Rejection Part 3

James Johnson blocks a driving Ron Artest. But the Los Angeles Lakers deal the Chicago Bulls their 11th loss in 13 games.

When the Game was Ours

A most excellent book (with the Boston Globe's Jackie MacMullan):

The intertwined basketball journey of Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry "Joe" Bird had officially begun — as teammates.

Johnson had never met Bird before the tournament. He was stunned at how well the forward passed the ball, and when Bird fed him the no-look pass, Magic told himself, "I'm not going to let this guy upstage me."

"It was an incredible three seconds of basketball," Magic said. "It was boom, boom, boom! I'm thinking, 'Man, I love playing with this guy!' And believe me, the crowd loved it too."

Doc is in Phillies' House, Kate breaks up with A-Rod and other winter baseball dealings

Roy Halladay goes to the Phillies. Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. The Boston Red Sox get Mike Cameron and John Lackey. Hideki Matsui went to the California Angels.

There's a lot of wheeling and dealing this early and winter hasn't really set in. The Yankees did pick up Curtis Granderson and that means that Nick Swisher will see more time at right field. Sooo... where's Johnny (Damon)? Word is the Yankees are looking to sign Bosox miscast Jason Bay to patrol left field. Honestly, I know Bay can hit but can he play defense? Damon might not be that great anymore but he is still plenty good. Adding Bay gives them youth but I'd still get Johnny and if anything Bay for insurance. After all, they need a DH now that Godzilla is now on the West Coast. But I don't recall Godzilla (the monster not the man) ever destroying the West Coast? So were the Yanks right in not signing him?

Pitching-wise, word is they're interested in getting Justin Duchscherer and Ben Sheets. Fannation reports that both are coming off arm surgery. I'm not sure if this is a good idea but Yankees GM Brian Cashman would know. Guess people are nervous that they could be the second coming of Carl Pavano. With all this talk about pitching, I wonder how Chien Ming-Wang is doing? He was the ace for two years running until one injury kept him on the shelf.

And the New York Post reported that Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson broke up. Jeez. Must be a slow news day.

At the Simbang Gabi '09 @ Gesu

With good friend Mike Yu, my colleague in Rebound and AR. Discussing stuff about the mag and the 18th Banner (the stuff that didn't make it and why).

Looking back and forward: Where to Ateneo basketball?

Looking back and forward

Where to Ateneo basketball?

words and pictures by rick olivares

If one would take a look at Ateneo basketball history, the Blue Eagles have a tendency to win everything in bunches before dipping to reload for another run.

It would be somewhat wrong to look at the champion teams of yesteryear as the times are different in terms of skill level, recruitment, the size of players, and the quality of competition. So it is best just to keep it to the past decade when the current program was installed. But even that is somewhat inaccurate because in the program’s first five years, the blue and white had three head coaches in Joe Lipa, Joel Banal, and Sandy Arespacochaga; a sorry reminder of Ateneo basketball since it joined the UAAP in 1978.

It also does not exactly reveal how the rabid alumni base is not the authority in who should be coaching the Blue Eagles. After all, if these noisy alumni (who do not even contribute money to the program save for hanging out at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center every chance they get) had their way, Norman Black would not be coaching.

And speaking of the current American mentor of Ateneo, it is amazing to see how his system has taken root in the Blue Eagles’ brand of hoops.

That became obvious in 2006 when an unheralded Ateneo team came within a lay-up of winning the title. There was no star on that squad and the funny thing is prior to that campaign no one expected much from the team. As they began to soundly beat their foes that was when the so-called experts reason out that they had JC Intal, Macky Escalona, and Doug Kramer. What they didn’t realize was how they lost four players prior to that – LA Tenorio, Magnum Membrere, Bajjie Del Rosario and Japeth Aguilar. Of the four, it was Aguilar who was building up into the next dominant big man but he left in the off-season for a US Division 1 school.

The following year, without Intal, Escalona, and Kramer, there were more doubts about who would lead the Blue Eagles. And lo and behold, the team found a solid low-post presence in the previously under-achieving Ford Arao whose development made it easier for the other players to find their space to contribute.

When Arao graduated, who would have known that Rabeh Al-Hussaini would become the most unlikely MVP in league history?

Yet in spite of new players stepping into the breach, the strength of the system lies in the team play as players adapt themselves into the system. On any other college team, Ryan Buenafe would be scoring a double-double, but on Black’s five stick, he is a playmaker par excellence who is still not getting props for his fantastic defense.

After blocking Paul Sanga's last minute attempt, Chris Sumalinog races upcourt for a possible outlet.

