his first try at the scales yesterday, saying that the extra baggage was nothing to be concerned about.
Aljoe Jaro, who manages Concepcion, said his ward was in high spirit and was ready for the fight.
source:
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
NABF superbantam champ Bernabe Concepcion defended his title with a second round technical knockout win over Torrence Daniels moments ago at the Plaza de Toros Juriquilla in Queretaro, Mexico.
The win improves Concepcion's record to 25-1-1, 14 KO's and solidifies a possible shot at IBF champ Steve Molitor.
Concepcion did not show any hint of fatigue despite his failure to make weight during his first try at the scales yesterday, saying that the extra baggage was nothing to be concerned about.
Aljoe Jaro, who manages Concepcion, said his ward was in high spirit and was ready for the fight.
source:
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
2008-04-26
Three Kings: Ritualo, Williams, Miller
BACOLOD, Philippines--Ren-Ren Ritualo finally fulfilled what he was born to do.
The Talk 'N Text gunslinger won the Three-Point Shootout for the first time Friday night, shooting 19 points in the finals to humble defending champion Dondon Hontiveros of Magnolia in a widely applauded side event of the Smart PBA All-Star Weekend at the West Negros University here.
Ritualo hit 16 points right in his first three racks and went on to make just enough baskets to hold off Hontiveros and John Arigo of Coca-Cola in a thrilling finish as the guard known as "Rain Man" finally justified his tag as the streakiest shooter in the league.
"I did away with my usual game shot and took a little jump off my shots," Ritualo, thrice the runner-up of the same event and eighth placer last year in San Fernando, La Union, said in Filipino. "I'm glad to win this event."
After finishing third in the eliminations, Ritualo was the first to shoot and he immediately set the bar high.
But the former La Salle ace sat on pins and needles when Hontiveros and Arigo took the floor, especially the Coca-Cola hotshot Arigo, who had a chance to turn the event around.
Needing a perfect final rack to win by one point, Arigo missed two of his last three attempts, including the money ball which rimmed out. Hontiveros finished with 18 points, while Arigo had 17.
The three-Point shootout became the centerpiece event for the day after the match-up between "Air" and "Nique" dunk-a-likes in the Slam Dunk competition did not materialize when the three-time defending champ KG Canaleta withdrew at the last minute.
That left Sta. Lucia's Kelly Williams, a high-leaping and power-slamming sophomore in the mold of Dominique Wilkins, as the favorite. And how he played that role to the hilt.
Williams, who had 98 out of a possible 100 points in the finals, first nailed a "trail play" dunk. Teammate Ryan Reyes bounced the ball off the glass and Williams grabbed it and stuffed it with two hands after a 360 spin.
"I'll take it this year, but next year, it's going to be a battle (with Canaleta)," said the 6-foot-7 Williams after scoring 48 and a perfect 50 in his two dunks in the finals. Arwind Santos of Air21 finished second with 86, while Ronald Tubid of Ginebra was third with 83.
The perfect dunk came next, the same one he missed twice last year in San Fernando--a between-the-legs mid-air stunt followed by a left-handed jam that brought the house down.
Canaleta complained of slight pain in his left knee cap.
Earlier, Miller won the Obstacle Challenge for the third straight year, establishing a new record of 25.5 seconds to handily dispatch Hontiveros and Coca-Cola rookie Ronjay Buenafe.
Miller was near-flawless in the finals and easily obliterated the old record of 26.4 seconds held by Fil-American guard Rob Johnson. He won P20,000.
source:
By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2008-04-25
Kenny Smith attempts to jump an Aston Martin like Kobe
By now, you've no doubt seen the video of Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin in his Nike Hyperdunks. (At least 2,573,567 of you have.) Well, last night, the TNT "Inside the NBA" crew decided to have a little fun with it and showed Kobe their rendition live on the air.
I hate to be that guy, but I'm giving this parody just one mediocre thumb-up. As Matt at The FanHouse said: "Kenny signs off heading into commercial by remarking, "YouTube is going to be going crazy now," but if they actually spent a little time on YouTube, they'd know this joke is about 10 days old." So true.
