Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
–Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
I learned two important things these past few days: First, that the whole freedom of expression thing, which is allegedly an inherent right among all of us as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is a foreign concept in most of the corporate world. Apparently, corporate image is far more important than this supposedly universal right. Second, that whole notion of telling the truth as it is, which I learned in my UST Journalism classes, is also a foreign concept in most of the corporate world. Apparently, the truth is defined by corporate bigwigs. If the bosses say it’s the truth, then all an employee can do is agree with it, even if it isn’t the truth. So if a regular rank-and-file employee goes all Jack Nicholson on the boss and says, “The truth? You can’t handle the truth!” he or she will either be admonished, suspended, or fired--no questions asked, no explanations accepted.
Marcos would have been proud...
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
PACQUIAO IS IN OVER HIS HEAD
Success has gotten to the head of Manny Pacquiao.
The once humble, unassuming probinsiyano who captured the hearts and fancy of an entire nation with his iron-clad fists and lighting-fast hands is now just a pompous, bigheaded, self-absorbed superstar who cares more about money than legacy.
No, Pacquiao isn’t as self-centered as Floyd Mayweather nor is he as self-important as Oscar dela Hoya. Not yet at least. But he’s getting there.
Informed that dela Hoya plans to mimic the style of Juan Manuel Marquez in their upcoming “megafight” late this year, Pacquiao, in a stunning, surprising display of wit, braggadocio, and arrogance, replied mockingly, “Bakit, tinalo niya (Marquez) na ba ako?
Sure, Pacquaio has a point. Marquez hasn’t beaten him. Filipino boxing analysts, on the other hand, beg to differ.
The bigger point, however, is Pacquaio’s transformation from a modest, down-to-earth warrior to an air-headed, arrogant celebrity. Some five years ago, Pacquaio was too humble, too modest to badmouth those he had vanquished even if he obliterated most of them into oblivion. He was even too self-deprecating, too unassuming to acknowledge his own, palpable greatness. Now, Pacquaio is too caught up in his greatness, too absorbed in his rise to eminence that he found it convenient to (a) brag about his feared punching power and (b) mock Marquez all in one short interview.
Pacquiao is too caught up in his greatness that money has become the end-all and be-all of his career. The “I’ll-fight-whoever-whenever-wherever” demolition man who fought anyone, anytime, anywhere, is gone, replaced by a self-absorbed superstar who will fight only if the price if right. And too often, the right price is too steep that even the most worthy of challengers––Juan Manuel Marquez, most notably––will never get a crack at him. Evidently, Pacquaio’s over-inflated view of himself has him believing that he is, like Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, worth $15 million every time he enters the squared circle.
This, clearly, isn’t the Manny Pacquiao we have all come to know, love, and admire. That man, evidently, is no more. Manny Pacquiao is gone. Today, we only have Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, a man drowning in a surfeit of fame and fortune.
The once humble, unassuming probinsiyano who captured the hearts and fancy of an entire nation with his iron-clad fists and lighting-fast hands is now just a pompous, bigheaded, self-absorbed superstar who cares more about money than legacy.
No, Pacquiao isn’t as self-centered as Floyd Mayweather nor is he as self-important as Oscar dela Hoya. Not yet at least. But he’s getting there.
Informed that dela Hoya plans to mimic the style of Juan Manuel Marquez in their upcoming “megafight” late this year, Pacquiao, in a stunning, surprising display of wit, braggadocio, and arrogance, replied mockingly, “Bakit, tinalo niya (Marquez) na ba ako?
Sure, Pacquaio has a point. Marquez hasn’t beaten him. Filipino boxing analysts, on the other hand, beg to differ.
The bigger point, however, is Pacquaio’s transformation from a modest, down-to-earth warrior to an air-headed, arrogant celebrity. Some five years ago, Pacquaio was too humble, too modest to badmouth those he had vanquished even if he obliterated most of them into oblivion. He was even too self-deprecating, too unassuming to acknowledge his own, palpable greatness. Now, Pacquaio is too caught up in his greatness, too absorbed in his rise to eminence that he found it convenient to (a) brag about his feared punching power and (b) mock Marquez all in one short interview.
