Isports ATBP.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. turned from a Manny Pacquiao critic to an advisor, offering encouraging words to the fallen eight-division world champion after suffering a stunning sixth-round knockout loss to Mexican dynamo Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday. Pacquiao dropped to the canvas face-first after receiving Marquez’s brutal right in the two-minute and 59-second mark of the sixth round, to finally conquer his chief rival. Pacquiao’s crushing defeat could further delay a potential 2013 meeting with Mayweather after the latter’s manager, Leonard Ellerbe, announced that his ward will fight twice next year. Mayweather, however, is not at all concerned about the mega-fight and instead feels sorry for Pacquiao in his fourth encounter with Marquez. "I feel bad for him [Pacquiao], honestly…There’s a difference in how you get knocked out,” said Mayweather at FightyHype.com. “Things happen. You live and you learn. The only thing he (Pacquiao) can do is rejuvenate himself and boun...

Tatay was speechless as he watched Manny Pacquiao fall face-first after receiving a crushing right from Juan Manuel Marquez. He ran out of words on how to describe Pacman's defeat. My father, who played three sports while studying at Araullo Lyceum in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, is no boxing analyst or expert but a mere sports fan. He watched and enjoyed classic fights of George Foreman, the former Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Leon Sphinx, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., to name a few. Tatay, like most Filipinos, was hoping for a Pacquiao knockout win so the People's Champ could finally silence his critics that he is slipping and his career is going south. He was expecting a knockout win, but not by Marquez and not the ending that happened in one of boxing's epic rivalries. Tatay said Marquez came out more prepared, as he didn't want to frustrate his throngs of Mexican fans. He had been training for more than 4 months, determined ...

Freddie Roach said that he wanted Manny Pacquiao to remain busy inside the ring once the Fighting Congressman from Sarangani province faces Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time on December 8 (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 52-year-old Roach, in an interview by Los Angeles Times writer Lance Pugmire, has added welterweight prospect Frankie Gomez as the eight-time world division's newest sparring partner for his training camp at the Wild Card Gym. Gomez,  who will fight on the undercard of the Amir Khan-Carlos Molina main event on December 15 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, i s also being trained by Roach and is undefeated after 13 fights, with 10 of his wins coming by knockout. "I use Frankie for activity. I want Manny to fight full three-minute rounds against Marquez, and Frankie gets in there and forces Manny to do that," said Roach. "Manny and Frankie are both very competitive in there, and Frankie has proven to be...

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. is hoping they can accomplish all their planned programs after the group of the former Tarlac first district representative contested positions in Friday’s elections at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City . Cojuangco, who got 32 votes to earn a fresh four-year term,  said they will quickly buckle down to work to prepare the country’s athletes for several international competitions next year, including the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar . “Any group that is working together can give you good results. I hope we can still be together for the expectation of the Filipino people,” said Cojuangco, who again appointed Steve Hontiveros as secretary-general. But he said the POC’s top priority would be establishing a training center focused on sports science. This program would help athletes in the national training pool and national teams, as well as coaches, in their preparation for interna...

Controversial athletics chief Go Teng Kok decided Wednesday night that he will no longer seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop Friday’s Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) elections, and also chose to drop all of his cases filed against the group of incumbent president Jose Cojuangco Jr. Go, declared persona non grata by the POC that expelled him as a member of the country’s National Olympic Committee, made the surprise announcement that he will also step down as the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president and will call an election in January next year. “I have already proven enough. When Manny V. Pangilinan decided not to run, I decided to run, and I was even ridiculed for my decision,” said Go. “(The TRO) is not good. I don’t want to stop the election, that’s why I decided to drop everything.” Go, on Wednesday morning, filed a motion seeking to stop Friday’s POC elections at the Alabang Country Club after the three-man election...

Roger Mayweather stressed that undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not afraid of anybody, especially not against eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and even hinted that the much-awaited mega-fight between his nephew and the Filipino boxing superstar might push through in 2013. The elder Mayweather said, in an interview with On the Ropes Boxing Radio, that he and his nephew met with Arum last month to discuss the possibility of ending the three-year standoff between both camps and giving in to the demands of fight fans to see both pound-for-pound fighters slug it out inside the ring. “He (Mayweather Jr.) has to fight Pacquiao ‘cause that’s the fight people want to see and people talk about,” said Mayweather. “If he wouldn’t fight Pacquia, oh, he would go down in history as a scared mother****** champion, wouldn’t he? My nephew ain’t scared of Pacquiao.” Mayweather added that the money involved in the mega-fight will surely lure both boxers to seal the deal. “Anytime ...

