The Past and the Spurious

Hashtag FML

2012-01-30T21:50:00.003+08:00

Dear Lady-Who-Was-Directly-Behind-Me-And-Was-On-
The-Phone-While-We-Lined-Up-At-The-ATM-Earlier-Today,

I didn’t have to hear about "the boil outside [your] labia" na "pumutok na," but since you were talking oh so loudly, I did. Many hours later I still have a very graphic mental image, which, despite all my best efforts, has not been erased by thoughts of kitties, puppies, or Care Bears.

So from the bottom of my grossed-out heart, Eff you.

Very truly yours,

Ikaw Pa Lang Ang Minahal 20 Years Since

2012-01-20T00:05:00.069+08:00

On Cinema One last Monday night I caught the second half of Ikaw Pa Lang Ang Minahal, the 1992 film directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna and topbilled by Maricel Soriano, Richard Gomez, Charito Solis, and Eddie Gutierrez.

I don't know, the movie just didn't age well (unlike, say, A Few Good Men or Unforgiven, both of which also opened exactly two decades ago). For a multi-awarded drama, Ikaw Pa Lang Ang Minahal is cringeworthy and unintentionally hilarious. My whole experience was perfectly summed up by the twelve-year-old who watched with us and Spoiler! astutely remarked: "This is painful to watch."

…

I went on Google to find the film's exact title and encountered this nearly two-year-old article where the writer said that Maricel Soriano should've won an award for her "tour de force performance." I thought, Okay, that tour de force bit is a stretch but whatever, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, yadda-yadda-yadda.

I soon discovered that the same writer has commended everyone and their mothers, it seems, for "tour de force" performances (Jean Garcia, Anita Linda, Coco Martin, Eugene Domingo, and Gina Pareño) and portrayals (Rustica Carpio, Susan Roces, Judy Ann Santos, and Glaiza de Castro). Hell, even singing (Raymond Lauchengco)!

It looks like somebody found a nice, highfalutin phrase of French origin he could drop in articles as a fancy adjective (although it's not really an adjective). I wouldn't be surprised if the writer in fact describes everything—from overwrought, beat-you-over-the-head acting to his bowel movement in the mornings, and everything else in between—as "tour de force."

Like Iñigo Montoya I can only go, You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means.

Wikipedia Is Blacked Out

2012-01-18T22:49:00.002+08:00

Earlier today Wikipedia made its point—and how!

Imagine one indeed.
[Screen grab from here.]

Since I use it only occasionally, Wikipedia's 24-hour blackout is just a minor inconvenience. But for a long while there I couldn't remember what it was I did on the Internet to look up and learn about things before the advent of that website. It only goes to show how much—limited use and all—Wikipedia had become part of my online routine. Before today at least, it was just…there, much in the same way that FM radio was just…there for me for a good long time until just a few years ago, if that makes sense.

Ateneo De Naga University Press Launch

2012-01-16T21:15:00.009+08:00

This Friday afternoon, 20 January 2012, the Ateneo de Naga University Press will be launched (yet again?):

Ateneo de Naga Opens University Press, Launches 2 books of Bikol Translations

Naga City—The Ateneo de Naga University opens 2012 with the formal opening of its university press by launching books of translations in Bikol by two of the region's noted contemporary writers. When it is launched on Friday, January 20, 2012, the AdNU Press is the newest addition to the list of academic publishing centers in the country.

Fr. Wilmer Joseph S. Tria, AdNU Press Director, discloses that one of its goals is to become the premier resource of Bikoliana in the world. As an academic publishing house, AdNU Press is open to all who are interested to have a manuscript published. Fr. Tria further adds that optimum quality of materials to be published is a primary requirement, and, therefore, as practiced by university presses worldwide, all submitted manuscripts will be subjected to necessary evaluations.

Full story…

The event will be held at the James J. O'Brien, S.J. Library, and will feature a lecture on academic publishing from Maricor Baytion, Director and Marketing Manager of the Ateneo de Manila University Press, as well as the launch of two AdNU Press books.

…

AdNU Press' initial offerings for 2012 include Doros asín mga Anghél: Translations in Bikol of John Donne's Holy Sonnets and Selected Works by Victor Dennis T. Nierva.

[Image grabbed from here.]

Nierva is the author of the multi-award-winning Antisipasyon asin iba pang Rawitdawit sa Bikol asin Ingles.^* Doros asín mga Anghél^** is his second book.

Congratulations, Pading Vic!

…

This is the (new?) AdNU Press logo:

[Image grabbed from here.]

Classy. That thing on the left is meant to evoke a rotary printing press as well as AdNU's famed Four Pillars, I assume

^* Translation: Anticipation and Other Poems in Bikol and English

^** Translation: Air and Angels

Kicking Ass. More Fun In The Philippines

2012-01-06T17:39:00.004+08:00

Here's my (unsolicited) contribution to the new Philippine tourism campaign launched earlier today:

The Manny Pacquiao double punch on Joshua Clottey.
[Original photo credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip]

You're welcome, Department of Tourism.

Kiefer Ravena's Fastbreak Is A Go

2012-01-04T17:23:00.056+08:00

Oh hey, that Kiefer Ravena-led benefit game on January 6 has a poster:

That Lower Box ticket price might be a misprint, though.
[Image grabbed from here.]

Philstar.com reports that the exhibition game will pit the team composed of Ravena, Jason Abalos, Marco Alcaraz, Anton Altamirano, Baser Amer, Rico Blanco, Joross Gamboa, Jhong Hilario, Xian Lim, Champ Lui Pio, Terrence Romeo, and Chris Tiu against that made up of Luis Alandy, Kevin Alas, JP Erram, RR Garcia, Jon Hall, Sam Marata, Rafael Melocoton, Thirdy Ravena, Nico Salva, Dan Sara, Gab Valenciano, Joshua Webb, and Young JV.

There will be a three-point shootout at halftime featuring Allan Caidic, James Yap, Jason Sabio, Jai Reyes, and Mark Zambrano. The Philippine Azkals, who will play in their own charity football game the following day, will also be in attendance.

Courtside tickets have long been sold out but Lower and Upper Box tickets are still available for PHP100 and PHP50, respectively, at Titan outlets in The Fort, Ronac Center, and Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, and at the Filoil Flying V Arena on game day. Ticket reservation may be made via fastbreakcharity@gmail.com.

Donations for Typhoon Sendong victims will also be accepted and collected at the venue on January 6.

I Found A James C. Humes-Autographed Book

2012-01-03T12:35:00.009+08:00

Look what I found in the copy of Confessions of a White House Ghostwriter: Five Presidents and Other Political Adventures I rescued:

I think it reads:

To Velia Fisher
a staunch patriot & Republican

(Signed, "James C. Humes")

12-4-97
Newport Beach, Ca

Cool, huh? That has happened to me just once before.

…

One cool bit of trivia about Humes: he co-authored the (grammatically incorrect) text on the Apollo 11 lunar plaque.

…

[4 January 2012 Edit]

I found an autographed copy of Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer? by Jere Longman. There's no dedication, but it raises my tally to three.

I'm Starting On My 2012 Book Tally

2012-01-01T12:57:00.295+08:00

After realizing I had a pitiful, pitiful 2011 book count I rescued some books from the bargain bin so I could start on my 2012 tally right away:

[Image source.]

Confessions of a White House Ghostwriter: Five Presidents and Other Political Adventures by James C. Humes — Over three years ago there was an interesting Washington Post profile on Barack Obama's chief speechwriter, Jon Favreau. That article and this book piqued my interest because in the Philippines where they're sometimes labeled "ghostwriters," it's rare that the identities of the President's speechwriters are public knowledge. Off the top of my head, the only past or present presidential speechwriters I can name are Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr., who wrote for Cory Aquino, and Mai "The wine sucks" Mislang, who wrote for Noynoy Aquino.

[Image source.]

The Stone Cold Truth by Stone Cold Steve Austin with Jim "J.R." Ross as told to Dennis Brent — Of all the WWE wrestlers who rose to prominence during the Attitude Era, Steve Austin is my most favorite.

First, his character wasn't convoluted and his gimmick did not require too much suspension of disbelief unlike, say, Gangrel, Kane, or Undertaker's "Deadman" incarnation.

Second, even though Austin wasn't built up as a "technical" wrestler like Bret "Hit Man" Hart, there was a logical progression in his finishing sequence that I thought was a nice touch. Austin would kick his opponents in the gut or groin first, causing them to bend over in pain and be in perfect position for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher. Contrast that with Randy Orton, who regularly hits his RKO finishing maneuver from out of nowhere and without any kind of setup whatsoever.

[Image source.]

Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe by Rich Eisen — One of the best things about my college semestral breaks was that on weekday afternoons I could watch SportsCenter on ESPN. That show was top-notch in terms of production values,and had a lot of great anchors like Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Stuart Scott, Kenny Mayne, and Linda Cohn, to name just a few.

For some reason I found Eisen especially entertaining. Maybe it's because he had these folksy catchphrases that he used in reporting the day's sports highlights, like "He busts out the whuppin' stick!" whenever a baseball player hit managed to hit a home run. Or maybe it's because Eisen looked like he could be Dan Akroyd's little brother. I can't decide.

Deschanel, Gordon-Levitt, And Close Shaves

2011-12-31T09:26:00.009+08:00

As today is the last day of A.D. 2011, this video couldn't be any more apropos:

For those who have been living under a rock, that's the duo of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt of (500) Days of Summer fame performing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"

Now what I can tell you is what I won't be doing New Year's Eve: handling fireworks or firecrackers. I've had a couple of close calls, and those have sufficiently scared me off from just about everything—even those giant sparklers they tell you are safe to hold in your hand while they, well, sparkle.

Once when I was still in elementary I tried the "macho" move of lighting a "five star" in my hand then tossing the firecracker away. That isn't too wise, especially if you have fingers sticky with sweat like I did that time. I was barely able to get rid of that firecracker before it exploded in mid-air. Then years later I also had a "fountain" blow up inches from my face immediately after I lit it.

So yeah, have a safe New Year's Eve celebration, everyone. Have a happy New Year too!

[Hat tip to O. Reyes on Twitter.]

…

[1 January 2012 Edit]

I spoke too soon—last night I was put on kwitis duty. I was laughing the whole time because after I lit their fuses I ran away from the kwitis as fast as I can.

My 2011 In Movies

2011-12-30T00:09:00.000+08:00

This year I saw the following films:

Megamind (2010)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Tangled (2010)
Kick-Ass (2010)
Valentine's Day (2010)
The School of Rock (2003)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Despicable Me (2010)
Robin Hood (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
Knight and Day (2010)
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Ded na si Lolo (2009)
Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (2011)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Step Up 3D (2010)
Up in the Air (2009)
Zombieland (2009)
The Social Network (2010)
Con Air (1997)
I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010) (V)
Star Trek (2009)
Red (2010)
The Expendables (2010)
Predators (2010)
Juno (2007)
Easy A (2010)
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
The American President (1995)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Avatar (2009)

Just like last year, I only saw two movies that came out this year.

My 2011 In Books

2011-12-29T17:45:00.002+08:00

These are the books I finished this year:

Valediction by Robert B. Parker
Hunting Fish: A Cross-Country Search for America's Worst Poker Players by Jay Greenspan
The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound by Roger Kahn
The Associate by John Grisham
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra
No Strings Attached by Mina V. Esguerra
Paper Cuts: Dodging deadlines, celebrity run-ins and other stories i told the internet by Pam Pastor
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Poodle Springs by Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker
Salvation in Death by Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu

Wow, the total didn't even reach fourteen titles. That's just sad.

Former WWE Divas And Superstars To Visit Manila In 2012

2011-12-28T20:50:00.014+08:00

After WWE's Raw and SmackDown rosters came to Manila and did a couple of house shows—sorry, live events—each in 2006, and wrestlers—er, Divas and Superstars—from the SmackDown and ECW brands flew in for a one-off gig in 2009, it stands to reason that another three years later WWE would come back to the Philippines, right?

Um, no (so far).

Pinoy pro wrestling fans can watch the next best thing, though, when the World Wrestling Fan Xperience (WWFX) Champions Showcase Tour 2012 comes to the Araneta Coliseum on 4 February 2012: wrestlers whom Filipino audiences know from their past stints in WWE.

[Image grabbed from here.]

Here's the lineup according to the laughable blurb from the Ticketnet website:

Come see all your favorite former WWE superstars such as former WWE United States Champion Ken Anderson who performed as Mr. Kennedy on RAW and SmackDown!, former WWE Tag Team Champion M.V.P., former WWE Intercontinental Champions Carlitos and Shelton Benjamin, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Hurricane Helms; Chris Master who performed as 'The Masterpeice,' Snisky, Luke Gallow, former ECW World Champion Rhino, Daivari, Jimmy Yang, Billy Gun, and the beautiful women's wrestlers of WWFX; April Hunter who will challenge former WWE Divas Champion Jillian Hall!

According to the Tour's Facebook page and the poster above, John Morrison, Melina, and Scott Steiner are also set to arrive.

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if this Champions Showcase Tour isn't as well-attended as the WWE tours in the past—after all, the wrestlers arriving in February no longer regularly appear on Philippine TV since WWE future endeavored them. Still, I hope they fill enough seats to show that there is a market for pro wrestling—sorry, sports entertainment—in the Philippines and help convince WWE to stage shows here oftener than once every three years or so.

…

[16 January 2012 Edit]

Check out the WWFX YouTube channel for promos of the visiting wrestlers.

Kiefer Ravena Organizes A Charity Game

2011-12-27T20:01:00.009+08:00

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Kiefer Ravena of the Ateneo Blue Eagles is something else, on and off the basketball court.

A few months back he co-founded a shoe donation drive called Generous Soles. Then in the wake of the natural disaster that recently struck Mindanao, Ravena pondered staging an exhibition game for the benefit of those damaged by tropical storm Sendong.

[Screen grab from here.]

A mere five days later, Ravena's brainchild has already attracted enough participants from the entertainment and collegiate basketball circles. How's that for putting one's celebrity to good use?

…

The game will be played on 6 January 2012 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City. Tickets will be available at the arena on game day for PHP100 and PHP300.

…

[28 December 2011 Edit]

To reserve tickets to the event, email fastbreakcharity@gmail.com.

…

[29 December 2011 Edit]

I've been reading online that there are also PHP50 tickets available for what's being called the "Fastbreak charity game."

PBA To Stage 2012 Ateneo-La Salle Dream Game

2011-12-22T12:39:00.013+08:00

The Philippine Basketball Association has a pre-Valentine's Day treat for followers of the Ateneo-La Salle collegiate rivalry: the "PBA Blue vs. Green Dream Game 2012" featuring former Blue Eagles and Green Archers who now play in Asia's oldest professional basketball league. The exhibition game will be held on 5 February 2012 at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Blue vs. Green"—what, the organizers couldn't get permission to use "Ateneo" and "La Salle"? Also, how fortunate is it that "Ateneo" and "blue" come first before "La Salle" and "green" in a dictionary? As a result, my favorite team always gets billed first.
[Image grabbed from here; alternate poster here.]

Based on the poster above, suiting up for the Blue side are: Doug Kramer (Powerade); Nonoy Baclao (Petron); Rich Alvarez (Talk N' Text); Japeth Aguilar (Talk N' Text), who is a curious choice because he's billed in the PBA as being from Western Kentucky University, the US NCAA Division I school he left Ateneo for after his sophomore year in Loyola Heights; Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Petron); Larry Fonacier (Talk N' Text); Paolo Bugia (Alaska); LA Tenorio (Alaska); Magnum Memberere (Talk N' Text); Wesley Gonzales (Alaska); JC Intal (Ginebra); Eric Salamat (Alaska); and Enrico Villanueva (Ginebra). They will be mentored by Norman Black, who has led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to the last four UAAP championships.

