The Game's Game...

2005-10-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Championship Blog

disclaimer: this piece has been in my drafts for the longest time and im just posting this finally. :)

It has been quite a while since my last visit here in Cyberworld. 1 month i think to be exact. A lot of things went down while I was out. This and that, this and that... the boring world of a corporate slave... work, home, sleep.

Well, i am determined not to follow the norms of that world, i am determined to have at least an ounce of variety into my everyday life.

That variety is common to all Filipino males. Basketball. Basketball is my way to breakout of the normalcy of the corporate world. Basketball is my way to express.

Well, good thing for me, Accenture does support the notion of work-life balance, and thus support extra-curricular programs such as Accenture's basketball program. The Game can still be The Game. We have the Accenture Basketball League, which is our bread and butter in our sports program. It gives me personally a sense of accomplishment to see that other sports program in Accenture and other companies for that matter pattern some of their program after the ABL. The real heroes here are my friends Vin and Fred, who do the work behind the scenes. Im just happy to be a part of it.

Apart from the ABL, it gives me grate honor to be a part of the Accenture Basketball team. Im glad to be a part of it since day 1, from the initial tryouts. Last Saturday, we completed that journey with a championship in the Gillette MBL Vector Cup.

Ahh the Gillette MBL Vector Cup.

Another league for basketball enthusiasts. A great one at that. You get to play against ex-pros, campus legends and corporate aces.

That day, i was fortunate enough to play for 2 championship games. One for the Open Division, the strongest division of the league, and one for the Corporate Division, which in my view is the next strongest division of the league.

First game was the Open division championship. We were up against the undefeated CKP team which has blown away their competition throughout the tournament. We lost by 36 the first we played this guys. This team was composed of current varsity players and some players who are playing in the PBL. But this time, Team Abesamis, that's our team was finally complete. We have Rainier Sison, an ex-PBA player who had just come from a foot surgery to remove bone spurs from his foot. We also had Mike Buendia, a NBC player whose intelligence on the court is unmatched, and we also had the Gregorio Brothers, Pao and Yong, who are legends in the Ateneo basketball scene. So there we went, we fought hard and valiantly, we even led most of the way. They caught up with us, and then with them leading by 2 points, Pao uncharacteristically missed a layup in the dying minutes... it was a very disheartening loss for us, who had dominated the much more younger and superior team, only to falter at the end. But i think we showed that we were the strongest team out there. It was fun playing with ex-pro players, you really learn a lot just by playing with them.

The next game was the championship of Team Accenture vs. NU3 Foods. Here is a story i wrote for the company bulletin. :)