And there’s the matter of Oping Sumalinog who was once known as a gunner but is showing a tantalizing display of all-around game. If Nonoy Baclao were to play one more year then think of the possibilities of having two similar players on the same squad? The search for a clone has turned up players like JP Erram who is touted to be the next Baclao. But if anyone saw the former West Negros Mustang play before, he had excellent range. We keep searching when that player in right on the bench. He can drive, post-up, and stroke it from the outside. If you think that’s all he can do, his wingspan allows his to disrupt a foe’s shot and even block his shot. He’s got the hops and can rebound some.

And that’s just Buenafe and Sumalinog. There are others waiting to explode.

Many wondered how the team would compensate for the loss of Chris Tiu but the answer was a three-headed option in Nonoy Baclao-Rabeh Al-Hussaini-Jai Reyes. Reyes in particular has been the deadeye shooter that Ateneo teams have been known for in the mold of Membrere, Larry Fonacier, Tiu, Rainier Sison, Junie Rentosa, Richie Ticzon, Vince Hizon, and Jet Nieto to name a few.

The program is in place as the three Ateneo units from the grade school to the high school all the way to college are in perfect congruence. And in Black and the school’s name and reputation, we have two huge and compelling reasons for one to don the blue and white.

So as the Blue Eagles loss three vital cogs (the single biggest loss in the starting unit since Intal, Kramer, and Escalona), wonder not on our fate for the season to come because in Norman… we trust.

Run all over you. DeSean Jackson vs. a Giant hole in the defense

I wonder now what Philadelphians will say about this game between the Eagles and the New York Giants. The partnership between Coach Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb is going strong for a decade now and although they have had great seasons they still have come up empty come Super Bowl time. But who knows? This year they have Michael Vick on the sidelines who still has that great arm and presence. And they have DeSean Jackson who almost by his lonesome beat the Giants. Sure NYTD Blue played horrendous defense but it was still an exciting shootout. Jackson, scored on a 72-yard punt return and on a 60-yard strike from McNabb. He has eight -- count them, eight -- 50-plus TDs this season; an NFL record! Holey Moley! What an entertaining player. Yes, the Eagles spiked the Giants in a high-scoring 45-38 win but NY do not deserve to go to the playoffs for playing mediocre and inconsistent football. But as good as the Eagles are with a 9-4 record, they are only a game up on the Dallas Cowboys. And there are plenty of good teams beginning with the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints who are both 13-0 and the Minnesota Vikings who are at 11-2. This is going to be an interesting post-season. But for what it's worth, I hope the Colts or the Saints break the Miami Dolphins undefeated record. I've had enough with those boors.

Tuesday Tumbler on The 18th Banner

The 18th Banner was titled as such in reference to the banners hanging in Blue Eagle Gym. Season 71 was fascinating for many reasons as it didn't come easy after lots of heartbreak and heartache by the Blue Eagles. After 2002, many wags said we'd wait for another 14 years for another title. It took six and we did it back-to-back. So eat crow, dumbnuts.

Initially it was supposed to be in book form but the people we were speaking with were either on drugs or not interested so it didn't prosper. But I have to really thank Robin Tong for being such a huge help. Really one of the nicest guys around. Fortunately, Blueblood picked up it and I am grateful for that. The original manuscript ran for over a hundred pages excluding pictures. The final layout goes for 106 pages including pictures and for Php200 only. Not bad, I guess.

So what did we chop out? A lot. I may disagree with the removal of certain parts but I had to respect the wishes of certain people. I wonder why some people want to keep things under wraps when many people know about what went down. Nevertheless, I'm still happy with it. As I always say, beggars can't be choosers.

You'll be glad to find out how the deal with adidas came out, some of the behind the scenes stuff with ABS CBN, the ankle injury of Rabeh and what transpired, and many stuff that isn't seen by the general public. I tried to paint an accurate picture of what goes on in a season and while I wish I had more material to work with, it's still not bad.

The inspiration behind all of this was John Feinstein's A Season On the Brink that chronicled the 1985 season of the Indiana Hoosiers. Peter May's The Last Banner was an inspiration more for the title than anything. But really, it was back in 2001 when a friend sent me a picture of the banners in the BEG rafters that I got the idea for the title. Ruel de Vera's It's Our Time also was an inspiration. Any time you have an excellent writer like Ruey on board then you know it's going to be good.

I didn't have a chance to put credits there so I'll do it here:

(not in any order okay? -- Fr. Ben, Robin Tong, Norman Black, Paolo Trillo, Debbie Tan, John Alonte, Ricky Palou, Odette Velarde, the Blue Eagles, Jun Jun Capistrano, Sonia Araneta, Hector Guballa, Jun Dalandan, Jimmy Alabanza, Arben Santos, Mekoy Quiogue, Joel Banal, the coaching staff, my brothers in the Ateneo Sports Shooters, Mai Ventura, Kenneth Ti, and Rudy Allayban. And of course, Loudette Guevara and Tony Veloso.

