When is a win a win?

When is a win a win?

One week after taking it on the chin from rival Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium 26-24 that revealed a chink in Dallas' armor, the doubts linger. After a loss, it's always good to go out and flatten the next opponent. Coaches and the fans like that. Instead, the Dallas Cowboys survived a terrible and winless Cincinnati Bengals team 31-22. After going up 17-0 on their first three possessions, the lead shrunk to one before a series of defensive stops restored some sanity.

But the questions remain. If anyone saw Terrell Owens sob on the sideline after his touchdown you know something is seriously wrong when those tears aren't for a Super Bowl title. From pre-season favorites to win it all (go ask Michael Strahan too), well, they're still there but all of a sudden those Giants from New York look mighty like them New England Patriots when they were tearing up the NFL.

So how should teams come out? When is a win a win?

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls answered critics for their 1995 play-off crash. They went 72-10 and begun their second troika of championships. Every time they suffered a loss during the regular season, in the following game, the crushed the opposition by at least 20 points. So you knew they were driven. You know... a bump in the road.

This past UAAP season, Ateneo went 16-1. There were games when the Blue Eagles didn't thrash the opponent and had they not built a sizeable lead in the early goings they might have been beaten. A lack of a killer instinct, bemoaned many. Yet they still won a title as they closed out their last four games in convincing fashion (as if 16-1 isn't convincing enough).

Even when you win, sometimes you feel like a loser. Ask Fabio Capello who lead Real Madrid to two La Liga titles in each of his two years in Spain but got fired the year after for his pragmatic style of football play.

In Major League Baseball, the worst-to-first Tampa Bay Devil Rays pooh-pooh their great goings heading into the ALCS with Boston. "The best record doesn't mean anything anything until you win a title," one player said referring to the California Angels who won 100 games but folded against the Red Sox who had all sorts of issues this year. But for sure, tell that to the 1998 Seattle Mariners who won a record 116 games (out of a total 162 matches in a season) yet were sent home for the fall by the New York Yankees that same season.

There's that infamous taunt by another school about winning the games that matter. But doesn't every game matter? Doesn't every win put one in a position to advance further? Last year's New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl where they ran into a hungrier New York Giants team. I guess what makes the Patriots fall even more ignonimous because of their undefeated record heading into the Super Bowl.

At the start of this NFL season, those same New York Giants (minus the retired Strahan) beat the Redskins 16-7. The new look Washington team entered NY territory three times during the game and the last one was in the final minute. Chatting with a friend from Virginia who is a die-hard Redskins fan, she said that the team didn't look good. I said it was too early and I thought there was a lot to be learned from that game. And true enough, the Redskins went on a three-game tear entering this weekend and everyone is signing Hossanas to first year coach Jim Zorn, and his leading cast of Jason Campbell, Santana Moss and Clinton Portis.

So when is a win a win?

Sometimes it's when you lose and get back up. After all, you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg. Sometimes it's flashing that deadly form and kicking butt all the way. Yet in reality though it's only in hindsight where we can truly analyze it.

As for the Dallas Cowboys... well, we have to wait for this next weekend when they face the 3-2 Arizona Cardinals and the resumption of the soap opera between Tony Romo and TO. So maybe then we'll know whether the win is really a win.

Team Spirit

Team Spirit
High-flying days with the Ateneo Cheer Dancers & Lifters
by rick olivares

photo by aaron vicencio

To some they are window dressing to an Ateneo game. To others who still live in a bygone era, they are an eyesore and an affront to a sacred tradition. To practically everyone, they train in anonymity and for longer hours than any varsity team in school.

Welcome to the world of the Ateneo cheer dancer and lifter where they are their own best friends and where ankle sprains, broken bones, and hematomas are commonplace and are considered a badge of courage.

Mary Dizon, this year’s captain for the cheer dancers debunked the myth that one should have watched “Bring It On,” that film about cheerleading starring Kirsten Dunst, for one to be accepted into this unit of the Blue Babble Battalion. “Oh, it’s a lot easier than that,” laughed Dizon who was a cheerleader during her high school years at Holy Spirit.

Never mind the back flips or handstands, in order to be a cheer dancer and a lifter, one must possess gymnastic and dancing skills to go with a degree of athleticism. They must possess a passion for cheerleading and for sports and must be flexible and resilient because it is never easy juggling studies and going to games and practicing. Any social life has to take a backseat until the off-season. “If you’re all that and more, then welcome to the club,” said Jose Antonio “Toons” Canoy, the captain of the lifters.

This year, there are 34 men and women who have the cojones to be a part of this. They’d be a little more except that there are a couple that drop out every year due to stress, the hectic schedule, and omni-present heavy school load. “And there are your parents who question the long hours you spend in training,” said Jan San Juan, co-captain for the cheer dancers. “You have to work doubly hard because if your grades suffer then you’ll be forced to give it up. Kasi after all, slla nagbabayad ng tuition mo.”

Training begins as early as summer. At first, they run two kilometers for endurance and stamina after which they try out their stunts at least three times a week. The girls enroll in Club Gymnastica while paying their own way out of their own allowance. “Ah, that’s not counting transportation and food,” added Dizon.

Practically everyone thinks what they do is easy. You know -- do a cartwheel or two, throw in a few heavy set guys to throw up 100-pound girls 20-feet in the air (and catch them when gravity does its job), and shake their pom poms to Fabiliohs and hip hop music.

“It’s actually insulting that people have these misconceptions,” fumed Toons.

It is normal for them to receive queries of, “Why?” Rather than be philosophical about it, every cheer dancer or lifter proclaimed a love for the school and cheering for the home team. And just like any other varsity team --- yes they are considered as one – they follow a code of ethics and training.

Aside from dedication and a hectic regimen, every member follows a strict diet. “We have weigh-ins twice a week to make sure that we watch what we eat,” explained San Juan.

“No sweets as much as possible. Eat less salty food. Eat a lot of oatmeal to stay lean,” enumerated Dizon.

“No drinking,” said Toons as he delivered the coup de grace to collective groans from the cheer dancers. “When the season’s done there’ll be time for partying.”

In addition to practicing their routines during the halftimes of basketball games and cheering during other varsity tournaments (such as football and volleyball), they have to work extra hours for the Cheer Dance Competition, a major event in their calendar year.

“Unlike in basketball where the team can practice even if someone’s absent, in the cheer dancers and lifters’ case, if one is absent then they cannot do their routines,” pointed out Ricky Palou, the University Athletics Director. “So that says a lot about their commitment. And nobody knows that.”

“It’s a science,” described Toons about their work. “You have to match the lifters to the cheer dancer. It’s about weight and strength, positioning, angles, precision, chemistry, and trust.”

Trust that everyone will do his or her part in the routine. Trust that when the cheer dancers go flying in the air that the lifters will be there to catch them. Trust that everyone stays the long and difficult course of the season.