The lineup for the Green side: Rico Maierhofer (Ginebra); Don Allado (Barako Bull); Carlo Sharma (Petron); TY Tang (Rain or Shine); Jerwin Gaco (B-Meg); Mike Cortez (Ginebra); Willie Wilson (Ginebra); Mac Cardona (Meralco); JV Casio (Powerade); Renren Ritualo (Shopinas.com); Ryan Araña (Rain or Shine); and Joseph Yeo (Petron). Brian Ilad (Shopinas.com) completes the lineup, according to a different poster. They will be led by Shopinas.com head coach Franz Pumaren, who coached the Green Archers to five UAAP titles, including four straight from 1998-2001.

…

This latest Ateneo-La Salle alumni exhibition game makes some sense given that 2005's "Ateneo-La Salle Dream Games" resulted in a 1-1 tie and 2008's "PBA Ateneo vs. La Salle Showdown" ended in a 90-all draw. That being said, I'm wary of the possibility that the altercation that marred the 2005 Dream Games will be repeated, especially since Enrico Villanueva and Joseph Yeo have a long-running feud that might or might not have ended. There better be no untoward incident at that February game, though, or organizers will think twice before staging another one of these "all-star" games again.

…

[23 December 2011 Edit]

Reservation of tickets to the PBA Blue vs. Green Dream Game 2012 may be made online via the Ticketnet website. Ticket prices are as follows:

Patron A (Reserved seating) - PHP1,200
Patron B (Reserved seating) - PHP1,000
Lower Box A (Reserved seating) - PHP1,000
Patron C (Reserved seating) - PHP750
Lower Box B (Reserved seating) - PHP750
Lower Box C (Reserved seating) - PHP750
Upper Box A (Reserved seating) - PHP350
Upper Box B - PHP200
General Admission - PHP50

Pedro Calungsod's Canonization Is Imminent

2011-12-21T05:00:00.006+08:00

In one of her earliest films (perhaps 1988's Wake Up, Little Susie) child actress Aiza Seguerra's character finds herself inside a church. Upon seeing a statuette of Lorenzo Ruiz, the only Filipino saint to date, she says, "San Lorenzo Ruiz, sa 'yo 'ko nagdadasal. Kasi 'yung ibang santo, imported. Hindi nila 'ko maintindihan (St. Lorenzo Ruiz, it's you I pray to. That's because the rest of the saints are imported; they can't understand me)."

Almost a quarter of a century later, the Philippines will finally have its second saint.

Cebuano martyr closer to sainthood
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Catholic Church has recognized a miracle that should soon lead to the canonization of a second Filipino saint, Cebuano martyr Pedro Calungsod, the Vatican said Tuesday.

According to a report from the Holy See, Pope Benedict XVI met last December 19 with Angelo Cardinal Amato SDB, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and approved the decree recognizing the miracle required to make Calungsod a saint.

Calungsod is set to be canonized with six others but the Vatican has yet to announce it.

Full story…

…

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Shape up, Wikipedia layout artists.

Trust me, that's not him.
[Screen grab from here.]

…

This may be the eight years of Jesuit brainwashing talking, but my favorite saint is St. Ignatius of Loyola, if only because of his cool back story: he used to be a soldier like you, then he took a cannonball in the leg.

Greg Slaughter Rides A Train

2011-12-18T06:45:00.002+08:00

If this photo Ateneo forward Nico Salva shared on Twitter is any indication, it looks like the Blue Eagles are having a blast abroad:

[Screen grab from here.]

Greg Slaughter has a gentle giant/kenkoy vibe off the court. No wonder he's a fan favorite.

San Sebastian Bests Ateneo For The 2011 PCCL Championship

2011-12-16T17:27:00.003+08:00

The philosopher Ric Flair once said, "To be the man you gotta beat the man." Well, if that's truly the case then the San Sebastian Stags have just become the man. It's just too bad they became that at the expense of my favorite team.

Stags trim Blue Eagles for PCCL title
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Wiping out any doubt, San Sebastian captured the championship that even coach Topex Robinson thought might be improbable to clinch.

The Stags showed solid form throughout to down an erratic Ateneo Blue Eagles crew, 73-67, Thursday at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan and become the first NCAA team to rule the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL).

Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang again barreled their way against the four-time UAAP champion Blue Eagles, finishing with double-double figures in the winner-take-all title showdown.

Full story…

The Stags' win isn't as colossal an upset as some think, as they've actually pwned the Blue Eagles this year. San Sebastian is one of only four teams that have beaten Ateneo in tournament play in 2011 (after La Salle in the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup, NU in the Fr. Martin Summer Cup, and Adamson in the UAAP) and the only team to prevail in a championship series. Even more impressive, the Stags beat the Blue Eagles three out of four times, once in the FilOil and twice in the PCCL.

And having reached the 2011 NCAA finals (where they lost to eventual champions San Beda) San Sebastian is not exactly chopped liver. It's a good thing they play in the NCAA or Ateneo's fourth straight UAAP title might've been in jeopardy. Nevertheless, the tapes from the Ateneo-San Sebastian matches this year are now a must-watch for the rest of the UAAP squads hoping to derail the Blue Eagles from annexing a fifth straight title in Season 75.

…

Bacon Austria, Kirk Long, and Emman Monfort end their tours of duty in Ateneo with a loss. But don't cry for them, Argentina, as they've all had collegiate careers for the ages. Austria and Long were part of four UAAP champion teams while Monfort was part of three. And aside from helping lead the Blue Eagles to a four-peat in the UAAP, they also won multiple championships in the Nike Summer League, FilOil, Fr. Martin, Philippine University Games, and PCCL tourneys.

Fatal Posporos Drummer And Her Husband Jam With Metallica

2011-12-15T17:35:00.064+08:00

Does anyone else remember the now-defunct band Fatal Posporos? They rose to prominence in the mid-90s as an all-female trio, but were joined years later by Aia de Leon of Imago and Jason Caballa of Twisted Halo. I saw them play live a couple of times when I was in college.

Over the weekend FP drummer Annette Ortiz and her husband Dennis Diaz (who play together in a Metallica cover band and are members of the band's official fan club) were picked by Metallica to perform a song with them during the last leg of the legendary metal band's 30^th anniversary concert series.

Hanep. Talk about the ultimate fan experience.

[Hat tip to Francis Brew Reyes.]

Mrs. Defensor-Santiago Goes To The Hague

2011-12-13T18:07:00.012+08:00

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago's long-time dream finally came true.

Sen. Santiago wins seat in International Criminal Court
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has been elected to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the senator herself confirmed on Tuesday.

Santiago said she won a seat in the ICC but could only leave her seat in the Senate once she would be called by the ICC to report to her new work.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, through spokesman Raul Hernandez, also relayed the good news.

Full story…

Back in the late '80s when she was still the head of the Bureau of Immigration Santiago supposedly said, "I eat death threats for breakfast." Then over 20 years later she declared: "Please post all death threats on my Facebook wall." Here now are her latest thoughts on the subject, as shared in the November 2011 issue of Esquire Philippines:

Well I don’t eat death threats for breakfast because I don’t receive them anymore. I think the senders have realized the futility of it anyway. I tend to see them as sources of humor. "Oh, here’s another one, and look at all the bad spelling!" I don’t know why they make death threats in very bad grammar. Anyway, now I get threats that cases will be filed against me so I eat threats of legal action for breakfast. But all of them have been dismissed so far.

Full story…

Whether you like her politics, you can't deny that the lady is a character and always good for a laugh or two. I can't wait to read about what happens once Santiago assumes her post at The Hague. I bet hilarity will ensue.

"Lila With The Golden Eyes"

2011-12-09T00:04:00.002+08:00

Simple pero rock. I'm actually curious what that joke about Philo was.

[Photo credit: J. Jornales, Overheard at the Ateneo de Manila Version 2.0 FB Page.]

Good job, Loyola Film Circle!

Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington Out Soon On DVD

2011-12-08T00:37:00.018+08:00

And just like that, Christmas 2011 became a bit funnier (and scarier).

[Image courtesy of K. Flores.]

I think the best bonus feature of the Zombadings DVD will be the scenes that didn't make it to the final cut but yeah, the "Baklese/Bekimon" subtitles will be an intriguing first.

…

[13 December 2011 Edit]

The Zombadings DVD costs PHP500 and may be ordered from the "Zombastore" here. There's a bonus for early birds: the first 500 orders gets a free Zombadings t-shirt worth PHP250 (maximum of 3 shirts per order).

Toto Sorioso Sings "Stay"

2011-12-07T00:04:00.071+08:00

Award-winning singer-songwriter Toto Sorioso has a music video out for "Stay," his take on "Stay (I Missed You)" off the 90s Music Comes Alive covers album from MCA Music. I think he did the Lisa Loeb original justice but you don't have to take my word for it—here's the video that music channel MYX is now airing:

You can request the video from MYX via SMS; just type MYX [space] REQUEST [space] STAY and send it to 2366.

…

There's a different song from the 1990s that I associate with Toto: TQ's "Westside," which we (read: I) used to request during his gigs back in the day at the now-defunct Border Grill along Katipunan Avenue Extension in Quezon City.

…

[18 December 2011 Edit]

So this happened:

[Screen grab from here.]

This I know: Lisa Loeb is a class act.

…

[19 December 2011 Edit]

In my original post I wrote that people didn't have to take my word for it that Toto Sorioso did a good job with "Stay." Hopefully, they'll believe Lisa Loeb:

[Screen grab from here.]

There can be no higher praise than that.

Charles Tiu On The Blue Eagles' Chances In UAAP Season 75

2011-12-06T17:37:00.067+08:00

Smart-Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach and former ADMU Team Glory Be member Charles Tiu tweeted something cryptic and tantalizing yesterday:

[Image grabbed from here.]

Basketball blog Chinoy Hoops Fan thinks Tiu is referring to Ateneo center Greg Slaughter (whose height is approximately 213 centimeters), which is likely the answer since Slaughter's teammate Tonino Gonzaga couldn't have been more emphatic over the weekend that the 7-footer will return for his last year of eligibility and play in UAAP Season 75.

I, on the other hand, am irrationally hoping that Tiu is hinting that Ryan Buenafe, who was a vital cog in the Blue Eagles' championships from 2008 to 2010 but was kept off this year's roster ostensibly due to weight- and academics-related issues, is now down to 213 pounds. The chances for that scenario are slim to none (and slim went out of town) but a fan can dream, right?

…

[7 December 2011 Edit]

Blue Eagles head coach Norman Black has confirmed that the prized big man will indeed return: "[Greg Slaughter] will be back to play for us next year. He still has one year of playing eligibility."

Coach Black will have to forgive the Sixth Man, though, if they greet his announcement with guarded optimism. After all, it hasn't been that long since Mark Tallo ditched the team about a month before Season 74 started (then transferred to archrival La Salle). A lot can still happen from now until Season 75 opens in July 2012.

Parokya Ni Edgar For Tulong-Dunong

2011-12-05T17:32:00.007+08:00

Here's the music video for Parokya ni Edgar's "Kuya," which retools the APO Hiking Society classic "Saan Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada" to drum up support for Tulong-Dunong.

The video features ADMU students and alumni Suzi Entrata-Abrera, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Dingdong Dantes, Nikki Gil, Wesley Gonzales, Gretchen Ho, Jessica Mendoza, Rolando Laudico, and Kiefer Ravena, who have all been part of TD at one time or another.

…

Fr. James J. O'Brien, S.J. actually founded the Tulong-Dunong program at the Ateneo de Naga High School. During my senior year there, we tutored students at the Abcede Elementary School in Bagumbayan Sur, Naga City. I learned as much as I taught, if not more—I discovered that I wasn't cut out to be an elementary school teacher.

Roger Gorayeb Versus The San Beda Red Lions

2011-12-02T18:41:00.012+08:00

So I mention Roger Gorayeb, local volleyball legend and current head coach of the Ateneo women's volleyball team, and the very next day he gets into a fight with nearly an entire basketball team.

Fight erupts in 87th NCAA volleyball match
JVP, GMA News

A melee broke out at the sidelines of the women's volleyball match Friday between University of Perpetual Help and San Sebastian College in the 87th NCAA. The brawl involved Lady Stags coach Roger Gorayeb and several members of defending men's basketball champion San Beda College.

NCAA officials were forced to stop the match.

Witnesses took pictures of the brawl as it took place and then uploaded them on various social networking sites. The skirmish was also recorded by closed-circuit television cameras installed inside the SBC gym.

Gorayeb, according to reports, got into a heated argument with San Beda big man Dave Marcelo and Red Lions coach Frankie Lim inside the SBC gym, where Friday's volleyball matches were played.

The argument escalated to a shouting and shoving match until punches were thrown that resulted in a free-for-all.

Full story…

I wonder if and how Ateneo and Shakey's will respond.

…

Here is Coach Gorayeb's version of what happened, pieced together by sports blog BallersPinas from Tweets of NBN's Snow Badua (who is himself no stranger to these things).

Fille Cainglet And Roger Gorayeb Shilling For Shakey's

2011-12-01T18:44:00.011+08:00

You know the Ateneo women's volleyball team is doing well when its head coach and team captain for UAAP Season 74 appear in a TV commercial for a leading pizza restaurant chain.

Even if she doesn't have a solo speaking line, Fille Cainglet is always in the center of the frame. Good for her. On the other hand, I find Coach Roger Gorayeb's wacky expressions extra funny because he's rarely like that during games—TV cameras almost always catch him with his game face on, looking like he's in perpetual danger of collapsing from coaching his butt off.

…

The Ateneo Lady Spikers are currently 2–0 after after their straight-set victories over Season 73 second placer UST and UE. Next up, a barometer game against defending champion DLSU at 4 p.m. on Saturday, 3 December 2011.

…

[4 December 2011 Edit]

Coach Gorayeb missed the game against DLSU after figuring in a brawl the day before. The Lady Spikers lost in four sets after taking the first.

On A Bus With Boyzone And Aegis

2011-11-22T21:20:00.004+08:00

The other day I found myself on a proverbial bus ride from hell.

Instead of screening a movie as is typical, the conductor played DVDs of a Boyzone reunion concert in Manchester, England (I know this because they kept thanking the city and saying that it had been years since their last concert) and an Aegis performance in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (I caught the opening credits) back-to-back.

Needless to say, I tried my best to sleep through the entire trip. I didn't succeed.

Each time I woke up from napping I heard the dude seated behind me singing along to whatever song it was playing. And it was half-hilarious, half-admirable how he sang along to Aegis: he would aim for the lower and middle registers, attempting to harmonize with the two lady singers who seemed hell-bent on torturing all dogs within a half-mile radius.

Unfortunately the dude didn't know all the lyrics. He could sing along with the band, but whenever the singers stopped singing, shouted, "Kayo naman!" and pointed their microphones at the crowd for a bit of community singing, he would falter or mess up words or the timing.

…

Confession time: based on what I saw from that DVD, I think I wouldn't mind too much if someone paid me money to sit through an Aegis concert. They play diverse covers (Asin, Celine Dion, Evanescence, Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo, Mariah Carey, and Mike Hanopol, among others) so it's possible that I'll hear a song I actually like. Bottomline, the band knows how to make their fans happy, whether it's through their signature type of music or their comedic antics.

(Of course, there is one other explanation: Pinoy audiences are very easy to please.)

Sinag Pilipinas, 2011 SEA Games Champs

2011-11-21T22:02:00.003+08:00

Congratulations, Sinag Pilipinas!

Sinag five raps Thais, secures cage gold
The Philippine Star

JAKARTA – The country’s amateur cagers proved more than enough to get the job done in winning the SEA Games men’s championship, routing Thailand, 85-57, last night to complete their golden mission here.

Sinag Pilipinas, a mix of collegiate stars and PBA D-League mainstays, just won’t let the gold medal that mattered most slip away, posting an unassailable lead right in the first half en route to scoring another blowout win to cap a masterful five-game sweep.

“This means a lot to us, not just for me but the whole team. We’re very happy to win the gold and make the country proud,” said Sinag Phl coach Norman Black.

Full story…

Congratulations, too, to the past and present Ateneo Blue Eagles personnel on the team: Sinag players Kiefer Ravena, Greg Slaughter, Emman Monfort, Nico Salva, Chris Tiu, and alternate Justin Chua; head coach Norman Black; and assistant coaches Sandy Arespacochaga and Jamike Jarin.

Up next for the Blue Eagles: their title defense in the ongoing Philippine Collegiate Champions League.

Kaye Abad In Kamikazee's "Halik" Music Video

2011-11-14T12:40:00.048+08:00

Start your week right and watch the music video for Kamikazee's "Halik," the first single from their latest album, Romantico.

Wala pa ring kupas si Kaye Abad, ano? But I'm disappointed the Pinoy Raiden uses a table knife instead of a lightning bolt.

Abad is a frequent Kamikazee collaborator. This is (at least) her third time to appear in the band's music videos after "Martyr Nyebera" and "Director's Cut". I guess it pays to be the lead singer's sister-in-law?

For my money, though, Abad's best performance in a music video to date is still the one for The Pin-Up Girls' "A Cold and Better Place." Too bad that vid isn't available on YouTube.

Ely Buendia Sings "La Paloma"

2011-11-06T11:09:00.219+08:00

The old timey vibe of this song is perfect for this lazy Sunday.

"La Paloma" is the theme song from Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, an entry in next month's Metro Manila Film Festival. That's Pupil frontman Ely Buendia, who appears at the 1:54 mark of the music video, singing.

Manila Kingpin is topbilled by Laguna governor E.R. Ejercito a.k.a. George Estregan, Jr., who is known for his over-the-top kontrabida portrayals in Pinoy action flicks in the '80s and '90s. Estregan seems to be fixated on the true-to-life role originated in the 1960s by his uncle, former President Joseph Estrada; the former had already essayed the role of Nicasio "Asiong" Salonga in 1990's Asiong Salonga: Hari ng Tondo).

I think if I decide to watch the movie it will be because of its excellent production values. It was directed by the multi-awarded Tikoy Aguiluz, (probably) shot digitally, and color graded in black-and-white. More importantly, it's the return of the Pinoy action film!

Here's the slick-looking Kingpin trailer:

Very promising, right? The running-gun-battle-on-calesas at the 1:47 mark is an especially nice, albeit unintentionally hilarious, wrinkle.

[Hat tip to Video 48.]

…

[15 December 2011 Edit]

Uh-oh….

The trouble with 'Asiong'
By: Bayani San Diego Jr., Marinel R. Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer

What’s up with this gangster movie?

Director Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz VI wants his name removed from the credits of "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story," an entry in this month’s Metro Manila Film Festival. And female lead star Carla Abellana has been banned from promoting it.

Aguiluz made the request to strike his name—from billboards, posters and other promotional materials, including those posted in social media—in a letter drafted by his lawyer, Angel Enrico Mira Jr., and addressed to "Asiong" producer Scenema Concepts International. Aguiluz explained that the final version of "Manila Kingpin" can no longer be described as his film.

Added scenes

"Additional scenes were shot without the knowledge and presence of our client," the letter said. Aguiluz, Mira pointed out, wasn’t involved in the film’s "reedit, re-shoot and music mixing."

Full story…

Tsk. This is why we can't have nice things.

GPOYW: An Elephant Never Forgets

2011-11-02T17:37:00.006+08:00

It took a long time (and countless stops and starts), but I finally made good on what I told a friend some years back.

That's a nearly six-year-old cell phone photo I haven't found a use for until now, exactly a year removed from my last.

You Are Remembered, Mr. Roddenberry

2011-10-24T12:47:00.006+08:00

[Photo credit: Brian Wilkins on Flickr.]

Go find someone to beam you up. Today is Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's 20^th death anniversary.

UAAP Season 74: Ateneo Blue Eagles Championship Video

2011-10-13T18:00:00.002+08:00

The Season 74 mission having been accomplished, the Ateneo Blue Eagles may now clown around. Here's their championship video put together by assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga, student manager Jon Jacinto, and Ateneo Lady Eagles assistant coach Jover Chavez. The appearance of the coaching staff and team managers at the 6:16 mark is especially funny.

[Hat tip to Hoop Nut.]

UAAP Season 74: Farewell, And Thanks

2011-10-11T18:01:00.044+08:00

These three Blue Eagles, which include two members of Ateneo's 2011 starting five, have finished their UAAP collegiate careers. May they find even more success in their future endeavors.

[Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

So long, Kirk. The Sixth Man will miss you (just as the UST Growling Tigers won't). Keep away from the black hair dye.

[Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

Emman Monfort was often the smallest player on the court, but almost always the one who played with the most heart.

Oh, and Mr. Atayde? The player you dubbed "Eman One Fourth" just brought your least favorite team to its fourth straight title. He wins.

[Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

Say what you will about Bacon Austria, but in grade school, high school, and college he brought home the proverbial bacon to Loyola Heights. As of today he may well be the player with the most basketball championships won for Ateneo.

A Public Service Message From The Ateneo Blue Eagles

2011-10-10T17:45:00.028+08:00

Here are the Ateneo Blue Eagles with an off-the-court assist to victims of Typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

Good job, champs.

UAAP Season 74 Finals: Just One More

2011-10-01T12:38:00.005+08:00

[Image designed by Tina Araneta; Grabbed from here.]

In about two and a half hours the Ateneo Blue Eagles will take the first of two chances to annex four consecutive Men's basketball title and gain a share of history. May "The Fourth" be with them, indeed.

Paaram, Metal

2011-09-29T12:20:00.976+08:00

Last month my high school batchmate Joniepher, a fellow Citizen's Army Training officer, Dazer, and Kikoy, passed away. Today is the 40^th day since his passing, so I thought I'd share how he came to be known—by our batch, at least—as "Metal" (pronounced the Filipino way, which makes his moniker that much more tough-sounding).

I first came to know Metal during the summer that bridged our sophomore and junior years in high school, when we and some twenty others from our batch started training as drum and bugle corps^* members on our way to becoming CAT officers senior year. He was assigned the "taho," a drum that got its name because of its resemblance to the deep container taho vendors use; I was given the bass drum.

Metal had an atypical given name (which I thought was probably a portmanteau of his parents' names) but I couldn't bring myself to call him that—it sounded a lot like "Jennifer," and if there ever was anyone who didn't look like a Jennifer it was, well, Joniepher.

There was an obvious reason for that: he was the most muscular in our troop. He was only of average height but Metal was ripped for a 14- or 15-year-old, which was yet another reason why his alias was so apt. All those push-ups and chin-ups we had to do for exercise or punishment were nothing to him; he could do those all the livelong day. The rest of us could only wonder what it was he did back in his hometown of Pamplona, Camarines Sur that gave him that physique.

For that summer training we were required to use our Type-B CAT uniform, which included a military web belt with a buckle, and was inspected daily. One day Metal showed up wearing a leather belt with a "western-style" buckle, the type that is invariably described as "ga-plato" and would make a very handy weapon in a "puksaan" or rumble. After our upperclassmen officers saw it during inspection, they decided to dub him "Metal." At first it was only them and all of us DBC members that called him that, but eventually our entire batch followed suit.

He may or may not have hated his moniker, but Metal never stopped us from calling him that to his face. He eventually dropped the nickname, though—those who knew him from college at the University of Nueva Caceres call him "Ref," which was short for his family name. But to this day our high school batch knows him as Metal.

^*We were actually a drum and lyre corps, not a DBC, since we didn't have bugles or other brass instruments. I didn't dare tell our upperclassmen officers or our commandant that, though.

…

[13 October 2011 Edit]

Sometimes it's a good idea to allow other people to have access your social networking site accounts, sometimes it's not.

I looked at Metal's Facebook page a couple of minutes ago and got creeped out: there was an entry from around noon today saying that he has updated his current city to Naga City. I knew it was probably his widow who did it, but that didn't stop me from getting goose bumps.

UAAP Season 74 Finals: Ateneo-FEU Game 1 Results

2011-09-25T11:43:00.241+08:00

What a game. What. A. Game.

UAAP Finals: Blue Eagles draw first blood Salva leads rout of Tamaraws
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo coach Norman Black had said that those who question the Blue Eagles’ desire may be in for a surprise.

The Blue Eagles gave Far Eastern University quite a shock with a dominant second-half show to post an 82-64 rout Saturday and move within a victory of a historic fourth straight UAAP men’s basketball crown.

Nico Salva had a perfect game from the field as the Eagles also got away with a lot of baskets from underneath in Game 1 of the best-of-three series that drew a packed crowd of 18,972 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Full story…

One statistic trotted out once the UAAP Men's basketball Finals come along is that the winner of Game 1 of the best-of-three series almost always goes on to win the crown. Pardon the Blue Eagles, though, if they do not take comfort in that stat—it was Ateneo, after all, that, in 2006 against UST, was the last team to lose in the Finals after winning the first game of the series. I wouldn't be surprised if the team basked in the victory for just a few hours then went back to work this morning to prepare for Tuesday's Game 2.

Yesterday's loss may well have shattered FEU's morale. The Tamaraws took their best shot, but Ateneo drew upon its championship experience and chipped away at an early 10-point deficit, forced a tie at the half, played with poise and broke the game wide open after the intermission, and emerged with an 18-point victory.

Ateneo's starters were simply awesome. Four of the five scored in double digits, led by Nico Salva who played great all game long and tallied 24 points (8-8 field goals, 8-8 free throws), 6 rebounds, and 1 block. Presumptive Season 74 Rookie of the Year Kiefer Ravena had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, and helped the team recover from a double-digit deficit in the second quarter and pull even. Kirk Long didn't neglect his offense this time, scoring 8 points and adding 2 assists and 1 block. Emman Monfort continued his mastery of last year's Most Valuable Player RR Garcia on defense while notching 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Greg Slaughter had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. And I think he still hasn't forgotten that FEU led the charge to bar him from suiting up this year, as he had three monster dunks. Ravena and Long (with the imprimatur of the coaching staff?) even looked to helped the big guy get some small measure of revenge by throwing him alley-oop passes (Slaughter converted one).

Even the reserves had their moments: Tonino Gonzaga had 2 assists and a rebound; Juami Tiongson nabbed 4 points, a rebound, and an assist; Justin Chua had 2 points and 4 rebounds; Bacon Austria had 2 rebounds, an assist, and a nice block just before halftime; and JP Erram had 4 points (two of them coming after he shot-faked a Tamaraw player out of the latter's shorts), 2 rebounds, and a block that reminded everyone of the great Nonoy Baclao.

It's nearly impossible to beat Ateneo when everyone's clicking. Even the FEU head coach had to concede that the Blue Eagles played a "perfect" game. As a result, they are now one more big fight away from having a share of history.

[Hat tip to PBFantasy.com for the stats.]

UAAP Season 74 Finals: It's Go Time!

2011-09-24T12:29:00.004+08:00

[Image grabbed from Chinoy Hoops Fan.]

At 3 p.m. today Game 1 of the best-of-three UAAP Season 74 Men's basketball Finals will tip off. The series will not lack for interesting storylines, the least of which is that it features a rematch of last year's Finals that Ateneo won, 2-0.

…

How awesome is that Angry Birds-themed graphic? I think I'm missing (most of) the FEU-specific references, though.

Great Minds Think Alike: UP Yap Squad

2011-09-18T12:14:00.013+08:00

These two aren't Twitter friends. Yet.

…

The University of the Philippines Pep Squad is the 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition champion. It's their second straight win and seventh overall.

UAAP Season 74 Final Four: Ateneo-UST Game Results

2011-09-16T22:00:00.007+08:00

Ateneo is back in familiar territory, the Men's basketball Finals

Eagles return to Finals; Tamaraws force do-or-die showdown vs Adamson
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo booked a fourth straight Finals appearance Thursday even as Far Eastern University forged a winner-take-all duel with Adamson for the last title berth in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

The Eagles bucked the absence of the cramps-stricken Greg Slaughter in the endgame to eliminate gutsy University of Santo Tomas, 69-66.

The Tigers unloaded three consecutive triples to trim the Eagles’ 63-53 lead to just a point, 67-66, with 5.8 seconds remaining before Nico Salva sealed the win with two free throws, with 2.7 ticks left.

Full story…

After the Blue Eagles' sorry loss to the Adamson Soaring Falcons that ended their hopes for a perfect season, Ateneo head coach Norman Black predicted that in their next game, a Final Four encounter against the UST Growling Tigers, they'll find out what the Eagles are made of, what the team's character is when faced with adversity.

Well, we found out, alright: the Blue Eagles are warriors (sorry, University of the East).

After taking both their elimination round games against the Growling Tigers by an average margin of 19 points, the Blue Eagles narrowly escaped with a 3-point victory, their second Final Four win in three years over their Season 69 Finals tormentors. So now, for the fourth straight year the road to the Season 74 Men's basketball championship will have to go through Loyola Heights.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-Adamson Game Results

2011-09-11T22:55:00.004+08:00

All good things must come to an end, right?

Adamson ends Ateneo agony, trashes rare 14-game sweep
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Adamson hammered out a historic feat in a game where Ateneo tried to make history.

Coming out in full throttle from the get-go, the Falcons foiled the Blue Eagles’ bid to complete a rare 14-game sweep with a surprise 62-46 rout Saturday in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

Aside from playing spoiler to Ateneo’s bid of jumping straight to the Finals, the Falcons secured the No. 2 spot, which comes with the remaining twice-to-beat semifinal advantage. Moreover, the Falcons snapped their 14-year losing skid against the Blue Eagles.

Full story…

The Soaring Falcons were simply the better team in this game. After holding a slim lead at the half, Adamson blew the game wide open in the third quarter, the stretch of the game the Blue Eagle almost always dominated this season, outscoring Ateneo, 23-7.

The 2011 Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles thus missed a golden opportunity to become only the third UAAP squad to sweep the eliminations after the 1993 UST Growling Tigers and the 2007 UE Red Warriors, and with it, automatic entry to the Finals where they would've held a thrice-to-beat edge. The Sixth Man shouldn't be too broken down about the loss, though. By topping the eliminations with a 13-1 card, the Blue Eagles still met one of head coach Norman Black's goals for the team year in and year out: enter the Final Four with a twice-to-beat advantage.

GPOYW: Tripod

2011-09-07T12:42:00.012+08:00

I didn't get what I was going for exactly (the mirror had a border and I didn't hide my left leg well), but I got a semi-amusing photo nonetheless.

[Hat tip to TnB.]

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-NU Game Results

2011-09-04T12:04:00.003+08:00

Ateneo's unbeaten streak is now at 13 straight games.

UAAP: Ateneo Blue Eagles within a win of sweep; UST Growling Tigers crush Adamson Falcons, near Final Four
By Marc Anthony Reyes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—As expected, Ateneo cleared another road block—and how—in its determined march to a title sweep in the UAAP Saturday.

Playing with their usual unforgiving defense, the Blue Eagles held the National University Bulldogs to their lowest output ever in a 61-39 rout that moved Ateneo to within a win of an elimination sweep and three more from a rare unbeaten championship run in men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Now we’ll definitely go for it, no question,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black of the Eagles’ bid to become the first team to capture a fourth straight championship by winning 16 games in a row.

