College Football Shufflin'

What we all have been waiting for. The Aggie SECession has begun. The irony of it all, today is also the deadline for the transfer window in futbol in Europe. After the pilfering of the Big Ten and the Pac-12, this is the next step in evolution, baby.

Because Everyday I'm Shufflin...  

Why the Gunner Refund made sense

Got this from the Arsenal Website

I actually got the chance to watch the Manchester United versus Arsenal massacre at a local bar with a few of my friends. Most of them were Red Devils fans, but there were a few who proudly wore their Gunners' shirt.(I personally like the blue hue version, see after the jump)

Blog Outsourcing - 8/29/11 edition

Hello! Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

I hope everyone in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States is just fine. If you were hiding in a cave, Hurricane Irene was passing by during the weekend, wrecking havoc in the sporting weekend. Meanwhile, in the Motherland, Typhoon Nanmadol (known locally as Typhoon Mina) made its way to the northern portion of the island of Luzon. You can see how the typhoon went here:

It rained hard here, though.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

The Shanghai Sevens

With all the sporting fervor going on in the country, from football to dragon boat racing to the staple of basketball and the anonymity of softball, it is about time that another sport take its place.

We know more about the Philippine Rugby team with their Guadalupe billboard that apparently offended the sensibilities of certain people. It's time and an opportunity to show our countrymen what they can do. Amidst the lack of attention, they have been relatively successful.

This weekend, they will be participating in the first leg of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series, the Shanghai Sevens. Played at Yuanshen Stadium, it pits our Volcanoes against these teams: China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Chinese-Taipei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, UAE and Sri Lanka. On the distaff side, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Thailand will be facing each other.

The concept of supporting our country should always be wholehearted. No ifs and buts. Not just because of something, but because it is all about playing for the flag.

$28.9 Million

Yes, we can hear the ka-chings from here.

Are you really worth that much, Samuel? That's the question. Can you prove it on the frozen tundra of Russia, specifically Dagestan? I certainly hope so.

Sometimes, you overspend just to get the attention of people, a sort of flexing of muscle / clout. Let's see what you got, Suleiman Kerimov of Anzhi Makhachkala.

Blog Outsourcing - 8/22 edition

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

The problem with futbol as of late has been that the clubs "buy" their way to secure success, but at the expense of their own fiscal stability. In other words, they eschew the bottom line for on-field success. There needs a balance between a club's financial viability vis-a-vis the quest for victory. The smart teams get that. But others, because of their wallets that are virtually endless, some owners use the power of the blank checkbook. But if you are a Russian oligarch or a relative of someone with petrodollars, hey, you're not THAT worried. That's why UEFA decided to put in a fairness scheme of their own.

Here forth are the links to make your week after the jump:

Philippine Sports, Inc.

With the Philippines being cash-strapped as it is, sports needs its patrons and supporters to chip in as most of the time, the government has other priorities that needs its funds more (which is why we need to right people to run our government, especially in those where money is involved).

Good thing there are people who do back the sport. As you can see, Pharma-Rex (the pharmaceutical company behind Cortal SQR) is the latest to provide financial support, as they held a press conference last Wednesday to formally announce their financial contribution to the sport. Most of media emphasized the addition of a couple of German-based players with Filipino descent, but the infusion of cash will definitely help in the development of the sport, especially since they helped with the Homeless World Cup team who will be in competition next week.

Probably the ones best known for assisting with sports has been Manny V. Pangilinan and his conglomerate. Most well known for being the chief force behind SMART-Gilas in basketball, MVP specifically set up his MVP Sports Foundation and SMART Sports for this.

Of course, with all the brouhaha involving our Dragon Boat team and their quest to defend their glory, Filipino-Chinese Tycoon Lucio Tan chipped in with his energy drink and his air carrier.

 

It sure feels like part and parcel of local sports needs corporate assistance. It's good that these kind-hearted souls see the value of doing their share in uplifting the name of the Filipino.

The Wandering Raul (?)

It took Bundesliga fiend Ryan Fenix (he of The Prawn Sandwich Brigade and contributor to Interaksyon fame) to tweet me earlier tonight about a rumor that is really hard to believe.

Try googling Bolton and Raul. Yup, the former Real Madrid goal scoring legend is being linked to a transfer to the Barclays Premier League. But when you look at it closely, it's actually another Premiership side, Blackburn Rovers, who are eyeing the all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Champions' League. Apparently, the new owners (Indian poultry giants Venky's) are keen on getting a "name" guy to backstop their franchise. Unfortunately, they seemed to have forgotten that this is 2011 and not the mid 2000s with their targets of David Beckham and Ronaldinho.

But seriously, that would be a personal treat for me if the man who wore #7 proudly for Los Galacticos gets a crack of scoring goals at the Reebok. Bolton manager Owen Coyle still needs to add an additional attacking piece to this motley crew, and that is already with the recent loan deal for Tuncay in place. And he knows it.

Considering the upcoming gauntlet that is about to take place (vs Manchester City, @ Liverpool, vs Manchester United, vs Norwich, @ Arsenal, vs Chelsea), we sure need some more ooomph. May the 4-0 thrashing they pulled on QPR be a good sign for the season ahead for my beloved Wanderers.

Blog Outsourcing 8/8 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

I just finished watching a documentary on the History Channel here that showed the Manila Hostage Crisis. It was almost a year ago today that the gruesome scenario took place. Ugh. I still am embarrassed with how the persons-in-charge handled it and the bad press the Motherland got and is still suffering from until now.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

Getting a Basketball Fix During the Lockout

I presume most of you got a good, make that great whiff of Kevin Durant's 66 points at the legendary Rucker Park. If you didn't, here, have some...

Feeding Football to the Masses

Given the captivation Filipinos have for football as of late, what exactly is the next step to get people to be more interested in football?

Moss'd Out

Is it really the end for him?

Here are his career stats, as per Football-Reference.

Played in 202 games over 13 seasons for four teams (Minnesota twice, Oakland, New England and Tennessee), starting 191 of them. He caught 954 balls (eighth-most) for 14858 yards (fifth-most) and 153 receiving touchdowns (second-most).

Was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998. Named to seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams.

Now that Jerry Rice has finally made it to the Hall of Fame, it's finally time for a wide receiver to get in on his first try. When Randy becomes eligible for the call-up, he certainly has earned the right for a bust in Canton. He's the guy whom you groomed Darrelle Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha to shadow.There would not have been the concept of the Randy Ratio without his skill set.

***

It has been a while since I went out and produced this kind of content. The "day" job has been a little taxing, plus my other writing engagement has been a little demanding on the content. I do hope that I get to write more stuff here, besides the one here.

Blog Outsourcing - August 1 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation

The baseball trade deadline came and went. Football signings are afoot. Things are in sync. Except for the baller in me. There is still no basketball in the foreseeable future in the United States. It's disappointing, but I still need my normal updates on basketball. By this time, there should be discussion on the Association, like some summer league action.

I was also a little disappointed because our football team exited out of the 2014 World Cup. Sure, we played a tough opponent, but we had our chances and we muffed those. Nothing else to it. We'll be better at it and Moscow beckons for us.

On the other hand, my alma mater is 5-0. And that is a very awesome feeling.


Here forth are the links after the jump: