It's the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 and we already know the good, the bad and probably the ugly in the current 2010 season. So, it is appropriate to compose the not-so-weekly-post that I do. The center of conversation would be what Santa Stern would give to the teams in theory for Christmas? Or what would their New Year's resolution would be? Here's a small sample size.
I did stumble upon a great read by ESPN's Amy K. Nelson regarding the aftermath of the 28-out perfection that Armando Galarraga dished. And the act of sportsmanship afterwards.
Having been someone who has seen atrocious officiating over the years in the UAAP men's basketball tournament and having friends and associates who truly have the verbal pipes to accost such officials right there and then from the bleachers, reading about Jim Joyce is reflective and appreciative. One can only wish that the locals just man up and admit they were wrong.
Black Monday has always been the day NFL coaches dread, as the day after Week 17 is also known as the first day of the offseason for 20 teams.
This year's version of Black Monday saw only one person was sent off, that being Cleveland's Eric Mangini. The so-called "Mangenius" sputtered at the end of the regular season, with the 41-9 blowout loss to division rival Pittsburgh being the final nail in the coffin, finishing the season at 5-11, with 4 straight losses to boot.
However, some teams have already made their decision before the season had ended. Dallas fired Wade Phillips after their really slow start. Minnesota canned Brad Childress after a disappointing campaign following their close call to the Super Bowl. Denver replaced Joshua McDaniels following their version of Videogate. Once they knew their chances of winning the atrocious NFC West were up in smoke, San Francisco bid adieu to Mike Singletary and his quips. Carolina made their announcement that John Fox will not be coming back (he was on the last year of his deal).
So, what should these headless teams do:
Dallas - it looks like they will retain Jason Garrett, but if a big name is available, like a Jeff Fisher or a Bill Cowher that is amenable to the way things work alongside owner-GM Jerry Jones, they will go after him.
Minnesota - they have officially retained Leslie Frazier.
Denver - They'll need someone who can help with the growth of Tim Tebow. Having John Elway in the front office is a start. They may also opt for a defensive mind after the mess of a defense not named Champ Bailey.
Carolina - They would like to get Bill Cowher, who resides in the Carolinas, but they have lots of issues. They have the top overall pick for them, although they would really like to have their 2nd round pick back because they had to trade it to get Armanti Edwards (their 3rd round pick this year). They are praying hard for a package deal of Stanford's Jim Harbaugh and his QB Andrew Luck to make themselves available.
San Francisco - Preferably a big name coach, one who can get the offense going. Their quarterback situation is a total mess. They already have a solid front seven defensively. They also hope that Harbaugh (Palo Alto is an hour (more or less) away from San Francisco) would be interested.
Happy New Year and welcome to the first Monday of 2011 here in the Victory Formation.
Yes I know, people dread this day. I do, too. The first workday of the year. I do wish that everyone has shaken off their hangovers and are ready to help build a better future everywhere across the world, because after all, we are part of a global marketplace. And as such, it is important for me to go forth and make a good impression to give 2011 a great start.
As it is with every New Year, most people have their so-called New Year's Resolutions. I have never ever been a fan of them, especially because I don't really fulfill those (by the end of the week or the month, even). Instead, I would go about setting modest goals that I could strive for.
Some people have viewed me as a disappointment and feel that I have been a letdown. That I have been unable to meet the expectations being set before me. That I have brought shame and disrepute. I just say that there have been times that I do slack off and I do commit to be the best that I can be for you, for me and for the entire human race.
It's the end of 2010 and we already know the good, the bad and probably the ugly in the current 2010 season. So, it is appropriate to compose the not-so-weekly-post that I do. The center of conversation would be what Santa Stern would give to the teams in theory for Christmas? Or what would their New Year's resolution would be? Here's a small sample size.