Besides, it would have been so much more funny if they had Sir Charles try to "jump" the car. Just think of the comedy gold possibilities!
source:
By J.E. Skeets
(Via Sports By Brooks)
http://sports.yahoo.com
2008-04-23
TALK ‘N TEXT SIZZLES WITH ALL-TIME RECORD 23 TRIPLES TO BEAT AIR21
Talk ’N Text set a new all-time record for most three-pointers in a game in the PBA with 23 as it downed Air21, 116-99, in the season-ending Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference Tuesday night at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Playmaker Jimmy Alapag, the league's three-point shootout titlist in 2003 and 2005, led the Phone Pals with 25 points nailing 7-of-9 3s, while Don Allado and Ren-Ren Ritualo contributed 15 and 14 points respectively with four triples each.
“Wow! We made 23 triples?” was Talk ’N Text mentor Chot Reyes first words after he was informed of the new league record.
Reyes added his team had other things in mind going into the game.
“We came into this game with the mindset that it’s going to be a good learning experience for us without Jay Washington (foot injury). Little did we know we’ll also play (the second half) without Aaron McGhee, who got injured late in the second quarter,” Reyes added. “We really got tremendous output from our big men it allowed our shooters to be open.”
Mark Cardona added 17 points with three 3s. Import McGhee, who sprained his left ankle three minutes before halftime, still finished with 16 despite not returning to the game. Yancy de Ocampo had 12.
Talk ’N Text, which led by as many as 65-43 early in the third, made 23-of-39 shots or 59 percent from beyond the three-point territory, breaking the previous mark of 18, which was recorded twice by Presto Tivoli led by Allan Caidic.
On Nov. 2, 1989, Presto made 18-of-37 with Caidic, now an assistant coach with Barangay Ginebra, burying 15-of-27 in a 175-159 overtime win against Alaska.
Two years later on Nov. 21, the Ice Cream makers made 18-of-35 in a 162-149 win opposite Ginebra with Caidic dropping 17-of-27, which still stands as the league’s record for most three-pointers in a game by any player.
A triple by Ritualo, a participant in the three-point contest who will be gunning for his first title on Friday in Bacolod City, broke the previous record with their 19th trey, 91-71, with 10:18 to play.
The win improved the Phone Pals’ win-loss record to 4-2, while the Express fell to 2-3 that tied them with defending champion Alaska and Purefoods TJ Hotdogs.
Alapag, who won the three-point shootout in 2003 during his rookie year and in 2005 in Laoag, will not compete in this year’s 3-point shootout contest.
Instead, it will be Ritualo, the former De La Salle University sniper and RP Team member who will represent Talk ’N Text in the three-point contest where Magnolia’s Dondon Hontiveros will defend the title.
The Express got 21 points from import Steve Thomas, while Nino Canaleta, who will be gunning for a fourth straight slam dunk title in the PBA All-Star Weekend, and Homer Se contributed 16 apiece. (WG)
The scores:
Talk ’N Text 116 – Alapag 25, Cardona 17, McGhee 16, Allado 15, Ritualo 14, De Ocampo 12, Peek 7, Carey 4, Aljamal 3, Belano 3, Chia 0, Lao 0.
Air21 99 – Thomas 21, Canaleta 16, Se 16, Billones 13, David 10, Arboleda 8, Santos 7, Kramer 4, Cruz 4, De Ocampo 0, Sotto 0.
Quarterscores: 26-23; 62-43; 85-66; 116-99.
source:
pba.ph
2008-04-22
Pacquiao gets China invite to tour plush Olympic venues
Manila, Philippines—Acknowledging Manny Pacquiao's contribution to Asian sports, China has invited the World Boxing Council super featherweight champion to visit some of the venues that will be used for the Beijing Olympics in August.
