Pistons All The Way!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Will Allen Iverson be the Answer to the Detroit Lions’ rotten football season?

No, we're not talking about practice. We're not talking about basketball either. We're actually talking about Football here.

The NFL’s Detroit Lions at 0- 12 as of this writing are winless and are on track of finishing the worst season in franchise history. It is the laughingstock of the football world and is the butt of all kinds of jokes in their football- crazy hometown.

I can still remember vividly what the driver of the Ford Rouge Factory tour bus had said when we passed by and pointed at the Lions’ training facility in Allen Park on our way to the F- 150 factory in Dearborn, “that’s the state of the art training center of the Detroit Lions, they got all the beautiful high tech toys and gadgets in there. If only they learn how to win a game, my world will be better.”

Yes, the Lions, the odd-man out in Detroit’s highly- successful Sports franchises is so pathetic that many people in Motown are actually clamoring for Allen Iverson to ditch the Pistons and lead the hapless Football team as its starting Quarterback.

Now, of course that’s just one of the silly prepositions and the current outrageous joke circulating in various sports bars and tail-gating venues, that maybe, the Answer, who once played QB back in high school (and even won a state title back then) could be the answer to the team’s woes even for a day.

But with the current rot that the Lions are in, I really think that it's worth a try.

Oops…


Anyway, here's AI playing QB and leading his team in High School...

Foul-Me-Not!

Arizona's monumental collapse to UAB--

Mental Lapses? Communication Problems? Coaches' Fault?

Or simply just a case of nerves for some players concerned.


You Tell me...

Trading Places: The Answer for Mr. Big Shot et al

My home team, the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets have made the decision to exchange point guards. Allen Iverson will wear the Pistons jersey for at least a year while it will be a homecoming of sorts for Denver native Chauncey Billups and original Nugget Antonio McDyess (who was added together with reserve center Cheikh Samb to sweeten the deal and create some salary cap rooms in the Pistons locker).


The Pistons are looking to Iverson to finally Answer the riddle why they always end up stuck in the Eastern Conference Finals the last four years despite going all the way to the championships in 2004 while the Denver Nuggets are looking to Mr. Big Shot’s shots in the crucial stages of the game to finally get over the hump which is the First Round of the NBA playoffs.

Whether this blockbuster trade will work out and benefit both teams remains to be seen. At least for now, both teams are happy and think that they made the right decisions to make their teams better and their fans happy. But one thing’s sure; these players albeit in the waning years of their careers will have a sudden impact in their new teams.


Hoop Notes: If the Nuggets will waive him off, just let McDyess go back to the Pistons, the guy just has class and still got some game left in his 34 year old body. But only if the Nuggets will once again decide to part ways with him for the third or will this turn out to be the third time’s a charm for him in Denver?

Hack-a-Shaq

Shaquille O’Neal, the behemoth NBA great who aside from his massive inside presence in the basketball court is also known for missing his free throws like no other. He is also widely- known for his notorious motor mouth that has given him troubles in the past because he never fails to speak his mind out.

At the end of the season last year, he lashed out at coaches for employing the infamous Hack-a-Shaq strategy on him and had some harsh words for Coach Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, one of the leading proponents of the trick calling it as a “coward move."

So, in the first game of the season between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs last night, what did Coach Popovich do?

He gave the big fella a rare variation of the trick when he instructed Michael Finley to hack Shaq, just 5 seconds into the game.


The reactions that followed from the commentators and players alike including Shaq himself regarding the said foul when they finally realized the reason behind it--

PRICELESS.

US Open 9- Ball Championship: Final 4

After 6 days of intense competition on the pool table, the 33rd US Open 9- Ball Championship is down to 4 players.

The last men standing for Saturday’s pool fight are Johnny Archer (USA), Ronnie Alcano (PHI), Mika Immonen (FIN) and Warren Kiamco (PHI).






So, will the warrior in Kiamco prevail over the scorpion in Archer or will it be the other way around? Will the venomous sting of the American pool legend too much for the Filipino warrior to handle?






Or will the fire of the Volcano be too hot to handle for the Iceman? Or will the cool Finn melts the fiery Filipino’s game?



Whatever the outcome, expect a brutal battle among the 4 survivors of the very tough field until the very end.

UPDATE: Mika Immonen won over Ronnie Alcano in the finals.

Rock Stars & Guitar Heroes?

