Bleacher Talk

Bleacher Talk June 29, 2008 Seeking Greatness Today is going to be the greatest day in the history of Philippine boxing. You and I are a lucky bunch to be part of what is going to be a big day in Philippine sports. When Michael Buffer makes that final announcement on top of the ring, the entire Philippines is going to celebrate the Manny Pacquiao’s successful quest to win a world championship in four different weight divisions. Pacquiao is seeking greatness in a different manner from the way previous Pinoy greats have gone. While the great boxers of the past chose the path of longevity in a specific weight division to carve their names in the halls of sports history, Pacquiao is taking it a notch higher. He’s going for longevity as a boxer but doing this in four (or five) different weight classes. Flash Elorde will always crowd Pacquiao for the tag as the greatest Pinoy boxer ever. The Flash made the Philippines proud by dominating the super featherweight division (130 pounds) from 196...

Mondays Liga News Update CEIV, Team-C Win in Mondays Liga Cebu Engineering and Industrial Ventures (CEIV) and Team-C scored comfortable victories to muddle the team standings of the Mondays Liga 2008. CEIV got back at first-round tormentor LCP Garments, 63-50, while Team-C outlasted Team Monterroyo, 65-54. Balikbayan Jojo Nardo finally found his groove after a year-long lay-off from the sport to lead CEIV in a clinical display of balanced offense and percentage basketball. Nardo led a CEIV blitz right from the get go as they took a 21-13 lead at the end of the first period. LCP bounced back in the second to trail by only two at the half, 30-32, but Nardo spiked a third quarter run that put the game beyond reach. Four CEIV players scored in double digits led by Nardo’s 18. Atan de Leon added 12 while Jojo Cruz and Brigs Brigoli had 11 apiece including three triples each. Lander Perez led the under-manned LCP squad with 15 points. In the other game, Team-C revived its chances for a slot ...

Bleacher Talk June 22, 2008 Basketball After NBA Now that Celtic fans have recovered from their hangovers and parties celebrating Boston’s league-leading 17th NBA title, the local basketball world is now on the search for the next basketball action to follow. What’s on the table for us? While the NBA will always be the NBA and no other league can match its popularity, we have many other leagues that deserve attention and that provide us with good quality basketball. For starters, the start of the schoolyear also means the start of the collegiate basketball season. The first league to launch its games is the NCAA, now on its 84th season. Games of the oldest-running league kick off this weekend with the usual elaborate and colorful opening day ceremonies. Teams to watch out for are San Beda and Letran. It doesn’t look like strong threats will be coming from other teams although Mapua and JRU always give the favorites a scare each time they meet. The UAAP and all the other Manila-based co...

Bleacher Talk June 15, 2008 Boston’s Team Ball The NBA Finals is pleasantly turning out to surprise basketball fans and experts alike, hasn’t it? Who would’ve thought that the Celtics would be up 3-1 when the Lakers were favorites going into Game 1? Who would’ve thought that the 30-year old ++ veterans of the Celtics would overcome the youth of Kobe and his band of Lakers? If Boston can maintain its momentum and LA continue to sleep at crucial stages of the game (and series), we could be seeing a Boston championship as early as tomorrow (Sunday in the U.S). The factors behind this are obvious and this corner can’t help but compare the ongoing series to the classic Laker-Celtic battles of the 80’s and why Boston is in the driver’s seat. When one looks at those classic battles of the 80s, it was clear that both the Lakers and Celtics relied on team ball to get the job done. And current NBA Finals is also showing us that the team that has been playing team ball is in the driver’s seat. I...

Mondays Liga News Update CEIV, Team Monterroyo Score OT Wins in Mondays Liga It was a night of overtime wins as Cebu Engineering and Industrial Ventures (CEIV) and Team Monterroyo both scored cliffhanger wins that needed extended periods in the Mondays Liga. CEIV outlasted Team C, 59-53, while Team Monterroyo nipped LCP Garments, 62-61. While CEIV celebrated the comeback of balikbayan Jojo Nardo to the tournament after a year-long absence, the team composed of ex-Gamma players of USC leaned on the end-game heroics of Buchoy Jacobe who sent the game into overtime and scored five of his team’s nine overtime points to score their second win in three games. Jacobe scored the team’s last three points in regular time, including a free throw that sent the game into extended play. He also scored CEIV’s first five points in overtime to douse any hopes of a rally from the opposition. Edmund Odulio scattered 26 points to lead CEIV. Jacobe added 10, eight of these coming in the fourth period and o...

Bleacher Talk June 8, 2008 A Little Respect Please This corner has always been proud of Cebu Boxing, and we have hailed its achievements and have boasted (almost with arrogance) that nothing beats us in this part of the world. In a way, I feel guilty of sounding like a PR man for Cebu Boxing. But this is where coming in as an analyst takes us back to reality and acknowledge that not everything is all that rosy for boxing after all. There are a number of things that continue to hamper our growth and do not support our statement that we’re the best in the business. And this is something that we’ll need to work on asap. Cebu Boxing is plagued by unprofessional practices that continue to take place without anyone doing anything about it. All these are indicators of a lack of respect towards the people who serve as officials of the sport and eventually the fans. Around a week ago, a boxing event organized by a Manila-based promoter was held in Bogo, some 100 kilometers north of the city. It...

Mondays Liga News Update LCP, Monterroyo Win in Mondays Liga LCP Garments defeated Cebu Engineering and Industrial Ventures (CEIV) in a battle of opening day winners, 67-57, to take solo leadership of the Mondays Liga 2008. In the other game Team Monterroyo bounced back from last week’s loss to outlast Team-C, 47-42. The LCP squad of team owner Lander Perez once again relied on a big second quarter to break open a close game and cruise to its second win in as many games. Mario “The Silencer” Camingao stepped up again as he did last week, drilling in 14 of his game-high 22 points in the second period alone, leading LCP to take a comfortable 42-24 lead at the halftime break. CEIV staged a third quarter rally behind Atan de Leon’s 10 points while limiting LCP to only eight points, their lowest output in a quarter, to close the gap to 50-36. But Perez took over in the final period to douse any chances of a CEIV comeback. Camingao led LCP with 22 points while Perez and Big Mac Macmac had 18...