On the 8 Spot

Sandro became the first and only Filipino accepted into the prestigious football school after two rounds of tryouts. He impressed coaches in an initial run in Singapore before shining in the final tryout in Spain, wherein he posted four goals and five assists.

via For Pinoy football phenom’s FC Barcelona dream, parents’ sacrifice worth it | InterAKTV.

This deserves a recap from Bill Simmons!

In the bigger picture, the misjudgment of James was less important than the effort that was inspired by his Miami teammate. Wade didn’t win but he succeeded in making a statement of his own. It came at the expense of Bryant, who had nothing to say in victory. Instead he was being evaluated for headaches he suffered on this rare and meaningful night, when the world’s best players met to celebrate their talents and a game actually broke out.

via Dwyane Wade turns NBA All-Star Game into must-see competition – Ian Thomsen – SI.com.

For the first time in a week, I didn’t wish for Lin to be anything other than what he was—an utterly unique and galvanizing basketball force. I raised my arms in victory with everyone else in the packed bar and tried in vain to hold back a wide, beery smile. I don’t even like the Knicks.

How could anyone begrudge Lin his naked joy, his infectious effort? How could you not appreciate his poise in the face of this scrutiny, these expectations, the whole mass of us clawing at him across two continents? How could I ask any more from this 23-year-old kid? He had transported me back to that first game I ever watched him play, before I knew who he was or what he believed. I saw only a basketball player capable of dragging a bunch of scrubs to new heights, a point guard, a leader—one who happened to look just a little bit like me.

via Jeremy Lin inspires “Linsanity”: Why this is both thrilling and worrisome. – Slate Magazine.

Anyway, Im guessing Linsanity would narrowly edge Diaws boobs and win the “Eastern Fun Pick” vote for five reasons: Hes causing an Internet riot right now; he single-handedly saved the Knicks season and gave it life; he went to Harvard, of all places even more incredible than him breaking the Taiwanese-American barrier, in my opinion; hes a shockingly intelligent offensive player none other than Steve Nash blessed his game on Twitter recently; and most important, hes immensely fun to watch. I genuinely enjoy his herky-jerky game, the way he splits two defenders on the high screen, his deftness around the rim, his goofy jump shot, the way his teammates respond to him, his joy for basketball … its just hard for me to believe that Lin is destined to become this generations Billy Ray Bates in other words, someone who catches lightning in a bottle for a few weeks and thats it. At the very least, he should be able to ease into a J.J. Barea-esque career as an impact offensive player who occasionally swings games off the bench. Anything less and I would be disappointed. Too bad we cant sneak him into the All-Star Game.In case you were wondering: Yes, we forgot to put Jeremy Lin on the All-Star ballot.

via Who should have really made the NBA All-Star team? – Grantland.

I just recently watched the Mavs Lakers game and found that Lakers fans were really classy giving a standing ovation to Lamar Odom.

Here is a link:

http://www.gilaspilipinas.com/

http://www.seeon.tv/view/19952/

PHILIPPINES vs. CHINESE TAIPEI
SEPTEMBER 23,2011 | 6:00PM
(Live on AKTV13 & BTV)
Douthit, de Ocampo, Alapag, Williams, Casio, Lassiter, Lutz, Tiu, Barroca, Taulava, Aguilar, Baracael.

I said yesterday, in talking about Sam Stosur, that it’s satisfying to see a player find herself, surprise herself, get out of her own way, when even she may have thought it was never going to happen. The same has been true for Djokovic in 2011. The guy who we thought was too volatile, too easily frustrated, too prone to doubt, too ready to throw caution to the wind or hit a bail-out drop shot, has transformed himself into a paragon of steadiness on all fronts—the Djoker has grown up and become Mr. One More Ball. Watching him today was to see tennis at it most holistic, as a package rather than a group of individual strokes or weapons or weaknesses.  Whether it’s doing the spectacular, like hitting a backhand return crosscourt for a winner while lunging to his left in the ad court, or the routine, like working his opponent into his backhand corner and then finding the open court up the line, Djokovic is making it all look easy right now—everything looks safe. His lack of Federer-esque showiness only adds to the impression of easy efficiency.

via TENNIS.com – Blogs – Concrete Elbow by Steve Tignor – Mr. One More Ball.

http://www.rnhalawi.com/2011/07/nba-vs-pba-free-live-streaming-smart.html

Filipino support

From the freezing tundra of Mongolia to the desert heat of Kuwait, the Azkals have experienced it all. Through everything, they have relied heavily on the support by their countrymen abroad.

The Filipino diaspora has not only produced Younghusbands and Greatwiches for Philippine football, it has also ensured that strong support from the Pinoy community is present in almost every part of the world. Nowhere is this support more evident than in the Middle East.

The team in was met with such fervour and enthusiasm in Kuwait, from training sessions all the way to the formal visit to the Philippine Embassy, that players remarked that it was like coming into a “home game” for them.

The players’ confidence appears to be also high, a must for any team facing such daunting odds. That confidence comes as a result of the team’s recent string of success, according to striker Ian Araneta, a longtime member of the national team.

via Philippines vs Kuwait leg 1 preview: Underdog Azkals remain confident | InterAKTV.

f. On my podcast last month, Charles Barkley talked about what he called a “shit list,” how he grew to dread the names on it every time they mentioned who hadn’t won a title: Barkley, Karl Malone, Dan Marino, Ernie Banks, and others. He thought it was woefully unfair, saying that he learned to take the list as something of a compliment because everyone on it was great … but at the same time, seeing it always hurt, and he hated seeing other players face the end of their careers with that “shit list” guillotine looming. Dirk avoided the guillotine. We’ll remember him as one of the 20 best basketball players of all time, the best European player ever, one of the best shooters ever, someone who came through when it mattered … and someone who wouldn’t allow his name to end up on that list. You could even say he made a decision.

via NBA Finals poker with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat: An 8 always beats a 3 – Grantland.