So the game started, and surprisingly NU3 came out strong out of the gates, hitting their first 4 shots, and actually led 10-4 midway into the first quarter, with only ‘The Big Difference’ Lincoln Ty scoring the first 4 points of Team Accenture and keeping them in the game in the early goings. Then ‘The Quick Brown Fox’ PA Papa, and Ryan David combined efforts along with the defense of ‘One-Man Press’ Sean Calma to put Team Accenture ahead at the end of the first quarter by 11, which was punctuated by a buzzer-beating lay-up by Niku Valles. Defense and transition offense again was the key for Team Accenture during the first quarter.
In the second canto, Team Accenture continued to run past their slower opponents as Niku Valles, Melvin Castrence, and Noel Umapas led the fast break attack of Team Accenture as they increased their lead to 19, 31-12. Then, the complexion of the game began to change. NU3 began using their size, heft and their familiarity to the physical type of game and slowly forced their way back into the game. Corporate Division MVP Ian Sanchez of NU3 led the inside attack with nice low post moves while front court partner Mike Arandia proved to be a bigger thorn on Accenture’s defense as he buried his mid range jumpers with regularity as there was no answer to his offensive barrage. With this NU3 run and Team Accenture’s inability to score under pressure, the once mighty 19 pt lead was trimmed down to 4 pts at halftime.
The 3rd quarter began with NU3’s Ian Sanchez burying a corner 3-point shot, to trim the Accenture down to a solitary point. ‘The Rifleman’ PJ David tried to keep Team Accenture ahead with his offense as he shown that he was not just a 3-pt threat but was an all-around player as well. Pat Cruz would come in later and provide perimeter defense, and toughness in the guard position, as the 3rd quarter became a rugged see-saw battle, with NU3 Foods, behind their crowd who suddenly got alive after being silent for the early parts, threatening to pull ahead of Team Accenture. But everytime NU3 Foods had a chance to grab the lead, they end up missing the shot and Team Accenture would quickly capitalize. This quarter also saw the struggles of Niku Valles, as he failed to lift up his team’s play, as he committed turnover after turnover, and forced shot after forced shot. This quarter ended with NU3 further closing on Team Accenture, only behind by a point, 50-49.
In the crucial 4th quarter, NU3 supporters expected the much more veteran NU3 Team to simply take over the game, but Team Accenture had other plans in mind. Their dominating season would be nothing if it did not end with the Division title. With this in mind, and true to Coach Artie Gloria’s words, “OUR TIME!!!” became the motto of Team Accenture. Putting behind their troubles in the last two quarters, they bore down defensively as RJ Timtiman stayed away from foul trouble to anchor the inside defense of Team Accenture. Offensively, Wilmore Gregorio, who was struggling with his perimeter game, got Team Accenture started with a nifty drive to push the lead back up to 3, at 52-49. Then, after a few exchanges with no score, ‘The Green Lantern’ Bambie Aldeguer buried the biggest shot of the game.
Left wide open in the right quarter court area, Bambie, always known to go for the big shot, drilled in a backbreaking 3-pt shot, to further distance Team Accenture from NU3 Foods. With the 3pt shot, Team Accenture was now ahead 55-49, and they would never look back. Ryan David, and PJ David would continue the offensive onslaught for Team Accenture, with Ryan burying short jumpers and PJ adding another big 3-pointer. At about the 6-minute mark, Niku Valles would reenter the fray to redeem his 3rd quarter woes and ignited another big run along with PA Papa, as they terrorized the ball-handlers of NU3 and finish them with quick points in the fastbreak, as they have done all league long. PA would also prove to be a thorn in the NU3 Food’s side in terms of rebounding as the diminutive PA would challenge the bigger guys of NU3 under the boards and would usually end up with the ball in his hands. Niku would put the game away for good with a 3-pointer and a foul for a rare 4-point play opportunity. Carl Bersales, Richmond Go, and Jap Constantino, along with Melvin and Bambie would finish of the game, with Carl playing great defense and finishing on fastbreaks, Jap and Richmond controlling the paint, and Melvin and Bambie as the offensive options.
If there was a finals MVP, PA Papa would have been the obvious choice. He simply played an awesome game, finishing with 17 pts, 9 big rebs, 5 assts, and 5 stls. Niku Valles was right there with him, as he had 17 pts, 2 rebs, 3 assts, and 1 stl. They both lead a balanced scoring Accenture team who had 3 more players who scored in double figures. 4th quarter hero Bambie Aldeguer finished with 11 pts. He also had 6 rebs. Lincoln Ty was big down low. He got 10 pts, 9 rebs and 2 stls, while Ryan David finished with 10 pts, 8 rebs, and 2 assts. NU3 was led by Mike Arandia, who burned the nets for 23 pts. He also had 10 rebs, and 3 stls. Team Accenture defense limited NU3 main man to 6 pts, on 1-11 FG shooting. He did get 12 rebs and 3 assts.
Once again the coaching staff did an awesome job of leading the team in this game. In fact, they were at their best as well, and deserve as much credit as the players with the championship victory. Coach Artie Gloria did a wonderful job on his rotation and calling of plays. He kept on motivating his players and kept telling them, that it is ‘OUR TIME!’ Assistant coaches Ever Dioco, and Miguel Domingo provided Artie with the necessary checks and assistance throughout the game, and they would talk with the players one-on-one and explain to them how they could help the team more. Team Managers Alvin Tsang and Fred Chua were as equally valued as well, as they also helped the coaching staff with their basketball expertise. They also made sure that the team as provided for with what was necessary.
When the buzzer sounded, there was jubilation from the Accenture gallery. Team Accenture has finally swept the entire MBL Corporate league. Together, they had triumph. Team Accenture had won a hard, grueling championship battle, and they proved that they truly deserved the title. The awarding ceremonies followed after. PA Papa, PJ David, and Niku Valles of Team Accenture were named to the Gillette MBL Vector Cup Corporate Division Mythical Five. They were joined by Ian Sanchez of NU3 Foods, and Phillip Francisco of Petron. Our very own PA Papa won the Defensive Player of the Year for the Corporate Division, while NU3 Food power forward Ian Sanchez won the Corporate Division Most Valuable Player Award. And of course your Team Accenture was awarded the Championship trophy right after. Each of the Team Accenture players will then be awarded medals as Gillette MBL Vector Cup Corporate Division Champions. It was truly a proud day for the Accenture Community.
From the first announcement of the open tryouts for Team Accenture, to the hard practices of the Team Accenture pool, to the suicide drills and competitive scrimmages, to the tune-up games Team Accenture played in, and finally to the start of the league, Team Accenture has displayed the greatest asset in team sports, TEAMWORK. This Teamwork was developed through the weekly practices, and then into the games. This has been the heart and soul of Accenture basketball, and in this MBL Vector Cup, it was never more evident. A team composed of Accenture Basketball League Superstars, sacrificing each of their games and egos to make Team Accenture a champion team, and to watch them hoist up the championship trophy and share in the glory of the title, was just a beauty to behold. It is really OUR TIME…
It has been a very successful season for Accenture basketball. A Final Four finish in the Manila Invitational Basketball League, and a championship in the Gillette MBL Vector Cup. Surely this is not the end, but only the beginning.
Congratulations to Team Accenture as a whole and to those who supported Team Accenture, Thank you…

2005-09-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan High School
4A Batch 97

I was browsing through the blogspots of my good friends, brod jumangs, and his latest blog was about reliving the past, more specifically High School, since tonight, us high school classmates are meeting up, taking a break from our hectic professional lives to catch up on how things are in our lives, and things to look forward to.

Ahhh 4A 97, a special group of individuals, each with her own strong will, with his own unique personality that each can back up with a mind of a seasoned professor.

So here we are going to meet up again. Just as Brod Jumangs have said, there is always a rush of emotions whenever i meetup with these guys. These guys are like brothers to me. I really think highly of them. Everybody has his or her own unique identity and character.

Of course when you put together 49 brilliant minds, there is always the tendency to clash and we were not exemted, but we knew how to handle it, and before matters could get any worse were always there picking each other up, and helping them get back on track.

Those were the years, the years when everybody wanted to find their identity, their own place. Everybody wanted to carve their own niche, but i think through our individuality, through our eagerness to carve our individual niche, along the way, we left a mark, one united mark as 4A97. One of our classmate is now a municipal councilor, two are doctors to be, at least one is a lawyer to be, one is a basketball superstar in CDO (wish it was me), and almost all are employed right now. 3 have started their own families and are living quite well. But despite of this, the mark of being an Atenean, of being a 4A, a 4A batch 97, this will be an identity we will never forget and i personally will always be proud of.

Why? In high school, i realized my potential, that i could be whatever i wanna be, but despite what i wanna be, i could be generous enough to be a man for others, so that others will benefit from my actions, i think that's what my potential really is.