Erwin Tagle, despite being the more experienced fighter, will come in as the underdog on Saturday when he challenges Ale Cali for the latter’s flyweight title in Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC) 34 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tagle is considered one of the pioneers of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the Philippines, retiring early almost 10 years ago, when little interest in the sport was shown during its early stages in the country. He said he became discouraged from continuing to fight after he was not paid by a promoter for an event in Pasay City. He then shifted to head coach and trainer at Submission Sports Gym in Quezon City, and lent his expertise as a commentator at PXC-organized fights. “When PXC came to the Philippines they asked me if I want to come out of my retirement and fight, I was hesitant at first and told them: ‘I just want to watch your fights first.’ They then offered me to be a fight analyst,” said Tagle, who added that PXC promoter EJ Calvo even offered ...

The Philippines will be banking on a strong pitching staff when it takes on Thailand at the start of the qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) today at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The 28-member Philippine team will be reinforced by Filipino-American players from US-based Major League Baseball when they vie for the coveted spot against host Taiwan, Southeast Asian neighbour Thailand and New Zealand in the qualifiers from November 15 to 18 at the Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei. Taiwan, ranked third in Asia, will be the Philippines’ most formidable opponent, as it is ranked fifth behind two-time WBC champion Japan, South Korea, and China. Leading the Philippine squad’s bullpen are lefty pitchers Eugene Espineli of the seven-time World Series champions San Francisco Giants and Ryuya Ogawa of the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Head of delegation Tom Navasero said that overall, the Philippine tea...

Ronnie Magsanoc wants to cherish every moment of his San Beda Red Lions’ recent victory in the 88th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament, regardless of next season’s cage wars, even if his team will lose three key players who were instrumental in their successful run in the last seven years. Magsanoc and his Red Lions are still on a high after a 67-39 demolition of the Letran Knights in the deciding Game Three of the 88th NCAA men’s basketball finals last Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. "I know we’ll be losing three players, but we’re not yet thinking of what will happen next season. All we know is that we ended this season as champions,” said Magsanoc after the rookie coach guided San Beda to its sixth title in seven years and 17th overall men’s basketball crown to earn the bragging rights of being the league’s most successful program. Anjo Caram, who scored 17 points for San Beda, along with Jake Pascual and Melo L...

Sorry, this piece took some time to finish. Been busy with a lot of things. My mind was cluttered and disoriented for a while. We went to Baguio last May, and it was Ate Macky's first time to see the country's Summer Capital. Unlike Nathan, who seems to be enjoying the view, Macky was already getting impatient because of the  long, six-hour trip. We arrived in Baguio City around 5 p.m. and went straight to our temporary home, a good 30 minutes from the city proper.  While the kids watched cable TV, my wife put our clothes away in the wardrobe, and I went out to buy some food. It was my first time seeing Baguio after 12 years. The country's Summer Capital underwent many changes. There's still Burnham Park, but you can see a huge mall just a few blocks away. Mines View Park still has its charm, but the place was crawling  with vendors and others trying to make a living off the tourists who visit. We had a fun time in Baguio. We rod...

I decided to post some of my published stories in the Business Mirror , the daily newspaper where I am currently employed. It has been months, seven to be exact, since I wrote something on my blog. I'll write more often during my free time.

A new-look Azkals side will try to inject a new formula to match—or surpass—its historic run in 2010 in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, where it squares off with powerhouse Thailand on November 24 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. Thailand is co-hosting the Suzuki Cup with Malaysia from November 24 to December 22. The SCG Stadium in Nonthaburi, Thailand, the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, and the Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor are the other venues. Team Manager Dan Palami said most of the players who joined the Middle East camp would likely be included in the national team's final 30-man roster for the Suzuki Cup. He added that the veterans and new members—plus the available local materials—have strengthened their chances this year. “Coming from 2010, we had difficulty forming the team. I have seen their progress, and we are a much stronger team now. We now have many offensive options. Unlike in 2010, when we needed to focus more on defence and c...