“I guess we can’t avoid that now. That’s something worth striving for.”

Full story…

What Coach Norman said.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-UP Game Results

2011-09-02T12:44:00.005+08:00

Ateneo's unbeaten run now stands at 12 straight.

Ateneo Blue Eagles 2 wins off sweep; Adamson Falcons down UE Red Warriors
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—A big fourth-quarter push helped Ateneo shake off University of the Philippines, 73-58, Thursday to move within two wins of sweeping the UAAP men’s basketball tournament eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Banking on the strong games of their big men, the Blue Eagles relied on their half-court play in pulling away for good from the Maroons, who were still within striking distance at 54-47 going into the last eight minutes.

“We’re at the point of the season where statistically I’m not really that concerned anymore,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black after his defending champions roared to their 12th straight win and inched closer to an outright Finals berth, the bonus for a 14-game elimination sweep.

Full story…

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-La Salle Game Results

2011-08-29T12:36:00.088+08:00

Ateneo's unbeaten streak goes to eleven.

UAAP: Fiery Blue Eagles clobber Green Archers; Growling Tigers roar
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo easily brushed fierce rival La Salle out of the way Sunday to move within three wins of a two-round UAAP sweep and an automatic title berth.

The defending champion Blue Eagles dumped the skidding Green Archers, 79-62, and clinched the twice-to-beat Final Four bonus with their 11th straight victory in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the jampacked Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Although seven-foot rookie Greg Slaughter rode the bench almost the entire first half due to early foul trouble, the Eagles remained in complete control with superb efforts from Nico Salva, Kiefer Ravena and Emman Monfort.

Full story…

A lot of things have to happen for this to come true, but I want Ateneo and La Salle to face each other in the Season 74 Finals. If that isn't possible, I want the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers to end up No.1 and No. 4, respectively, after the eliminations so they'll meet in the semifinals.

Yes, I know I sound off my rocker. I'm probably the only Blue Eagle supporter who's wishing for at least one more Ateneo-La Salle games this year. But remember, the Green Archers were the last team to win four straight Men's basketball championships. It's only fitting that the Blue Eagles' quest to achieve its own four-peat should involve the squad from Taft Avenue.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-UE Game Results

2011-08-26T22:28:00.002+08:00

The Blue Eagles are now a perfect ten-and-oh.

Ateneo overthrows UE, sets UAAP record for 13th straight Final Four stint
By Mark Giongco
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo coach Norman Black gave a warning: “They (University of the East) sneaked up on La Salle and they could do the same thing to us.”

His thoughts almost came true as the Blue Eagles needed to survive the Red Warriors, 74-70, in the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The four-peat seeking Ateneo, which already assured itself of a Final Four spot and boosted its outright Finals bid, squandered a 72-64 lead it built 42.2 ticks left.

Full story…

I know moral victories don't count in the standings, but the Red Warriors can take comfort in the knowledge that on a good day, they can hang with the best of them. Twice now in Season 74 UE has given Ateneo all that it could handle, although the Blue Eagles have again found a way to win. A Final Four appearance might be out of the question, but the Red Warriors now have a well of confidence they can draw from in their remaining games.

Also, does anyone think Ateneo center Greg Slaughter has forgotten that UE was one of the three schools that tried (and failed) to keep him off the Blue Eagles' roster this year? The big man had a good day, tallying 19 points (8-of-9 FG), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He also added to his personal highlight reel with a monstrous alley-oop dunk off a Nico Salva pass.

The Arrival Of James Soriano

2011-08-26T18:04:00.012+08:00

Earlier today someone sent me a link to the now-infamous Manila Bulletin article entitled "Language, learning, identity, privilege" by James Soriano, a student from my college alma mater who writes a column called "iThink" in Bulletin's Students & Campuses section.

Manila Bulletin first published the controversial article two days ago. When I read it today, I immediately thought its author was merely being sarcastic. After all, how can anyone write, "[Filipino] was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed 'sundo na'" and not be kidding? It only goes to show how little I know—it turns out Soriano had expressed similar sentiments as early as December 2008 and February 2009.

As can be expected, the local Interwebs has blown up. I'm surprised no one has started a Facebook page yet. And because of the widespread interest in what Soriano wrote, by mid-afternoon today the article can no longer be accessed on mb.com.ph (although Google's cache of the page is still good).

I can already see where this is going: Soriano will either claim that his statements are being taken out of context, or say "Bazinga!" In fact, the spin has already begun. But a lot of good that will do. When he submitted that particular piece Soriano must have foreseen the level of hysteria it could cause. After all, in a 19 May 2011 blog entry he wrote:

Because to write it down is to acknowledge its existence, to make it real. To write it down is to record it as part of your history. It is to create the monster, let it take shape, and bring it to life.

Very prescient.

Somewhere out there, Malu Fernandez (remember her?) and Christopher Lao are scooching over to make room for the latest Flavor of the Week.

[Hat tip to TnB, L. Castro on FB, and O. Reyes on Twitter.]

…

[5:48 PM, 27 August 2011 Edit]

A comment to this post reminded me of the subtitle of this blog: "One thing about bullshit, it's fertilizer, too." I must therefore concede that there may yet be something useful in what Soriano wrote. Maybe, just maybe, there's a method to his apparent madness.

For instance, a former boardmate who's now an instructor in our high school alma mater thinks that the article is a good take-off point for discussion in the classroom. Atty. Theodore Te, meanwhile, says that Soriano did a good thing by getting people to think and reflect.

[Hat tip to V. Dancel on Twitter.]

…

[11:28 PM Edit]

Ron Capinding, one of Soriano's Filipino teachers in high school, has weighed in and asked that everyone give the young man the benefit of the doubt. He makes a convincing case.

[Hat tip to J. Salvosa on FB.]

…

[12:03 AM, 28 August 2011 Edit]

Okay, what Soriano perhaps attempted to do, the daughter of a sitting Supreme Court justice did earlier (and more elegantly).

[Hat tip to TnB.]

…

[10:26 PM, 1 September 2011 Edit]

Soriano has written a follow-up article entitled, "Wika bilang gunita".

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-UST Game Results

2011-08-21T13:36:00.006+08:00

Nine games in, the Blue Eagles are still undefeated.

Blue Eagles rip Growling Tigers, nail ninth straight
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—An Ateneo squad claiming it has yet to reach its full potential dumped University of Santo Tomas, 82-57, for its ninth straight victory in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles held the sloppy Tigers to six points in the first quarter and the defending champions went on to lead by over 30 points twice to highlight their dominating show.

Nico Salva fueled the early assault and finished with 20 points and seven rebounds as the Eagles sustained their bid for an elimination sweep and an outright championship berth.

Full story…

For years now Ateneo's Kirk Long has had the well-deserved reputation of being a Growling Tiger tamer. As a rookie in 2007, he scored 9 points in the fourth quarter then sank a buzzer-beating, game-winning jumper over Season 70 MVP Jervy Cruz to beat UST in the second round. It was the victory that started the Blue Eagles' unbeaten streak over the Growling Tigers that now stands at 10 games spanning 5 seasons. Then two years ago, in yet another second round encounter Long dropped a then career-high 21 points on UST built around a 5-of-6 shooting clip from three-point territory.

With Long's UAAP career ending after this season, it looks like Ateneo center Justin Chua could inherit the mantle of being UST's tormentor. In the Blue Eagles' first round win over the Growling Tigers in Season 73 he had a breakout game, tallying then career-highs of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. And in yesterday's blowout victory, Chua contributed 18 points (on 5-8 FG and 8-8 FT), 3 rebounds, and 1 block in only 17 minutes of action.

…

It was great to see Justin Chua finally have his breakthrough game of the season, especially since what I anticipated last year has come true. With the arrival of his more celebrated teammate Greg Slaughter, Chua has ridden the bench after playing major minutes in Season 73. All of his numbers (4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.4 blocks in 10.1 minutes per game) are down from last year (8.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks in 19.5 minutes per outing), and his body language has regressed to pre-2010 levels. Prior to yesterday's game he hasn't smiled much during their games this season.

Lately, though, it seems that Chua has started to come to terms with his fewer minutes. For instance, in Ateneo's last 3 wins he scored 4, 9, and 18 points after notching just 10 over their first 6 games. That speaks highly of Chua's level of maturity in dealing with his reduced role, and bodes well for when the Blue Eagles play the games with greater stakes.

Great Minds Think Alike: As The Night Progresses

2011-08-18T12:20:00.001+08:00

These two aren't Facebook friends. Yet.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 2: Ateneo-FEU Game Results

2011-08-14T12:16:00.004+08:00

The Blue and White rolls on to an 8-0 record.

Blue Eagles survive toughest test, nip Tamaraws in OT
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo used another strong finish to survive its toughest test yet.

Finding their rhythm in the second half, the Blue Eagles completed a come-from-behind 74-67 overtime victory over the Far Eastern U Tamaraws last night for their eighth straight win at the start of the second round of the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Pushed to the wall by an FEU side determined to avenge a week-old defeat, the Eagles responded to the challenge with a workmanlike effort in the last two quarters, before finishing the Tamaraws off with another solid defensive display in the extension.

Full story…

Forget about the comeback from 7 points down in the fourth period against Adamson. Forget about the wire-to-wire annihilation of archrival La Salle. Forget about the 24-point rout of NU, or even the 20-point beatdown of the same FEU squad just six days prior.

Yesterday Ateneo earned its signature victory of the season—so far.

Playing catch-up almost the entire game, down by as much as 16 points in the second quarter and by 6 with 61 seconds to play in the fourth, the Blue Eagles battled back to force overtime and prevail in the extra period.

It's already a day later yet I'm still too overcome with pride and jubilation I can't write a coherent recap except to say that it was a beautiful, beautiful victory.

…

The Ateneo crowd at yesterday's game responded—and how!—to the appeal for them to cheer louder at games. All throughout the telecast I could hear the Sixth Man's "Get that ball!" whenever FEU had ball possession.

An Appeal To Ateneo's 6th Man

2011-08-13T12:58:00.012+08:00

Here's a message purportedly from Mr. Jun Dalandan of ADMU's Office of University Development and Alumni Relations:

13 August 2011

GO, ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!

Our 3-peat champion Blue Eagles got the job done in the first round. But how about the Ateneo's 6th Man? Sadly not so. When our team was struggling, when we were most needed, there was hardly a peep from us. We wake up only after spectacular plays, strange calls, or non-calls, stirring runs.

Are we getting spoiled by all the titles, all the wins? Are we content to let our players leave it all out on the floor while we sit back in our reserved seats and smugly spectate? Are we there just to be entertained?

The price of admission = the privilege and the responsibility to CHEER! Our players, band, and cheerleaders need us. For we're part of the fabled Blue Babble Batallion.

The second round starts today. Our brave Blue Eagles are bracing for more spirited and physical opposition. And so much, much more is demanded of us boosters and fans. So, as we face FEU anew and in every game thereafter, wear your favorite Ateneo Blue shirt (Not just any of your weekend shirts, please! Don’t you think it’s time to buy an Ateneo shirt?) and CHEER! CHEER! CHEER! until victory is at hand.

When we are on the offense, shout out our storied one-word yell, FIGHT! When we are on defense, there's none better than GET THAT BALL!

Just like during the good ole' days, we, the Ateneo 6th Man, should show our might with thunderous and sustained Fabilioh! Halikinu! Blue Eagle Spelling! Go Ateneo! and One Big Fight!

All Out, All Heart ... that's the Ateneo 6th Man's way!

It has been years since I last watched the Blue Eagles play live. Ever since I moved here in the mountains, I have had to content myself with watching their games on TV. And from watching the Studio 23 telecasts this season I've noticed that the Ateneo Sixth Man has often been out-cheered by the opposing gallery. During those instances I find myself thinking, "If I were in Araneta for this game I'd be cheering my butt off."

But maybe that's just me.

See, my four-year stay in ADMU coincided with the last few years of the Blue Eagles' so-called "Dark Ages," which included almost all of the '90s. I learned to cheer for them at a time when Ateneo fans didn't have much to cheer for: the men's basketball program wasn't the multi-championship-winning powerhouse it is now, the team wasn't as loaded and well-coached as the competition, and the future nucleus of the 2002 champion team—players like Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Wesley Gonzales, Paolo Bugia, and Jec Chia—hadn't hit their primes yet.

Forget about about winning the championship; the most Ateneo fans could hope for during that era was for the Blue Eagles to finish with a .500 record and maybe sneak into the Final Four. The squad's moniker "Hail Mary Team" couldn't have been more apt then—the Blue Eagles lived on a prayer and needed all the energy they could feed off from the blue side of the arena, while the Ateneo faithful had to besiege the heavens with prayers for the team to get a win.

So when my college boardmates and I used to watch games live, win or lose we never failed to cheer (and heckle) ourselves hoarse. Once that ball was tossed up to start the game, we only sat down during timeouts and at halftime.

But now, despite the consecutive championships and Final Four appearances school officials still have been reduced to practically begging the Ateneo crowd to cheer. How…sad.

[Hat tip to user true.blue on Blue Eagles' Nest.]

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations: UP Fighting Maroons 2nd Round Schedule

2011-08-13T12:12:00.001+08:00

Here's the second round schedule for the UP Fighting Maroons:

Sunday, August 14
1 PM - UP vs. UST

Thursday, August 18
1 PM - UP vs. FEU

Sunday, August 21
1 PM - UP vs. NU

Saturday, August 27
1 PM - UP vs. AdU

Thursday, September 1
3 PM - UP vs. ADMU

Sunday, September 4
3 PM - UP vs. DLSU

Saturday, September 10
1 PM - UP vs. UE

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations: ADMU Blue Eagles 2nd Round Schedule

2011-08-12T23:10:00.003+08:00

Here's the second round schedule for the Ateneo Blue Eagles:

Saturday, August 13
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. FEU

Saturday, August 20
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. UST

August 25, Thursday
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - ADMU vs. UE

August 28, Sunday
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. DLSU

September 1, Thursday
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. UP

September 3, Saturday
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - ADMU vs. NU

September 10, Saturday
3 PM - ADMU vs. AdU

Squads that will have the gall to complain that Ateneo intends to sabotage their chances by saddling them with tough schedules better look at the schedule the Season 74 host made for itself: in a span of seven days bridging August and September the Blue Eagles will play La Salle, UP, and NU on three straight playdates.

UAAP Season 74: Ateneo First Round Recap

2011-08-11T19:07:00.003+08:00

Tournament Standings
ADMU Blue Eagles (7-0)
AdU Soaring Falcons (5-2)
FEU Tamaraws (4-3)
DLSU Green Archers (4-3)
UST Growling Tigers (3-4)
NU Bulldogs (2-5)
UP Fighting Maroons (2-5)
UE Red Warriors (1-6)

Ateneo Game Results
Sunday, July 10 - 55-51 win over AdU
Saturday, July 16 - 81-72 win over DLSU
Thursday, July 21 - 86-62 win over NU
Saturday, July 23 - 73-61 win over UE
Saturday, July 30 - 77-57 win over UP
Thursday, August 4 - 66-53 win over UST
Sunday, August 7 - 69-49 win over FEU

Ateneo Statistical Leaders
Minutes
Kirk Long, 28.0 mpg
Greg Slaughter, 27.4 mpg
Kiefer Ravena, 26.0 mpg
Nico Salva, 25.4 mpg
Emman Monfort, 24.7 mpg

Points
Kiefer Ravena, 14.6 ppg
Greg Slaughter, 14.0 ppg
Nico Salva, 11.7 ppg
Kirk Long, 9.9 ppg
Emman Monfort, 7.1 ppg

Rebounds
Greg Slaughter, 8.9 rpg
Nico Salva, 5.7 rpg
Kiefer Ravena, 4.9 rpg
Frank Golla, 4.0 rpg
Emman Monfort, 3.6 rpg

Assists
Emman Monfort, 4.3 apg
Kirk Long, 3.4 apg
Kiefer Ravena, 3.1 apg
Nico Salva, 1.6 apg
Bacon Austria, 1.3 apg

Steals
Kiefer Ravena, 1.7 spg
Emman Monfort, 1.7 spg
Bacon Austria, 0.6 spg
Kirk Long, 0.6 spg
Oping Sumalinog, 0.3 spg
Juami Tiongson, 0.3 spg

Blocks
Greg Slaughter, 2.1 bpg
JP Erram, 0.5 bpg
Justin Chua, 0.4 bpg
Frank Golla, 0.4 bpg
Oping Sumalinog, 0.3 bpg

[Hat tip to PBFantasy.com]

A Bunch of Three-Year-Olds

2011-08-10T12:31:00.000+08:00

Eleven days after I started The Past and the Spurious my friend ST began his own blog. From the 50 Peso Seats turns three years old today.