High school was the best part of my life. I was able to maintain a high standing in class while being a competitive basketball player. I learned about a lot of things inside and outside the room. I drank my first alcohol and got drunk while i was in high school, i smoked my first cigarette, and i had my first girlfriend. but through it all the value of friendship and responsiblity and having fun always stood up for me.

I have had a lot of friends in my life but nothing compares to these guys, my brothers, and companions...

AMDG bai, Ang Mangopya Dako Grado!

Tonight, 4A97 rules! :)

2005-09-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

Balance

Oh boy, it has been forever since i last visited my blog site. I just came from a renewing and refreshing vacation, and now im more ready than ever to face maybe even harder challenges... or am i...

Regradless of that, i just came to ponder in recent days, that life is all about balance... balance between black and white, good and evil, joy and sadness, bright and dark, you can name it all that you want, balance has to be struck somewhere.

I always believed that too much or too less of something is evil. Too much love will kill you, as Queen's song goes. It means giving too much of yourself will ultimately leave nothing for your own. You can't love others unless you love yourself right? Too less of love, if there is such a thing only means youre an asshole, whoever you are. You basically go in a relationship, hoping that you are going to learn to love this guy or girl. Well, i think that is a lot of BS. You are being unfair to your partner if that's the case right? It means you're basically just looking out only for yourself. Where is the balance struck? The balance is struck in my humble opinion, when the amount of love, if ever you can quantify love, is equal for both parties. This cancels out the amount of emotional energy and the actions it brings that each party will be willing to give or receive, thus balance. Both party will feel fulfilled, will feel free, and will feel happiness once this is achieved, right? Of course there are other factors that decide happiness, but again these factors will also have to go through balance.

When do we know that we are doing too much or too less of something? Have you ever experienced the feeling of, "What is lacking in my life?" Balance is lacking... That feeling of unfulfilledness, that feeling of lacking something is somehow lacking of something that you expect too receive while dishing out much effort to get that something. Did i do as much as i can to deserve that something? Or did not do enough for me not to get that something? This is a question that we ourselves have to answer. Or did i do something to upset the fragile balance that is rarely experienced wholy in one man's life?

Living simply means that balance could be struck as easily in their lives. Living simply doesn't need the complexities of material things. Just looking out the window with a positive outlook is a form of living simply, which in effect will trickle down to achieving balance in our lives.

People have been asking the Lord, God, let me find the balance in all this mess. In order for you to do so, the Good Lord lets us find it for ourselves first, that's how He helps us achieve balance.

Balance equals peace, balance equals freedom, balance equals fulfillment. Everyone is capable of striking balance, or equilibrium in their lives, but the question is... would you admit that your life may not be balanced in the first place?

Would you?

2005-09-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

Another week

Ahhh it's been almost a week since my last blog... awww i missed it. :)

Kidding aside, this past week has been sort of a up and down week for me, and for some of those i know and are close to me. Really, this past week has been sort of entertaining.

Team Accenture, a team composed of the stars of the Accenture Basketball League, has rolled into 3 straight big wins in the Gillette Metro Basketball League Vector Cup so kudos to everyone involved. They have exhibit teamwork and trust in each other and they deserve this fast start. We hope that we end up with the title in our hands. I am very excited to be in this team, and im very honored to be playing with this guys. I just hope the Accenture community show a little more support for this team. Even in the office, when people come up to me, talking about Team Accenture, that's already enough for me. :)

Anyway, i really dont know what i wanna right about, this past week has just been tiring for me.

oh oh oh!!! i finally learned how to play the drums... a bit!!! ahahaha finally after months of pretending and trying, i can jam with Brod Jumangs and Nat2x with me on the drums. I shall practice some more in the coming days.

No matter what happens, let us face each day with hope and positivity in our hearts. :) - mine heehhe

2005-08-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Something somethings part 1

Top 10 Basketball Players of All-time
1. Michael Jordan
2. Bill Russel
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Larry Bird
5. Magic Johnson
6. Julius Erving
7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
8. Lebron James
9. Scottie Pippen
10. Hakeen Olajuwon

Top 10 Basketball Players in the NBA right now
1. Lebron James
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Tim Duncan
5. Dwayne Wade
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Allen Iverson
8. Tracy McGrady
10. Kobe Bryant

Top 10 Basketball Players All-Time PBA
1. Ramon Fernandez
2. Alvin Patrimonio
3. Bogs Adornado
4. Robert Jaworski
5. Samboy Lim
6. Allan Caidic
7. Benjie Paras
8. Philip Cesar
9. Kenneth Duremdes
10. Johnny Abbarientos

Top 10 Basketball Players Active PBA
1. Asi Taulava
2. Eric Menk
3. Jimmy Alapag
4. Dondon Hontiveros
5. Renren Ritualo
6. Mike Cortez
7. Nic Belasco
8. Mark Caguioa
9. Jayjay Helterbrand
10. Willie Miller

Top 10 Songs
1. You'll Be Safe Here - Rivermaya
2. Fly Away - Nelly
3. Time to Play the Game - Motorhead
4. Butterfly Carnival - Sandwich
5. With A Smile - Eraserheads
6. Fade Away - Sugarfree
7. Soul to Squeeze - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
8. Noypi - Bamboo
9. 214 - Rivermaya
10. I-You - Bamboo

Top 10 Movies
1. Men of Honor
2. Lord of The Rings Trilogy
3. Matrix Trilogy
4. Star Wars Saga
5. Blue Chips
6. Above the Rim
7. Coach Carter
8. The Longest Yard
9. Any Given Sunday
10. Passion

Watch out for more top 10!!!

2005-08-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Just Like Old Times...

Just like old times, you feel like you couldn't wait for weekend, like you feel like time couldn't move any slower, and you are just counting the seconds away each day till saturday.

I felt these emotions when i was in elementary, and high school, each time we had a game coming up on the weekend. I would always take a look at my wrist watch, counting seconds, minutes, hours, praying that the time will go more faster.

Yeah we practice, but the game is really exciting. You get so hyped up, you get so high during practice, you get so fired up waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting... Then when finally that time comes, you just explode in the court... in a good way of course. :)

This Saturday, Team Accenture-MBL opens its Gillette MBL Vector Cup campaign against a strong Petron Team. You cant ask for a better first game than this. The team that has been touted as a championship contender, against Team Accenture, a team made up of young guys who are not as exposed as other players in the league are, but no doubt Team Accenture players will make waves of an impact upon the whole league.

Because i have a teammate for the other division that is playing for Petron, im naturally a marked man this Saturday. Do i foresee a problem? No problem... The Game ismore than ready to take the challenge on. But this time around, the Game ain't alone.

Im really excited playing with the best players in Accenture. Im gonna enjoy playing decoy this saturday. Sure im a marked man, but my teammates are not, and it will be fun getting that ball to them for easy points. And these are impact players.

We have ABL 2K5 Rookie of the Year Lincoln Ty, ABL 2002 MVP Lynodon Macasiljig, quick guards like PA Papa, Noel Umapas, Carl Bersales and Sean Calma. Shooters like Richmond Go, PJ David. Inside-out threats like Melvin Castrence, Bambie Aldeguer, and Wilmore Gregorio. Talented big men like RJ Timtimtan, Ryan David and Jap Constantino. Reserve players like Albee Sanchez, Red Valdez, Don Naranjo, Pat Cruz, and Carlo Enriquez. What more could you ask for... We believe we can do it, and these guys got the tools to do it.

Come Saturday, first game... i just cant wait... just like old times.

2005-08-30T01:44:00.000-07:00

A Movie Review... of sorts...

The Longest Yard, a comedy movie about a washed up, banned-for-life-for-point-shaving, former NFL (National Football League) quarterback MVP, Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler), whose life went south after being kicked off the league about 6 years ago to the setting. He lived wrecklessly since then, ultimately cuminating in him thrown in jail for 3 years for a number of violations in traffic, assault of police properties, stolen vehicle and wrecking his ex-girl's latest Bentley.

Anyway, while being in jail, he finds out that it was the football-fanatic warden (James Cromwell - whose name i almost forgot) that pulled the strings to get him to go to his institution in Allenville, wherever, to help his semi-pro football squad made up of his prison guards who were once college players who were not drafted into the NFL. He had a good team but apparently he thinks it wasn't good enough, much to the dismay of the team's leader and quarterback Capt. Knauer. After a few persuasive efforts by the warden, and a week in the'hotbox' (an isolation box for misbehaving prisoners), Crewe offered the suggestion of holding a tune-up game. To make the long story short, he was asked to form a team of prisoners to play against the Warden's team.

From then on, the movie just turned for the better, from Cheeseburger Eddy's (Terry Crews more popularly known as Latrell from White Chicks) speech, to Switowski's (ex-NFL Pro-baller Warren Sapp) incredible strength and childish mind, to Turley's headbanging ways, to Battle's (Pro Wrestling's Bill Goldberg)'Hammer', to Deacon Moss's (ex-Superbowl MVP Michael Irvin) athleticism, to Earl Megget's (Nelly) speed and agility, to Brucie's Laundry Room escapades, to Caretaker's sad demise, and so on and so forth.

From the 'tree-outs', to the practices to the game itself, the movie had been built as a underdog movie, as a david-and-goliath scheme. The Prisoners have no chance against a team of ex-college players that have the best practice facilities that side of Allenville. But again to make the story short, the Mean Machine (Cons) rose above themselves, rose above petty differences, rose above them being cons, above a fixed game, above a obssessive and corrupt warden to triumph over the Pros.

After that crappy summary of the movie, what i really wanted to write about is THE Longest Yard. Why was the movie called 'The Longest Yard'? In American Football, it's a game all about yards. Yards you gain, yards you lose, and yards that sum into a touchdown. You try to gain yards to score the touch down. But before you could do so, there is the DEFENSE. These guys will try whatever then can to stop you from scoring that touchdown. They will grab you, hit you hard, hit you low, tackle you, break you just to stop you from scoring.

For the Mean Machine, it was the Longest Yard, in their lives, from the moment they were thrown in jail, especially for Paul Crewe, who was experiencing his Longest Yard, but in a place he least expects it to happen, he finds a sense of family, a sense of belongingness he so yearns for, and after his final touchdown, he was finally able to cross his Longest Yard. The same is true for the other Mean Machine members. For guys like Nate Scarborough, a former Heisman Trophy (MVP Trophy of College Football) from 1955, who was rotting in jail waiting, waiting for a chance to get back at the guards, that was his longest yard, as was with the other Cons.

As for me, i do think i am in my Longest Yard right now. Or for basketball's sake, my Longest Last Two Minutes, hmmm let stick with the Longest Yard. :)

Anyway, i do think i am in my Longest Yard, i think after i cross my Longest yard, id become the man ill become for my lifetime. The defense is so strong, a lot of challenges stand in my way, a lot of hurdles to overcome. In reality, i dont know if ill cross this yard and score my touchdown.

Is this temporary? i dont know. What do i need to cross this yard? to move on to the next, yard by yard closer to that touchdown? Paul Crewe found his, his friends, his family of Cons, the Mean Machine.