Pacquiao said in his Philboxing.com column that the Chinese government had sent him an invitation to tour the impressive facilities to be used for the quadrennial Summer Games, with the proposed date of visit set late this month or in the first week of May.
"It's a great honor for me and my family to get such an invitation from the Chinese government because they see me as an Asian who has become a figure and symbol of the whole of Asia in the world of sports, particularly in professional boxing," said Pacquiao.
The boxing superstar is in Cebu to act as Datu Lapu-Lapu in the reenactment of "Kadaugan sa Mactan," which celebrates the defeat of Ferdinand Magellan by the heroic local chieftain.
Pacquiao has been doing light workouts in his hometown Gen. Santos City in preparation for the heavy training he will undergo for his June 28 showdown with WBC lightweight champion David Diaz.
"I am truly considering this (Beijing) invitation and I hope that I can find time to reciprocate this gesture of friendship from one of the most powerful countries and governments in the world," Pacquiao said.
He said he will proceed to Los Angeles if he decides to take up the Chinese invitation so he could start training early under Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao also exhorted Olympic-bound Filipino athletes to do their best in training and during competition.
Whatever the outcome in Beijing, he said, the athletes will still be considered modern Philippine sports heroes.
source:
By Salven Lagumbay
inquirer.net
2008-04-21
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2008-04-19
Alcano off to hot start, crushes obscure rival (World 8-Ball Championship)
Ronnie Alcano made short work of little-known rival Carlos Talavera, scoring an 8-1 rout of the Guatemalan in the opening round of the 2008 World 8-Ball Championship yesterday at the Amir Billiards Club in Fujairah City, United Arab Emirates.
Alcano, the title holder in the rich tournament, raced to 6-0 lead before yielding one rack then stringing up the next two to advance to the next round either against Chinese Liu Haitao and local bet Omran Saleem.
Elvis Calasang was the only other Filipino bet who started his campaign here yesterday. He was playing Korean Ryu Seung Woo in Group B at presstime.
Ten Filipino pool masters made the tournament proper with Jeff de Luna, Warren Kiamco and Allan Cuartero finding them drawn together in Group F.
Roberto Gomez is in Group D, Antonio Gabica in Group E, Joven Bustamante in Group G and Dennis Orcollo and Israel Rota in Group H.
De Luna opens his campaign against former World Pool champion Ralf Souquet of Germany today. Cuartero is up against Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia and Kiamco against Amine Ouahbi in one of the toughest groups in the tourney.
Bustamante may have to hurdle Corey Deuel in Group B, Orcollo has to contend with Oliver Ortmann in Group H and Gomez has a tough assignment in Shane Van Boening in Group D.
Alcano, looking to become the first player to defend a major title in over a decade, displayed his pool savvy early against Talavera.
The Calamba, Laguna native was so impressive, losing only one rack in an alternate-break format.
Other players in Group A are Bernard Kiat, Mohammed El Assai, Naif Al Jeweni and Jianbo Fu.
The double-elimination format is in use in the group matches with four players from each group advancing to the knockout stage.
source:
phlstar.com
The Ultimate Backdoor: Hackers Can Infect Your Processor
Exploit would allow hackers to take full control over the computer
Software bugs and computer viruses were hackers' favorite means of taking over your computer. However, things could get a lot worse with the advent of a new threat, that aims directly at computers' hardware components.
A group of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign managed to hack into a computer processor, then gain full control over the infected system. Setting this kind of backdoor is not piece of cake, but once carried to completion, it won't be detectable neither by user, nor by antivirus software.
The researchers used a specially crafted, programmable microprocessor that runs on a Linux operating system. The microprocessor would inject malicious firmware into the main processor's memory, a type of code that allows a remote attacker to seize control over the entire computer. The altered firmware affects only a small portion of the processor's silicon (1,341 logic gates out of more than 1 million).
According to Samuel King, an assistant professor in the university’s computer science department, this exploit is extremely efficient and works independently. "This is like the ultimate back door," said King. "There were no software bugs exploited."