So what about Season 72? Oh, no. Let's leave that for someone else to do. I have been increasingly busy on two websites (that are totally not related to sports) and that's been eating a lot of my time.

But I have Turn On the Bright Lights coming out and a collection of the best of my Bleachers' Brew columns in Business Mirror all in the first quarter of 2010. Then I'm working on a children's book of a story that I wrote some six years ago while sitting down at the Great Lawn of Central Park. I'm working with a young and talented artist. And of course, there's the story of Smart Gilas Pilipinas that I'm continuing to cover. Hopefully, that can be combined along with many of the things that have not seen print.

A Magnificent Statement

I think this was a nice sporting gesture by the Green Archers (notwithstanding Joshua Webb's smirk and oh by the way, I am writing a cool Webb story). So do not take anything more from the shot. Justin Chua was so pumped up before this. I have the whole sequence of shots leading up to this.

A Magnificent Statement

Ateneo 74 vs. FEU 70

Happy Sesquicentennial, Ateneo. The Blue Eagles cap a stellar season with a PCCL victory for a rare Grand Slam.

words and pic by rick olivares

Retroactive

In 1989, twenty years ago, Norman Black as head coach, steered San Miguel Beer to a Grand Slam in the Philippine Basketball Association. It was the third in league history and the three that year brought his total to five at that point (he eventually finished with 9 for the Beermen and added one more with Sta. Lucia).

In 2009, twenty years later, the product of a Jesuit school in the United States, gave the Ateneo de Manila a fitting birthday present when the undermanned Blue Eagles beat the Far Eastern University Tamaraws 74-70 for its second national title in the last three years and third in the last three months after the UAAP and University Games for a unprecedented Grand Slam. And if anyone has been counting, that is Norman’s seventh trophy with Ateneo. And he’s not yet done.

Perspective

The whole point of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League is to determine what school has the best basketball team in the land. If that isn’t a statement then you’re probably one of those who pooh pooh the tournament with the excuse that this isn’t an important (they probably belong to a school that doesn’t know how to win).

Do you think that the first ever matches by the Basketball Association of America were deemed important? Apparently not then because back then there was already the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League. Today, the BAA games incidentally are considered the first ever games organized by the National Basketball Association.

So in these nascent years of the Champions League, one can say that these are statement games. And maybe one day soon, it will be the biggest and best basketball competition in the land pro ball included.

Far Eastern University wanted to make a statement for several reasons: one, they thought it would be redemption for the disappointing UAAP campaign; two, if they won then it would validate their removal of former starting playmaker Mark Barroca after game fixing allegations; and three, they wanted to win it for their Coach Glenn Capacio whose father passed away the day before Game 3. Lastly, they had an opportunity to repeat La Salle’s feat from last year when they knocked out the NCAA Champion, San Beda, and UAAP Champion, Ateneo, en route to their first national title. The Tamaraws scuttled this year’s NCAA titlists San Sebastian and upended Ateneo 75-70 in Game 1.

For Ateneo, they wanted to keep their run going while they still could. It would make a fitting parting gift for Jai Reyes and Nonoy Baclao in their final game for the blue and white. It would cap a dream season after winning the UAAP and Uni-Games to complete a Grand Slam in the Ateneo’s Sesquicentennial. And they wanted to show everyone that the team wasn’t all about Rabeh Al-Hussaini who opted out of the tournament.

Although next year’s Blue Eagles will be without their Big Three, the entire tournament has been showcasing a team with some new yet old weapons.

Explosive

Conventional wisdom has it that a coach matches up big for big then try to exploit mismatches somewhere along the way. While Ateneo’s bigs didn’t particularly fare well in Game One of the Best-of-Three title series with the Tamaraws, the Blue Eagles nearly pulled off the win but a series of miscues in the endgame cost them the one game advantage.

They tried as much in Game Two but when they went with a smaller squib line-up, they ran FEU to the ground.

In Game 3, FEU started their amazing guard RR Garcia on Reyes that seemed like a fulltime job just to contain the Blue Eagles’ chief outside gunner. With Garcia busy, the Tamaraws’ bigs scored eight straight points all on jumpers to open the scoring. Ateneo on the other hand, had Frank Golla and Nonoy Baclao going strong inside 8-6 for the Tams.