In the end, id have to find myself that chance, that something, that can get me over this yard, that can get me through the defense. Through the comedy, the laughs and the fun of the movie, i realized that this movie offered more than comedy, it offered life, it offered hope, it offered friendship, and family. It offered my hope to get over my longest yard.

The Longest Yard.

'A broken bone will heal, a loss to the Mean Machine lasts forever' - Paul Crewe.

2005-08-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

A Classic Game... The Legend of the ABL Finals...
CIO A defeats AHPI

Year after year, the Accenture Basketball League (ABL) Finals seems to bring out the best among the best and produce one of the greatest games you can ever hope to watch. The ABL Finals has never failed to capture the excitement and the imagination of ABL fans all over the years.

We remember in ABL 2002, the last year in which ABL Finals was a best of 3 series, where in the Collins Toreses-led F&S Raptors defeated Lyndon Macasiljig's Quantum 2-1 in a series were the largest margin of victory was 5, and it needed overtime to decide it. Game 1 was won by Quantum by 2 pts, Game 2 was won by F&S by 2, and Game 3 was a thriller in overtime as then-little known Ritchie Marquez absolutely took over the game in overtime.

We also remember the very next year in ABL 2003, they year where the new community scheme was introduced, and i was fortunate enough to be paired with ABL 2002 MVP Lyndon Mac. We met the defending champs in the ABL 2003 Finals with their dynamic duo of Ian Baldovino and Collins Toreses. But ultimately neither of the four of us (myself, L-Mac, Collins, and Baldovino) would be a factor as the game turned into a double-overtime classic. Richmond and Raymond Go would take over this game with their clutch 3-pt shooting. We won our first title.

How about last year's Finals, where cinderella team MEGA A, led by Ryan David and Mac Manaois with Carlo Saldua, Chino Adasa, Albee Sanchez, and Ado Buguis, would challenge us the defending champs, Comets X-treme. In what was thought to be an easy pickings for us, who dominated whole-year round, turned into us trying to catch up to them the whole game, and i was playing one of my worst games that season. Luckily for us, rookie point guard Louie Barrameda buried the biggest shot of his ABL career up to date, a nonchalant 3-pointer with less than a minute and us leading by one. We won!

Well this year's ABL 2K5 Finals, which was played last night is no different, and though i wasnt playing anymore, as a fan, i was proud i was able to witness that kind of a game. It was worth the hype it was generating all season long.

The two strongest teams, no question (that's hard for me to swallow.. wink wink!:)) CIO A, a team with the combination of the strongest offensive weapons this year and a vaunted full-court pressure, against AHPI, the newcomer, with two of the most explosive rookies this year, with a very strong supporting cast and team chemistry to boot.

The game last night was simply a classic... one of the greatest, ranks up there with 2002, 2003, and 2004. Their respective stars dished out spectacular performances, from Leo Naluz's high-wire act, to Danzen Mariano's on-court sense and brilliance, to Mike Pardinas's inside power game and rebounding talent, to Melvin Castrence's inside-outside attack and so on and so forth... When one team would go on a tear and would seem like to take control of the game, the other would recover, just like that... it was a see-saw affair up to the end that kept all that were watching at the edge of their seat.

Speaking of the fans, it was awesome. It made me miss playing in the Finals (wink wink again! :)) The crowd would erupt at every shot especially during crunchtime. Both CIO A and AHPI were able to generate about the same size of a crowd to cheer for them. When their team was down, they (the fans) would force their team to not give up to fatigue, and pressure with their vigorous cheering...

In the end, with the game tied at 76, with about 16 ticks remaining, and CIO A had possession of the ball, you would figure the ball will end up in either Danzen's or Melvin's hands, but no... the teams emotional and spiritual leader, Don Naranjo, took it upon his hands to carry his team to the title, as he buried a runner in traffic to put CIO A up by 2 with 6 seconds remaining... and in the next possession, when AHPI's last shot clanged off the rim, CIO A's gallery exploded into the court in jubilation and celebration as CIO A swept the season 14-0 to become ABL 2K5 Champions!

It was anybody's ballgame, and either of the team could have won that game. They put all their heart and sweat into the game, laid it all out in the court and left no stones unturned. Id take my hat's off to both AHPI and CIO A for giving us a hell of a ball game, for giving us another classic to remember. It was a game where, as the basketball cliche goes, you hate it to see one team lose, because both teams deserved to win. But there can only be one champion. I guess the only thing that matters then was that everybody away happy with the game, even if you were an AHPI fan, you know deep inside that nobody went home a loser...

2005-08-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

And then there was two... an ABL 2K5 Finals Preview...

For the first time in two years, The Game will not be in the Big Game for the always competitive, always exciting Accenture Basketball League. The Game's team, the Vodafone Red Devils bowed out during the quarterfinals, as they came within two points of making it to the Final Four. So here I am, typing away, as I am just getting used to not playing in the Finals. After all, being on top can be very addicting.

So... two undefeated, young, confident, and dominant teams will fight it out for the prestigious ABL 2K5 Title. We may not offer cash prize or even gift certificates to the champions, but certainly, in a company where basketball is a big thing, this is for exclusive bragging rights that says, "I AM A CHAMPION! I AM A WINNER! I HAVE DANCED AGAINST THE BEST THIS ~4000-EMPLOYEE COMPANY HAS TO OFFER AND I HAVE COME OUT ON TOP. I AM A PART OF A SPECIAL TEAM WHICH DOMINATED 39 OTHER TEAMS ON OUR WAY TO THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT ABL!" Aside from gaining popularity as an employee, you also earn the respect of every ABL player and fan there was, there is and there ever will be.

CIO A and AHPI, both have records of 13-0, a dominating 13-0, will lock horns on August 25, Thursday, at THE ZONE.

Lets get into details shall we...