Pacquiao is too caught up in his greatness that money has become the end-all and be-all of his career. The “I’ll-fight-whoever-whenever-wherever” demolition man who fought anyone, anytime, anywhere, is gone, replaced by a self-absorbed superstar who will fight only if the price if right. And too often, the right price is too steep that even the most worthy of challengers––Juan Manuel Marquez, most notably––will never get a crack at him. Evidently, Pacquaio’s over-inflated view of himself has him believing that he is, like Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, worth $15 million every time he enters the squared circle.
This, clearly, isn’t the Manny Pacquiao we have all come to know, love, and admire. That man, evidently, is no more. Manny Pacquiao is gone. Today, we only have Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, a man drowning in a surfeit of fame and fortune.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
PARA KAY DON "DON'T-BLAME-TMAC" CARREON
Dahil makapunit brief at makapanindig balahibo ang stick-to-itiveness ng kaibigan naming si Don, naghanap din ako ng mga numbers to show that great players can greatly influence the outcome of a series. (To follow na lamang yung article ko.)
Michael Jordan, 1993 NBA Finals (against Phoenix)
41.0 PPG
8.5 RPG
6.3 APG
1.7 SPG
*Scored 55 points in pivotal Game 4 win.
**Suns had the best record in the NBA and held homecourt advantage.
Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995 NBA Finals (against Orlando)
32.8 PPG
11.5 RPG
5.5 APG
2.0 SPG
2.0 BPG
*Raised his scoring average in the finals by more than 5 points.
**Orlando had the best record in the NBA and were the heavy favorites.
Dywane Wade, 2006 NBA Finals (against Dallas)
34.7 PPG
7.8 RPG
3.8 APG
2.7 SPG
16+ FTA PER GAME
*Scored 42, 36, 43, and 36 points in last 4 games.
**Set NBA Finals record for free throw attempts in a series (97).
Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995 WC Finals (against San Antonio)
35.3 PPG
12.5 RPG
5.0 APG
4.2 BPG
*Game 6 statline: 39 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals
**Spurs had reigning MVP David Robinson; he was so badly outplayed that he said of Olajuwon: "Nobody solves Hakeem."
Michael Jordan, 1993 NBA Finals (against Phoenix)
41.0 PPG
8.5 RPG
6.3 APG
1.7 SPG
*Scored 55 points in pivotal Game 4 win.
**Suns had the best record in the NBA and held homecourt advantage.
Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995 NBA Finals (against Orlando)
32.8 PPG
11.5 RPG
5.5 APG
2.0 SPG
2.0 BPG
*Raised his scoring average in the finals by more than 5 points.
**Orlando had the best record in the NBA and were the heavy favorites.
Dywane Wade, 2006 NBA Finals (against Dallas)
34.7 PPG
7.8 RPG
3.8 APG
2.7 SPG
16+ FTA PER GAME
*Scored 42, 36, 43, and 36 points in last 4 games.
**Set NBA Finals record for free throw attempts in a series (97).
Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995 WC Finals (against San Antonio)
35.3 PPG
12.5 RPG
5.0 APG
4.2 BPG
*Game 6 statline: 39 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals
**Spurs had reigning MVP David Robinson; he was so badly outplayed that he said of Olajuwon: "Nobody solves Hakeem."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
THE MANDATORY UST POST
(This article was inspired by the "Mighty Mighty Tigers" article of Paolo Mariano, one of the best writers of Solar Sports. Bawas na ambag ko sa inuman!)
No team in the UAAP has been a bigger tease than the UST Growling Tigers. With a loaded lineup that includes the most dominant big man this side of college basketball, a slew of long, hyper-athletic, sweet-shooting wingmen, and a steady, pass-first point guard, UST looked liked another dynasty in the making. That dynasty never happened. It didn't even come close to happening.
As it turned out, that stunning 2006 championship run was nothing more than a mirage, an aberration, a proverbial date with destiny.
It was a sweet date with destiny, all right. But that was two years ago. Now, destiny beckons only failure and heartbreak for these Tigers.
Most of UST's failures and heartaches over the past two years have been self-inflicted, a convuluted case of a talented team shooting itself not only in the foot, but in the head. Mostly, these wondrously talented Tigers just self-destructed in the most inappropriate of moments, like when they failed to box-out Maui Villanueva in that heartbreaking buzzer-beating loss to La Salle, or when Clark Bautista and Francis Allera both jacked-up forced, horribly ill-advised threes in the dying moments of their torrid near-comeback against UE.