And come to think of it, two more of my friends' blogs—Tales of a Good Life and Kidding Aside—also started in 2008.

What was it with that year?

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-FEU Game Results

2011-08-08T22:33:00.086+08:00

What the Blue Eagles have just done wasn't easy. But it doesn't mean they can't do it again in the next round.

Ateneo hammers FEU, sweeps first round; Growling Tigers overwhelm Fighting Maroons
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo achieved something it has not done in its past three championship seasons: Sweep the first round.

The Blue Eagles, finding their lethal form just as the Far Eastern U Tamaraws lost their composure, hammered out a 69-49 rout yesterday to cap a 7-0 romp in the 74th UAAP basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Standout rookies Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter pumped in 19 and 15 points, respectively, as Ateneo, seeking a fourth straight championship, ended the first round without a loss for the first time since the Final Four format was applied in 1994.

Full story…

Greg Slaughter wasn't able to dunk on FEU, but that's alright. He was still able to put the hurt (15 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block) on the team that led the campaign to keep him from playing in the UAAP this year. Besides, Slaughter has at least one more shot at the Tamaraws, which will come as early as this Saturday when Ateneo faces FEU in the second round.

…

The Ateneo-UP double victory I had hoped for didn't happen. And the less I say about the Fighting Maroons' dispiriting performance, the better.

Hitler Finds Out About Christopher Lao

2011-08-07T23:47:00.014+08:00

Unless you've been living under a rock this past week, you must've heard about law graduate Christopher Lao's misadventure, which, unfortunately, was caught on tape by a TV news crew. And thanks to one of his law school blockmates, we now know that Lao actually had strong reasons for throwing caution to the wind and braving that flooded street.

After enduring days of being hammered on the Interwebs for his on-camera actions, Lao issued an official statement wherein he said "sorry and thank you to people who matter." It was a well-crafted statement (with a Filipino translation), although the apology didn't resonate with me because Lao did not identify what was it about his behavior that he needed to apologize for.

…

For your delectation and delight here's a Christopher Lao-themed subtitle spoof of the movie Downfall. I wouldn't be surprised if this was made by someone with ties to UP.

It's the first time I laughed this hard at a Filipino-made version of the Downfall meme since "Hitler Galit sa San Beda" from way back in 2008.

[Hat tip to M. Tan on FB.]

…

[8 August 2011, 10:30 PM Edit]

GMA News Online has posted the full 24 Oras news item (complete with transcripts) containing the interview with Lao.

…

[14 October 2011 Edit]

Lao has a commercial out that parodies the original news clip. Well played, sir,very well played.

…

[8 November 2011]

Lao sat down for a lengthy interview with Spot.ph. I guess he's really a celebrity now.

Obliging The Green Mind

2011-08-06T23:53:00.000+08:00

I know that the recent post about the Ateneo Blue Eagles on The Green Mind by Tony L. Atayde is just a bald-faced attempt at trolling and driving traffic to that blog, but I'll bite.

"Ateneo Peaking Too Soon?"^*

Post title pa lang, flamebait na. It's so sensationalistic people don't notice it actually doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the blog entry.

IF YOU ARE AN ARRNEO BRRUE EAGRRE, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE. JUST GO TO YOUR OWN BLOGS!

"Arrneo," I get—I use it myself sometimes—but "Brrue Eagrre"? Is that supposed to be an insult? Nobody says that, apart from maybe the Japanese.

After watching the last 2 games of Ateneo, I don't believe in their so called "invicibility".

What a coincidence, I don't believe in their invisibility too! But what do I know, I only catch their games on TV. Maybe they're invisible to those who see them live in Araneta? I doubt it. The Blue Eagles are fast on the break, but they're not that fast so as to be practically invisible.

Oh, he meant "invincibility"! My bad.

I don't think Mr. Atayde and I watched the same games. Because he couldn't have missed that the Blue Eagles actually won those two games by a combined margin of 33 points, could he?

We can beat this team.

The Green Archers can, and the Green Archers did—twice, even, over the summer. But that was then. Whether they will beat the Blue Eagles in Season 74 is another story. Like Ateneo coach Norman Black said back in June, "It’s summer. Our main focus is the UAAP. We’ll stay focused, and get better in July, and get better in September." It's August now. Looking at the standings, I can say that the Blue Eagles are doing just fine.

Too bad we played them early and of course that was because the host makes the schedule and you know who the hosts are.

After that opening day fiasco where it turned out to be more a lesson in "How to Hold a UAAP Opening Day Ceremony With Rain and Mud", their manipulation will continue all throughout the season.

Yes, Ateneo is this year's host and makes the schedule for the ongoing basketball tournaments. But Mr. Atayde neglects to mention that when La Salle hosted Season 73, it did the exact same thing he implies Ateneo has done and will do in Season 74: make a tournament schedule that doesn't conform to the UAAP Rules and Regulations.

Allow me to explain.

The Men's basketball tournament employs a double round-robin format, i.e. each team plays all others twice, for the eliminations. Here is the competition pairings under the UAAP Rules:

1^st Round Pairing
1 vs. 3
2 vs. 4
5 vs. 7
6 vs. 8

2^nd Round Pairing
1 vs. 5
2 vs. 6
3 vs. 7
4 vs. 8

3^rd Round Pairing
1 vs. 4
2 vs. 3
5 vs. 8
6 vs. 7

4^th Round Pairing
1 vs. 6
2 vs. 7
3 vs. 8
4 vs. 5

5^th Round Pairing
1 vs. 7
2 vs. 8
3 vs. 5
4 vs. 6

6^th Round Pairing
1 vs. 8
2 vs. 5
3 vs. 6
4 vs. 7

7^th Round Pairing
1 vs. 2
3 vs. 4
5 vs. 6
7 vs. 8

For the first round of eliminations, the pairings are determined using the order of finish from the previous year. In Season 72, the season-ending standings were:

1 ADMU (Champion)
2 UE (Losing finalist)
3 FEU
4 UST
5 AdU
6 DLSU
7 NU
8 UP

So for the first round of Season 73, defending champion Ateneo was supposed to face the following teams, in order:

3 FEU
5 AdU
4 UST
6 DLSU
7 NU
8 UP
2 UE

That's exactly how the Blue Eagles' schedule turned out.

Now for the second round of eliminations, the pairings are determined using the order of finish from the just-concluded first round. In Season 73, the standings at the end of the first round was:

1 FEU
T2 AdU
T2 ADMU
4 DLSU
T5 NU
T5 UST
7 UE
8 UP

Ateneo and Adamson ended up tied for second place at the end of the first round. If Ateneo was considered No. 2 its second round schedule should've been:

4 DLSU
6 NU or UST
3 AdU
7 UE
8 UP
5 NU or UST
1 FEU.

On the other hand, if Ateneo was No. 3 its schedule should've been:

1 FEU
7 UE
2 AdU
8 UP
5 NU or UST
6 NU or UST
4 DLSU.

The schedule DLSU made?

8 UP
5 or 6 NU
4 DLSU
7 UE
2 or 3 AdU
5 or 6 UST
1 FEU

Did the Ateneo side raise a hoot then? No, because it's the host school's prerogative to tinker with the tournament schedule for its own reasons, which could include scheduling "big" games on weekends so more people can watch live. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Going back to our team in comparison to theirs. I saw their game vs UST, a very small team, and their mercenary rookie Greg Slaughter looked like a walking Meralco post.. Slaughter looked like he was trained by La Salle's "big man coach". He literally stood out like sore thumb. He is weak and will back down when played physical. Van Opstal, who is progressing very well, can eat this guy and spit him out. Put Andrada along side AVO and Slaughter will be slaughtered.

First: the Growling Tigers aren't "a very small team." They only have four players—the same number as Ateneo—who stand 6 feet tall or lower, and their average height is not grossly disproportionate to that of the Blue Eagles. But since the sole 7-footer in the entire league plays for Ateneo, people (lazily) conclude that the Blue Eagles tower over the rest of the UAAP teams.

Second: I'm curious how Mr. Atayde defines "mercenary," because off the top of my head I can name more than a few La Salle "greats" whom that word would describe better than it would describe Slaughter.

Third, Slaughter will always look like a walking Meralco post and stick out like a sore thumb. He can't help it—he's 7 feet tall!

Fourth: Yes, Van Opstal (6'8" tall, 215 lbs., 6.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.0 spg, 0.3 bpg, 1.7 topg) is progressing very well. But if he can eat and spit Greg out (ano daw?) in the first place, why the need for Andrada to help out?

As for the perceived "god" of the Ateneo team, Keifer Ravena, he can be neutralized if defense on him is focused. Keep him away from the ball. A box 4 zone defense with one bigger player sticking to him like a cheap suit will take away his game.

First: Ravena must be kept away from the ball? He will be ineffective if the defense on him is focused? How…obvious. The way La Salle is playing, that's one big if right there. Besides, there are so many things Kiefer can do that don't require him having the ball in his hands.

Second: Did Mr. Atayde mean a "box-and-one defense"? Because it seems to me that a "box 4 zone" would require eight people (four to make the "box," plus four more) to execute. But a team is only allowed to field a maximum of five players at a time. Where would La Salle get the three extra guys on the court?

Hey, wait a minute….

Third: Nothing would make me happier than La Salle employing a box-and-one defense. That's because that defensive formation has a built-in weak spot: the center of the "box." Ateneo has enough good passers (and the league's only 7-footer) to use and abuse that gap.

If Webb can get his act together, he can guard Ravena and if he succeeds Kiefer might end up with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because Webb can get into his mind and if Webb does that, Ravena may never recover.

There are three ifs, one might, and one may in that sentence. Hedging much? Hell of a way to hype his own guy.

As for Eman One Fourth, he is effective at the top of half court. Push him to the either left or right and he won't get the assists that he has.

Wait, because Emman's last name is Monfort and he's listed at 5'6" he's dubbed "One Fourth"? Wow, such wit!

In case anyone has forgotten, Emman's one-fourth has been worth two straight titles, which is more than people can say about about the one whole of any current player on La Salle's lineup.

Kirk Long is a good transition player. He should be stopped before he gets to mid court. He is a dirty player and we should give him a bath.

Let me get this straight: Gusto niyang paliguan si Kirk Long? That is just…wrong. Yet a man old enough to be someone's grandfather thought that. Published it, even. On the Internet. In 2011.

But hey, what did you expect from a self-confessed "green mind"?

Our biggest problem will be Salva, (a former Lasallian). However, he can't do anything if he does not have the ball.

We just had to mention Salva's La Salle roots, didn't we? I wonder, though, if Nico himself brings that up, especially since after his sophomore year in high school he left La Salle Greenhills and moved to San Beda College.

And don't you just hate it when people think a player has to have the ball to do something positive in-game? How about the part where Salva can draw a defender out and help space the floor? Or the part where Nico could set a pick so hard the opposing is knocked back to kindergarten?

We cannot use the full court press against Ateneo. Coach Dindo has to think up of something that Black has never seen. I also noticed that the Ateneo players knew our play signs. When one of our players would call our plays, they would make their adjustments and be ready for it. It shows that Ateneo has been diligently watching our games and is one step ahead of us.

A compliment!

As for their bench, they are no match for ours. Austria, Golla, Tonito whatever, Whammy Teongson (where do they get these monichers) and Chua dont will get nowhere with our bench.

Yes, the Ateneo reserves are certainly no match for a La Salle bench that has 13 combined championship rings fewer than the five Blue Eagles just mentioned.

And is not knowing (and misspelling) people's name supposed to sting now?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Tiongson was nicknamed Juami because his given name is Juan Miguel. "But you already know that," to borrow from the philosopher Alberto del Rio.

Dindo should slowly be preparing for the Ateneo game. Man for man, La Salle is a better team. Now show Black that he ain't got nothing on you.

I suppose that Coach Norman's three straight championships, not to mention his PBA coaching titles, don't count?

Any claim that La Salle, man for man, is a better team than Ateneo is just plain wrong. Even if it is assumed for the sake of argument that the claim is true, then that's a backhanded compliment if I ever so one—it can only mean that the Blue Eagles have succeeded more than the Green Archers this season because they're greater than the sum of their parts.

^*That particular blog entry has been edited since it was first posted.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-UST Game Results

2011-08-05T23:12:00.009+08:00

The Blue Eagles are now 6-0, one win away from sweeping the first round of eliminations.

Eagles soar; UP Maroons upset Tams
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo got its running game going against slumping University of Santo Tomas, hacking out a 66-53 victory Thursday that pushed the three-time champion within a win of a UAAP first-round sweep.

Rookie Kiefer Ravena put up another sensational show with 18 points, five rebounds and six assists and Nico Salva just finished a rebound-short of a double-double with 14 points and nine boards to power the Blue Eagles to their sixth straight win.

University of the Philippines pulled off the season’s biggest upset yet earlier as the Maroons stunned the FEU Tamaraws, 76-63, in the first game of the men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Full story…

Because the Blue Eagles shot 23 of 68 (33.82%) from the field and 1 of 18 (5.56%) from three-point territory, I was all set on dubbing this latest Ateneo triumph an ugly win. But then I read AR Samson's latest article on the ADMU website:

I do not subscribe to that oft-repeated oxymoronic phrase "ugly win". A win by definition cannot be ugly (is a buzzer beater obnoxious?). It is always beautiful even if it moves jerkily along to its happy ending. […]

So, uh, yeah, beautiful win for Ateneo.

…

Yesterday was a great day for denizens of Katipunan Avenue: UP upset FEU in the curtain-raiser then Ateneo routed UST in the main game. The last time the Blue Eagles and the Fighting Maroons won on the same UAAP playdate? It was on 21 August 2008—UP routed shorthanded Adamson, 73-42, while Ateneo squeaked past UE, 61-57, in overtime. They can do it again this Sunday when the Fighting Maroons face UST and Blue Eagles square off against FEU.

…

I was able to catch the replay of the Ateneo-UST game on Balls, but I fell asleep during the fourth quarter. Because of that I missed Greg Slaughter's slam off a Kiefer Ravena alley-oop pass. What a bummer.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-UP Game Results

2011-07-31T14:03:00.007+08:00

Ateneo's tournament-opening win streak is now at five games.

UAAP: Ateneo Blue Eagles crush UP Fighting Maroons;
Tolomia hits game-winning triple to lift FEU over UST
By June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo win bragging rights in a battle of Katipunan-based squads yesterday, squeezing out double figures from all of their starters to demolish the University of the Philippines, 77-57, in Season 74 of the UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Rookie-sensation Kiefer Ravena pumped in 15 points and had four steals, and Greg Slaughter added 14 points and 13 rebounds in a potent inside-outside performance that propelled the unbeaten Blue Eagles to their fifth straight victory.

