Bleacher Talk

Bleacher Talk December 28, 2008 Have a Sporty Break & Learn So how has your Christmas break been so far? Let me guess. Food? Kaon? Hikay? Noche Buena? Christmas dinner or lunch? Parties galore? Reunions? All of the above? I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you answered it this way, while others will have a balance of food and other stuff like going out for shopping, sightseeing or suroy-suroy. That’s all good, expected and normal. Did anyone talk about sports? Play? Sweat it out? Work out? Run or jog? That’s even better! But how many are able to actually follow or implement a Christmas break filled with sports activities? Let’s be honest now. When was your last work out, game or walking/jogging activity before the break? And during the break? For those who are regular at this, I’m sure this hasn’t been much of a problem. But for those of us who somehow equate break with almost zero physical activity, I’m pretty sure many of the usual sports activities that we did during regular day

Bleacher Talk December 21, 2008 Cebu Basketball in 2008 As we look back at Cebu Basketball in 2008, we can say that we’re happy with what we saw. While there were some “expecteds,” there also was a pleasant surprise coming out of a sector that was relatively quiet, until now. As predicted by many, the CESAFI basketball tournament was the biggest show of local basketball, outshining all other local tournaments. M. Lhuillier’s jewels shone again, as they always do in the semipro circuit. But the biggest albeit not so loud surprise came from the youth sector. It was another banner year for the CESAFI where the UV Lancers won its eighth straight championship by defeating the USJR Jaguars, 4-1, in a championship series that broke all previous records in terms of attendance and following. The 2008 season broke 2007’s previous records with many elimination round and playoff games drawing sell-out crowds. Sophomore Greg Slaughter literally stood out above everyone else, bagging the MVP award,

Bleacher Talk December 14, 2008 All About Manny Everyone is still taking about it like a plague that has hit the entire sports world. And rightfully so, Manny Pacquiao deserves everything after dismantling Oscar de La Hoya last week. But amidst all the celebrations, praises and cheers, did you know that there is also a down side to Pacquiao’s winning? Along with all the hoopla will come a not so pleasant sight that is so typically Pinoy. For starters, all the politicians on Pacquiao’s side will claim to have had a hand in the Pacman’s victory and will do everything in their powers to ride on this Pacman fever. Isn’t it so typically Pinoy that our politicians will be the first to greet and congratulate Pacquiao and get media space just for doing so? This is where I feel that we in the media should ignore such type of grandstanding and publicity stunts. We’ve already heard about a resolution to praise Pacquiao to the high heavens. Nothing wrong here but why do I have the impression that

Bleacher Talk Nov 22, 2008 Need to Rough it Up After talking about how boxing is turning quiet with minimal activities toward the end of the year, the only thing left worth talking about is Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista’s fight against veteran Heriberto Ruiz today. We also have the sudden cancellation of Michael Domingo’s fight due to Hepa B and Sammy Gello-ani’s second run of “Daytime Boxing” next Sunday. But for now, Boom Boom is on the spot. So what’s up for Boom Boom? If you’ve been reading the boxing news of late, you can’t help but notice how Bautista is very slowly being re-packaged and re-developed in his second attempt back at the spotlight after a humiliating first round KO loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon for the WBO super bantamweight championship. The big question that everyone is asking is whether or not Boom Boom is still capable of winning a world championship. I’ll use the word “still” as many doubts have been thrown at Boom Boom’s chances of following Manny Pacquiao’s footstep

Bleacher Talk November 30, 2008 Learning from Manila The original headline for today’s column should’ve been “Losing to Manila,” but then this might be misleading and send a wrong signal to local sports fans especially those diehard followers of Cebu Basketball. The past week hasn’t been a kind one to Cebu Basketball as four school-based teams fell to Manila-based opponents in crucial games that would’ve taken us up a level in terms of basketball supremacy in the country. For starters, the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit bowed to La Salle Greenhills in the championship game of the Passerelle division in the national finals of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle twin basketball tournament sponsored by Milo in Iloilo City. Next to follow were the top three teams of the CESAFI that lost to Manila teams one after another in the Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League (PCCL). The University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) fell to NCAA champions San Beda. The University of San Carlos (USC) bowed to 2007

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) proved that Manila is still the powerhouse of youth basketball after bagging the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) and Passerelle division championships, respectively, of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle basketball tournament sponsored by Milo, at the University of San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City. ADMU leaned on an end-game rally to put Ateneo de Davao away, 52-45, and win its second straight national SBP championship. In the Passerelle division, LSGH trashed Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ), 105-72. The Davaeños had the upper hand through most of the nip and tuck game, enjoying as much as ten-point lead early in the match. ADMU slowly chipped away at the deficit, finally tying the game, then taking a 44-40 lead with 4:20 left. After an exchange of baskets saw ADMU on top 46-45 with 2:05 left, the NCR champions unleashed an 6-0 run to end the game. In Passerelle play, LSGH leaned on a 32-0 run bridging the second and thir