In this season, no matter what the tournament, Ateneo’s bench has proved better than any of their foes. With Baclao whistled for two quick fouls, it was up to the second unit to douse fire on the hot shooting Tams.

Ryan Buenafe went in and immediately induced a three-point play from Garcia. And Oping Sumalinog more than made up for the big hole inside that was vacated by Al-Hussaini.

In addition to 11 points, he pulled down 9 boards and blocked 3 shots. He drove the lane, posted up foes, and played smothering defense. It was like having two Baclaos on the floor at the same time. And it was a statement that he was a player to look out for in the next UAAP season.

With Eric Salamat wreaking havoc on the perimeter with his taps and steals, Ateneo raced to a 16-point lead early in the 3rd quarter 51-35. With Ateneo threatening to break the dam open, the Tams sued for time and tightened up their 2-3 zone to prevent flashes inside the lane.

On the successive Ateneo possessions, the Tams swiped away at the ball and converted into fastbreak layups, the easiest shots they had all game long in the face of the face of the withering D put up by the men in blue.

As Garcia began to wax hot from the outside, it stretched Ateneo defense, leaving second guard Chris Exciminiano free for a pair of layups after cutting from the right corner.

The momentum had swung FEU’s way and were breathing down Ateneo’s neck at 61-59.

A Sumalinog bucket momentarily stemmed the tide 63-59 and a defensive stop saw the Eagles go down court when FEU guard clotheslined Reyes. The third year guard from Ateneo de Zamboanga who had gained a reputation for rough play was whistled for a deliberate foul but Reyes was only able to convert one free throw. Incredibly, the two were once teammates on Team Reyes in the Ateneo Basketball League. In Knuttel’s first conference in the ABL, he took a shot at former Blue Eagle Bajjie del Rosario, himself another rough player. Del Rosario was incensed and he picked on the younger player all match long.

Knuttel’s foul underscored the intensity and bearing of the game no doubt warming the hearts of the tournament’s organizers who craved for the league’s legitimacy and recognition. Ateneo playing in three straight finals augured well for ticket sales and some advertising pesos.

For the two teams, the cared none for that but simply taking home the last big prize in college basketball for the year.

If anyone was hoping that FEU would fall apart after Knuttel’s WWE move, it instead gave them more focus. And unfortunately for Ateneo, FEU’s gunners – Paul Sanga and Ric Cawaling began to find their range.

Cawaling, a player of immense talent but maddeningly inconsistent gave his side the lead with an and-one off Sumalinog. Although he failed to convert the bonus, the Tams had the 68-67 lead, their first since 10-9 in the 1^st Quarter. Cawaling, who played an incredible Game 2 hit another big time bucket to make it 70-67 with time down to 2:35.

With Ateneo groping for points without Al-Hussaini and Salamat who went down with cramps, Reyes, showed why he was the motor that got the Blue Eagles’ engine running. He worked the two man-game with Baclao and stroked a dead-eye trey to notch the count at 70-all time down to 2:24.

From thereon, it was a defensive battle. Sumalinog blocked Sanga’s three-point attempt. And Ryan Buenafe, after losing the ball to Cawaling in the post made up for his boo boo by corralling a huge defensive board. And that set up Sumalinog for a lay up that gave the lead to Ateneo 72-70.

There was a chance for FEU to send the game into overtime but Reil Cervantes missed an undergoal stab with pressure from Baclao. It was the second time that Cervantes muffed a crucial basket against Ateneo in the dying seconds with the last one coming from the two team's second round tiff of Season 72.

Buenafe closed out the scoring with two pressure packed free throws that sealed the deal and gave Ateneo its third title of the season to complete their Grand Slam.

Emotive

Reyes for his superb efforts all tournament long was named to the Mythical Five Selection along with backcourt mate Eric Salamat, San Beda College’s Bam Bam Gamalinda, and FEU’s Aldrech Ramos and RR Garcia. And as a fitting end to his career, he was named tournament MVP.

His father, Len, who worked countless hours with his son honing his shooting and challenging him to reach deep inside for that One Big Fight, slumped against the wall. As people went over to shake his hand, he didn’t say a word but simply nodded and smiled back. As the crowd eventually thinned out, he simply noted, “Fulfilled yung dream.”

Ryan Buenafe, the wondrous rookie who has won championships in the last five years looked tired. As well wishers congratulated him for standing tall in the game’s final moments, he could only say, “Salamat. Happy ako na nakakatulong tayo. Sana tuloy tuloy pa ‘to.”

As the media jostled for position for a center-perfect shot of the victorious Ateneo team, Norman Black wore a huge smile on his face. With the victory, his seventh in a two-year span and the single biggest haul for an Ateneo team (maybe even a college squad), he had unknowingly become the finest coach in the land today with massive success on both the professional and collegiate level.