Letran head coach Louie Alas has apologized for his slit-throat gesture to referees in Game Two of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seniors basketball finals on Saturday, which the Knights won over the San Beda Red Lions at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. And because of that, Alas has escaped suspension and will be on the Letran bench when they play the “three-peat-seeking” Red Lions in the do-or-die Game Three at 1 p.m. on Friday, also at the Big Dome. “I am sorry about it, I don’t mean any harm. That gesture was not directed to anyone in particular. I’m always after the welfare of the team,” said Alas after he met with Letran officials in an Intramuros Hotel on Monday night. Irked by Alas's behaviour, basketball commissioner Joe Lipa demanded Alas’s public apology. If he won’t do one, he will be banned from Game Two. Alas made the gesture in the heat of Game Two, which they won, 64-55, and forced the winner-take-all game. San Beda took Game One, 62-60. He...

Manny Pacquiao's fans should not be worried about the eight-division world champion’s condition, as he has been training in General Santos City much longer than usual. Team Pacquiao adviser Wakee Salud said Buboy Fernandez, the boxing icon’s assistant trainer and close friend, is quietly training in General Santos City as part of Pacquiao’s buildup for his fourth meeting with Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 knockouts) of Mexico on December 8 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) delayed his flight to the US to file his certificate of candidacy. He is seeking a second term as Sarangani province’s lone congressman in next year’s elections. He has been training since the last week of September under Fernandez. “Pacquiao is continuously training in GenSan. Everything is under coach Freddie Roach’s fight plan and designed to keep him in fighting shape,” said Salud in Filipino. “By the time he arrives in LA, he will start with his sparring sessions.” Salud...

It's back to square one in the 88th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball finals between defending champion San Beda and Letran. The Knights, who like the Red Lions have won 16 men’s basketball crowns, forced the you-or-me showdown via a 64-55 win in Game Two on Saturday night. Game Three is scheduled for either Wednesday or Friday at an undetermined venue. Letran used a balanced scoring attack and a choking defence to silence San Beda’s starters in the crucial stages of the match. Knights coach Louie Alas finally defeated the Red Lions for the first time since his 70-69 triumph over the Mendiola-based squad on July 25, 2007, in the first round of the 83rd season. Seldom-used forward Jonathan Belorio scored 15 points, going three-of-three from three-point range, to pace Letran and also grabbed 10 rebounds. He had plenty of help from usual starters Kevin Alas, Jam Cortez, and Mark Cruz, who combined for 32 points.  Dan Carlo Lituania, another ba...

AJ “Bazooka” Banal, crying and all, was left pondering what went wrong with his game plan against Thailand’s Pungluang Sor Singyu in Saturday night’s  Pinoy Pride XVII: the Philippines vs The World  at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The more than three months of training and 130 rounds of sparring went down the drain after his first shot at a world title ended in a disappointing ninth-round technical knockout (TKO) loss to the durable Thai in their scheduled 12-round bout for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title, previously held by Filipino-American Nonito Donaire Jr. The Thai used a four-punch barrage, he capped with a left jab to floor Banal, who went down on all fours for a standing eight-count by referee Tony Weeks. Banal stood up, and Weeks signalled both fighters to continue. Still, Sor Singyu, like a shark smelling blood, used that knockdown as momentum and quickly went to work to finish off his opponent with an impressive left-r...

Our lives are full of clutter. We tend to buy things that we don't usually need. We tend to live in the past, full of what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. We worry about what the future holds, and we forget to live in the present and enjoy each moment. Like what Prof. John Keating (Robin Williams) said in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society: "Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? Carpe, hear it? Carpe, Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys, make your lives extraordinary."

The thing that happened to me one lovely Monday morning can only be seen in old movies by the Dolphy-Panchito comedic tandem. The embarrassing but funny incident will forever be part of my life. It will be a favourite topic among the Ka Anang Boys whenever there's a quorum to down our favourite cold beverage. The story goes something like this: I was off to meet an old friend of mine for an early morning breakfast chit-chat, but disaster struck as soon as I arrived at our rendezvous point in Valenzuela. I was already walking towards the roadside bistro where we were going to eat any of the available Silog meals when my shoe (left foot) broke. The whole top portion broke off with the outer sole, which (as I looked behind) I saw sitting there on the pavement, as if waiting for me. I am no male version of Cinderella, so I quickly picked up my sole (no pun intended, haha!). I can still walk, but the problem is I can now feel the concrete street I'm standing on,  with ...