Nets' Devin Harris STUnned

The New Jersey Nets' point guard Devin Harris was STUnned and STUpied by a guy named Stuart Tanner during a one-on-one pick- up basketball game in a playground in the United Kingdom recently.

This guy Stu showed some great ball- handling skills and deft moves as he blitzed pass a game Harris on the way to the basket, embarrassing the NBA point guard in the process.

Of course, the good- natured Harris just laughed it off but to Stuart Tanner, it was another story added to his lore as a playground legend in the UK.

But it will be another story had it occurred in a real NBA game but for entertainment purposes; it was good while it lasted.

Watch the short clip below and enjoy-






Read the story from Basketball 24/7- Here

Yankee Stadium closes after 85 years

By RONALD BLUM
The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter climbed the mound, surrounded by his teammates, and began the final farewell. Microphone in hand, the New York captain addressed the 54,610 fans who came to say so long to Yankee Stadium, his words booming around the old ballpark where the voices of Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle had echoed years before.

"So take the memories from this stadium, add it to the new memories that come with the new Yankee Stadium and continue to pass them on from generation to generation," he said.

The winning tradition that began with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on April 18, 1923, ended with a 7-3 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night. It was a bittersweet evening in which the Yankees staved off postseason elimination rather than add another title to their vast collection.

Next April 16 they open a $1.3 billion palace nearing completion across 161st Street, which also will be called Yankee Stadium. But it will not be the same.

With a yellowish moon rising beyond left-center, Mariano Rivera scooped dirt into a clear container, then took his family out to Monument Park 40 minutes after throwing the final pitch at 11:41 p.m. The grounds crew filled dozens of white buckets with infield dirt — multimillionaire players on both teams had knelt to scoop up the famous soil from the mound and home plate area, stuffing it into their pockets.

Fans stayed around for 45 minutes, not wanting to walk through the exits one last time. Frank Sinatra's recording of "New York, New York" was heard over and over. The organist played "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight." Two dozen mounted police galloped onto the field. The one fan who ran on the field was quickly tackled.

At 4 a.m., Yankees staff and interns were still in the infield, running the bases, throwing each other grounders, drinking beer and digging up dirt.

Hours earlier, Johnny Damon and Jose Molina homered, two final long balls in the park where Ruth hit the first on opening day, a stadium that was baseball's biggest, brightest, grandest stage. The bat that Damon used and Molina's spikes were immediately given to the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte, who along with Jeter helped the Yankees win four World Series titles, got the victory.

"This is going to be right up there as far as special nights," Pettitte said.

Appropriately enough, the final Yankees player to bat in the House that Ruth Built was Jeter, whose grounder to third ended the eighth. He was removed with two outs in the ninth, took the final curtain call and started thinking about what to say.

"I was scared to death. When I was younger I used to get really, really nervous when you have to do an oral report in front of 25 people, so I guess I've come a long way," he recalled later.

Before the game, his great predecessors were remembered during a 65-minute ceremony that included 21 retired players, six of them Hall of Famers.

"I feel like I'm losing an old friend," Reggie Jackson told the crowd.

Julia Ruth Stevens, 92-year-old daughter of the Babe, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

"I'm very, very sad to think that the Yankee Stadium is not going to be in existence any longer," she said. "I wish it could have remained as a New York landmark, but I guess like all things it has come to its final days as we all do."

Fans were allowed on the field starting at 1 p.m. and entered through the left-field seats not far from where Aaron Boone's pennant-clinching home run landed five years ago.

Glenn Bartow and his 13-year-old daughter arrived more than 12 hours before the game began at 8:36 p.m., and were the first ones into Monument Park.

"We come every Sunday," Emily Bartow said.

Visitors touched the 24 plaques and six monuments, posed next to them for family photos. Under the kind of cloudless sky that made people recall summer days of yore, they slowly circled the warning track. Those who could not walk were pushed along in wheelchairs. Parents brought strollers to make sure toddlers got to experience the great ballpark before it is dismantled.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi went onto the field early to sign autographs. Mike Mussina and Alex Rodriguez posed for photos with rooters. Joba Chamberlain even took fans' cell phones and shouted messages to their family and friends.

Bernie Williams, back at the ballpark for the first time since the Yankees cut him two years ago, had his car circle the stadium one last time before he walked in.

"All the memories that I have here, I know that I'm going to have to keep them in my head because this place is not going to be any longer," Williams said. "There is a part of me that feels very sad about watching the stadium go."