Offense?
CIO A, a team that loves to run and press, a team that can attack from any angle will try to match a calculated attacking team like AHPI. CIO has a lot of offensive weapons. Danzen Mariano can shoot, slash, pull up for a jumper, lead and finish a fastbreak, and basically all the offensive tools. Melvin Castrence is a big guy who has speed definitely, can attack from inside, going inside and shooting the three. He is also a good rebounder. Don Naranjo can burn you with his excellent middle game. Ram Reyes and Mike Lao can also finish the break, and Sean Calma has shown that he can do just about anything else. For AHPI, their offense flows from their two foundation players, swingman extraordinaire Leo Naluz, and big man Mike Pardinas. Leo is a cool smooth player who can just about whiz by any defender with his smooth but quick moves to the hoop, plus his leaping ability. Mike has basketball smarts written all-over. He is a 6-footer who can handle the ball, shoot from extended mid range and post up. Other players like Jean Mark Cruz, easily their best 3-point shooter, Butch Ambulo, who is another big guy with skills, Eric Reyes (no not the PBA player), a player who can slash and shoot and certainly defend.

Defense?
AHPI is the better defensive team, because they are focused. Their team defense is tight and their communication on defense gives them the edge. They have good perimeter defenders like Leo Naluz, Eric Reyes and Jean Mark Cruz. CIO A likes to gamble on steals. Their best defender, Sean Calma is like a man-possessed on the defensive end, never getting tired of harrassing the opposing team's ball handlers. Danzen Mariano is also a good defensive player who possess exceptional lateral movement. If CIO A can make their much-feared press defense work over AHPI strong structured team defense, then its off to the races on the break, but if it is the other way around, then AHPI would have the deciding factor in this one.

Key Factors?
Some would say that AHPI's defense and inside prescence would ultimately carry them to the title. AHPI's frontline of Mike Pardinas, Butch Ambulo and Ryan Buan are bigger and stronger than CIO A's Dio Delfino, Czar Eclarinal, and Melvin Castrence. And we must remember, Melvin spends most of his time coming from the outside.

Some would say that CIO A's pressing defense and running attack will run AHPI to the ground. Sean Calma, Danzen Mariano, Mike Lao, Ram Reyes, Don Naranjo, and Melvin Castrence are all capable of leading and finishing the break and might possess an advantage over AHPI's Leo Naluz, Jean Mark Cruz, Eric Reyes, and Ariel Magalona.

The Edge?
Cant really say. As ive said, these teams are evenly match and we are in for a real treat come Thursday.

Bold Prediction?
CIO A. Why? In all of AHPI's 13 games, Leo Naluz and Mike Pardinas might have been averaging 39 mins a game. A little wear and tear might make the difference. CIO A has had the luxury of resting their starters at times. But again AHPI's dynamic duo might be more durable as we think, so we will never know. :)

One thing i know tho... this will be one of the most anticipated ABL finals in recent years... where there is no clear cut favorite.

2005-08-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Alley-Oops...

1.3 ticks remaining, wer'e down 63-62 (i think). In the huddle, i declared, "Bigay nyo sa akin ang bola, panalo tayo. (Give the ball to me, and we will win.)". Those were my brave words during the timeout. I am fully confident of my abilities and my skills and i know i can deliver the W. I always wanted to be in these moments, i always wanted the opportunity to be the one to deliver the win for the team. I take pride in these moments and i live for these as a ball player. I made some before, i missed some.

During my college years, i was tested at the free-throw line with the game on the line, less than a minute to go, and i missed both badly, costing us the game. Free-throws have always been my forte, i shoot about 75% - 80% in high school. After that incident, my confidence in my FT-shooting abilities declined. I became a 60% shooter which was a career low. I, then rededicated myself to the line. I would run 2 sets of sprints before i take to the line to make myself tired before i shoot them. I would take about 20 at least free throw attempts everyday at practice. Fortunately my confidence got back, but i must admit, during pressure situations, when im on the line, that incident would always cross my mind.

Going back, we were preparing to inbound the ball near our goal. The player inbounding the ball, TJ Macapagal, otherwise known as T-Mac, was having terrific game, and he and I just connected on a wonderful passing play. When we were set up, i saw that the path towards the rim was free. No single guy was within 5 feet of the goal. T-Mac saw this too and we made a split-second eye-contact before the play happened. Then the referee gave the ball to T-Mac. I faked like i was going outside, then sharply returned towards the rim. T-Mac threw a perfect lob pass for me. I elevated, caught the ball, lay the ball in, in what was an almost perfect alley-oop play. Almost perfect... the release felt good, i was in front of the rim, laid it in almost perfectly... the ball bounces off the backboard, then rolls off the side of the rim. Horn sounds, game over... we lost...

We lost... we lost... i succumbed to my knees, felt the pain of my previously injured leg. I was down on my knees in front of the celebrating bench of our opponents, slapping the floor hardly. I was yelling silently (is there such a thing) to myself, "WHY!!! WHY COULD YOU BE SO STUPID!!! IT WAS A STUPID GIMME!!! AN EASY LAY UP TO YOU!! WHY!!" Why indeed...

As i returned back to bench, down and dejected, and see the disappointed look in my teammate's faces, it only aggravates the pain in me. More mental and psychological pain rather than physical pain. I apologized to the team for my failure. I failed them.

Let me give you a quick background on the game...

Melvin 'The Tank' Castrence, rookie extraorfinaire of the Accenture Basketball League missed the game due to a team-building activity. That's 16 points and 6 rebs there. He is also a legit inside and outside threat.

Lyndon 'L-Mac' Macasiljig, a former ABL MVP was having a really great game, leading us in scoring and rebounding during the game.