SHSJ Falls to La Salle Iloilo City – In a twist of de ja vu, the Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) Eagles bowed to a Manila team for the second straight year in the BEST Center SBP-Passerelle basketball tournament sponsored by Milo at the University of San Agustin Gym. SHSJ bowed to favorites La Sale Greenhills (LSGH), 72-105, in the Passerelle division championship game that illustrated the dominance of Manila over teams from the province. A 32-0 blast bridging the end of the second quarter and the start of the third was all that La Salle needed, breaking wide open a game that was nip and tuck until the end of the of the second quarter. SHSJ’s first unit gave the Eagles a 23-21 lead at the end of the first quarter and its second unit matched the Archers until the 1:40 mark of the second periodr. With La Salle up by two, 45-43, Alexander Torres led the Archers in a 10-2 run to end the period on top 55-45. Torres was unstoppable in the second period, drilling in 19 points. LSGH’s third

SHSJ Rallies to Beat Mindanao Champs Iloilo City – Lucky to be alive. This best describes the plight of the Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) Eagles after scoring a come-from-behind 62-61 win over Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori (SHJM) of Cagayan de Oro to make it to the championship of the national finals of the SBP-Passerelle Twin Basketball tournament sponsored by Milo at the University of San Agustin Gym. Playing what could be described as an ugly win, the Eagles played one of their worst games so far in the tournament and still came out on top, thanks to a massive end-game rally that was capped by a lay-up by Daryl Nazareno with 13 seconds left in the game to score the win. The Mindanao champs jumped the gun on the Eagles, controlling all of the game but just couldn’t get the job done in the end. SHJM’s first unit surprised the SHSJ by taking the first period, 22-19. They padded the lead to nine, 39-28 at halftime and increased this to 52-41 after three quarters. The lead swelled

SHSJ Wins in BEST National Finals Iloilo City - The Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) Eagles defeated Don Bosco Pampanga, 69-57, to kick off its campaign in the Passerelle division of the national finals of the SBP-Passerelle Twin Basketball tournament sponsored by Milo at the University of San Agustin Gym. In a roller coaster ride of a game that had the Eagles played listlessly through much of the game, SHSJ blew hot and cold before finding their rhythm to finish off the Luzon leg champions. SHSJ’s first quarter unit built a 26-18 lead, but Don Bosco’s second quarter five came back to cut the lead down to 34-36. Don Bosco sustained their momentum to tie the game at 38-all early in the third quarter before SHSJ regained control of the game, taking the third period, 52-44. The Eagles then streaked to a 61-49 lead with 2:48 left in the game to gain some breathing room. True to its never-say-die spirit, the Bosconians staged yet another rally to cut the lead to 61-56 with 1:26 left, but t

SHSJ in National Finals of Milo BEST The Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) dives into action today as it represents the Visayas in the Passerelle division of the national finals of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle Twin Tournament sponsored by Milo at the University of San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City. Buoyed by its undefeated run in 12 games dating back to the Cebu leg and the Visayas Regional finals, the Eagles are seeking a place in history to become the first SHSJ team to ever win a national championship in this tournament. Learning from its bridesmaid finish in the Visayas Finals last year when it had to make do with only 14 players, the Eagles are seeking no less than the championship. “La Salle will be the team to beat, but we’re ready for them and the other schools as well. We’re well-prepared and everyone is in tip-top shape. We’re just asking for the prayers and support of everyone back home,” Rasmo said upon their departure for Iloilo yesterday. SHSJ will be facing the different

Bleacher Talk Nov 16, 2008 All’s Quiet? “Na mingaw man ta kalit no?” so asked a boxing fan when we bumped into each other one day. What did he mean by “mingaw” I asked, when the boxing world was already “busy” waiting in excitement for the Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar de la Hoya “Dream Match” in December. “Local boxing ba. Wa nay tay big time boxing ron,” he added. He was right on the dot on that. After AJ Banal’s shock defeat last July, Boom Boom Bautista’s two-round KO win in August and Michael Domingo’s conquest of ex-world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin in September, local boxing events or promotions featuring Cebu’s top stars have suddenly gone quiet for the last quarter of the year. Cebu boxing was relatively busy for the first three quarters of 2008, and it looks like the fourth quarter won’t be able to sustain this momentum. There was Robert Allanic on the comeback trail with a fight last night and a band of Wakee Salud’s upstarts fighting tonight, but they’re not part of the so-ca