Full story…

A little over two years ago the Fighting Maroons upset the Blue Eagles, 68-58, in the first round of UAAP Season 72. That turned out to be Ateneo's only loss in the eliminations, and kept it from the joining UST and UE in the record books as holders of 14-0 records entering the playoffs.

Since then Ateneo has whaled on UP, winning four straight contests by an average margin of 19.75 points. Maybe it's time the Fighting Maroons went back to what worked the last time: they must wear their "Fighting Blacks" jerseys.

…

[7 PM Edit]

There was a rousing ovation as usual when the UP Pep Squad came out to perform at halftime. The cheers grew even louder when they assumed this, uh, very interesting opening position. Too bad Studio 23 did not air the entire routine, which was set to The Dawn's "Salamat." It's one of the drawbacks of cheering for an also-ran—UP Pep almost always goes on second at the half and gets limited airtime.

TPatS Third Anniversary

2011-07-30T12:09:00.001+08:00

The Past and the Spurious is three years old today! You're looking at Post No. 535. As usual, for record-keeping purposes here are the visitor stats from the past 12 months:

[Graphic grabbed from Site Meter.]

In addition to those I mentioned last year and the year before that, I thank those who Googled the late great Larry Alcala, UP courtside reporter Riki Flores, and Ateneo jerseys. Oh, and the three more Followers I gained: lb of Tanjerine Dreams, Joel of Baybayon, and Enzo of Hoop Nut. See you next year!

Update On Generous Soles

2011-07-28T00:30:00.022+08:00

After a friend suggested on Twitter that we find out how people can donate to Generous Soles, I immediately contacted Coach Noli Ayo, who was actually a year ahead of me in Ateneo de Naga High School.

I told Coach Ayo that I had come across the AdNU website story on Generous Soles and linked to it on this blog, and that someone had expressed interest in the program.

For his part, Coach Ayo said that he was overwhelmed to know that people are picking up on their little project. He added that he'll look at ways to gather shoes in the Metro Manila area.

From our short exchange, I got the sense that Generous Soles is still in its nascent stages and its founders are taking things slowly but surely. It's a sound strategy—many a commendable program have been torpedoed by their originators' taking on too much, too soon.

Kiefer Ravena Has Generous Soles

2011-07-27T12:35:00.021+08:00

That's not a typo in the title. From the Ateneo de Naga website:

Ravena, Ayo Initiate Generous Soles Project

The Ateneo Blue Eagles' talented rookie Kiefer Ravena and Ateneo Golden Knights' Head Basketball coach Noli Ayo took provincial basketball to another level when they collaborated to start the Generous Soles – a project that provides second-hand basketball shoes to collegiate players of Naga City and nearby towns.

In their maiden campaign, the Generous Soles project was able to provide 13 student-athletes with shoes that they can use in their games and practices. Schools that benefitted from this program were the Ateneo de Naga University, Naga College Foundation, Partido State University, University of Nueva Caceres, and Systems Technology Institute-Naga. The initial shoe collection came from former Blue Eagles JC Intal, Larry Fonacier and Paolo Bugia (all current PBA players) and Jimmy Alapag of Talk and Text Texters. Ravena also gave a couple of pairs to the collection.

Full story…

This young man really is something else, on and off the court. More power to him.

[Hat tip to user paralusi on Blue Eagles' Nest.]

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-UE Game Results

2011-07-24T00:25:00.003+08:00

The Blue Eagles are now at 4-0.

Slaughter powers Eagles
Ateneo holds off UE; La Salle ends slump, clips UP
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA — Greg Slaughter keyed Ateneo’s decisive breakaway from a winless University of the East side that stubbornly refused to go away.

The Blue Eagles, backing up Slaughter’s heroics with a tight defense in the second half, eventually downed the Warriors, 73-61, to notch their fourth straight victory and keep the solo top spot in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Slaughter dropped 18 points, seven in a pivotal run in the third quarter that gave the Eagles their first double-digit lead, 41-31, from a slim 28-25 halftime advantage.

Full story…

I got my little wish again: very early in the game Ateneo center Greg Slaughter dunked against UE, the second of three teams that voted to declare him ineligible to play this year. Then in the fourth quarter, a bonus: fellow rookie sensation Kiefer Ravena scored on a breakaway jam.

…

Time sure flies. Two years ago the Blue Eagles and the Red Warriors were the Season 72 Men's basketball finalists. Now the two teams are at opposite ends of the tournament leaderboard.

Here's an unsolicited advice for UE fans (and for supporters of the other UAAP teams with new head coaches, for that matter): keep the faith and be patient.

They say that Rome wasn't built in a day. If Ateneo had fired Norman Black after his second year as head coach ended with that 2-1 loss to UST in the Season 69 Finals (a series where they won Game 1), or after his third year and that "2 > 3" showing against La Salle in Season 70, who knows if the Blue Eagles would've still won three straight in 2008–2010?

Thanks For The Memories, Mr. Manny Amador

2011-07-23T12:48:00.006+08:00

Manny Amador, the original guitarist of Pinoy rock band The Breed, passed away yesterday, so for an hour or so last night I listened to their songs on YouTube.

I can't recall now how I first heard of the band, but I do remember that I bought a cassette tape of Alert Level The Album when I was a high school sophomore. It was a seminal compilation album that featured then-unsigned groups Color It Red, The Breed, Tropical Depression, and Rizal Underground, all of whom became respected names in the local rock scene. On the album's "Alert side" The Breed contributed early versions of "Black Mercedes Benz," arguably the song they're best known for, "Apocalype," and "Free."

The Breed was also part of probably the first concert in Ateneo that I ever attended as a college freshman. It was one of those multi-band affairs held at the College Covered Courts, and the group received a big cheer when they told the crowd that it was a homecoming of sorts because Amador and bassist Johnny Besa were Ateneo graduates. I found that bit of trivia especially cool because until then, I didn't know a band that had Ateneo ties whereas some of my favorite bands then like the Eraserheads, Yano, and Datu's Tribe all came from UP.

That same concert was also notable because: a) Wolfgang played a set that included my all-time favorite "Cathedral of Space," b) an English classmate who performed and thus had backstage access had Wolfgang sign my copy of Punks, Poets, Poseurs: Reportage on Pinoy Rock & Roll by Eric Caruncho, as well as the liner notes of my cassette tapes of their Wolfgang and Semenelin albums, c) Jowett was there (we weren't buddies yet then) and he proudly showed me the concert poster a few of the performers autographed for him, and d) I got to "dance" with a college crush to "Asar," a single from the Breed's first solo album Free.

So yeah, I have a few good memories to thank The Breed for.

…

You may click on the "play" button below to hear "Asar":

And for good measure, here's the music video for the unplugged version of "Black Mercedes Benz":

…

I'm doing Manny Amador a disservice by referring to him merely as an ex-member of a now-disbanded group (he has had a successful IT career since leaving the band nearly fifteen years ago), but I don't know him from anything else aside from The Breed.

Meanwhile, in its obituary of Amador abs-cbnNEWS.com identifies him primarily as actress Pinky Amador's brother. The original text of article drew flak because it barely mentioned the deceased and talked mainly about Pinky and her involvement in a TV series that's currently airing on ABS-CBN, and even carried her photograph. Good thing the obit has since been edited to include Amador's photo and further biographical information about him.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-NU Game Results

2011-07-22T12:52:00.003+08:00

The Hail Mary Squad's season-opening win streak is now at three games.

UAAP: Ateneo goes 3-0 with NU rout
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Ateneo treated National University like the whipping team of old Thursday as the Blue Eagles blasted the Bulldogs, 86-62, to claim the solo lead in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Nico Salva powered the Blue Eagles to an early double-digit cushion before prized rookies Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter took over to expose the Bulldogs as an inexperienced crew.

Showing that it’s team effort that wins games, the Eagles dished out 30 assists to tie the record Far Eastern University set against the Bulldogs on July 28, 2005.

Full story…

In 2007 the Bulldogs upset the Blue Eagles in their last elimination round game in UAAP Season 70. It was a major, major loss: Ateneo dropped to a tie for second place against La Salle and lost the outright twice-to-beat advantage against its archrival in the Final Four. The two were made to play a classification game that the Green Archers won to snatch the twice-to-beat bonus, which they then took full advantage of to eliminate the Blue Eagles in the semifinals.

As they say, an elephant—or in this case a proud Blue and White squad—never forgets.

Since that Season 70 heartbreak the Blue Eagles have never underestimated NU, never eased up even when the game was already won, never lost to the Bulldogs in the UAAP. The three-year unbeaten streak has coincided with Ateneo’s three championship runs; yesterday’s victory hiked the win streak to seven games, all of them double-digit routs.

An Easy Target*

2011-07-21T23:44:00.001+08:00

I had actually typed a cutting comment on the question, but at the last second I decided not to post it.

^*The chorus of Foo Fighters' "Alone+Easy Target" has been running through my head lately. I don't know why.

UAAP Season 74: Blue Eagle Go-To Moves

2011-07-20T19:12:00.006+08:00

Ateneo guard/forward Kirk Long likes going airborne to pass.

July 10, Ateneo-Adamson
[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

July 16, Ateneo-La Salle
[Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

But while they make for great action photos, it would serve Long well to quit making jump passes unless absolutely necessary. There's a reason for that: those are high-risk moves. In the last NBA Finals, for instance, 25 of the 156 turnovers came from jump passes. That's a whopping 16 percent of the combined miscues of the Mavericks and the Heat.

Meanwhile, here's one play the Blue Eagles should keep running: Greg Slaughter dunks! It would be great if he could get some measure of revenge against the three teams that voted to keep him from playing this season. He has already dunked on La Salle; he meets UE this Saturday, then FEU at the end of the first round.

…

[Update 1]

Here's Long against NU on 21 July 2011.

UAAP Season 74: Men's Basketball Opinion Poll Results

2011-07-19T12:42:00.013+08:00

Before the season started I asked, "Who has the best odds of winning the UAAP Season 74 Men's basketball title?" in a poll in the sidebar. Here are the results from 122 votes:

ADMU Blue Eagles – 49 votes (40%)
DLSU Green Archers – 17 votes (13%)
FEU Tamaraws – 11 votes (9%)
NU Bulldogs – 11 votes (9%)
UST Growling Tigers – 11 votes (9%)
UE Red Warriors – 10 votes (8%)
AdU Soaring Falcons – 8 votes (6%)
UP Fighting Maroons – 5 votes (4%)

Meanwhile, here are the tournament standings as of July 17:

[Graphic grabbed from here.]

Comparing the two, I guess that very early in the season Adamson and UP are exceeding people's hopes; Ateneo, UST, FEU, and NU are living up to them; and La Salle and UE are underperforming.

(Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is what passes for analysis in these parts. I understand if you don’t want to be friends with me anymore.)

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-La Salle Game Results

2011-07-17T22:34:00.000+08:00

I got my little wish.

UAAP: Ateneo rips La Salle behind Kiefer Ravena; Falcons rout Tamaraws
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA—Kiefer Ravena needed just one game to silence his doubters.

A week after a forgettable debut, Ravena finally showed what the hype was all about as the Blue Eagles downed fierce rival La Salle, 81-72, to grab the solo lead yesterday in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

Ravena pumped in all but two of his 24 points in the first half that tilted the momentum to Ateneo’s favor early in the blockbuster battle that drew a star-studded, roaring crowd of 15,491 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Full story…

After Kiefer Ravena's quiet (to say the least) Senior's division debut against Adamson, his father, former PBA cager Bong Ravena, said, “Expected ko na ganun talaga ang mangyayari, so kinausap ko siya after the game. I expect him to bounce back and play at a different level.”

Father knows best, it appears, because that's exactly what happened.

"The Phenom" scored the game's first six points, and in the first half he nearly matched La Salle's offensive output all by his lonesome. At the end of the first quarter he had 14 points to the Green Archers' 16. At the half, he had 22 points (DLSU had 30) on 10-15 FG, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes on the court. He cooled off somewhat in the second half, scoring just two more points, but tallied an additional 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

Given the stark difference between Ravena's first two outings (against Adamson he came off the bench, played just 14 minutes, and attempted only one field goal; against La Salle he was part of the starting five, played 33 minutes, and had 20 field goal attempts), I wouldn't be surprised if Ateneo head coach Norman Black had actually planned for Kiefer to play possum in their first game then go off against the Green Archers. After all, what could be sweeter than having the prized rookie's breakout game come against the Blue Eagles' bitterest rival?

Great Minds Think Alike: Win Or Lose (But Mostly Win)

2011-07-16T18:15:00.002+08:00

These three aren't Facebook friends. Yet

UP Law 100 On The 100

2011-07-15T00:49:00.003+08:00

In 2008 the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas released the 100-peso UP Centennial Note. Just three years later, the UP College of Law received its own commemorative bill.

Cool, huh?

By the way, I still haven't seen or heard of a commemorative note issued for La Salle's centennial last month. So far, so good.

…

[7 November 2011]

A commemorative bill was issued for Ateneo Law School's 75^th anniversary.

UAAP Season 74: Ateneo Courtside Reporter

2011-07-14T00:38:00.009+08:00

The courtside reporter for the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 74 is Jazmin "Jaz" Reyes, a 19-year old Ateneo sophomore taking up AB Communications. She has her work cut out for her, as her immediate predecessor had a great two-year stint and was a crowd favorite.

Reyes debuted during the Blue Eagles' game against Adamson last Sunday. It wasn't a flawless performance, but there's nothing a few more outings won't fix. Besides, Ateneo almost always has great luck when it comes to courtside reporters.

…

[12:27 PM Edit]

Here is a video interview of Jaz Reyes courtesy of The Guidon.

UAAP Season 74: Ateneo Basketball Ticket Sales Guidelines

2011-07-13T00:12:00.005+08:00

I got this in my e-mail yesterday. I'm sharing it here for the benefit of fellow ADMU alumni who may want to catch the Blue Eagles play live.

11 July 2011

UAAP SEASON 74 BASKETBALL TICKET SALES GUIDELINES

• 2 venues for Ticket Sales managed by the University Athletics Office
Strictly NO PROXY.

A. The Blue Eagle Gym Ticket Office will sell tickets only to the following:
1. Alumni of ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY only.
2. Grade school students, parents representing child, faculty and staff.
3. High school students, parents representing child, faculty and staff.
4. Ateneo Professional Schools students, faculty and staff
5. Central Administration Staff

B. The College Athletics Office will sell tickets only to the following:
LOYOLA SCHOOLS students, graduate students, faculty and staff

• Ticket Sales Schedule

Thursday Game: Tuesday 9:00 AM until supplies last
Saturday Game: Wednesday 9:00 AM until supplies last
Sunday Game: Thursday 9:00 AM until supplies last

• Please present the following identification card prior to purchasing tickets:
o Grade School, High School, Ateneo Professional Schools students, faculty, and staff: Ateneo I.D.
o Grade School and High School parents representing a child: parent's government-issued I.D. and child’s Ateneo I.D.
o Central Administration staff: Ateneo I.D.
o Alumni of the Ateneo de MANILA : alumni card or any government-issued I.D.

• Strictly 2 tickets ONLY per person.
For example:
1. Alumnus-parent + representative of his/her child-student = 2 tickets only.
2. Parent representing 2 or more children = 2 tickets only.

FOR ATENEO-LA SALLE GAMES, FINAL 4, FINALS

1. Please follow the selling days mentioned above. Numbers for the ticket selling will be distributed starting at 7:00 AM at the Blue Eagle Gym Ticket Booth. First come - first served.
a. Proper Identification mentioned above must be provided.
b. Only the following may avail of tickets: Grade School & High School students, parent representing child, faculty and staff;
Alumni of the Ateneo de Manila University; Ateneo Professional Schools students, faculty and staff; Central Administration staff.