Even Yogi Berra knew this was the end. One of the game's most beloved players stood beneath the stands in a full vintage uniform. Now 83, the man who coined the phrase "It ain't over till it's over" put his own stamp on the day.

"I'm sorry to see it over, I'll tell you that," Berra said.

Bob Sheppard, the 90-something public address announcer who started in 1951, read the opening welcome. He missed this season because of illness but recorded his greeting and the introduction of the Yankees starting lineup.

The 1922 American League pennant, the first to fly in the ballpark, was unfurled in the black batter's eye beyond center field. Young men and boys were introduced representing the opening-day lineup in 1923.

Then came the living Yankees who make the stadium a standard for excellence.

Willie Randolph slid into second base when he was announced. Fan favorite Paul O'Neill pointed to the Bleacher Creatures in right field. Williams received the longest ovation, which lasted nearly 2 minutes. Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game here in the 1956 World Series, scooped up soil from the pitcher's mound in a plastic cup, assisted by Whitey Ford.

"That's just priceless," Girardi said.

No mention was made of Roger Clemens, whose legacy has been clouded by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs. George Steinbrenner, the team owner since 1973, did not attend.

Outside, the marquee that usually has the day's start time and opponent said: "Thanks for the Memories." In the seventh, a video was played of Sheppard reading a poem:

"Farewell old Yankee Stadium, farewell/What a wonderful story you can tell/DiMaggio, Mantle, Gehrig and Ruth/A baseball cathedral in truth/Farewell."

It was 1:05 a.m. by the time the grounds crew dug up home plate. The pitching rubber came up 10 minutes later. By then a picture of the Babe, winking, was on the video board.

"See You Across the Street!!" it said.

Hot Shots

I have not seen this guy play but from what I read, he is one hell of a scorer. At 18 years old, Keith Agovida has a long way to go in basketball. I hope he will continue to work hard and improve in every facets of his game in order to help the Philippine National Basketball team in our future wars against our Asian neighbors.

He scored 82 points in an NCAA juniors game to set a new Philippine scoring record and in the process erased the long held record of Allan Caidic wherein the Triggerman scored 79 points in the PBA 9 years or so ago.

I'll let ABS- CBNNews do the talking from here on--

High school basketball player Keith Agovida of Jose Rizal Light Bombers unleashed a record-setting shooting binge never seen before in Philippine basketball as he scored 82 points in a 127-49 rout of Mapua Friday.

NCAA officials said the 18-year-old, 6’1" Agovida is now NCAA's highest scorer in over 80 years.

It is the highest in the league's history since Letran Squire Marlon Bola Bola dropped 71 in the '70s.

It is also the highest scoring output in the history of Philippine basketball since Allan "The Triggerman" Caidic torched the net with 79 points in 1987 in the professional basketball league.

Agovida, who scored 23, 13, 20 and 26 in the four quarters, also beat the second-highest scoring output in NBA history, Kobe Bryant’s 81.

With the win, the Light Bombers remained third overall with eight wins and four loses.

Thunder Shootfest

The NBA team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics moved into new territory this year and has now evolved into the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But there’s no sonic boom here since many fans think that the new name doesn’t fit its new home at all.

Many are also not quite happy with the design of the team’s logo; to put it mildly it was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, it was mediocre to say the least, even a fifth- grader well- versed in computer graphics could do better than what the people behind the franchise are trying to sell to us basketball fans.

Don’t get me wrong since I do collect NBA jerseys although I hate the monochromatic Spurs’ jerseys; still there are plenty of things to cheer about in San Antonio with Duncan, Ginobili and Parker still around and dribbling.

But to grab a jersey with a very dull color combination and corny design from a team who will never make the playoffs for years to come or at least until they bring in the much needed help to Kevin Durant, I’d better stick to my tried and tested Royal Purple instead.

No, Oklahoma, I think I'll pass on that jersey this time.

Hoops Gold

The United States Men’s Basketball team who went undefeated finally achieved its goal when they bagged the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that eluded them in international competition for eight long years.

The NBA- backed powerhouse team led by league MVP Kobe Bryant steamrolled over their opponents by beating their opponents by an average of 30 points in the early goings of the tournament but had to put an extra effort to subdue a game and tough Spanish team 118- 107 for the coveted championship.