SHSJ Wins Milo BEST Visayas Finals Bacolod City – The Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) defeated Ateneo de Iloilo, 72-66 Sunday to win the Passerelle championship of the Visayas Regional Finals of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle twin basketball tournament sponsored by Milo held at the West Negros University Gym. But it didn’t come easy as the Eagles blew hot then cold, overcoming an Ateneo end-game rally to bag its first ever Visayas championship in the Passerelle division. The Eagles leaned on a quick start to control the game, taking the first quarter 22-13, behind the hot shooting of Daryl Nazareno. Ateneo cut the lead down to 39-31 at the half and then slowly chipped away to close the gap at 52-47 after three quarters. SHSJ managed to pad the lead up to 58-51 early in the fourth period but Ateneo replied with a 11-4 run that tied the game at 62-all with 3:36 left. Ateneo capped its rally by taking a two-point lead at 66-64 with 2:19 left. SHSJ then scored six unanswered points behin

SHSJ Barges Into Finals of Milo BEST Visayas Bacolod City – The Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) scored two more wins to barge into the championship of the Visayas Regional Finals of the Milo BEST Center SBP/Passerelle twin basketball tournament at the West Negros University Gym. The Eagles defeated College of St. John–Roxas (CSJR), 92-81 on Saturday, then rolled past St. John’s Institute of Bacolod yesterday, 84-70, to score a sweep of the elimination round of the Passerelle division. SHSJ started out hot against the Roxas champions, controlling the game from the get go, cruising into the fourth quarter with an 80-54 lead. However, CSJR bounced back with a big fourth quarter rally, taking advantage of SHSJ’s relaxed tone, cutting the lead down to seven, 81-88 with 1:45 left in the game. But that was all they could do as the trio of Gabe Branzuela, Adrian Muller and Daryl Nazareno replied with 7-0 run to seal the win. It was a different story against St. John’s Institute of Bacolod as

SHSJ Wins in Milo BEST Visayas Finals Bacolod City – Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) and the University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) kicked off their respective campaigns in the Visayas Regional finals of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle twin basketball tournament in contrasting fashion at the West Negros University Gym. The SHSJ Eagles served notice of its goal to win the Passerelle championship by defeating Ateneo de Iloilo (AdI), 71-61 in a battle of Jesuit schools, while USC NC couldn’t sustain its fiery fourth quarter rally as they bowed to Ateneo de Iloilo, 35-41 in the SBP division. The Eagles jumped off to a 21-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, and increased the lead to 12, 38-26 at halftime. AdI roared back to cut the lead to as low as three points 46-49 in the third quarter SHSJ recovered to post a 54-48 lead at the end of the period. The Eagles regained their momentum in the fourth quarter behind the outside shooting of Gabe Branzuela and inside play of Borgy d

Bleacher Talk November 9, 2008 Dominate Visayas? Cebu has always boasted that it’s the hotbed of basketball south of Manila. But if it’s a real dominance over the rest of our neighbors in Visayas and Mindanao, this will have to cover all levels of basketball. At the higher level of basketball, Cebu is virtually unstoppable. The M. Lhuillier ballclub has always been tops in the semi pro circuit, representing Cebu in the Liga Plipinas and their previous leagues such as the MVBA and URBL. At the collegiate level, the University of the Visayas has always been tagged as the top collegiate team in the Vismin and is even considered a threat to the top teams of the UAAP and NCAA. We’re not counting the PBA and PBL here since these are more national in scope. But I’d like to see M. Lhuillier take their action to this level (this makes another story). The Central Visayas has also been our domain in the Palarong Pambansa even if we suffered a glitch when Bohol defeated Cebu City in the high schoo

Bleacher Talk November 2, 2008 Life After Death Yes, you read it right. Today’s topic is about life after death. After all, today is All Souls’ Day when we’re all encouraged to pray for all those who have moved on in life. We wish them well and that they all join our Creator in heaven in their life after death “careers.” But did you know that in sports, we also have a life after death situation for all athletes? But before you think of anything else, this is not about athletes dying per se, although we’ll all pass away in life. But if you look at it closely, athletes somehow “die” when their careers are over and need to do something productive for the rest of their lives, their lives after “athletic death.” One of the most interesting aspects of one’s career as an athlete is the so-called “what’s next” phase when his or her professional or sporting career is over. We hear so much about how athletes are at the peak or prime of their careers; how somehow their on top of the world and can