2. Be sure to be in your designated seats by 6:00 PM. Ticket selling will commence at exactly 7:00 PM.
a. Strictly NO PROXY.
b. Present your I.D. along with your number. Please use the same I.D. you presented to get the number.

3. Other rules mentioned above will apply.

THE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS OFFICE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO SELL TICKETS.

Thank you.

Jun Dalandan

Twenty Five Thousand And First

2011-07-12T22:27:00.000+08:00

"Awake! Fear! Fire! Foes! Awake!
Fear! Fire! Foes!
Awake! Awake!"

At 6:17:58 pm, Philippine time on 12 July 2011, The Past and the Spurious welcomed its 25,001^st visitor.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations, Round 1: Ateneo-Adamson Game Results

2011-07-11T12:40:00.009+08:00

Ateneo overcame a seven-point 4^th quarter deficit and won by four through good old-fashioned defense. I'll take it.

Blue Eagles squeeze past Falcons; Tams score
By Jasmine W. Payo
INQUIRER.net

MANILA—Ateneo coach Norman Black had said this just might be the toughest season yet for the Blue Eagles.

And the Eagles felt exactly that right in their maiden game as the three-time champions rallied to slip past the tenacious Adamson Falcons, 55-51, yesterday in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Eagles held the Falcons scoreless in the final seven minutes of the game that also saw the sensational debut of the controversial Greg Slaughter.

Full story…

How about that Greg Slaughter, huh? In 31 minutes the Blue Eagle center tallied 23 points (9-14 FG, 5-10 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 6 turnovers (ugh), including this monstrous jam:


I am Slaughter, hear me roar. [Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

If anyone's still wondering why some of the other UAAP teams were hell-bent on disqualifying the Ateneo big man from playing this year, there's the answer. Slaughter just turned in a performance that will give opponents sleepless nights.

Meanwhile, Ateneo's other blue-chip rookie Kiefer Ravena went scoreless (he missed his only field goal attempt and did not go to the charity stripe) and had 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnover in 14 minutes. It wasn't the UAAP debut Blue Eagle fans expected, but it's alright. Ravena will have his own breakthrough game soon enough. If it comes at La Salle's expense this Saturday, even better.

[Hat tip to PBFantasy.com for the stats.]

UAAP Season 74: On Ryan Buenafe, Part 1

2011-07-10T12:17:00.805+08:00

A few hours from now the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles will take to the court and begin their four-peat bid in UAAP Season 74. Judging from the UAAP primers in yesterday's broadsheets, it seems almost everyone and their mothers have practically crowned the Blue Eagles champions of this year's Men's basketball tournament.

I am not one of them.

The rationale for the majority opinion is easy to see. On paper, Ateneo has a strong lineup that features multi-titled veterans, a bumper crop of big-name rookies, and one of the winningest coaches in Philippine basketball. Unfortunately, games and championships aren't won on paper. And perhaps more importantly, absent from this year's roster is a player who was a huge reason why the Blue Eagles are three-time defending champs, Ryan Buenafe.

Have the Blue Eagles seen the back of Ryan Buenafe? I sure hope not.
[Photo credit: Inboundpass.]

The last time we saw him on TV, Buenafe was wiping Araneta Coliseum's hardwood floor with the FEU Tamaraws in the Season 73 Finals en route to winning series MVP honors, pulling the rug from under the 2010 Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, and receiving a kiss from teammate Bacon Austria.

In Game 1 of the Finals Buenafe scored the contest's first two points for a lead that the Blue Eagles would never relinquish. He would not score any more as the 72–49 rout was already on. Then in the series-clinching Game 2, Buenafe tallied 23 points (on 8 of 12 field goals, 1 of 3 three-pointers, and 6 of 10 free throws), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover in 24 minutes of burn. In the 4^th canto he scored 10 of Ateneo's 13 points, almost single-handedly matching FEU's 12 markers in the same period.

Who would've thought that to date, that brilliant outing would be the last time the Ateneo faithful would see him on the court for the Blue and White in a game that counted?

When Buenafe didn't join the team in last December's Philippine Collegiate Champions League and in the 3-D Gold Super Kung Sheung Cup in Hong Kong that the Blue Eagles were sent to as a reward for winning the PCCL, the Ateneo community didn't worry. Buenafe had earned his rest, and no one begrudged him the time off so he could concentrate on his studies.

But in early March, The Philippine Star reported that Buenafe was set to play for RnW Pacific Pipes in the Philippine Basketball Association's Developmental League. The same report also called him an "ex-Ateneo Eagle," a tidbit that threw Blue Eagle followers into a tizzy.

The bewildering, rumor-filled, roller-coaster "Summer of Buenafe" was on.

Sportswriter Rick Olivares, one of Buenafe's second semester instructors in Ateneo, immediately contradicted the Philippine Star story. Blue Eagles team manager Paolo Trillo also refuted the report, telling the newspaper that team officials had denied Buenafe permission to suit up in the D-League, but also revealing that Buenafe wasn't practicing with the team in order for the latter to concentrate on his studies. This contradicted Olivares' information.

By the time April rolled in, murmurs and then some that Buenafe has had a falling out with a teammate, and that a case arising from that tiff had already been filed, were already running rampant. The rumors grew in the telling, not helped by the perception that the media was unable to get to the bottom of the matter.

Sportscaster Christian Soler tweeted that according to Ateneo team officials, Buenafe was on indefinite leave from the Blue Eagles for personal reasons. Olivares, meanwhile, confirmed that it wasn't sure whether Buenafe would suit up in the summer and that someone had indeed filed a case, although he did not reveal what type of case it was. Then a week later, ABS-CBNnews.com reported that it was because of an injury that Buenafe will miss the Blue Eagles' exhibition game in Dubai, United Arab Emirates against arch-rival La Salle Green Archers.

When Ateneo submitted its lineup for the Filoil Flying V Hanes Pre-season Premier Cup, Blue Eagle fans were understandably excited to see Buenafe's name on the list. But of those 20 names, only Bacon Austria, Gwyne Capacio, Justin Chua, JP Erram, Frank Golla, Tonino Gonzaga, Kirk Long, Emman Monfort, Von Pessumal, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Tallo, Juami Tiongson, Nico Salva, Paul Siarot, Greg Slaughter and Oping Sumalinog actually suited up in the Filoil tourney and in the Fr. Martin Summer Cup that the Blue Eagles also joined. In addition to sitting out the summer leagues, Season 73 stalwarts Buenafe, Chris de Chavez, Art dela Cruz Jr. and Jeric Estrada were left behind when the team flew to the US to train at the Joe Abunassar Camp.

In mid-May, Olivares disclosed that the team playing in the Filoil tournament was the lineup for UAAP Season 74. A couple of weeks later, Manila Standard Today reported that Buenafe was not expected to play this year because he was reportedly out of shape and may need to lose weight.

By early June the word was that Buenafe was out "for personal reasons." But after Tallo quit soon after the team's return from the US, many still expected that the vacant roster spot would go to Buenafe. Those hopes were later dashed after Trillo told GMA News Online that Ryan hasn't been practicing with the team and was being given time to attend to personal matters. Trillo also added that it was going to be hard for Buenafe to attend classes and play for the Blue Eagles while attending to his case, although he did not mention what the case was all about.

When the Blue Eagles submitted their roster to the UAAP for screening in late June, Buenafe's name wasn't on it. It finally drove home the point that Ryan wasn't suiting up, at least for this year. The lineup was eventually approved so now here we are: hours away from the start of the "Mary Four You" campaign and already ruing the absence of a young man who happens to be one heck of a basketball player.

To be continued…

UAAP Season 74: Opening Day

2011-07-09T12:53:00.005+08:00

[UAAP Season 74 logo grabbed from here.]

In the word of UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer, It's time!

Well, not really; the 74^th season of the UAAP doesn't open until 4 p.m. today at the Marikina Sports Park.

I can only hope there won't be strong rains then so Ateneo de Manila University, the Season 74 host, can fully showcase the "Olympic-style" opening ceremonies that it has prepared and that UAAP followers have speculated about.

If it rains, well, Ateneo has no excuse—the Monasterio de Santa Clara along Katipunan Avenue, where you can offer eggs and ask the good nuns of the Order of St. Clare of Assisi to pray for good weather, is just meters away from the Loyola Heights campus.

…

[8:30 PM Edit]

It rained.

[Photo credit: Diana Moraleda for Inboundpass.]

UAAP Season 74: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles Lineup

2011-07-05T20:25:00.006+08:00

Following the outcome of the UAAP Board meeting earlier today, this is the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles team that will defend the Men's Division basketball crown in the upcoming UAAP season:

Players
4 Bon Jovi Cipriano, G
5 Juami Tiongson, G
6 Emman Monfort, G
7 Tonino Gonzaga, G/F
8 Nico Salva, F
10 JP Erram, C
11 Gwynne Capacio, F
12 Kirk Long, G/F
13 Bacon Austria, G/F
15 Kiefer Ravena, G
17 Oping Sumalinog, F
18 Justin Chua, C/F
19 Von Pessumal, G
20 Greg Slaughter, C
21 Frank Golla, F
22 Jeric Estrada, C

Head Coach
Norman Black

Assistant Coaches
Sandy Arespacochaga
Gene Afable
Jamike Jarin
Gabby Severino

For varying reasons over a third of last year's grand slam-winning team are gone: starter Eric Salamat, Jason Escueta, and Carlo Balmaceda have all used up their playing years; Art dela Cruz, Jr. has returned to his high school alma mater San Beda College; Ryan Buenafe is attending to his studies and other personal matters; and Chris de Chavez is catching up on his studies.

Replacing them on the team are: Gwynne Capacio, a De La Salle-Santiago Zobel School graduate who sat out his freshman year to play for the RP Youth team; Bon Jovi Cipriano, who came to Ateneo as part of the crack 2008 recruiting class but got injured before Season 71 even started and had to toil in Team Glory Be; rookies Von Pessumal and Kiefer Ravena, who won three straight Juniors championships with the Ateneo de Manila High School Blue Eaglets; Greg Slaughter, a transferee from the University of the Visayas and member of the national training pool; and Oping Sumalinog, who missed last season due to an ACL injury.

Project Exodus: March 2006

2011-07-01T00:27:00.000+08:00

Moses has said his final goodbyes to his wife Sephora. She will be going with these posts from March 2006.

UAAP 2011 Preseason: ADMU Blue Eagles TV Plug

2011-06-28T00:17:00.172+08:00

For nearly two weeks now Studio 23 has run plugs for the upcoming UAAP Season 74 featuring the competing teams in the Men's basketball tournament. Below is the version featuring the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. It's already dated, though, because Mark Jayven Tallo (fifth from left), who returned to his hometown of Cebu and has been replaced by Bon Jovi Cipriano, and Paul John Siarot (sixth from right), who has been replaced by the comebacking Jeric Estrada, are still there.

The La Salle Green Archers, FEU Tamaraws, NU Bulldogs, UE Red Warriors, and UST Growling Tigers have their own plugs, but for my money the wackiest (and therefore the best) of the lot are those of the UP Fighting Maroons and the Adamson Soaring Falcons.

…

[7 July 2011 Edit]

Following Tallo's transfer to archrival La Salle; there is now a Green Archer amidst the Blue Eagles in the video above. It's the stuff soap operas are made of.

UAAP 2011 Preseason Jerseyvaluation: UP Fighting Maroons

2011-06-26T00:07:00.001+08:00

In a previous post I gave the UE Red Warriors grief for putting a big-ass sponsor logo on their preseason uniforms. Well, the UP Fighting Maroons did the same thing, but I don't think their jerseys were an eyesore.

Why? Because they made a choice between highlighting their school name and/or team moniker on one hand, and the mark or logo of their sponsor, on the other.

The Fighting Maroons went with their sponsor, and used the university's seal to identify themselves as representing UP. In contrast, other teams tried to have their cakes and eat them too. The UST Growling Tigers used their school name and a sponsor's mark; the Red Warriors used their school name, team moniker, and a sponsor's logo.

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

And just like the NU Bulldogs, in the preseason the Fighting Maroons mixed and matched their uniform sets. Their jerseys were also NNOB like the Bulldogs, the Growling Tigers, and the FEU Tamaraws.

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations: UP Fighting Maroons 1st Round Schedule

2011-06-25T00:08:00.001+08:00

Here is the first round schedule of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in UAAP Season 74:

Thursday, July 14
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - UP vs. UE

Sunday, July 17
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. NU

Saturday, July 23
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. DLSU

Saturday, July 30
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. ADMU

Thursday, August 4
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. FEU

Sunday, August 7
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. UST

Thursday, August 11
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - UP vs. AdU

[Hat tip to Chinoy Hoops Fan.]

The Mavs Passed The Flair Test

2011-06-24T12:51:00.021+08:00

[Photo credit: AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON on Yahoo! Sports.]

Yes, I am blogging about the Dallas Mavericks nearly a fortnight after they won the NBA championship. That should be proof enough that I'm not a fan. However, it just wouldn't do for me not to list some of what Dirk Nowitzki and company did by beating the Miami Heat.

They ennobled "my" team's (losing) effort. The famed thinker Ric Flair once said, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." The 2010–2011 Mavs did just that—they annihilated the now-former two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0, in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. If they want to, the Lakers can take some comfort in the fact that the team that eliminated them went on to win all the marbles. There is no shame in not being able to beat the eventual NBA champions. After all, no one else was able to.

They gave me an excuse to trot out my favorite German word. I don't like LeBron James. That meant that for a limited time, I cheered for the Mavericks by necessity since our interests were temporarily aligned. When they became champions, I had an excuse to indulge in a bit—okay, a lot—of schadenfreude. (It's funny now how a 7-foot-tall German had a lot to do with it.) And although "at the end of the day [I] have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that [I] had before [I] woke up today", I am nevertheless glad that for the meantime, The Decision was wrong.

They proved the (fake) spirit of Jim Morrison correct. "If you book them, they will come." Jason Eugene Terry had the Larry O'Brien Trophy tattooed on his right biceps before the season started. Then in the Mavs' title-clinching Game 6 win, he tallied 27 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Now we have conclusive proof that JET is packing big, brass ones.

They're good for a laugh or two. After their big win the Mavs presented a Top Ten list on Late Show with David Letterman:

(Nowitzki would be a cool dude to hang out with, wouldn't he? In the clip above he looks like he loves to blast beers on his off-days.)

…

As the NBA season is over, I will now get my basketball fix from the UAAP. It's the turn of the other team that plays in blue and white to bring home a championship.

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

Oh wait, the Ateneo Blue Eagles did that recently. But while the Filoil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup title counts, it doesn't count count like the UAAP Men's basketball championship does. Season 74 can't come soon enough; the "Mary Four You" campaign starts in another fortnight.

UAAP Season 74 Eliminations: ADMU Blue Eagles 1st Round Schedule

2011-06-23T12:54:00.005+08:00

Here is the first round schedule of the three-time defending champions Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles in the Men's Division of the UAAP Season 74 basketball tournament:

Sunday, July 10
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. AdU

Saturday, July 16
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. DLSU

Thursday, July 21
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - ADMU vs. NU

Saturday, July 23
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. UE

Saturday, July 30
Araneta Coliseum
1 PM - ADMU vs. UP

Thursday, August 4
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. UST

Sunday, August 7
Araneta Coliseum
3 PM - ADMU vs. FEU

[Hat tip to Chinoy Hoops Fan.]

Remember This, Friends?

2011-06-12T12:14:00.009+08:00

J and I allegedly looking for mushrooms.
[Photo credit: B. Pascual.]