Training hours are long -- sometimes finishing at 11pm – and exhausting. “It’s not easy balancing all that with your schoolwork,” admitted Dizon. “Sometimes, you’re so tired that you just want to sleep. So we find the time to study and sleep between breaks and whatever free time we might have.”

While athletes in the main varsity sports are cut some slack when it comes to school requirements during the season, members of the Blue Babble Battalion (including all its auxiliary units) have no such benefit.

“But we’re not complaining,” pointed out Toons. “It’s what we signed up for. And if we help the team and the school to victory, we give the Ateneo crowd something to cheer and clap for, and when the girls fly high then that’s good enough a reward for us.”


Author's Note: Thanks to Ralph Aligada & Al Neri. And to Mary, Jan & Toons. Good job as always.

Its gotta be the soda

Around the horn

The Red Sox replaced third baseman Mike Lowell with infielder Gil Velazquez on the team's active roster for the ALDS. Because the switch was made in the middle of a series, Lowell will be ineligible to play in the ALCS, should the Red Sox advance that far. Remember, Lowell was their MVP last season.

After misplaying the Johann Santana sweepstakes, you can be sure the Yankees will put their best Gold Glove on this. Superstar free agent pitcher CC Sabathia's contention on Sunday that "I'll play anywhere'' would seem to bode well for the Yankees, who are expected to be the most lucrative possible destination. When asked about it, Sabathia also mentioned that he liked New York and considered the new Yankee Stadium a plus.

It's bad enough people talk about the Chicago Cubs being cursed by the Billy Goat. After they were swept once more out of the post-season this time by the LA Dodgers, White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen cusrsed them out in a post-game interview, "Bleep the Cubs."

Hull-y cow! They're in it.

As a youngster, I only followed my favorite sports teams and outside of them, I almost knew nothing.

The first time I figured that Hull City had a football team was in the Housemartins' first album London 0 Hull 4. In case you don't know, that 80's British band featured Norman Cook who became more popular as Fatboy Slim and the rest of his bandmates Dave Heaton and Paul Hemingway along with their roadie Sean Welsh formed the Beautiful South, another Pop Rock band.

Of course, in recent years, I already knew that Hull had a respectable football side when Phil Brown was steering it clear of the bottom of the division. When they got promoted to the first division after last season, I had to wonder if the Tigers (as Hull is nicknamed) would be relegated after only one year in the Premier League. The other team that was promoted, Stoke City, is doing well.

See here, in the 15 years of the English Premier League, there have been 21 clubs instantly relegated after their promotion to top flight football. And after 104 years of football, you'd think that Hull will not want to let go of its handhold on the best football league in the world.

In their first game of the season, they dispatched Fulham 2-1, drew with Everton 2-2, beat Arsenal 2-1, and now tripped struggling Tottenham 1-0. They are currently in 3rd place in the standings with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties with 14 points. One point ahead of Arsenal. They'll be playing West Ham and West Brom -- two squads in the Top 10 thus far -- in the next couple of weeks.

Hull is led by keeper Boaz Myhill and a trio of brilliant midfielders in Michael Turner, Marcio Geovanni, and Richard Garcia.

In stark contrast, Tottenham despite having Roman Pavlyuchenko, Luka Modric, and Jonathan Woodgate have stumbled out of the gates. They have yet to win a game in 7 matches and manager Juande Ramos is on the hot seat.

Chicago Lament

That's 100 years of futility. A combined 6 runs scored against the artful LA Dodgers' 20 in a three-game sweep. Alfonso Soriano 1-14, Aramis Rodriguez 2-11, Geovany Sotto 2-10, and Kosuke Fukudome 0-8. Nine men stranded on base.

Everyone is trying to second guess Lou Piniella and write the ultimate eulogy for the Chicago Cubs.


Welcome to the Chicago Cubs' annual wake.

All is quiet in Wrigleyville. My friends are comatose. Cubbie blue in the worst possible way. You know it's bad when two of my good friends who live in the Windy City are almost online 24-7. You think the Curse of the Billy Goat is running through their minds? For the 29th time in my friends' 35 years on Planet Earth they're sad and devastated by another post-season collapse. It's a good thing that the Bears have come out of hibernation and the White Sox have a game yet in them or else Chicago might be a Ghost Town.

So much for "It's Gonna Happen" the slogan that kicked off this campaign. Two division titles don't mean squat here. They're far from a consolation prize.

It was supposed to happen. The came James Loney's Grand Slam in Game One and the oh-ohs turned into a lump in the throat.

Yeah, hopefully... it will happen.


pix from the chicago sun times.

Bleachers' Brew #127 The Home Team

http://businessmirror.com.ph/10062008/sports08.html

The Home Team
by rick olivares

It is said that a ball – a soccer ball – can change the world and that the pitch in which people play in are its field of dreams.

It may be verily so but if you ask Russel Jacinto, an 18-year old lass from Mindanao, football is all about finding herself as a person, knowing she is a human being, and that there is some goodness left in this world.

You see, after her father passed away several years ago, at the tender age of 14, she was brought to Manila by a relative to take on the new mantle of bread winner for her family. The five-foot-three girl with long black hair was sad to leave her old life behind but was excited about coming to Manila, that shining beacon of hope and opportunity for many a probinsyano. Prior to that, she had never even set foot outside her hometown of Gacub, La Purisima, Prosperidad, Agusan Del Sur so Manila was a whole new world for her. Within a day of her arrival in the nation’s capital, the wonder had turned into a nightmare.

Russel, along with 25 other minors worked in a garment factory in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City. They worked long hours under inhumane conditions – all bunched up in a room that would normally only be good for less than 10 people. They had as little as five hours of sleep and were tasked to do domestic chores that were clearly outside their job description. Their employers subjected them to so much verbal abuse and difficulty that Russel would cry herself to sleep night after night. She stifled her sobs only to realize that everyone else was doing the same. They were fed – scraps of food with the rice sometimes borderline spoiled – once or twice a day depending on how the owner felt. And when they were given meals, they were not even issued any eating utensils. By contrast, the pet dogs of the factory owner were fed even better. To cap off the cruelty, they were paid far less than minimum wage.

That all changed when one of her colleagues escaped and reported the slavery to the police. The factory was raided and the kids liberated to various orphanages or child centers where they met more children like them. “Tanong ko nga, ‘bakit kami dinala sa mundo tapos ganito lang ang mangyayari sa amin,'” recalled Jacinto with a mixture of anger and sadness.

It was while at the Nayon ng Kabataan in Mandaluyong City where Russel first watched members of the National Team to the Homeless World Cup (HWC) practice. “Nagustuhan ko yung football at na inspire ako kaya nagpumilit ako sumali,” she said unable to hide her newfound excitement and second chance to life.