He gave the thumbs up and broke out into an even wider grin.

“All I can say is this is gratifying for me as a coach to be given this opportunity. I’d say this is a nice birthday gift for the Ateneo.” he said.

Then the University President, Fr. Benvienido Nebres S.J. came over and said thanks.

“This is a nice Blue Christmas,” pronounced one of the team’s staunchest supporters. And they posed for more photos at center court.

Ateneo 74 – Salamat 19, Reyes 17, Sumalinog 11, Buenafe 8, Golla 4, Chua 4, Baclao 4, Salva 4, Monfort 3, Austria 0, Long 0

FEU 70 – Sanga 15, Garcia 14, Ramos 10, Cawaling 10, Exciminiano 8, Manalo 5, Cervantes 4, Noundou 4, Knuttel 0

This appears in ateneo.edu

http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=27&aid=7722

The 18th Banner.

Okay. It's out. In time for Christmas.

Someone asked me if I'm writing about the last championship. No, I'm not. No time na to do it.

Drive. Dish. Deuce.

Second quarter action where Eric Salamat takes a pass from the right corner pocket then drives to the middle where he draws FEU interior defenders to him. Oping Sumalinog moves into position for a kickout and a possible open jumper.
Now that the Man of Steal has drawn the attention of RR Garcia and Aldrech Ramos who are airborne, that frees up Justin Chua who finds himself alone underneath for a nifty drop pass.

Hurting and all, the second year center banks in a deuce and Ateneo threatens to pull away.

Condolences to Coach Glenn

Do you want to know how Glenn Capacio played when he donned the FEU Tamaraws jersey in the early 1980s? Think RR Garcia only with more hellacious defense. So that should give you an idea why he has turned the keys to FEU's offense to their super guard who had a superb first year in the UAAP.

When Coach Glenn got to Purefoods in the PBA, he showed that he could gun with the best of them by reinventing himself as a defensive specialist. I think that he's brought a lot of moxie to the Tamaraws basketball program. For a first time coach, he showed his stuff and that he can turn a system around. His father passed away yet here he was coaching Game 3 of the PCCL. He had to deal with the heartache of losing in the UAAP and now in the PCCL. I snapped this shot before the game got going. He sat by his lonesome at the far end of the bench and didn't talk much. Who knows what was going inside his head. And I thought that when the Blue Eagles went up to him to offer their condolences one by one during the warm-ups -- that was nice and touching moment. If you click on the photo, know that I deliberately blurred it. But you can see the strain on his face. He looks tired and stressed. A far cry from when he first joined the Tamaraws three years ago.

I do hope that the Tams under Glenn win a title one day. But not at our expense. Condolences, Coach Glenn. And good luck next season.

Bleachers' Brew #187 Falling Stars

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/sports/19661-falling-stars.html

Falling Stars

by rick olivares

For the umpteenth time, Charles Barkley’s words about athletes not being ideal role models have been repeatedly ringing inside my head.

Between the lurid stories of Tiger Woods’ infidelity that turned the sports world on its ear the past two weeks, I told two jokes about his troubles.

One was that the most famous car crash this year didn’t come from some NASCAR or Formula 1 race but from Woods crashing his SUV on a tree.

And two, there is (gulp) truth to advertising. Years ago there was this t-shirt called Le Tigre and it had some cool commercials where girls went after guys wearing Le Tigre shirts to this crazy jingle of "Hold that Tiger. Hold that Tiger."

As a kid, I remember thinking, "That can't be true." When my folks bought me a Le Tigre shirt one day, I told my classmates, let's test if it works. So we went to Maryknoll after class and nothing happened. Maybe I was such a skinny geeky guy that the shirt hung on me like I was a shirt hanger. Maybe I wasn’t mestizo enough like my classmate Jaime Garchitorena. Maybe the clothes do not make the man. So we all had a good laugh about it. No truth in advertising, I declared.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Hold that Tiger Woods, baby! Ten babes and counting. Oh-lala. But Tiger is the man while I -- to paraphrase Steven Seagal in Under Siege -- am just a lowly lowly writer.

Once the laughter died down, like Mark Antony, I come not to bury Woods but to write about him as I struggle to adjust what I feel about him.

Like many people, I followed Woods. Remember that other famous Barkley quote about the world going to hell when the best golfer was black (Woods) while the best rapper was white (Eminem)? If you believe what was previously written about him as the Chosen One to save sports and heal the world because of him being a product of two worlds and was armed with a golf club and a keen intellect, then that notion has been reduced to tatters after he crashed his SUV Many changed their perceptions about him as fast as Accenture took down their ads of Woods.