The team yesterday demonstrated the attack using a LEON processor running the Linux operating system. The LEON design is somewhat similar to Sun's SPARC series of processors, that power a large number of servers worldwide, including the ones in the International Space Station.
The attacker only has to send a network packet to the target computer, that would trigger the firmware rewrite. Right after the rewrite is complete, the attacker can log on to the system. "From the software’s perspective, the packet gets dropped… and yet I have full and complete access to this underlying system that I just compromised," King said.
This kind of attack is 100 percent efficient, but in order to succeed, hackers would have to install a malicious CPU onto the target computer, which is extremely difficult. "This is not a script kiddie attack," he continued. "It’s going to require an entity with resources."
source:
By: Bogdan Botezatu, Hardware Editor
http://news.softpedia.com/news
2008-04-18
Alcano seeks repeat in world 8-ball
Ronnie Alcano tries to become the first cue artist in 17 years to successfully retain a world title as the former double world champion opens his defense of the world tiara left in his hands in the 2008 World 8-Ball Championship today at the Amir Billiards Club in Fujairah City, United Arab Emirates.
“I’m ready,” said the 35-year-old lanky stalwart of the Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano who came to prominence after winning World 9-Ball Championship.
“I’ve prepared hard for this, and I will do my best to keep this world 8-ball title. I know it’s going to be very tough but I’m confident I can make it,” said Alcano, who became only the second cue artist to reign in the World 8-Ball and World 9-Ball at the same time after Taiwanese Wu Chia-ching in 2005.
No player has successfully defended a world crown since American Earl Strickland won the first two editions of the World 9-Ball Championship in 1990 and 1991.
“I think Ronnie is the favorite to win again because 8-ball is his forte, and to beat him, you have to be at your best and with tons of luck,” said Mariano.
Alcano will be joined by current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez and rising star Joven Bustamante in in this eight-day event that will gather 64 of the world best cue artists.
Like Alcano, Orcollo was given an outright seeding by the organizers for his runner-up finish last year, while Gomez and Bustamante barged into the main draw through the qualifying tournaments.
source:
www.philstar.com
2008-04-17
Either Pacquiao or Marquez for Barrera return
MANILA, Philippines—A return bout with either Manny Pacquiao or Juan Manuel Marquez still gets Marco Antonio Barrera’s competitive juices flowing.
But if his two tormentors are unavailable, Barrera is willing to settle for any credible opponent when he comes out of retirement this year.
Barrera, who has noticeably gained weight since his second straight defeat from Pacquiao last October, reiterated his intention to wage a comeback in an article by Mark Vester of boxingscene on Tuesday.
“A fight with Pacquiao is certainly one that gets me worked up but we’ll have to see what his plans are, and against Juan Manuel Marquez, that would be another good one,” said Barrera, adding that he believes he won over his fellow Mexican in their battle for the World Boxing Council super featherweight crown on March 2007.
In an interview with 411 Mania, Barrera said he’d rather stay away from the ring than fight somebody who doesn’t ring a bell.
“I don’t want to return just to return,” said Barrera. “If Golden Boy Promotions gives me some interesting options against marquee names, or a third fight with Pacquiao, then I’m all for it. But if it’s just about taking on an opponent who’s there to lay down, then I won’t even think about coming back.”
The 34-year-old Barrera was at ringside when Pacquiao wrested the WBC belt away from Marquez by split decision on March 15 in Las Vegas.
According to Barrera, a future Hall of Famer, he felt that the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch should have been a draw, just like in their first encounter in 2004.
Though a third fight with Pacquiao is unlikely to happen, there’s a good chance for a Barrera-Marquez II since both boxers are under the wings of Golden Boy Promotions.
Pacquiao is seeking his fourth world title in as many divisions when he tangles with WBC lightweight champion David Diaz on June 28 in Las Vegas. Roy Luarca
source:
inquirer.net
2008-04-16
The Worlds Hardest Game!
