Bleacher Talk

Bleacher Talk May 28, 2006 When the NBA Playoffs wrapped up its first round around two weeks ago, we had said that it sure looks like the fans were getting their money’s worth with what could be considered as the best first round in NBA history. Well don’t look now, but it looks like this has been topped off by an even better second round that has featured everything that the first round had to offer plus more! The biggest surprise had to be the near fall of Detroit to Cleveland, and the way the LA Clippers provided some scary moments for the Phoenix Suns. And just in case you were sleeping, the defending champ San Antonio Spurs were knocked out in seven games by the Dallas Mavericks. What more could you ask for? Three of the second round match-ups ended in seven games, and one of the teams knocked out was the defending champ! I have to admit that I’m a sucker for underdogs. While I like the team play and blue-collar style of play of the Pistons, I also wanted the underdogs in Clevelan...

Bleacher Talk May 21, 2006 Cebu will always be known as a top destination for tourism, both local and foreign. The perfect mix of a laid back lifestyle, the heritage of the Sto. Niño, the business-friendly atmosphere, the manageable traffic and a chance to hit the beach on short notice has drawn many to this "island in the Pacific." All these have made Cebua popular "must go to" place in the country. We have thousands of tourists coming over for their annual break to hit the beach and get a chance to know Cebu's heritage. Recent trends have seen the tourism industry go into language/educational and medical tourism. Koreans come over to stay in Cebufor a long time with the purpose of learning English, thus the sprouting of English schools and Korean stores. Others come over for their medical examinations since it's getting to be too expensive in their home countries. Amidst these latest trends, there's another huge potential for the tourism industry that...

Bleacher Talk May 14, 2006 The Philippine boxing scene is on a big high at the moment with the sudden surge of interest for Pinoy boxers to show their stuff in the international big money market in the United States. Manny Pacquiao has been the catalyst for this, and awareness for Philippine boxing is already at its highest level and it's surely a close #2 to basketball in terms of local following. One of the most important benefits from all this is that local boxers now have the opportunity to earn more than a decent paycheck. After all, boxing to them is a profession. It's a business. And they're not the only ones benefiting from this, from a business viewpoint. A lot of other people are cashing in on the trend and trying to make a quick buck on their own. The most visible sector of this boxing boom that is riding on this current phenomenon and seeking to also make it big (no, make that "bigger") is TV. The TV boxing business has always been there ever since th...

Bleacher Talk May 7, 2006 The first round of the NBA Playoffs isn't over yet, but it has turned out to be one of the best in a long time. It has filled the sports pages with more than a just dose of game results, highlighted by competitive and exciting games, controversy and breakthroughs. Over-all, it sure looks like the NBA's wish of making its consumers know the league as more than just a of bunch games is clicking. Traditionally, the first round is supposed to be the “easy” phase of the playoffs where the higher seeded teams go through the motion of disposing of the title pretenders. But this hasn't happened at all. The balance in competition among the teams in the playoffs has stood out that all series (except one) have turned out to be tough battles. Only the Dallas-Memphis 4-0 series followed the norm as all others were relatively close and competitive. The main reason why the first round isn't over is because the round's most exciting and closest clash isn...