Instead, now cast from Olympus, he is like Michael Jordan, another universally acknowledged mega-athlete whose Madison Avenue scripted off court image was blown away after startling revelations.

Jordan, like Woods, is a global sports ambassador that few come close to in terms of skill and talent, star power, marketing savvy, and influence. He came at the right time what with the invention of MTV, ESPN, and the explosion of cable television that made him the world’s first global superstar. People mostly looked the other way when writer Sam Smith in his book The Jordan Rules threw the first mud at him. But the mud slipped off the Teflon and Jordan wrote his storybook ending in Utah that is until the late Abe Pollin cut him from the Washington Wizards and reports about his dalliances with other women surfaced. And his acceptance speech at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was more than disappointing. It showed someone who close to a decade since he hung up his sneakers is incapable of letting go of the past; maybe not without getting one last word in against his foes real and imagined.

With Jordan and Woods, I feel betrayed in the same manner when Sonny Jaworski gave the slit throat gesture to a fallen Allan Caidic during a particularly heated match between Ginebra San Miguel and San Miguel Beer. C’mon let’s not re-write history okay?

Do mistakes like these, and after all, who doesn’t commit mistakes, cloud my judgment based on one incident?

Not at all. Unless they are repeat offenders or first ones that are of most grievous gravity such as that of former New Jersey Net Jayson Williams or OJ Simpson who beat their murder charges.

As for Jordan and Woods, I remain a fan but a diminished one who prefers to celebrate them merely for their athletic achievements but not anything else. I’ve learned through the years and endless disappointments and shattering revelations to compartmentalize my way of thinking.

And they, like everyone else, have just as much right to a second chance or redemption. Who are we to deny them that? And if they set things right, they’ll be better people for that.

When I was growing up, everyone wanted to be like Mike, shoot like Larry, and pass like Magic. I’d be a liar if I said otherwise but I wasn’t as athletic or gifted as they were so I preferred to play like with my back to the basket like Kevin McHale and shoot jumpers with my arms in full extension like Robert Parish.

As interesting as the superstars are sometimes it’s the other guys, the role players who remain grounded and someone you can really relate to. I enjoyed journeyman basketball player Paul Shirley’s book Can I Keep My Jersey and former Chicago center Bill Wennington’s Tales from the Bulls Hardwood. Maybe it was them keeping it real. And yes, it was also the struggle to survive in the crazy world of pro sports. But there’s something about keeping one’s feet, expectations, or even eyes trained on good old terra firma.

The other month, I met a young kid named Juancho Crisostomo who played a variety of sports but surprisingly, he didn’t watch the supposed sports gods on television. He just played the game and instead looked up to his older brother, sister, and parents.

And the other day, because of a snafu in schedules, I had to pick up my son from school. On the few occasions I fetch him, we leave as soon as I arrive. This time around he had a game to play, I asked him if he wanted to play full field football and his eyes lit up. I called the person I was supposed to meet with to postpone it for another time (it wasn’t that important anyway), bought myself a bottle of water, and thoroughly enjoyed myself for the next 90 minutes. He had three magnificent strikes one of which he converted from a spot kick from outside the box to give his side a 2-nil lead (they won 3-0). I am not sure who was more exhilarated -- my son or I?

Now I am looking forward to help him get better at the sport and make time to watch him as he plays. And we still look to Woods and Jordan and others like them for their superb mechanics and game focus in order to learn.

---

The third issue of Rebound magazine (the college basketball magazine I write for) will be out before Christmas and we dubbed it our championship issue. Also my story on Ateneo’s Season 71 triumph titled “The 18^th Banner” is out already as published by Blueblood.

New dress for the New Year and the 2010 Aussie Open

Good luck next year, Ana!

Short work. Long game.

Ateneo Women's Volleyball Team Captain Kara Acevedo walks to the back to serve as her side was down two sets to none to the defending champions DLSU. If there was some great volleyball, it was only in moments far and few in between mostly uninspired and error-filled volleyball by Ateneo. But give credit to the Lady Archers for putting up a nice defensive wall at the net. They swept the Ateneo women in three sets 25-17, 28-26, 25-23. DLSU is atop the standings at 2-0 (tied with Adamson) while Ateneo is at 4th and tied with three other squads (UE, UST, and FEU). National University and the University of the Philippines are at the bottom with identical 0-2 slates.

Ironically, both Ateneo volleyball teams have 1-1 records with the wins and losses coming via straight sets.

Rebound year-ender. The Championship issue!

In two weeks, amigos.