A year ago today my college blockmates B, J, and K found themselves in my neck of the, uh, mountains. In the limited time I was with them we played cards; watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine and And I Love You So (yes, I Googled the name of that movie just now); went on a suspenseful road trip to Tuba town to visit the BenCab Museum, where we encountered a delightful, delightful group from the South Asian Subcontinent; had merienda at PNKYTravelCafé; heard Mass at the church where local showbiz's 2001 "Wedding of the Year" was held; saw a rainbow; and shared a bottle or two of red wine.

Oh, and I may or may not have witnessed a (hilarious) bit of sunset-chasing.

Mo-pho: The Sign At The Shrine

2011-06-11T20:21:00.001+08:00

I did a double take when I passed the EDSA Shrine this morning and saw this tarpaulin banner:

Photo taken with my trusty Sony Ericsson K600i.

The banner reads:

CANCER SA ATING MGA NANAY
KAPANSANAN SA KANILANG MAGIGING
ANAK ANG IDUDULOT NG
PAGGAMIT NG CONTRACEPTIVES.
NO TO RH BILL!!!

Wow. Just…wow.

Great Minds Think Alike: A New Day

2011-06-09T00:12:00.002+08:00

These two aren't Facebook friends. Yet.

Jerseyvaluation: I See What You Did There, Cardinals

2011-06-07T00:27:00.005+08:00

Question: What's unusual in this photo?

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

If you answered, the writings on Player No. 5's jersey, then good job, young grasshopper. You may now learn "Save Tonight" and start calling yourself Eagle-Eye.

Yes, the Mapúa Cardinals' preseason uniform says "do you care?" where the player's last name usually goes. Then below the player number, they put "GO HARD, OR GO HOME". I can't think of any other team that has a jersey like that. It's certainly unusual (although still better-executed than the slogan shirts of their NCAA rival the JRU Heavy Bombers).

UAAP 2011 Preseason: Ateneo-La Salle Filoil Results

2011-06-05T23:39:00.364+08:00

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

Tsk, my favorite team lost yesterday.

Archers hit mark, reach QF
By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Pint-size guard LA Revilla punctured the hoops in the stretch and his teammates made big defensive stops as the Green Archers turned back rival Ateneo, 66-61, to catch the last bus to the quarterfinals of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Pre-season Premier Cup yesterday at The Arena in San Juan.

Returning to the team after getting sidelined for two years by diabetes and hyperthyroidism, the 5-foot-7 Revilla pumped in 10 of his 12 points in the fourth period, including two dagger baskets in the last 1:09, to lead DLSU to a 4-3 card in Group A of elims play.

Full story…

With the loss the Blue Eagles are now 0-2 against the Green Archers in 2011. They had earlier lost to La Salle, 62-58, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates back in April.

After yesterday's game Blue Eagles head coach Norman Black said, "It's summer. Our main focus is the UAAP. We'll stay focused, and get better in July, and get better in September", putting the loss behind him and in perspective. He tried to downplay the significance of the loss, reminding the Ateneo (not-so) faithful that the games that count, the real battles for the 2011–2012 UAAP title and the rare four-peat, are still over a month away.

In a way he's right: yesterday's game was a mere elimination round game in a preseason tournament. It was a glorified scrimmage—although you wouldn't think that from the way Black himself acted during the game.

An Ateneo-La Salle game is never no-bearing, even if what's actually at stake is no more than bragging rights or ice tubig. Numerous times the TV cameras caught Black with a look of utter disappointment at the Blue Eagles' lackluster play. Then in the closing minutes when the game was still within reach he was still diagramming plays, coaching his butt off. So yeah, his unperturbed act was just that—an act.

(By the way, "We'll get better in September" is as close as Coach Norman will get to guaranteeing that Ateneo will make it to the Final Four in Season 74. The "no yabang" rule still holds.)

…

Coach Norman has a well-deserved reputation as a top big-man coach. Under his tutelage, former Blue Eagles Doug Kramer, Ford Arao, Nonoy Baclao, and Rabeh Al-Hussaini all developed enough to be drafted in the PBA.

Greg Slaughter, on the other hand, is a highly touted rookie who tore up the Visayan collegiate leagues before being recruited by Ateneo. While serving his residency year he joined the national team pool, and was part of the squad that competed in the last PBA conference where, as a backup center, he showed that he can hang with the big, bad pros by swatting 7 shots in one of their games.

Given those facts, the only reason I could think of why Slaughter played limited minutes and didn't seem too keen to stamp his imprint on the game (he scored only two points) is that the coaching staff is "hiding" him from the scouts of UAAP rivals in the run-up to Season 74.

…

Kiefer Ravena schooled veteran Green Archer Simon Atkins with a sick crossover move late in the game.This early I predict that that young man will make a run for the Season 74 Rookie of the Year trophy. Because of his scoring prowess defenses are compelled to hone in on him lest he wax hot and beat them all by his lonesome. Fortunately for Ateneo Ravena also has a knack for finding the open man, so whoever is on the floor with him ought to be ready for a last-second dish.

…

I'm still not sold on Nico Salva taking the most shots for the Blue Eagles. Although he scored a game-high 18 points yesterday, he seems to be in love with his outside (and by definition low-percentage) shot. Unless his jumpers have become automatic, he should drive to the basket more like his teammates Kirk Long and Emman Monfort to keep the defense honest and guessing.

…

Ateneo and La Salle debuted similar jersey sets. As usual, the Blue Eagles' uniform was chock-full of patches while the Green Archers kept theirs relatively clutter-free. However, I don't see both teams keeping those unis come Season 74.

…

Blue Babble Battalion alumni led the Ateneo faithful in cheering at halftime. It was their second time to do so in this tournament, as they also performed at the half during the Ateneo-San Beda game on Opening Day last April.

Now this is surely a minority opinion, but if they let Babble alumni perform those guys should put in a handful of practices beforehand (a lightning rehearsal a few hours before game time won't cut it).

It's cute and poignant (and sometimes even funny) when they take the court and try to relive their salad days. Most of the time, though, they only embarrass themselves and do their own proud cheering tradition a disservice with a poorly rehearsed "routine."

Take yesterday, for example. In a surprising and crowd-pleasing move, the BBB alumni performed a few routines alongside members of the De La Salle Animo Squad. They even wore shirts that bore the Ateneo and La Salle school seals for the occasion.

At first the two groups took turns performing the opposing side's cheers. But while the Animo Squad acquitted themselves well doing Ateneo cheers, the Babble alumni turned in a unsynchronized performance of La Sallian cheers. Then the two sides had a showdown, this time performing their own cheers. Perhaps because the spirit was willing but the flesh no longer was, the BBB alumni went for a kenkoy routine. The whole thing got old, fast.

So yeah, unless the Babble alumni really take it seriously I think they should retire that tired gimmick of having them perform at the break.

…

[7 June 2011 Edit]

If Coach Norman is to be believed, Slaughter hasn't practiced with the team that much. Here's what he said after the Blue Eagles' 63-56 Filoil quarterfinals victory yesterday over the Mapua Cardinals:

Black also described how Slaughter has not yet fully integrated himself into Ateneo’s finely tuned offense. "Last year, we had a wide open floor to operate. This year we have the Big Guy to integrate into our system so that is why our offense can be stagnant at times. Greg has had what – few practices with us since he joined the team in May? Our time in the States was mostly individual training and some games. With more practice, we’ll see what we can do."

Hmm. Something does not compute.

My Face Was In Space

2011-06-04T00:04:00.006+08:00

One year ago I sent my name and photo to be part of NASA's STS-134 mission, Space Shuttle Endeavour's 25^th and final flight and the space agency's penultimate shuttle mission. I wasn't alone; 128,939 others signed up. And when Endeavour returned a few days back, I got my very own Flight Certificate:

UAAP 2011 Preseason Jerseyvaluation: UE Red Warriors

2011-06-03T00:18:00.005+08:00

Like the UST Growling Tigers, on their preseason uniforms the University of the East Red Warriors display the mark of their main sponsor very prominently.

But UE made the sponsor logo so big and placed it where the player number usually goes in front. As a result, they had problems with the size and location of the jersey number—it needed to be small since there was little space left on the uniform, yet prominent enough for referees and game officials to easily see. The overall look isn't pretty, especially for those with double-digit player numbers.

[Photo credit: Joseph Nebrida for Inboundpass.]

Mouth Too Fast For Brain

2011-06-02T00:09:00.007+08:00

When I bade Marikina goodbye in 2008 I sent home to Bicol two balikbayan boxes of clothes, books, and other items I didn't want to bring with me North. I've forgotten about those books, so when I arrived home for a short vacation two weekends ago I was pleasantly surprised to see them displayed in a bookcase, sharing space with books my sister owned—such as the short novels My Imaginary Ex and No Strings Attached by Mina V. Esguerra.

I smiled when I saw those two titles, and told my mother that I actually knew their author. I should've known that she'd tell my sister (who was then in Metro Manila for the start of her service year with JVP).

It turns out that Mina—man, it's weird having to refer to Y by her pen name—had written one of my sister's favorite books. I didn't ask which one it was but if I have to guess, I'd pick MIE over NSA if only because the former "flowed" better (yep, my book reviews are that helpful).

Unfortunately, I also let slip that Mina has already published two more books (Fairy Tale Fail and Love Your Frenemies). Thanks to my big mouth, I now have an assignment, ha ha!

Project Exodus: February 2006

2011-06-01T12:32:00.026+08:00

On the eve of their arrival in the Promised Land, Moses has named Joshua to succeed him as leader of these posts from February 2006.

UST 400 On The 200

2011-05-19T12:53:00.041+08:00

Yesterday I held in my hand a UST Quadricentennial commemorative 200-peso bill. It was an old PHP200, not the new PHP200 released last year, but I still thought it was very cool. Then I got curious: Did the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issue a similar banknote to commemorate Ateneo's Sesquicentennial in 2009?

After my Google searches on the subject proved futile, I'm going to assume that the Bangko Sentral did not. What I found instead was the following nugget in a Philstar.com story headlined "Vatican representative to lead UST's Quadricentennial celebration":

Today, the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also launched the commemorative P200 bills bearing the overprint of the UST’s 400th years logo. They would be distributing P2 billion worth or 10 million pieces of these bills.

Of the 10 million pieces, 400 of them were uncut in pairs.

BSP-Bank Notes and Securities Printing Department director Nestor Salanio said that the rest of these specially issued bills would be made available next month.

“It is also worth noting that this is the only about the 11th or 12th of a print approved by the BSP and president of the Philippines for the last 20 years. BSP is very discriminating in printing anything on our currency and it has to meet the very high and rigid standards of the BSP. The celebration should have both national and international significance and I am very happy to say that UST is able to meet these very high standards of BSP,” Salanio said.

Full story…

Whoa. So I guess Ateneo's 150^th anniversary does not "have both national and international significance" or "meet the very high and rigid standards" of the "very discriminating" BSP?

I cry.

(Uh, not really. But I will—probably—if La Salle gets a commemorative note for its centennial next month.)

…

[7 November 2011 Edit]

No commemorative bill was released for Ateneo de Manila's Sesquicentennial but one was issued for Ateneo Law School's 75^th anniversary. There's something wrong there.

TPatS Post 500: Your UAAP Season 74 Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles (For Now)

2011-05-17T12:24:00.013+08:00

Sportswriter Rick Olivares' blog, Bleachers' Brew, has an active shoutbox so this interesting item was sent to the back pages almost immediately:

[Screen grab from here.]

The Blue Eagles playing in the ongoing FilOil Flying V Pre-season Premier Cup are Bacon Austria, Gwyne Capacio, Justin Chua, JP Erram, Frank Golla, Tonino Gonzaga, Kirk Long, Emman Monfort, Von Pessumal, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Tallo, Juami Tiongson, Nico Salva, Paul Siarot, Greg Slaughter, and Oping Sumalinog. They're the same players currently in the US to play tune-up games and train at the Joe Abunassar Camp and, for now, the squad that will battle to bring back to Loyola Heights a fourth straight Men's basketball title in UAAP Season 74 this July.

These developments can only mean that for some reason or another, Ryan Buenafe, Chris De Chaves, Art Dela Cruz, Jr., and Jeric Estrada—a quartet that helped the Blue Eagles three-peat in Season 73 and has seven Men's basketball championship rings between them—are all out of the Ateneo lineup for Season 74 (although they were also listed as part of the FilOil roster).

Like I said, interesting.

…

This is my 500^th post since starting The Past and the Spurious in 2008. Finally, a blog post milestone that I did not mark after the fact.

…

[28 June 2008 Edit]

For different reasons, Mark Tallo and Paul Siarot are out of the roster and Bon Jovi Cipriano and Jeric Estrada are in.

Passing This Around For Signatures

2011-05-15T09:35:00.008+08:00

Nearly six years ago Jowett and I (and other friends) petitioned my favorite kulot to start her own blog. I like to think we succeeded.

Now it's her boy's turn.

[Photo from S. "I don't do Twitter, bud" Cayton's FB.]

This time around we're not asking S to start his own blog. That's because even if that would be fun to read—he leads an eventful life, is humorous, and can hold forth intelligently on a variety of subjects—he might blog entirely in his Uga voice. And knowing S, he will blog entirely in his Uga voice.

So we just want him to get on Twitter. Because really, he's missing out on scintillating conversations like this:

Or, as the ever-blunt Jowett put it on FB, he and I were missing him.

(Ang drama ni Mark, ano?)

…

[9:47 AM Edit]

I just realized that I also mentioned S in my immediately preceding post.

Most Improved Product Endorser

2011-05-14T12:19:00.005+08:00

LA Tenorio, who plays for the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association, is one of, if not the best point guard to ever play for the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. He is fondly remembered for his stellar five-season UAAP career in which he helped tow the Hail Mary Squad to the Final Four all five years, the Finals three straight times, and the championship once (against archrival La Salle).

But even as well-regarded as he is, it will take Tenorio a looong time to live down a misguided previous foray in product endorsement. This newish TV commercial only evens things a bit:

Maybe next time they'll even have LA speak directly to the camera but hey, small steps.

Tenorio is perfect for that commercial. In those years when Ateneo always came up short against powerhouses La Salle and FEU, it seemed that the most enduring images from the Blue Eagles' big-game losses to the Green Archers and the Tamaraws would be Tenorio cramping up in the fourth quarter after playing the entire game with little to no relief. My friend S, who's from La Salle and UST, used to blame it on Ateneo's "[messed] up" substitution patterns.

…

For more related goodness (and cameos from past and present figures in Ateneo basketball), check out Episode 1 and Episode 2 of "Gatorade Champion's Locker: LA Tenorio."

…

[31 May Edit]

Episode 3, Episode 4, and Episode 5 are also out.

There'll Soon Be An Ateneo-La Salle Musical*

2011-05-06T12:29:00.001+08:00

Quit rolling your eyes, there are worse things to make musicals about.^**

Musical on Ateneo-La Salle rivalry coming in 2012
abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - The decades-old Ateneo-La Salle feud has reached theater with "Rivalry: The Musical," which is set to be staged in January next year.

The musical depicts how the famed competition has extended to different realms -- from business and professions to love and courtship.

Set in 1968, it revolves around 2 families -- the blue-blooded Valencias and the green-blooded Basilios. The sons in the families -- Paco and Tommy -- are in the Ateneo and De La Salle senior basketball teams, respectively, and are both hoping to win the heart of a girl from Maryknoll (now called Miriam College).

Full story…

^*The rhyme wrote itself. Huh.

^**Off the top of my head there's the Ateneo-UP "Battle of Katipunan," the UP-UST cheerdance rivalry, the plants-zombies war—wait, scratch that, a Plants vs. Zombies musical would be eight kinds of awesome.