Bleacher Talk October 26, 2008 CESAFI: Going Beyond Basketball Now that all the talk about the CESAFI basketball season has ended, it’s time to make an assessment of the season that just passed. Even if the tournament is already over, many questions still remain. Some are valid, and others are downright stupid. But the most valid question will always remain, “How can the CESAFI continue to boost its stock as the top collegiate league outside of Manila?” Like any product being sold in the commercial market, the CESAFI is more than just a basketball tournament. It’s the most unique basketball experience in Cebu whose influence and reach have taken it beyond the level of just being a mere game being played among eight basketball teams. It’s from this angle that we’ll take a peak at the CESAFI 2008 basketball season. On top of being a basketball tournament being played, it’s a brand with its own personality. It’s already a permanent fixture that’s intertwined with Cebu Basketball and can b

Bleacher Talk October 19, 2008 Cebu Basketball on the Rebound The signs are of Cebu Basketball are indeed looking good. A quick review of what has happened since June is a good indicator of how far we’ve gone and how much more we can do in the future. The hands-down biggest story of local basketball would have to be the CESAFI 2008 season that topped all previous CESAFI basketball tournaments. The University of the Visayas (UV) Lancers won its eighth straight championship before full-house crowds through all four games of the series. The crowds were louder, rowdier and wilder this year, thanks primarily to the more balanced competition especially among the top five teams of the league. The UV-USC semifinals series and more elimination round games also filled up the Cebu Coliseum, something the league or Cebu as a whole hasn’t seen in a long time. The finals was such a hit that scalpers and makers of fake tickets made a killing. Greg Slaughter and Junmar Fajardo literally stood tall in

A Championship that Slipped Away One of the saddest parts of the CESAFI Championship series is how some just can’t seem to accept that UV won its eighth straight championship over USJR. Their top-of-mind reason is that the refs were behind UV’s championship. I think this is getting a bit too far. It’s rather odd that no credit is given to the Lancers and what they did to win the title. It’s as if the title was given to them on a silver platter. Don’t get me wrong. This corner bleeds for the Jaguars since they were considered as title favorites before the season started. The league could’ve benefited more if it had a CESAFI champion outside of the Lancers. But as they say in any sport, to win a championship, one has to literally take away the championship belt from the champion’s waist. And it won’t be easy as it’s tightly sealed, locked and well-defended. In USJR’s case, they just didn’t do enough to take that belt away. I think it’s best that we set aside discussions about the referee

On to Bacolod for USC NC, SHSJ It’s on to Bacolod for the University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) and the Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) as they topped the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) and Passerelle divisions, respectively, of the Cebu Milo BEST SBP/Passerelle twin basketball tournament over the weekend at the jam-packed Capitol Parish Gym. The Baby Warriors erased the stigma of finishing second last year by beating Don Bosco, 44-36, in the SBP division. The SHSJ Eagles won their first ever back-to-back championship in the history of the tournament with a nail-biting win over USC NC, 68-65. The SBP championship game was a nip and tuck affair through the first three quarters, with USC NC controlling the firs half, and Don Bosco dominating the third. USC NC enjoyed an 18-10 lead at the half, but Don Bosco came back to slice the lead to only one at 25-24, at the end of the third period. Don Bosco controlled the momentum at the start of the fourth quarter, taking a 30-28 l

USC NC in Milo BEST Finals The University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) sent a message that they’re back as a serious contender in youth basketball by barging into the finals of both the SBP and Passerelle divisions of the Milo BEST SBP/Passerelle twin tournament Wednesday at the Capitol Parish Gym. USC NC nipped the University of Cebu (UC), 66-64 in overtime to arrange a showdown with defending champions Sacred Heart School-Jesuit in the Passerelle division, while their younger counterparts defeated sister school USC South Campus, 47-39, in the SBP division. The Baby Warriors leaned on the clutch performance of Michael Rita in overtime to fend off a fighting UC squad. With the score tied at 59-all, Harvey Palapar calmly sank two free throws for a 61-59 lead. After a UC turnover, Rita took over by adding a drive to up the lead to four, 63-59. He then added three more free throws to ice the game. Ahlen Kikuchi led USC with 13 points, followed by Rita’s 11. In the other Passerelle