Thanks for buying Rebound. This was a learning season for us in the staff. Next year will be better. Merry Christmas!

My stuff for the issue: The Drive for Five, Big Man Big Impact, Game Day, Iba Ang May Pinagsamahan, and my column.

Rebound-Inboundpass Christmas Party @ Mint Bar, the Fort

A Show of Pride. A Show of Force.

Belay the word that the demise of the Ateneo Blue Eagles is at hand. They aren't just ready to conclude their championship run and step aside for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. Who said that the post-season tournaments do not mean a thing? There might have been a sparse crowd of just a little over a hundred but the two squads gave it their all until the Blue Eagles turned the game into a rout in the third quarter as they coasted to a 90-63 victory to even up matters in the best-of-three finals series.

In Game One, Ateneo tried to match up against the more mobile bigs of FEU and they got beaten. Come the second match, after a close first quarter that saw Tamaraw center Aldrech Ramos on fire for 8 points, Norman Black went with a smaller line-up that while giving up some heights was no less tenacious on defense but liked to run. They gave the Tams a glimpse of what was to come with a 17-0 blast towards the end of 2nd quarter but FEU with their rally in Game One still fresh in their minds came storming back. Yet Ateneo held the lead 42-33 at the turn.

As the second half resumed, a triple here, some nifty defensive gems that were converted into buckets and the game turned into a clinic for hustle, team ball, and savvy. While Nico Salva, despite getting rejected twice by Pipo Noundou, scored a game high 26 points, I thought it was Oping Sumalinog who turned the game around. In the previous UAAP playoffs, he guarded Dylan Ababou, Khasim Mirza, and Tata Bautista during the Final Four and alternated fronting several Red Warriors during the Finals. His size, long arms, and inside-outside game is like having a second Nonoy Baclao out on the perimeter. His huge offensive rebound for a lay in over MacJan Vinluan showed what his was all about and that play carried over to the rest of the team as Jai Reyes, the second smallest player on the court after Emman Monfort, swooped in for a defensive board during an FEU freethrow miss and for another inside the lane for a lay up over two Tams.

FEU tried to match up the small ball tactics by bringing in Christian Manalo and Chris Exciminiano but that made them easy pickings for Eric Salamat who picked them clean twice for a pair of baskets. And their big guns who led their scoring parade in the first half -- Ramos, Ric Cawaling, and RR Garcia -- had gone silent with the suffocating defense applied on them forced the taller FEU team into a jump shooting one.

With three minutes left in the game, both squads went to their bench as "Roll Out the Victory" floated around the Ynares Gym in Pasig.

Ateneo 90 - Salva 26, Salamat 20, Baclao 11, Sumalinog 8, Buenafe 6, Long 5, Reyes 5, Gonzaga 3, Chua 2, Austria 2, Monfort 2, Golla 0, Burke 0, De Chavez 0, Tiongson 0

FEU 63 - Cawaling 18, Ramos 12, Cervantes 12, Sanga 8, Vinluan 4, Exciminiano 2, Knuttel 2, Manalo 2, Garcia 2, Noundou 1, Guerrero 0

Notes: Once more Ateneo bounced back from a loss this season with a rout of its foe. Somehow, this team reminds me of in some way, the 1987 & 1988 Ateneo champion teams. They won almost every tournament they participated in those years before the loss of its stars saw them crash. Of course, it's a different time and with a program in place to ensure that the Dark Ages is a thing of the of the past.

They got Gold

Camille Alarilla, Janice Lagman, and Rani Ann Ortega show off their gold medals for their victory in the Poomsae female team competition during the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos. Photo by Jun Mendoza.

There is truth in advertising

Years ago there was this t-shirt called Le Tigre and it had some cool commercials where girls went after guys wearing Le Tigre shirts to this crazy jingle of "Hold that Tiger. Hold that Tiger."

As a kid, I remember thinking, "That can't be true." When my folks bought me a shirt one day, I told my classmates, let's test this is it works. So we went to Maryknoll after class and nothing happened. We had quite a laugh. So I guess the man doesn't make the clothes now does it? Bwahahaha. 

But was I ever wrong. Tiger Woods... hold that Tiger, baby! Ten babes. Oh-lala. But Tiger is the man. Not me. Bwahaha. 

Seriously though, as much as Woods is wrong and way out of line, the media and the corporations that once adored him have kicked the chair right from under him. Maybe it would have helped had he not maintained his silence. Whatever it is -- paying hush money, planning on his PR move on Oprah and other late night shows, or waiting to see who else will come out -- it has been devastating for him. 

Lesson for other big time athletes and entertainers right here. 