With that collection of talent, UST should have been gunning for their third straight title this season instead of watching the Final Four on TV, but that's exactly what these Tigers will do. Disappointing it is, but surprising it isn't. These Tigers were good--extremely good, in fact--but they were just as vulnerable, just as flawed. These Tigers were long on talent, athleticism, and versatility, but they were ostensibly short on basketball IQ. In a way, these Tigers were all brawn and no brains, or in the paraphrased words of sportscaster extraordinaire Bill Velasco, they were short of something in-between the ears. In the end, this one vital flaw spelled the difference between two more championship runs and two seasons of heartbreak.
At the end of the day, one man has to take responsibility for UST's disheartening spiral from champions to also-rans. That man is UST coach Pido Jarencio. Fair game or not, coach Pido has to owe responsibility for the team's failures these past two seasons. He has to because he is the biggest reason why these Tigers have underachieved, and along the way, became poster boys for no-conscience-shooting, horrific decision-making, and fourth quarter slip-ups.
Coach Pido's inability to get up-to-speed with the Xs and Os of the game, for one, doomed these Tigers. He got away with it in 2006 because of his sheer motivational genius and a steady dose of Jojo Duncil in crucial stretches. Now, coach Pido's motivational tactics just weren't enough anymore, and he didn't have a Duncil to knock-in those cold-blooded jumpers down the stretch of games. This season, no team other than perennial bottom-feeders UP, NU, and Adamson was as poorly-coached as UST. Watch again tapes of UST and see if the Tigers consistently ran any discernable plays other than the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop. Moreover, coach Pido's mismanagement of games--slow in-game adjustments, crazy substitution patterns, and untimely or uncalled timeouts--cost UST at least four very winnable games.
But more than coach Pido's deficiencies on the Xs and Os of the game, his biggest shortcoming was his inability to teach the game to his players. At this level, coaching has as much to do with teaching the game as making adjustments and calling plays. Coach Pido arguably teached these Tigers how to play the game, but evidently, he didn't do it well enough. Most of these Tigers were fundamentally unsound (e.g., overhandling the ball, too early turning the corner on a pick, giving up the baseline on defense, poor entry passes to the post). Some didn't even know the difference between a good shot and a dreadfully horrific one.
Coach Pido had his time in 2006, but he has worn out his welcome at UST. His 3Ps, magical in '06, are now ancient memory, buried beneath a steady downpour of hearbreaking losses and an endless stream of "what-could-have-beens."
But while a bulk of the blame has to go to coach Pido, these Tigers should still be crucified for underachieving, for failing to play to their full potentials, for failing to live up to the overwhelming expectations sparked by that 2006 championship run. These Tigers deserve it as much as their coach does. Francis Allera deserves to be harangued for his dreadful shot selection; Clark Bautista for his shoot-first, shoot-second mentality; Dylan Ababou for his disappearing acts in fourth quarters; Jeric Fortuna for his dubious decision-making; Kazim Mirza, for his "shoot-when-I-see-the-rim mentality"; Mark Canlas for his "I'm-missing-in-action" season, and even Jervy Cruz for his "I'm-only-playing-hard-on-offense" approach.
These Tigers shot themselves in the head these past two seasons, and they, too, deserve the harshest of criticisms for doing so.
From now until the start of Season 72, the powers-at-be that run UST Basketball will surely leave no stone unturned in making sure that UST reestablishes itself as the preeminent power in the UAAP. And as they chart the course of UST basketball, they'll have two heartbreaking season's worth of lessons to chew on.
For the meantime, all the UST community can do is wait for another date with destiny. After that, may be, just may be, a dynasty can finally be reborn.
No team in the UAAP has been a bigger tease than the UST Growling Tigers. With a loaded lineup that includes the most dominant big man this side of college basketball, a slew of long, hyper-athletic, sweet-shooting wingmen, and a steady, pass-first point guard, UST looked liked another dynasty in the making. That dynasty never happened. It didn't even come close to happening.
As it turned out, that stunning 2006 championship run was nothing more than a mirage, an aberration, a proverbial date with destiny.
