Huwebes, Hulyo 17, 2014

UAAP Scenes: Opening Weekend


Best of the Weekend. The ultimate collegiate battle ground has been baptized for the 77th time in the history of Philippine sports. This is thrilling enough to be placed as "Best of the Weekend", especially for freshmen college students looking for something cool (and 'in') for social media.


Photo courtesy of GMA News


Saturday Results. The UE Red Warriors butt-bared the UP Fighting Maroons, 87-59. The FEU Tamarraws upset the DLSU Green Archers, 82-77. 


Sunday Results. The Ateneo Blue Eagles out-flew the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 79-57. The NU Ray Parks crushed the UST Growling Tigers, 59-40.


Worst of the Weekend. I know a lot of people wouldn't mind spending long times reading this, so I'll sum it up in seven figures. UST Growling Tigers and their 25 turnovers.


Heir Tolomia. The FEU Tamarraws probably felt worst when they knew about them locking horns with the DLSU Green Archers -the team to beat this season- in the main game of opening day. But fierce as they are, coach Nash Racela's boys are up to the challenge. After receiving a few jabs in the first half, and scoring just 2 points, Mike Tolomia decided to bare his "Heir To Romeo" mode and dropped 21 in the 2nd half. Tolomia's zone spark ignited fellow Moraytans Mark Bello and Russell Escoto to pick up dirt piles and help bury the Archers down. Tolomia and Bello combined for 43 points to outbro Jeron Teng and Almond "36 minutes" Vosotros.   


Demolition Nationale. With Bobby Ray Parks exiting the premises of his Bustillos home, the NU Bulldogs crashed down in preseason ranks. This season, they are out to prove how wrong that is, and they started last Sunday. Their unknowing prey, the Growling Tigers of UST. Gelo Alolino took the reigns early and scored 13 points for NU. Big gun newcomer Alfred Aroga posted 8 points while dominating the paint and magnetizing UST's cotton candy defense, allowing Alolino and Jeth Rosario to do damage from the outside. NU forced UST to commit, submit, give in, give up, and other words synonyming to surrender, to 25 turnovers. The results were clear, the Bulldogs are as hungry as ever, and the Tigers, as crazy as it is, are in need of players in all positions not named Karim Abdul.


Wise Scheduling. I'm not sure about how the UAAP came up with their round 1 schedule, but the UE Warriors opening their season hosting against UP is plain wise. Hosts should win first games. That simple. Thanks to Gino Jumao-as offensive outburst, Moustapha Arafat's 15 gigantic rebounds, and Roi Sumang's 6 lead assists. No, Moustapha Arafat is not related to Simba.


Ravena Up, Ravena Down. I don't want to take away anything from Ateneo's blowout on Adamson, but only three things are noteworthy from that game. Keifer Ravena's 22-point explosion, Keifer Ravena's two monstrous dunks, and Thirdy Ravena's rookie jitters.


Best of the Weekend (Fashion Edition). Despite losing a close game against FEU, the DLSU coaching staff sported green jeans! No question, these pants are better than their second half defense. Runner up to these greenies twinnies is NU Bulldogs center Henri Betayene's in-game goggles. In an era filled with stylish and technological arm and leg sleeves, a pair of round and thick goggles can very well give us goggle giggles. So, sit down Aroga! 


Bits.

-I'm sure Roi Sumang's side burns will highlight at something this season. Wait and see.

-Turnovers trended last week. UST had 25, Roger Pogoy had 8.

-I'm a huge Nike fan, except for those Nike-made jerseys for DLSU, FEU, and Ateneo. Man, I wouldn't wear a jersey with our team name on my stomach, and my number on my pubis. Jeez.

-Kevin Ferrer posted un-Kevin Ferrer averages last Sunday. That includes 3.0 pukes.

-Aljon Mariano paid tribute to his jersey number in the worst possible time. 10 minutes lagging on defense, 10 points on 10% shooting. King Tiger.

-Those Adamson kids better grow up fast. That's per coach Kenneth Duremdes, who helped Marlou Aquino grow up a little faster. Marlou' son is playing under coach K.

-Anyway, we are just getting started. And no matter how long this season might be, I'm pretty sure there's always something that's longer. Right, NCAA?


Follow @lfredgarrido on Twitter. 