This is a guest post co-written by Nerissa Barry and Daniel Fielding. Any comments and queries can fielded to Nerissa via nerdbarry@gmail.com
The United States Olympic Committee USOC is not only looking to further the athletic accomplishments but also making sustainable environmental changes to the Winter Games. And with the bid for the 2022 games being awarded in 2015, they must be able to move fast with their efforts. The quest has already started in naming Andrew Liveris and Dow Chemical as the worldwide partner in the Olympics for the next decade.
During the last Winter Olympic Games (the Vancouver 2010 games), the United States garnered the most number of medals with 37, broken down into 9 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. Thanks to American dominance in snowboarding (i.e. Shaun White), Nordic combined (i.e Lindsey Vonn), speed skating (i.e. Shani Davis) and skiing, it only makes sense that the United States should host the 2022 Winter Games. With possible venues like Denver and Reno-Tahoe, the USOC is looking to prepare a bidding process with the International Olympic Committee in hopes of bring great changes to this world celebration.
After the controversy over what transpired in securing the Salt Lake City bid, USOC Chairman, Larry Probst hopes to rebuild relationships first with their international counterparts before releasing all information concerning the bid. What we do know is that there is a lot of talk about making the Games more environment-friendly, and with this, the United States could put themselves in high bid mentions with what they're looking to add to the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Why are these changes such a big deal? As fantastic and unifying as the Olympics are, it's quite a carbon-rich event. Over 2/3 of the estimated carbon emissions from the event come from some of the 1.5+ million attendees traveling (mostly via airplane) to and from the event.
While the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics made great efforts to showcase conservation practices and sustainable energy sources, USOC members and sponsors are looking to go the extra mile on becoming a greener Olympics with these proposed plans:
Solar power - Used to light lawns, courtyards and streets at several venues, including the Olympic Village. A 130 KW photovoltaic system illuminated The National Stadium, where events such as athletics and football were held.
Water Conservation - Waste water collected from the Qinghe sewage treatment plant was filtered and used for the various heating and cooling needs throughout the Olympics site, yielding a 60% savings in electricity. Rainwater was collected from around the grounds, collecting over 75,000 gallons by using water permeable bricks, pipes and wells installed on roofs, roads and green areas.
Natural Light - Remember the famous 'Water Cube' where the aquatic events were held? The walls of the National Aquatics Centre provided natural light, and for the interior of the building, specially designed 'beam-pipes' funneled sunlight into corridors, toilets and car parks at venues, including the Olympic Green.
Recycling - The 2008 Olympic hosts aimed for a 50 per cent recycling of waste including paper, metals and plastics at venues. A modest expectation, considering that a test run carried out during the 11th World Softball Championships held in 2007, achieved a nearly 90 per cent recycling rate.
The IOC saw the opportunity to promote sustainability in the Olympics in 2008, helping provide the filtration and insulation for the events. That vision has progressed to include dozens of other products which will help reduce waste and promote conservation. You can expect these products to appear at the coming events over the next decade and be a part of the USOC recommendations.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation!
This is going to be the final Monday of 2010. The countdown has begun to the beginning of a new year. A new decade even. Everyone is looking forward to it. The new year brings new hope and a brighter future. Although for some, they want to get away from 2010 as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, due to the stroke of luck that Christmas fell on a Saturday this year, our office decided to have no work on Friday (a.k.a. Christmas Eve). Considering that last year was the first time that I had to work on Christmas, it is something I am reluctant to do and it was very satisfying to be spending the holidays with family.
The better news is that I also get New Year's Eve off, so I am also going to spend the arrival of 2011 with my family instead of being holed up in a cubicle.
Welcome to Today's edition of The Victory Formation.
Christmas is just a few days away. It's this Saturday already and we can already feel the moment is just upon us. The midnight masses have already commenced. The traffic has been horrendous with all the sales that have popped up. After all, it was payday weekend and the bonuses have already arrived onto the payroll.
Over the weekend, I decided to give back and do a charitable venture. It is important that we remember the true meaning and spirit of the holiday season. It's not just about the ancillary parts. The truth about the holiday is that someone was born that was of importance and value. That individual would also remind us of a particular passage entitled Matthew 25:40.
Thanks to Fran for the interview of James and Philip Younghusband that was aired last Saturday.
The Azkals made their media rounds to let people know about their campaign in the Suzuki Cup.
(They're already in Indonesia by now, prepping for their 2 football matches against them.)
Hi and Hello to the latest edition of The Victory Formation!
It's only 12 more days until it is Christmas and some can already feel it in the air, with Christmas parties, decors galore and the tunes that become Last Song Syndromes.
Meanwhile, the economy's hard times have spread everywhere. It seems unthinkable, but maybe it is time for the four major pro sports to think about advertising as a proverbial option for revenue. Look at futbol / soccer. They have been doing this for a long time and it brings in big revenue. Even a team like FC Barcelona (who hasn't received payment for jersey sponsorship ever until the start of next season) eventually had to capitulate and accept the harsh reality. (Considering that UEFA just tightened qualification rules for Euro football.)
At the same, I find it interesting that the Qatar Foundation (who will be joining UNICEF on the FC Barca shirt) just swooped in with a deal. After all, the Qataris have money to burn and a sneaky and smart plan that could be very beneficial. This might be something to work on for Qatar since they have 12 years to define a generation of football players.
As such, teams that are in such dire need of cash, like the NBA-owned Hornets, might want to look into this. The WNBA already has companies like Microsoft, Farmers Insurance and Foxwoods for shirt deals.
Speaking of football, the Motherland's National Team just had their send off party earlier today. They have made the semifinals and they will face Indonesia in a supposed to be a "home-and-home," but apparently we do not have the facilities to support a FIFA event. For more details, read this recapper of the state of Philippine football.
The success of the Azkals in the AFF Suzuki Cup has been a total shock and surprise to everyone. Even for the coaching staff and players. Now, with recent developments, we will be forced to have a "home" game elsewhere. I hope that the team is not discouraged with this chain of events but focus on the task at hand, which is to play against Indonesia in the semifinals. (Home-and-home is scheduled at December 16 & 19).
Given that, I was thinking about how we can get more facilities that can feasibly support a football stadium there. Here are 11 probable options we could go take a look-see.
1. Bacolod. They have the closest thing to a football stadium (Panaad) that can host such an event. Come to think of it, it already hosted the futbol matches when we hosted the SEA Games. That stadium would have been the likely place to have the home match, but the AFF said no. They have someone in politics who is a definite and genuine sports supporter / benefactor in Rep. Monico Puentevella. They also arguably have the most ardent fans of the sport in the country.
2. Iloilo. Similar to Bacolod, but my friend did tell me about the passion of the Ilonggos regarding futbol.
3. Tubod, Lanao del Norte. There is already a facility in place (the one they used for the Palarong Pambansa).
4 & 5. General Santos City, South Cotabato and Alabel, Sarangani. Quick, someone get Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao on the phone.
6. & 7. Clark, Pampanga & Olongapo City. Hoping that the Lotto Winner (outlet where winning ticket was sold came from the area) would be kind and benevolent enough to bankroll building one.
8. Laguna. Trace College has a quality aquatic facility, so why not have a football facility. Someone suggested having it placed near Brent in Mamplasan.
9. & 10. City of Manila & Pasig City. Manila is home to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex & Pasig is home to the Philsports Complex. Those two facilities need a major upgrade fast. Plus, it is very accessible to almost everyone.
11. Pasay City. The SM Group has long been planning to build a coliseum facility in the turf near the SM Mall of Asia. Why not go one step further and build a mega-facility instead ala LA Live. It would definitely benefit the university they own (NU).
Welcome to today's edition of the Victory Formation.
This is the first Monday of December and I can smell the sweetness of the Holiday season. With the Holiday season comes the shopping experience. Once the days come closer and closer to Christmas, the madness draws more and more.