Bleachers' Brew #46 Andropolous and the Sneaker Pimps (I wrote this in early 2007 where it came out in Biz Mirror)

Andropolous and the Sneaker Pimps

by rick olivares

Who influenced my choice of kicks?

Michael Jordan is not responsible for my wearing Nikes. At least initially. Neither was it Chris Mullin who I was a huge fan of dating back to his St. John days when the team was known was the Redmen not the Red Storm and nor was it Charles Barkley with his “if I can’t go through you there are a couple of ways I can go around you” commercial.

My sneaker pimp was none other than Michael Douglas. Yes, the actor and he of the War of the Roses, Black Rain, and Basic Instinct fame. Now Kirk Douglas’ son didn’t set any athletic records or break any backboards but for me in the days of FEN and sports movies like Pisces and Slap Shot (dude, Paul Newman and the Hanson Brothers!), I sometimes turned to Hollywood to slake my thirst for sports in a pop-culture deprived market.

In the great pantheon of sports movies, the 1979 movie Running starring Michael Douglas as Michael Andropolous, a failed American Olympic Marathon runner, will not be remembered like Rocky, Remember the Titans, A League of Their Own, or We Are Marshall. But Running will go down as one my all-time favorites. My dad took me to watch that and I sat mesmerized about this story of redemption and crossing the finish line. I asked my friends to watch it and felt embarrassed when they laughed at Douglas’ finishing the race all bloodied and broken. But I loved it so that I bought the novelization of the film (and I still have the browned-out and well-thumbed book). The other thing that enthralled me was Douglas/Andropolous’ choice of footwear. It was a simple pair of running shoes with a check sign on it (who knew that it was called the Swoosh back then).

I was hooked and badgered my dad no end to get me a pair albeit unsuccessfully. I never got to buy the kicks I wanted for myself until I was working. And I recall my first pair: the black and blue Huarache Air Trainer. Man, I loved those shoes. It was like riding on a Benz with its great shocks and cushioning; it was stylish, and it was an excellent sports shoe – one that paved the way for cross-trainers. Seeing how Nike brought them back and turned them into Kobe Bryant’s signature shoe wear was a treat; like the cherry on top of that banana split supreme.

As much as I was a Michael Jordan fan, it was kind of hard to wear his Air Jordans. For one thing, they were the priciest shoes on the market and as much as it was also a fashion statement to have Jordans, I guess you were expected to be really good at basketball to have one. I was pretty okay but not great at hoops. But just having that Jumpman logo – which will go down in history as one of the most famous next to the Golden Arches and the Swoosh – on my gear meant it was cutting edge, classy, and top flight.

I did collect my pair of Air Jordans with the III, X, and XI being my faves. And Scottie Pippen’s Air Uptempos were stuff that I coveted. I simply loved those black shoes with the funky huge “AIR” stitched to its side.

Cut years later, I discovered other footwear. I bought K-Swiss because I loved the simplicity of the shoes although back then it wasn’t something you could wear to play hoops. The classic version is still a staple of my footwear and to this day. More so when the off-white color got dirtied-- it looked even cooler. I remember watching Julia Roberts’ movie Sleeping With the Enemy and there was a scene where Kevin Anderson was seated in the porch of this house with his leg atop a couch and he was wearing a pair of dirty white K-Swiss just like mine and I remember saying to myself, “Man, it does look cool!”

So how about them black shoes?

It seemed back then that it was like throwing a brick through a window. To my recollection, the purveyors of black soles were Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions and Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics. But the black tops craze went into overdrive when the Chicago Bulls formally adopted that as their shoe color (but that choice can actually be attributed to former Bull Brad Sellers who thought it would be a great sign of team unity).

Well now, kicks come in the colors of the rainbow (just like ipods and other digital mp3 players). They’ve become forms of expressions with a street and fashionista feel to them. Who would have thought that sneakers would have that technological edge to them? Remember those futuristic Nikes on Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future and those space-faring Reeboks on Sigourney Weaver in Aliens? Say no more, effendi; they’re close to becoming a reality.

I purchase three to four pairs of rubber shoes a year. I use a couple for casual wear and the others for tennis and hoops. Does a celebrity endorser have an effect on my choices? Contrary to what people think, yes, star power helps. But I guess it’s the bigger shoe companies like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Converse who use the big guns to push their products. Others like K-Swiss get by using ordinary folk to push their products. But nowadays look to the athletes I admire -- Michael Jordan, James Blake, Kobe Bryant, or even Manu Ginobili among others to choose what shoes to buy and contribute to the coffers of a billion-dollar industry.

Funny because it wasn’t an athlete who first got me into this.