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2008-04-15
2008-04-14
Adducul responding well to treatment
MANILA, Philippines—Although Purefoods cager Romel Adducul insisted on staying active in the hardcourt while waging his battle against cancer, his doctors put their foot down.
Currently undergoing simultaneous chemotherapy and cobalt treatments, Romel’s physicians said his immune system is down to 50 percent and may even go lower if he expends more energy. In his condition, Romel is susceptible to diseases.
According to Purefoods governor Rene Pardo, Romel has just finished his second chemotherapy session.
“But what he is complaining about are the almost daily cobalt treatments. It burns the area around his nose and throat and makes it difficult for him to swallow. He has been on a liquid diet,” said Mang Pards.
Despite the side effects, Romel still manages to attend the Giants’ regular practice sessions wearing a mask. His muscles have started to sag a bit because he is not allowed by his doctors to do gym work.
The good news however is that the malignant tumor under his right jaw, which was as big as a golf ball, has disappeared.
Last week the PBA offered a mass at the Christ the King parish in White Plains for the speedy recovery of the cager.
All the teams were represented. Champion Sta. Lucia Realty came in full force, from PBA governor Buddy Encarnado down to the utility boys.
source:
By Beth Celis
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Uzbeks take doubles for 2-1 lead
MANILA, Philippines—Cecil Mamiit put it in one never-say-die phrase: “Keep the dream alive.”
The Filipino-American star on Saturday asked everyone to keep the faith moments after failing, together with Eric Taino, to get the job done for the Philippines in the critical doubles match of its Davis Cup Asia-Oceania relegation tie with Uzbekistan.
Mamiit and Taino bungled a commanding lead in the first-set tiebreak and a seemingly formidable 4-1 edge in the fourth to go down, 6-7 (10-12), 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (5-7), to Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov, who gave the visitors a 2-1 advantage going into the reverse singles that start at 10 a.m. today.
“It’s not over yet,” Mamiit added. “We’re positive in everything we do. We always bring a lot of heart (into our matches). We just didn’t get the lucky breaks out there today.”
The Philippines, with its back pressed hard against the wall, needs a sweep of the remaining two singles matches to avoid falling back into Group 2.
Non-playing skipper Manny Tecson also refused to throw in the towel with Uzbekistan now heavily favored to clinch the tie either through Istomin and Dustov in the final matches at the Philippine Columbian Association.
“The tie isn’t over yet,” said Tecson, wearing a smile and exuding an air of confidence. “We have to be confident in everything we do.”
Tecson refused to say who he will start. He was set to meet his team last night to discuss strategies. Mamiit, however, said a lot about how the country needs Taino at this point.
“He’s the backbone of our team,” Mamiit said. “He has the same amount of abilities as I do and we wouldn’t be at this stage if not for him. Eric, I think, is the key right now.”
Mamiit and Taino had a 6-4 lead in the first set tiebreak but couldn’t wrap it up with the towering Uzbeks bailing themselves out of trouble with their serve.
The Filipino pair reduced the match to a best-of-three after winning the second set when Dustov netted a volley and Mamiit held serve in the 12th game.
But it was all Uzbekistan in the third before the Filipino tandem, which has resurrected Philippine tennis from the doldrums with a number of Southeast Asian Games gold medals and a bronze medal in the Asian Games, bounced back by winning four of the first five games of the fourth frame.
It looked like it would be a breeze for the Filipinos from there, until the Uzbeks regained their bearing to knot it all up at 4 and set a toe-to-toe match where they prevailed.
Uzbekistan raced to a 5-1 lead in the fourth-set tiebreak, before Mamiit-Taino clawed back to within 4-5.
But Mamiit dumped a forehand volley to the net for 4-6 before Istomin scored on a passing shot to wrap the match up in three hours and 45 minutes.
Whether the Tecson gambit of playing young Patrick John Tierro against Istomin in the opening singles yields a positive result will known today.
Tierro got hammered Friday morning, 4-6, 3-6, 2-6, but Tecson said the Philippines gained somehow from the loss by being able to study the Uzbekistan ace.
source:
By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer