Darth Novak has arrived

Novak Djokovic is well known to be one of the funny guys on the ATP circuit. Before he racked up the Slams and titles, he pulled off these kind of shenanigans.

Blog Outsourcing - September 17, 2012 edition

The alma mater just finished its regular season with a win and a 12-2 record, sealing the 1st spot after 14 games.

It was a solid one, too.

 

Now we wait for our Final Four opponent.

Here forth is the Storify after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - September 10, 2012 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After.

I am sure you had your fill of football. You missed it like heck. You love it like your significant other. May this be the beginning of something great.

Here forth is the Storify I did for this week after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - September 3, 2012 edition

Blog Outsourcing - August 27, 2012 edition

Greetings!

Hello and I wish you all a Happy National Heroes Day in the Motherland.

In a sport that is regarded highly by its citizens, any achievement by someone or by a team garner attention in these parts. Sure, the opponent is currently composed of imports plying their trade in the continent, but we Filipinos take pride in beating the Americans in the process of winning a tournament, something we have not accomplished in 14 years. Look at the curated reaction from the Motherland.

It was a satisfying victory for a nation starving for success in a sport it dearly loves. And as such, they come home on a holiday that honors heroism, something they have in spades.

Blog Outsourcing - July 2, 2012 edition

Greetings and welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After.

It's already the second half of the 2012. Hope the reader has had a productive first half of 2012. It has been an interesting stretch for everyone and hope the remainder of the year makes it even better.

Meanwhile, the NBA season may have concluded on the court, the mantra of the swoosh remains true and legitimate. Basketball Never Stops.

The NCAA already has commenced action last week. The big buzz was naturally, how 5 rookies and a sophomore beat a veteran squad. The rival league UAAP already is making preparations for its campaign, which will begin on July 14. They even have a "Call Me Maybe" meme ready.



In the pros, the quest for a semifinal seat will need a playoff. One of the teams involved has Mario West as their reinforcement. And coming soon, a Legend gets his jersey retired.

The NBA Draft just ended, and Summer League beckons. Of course, there's the drama of free agency. And the quest for Olympic Gold. Being a basketball fan in the Motherland is just blissful.

Here forth are the links after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - June 18, 2012 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After.

It was Father's Day, yesterday, and although I did nothing much of note for that Sunday, I hope you spent the time honoring your dad. Come to think of it, the best way to celebrate the occasion is to honor him every single day of the year.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat escaped with the victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 91-85. The series has been the all about the narrative. Will Lebron be clutch? (he has been so far, in general) Is Russell Westbrook what is wrong with Oklahoma City? (not really) It is so distinct that it has been simplified enough to that and simply that.

Meanwhile, love the NBA and Turner collaboration. Having that enables TNT's Charles Barkley and Shaq doing pregame and post-game for NBA TV. Chuck, as always, is the loquacious one. From defending Westbrook from the excessive criticisms by his fellow members of the media, to praising Lebron James, to saying Peter Vecsey is a douchebag, and to the seminal moment with the Wonder Woman. Chuck is the gift to bloggers all around.

Here forth are the links after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - May 28, 2012 edition

Good Morning and Happy Memorial Day!

It is a special day for all my friends in the United States. A time to celebrate, remember and respect those who have worn the uniform with pride, dignity and honor. A day to express your admiration, love and devotion. Remember that when you enjoy the weekend.

Here forth are the links to keep you busy this holiday.

Blog Outsourcing 4/23 edition

The weekend for me was pretty much dictated by this football match. A match between two titans, not just in Spain, but in the world. Even if it took place at 2 in the morning here in the Motherland, these kind of things are must-watch stuff, if you could do so, you must.

The Catalans have dominated this match-up the past few years, especially at the Nou Camp. So to see this victory (as deconstructed here) is really awesome and sweet. Now with four matches remaining, all the current La Liga leaders need are two wins and they secure the title.


HalaMadrid!

Here forth are the links after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - February 13, 2012

 

Good Morning! Welcome to the new week ahead.

I was watching a portion of the Grammys earlier. Of course they did some minor tweaks in the aftermath of Whitney Houston passing. Just some minor thoughts.

I would have wanted to see Etta James and Don Cornelius on the In Memoriam vignette. Both were not on it. Nate Dogg was simplified into a group instead of individual like what they did to Amy Winehouse or Whitney. Sure thing they put a tribute for Etta in already with Raitt and Keys. But that is different. I will definitely be in the minority with regards to Chris Brown. Ok, so he beats up women, fine. He still has talent for music. Speaking of which...



CBreezy was doing his thing alongside David Guetta and Lil' Wayne, then the Foo Fighters did theirs, followed by this!



Adele was the worthy winner. Going 6/6 on your 2nd album in the Grammys is sweet. Another worthy winner? Jennifer Hudson. Tasked to sing the song originally sung by Dolly Parton, she killed it onstage. The simplistic preparation of the segment also was great. Fitting, too. Contrast that to what Nicki Minaj did. That seemed more appropriate for the MTV VMAs.

Oh, and Paul McCartney was awesome. So were his friends.

The complete winners can be found here.

Here forth are the links to make your morning after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - January 30

Welcome to The Victory Formation.