Thus, USA Basketball regained its rightful status and to quote Carmelo Anthony, “on top of the world!”

Golden Girls

As the saying goes, “when it rains, it pours.”

And in Beijing the rain turns out golden for the dynamic duo of Misty May- Treanor and Kerri Walsh as they notched their 108th consecutive victory and once again bagged their second consecutive Olympics gold medal in beach volleyball against the game Tian Jia and Wang Jie of host China.

They played and engaged the Chinese duo fueled by cheers from the home crowd into a hard- fought and tactical dogfight in the rain.

In the end the Americans’ superior tactics and vast experience proved to be the catalyst as they beat the host with identical scores of 21- 18, two sets to none.

The Lion King

Yes, the Lion roars once again.

2004 World Champion Alex “the Lion” Pagulayan of the Philippines recently ruled the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters 9- Ball Tournament by beating the Iceman from Finland, Mika Immonen 8- 6 held May 9-11 at the Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas to add the title to his already impressive resume.

The diminutive Pagulayan has once been accused of “sharking” by some Filipino billiards officials during one of the Legs of the Asian 9- Ball Tour in the past that led to him declining to play under the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) sanctioned tournaments which in turn eventually led to a falling out with the said group.

On a side note, the BSCP now has to contend with a new player in the scene, the Billiards Managers Associations of the Philippines (BMAP) which is composed of the managers of the biggest and brightest pool players in the Philippines headed by the Legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante, Ronato Alcano, Dennis Orcollo and of course Alex Pagulayan among others who broke away from them over disagreement in principles.

I think the Philippine officials were just over-reacting and trying to obscure the real issue against them and Pagulayan: money- matters. Alex Pagulayan is known for being a comedian in person and his comedic antics during competition, which is mostly directed at himself, make him usually the crowd- favorite.

Sharking, by the way, is a behavior used by hustlers to cause their opponents to lose focus. This kind of behavior may be banned in various competitions around the world but it is an accepted practice in pool halls in the Philippines where money- game duel is the usual norm. This is done by either the opposite player or by his supporters not only to cheer for their favorite player but also to distract their opponents.

Sharking I think is what separates the Filipino pool players from the rest since they were so used to the noise and distractions back home that they usually remain composed during big time tournaments abroad.

Anyway, this latest victory by a Filipino cue master in a top- notch tournament once again proved that Filipinos are still the best pool players in the world today, hands down.

Just Do It

Here's the new Nike TV Ad featuring Kobe Bryant, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Liu Xiang and Manny Pacquiao.

Slamma Jamma

The Basketball world was abuzz with the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard's thunderous dunks capped by donning the cape of Superman that brought the house down at the 2008 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest held Saturday Night in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Although his dunks were really good and deserve a place to be in the list of the best dunks that were ever seen in the NBA's annual slam dunk competition, for me it was not the best in the history of the NBA All Stars weekend side event.

Yes, Dwight Howard’s creativity was evident in his dunks but they’re not as spectacular as the dunks made by Vince Carter in the 2000 edition of the contest.

In my book, Vinsanity’s insane repertoire of dunks was the greatest and the best of all time. Carter showed us not only his creative side but also his enormous jumping prowess as he did one thunderous dunk after another to rule the one- sided contest against his cousin and teammates with the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets, among others.

You can also include in the list 5’ 7” Spud Webb’s amazing feat in the 1986 edition wherein he bested his more illustrious teammate, Dominique Wilkins to become the shortest player in history to win the coveted Slam Dunk King title.

But the most intense and electrifying head-to-head match up in the history of the slam dunk contest was the 1988 battle between the Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks and His Airness, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls.

They engaged in a virtual dogfight highlighted by their creativity and intense competitiveness. Where Dominique was power personified, Michael was a mirror of finesse and elegance. The slugfest literally went to the last dunk where Michael Jordan won it by flying from the free throw line as he slammed the ball home to the delight of the Chicago crowd.




2008 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Competition




2000 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest: Vince Carter


The Human Highlight Film versus His Airness



1986 NBA All Star Dunk Contest: Spud Webb

Super Bowl XLII: The NY Giants Dwarfs the NE Patriots

The football world is in a state of shock at the end of Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona as Eli Manning and the New York Giants towered over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in what could be considered one of the biggest upset in NFL history thus ending the Patriots' almost-perfect season at 18-0 and failing to win the biggest prize in football and a stab at immortality stopped at their 19th game.

