Isports ATBP.

Mackenzie Rae or Macky, our eldest, turned 11 last Friday. Yep! She turned 11 on 11-11-11. We're not that superstitious but my wife and I believe she'll have a bright future ahead if she keeps her focus and continues to believe in herself. We — our family of 4 (The Missus, Nathan and The Head Honcho) — celebrated 11 @ 11-11-11 last Friday at Amici's Megamall where we pig out on three kinds of pasta, garlic bread, Italian sausages, steamed veggies, and two types of gelato. We then went to Gateway to watch Puss 'N Boots where Nathan, our youngest, decided to turn Cineplex's Cinema 1 into his own personal playground. He caught the attention of moviegoers as some decided to watch his antics — jumping up and down the stairs, trying to hide from his sister, and filling the movie house with his infectious laugh. Enough of Nathan's toddler moments. Failing to watch the PBA game between Meralco and B-MEG was the only thing that ruined Macky's special

My father is no boxing analyst or a sports expert but he believes Manny Pacquiao won the fight fair and square. As the challenger, my Tatay said, Juan Manuel Marquez could have at least knocked out Pacquiao. For my father, a former varsity basketball player at the Araullo Lyceum in Cabanatuan City and a longtime sports fan, a knockdown could have convinced the three judges to award the win to Marquez. A knockout could have erased the controversy that hounded their two previous fights and could have affirmed Marquez's claims that he defeated Pacquiao twice. He said the "unofficial" rule has been that way ever since he watched great boxing matches involving the likes of Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Frazier, Ali, Foreman, Duran, Robinson, and Liston. Tatay, who will turn 66 on November 28, is no Quinito Henson or Joe Cantada. He stands by the three judges' decision, Pacquiao won on points. In his own words: Mas nakita ng tatlong judges ang laban kasi na

I saw the PBA's only Captain (Alvin Patrimonio) during the birthday party of the son of fellow sportswriter Rey Joble. Macky, my 10-year-old daughter who'll turn 11 on 11-11-2011 (Friday), took this photo that's why the picture is a bit blurry. Hehehe. She egged me on to approach The Captain for a photo op after knowing that Patrimonio is one of my basketball idols and hard court heroes while playing for the Purefoods franchise in the PBA. I was a Great Taste fan before the then Ayala-owned team joined the PBA in 1988. Who would not support the Coffee Makers back then? Brown, Caidic, Paner, Victorino, Adornado and Tuadles are some of the cage greats that donned the Orange and Brown jersey. Too bad I missed the chance of chatting with The Captain, for I have to attend a previously scheduled engagement.

Hanggang ngayon ay di pa din ako makapaniwala na buhay pa ako at naririto upang ibahagi ang kuwentong ito. Dalawa lang kasi ang magiging resulta ng naging karanassan ko nitong Sabado ng gabi, nagpapagaling ako sa isang pagamutan o di kaya ay pinaglalamayan na ng aking pamilya at malalapit na mga kaibigan. Heto ang buong pangyayari nitong ika-tatlo ng Setyembre, Sabado... Ilang minuto lang ang aking hinintay bago ako nakasakay ng bus ng biyaheng Monumento, nais ko sanang mag abang ng masasakyan na diresto na ng bayan ng Marilao sa Bulacan ngunit nainip ako. Nakaupo ako sa may tapat ng pintuan, katwiran ko para mapadali din ang aking pagbaba. Ako ay nakikinig ng mga awitin sa radyo, nakapasak ang ear phones ko sa aking tenga at magiliw na sinasabayan sa aking isip ang kanta ni Michael Johnson. Iniisip ko ang oras na muling makita ang aking asawa at dalawang anak. Nakadungaw ako sa labas ng bintana habang nilalakbay ang kahabaan ng EDSA. Pumara ang dalawang lalaki, edad mg

Sundays are usually movie nights at the Perez household. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was the chosen movie last Sunday night. Though it's only a bootleg copy, the picture quality was the same as an original DVD. I'm not supporting piracy, but I could not pass up watching a movie that received great reviews from my friends. Back to the movie, it's only fiction but it still scared the heck out of me. A lot of what-ifs popped inside my head. What if shortly man can come up with a virus/bacteria or whatever you may call it that can aid the evolution of apes, which some scientists say are humans' closest relatives? What if science's tinkering with other species would result in the man being overpowered by a new stronger and smarter breed? And what if a man becomes the slave and the guinea pig of the new dominant specie?

Only a few people would remember that I was University of the East's first UAAP student courtside reporter when the league transferred from Silverstar to ABS-CBN Sports in 2000. I was part of the first batch that included Pia Arcangel of Ateneo (who is now one of the reporters/anchors at the News and Public Affairs division of GMA Network), La Salle's George Rocha, UST's Claude Despabiladeras (hope I got his name right) and FEU's Ian Adewuya (who I believe has already returned to his country). I had already forgotten the names of the courtside reporters from Adamson, NU, and UP. It was a thrilling experience for me, having passed the audition conducted by Randy Sacdalan and Mico Halili (who later became Pia's husband), representing UE, and seeing myself on TV. I can hear, through my earpiece, that Jude Turcuato was already introducing me and when the cameraman gave me the cue that I was already on air I choked, there was a 2 to 3-second pause. I

I finally gave in to Brad Ruszala and Shan Seman's numerous invitations to join the Enticer series and competed in my first triathlon race. It's not actually a triathlon but a duathlon, I skipped the swim portion and only completed the bike and run legs of the race. Brad and Shan are my fellow sports writers on Saipan, along with Mark Rabago, Roselyn Monroyo, and Bob Coldeen. Brad and Shan were veterans of various triathlon races with Shan being a former member of the CNMI national athletics team. I've been an Islander for more than four years on Saipan , the largest and most populous island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the beach is just across the office building where I work but I never had the chance to learn how to swim properly. I was hesitant at first and the thought of backing out before the start of the race even crossed my mind. I had the same feeling when I joined the 21st Annual Mt. Tapochao Turkey Trot Fun Run, a 4.2-mile