It is in essence the point and story of the HWC. It’s an annual celebration of lost souls looking for a shot at redemption and to find their place in the world. The competition is also used to draw attention to the issues of poverty in society.

The first tournament took place in Graz, Austria with 17 nations taking part. In the five editions of the HWC, the organization has reported a 73% success rate of its participants bettering their positions in life after this unique experience.

The sixth tournament that will be held in Melbourne, Australia, from December 1-7, 2008, will find 54 teams including first-time participant, the Philippines, in the four-a-side mixed competition of players at least 16 years of age. In the HWC, teams (with a roster of eight players) compete in two seven-minute halves in a small-sized court of 22x16 meters. It’s like futsal only in a faster and more exciting setting.

Bill Shaw is from East Jordan, Michigan, but he found his calling in the Philippines as the Executive Director for Urban Opportunities for Change Foundation Inc. and the organizer for the local HWC. It’s a massive and difficult undertaking but Shaw believes that, “It’s all about getting kids off the streets, getting them an education, and looking for opportunities. It’s not just for the homeless but also those recovering from substance and alcohol abuse and the poor. The HWC is a home for the homeless and the disenfranchised.”

Ed Formoso, most recently the Media Relations Officer of the Philippine Football Federation, has been a long time champion of football as an agent of change. He pushed for the Gawad Kalinga football program and now has joined forces with Shaw in helping the HWC Philippine team. “Sports they say is like education – a great equalizer. But in our case, it’s about finding people’s dignity and self-worth.”

Coaching the team is the former Women’s National Team Head Coach Marlon Maro who knows what it’s like to grow up poor. “Huwag na natin isipin kung maganda yung sweldo dahil wala naman pera sa football dito sa atin. Konting sakripisyo at tulong na lang 'to para sa mga batang ‘to, sa bayan, at sa growth ng sport.”

Maro’s assistant is Jeff Landagan, head gaffer for the Rizal Technological University football varsity, who grew up in an orphanage and this is his way of giving back. Also helping out are two Cameroonians -- Paul Kiyek and Alex Obiang. The two were “recruited” to play in a pro football league in the Philippines and when they arrived they found out they were not only duped out of their money but there was nothing for them here. Strangers in a strange land and armed with only basic conversational English, they looked for a way to connect with the local football community and found themselves drawn to HWC where they help train the team every weekend.

During one practice, Paul wore an Inter Milan jersey while Alex sported the black and white stripes of Juventus. The HWC team was in their national kits while a few others in the training pool bore the red jerseys of the RP Men’s National Team. “We’re all homeless,” beamed Obiang. “But through the game and this team, we found a home for now. It makes life worth living.”

“Part of the task is helping them after the HWC,” said a concerned Shaw. “It’s the start of the long road to recovery. But at least we’re on the road and off the streets.”

Jeff Solis knows the streets of Manila so well. Abandoned by his mother years ago, he had to fend for himself by begging, working as a jeepney barker, and sniffing rugby when he wanted all his problems to go away. Picked up in the stratosphere half naked by the Manila Police, he was brought to the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village in Muntinlupa where half the HWC team comes from (the other half hails from the Nayon ng Kabataan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Mandaluyong City). There he found a home, religion, an education, and football.

Excited about the prospect of going to Australia and representing the country, he was informed that he needed his parents’ signature for him to get his passport to Australia. After much looking, his mother surfaced one day. She said “hi” to her long-lost son, signed the papers, and disappeared again. Just when Jeff is on the rebound, his old life sneaks in a sucker punch to the gut that leaves him in tears.

Maricel Quitoy not only is from Agusan like Jacinto but she was also in that sweatshop. Since her rescue, she has written several letters to her mother telling her about her travails in Manila. To date, she has not received any reply at all. “Dito ang tahanan ko. Heto na ang pamilya ko,” she pointed to her teammates. “Football… ang pagasa namin lahat.”

Author’s Notes:
How you can help: Email theformosoway@yahoo.com and bill@thejeepney.com. Read The Jeepney and help street people earn a proper living.

The sweat shop where Russel and Maricel were freed from incidentally is still operating. Those f****** have obviously paid some cops to keep their illegal factory open. If I had a nuke....

The HWC Philippine Team: Christian Yves Caroro, Jay-R De Jesus, Ricky Elequio, Russel Jacinto, Marlon Lagundino, Rondolf Loggakit, Kevin Prix Logioy, Maricel Quitoy, Nomer Olivarez, Jeffrey Solis, Nina Versoza, and Arnold Villanueva.

Thanks to my old friend Ed Formoso, Bill Shaw (long time coming, sir and it was fun talking about the HWC and Ateneo basketball), and to Coaches Marlon and Jess.

These guys are for real

It's been eight years since Lazio won the Scudetto and three years since the club was implicated in the Calciopoli (the match fixing scandal that resulted in the relegation of Juventus to Serie B of which they have yet to recover and the points deduction and ouster from the UEFA Cup by Lazio and the other clubs) and as this early, they're the surprise leaders of the Serie A.

Gaffer Delio Rossi has his side playing well despite all the previous distractions and taunts of stadium rival AS Roma. But much credit has to go to his twin strike force of Argentinean Mauro Zarate (six goals) and Macedonian Goran Pandev (four goals) that has helped them win four of their first five games. And this weekend, they look to chalk up a fifth victory at the expense of Lecce which is somewhere in the lower half of the standings (Cagliari is the worst so far).

We've posted about Zarate earlier as he totally slipped under the radar after Lazio got him on loan from Al-Sadd from Qatar and who had a stinit with Birmingham City (relegated from the English Premier Leagues this season). Andriy Shevchenko just bonked in his first goal of the season (much to the relief of Milan fans) while Intermilan's Adriano and Juventus' Alessandro Del Pierro have yet to find the back of the net.

Writing, meeting folks, and hoping Bossing Vic will wear the shirt on Eat Bulaga

The earliest I recall standing in line to get an autograph was with Nick Joaquin. All I knew was that he was some great writer who also wrote an excellent line of children's books.

Later on, I queued up to shake hands or have a photo op with Bill Clinton (I never got close, the line was too damn long) , JK Rowling (a reading session at Barnes and Noble on 5th Avenue), Peter David (signing Star Trek books; I'm not a Trekkie and my only fave is Imzadi), and Tom Clancy (when Rainbow Six came out).

Did I ever imagine being a writer myself?

Not really. What I wanted to be was a Blue Eagle. And/or -- as my high school teacher once said, "Choose your pick" -- a footballer for the New York Cosmos (that shows my age but dude to play with Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, or Pele is a dream), a writer for Rolling Stone magazine (and reprise Cameron Crowe), or to be like CNN's Christiane Amanpour. There is a certain fulfillment to working trouble spots and hoping to make a difference more than getting a story.