It was a sweet date with destiny, all right. But that was two years ago. Now, destiny beckons only failure and heartbreak for these Tigers.
Most of UST's failures and heartaches over the past two years have been self-inflicted, a convuluted case of a talented team shooting itself not only in the foot, but in the head. Mostly, these wondrously talented Tigers just self-destructed in the most inappropriate of moments, like when they failed to box-out Maui Villanueva in that heartbreaking buzzer-beating loss to La Salle, or when Clark Bautista and Francis Allera both jacked-up forced, horribly ill-advised threes in the dying moments of their torrid near-comeback against UE.
With that collection of talent, UST should have been gunning for their third straight title this season instead of watching the Final Four on TV, but that's exactly what these Tigers will do. Disappointing it is, but surprising it isn't. These Tigers were good--extremely good, in fact--but they were just as vulnerable, just as flawed. These Tigers were long on talent, athleticism, and versatility, but they were ostensibly short on basketball IQ. In a way, these Tigers were all brawn and no brains, or in the paraphrased words of sportscaster extraordinaire Bill Velasco, they were short of something in-between the ears. In the end, this one vital flaw spelled the difference between two more championship runs and two seasons of heartbreak.
At the end of the day, one man has to take responsibility for UST's disheartening spiral from champions to also-rans. That man is UST coach Pido Jarencio. Fair game or not, coach Pido has to owe responsibility for the team's failures these past two seasons. He has to because he is the biggest reason why these Tigers have underachieved, and along the way, became poster boys for no-conscience-shooting, horrific decision-making, and fourth quarter slip-ups.
Coach Pido's inability to get up-to-speed with the Xs and Os of the game, for one, doomed these Tigers. He got away with it in 2006 because of his sheer motivational genius and a steady dose of Jojo Duncil in crucial stretches. Now, coach Pido's motivational tactics just weren't enough anymore, and he didn't have a Duncil to knock-in those cold-blooded jumpers down the stretch of games. This season, no team other than perennial bottom-feeders UP, NU, and Adamson was as poorly-coached as UST. Watch again tapes of UST and see if the Tigers consistently ran any discernable plays other than the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop. Moreover, coach Pido's mismanagement of games--slow in-game adjustments, crazy substitution patterns, and untimely or uncalled timeouts--cost UST at least four very winnable games.
But more than coach Pido's deficiencies on the Xs and Os of the game, his biggest shortcoming was his inability to teach the game to his players. At this level, coaching has as much to do with teaching the game as making adjustments and calling plays. Coach Pido arguably teached these Tigers how to play the game, but evidently, he didn't do it well enough. Most of these Tigers were fundamentally unsound (e.g., overhandling the ball, too early turning the corner on a pick, giving up the baseline on defense, poor entry passes to the post). Some didn't even know the difference between a good shot and a dreadfully horrific one.
Coach Pido had his time in 2006, but he has worn out his welcome at UST. His 3Ps, magical in '06, are now ancient memory, buried beneath a steady downpour of hearbreaking losses and an endless stream of "what-could-have-beens."
But while a bulk of the blame has to go to coach Pido, these Tigers should still be crucified for underachieving, for failing to play to their full potentials, for failing to live up to the overwhelming expectations sparked by that 2006 championship run. These Tigers deserve it as much as their coach does. Francis Allera deserves to be harangued for his dreadful shot selection; Clark Bautista for his shoot-first, shoot-second mentality; Dylan Ababou for his disappearing acts in fourth quarters; Jeric Fortuna for his dubious decision-making; Kazim Mirza, for his "shoot-when-I-see-the-rim mentality"; Mark Canlas for his "I'm-missing-in-action" season, and even Jervy Cruz for his "I'm-only-playing-hard-on-offense" approach.
These Tigers shot themselves in the head these past two seasons, and they, too, deserve the harshest of criticisms for doing so.
From now until the start of Season 72, the powers-at-be that run UST Basketball will surely leave no stone unturned in making sure that UST reestablishes itself as the preeminent power in the UAAP. And as they chart the course of UST basketball, they'll have two heartbreaking season's worth of lessons to chew on.
For the meantime, all the UST community can do is wait for another date with destiny. After that, may be, just may be, a dynasty can finally be reborn.