PBA Scenes: The 2014 PBA All-Star Friday










Best of the Night. Early in the third quarter of the Legends Game, Noli Locsin, at almost 85 years old, with each and every bit of his 375 pound torso, bent his heavily plastered knees, recharged his flying force through his sown meniscus, launched himself through the air and, in front of these heavily fascinated eyes of mine, slammed the leather through the innocent looking rim. That might just be a 2-point dunk but we all know that these times, everytime the Bee Gees hold a concert, it always sells out. I’m actually good at hiding meanings between the lines. Anyway, this is just pure fascination, so maybe it’s time to get into…


The Real Best of the Night. Justin Melton and Rey Guevarra, mano-a-mano. The PBA’s dunk contest has gone through its Dark Ages that featured a really weird Snorkel Dunk, to the KG Canaleta Era, to the birth of its Golden Age, which was baptized by last night’s eye-sweet, mouth watering, nerve whacking, between-legs-filled, bounce-pass-filled, jumping-over-everybody-filled, and epically epic duel. Quick Melt and Papa Rey ended up as Co-Champions when they finished the entire event with twin scores, which means that Chris Ellis will have to add up more skill points on dunking, at his real life My Player Mode.      

Worst of the Night. I don’t really get the point of Chris Ellis and Japeth Aguilar tanking the dunk contest. I mean, you don’t get a good draft position by doing bad at the dunk contest. No, really. Add the fact that 99.78 percent of Filipinos believed they’re actually bromancing in the event’s finals. Bruh. Well at least Japeth keeps a video of him missing huge, and open dunks, on his iPhone.

Shooting Shirt. Globalport’s sleeved jerseys look like a shooting shirt. The word there is “shooting”, which is basically the only way a player can win the Three-Point Shootout. Guess what, Mark Macapagal of the Globalport Batang Pier, wearing a shooting shirt-like jersey, dropped in 24 points to reclaim the shootout crown from Rain or Shine’s favorite Chris, in the PBA’s first ever shootout that featured a Moneyball Rack. Oh well, shooters wearing shooting shirts do nothing but shoot.

The Versatile. Mark Barocca of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers munched on the Obstacle Challenge. Throughout, the Coffee Prince shot 6 of 6 field goals, cleared 12 of 12 dribbling lanes, and threaded 6 of 6 passes, all without a miss. What’s amazing is that he did them all in a time that was way faster than you reading this portion, you finishing to yawn, and you getting your corny friend’s senseless joke.

The Versatired. Except from Topex Robinson who actually has a built in battery charger, every PBA legend looked tired midway through warm-ups.

Absents. Four remarkable figures have absented themselves from the festivities. A.) I’m not sure but I think Terrence Romeo’s back backed-out from the Skills Challenge, or no one told him that it was supposed to be last night. Though it required passing, he could have made a difference in the Obstacles. B.) James Yap chose to spend Friday night with Baby James and do fatherly things to his motherly son. Excused. But he could have made a difference in the Three-Point Shootout. C.) Arwind Santos wasn’t able to join the dunk contest (yet again) for some reasons. That’s all. D.) It felt like my 960 bucks wasn’t worth it when I learned that Bal David won’t be in the Legends Game. But thanks to the dunk bros, it was all worth it.

PBA Stalwarts vs. PBA Greats Bits of the Night.


-This crazy pick-up game ended in a draw, 136-all.

-It involved 60 year olds and former Titos of the Year, then you’re wondering why there’s no overtime? Seriously?
-The game started after the Dunk Contest but the dunk dudes from the previous event weren’t really done yet.
-All in all, Rey Guevarra, Justin Melton, and Cliff “Ryan Bang” Hodge combined for a total number of dunks that equal your grandmother’s age.
-Include Noli Locsin’s dunk in there, of course.
-In the end, Rey Guevarra was the greatest and the stalwartest of ‘em all, scoring 34 points from 14 or so dunks, and grabbing 3 rebounds.
-And before I forget, Richard Del Rosario hit a crucial three-pointer that ignited the sleepy Lower Box.
-But the most crucial and clutchiest three came from Ronjay Buenafe, who tied the game at its final score with less than 6 ticks remaining.
-From my view, though wide open, Buenafe’s shot curved a little bit to the right, so I really thought it was not going in. And my eyes circled while it was actually going in. And it went in. Well I guess that’s why he’s the PBA player and I am the writer.
-Franz Pumaren had 0 points, which equaled Jeffrey Cariaso’s minutes.
-Aside from these, everything else was pick-up game clichés.