Truth to tell, writing doesn't pay well. Rather it's a welcome release.

As a grade school student there were two clubs I wanted to join, Hobbycraft (wasn't it cool to assemble model airplanes, tanks and others stuff under Mr. Joe Abando) and the Photography Club. Only they were too expensive for me. I did go to art school and would take it during the summer between piano lessons and swimming. I loved it. But writing fell into place by accident since I couldn't join the clubs I wanted to. Plus it was cheap. Hahahaha.

By the time I began to pick up the paintbrush again, whatever techniques and skills I once enjoyed had atrophied. So writing it was. Particularly the advertising kind.

I love it though. From writing songs with my old classmates as we tried to write the ultimate rock anthem while cutting swim class to penning a script for a class play that never passed Pagsy's standards in trying out for Sibol but what the heck, it was fun. What I am grateful for is writing has put me in touch with a lot of people. It has also opened doors to other opportunities. And it's always nice to receive email from readers if only to hear their thoughts and their own take on things.

The past season, despite the early miscommunity (hahaha there's that old JQ bastardization of the English language) gap between Ateneo and myself, I got to do stuff with other schools. And in hindsight, it was the best thing that happened next to Ateneo winning its fourth UAAP basketball championship. One of the most gratifying effects is meeting people -- the readers, the critics, and the hard-asses. Yup. It's always nice to meet people.

In fact, because of the goodwill incurred, I've been asked to do quite a few projects here and there aside from being invited to do workshops in several schools. Two years ago I gave a creative writing seminar in Ateneo and this year, sometime this second semester, we're looking to do another one in Ateneo that will touch on sports and involve other schools like UST, Adamson, and NU for starters. Thanks to the Guidon for helping out on this. How we go about this will be clear in two weeks' time.

The last three weeks, we've been selling several shirts -- Tiuperman, iamnonoy, and the championship shirt. It's been fun meeting the readers, shaking their hands, and chatting with them. Anne, thanks by the way for the Minnesota North Stars hockey jersey. I love it. Now I have four -- Islanders, Red Devils, Blackhawks, and the North Stars. It's kinda cool to have all those photo ops too. I find myself herding them towards the players out of embarrassment, but really, that is so cool. Shoutout to Mr. Jojo Bernardo. Hope to have breakfast with you sometime soon. And to Sen. Mar Roxas. See ya soon. And if Bossing Vic (Sotto) wears the championship shirt on Eat Bulaga --how cool will that be? Thanks!!!!!!!! Tres cool, sahib.

The letters have been nice -- from a Spaniard asking for shopping tips in Bangkok to chatting with a kindred Liverpool fan from Singapore to a Serb from Bosnia having a blast reading about Ateneo to even world-famous writers like the New York Times' George Vescey saying, "keep it up." I even got a letter from a Filipino based in Namibia but who wants an iamnonoy shirt! Some write because they get all choked up reading those tearjerking stories. Some write because they're pissed off. But most write to say how they enjoy reading and sometimes, it does help them get through the day or even a tough loss.

Imagine... as a kid, I read everyone from Quinito Henson to Recah Trinidad to Al Mendoza to Ding Marcelo to Tessa Jazmines and lots of others. It's kinda cool meeting them now after having read them all the time.

So maybe if we've touched someone out there, then who knows, we, I, just might be reading their stuff too years from now.

Thanks!

Let the good times roll.

Joe Torre finds redemption in LA and leads the Dodgers to the playoffs

by rick olivares

No doubt, Joe Torre isn't having a laugh at the expense of his former team. After being arguably the most successful manager in New York Yankees history after Casey Stengel, management let Torre walk after leading the Bronx Bombers to the postseason for 12 consecutive years. Sure the Yankees were no longer their dominating selves when they nearly won four straight titles (and five over-all during a dominating stretch from 1996-2001) and they sure needed a shot in the arm that Alex Rodriguez couldn't proivde.

Torre took with him coaches Larry Bowa and Don Mattingly westward where they replaced former Boston Red Sox Manager Grady Little as LA Dodger chiefs. Awaiting them there were a couple of former Yankees and Red Sox in Scott Proctor, Nomar Garciaparra, and Derek Lowe.

And guess, what... the good times just keep rolling.

Despite losing 1,800-plus man games to injuries to Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, Brad Penny, and Takashi Saito to name a few, and finding Andruw Jones to be an expensive non-factor in the line-up, the Dodgers snuck past the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the National League West and knock down the Chicago Cubs in the first game of their divisional series. The Cubs feature former Yankees great Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano who has become a journeyman after a couple of great seasons on that old Stadium on River Street.

But for the Dodgers, they found their groove when they traded for Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake who provided much needed slugging, looseness, and leadership in the clubhouse.

Chasing Arizona, they won 18 of their last 23 matches and are poised for some Cinderella-like magic in this playoffs. And now they've dealt the sad sack Cubs their seventh straight playoff loss 7-2 at Wrigley thanks to a grand slam by James Loney and more great stuff from Manny Ramirez.

As for Torre. There's that familiar poker face on television despite a huge win that quieted Wrigley.

Let the good times roll.

For Noj Baltao who must be having fun in LA.

Rock star!

Rock climbing legend Chris Lindner will be making an appearance at ROX in Bonifacio High Street this Sunday at 3pm. Hopefully, I'll be able to go and interview him.

Lindner has been climbing professionally for 21 years now and has traveled all over the world climbing some of our planet's great rock formations and structures.

Says Chris, "The more people who enter this sport, the more people who will not purchase junk food and take care of our planet."

Am with ya there, brother.

Hey, they're up in the standings!

Liverpool is undefeated so far in six games in the Premiership and in Champions League play. Robbie Keane smashed in his first goal (in 11 matches for the Reds) since moving from Tottenham Hotspur as he helped his side to a 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven. Next up is Fernando Torres' old club Atletico Madrid.

Me mam went to the bonfire and all she got me was this shirt

Ayt. Here's the shirt, folks. Available in all sizes. iamnonoy still available.

The Championship shirt fetches for Php350 while iamnonoy is Php250.

Will be in Ateneo Admin/Xavier Hall this Friday, October 3, 4pm.






It sure was fun seeing a lot of old classmates and friends from school. Thanks to those folks who came over and said hi, bought shirts, chatted, and had their pix taken. Hahahaha. Nakakahiya.

2008-09 NBA Western Conference Preview

(From this month's issue of Maxim)
Float like a butterfly. Sting like a Hornet.

2008-09 Western Conference Preview
by rick olivares

In Mel Gibson’s masterpiece Apocalypto, Mesoamerican tribesman Jaguar Paw nearly kills Mayan raider Middle Eye when they attack the former’s village to capture slaves for human sacrifice. The Mesoamericans are taken prisoner and the brutal and diabolic Middle Eye nicknames Jaguar Paw, “Almost,” after his near death at his captive’s hands.