Milo BEST SBP / Passerelle Twin Basketball Tournament Cebu Leg Results from Day 6: Final 4 Cast Clears Up The Final Four cast is just about set in the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle twin tournament after last weekend’s games at the Don Bosco campus. In the SBP division, Sacred Heart School-Jesuit (SHSJ) and the University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) recorded a sweep of their elimination round games to grab the top spot in their respective groups. The defending champions SHSJ Eagles used a third quarter spurt to outlast USC South Campus, 39-26. USC North overcame an undermanned but fighting Don Bosco-A squad in scoring a 36-27 win. The Eagles (3-0) will face Don Bosco-A (2-1) in the cross-over semifinals while USC NC (3-0) goes up against sister school USC South (2-1) in the other match-up. In the Passerelle division, SHSJ scored its fifth straight win over an upset-conscious USC NC-B squad, 45-33, to take solo leadership of Group A over idle University of Cebu (UC). With the win, S

THE Rivalry: La Salle & Ateneo It’s mad, out of this world and on a level of its own. It’s THE rivalry of Philippine sports that’s followed by both sports fans and non-sports fans alike. As one of Ateneo’s staunchest sponsors might say, “It’s simply amazing.” At 4pm today, all eyes of the sports world will be focused on Game 1 of the UAAP finals between De La Salle University (DLSU or La Salle) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). While it may sound just like one of those ordinary college match-ups, we all know how it has gone well beyond the student-led cheers for the green and the blue. But where do we start when talking about THE rivalry that will most likely never be matched in local sports history? Its followers? Incredible! For a rivalry between two schools, it’s amazing how fans and loyal supporters have ranged from the youngest students at the various La Salle and Ateneo grade schools, to high school and college students. But that’s not it. The louder and even more suppo

Daytime Boxing Morning na sir. Boxing na ta. Sound familiar? I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t. As many of you were either at Mass, sipping your cup of coffee, having a quiet breakfast with the family or still sleeping on a lazy Sunday morning, boxing was abuzz at the Cebu Coliseum for Cebu’s first-ever Sunday morning boxing. Yes, the presence of scalpers and vendors in front of the Cebu Coliseum meant that there was something taking place, and it wasn’t a Mass or a religious gathering. When will he stop coming up with gimmicks such as these? “He” of course is SGG or Sammy Gello-ani whose boxing endeavors have suddenly given the boxing family a welcome and added spice with more avenues for young prospects to shine and prove their stuff. And doing things a little differently has been the angle that SGG has taken thus far. Aside from going to Mindanao to tap fresh talents and also doing daytime boxing in Zamboanga, he’s also back in Cebu for another round of innovations: daytime boxi

Bleacher Talk August 31, 2008 Youth Basketball With your permission, I’d like to write about something that is close to our hearts, not only since we’re an advocate for it, but more importantly since we’re now directly involved in it. I usually don’t write about the sports events that we manage, but this will have to be an exception to the rule. We have been given the challenge to manage the BEST Center’s SBP/Passerelle twin tournament starting this year, and with much reluctance and hesitation, we decided to accept the challenge for the purpose of helping in the development of school-based basketball for the youth. As an advocate, we’ve always written and talked about it, but the guilty part of it is how we never really back up our words with action. And so here we are facing the challenge of not only talking, but also doing our share of “walk the talk.” It seems like only yesterday when the first youth-based tournament organized by Bleacher Talk just ended. The Cebu Youth Basketball

We are pleased to "announce" that the SHSJ Football Club (Team SHSJ-Spain) won the Under 8 age group championship at the San Roque Cup Football Festival last Saturday, Aug. 22. We defeated San Roque, 1-0 in the finals, scoring the game-winning goal with around two minutes left in the game. Earlier in the semis, we defeated Don Bosco, via penalty shoot-out, 2-1. We went 4-0 in the elimination round to qualify for the playoffs. Congratulations to the team, and let's move on to continue strengthening the foundation of the club for the future. (L-R): MVP Kyle Go, Carlos Berlin, Leo Macquiling, Roland Mattsen, Mico Lee, Jan Momongan, Coach Nito Tapia.

Bleacher Talk August 10, 2008 Olympics: Pinoy as Spectators Did you see the beautiful opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics? How did you feel when you saw all those athletes, performers and politicians waving flags and showing off their million dollar smiles? Did you feel proud when you saw Manny Pacquiao leading the Philippine team, proudly carrying the Philippine flag? How did you feel about Asia’s hosting an Olympic Games? It happens every four years, and each time, a host city is always on a mission to outdo all the previous hosts in the history of the Olympics. The same is true for the countries and the athletes who are out to prove that they’re the best in the world in their respective sports events. So many storylines can be drawn each time the Olympics is held, and all of these reflect dramatic stories carrying a theme to always do better than the past. Michael Phelps is chasing Mark Spitz. In gymnastics, the Americans are out to prove that they can defeat the Chinese at t