Whilst most of you were asleep when the 2012 Australian Open Final took place, the most fascinating of a final happened. 5 hours and 53 minutes of serves, strokes, grunts, shouts between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The top two players in the world in a showdown that enthralled all who watched.

I was actually on the road when the conclusion happened, but was kept updated on Twitter, because everyone else on my timeline was talking about it. Still, it was almost 6 hours of competitive tennis. That is incredible. Can't doubt their endurance and skill.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

Blog Outsourcing - January 23, 2012

Welcome to The Morning After.

Today marks the Lunar a.k.a. Chinese New Year, where 2012 marks the Year of the Dragon.

The Chinese calendar has an animal for the 12 years that comprise the cycle, as seen below:

The Dragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012  
The Snake: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

The Horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
The Sheep: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
The Monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
The Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
The Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
The Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
The Rat: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
The Ox: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
The Tiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
The Rabbit: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

You can go here to check what this year lies ahead for you.

Here forth are the links to keep you busy after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/16/12 edition

Greetings and welcome to the weekly Morning After, where someone tries to remind you what you could have missed.

The iconic boxer of his generation, and probably most of ours, Muhammad Ali, will be celebrating his 70th birthday this week. The heavyweight champion attended an advanced birthday party for him in his hometown in Louisville. That party also served as a fund raiser for the Ali Center, a educational and cultural complex, where it will be an illustration of his legacy both inside and outside of the squared circle.

He may have been ravaged by Parkinson's, but he is still an inspiration and a legend.

Here forth are the links after the jump and staring at another meme pic from me:

Blog Outsourcing - January 9, 2011 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After on The Victory Formation.

So, later today, the BBWAA will be announcing who will make it to the Hall of Fame. Rules are quite simple. You only have a limit of 10 people to select.

Who would I vote? The pool to select can be seen here.

I would vote the DH's: Raines and Edgar. The latter was THE name when it came to the Designated Hitter pre-Papi.

I would vote Larkin, Bagwell, Bernie and Larry Walker in. Veterans who defined themselves with their respectives franchises (Reds, Astros, Yankees, Rockies)

I would vote McGwire, Palmeiro in, because you saw for yourself in his playing career that they warrant it, in spite of the allegations.

Who is in yours, then?

Here forth are the links to catch you up after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - October 21, 2011 edition

 

Hello and welcome to the Halloween Edition of The Morning After.

As the norm, the 1st day of November is a holiday here in the Motherland with All Saints' Day, where families all across the islands go to the cemetery and visit their dearly departed loved ones. The government has been kind enough to declare today as a special holiday to accommodate the throngs of people who will going back to the provinces.

As for me, I am looking forward to that, although I will be reporting to work today and tomorrow. Hopefully all of those who had to deal with the nasty weather have been able to resolve things correctly. It has been sunny here, but with November coming, the northeast monsoon brings the cold Christmas atmosphere.

Here forth are the links after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing - 9/19 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

Well, well, well. Floyd Mayweather reminded us all that we need to PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. He also reminded us all that he is such a punkass idiot. Seen here below.


I can't wait for the time Manny knocks him into submission, although that will be wishful thinking as of the moment.

Here forth are the links to make your morning, after the jump:

Blog Outsourcing - 9/12 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

Yesterday left an indelible mark on everyone. I hope you took the time to remember and reflect and appreciate what went on this day. I watched the different tributes and it was chillin' and stunning. I hope we all do not have to experience this ever again.

P.S. Wonder if someone can send this to SportsCenter.

Here forth are the links to welcome your morning after the jump.

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:

Blog Outsourcing - 7/11 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

Earlier this week, there was a retirement that was announced. It was that of Yao Ming , the Chinese center who played his entire NBA career with the Houston Rockets. Injuries plagued the former number one overall draft pick in 2002 all throughout his tenure, especially on his foot. He's just 30 years old, with a multitude of possible greatness ahead of him, but like Bill Walton, his feet denied him of it.

The frustrating thing about this is, that the Houston Rockets themselves cannot make a statement on this. The decision of Yao to retire had to be coursed through the NBA's offices in New York. Yup, this is a direct result of the NBA lockout. You see, the teams cannot say anything regarding players. In fact, these teams cannot even retweet or mention the players when they do use the social media. The NBA probably would not even give the Rockets a one-off for this, which is a damn shame. But then again, these are some bitter times, and as long as the lockout is on, this is the norm.

However, if you have NBA TV, you must be enjoying the trips down memory lane with all the stuff they're putting up.

On other Motherland news, Hey, it's collegiate basketball time again here at home. My alma mater is gearing up for its title defense, and boy, I am so giddy about it. In addition, some guy also complained about this particular billboard that is located near a main thoroughfare, and managed to successfully take it down.



Here is a much closer look.



Here forth are the links after the jump.

Blog Outsourcing 7/4 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

I want to wish every single American I know a happy Independence Day. Remember this line:


Just when you think about the Fourth of July, you think about fireworks and similar stuff like that. Then again, in Ohio, there is a new way to celebrate in the clubs. This comes too late for Plaxico Burress, as it would have better for him to have played with the Cleveland Browns or the Cincinnati Bengals instead of the Giants.