The 2007-08 New Orleans Hornets can be branded “almost” too after Chris Paul narrowly lost in the NBA’s MVP Award voting (that Kobe Bryant won) and after the Hornets nearly dispatched the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Semi-finals.

Hope springs eternal this 2008-09 season as the Hornets will complete the job and rule the West while deposing the Los Angeles Lakers who will try to get back at Boston for a humiliating defeat in the NBA Finals.

They essentially bring back the same crew (Peja Stojakovic, David West, Tyson Chandler, Bonzi Wells, Morris Peterson), but add one noticeable difference… James Posey who has now co-opted the moniker of “Big Game James” (from former Laker great James Worthy) after being a huge part of title drives by Miami and Boston.

Western Conference predicted order of finish

1. New Orleans Hornets

2. Los Angeles Lakers
When the final buzzer went off at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden, the flustered Los Angeles Lakers knew that they couldn’t match the Celtics’ defensive intensity. And they counter this year with some new signings and plenty of good health.

Now that Kobe Bryant has Olympic gold to add to his three NBA championship rings and MVP Award, there remains one more goal: to win one without the Big Loudmouth who should torpedo the Phoenix Suns’ season with his constantly poor off-season conditioning.

In Beijing, Bryant was roundly applauded as he showed why he is the world’s best player. And now, he’d like to parlay that into one more Larry O’Brien trophy. Andrew Bynum is back as are Trevor Ariza and Chris Mihm. Sasha Vujacic was re-signed. And Chinese creator Sun Yue was brought to Hollywood.

Bynum’s presence (should he pick up where he left off) will give more space for Pau Gasol to operate at the four-spot and create even more mismatches. And Lamar Odom, the team’s new sixth man will bring back versatility and firepower off the bench.

They’ve got a deep bench and solid players at almost every position. But so do the top teams in the West.

3. San Antonio Spurs
Okay, this team wins it every other year – during odd years so does that say anything for this squad? They bring the same intangibles (if you can call these guys that) in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, and Michael Finley. That’s scoring savvy, heart, defense, rebounding, and championship moxie. They’ve got a solid bench in Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas, and Damon Stoudemire. Rookie James Gist from Maryland should help out and give this team a lift just as Jason Maxiell does for Detroit with his athleticism.

Don’t laugh but they’ll miss Brent Barry who jumped ship for Houston. How far they advance will depend more on their health than anything. As long as their Big Three of Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan are on the floor, the Spurs can take on anybody.

4. Houston Rockets
They’ve become the Minnesota Timberwolves. Make the first round. Get bounced. Ho hum.

The Rockets couldn’t get anything out of the draft so they have to turn to veteran help. Brent Barry brings in smarts and marksmanship. Ron Artest makes them a better team defensively but is a time bomb waiting to explode. And the jury is still out on DJ Strawberry more so that the Rockets lost Bobby Jackson who returned to Sacramento. Like any other team, the key is health, what will elevate this team isn’t the play of Luis Scola or Yao Ming in the post, but the game of Tracy McGrady. Time to doff that attitude. It’s never got you anything but endorsements and playoff failure. And that doesn’t cut it when you always wanted to be the man.

Supporting the team are Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, and Deke Mutombo. What they’ll need is more shooting if they want to make the most of their half-court set.

5. Utah Jazz
This is one team that never misses a beat. In the years since their previous dynamic duo retired, they’ve won two Northwest Division titles. The new catch phrase is “Williams to Boozer” and the two Olympians have definitely found a home in Salt Lake City. A third Olympian, Andrei Kirilenko has seen his performance dip over the last few years but his value is nonetheless indisputable.

Reprising Jeff Hornacek is the two-headed monster of Matt Harpring and Kyle Korver and their quiet but effective contributions are a luxury at the shooting guard position.

Jarron Collins, Paul Millsap and Memo Okur round out the frontline but that’s kinda thin when this team has to deal with Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Amare Stoudemire, Shaq, and Tyson Chandler on almost a nightly basis. If they want to make any headway, something’s got to change this season.

And unless Mike D’Antoni turns the New York Knicks into contenders, please give the coach of the Year Award to Jerry Sloan. You all know that he never misses a beat.

6. Phoenix Suns
It’s the Last Ride into the sunset for Phoenix. While some say that it was a mistake to send the Matrix to Miami in exchange for an aging player like the Big Mouth, it did help the Suns… if only for awhile. Now with a full training camp for Shaquille O’Neal, we can really tell if that was a stroke of genius on GM Steve Kerr’s part to let go of Shawn Marion.

But I wonder if they still want to play uptempo considering the age of many of their key players (Nash, O’Neal, Grant Hill) and wear and tear of their players. Sean Singletary should provide welcome relief for Nash and should keep up the fast style of play that slows down when O’Neal is on the floor. Yet clearly, this team is on its last legs. Boris Diaw and Barbosa have been dangled as trade bait (why I have no idea). And they may want to look for insurance for Grant Hill (they grabbed the kinetic Matt Barnes from Golden State to back him up) who played a high of 70 games last season; his most since when he was in Detroit which is a lifetime ago. Hill is still very good when he is hurting but obviously, the Suns need more than 70 games out of him.

This is not the Suns team that won two straight Pacific Division titles. They were overtaken by a Los Angeles Lakers squad that wasn’t even healthy. So figure it out to be more of the same this year: LA at #1 and Phoenix at #2.

7. Dallas Mavericks
Ever since the Dallas Mavericks made the NBA Finals in 2006, their play and stock has dipped. The team pulled the trigger and offloaded Devin Harris to New Jersey for Jason Kidd who was expected to work his mojo with the Mavs. It would be foolhardy to jettison Dirk Nowitski and company this year since I think they’ll get more acclimated to Kidd who will get them the ball where they want it.

They still have a good bunch of players with experienced veterans like Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Erick Dampier, Eddie Jones, and Jerry Stackhouse to compete night after night. With new Coach Rick Carlisle patrolling the sidelines, you know that defense is the order of the day for this squad. Should DeSagana Diop become the second coming of Dikembe Mutombo and turn the shaded lane into a no-fly zone then Kidd and his back-up Puerto Rican point guard Jose Juan Barea, who impressed in his sophomore year, will get this team flying out of the gates.

8. Portland Trailblazers
The young, exciting, and the restless of the great northwest. The youth movement and weeding out of the Rashweeds of the City of Roses is complete. They have a great corps of young players and with winning backgrounds and they figure that will spread that goodwill around the team. And more importantly, they have Greg Oden finally in harness.

Take a look at this line-up: Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez fresh from their Silver Medal stint in Beijing, they also have on hand former Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, former Arizona Wildcat Jerryd Bayless who has the makings of a terrific shooting guard, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw on the three-spot, and Luke Jackson and Ike Diogu to ply up front either at the four or caddying to Oden. Jackson and Diogu had great college careers but have yet to make any serious headway in the pros but look for them to find a home in Portland. Steve Blake will start at point but if Fernandez plays like he did in the Olympics, look for him to take over rather than being the first guard off the bench.

This team will have their work cut out for them as they play 16 of their first 24 games on the road. You finally have an exciting team much like your Sonics team of the 90’s (coach) Nate MacMillan. Let’s see how they run.

The rest of the standings:
9. Denver Nuggets
10. Golden State Warriors
11. Sacramento Kings
12. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Memphis Grizzlies
15. Oklahoma City Thunder

NHL 2008: The new look New York Islanders look to breakout this year

I love sports for many reasons.

Aside from the obvious drama of triumph and tragedy, there are the visceral aspects that assault my senses. In football, it’s the roar of the crowd; the chants, cheers, and euphoria of a ball meeting the net. In basketball, it’s the squeak of sneakers, the snap of a rim after a dunk, and the sweet sound of a ball swishing through the net. In baseball, it’s the crack of a bat, the roar of a crowd, and the sound of munching on cracker jacks and nachos. There’s even the smell of leather.

There’s another sport that captured my imagination as a child. Hockey. It’s funny because it’s way below the radar in our tropical country but it’s a sport I once played and learned at the age of 35. But I love the slap of a puck on those composite sticks, the sound of someone checking a player on the boards, the screech of skates on ice. Shrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhshhhh.

I loved the New York Islanders, the underdogs of hockey in the Empire State. Going to Nassau Veterans in Long Island; well it’s a long long trip and once you get there, clearly, the arena has seen better days. I imagine the habitués of the old Boston Garden can appreciate the place. After all, it’s on hallowed ground where the Isles won four straight Stanley Cups in the 1980’s that caught my attention as a child.

The Islanders, well, I love them and am still holding a torch for cup number five and am excited about the season to come.

This team isn’t balanced at all. Their vets are pushing 40 while the youth movement still need plenty of seasoning. But they’ll certainly be exciting to watch.

Most figure that after a fifth place finish in the Atlantic Division, they’ll stay put this year. I’m not going to let my biasness for this team get the better of me, but I figure they’ll climb to #3 in the standings.

They’ve got talented young guns in Richard Park and Kyle Okposo to help Jeff Tambelinni, Bill Guerin, Blake Comeau, Mike Comrie, and Andy Hilbert to find the back of the net. With Miroslav Satan now in Pittsburgh, the team has handed the starting right wing slot to Okposo who should get a dose of confidence. Expect him to provide scoring relief for Tambellini.

The Isles will play an uptempo offense as installed by Scott Gordon who replaced the fired Ted Nolan. Their defense right now is suspect what with Guerin, Mike Sillinger, Andy Sutton, and Chris Campoli nursing or out with injuries. General Manager Garth Snow claimed former Rangers defenseman Thomas Pock to shore up the now depleted defense line. If goal keeper Rick DiPietro isn’t ready after all those injuries the past two years, it’s going to be a long season for this team.

Unfortunately, this is one team that believes that the best defense is a fantastic offense so they acquired defenseman Mark Streit who fits the new scheme for this team is one of the best at moving the puck up on the counter. If this team gets healthy, they’ll make another post-season run.

Right now, Gordon has the Isles thinking big. "There's a huge light at the end of the tunnel, but that being said, the first step is that our team has to understand from Day 1 that you have to have the belief that you're going to win the Stanley Cup, and to do that, believe you can win every game," said Gordon, the 14^th head coach in Islanders history.

The Isles will face their tough conference neighbor the New Jersey Red Devils during the season opener on October 10.

2008-09 NBA Eastern Conference Preview

(From the next issue of Maxim Philippines)

Boston’s (not) dead!
2008-09 Eastern Conference
by rick olivares

A couple of months ago, the chants of “Beat LA” not heard in the New England area for some 31 years, rang across the TD Banknorth Garden as a rivalry was renewed. The re-tooled Boston Celtics scuttled the Los Angeles Lakers in six games to bag title number 17.

This year, across the NBA landscape, across 29 cities, fans hope to chant something familiar. A chant that began in Philadelphia in 1968, “Boston’s dead. Boston’s dead.”

And this early, the defending champs have lost a vital cog in their title drive from last year in James Posey (who fled to the New Orleans Hornets). To offset the stinging loss, Boston exhumed a player of unfulfilled potential; one who hasn’t played competitively in two years – Darius Miles.

You’re gonna need more gas in the tank, Danny Boy because it’s open season on the defending champs and the 2K Big Three will average 33 summers when they take to the floor come play-off time. And we all know that the only #33 worth talking about in Beantown has his number retired high up the parquet so they will need more than veteran smarts for the 82-game grind and the second season.

Eastern Conference predicted order of finish:

1. Boston Celtics

2. Cleveland Cavaliers
How does the King follow up a scintillating performance on the world stage? By taking the fight to the elite of the Eastern Conference for the Larry O’Brien trophy. He led the star-studded Redeemed Team USA and how showed how he can take over a game. While he won’t have J-Kidd, CP3, or even Deron Williams to lob him an alley-oop, he’ll have Mo Williams (late of the Milwaukee Bucks) to get him the ball and make opponents pay if they sag too much off him.

The strength of the Cavs lies in its backcourt and small forward position with Daniel Gibson, Wally Sczcerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic, Delonte West, James and Williams. Up front, they’ll have problems especially if Z and Big Ben cannot produce or have health problems. And if Danny Ferry continues to believe that Anderson Varejao is the answer to Cleveland’s woes then these guys are in trouble. And we have no idea what JJ Hickson will contribute to this line-up. LeBron James has been playing basketball almost non-stop for a year now. He might hit the wall and that’s where he’ll need his teammates to pick up the slack.

You need to tinker some more with this line-up because the King definitely will need more than horses and men if they want to return to the NBA Finals.

3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are now officially the Utah Jazz (circa 1990’s) of the East. You know… win 50-plus games a season then flame out in the play-offs.

They have the Fab Four of Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, and Rip Hamilton. Joe Dumars’ biggest mistake was thinking that Flip Saunders could replace Ben Wallace and now he still thinks that new Coach Michael Curry can cover up that five-spot.

Avery Johnson would have been perfect for this squad. He’d shake it up and give these guys a kick in the butt. But this is the line-up. They’ll be one of the better teams as they take names and win some, but if they don’t display the passion and energy that nabbed them the title in 2004 then these guys are smoked.

How do they get jazzed (pardon the expression which isn’t meant to be an analogy)? Start Jason Maxiell at center and insert Rodney Stuckey as the starting point guard. That will save the wear and tear on Chauncey and save him for when it matters.

But if Curry is unable to inspire the crew, then this year will definitely be their last ride.

4. Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia… the time is now. And for Andre Iguodala. He’s teased fans the past couple of seasons with his penchant for big games especially during the play-offs, but before he can really replace the A.I. Version One or even conjure images of his idol Michael Jordan, he has to bring it night in and night out.

And Coach Maurice Cheeks has to be open-minded. This is not the Sixers team he played for in the 80’s when they won the squad’s second NBA title. If you ask me, he also mis-coached Portland during his time there. Part of the problem with coach’s wanting to install their system is not taking stock of their roster. Obviously, this Sixers team is born to run. You can thank GM Eric Stefanski for suggesting to Cheeks to play an uptempo game that has given life to this dispirited squad. And with Theo Ratliff returning and Elton Brand giving the team a low post presence, with Andre Miller manning the point and Louis Williams a new threat from the two-spot, watch out. Now all they have to do is see to that bench.

5. Chicago Bulls
I’m going out on a limb here to say that the losing stops now. Last year was an aberration in this storied team’s climb back to the top. Don’t laugh. New coach Vinnie Del Negro isn’t PhilJax but give Johnny Pax some credit (with the exception of his Kobe Bryant flirtations and inability to sign Luol Deng and Ben Gordon before the last season that did this team in even before opening night), he’s done a marvelous job of picking out talent. So who knows? Del Negro might be another Lawrence Frank (so are they in trouble now because the New Jersey Nets have not been a force since Byron Scott was driven off the Turnpike).

This team has all sorts of problems from it lack of front court to its rotation. By the time the season starts, don’t be surprised if Ben Gordon and either Larry Hughes or Kirk Hinrich is offloaded. Paxson will need to bring in a big man who can score and give some proper spacing for their guards. If they can pry Andrei Kirilenko from Utah that would be a coup for the club.

Right now, the starting unit would look like this: Derrick Rose (PG), Larry Hughes (SG), Deng (SF), Drew Gooden (PF), and Joakim Noah (C). Andres Nocioni will be the sixth man, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, and Thabo Sefolosha will come off the bench. Not bad when you think about it. These guys can play with anyone in the league.

The question is, can they play together? This line-up is way too talented to miss out the play-offs for a second straight year. They’ll be back… as long as Nocioni is healthy.

6. Toronto Raptors
This team labored in silence over the past two seasons (except for the squabbles between TJ Ford and Jose Calderon) but bared their mandibles during the play-offs.

And they should finally break out of the Jurassic Age and into a legit NBA contender now that Calderon has his wish to run the point on a regular basis, Andrea Bargnani has a full season under his belt, and well, they have Jermaine O’Neal. Nothing like a change of scenery to light a fire under his pants which have seen far too many lost days on the bench with injuries.

This team… with Anthony Parker, 2005 draft pick and TAU Ceramic point guard Roko Ukic and Jason Kapono should knock off the Orlando Magic as Atlantic Division champs.

7. Miami Heat
Oh ye of little faith. Yes, they’ve got a rookie coach in Erik Spoelstra but four-fifths of their starting unit will run, gun, and sky for spectacular slams like the Redeemed Team in Beijing and certainly make them a better unit than last year. Dwyane Wade is healthy and back to his death-defying ways. Shawn Marion can certainly accept being second fiddle here unlike in Phoenix where he was the third option on offense. And Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, their two prized recruits will make this team go. They signed Jamal Magloire and James Jones both who will help Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount on the boards and inside. Since the Big Fella has departed to the West where he will eventually destroy the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat will have their revenge and make it back to the playoffs.

8. Orlando Magic
When the Magic take the floor on October 29, it will be the franchise’s 20^th anniversary in the league and it will be in defense of their Southeast Division title (their third division title over-all).

Unfortunately, I think that the Magic overachieved despite too many deficiencies in almost all their positions. Then they lost Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling who both put up points on the board for Orlando last season. Who do they replace them with? Courtney Lee, the 22^nd pick of the draft, Anthony Johnson from the Sacramento Kings, and Mikael Pietrus from the Golden State Warriors. If they want to defend their division crown and make it to the play-offs, they’ll need more than simple scoring sock from Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu. They need all hands on deck including their wafer-thin bench.

The rest of the teams:
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Washington Wizards
11. New Jersey Nets
12. New York Knicks
13. Charlotte Bobcats
14. Milwaukee Bucks
15. Indiana Pacers

Look, ma. We didn't have to wait 14 years for another one.

When Ateneo won its first UAAP title in 1987, I purchased the championship shirt at the high school covered courts. The design was simple, a shot of the team during the singing of the alma mater. I wish I saved it but that's kinda impossible since that was 21 years ago.

I always wanted to do another championship shirt like that and well, good things come to those who wait. Here's the design and we'll be selling an initial batch of championship shirts tomorrow at the bonfire. Just look for me there. The design is on a gray shirt.

Our championship shirt available in all sizes.
Php 350 bucks.
Ze photo by Aly Yap.

Someone already asked me of our chances for next year's title and I said, "Hopefully."

The one thing people have to understand about Ateneo's basketball program is, WE ARE NOT BUILT TO WIN EVERY SINGLE YEAR; no matter how strong the team is. There are two points for the program:
1. to be competitive and contend for a Final Four slot,
2. to make sure these student-athletes graduate and get an education.
If we happen to win a title or two along the way, then that's the gravy there.

So if you ask me, we've been pretty much successful. There's more but you'll have to ask me when you see me.

Reflections on a championship

Reflections on a Championship
by Simon Mossesgeld

I watched the first game of the championship live right behind the bench and marveled, as I have many times throughout this season, at how this team is a team in the best tradition: unselfish, hard working, with great respect for one another, friends on and off the court. The players are largely unassuming. They do not strut about to let the world know how good they are or their team is. They just do their part and play their best together. This is what strikes me most about this team and I think it explains best its championship character. I could not watch the second game because I was teaching in a seminar but resolved to immediately proceed to the Gesu. I had texted Paolo Trillo that morning saying I would see the team in the Gesu. That is how confident I was.

Someone asked me while we were waiting for the team to arrive at the Gesu after the championship, “Sir, do you miss being team manager?” I realized that I did miss it a bit but much, much more than anything I was very happy for the team. I was happy about how the coaching staff and management (and the school) formed the players into men we could all be proud of. I did not taste a championship during my two-year tenure but it did not matter because Ateneo basketball is more than championships. It is about giving it your best. It is about forming men with the right principles and values. It is about gratitude for all that we have received. It is about community. It is about God and this team, like many teams before them, is all these. But I sense there is more in this team.

A friend texted me the next day that she saw me at the Gesu that evening looking as if I was in a trance. I guess I was in a trance-like state. I was deeply thankful for God’s love for his players, his team and his Ateneo. I was very quietly happy for the team, for my fellow Ateneans and for the school and was simply content to bask quietly in the happiness and the gratitude that filled the church that evening. This is the Ateneo I grew up in and have grown to love.