That team had the #1 guy in terms of the MVP race, who was averaging 21 pts and 15 rebs per game.

I got hurt midway in the second quarter as i slammed my leg into the knees of a defender, hard. I was limping the whole game after.

We were up by 8 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. We were just milking the clock away, but i think we played it too safe. After we led, a very unexpected hero arose from our opponent's rank, the player we least expected drilled 3 straight 3's to steal the lead away from us with about 6 seconds. The possession after, they fouled us at about the 1.3 seconds mark, setting up the final play of the game.

Missing the game winning shot is always a confidence shaker. Right after the game, i really couldnt help but feel down. I had the game in my hands. And i failed.

However, this gives me a very great opportunity to bounce back. This game will make not only me, but the whole team better. We will bounce back from this. Our next game is on Sunday August 28, 2005, Cagayan de Oro's Feast day!!! God i miss CDO... oh back to the sked, it will be at 3 pm, to be held in the Meralco Gym, in Pasig. It will be against, who i think is the best team of our division. We are gonna have our hands full in this one.

But we will get past this. For me personally, i am already looking forward to the next challenge. What's done is done, now im more confident than i was before. And i am raring to get back to the court.

2005-08-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Dragging on...

Dragging on. Theme of the week for me, i guess. After a roller coaster week which ended with quite a blow, i guess theres nothing left for me to do but to drag on.

Im still on a low... that's what happens after something tragic happens, something life-altering perhaps. Im still hush hush about it, coz frankly, im not ready to openly talk about it, so here am i... Type away you stupid slob! :)

Thanks to Ron, for the feedback on my first few blogs. I get the impression from his feedbacks that i come on too strong and too hard (correct me if im wrong though). I read blogs from Gio, Ron and Brod Jumangs, both were really nice... speaks about their everyday experiences... really cool, brought about a rare smile from me these days. I guess, we can say me and them have different styles. i think i do come on too strong, that's probably because i really dont think as i type away. I type whatever is inside of me that is itching its way out of the cave that is my feelings. They do say that you know, let out all the pain and all the suffering, and all the joy in you, so that you dont leave a heavy life. In more ways than you can imagine i want to, but i guess its my defense mechanism to hold back and keep it in, which i know could be deadly wink wink... :) joking of course... but then, since writing all this stuff, took some of that burden away. I think that's the reason why my blogs have been heavy and have been quite pressing, because i have been keeping it in all this time. :)

Still havent had a chance to check out Brent's. That should be somethin'.

Thanks to Gio for the comment on the piece before this one... it is fully appreciated... who knows somedays we'd compare notes ey... Thanks G!

Anyway dragging on... my fave bracelet given to me by a good friend when i was still livin' in Las Pinas broke. It was a beautiful piece to, leather, with a tribal design. Wear and tear might have been the culprit because i had always worn it during my games.

To make matters worse last weekend, i missed a potential game winning shot in our game last saturday... i believe this event deserve its own blog, so watch out for that. :) oh did i mention i got a deeply bruised leg for this which has left me limping until now? :)

'Must Love Dogs' is a feel-good romance movie. I was able to catch it last Sunday, i think i needed that break, temporary as it was. It was one of those 'we were made for each other' stories about two recently-divorced people who were brought together by fate. Predictable as it was, it was still entertaining. The jokes were good and i laughed. Im not so much of the deep analytic movie critic.

Dragging on... not much to say for the day... hopefully as the new days come, dragging on would transform into moving on... but again as the cliche goes, life's a bitch... :)

Dont worry, life is still beautiful to me.

2005-08-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Pain

The Greatest Pain is losing somebody you love... damn straight... you know someone that you are so sure that you are spending your life with... just slip right through your fingers, just because you are plain stupid, and plain afraid. Afraid of change, afraid of rejection, afraid that you cant smile again... but after all that shit, you realize you just lost the one person, the one thing that made you YOU. You realize that your life was just washed away because you were so afraid and you were so cautious. Now what do you have? NOTHING! No one. Everybody that loves you now abondoned you... the respect that you earned all throughout those years was lost. All those friends that looked up to you, that respected you, that trusted you, they are now gone... and you deserve it... everyone one of bit... now who do you have? NOTHING! Even your own siblings, maybe your own parents, disown you... then truly you have nothing...

All that is left for you is you... and you dont know you anymore... you dont have that sense of who you are anymore. Now comes the time that you need that person you know you can really count on, that really makes you happy is now gone... and you dont have that someone anymore... you dont have that someone who is the pillar of your life. That someone who has sacrificed so much for you, her life, her everything is now gone. And then your life crumbles, you dont know what to do, you dont know where to begin again.

You have no one else to blame but yourself. That is the greatest pain... and the greatest pain that will linger on forever... then years from now, youll look back to this point of your life, and youll say how i wish... now you have nothing...

The Greatest Pain in your life...

2005-08-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Heluva past 2 Weeks...

Why? Consider this... Tuesday, August 9, I already started with Mr. San Mig Light, rested on Wednesday, then drank again for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday... rested Tuesday, then drank again Wednesday, August 17. Now that is a helluvaweek.

What was once a nicely shaped abs is now a lot of flab. My weight has drastically increased from 140 lbs to 170 lbs. The Game's game suffered quite a lot in terms of elevation, quickness and agility.

But why go through weeks like this? Why go through weeks of drinking until 3, wake up at 7, go to work at 9? Why would someone, a former athlete at that, put his body, his well-trained, well-honed body to abuse?

Makes you think a whole lot... is this the kind of activities youd endulge in after enduring 3 hours a day of practice during college... with minimal nightlife then. With the thousands of pushups, of situps, of suicides, of duckwalks and frogleaps, would you waste all that by drinking the night a way, 4 nights a week.

I mean that's just me, what about those guys/girls which have not experienced the life of an athlete? hmmm right... then what about the beating their kidneys take with this much of booze intake? what about the millions..... and millions of brain cells being killed every glass of that ice cold beer you drink? What about the risk of going home very late at night, possibly drink, at the very least tipsy?

Is this right for us? Does this feel right?

I dont know, i honestly dont. But this I say. Although, i do think the last two weeks was really excessive, everytime i am with guys who shares laugs... ISSUES... mga pait at mga galit... i feel kinda at home. Not the Cagayan de Oro home... just home... does that make it right?

These guys will drink with you, but will they stay with you through thick and thin? Are they the kind of friends that does not leave you in the air?

The Game's take: They may not be perfect, but they are a safety net, they are an air bag, they are a bullet proof vest. You feelin'? They do make you feel secure, secure about the night, secure about the booze, secure about the risk, coz you know they got each other's backs. Thru thick and thin, peeps like these are hard to find... i mean, im not yet put into the position where i could really pinpoint that they really did not leave me hung up to dry, i mean these are just gut feelings, but again, The Game's gut feelings have rarely been wrong.

The Game's crib buddies, they are the best, that has been proven and tested... The Game's booze buddies, are gettin' there...

Again, The Game recognizes that it was a crazy two weeks, and hopefully i can recover some rest, and hopefully gain what i lost and lose what i gain in the coming weeks... and hopefully be The Game again...

So ask the Game again, is it worth losing The Game's game for? Hopefully it wont come to that, but id say yeah... it's worth the risk.

:)

2005-08-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

A day in the Game's court...

What is a day in The Game's court... who is the Game? The Game is the nickname of my favorite WWE wrestler, Triple H. He is one of the best, if not the best performer/wrestling there is today. Now, i know some of you guys despise pro wrestling, laugh at them and scorn at them. What the hell are two guys, in their brief-sized wrestling gear, doing in the ring hugging and grabbing each other?! Makes you think huh... but in the world of Sports Entertainment, what they do is in fact real. Though results are scripted, the blood they spill, the pain they inflict on each other, those are real, and these guys sacrifice their body and blood to keep us on the edge of our seats. And The Game is on the forefront of this ever since the day of Stone Cold and The Rock. Why The Game? Because they say he attacks with cerebral precision... thus the name 'The Cerebral Assassin'.

In the world of basketball, i would like to be remembered as a Cerebral Assassin. As a player who thinks on the move and makes the right decision. A player who does things with precision and with calm in command. A player who has mastered every aspect of the Game, thus becoming The Game...

With the background over, what is a day in the Game's court? My days, since coming over to Metro Manila, has been routinary, well depending on the places i have lived. For the first two years, I stayed in Las Pinas. After which i stayed in Makati for months, then moved to Pasig after, for abour a year and a half, and then we moved back here to Makati and never left ever since. My day would start with preparing for office, a few sit ups and pushups, then bath, iron office clothes and all. When im ready to go, then off i go to the office, then work. After that, i hope there is some basketball game going on so that i could go and play.

Boring day isn't it? But what really happens in a day in the Game's court is that i meet lots and lots of people each day, and am able to process these people, what they think, what they know, what they feel, and try to learn as much as i possibly can. Somehow these inputs, these thoughts teach me about people's lives, about people's wants and needs and everything else. They tell me how lead my own life without losing the sense of who you are.

Ahhh... the sense of who you are... that is the most important aspect in the Game's court. Who are we really? Who we are is who we are in the face of adversity... who we are at our lowest... do we know who we really are... can we be calm and remain ourselves in whatever circumstance we are in. That's what i think about everyday in the Game's court. Who are we really? Who am i really? The answer is i dont know, but everyday i found out more and more about myself as i just live my life out one day at a time, through work, through basketball, through the people i am close with, and through the people i share my life with. I think all these make me... well... me...

The Game...

2005-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

ABL 2K5
Last game of this season for me is gonna be tonight at 8:00pm. After two years of championship, im not gonna be a part of the finals. It is kinda disappointing, considering the standards i set for myself. I was not expecting anything less than a championship. But then again, 2 of our best players were assigned abroad living the team with a determined leader and talented rookies. Eventually, stronger teams, and much more experienced players got the better of us in the Quarters.

Season in Review?
For myself, it is a disappointment but, for the Vodafone Red Devils, my team, i think it was an overachievement. A team made of talented but untested rookies, comes within two points of making the Final 4. I think the Devils did themselves proud. Im very proud to be a member of the Red Devils. My teammates tried their hardest, sometimes i just push them too hard, but they do respond. Kudos Devils!

Individually?
I won my 2nd scoring title, my first steals title, my 4th All-ABL first team award, my 3rd Most Valuable Player Award. I also won my first All-Star game, and then won the All-Star MVP. I set another ABL record for most points with 51 in a loss to good friend and long time rival Collins 'El Toro' Toreses. I pretty much dominated the league, but then again, i would trade all of these individual accolades for the title. Im a competitor, i dont want anything less but the ultimate... but i am also a gracious loser, i know when im defeated, and i congratulated the more deserving player, team who would ultimately win it all. Then ill just have to learn from this year and come back stronger next year. The target: a 3rd championship.

This year's favorite:
i will have to go with CIO A, although AHPI's steady play make them a danger always, but i like the run and gun style of CIO A. They have more weapons than any team in the ABL this year. And this is without ABL elite Mighty Mike Panganiban. But for them to take it all, they should focus more on the game at hand rather than complaining to the ref all the time.

Team Accenture:
I think we are stronger than we think. We just have to believe. We know we can do it. Chemistry is getting there, we have talent, we just have to trust and help each other.

Holla back later, goin' back to work for now. :)