It was one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history what with the nip and tuck game where the result wasn’t decided until the dying seconds of the game.

I really thought the game was already over when Tom Brady threw to Randy Moss for a touchdown with 2:42 to go. But I was wrong.

The NY Giants had to labor and did an uphill climb with less than 2 minutes in the game with spectacular plays from the Giants highlighted by the escape of Eli Manning from the blitz and throwing the ball in traffic to David Tyree who in turn leaped hight to catch it under pressure to commence their comeback. It was a hard- fought battle wherein the outcome was finally decided when WR Plaxico Buress caught Eli Manning's pass for the game- winning touchdown with 35 seconds left.

There were 3 lead changes in the 4th Quarter, a Super Bowl Record and defense dictated the outcome as the Giants shutdown the highest- scoring team in the NFL.

Eli Manning equaled what his elder brother Peyton’s achievement last year and did it in spectacular fashion in the dying seconds of the game earning him not only the MVP award but the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy for his team.

It was sweet victory for the much- maligned Eli who was often criticized for his erratic plays in the regulaar season and compared to his more illustrious older brother.

All that is water under the bridge now as he is now a Super Bowl Champion and thus earned for the Manning family a rare honor of having two members winning the Super Bowl in consecutive years.

I always root for the underdog and I was telling everybody even before the game started that the NY Giants will win the big game. Nobody actually believed it even after the game ended as many were dumbstruck and dumbfounded by the outcome.

But in my blog entry after the Giants' win over the GB Packers, I pointed out that the NY Giants could win the Big One since the NE Patriots are beatable if their December 29, 2007 game against each other will be the yardstick since they were leading the Patriots until their 38- 35 collapse in the end.

It was one amazing run and finish for the NY Giants as they showed a lot of heart and character as they rallied to become the first Wildcard in NFC history to win the Super Bowl. It was the second Wildcard to win the Super Bowl in since 2005 when the Pitsburgh Steelers did the trick in Detroit in Super Bowl XL.

The win is actually sweet for Eli Manning since Tom Brady refused his handshake during the warm- up before the start of the game. On the other hand, it was a bitter pill to swallow for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as their 18-0 perfect season crumbled in the end.

Once again, the Underdog Triumphs and a New Champion is born.

How Sweet It Is!

Giant Upset

When the epic battle in the freezing weather was over, the New York Giants towered over the favored Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin and booked themselves a seat to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona.

The match tested both teams' will and grit in the freezing temperature where the mercury pegged at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit and wind chill to minus 24, in what is probably one of the coldest, if not the coldest one in professional football history.

It was a nip and tuck battle between two highly- determined teams of gladiators that wasn’t decided until veteran Green Bay Quarterback Brett Favre made an uncharacteristic mistake when his pass was intercepted by the Giants’ Corey Webster paving the way for Lawrence Tynes’ game clinching 47- yard kick for the NFC Championship with a final score of 23- 20 in overtime.

The Giants won their first NFC championship since 2000 behind Eli Manning’s resurgence and heads- up play in the post season, their hard work on the defensive end and of course, Tynes’ game- winning kick which proved that three’s a charm for him having missed two kicks earlier, one of which could have won them the game in regulation.

It was sweet vindication for Eli Manning who was often criticized for his inconsistency in the field and with a famous and illustrious sibling named Peyton of the Indianapolis Colts who won the Super Bowl XLI last year in Miami, the pressure on him to win the big one is quite enormous.

By the way, Peyton, whose team was dethroned by the Chargers this year, did not watch the game in Lambeau Field so as not to jinx his younger brother in his quest for glory and I think the ploy work.

Eli Manning and the New York Giants (13-6) did it in the end, their struggle to get a wild card just to continue playing in the playoffs was relegated to the background and now they have a chance to go for the big one albeit an uphill climb at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona against the magnificent Tom Brady and the New England Patriots who is the only team in history to own an undefeated season at 18- 0 and won handily against a depleted San Diego Chargers earlier in the day.

But the Patriots are beatable if the Giants' game against them last December 29, 2007 will be the yardstick wherein the Giants led by 12 points in the third quarter before collapsing 38- 35.

As the cliché goes, “It ain’t over ‘til its over” and the Giants are out to prove that come February 3 but only if they can handle the pressure of playing in the biggest game in the biggest of stage of their lives on Super Bowl Sunday.