Tonight we will celebrate four champion teams—three in basketball and one in swimming. I once again thank God for his blessings.

Note:
To the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Mr. Simon Mossesgeld is affectionately known as, "Mr. M." He was the former team manager of the Blue Eagles and in the pros, the Purefoods Hotdogs. We worked together for the LEAD INSTITUTE OF SPORT and while helping out with Ateneo Team B several years ago. Thanks, sir.

AMDG

Post-Game 2 Courtside

Sorry for the grainy look. It's the compression. On my Macbook all the stuff I edit looks fabulously clear.

Bleachers' Brew #126 A Tale of Two Brothers

http://businessmirror.com.ph/09292008/sports06.html

A Tale of Two Brothers
words by rick olivares pix by mhel garrido and den dee

Hours before tip-off for Game 2 of the championship for the 2008 Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Araneta Coliseum was already jammed to the bleachers. Not only did people arrive early to get the good seats but they also wanted to be on hand for the awards ceremony where the Ateneo De Manila Blue Eagles almost made it a clean sweep of the individual awards.

When Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Ateneo’s starting center was handed trophies for being voted as the league’s Most Improved and Most Valuable Player (he also bagged a spot on the Mythical Five), lost in the adulation of the Ateneo gallery that nearly filled the entire coliseum was one man.

On the court, he is an imposing figure at six-foot-six. His lean chiseled body and the tattoos that adorn his arm make add to that fearsome reputation. But more so now since he’s got game to back up that menacing scowl.

Carlo Sharma, in a white shirt and baggy khaki shorts stood beside former collegiate foes and current Red Bull teammates Rich Alvarez and Magnum Membrere in the patron section. The look on Sharma’s face was a mixture of pride and glee. He clapped his hands vociferously. When Al-Hussaini, his half and younger brother, made his way to the dugout to prepare for their match against La Salle, Sharma pointed to his brother who returned the gesture which is a sign of recognition and respect.

It was four years ago when he steered his Rabeh to his school’s archrival; a decision Sharma never regretted. Rabeh showed plenty of promise as a player for the Philippine Christian University Baby Dolphins and was heavily recruited by all the major college basketball programs including La Salle. But Sharma’s falling out with his school’s coaching staff and the hardship of latching on to a pro team in an increasingly competitive PBA landscape made the decision an easy one. “Kung basketball ang pagpipilian dalawa lang naman ang choice mo. Pero kung sa basketball at sa pag-aaral, alam mo naman kung saan ang tama para sa ‘yo, ‘di ba?”

Having said that, Sharma wishes he had an older brother to advise him during his formative years to steer him in the right direction. But who knew, right?

Incredibly, basketball wasn’t Carlo’s first sport as a youngster. “Chess,” he laughed at the incredulity of the notion. “Talaga.”

Being the tallest student at Paco Catholic School, he was forced to play for his school’s basketball team as a high school senior. “Pinilit ako pero tama lang yun kasi naging maganda yung bunga ng basketball para sa akin.”

Once he learned the sport, Sharma despite being a late bloomer soaked in everything about hoops. He even patterned his game after then-Portland Trailblazer Rasheed Wallace (take note even the tattoos on Carlo’s arm).

Rabeh, a good eight years younger gravitated to basketball at an earlier age but nonetheless idolized his older brother who led the Green Archers to a 2001 triumph over Ateneo.

The two are close even with the disparity in age. “Lagi ko siya tinatawagan,” says Rabeh who credits Carlo along with Norman Black (as well as his teammates) for the quantum improvement in his game.

“Kung napansin mo nung mga first years niya sa Ateneo, laging mainitin yung ulo niya,” noted Sharma who remembered feeling alarmed about his brother’s temper. “Kahit hindi siya kasama sa eksena nandun siya para mag-defend ng teammate o kung saan yung may away.”

Sharma took aside Al-Hussaini and gave him some advice that imprinted itself on his younger brother’s mind. “Huwag mo ako gagayahin sa mga pagkakamali ko,” urged Carlo. The former enforcer of the Green Archers laid it out the realities for his younger brother if he didn’t make good on his studies and if he didn’t work harder on his game.

Norman Black, Al-Hussaini’s coach with the Blue Eagles said that Rabeh’s skills and potential to be a big-time player was always there. “He just needed to realize it and to change his attitude. Once he came to that realization, the game became easy for him.”

Carlo also noted that this season, with better focus and an understanding of hoops, Rabeh has raised his game by leaps and bounds because he no longer allows others to exploit his short fuse. “Ikaw na ngayon mapipikon sa kanya.”

Sharma too had an epiphany of sorts after riding the bench in the PBL with ICTSI and with Shell and Coca Cola in the PBA. “Akala ko tapos na yung career ko kahit halos hindi pa nagsisimula. Nagisip ako talaga kung ano yung gagawin ko kung tuluyan ma-cut sa PBA.”

In Red Bull where Sharma has gained a new lease on life in his pro basketball career, he found himself teammates with a number of old college foes like Ateneans Alvarez, Membrere, Enrico Villanueva, Larry Fonacier, and Paolo Bugia and Cyrus Baguio of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers. Far removed from his hell-raiser days with the Green Archers, Sharma became a locker room favorite for his wittiness and presence. “Carlo Sharma is one loud boy,” laughed Alvarez when asked to describe his teammate. “Never a dull moment.” That trust bequeathed on him (and his teammates) by Barako Coach Yeng Guiao saw the power forward-center become a dependable and regular part of the rotation where he was a candidate for last year’s Most Improved Player.

Although Al-Hussaini is unable to watch most of Sharma’s games in the PBA because the Blue Eagles practice in the early evening, he makes it a point to catch Red Bull’s matches on television. If not, he calls his brother for a recap and to ask how he did.

Sharma on the other hand, tries to watch Rabeh when permissible. It isn’t unusual to find him seated beside his former college rivals during UAAP games where he normally wears white. But he makes it a point to cheer his brother on even if it’s La Salle that Ateneo plays. “Hindi na tinatanong yun,” explained Carlo. “Kapatid ko siya.”

After Rabeh brought home a number of individual awards and helped Ateneo win its fourth UAAP Men’s Basketball Championship with a two-game sweep of La Salle, Sharma kidded his brother to spot for lunch or dinner. “Ha? Ikaw yung may trabaho diyan hindi ako,” parried Al-Hussaini.

“Kuripot,” jokingly rebutted the beaming older brother. The brothers now have led their respective schools to a UAAP title.

As youngsters, the two played ball at home whenever they could. Sharma because of the age and height difference used to beat Rabeh regularly in friendly games of one-on-one.

But when asked if they have yet to match up on the court now, Sharma has the last word: “Hindi na. Baka talunin na ako.”