My mom really needed a technological upgrade, since she has been missing out on being a part of the pictures. So I took her to a nearby sale to help her in purchasing a brand new point and shoot camera. Afterward, I managed to help her with a brand new laptop for work usage, although it looks like my younger sister will be taking advantage of it more. Nothing like taking advantage of a little family time together.
On a personal footnote: My alma mater seals their case as the best collegiate team in the Motherland. Nonito Donaire stakes his claim as a top P4P fighter. And yes, we pulled off a miracle.
This is a monthly check-up of the League. Yes, people will say this is too early, but with slightly more than a month in, it would be a good time to take an early temperature reading on where we are.
This is a monthly check-up of the League. Yes, people will say this is too early, but with slightly more than a month in, it would be a good time to take an early temperature reading on where we are.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.
Well, I was pretty much silent on the site the past few days (but not necessarily on Twitter). I spent the long weekend (yes, I did not have work during Thanksgiving weekend) out in a province called Iloilo. I attended a blogging summit there and at the same time, finally met some of my distant relatives. It was a wonderful experience simply because they welcomed me with open arms. The atmosphere is so homely that it felt absolutely bittersweet leaving yesterday. The food was great. It was as though I was rejuvenated. Only drawback was that I really need to learn the dialect, but it's ok. That will come in due time.
I did try to catch up on whatever I could, so I knew about what went down on Black Friday at Tuscaloosa and Reno.
Yes, I did trade away Dwayne Bowe and Marcedes Lewis for Michael Turner and Knowshown Moreno. Am I a fool, maybe. Then again, I thought, the Burner would be a good oomph to couple with Chris Johnson. Sucks to bench the Charger D/ST simply because of the Peyton-Manning-on-a-primetime-night rule.
Hereforth are the links.
Two straight slugfests that happened on Sundays (the other one being the Seymour ringing the Clock Tower). Victims apparently both deserve it. Most satisfying thing about that one unlike the previous one, the old Houston natives get bitch-slapped by the new Houston natives.
Law of Gus Johnson gets buzzsaw'd in Oakland? Must have used it up during the Andre Ward fight the night before. Then again, check this out for classic Gusorgasms.
Go Chargers... Go... And all of a sudden, the AFC South tightened up.
This search will take a while. Besides, Gruden in college might be Bobby Knight / Frank Martin x 1000. Heard this before, too. South Beach is a front running sports town. It's unfair that they have 4 franchises and a place like Seattle only has 2.
Love the Black Eyed Peas, but as a Super Bowl Halftime performer? Really? In Arlington? Jerryworld? Really. Imagine if it was Carrie Underwood-Fisher or Jessica Simpson-Johnson?
The sooner they break up, the better. Can't wait until the Huskers paste the Sooners and win the Big XII.
Now this is how you acknowledge a mistake. Besides, having Wisky ahead of Ohio State is karmic justice for the Little Sisters of the Poor. Speaking of karmic justice, he got his, too.
No one gets heartbreaking losses more than the Buffalo Bills. No wonder it elicits reactions like this. I hope it will not elicit this kind of reaction:
This is the least of their worries for the Miami Heat.
Never knew that Singapore gets attention for this...
Yes, he will definitely brag about this one. As if it will make him more lovable.
Great weekend for South Bend. They finally beat USC (admittedly, this was the best time to do it, while they are in a state of flux), then they win the Old Spice on Trey's turf.
The NHL in flowcharts. Cool. They also have anti-Dez stuff like this. Speaking of Dez, his alma mater gets beat inspite of this awesome defensive play.
Simple preview of Sparty and his homies vs Lefty and his homies. Meanwhile, let the fighting Miz's celebrate something. (Weird note, look at the picture on the link, there is a guy eerily reminding me of the British version of the Office.)
Welcome to the first Monday edition of the Victory Formation.
This week was the first time I had to reformat my laptop. It finally conked out and I sort of panicked. Had it repaired to the nearest technician and prayed that all of the important stuff gets retained. Honest to goodness, it was secured with everything intact. Yes, my precious pictures, music, videos and documents are still here.
The best thing about having my laptop reformatted is that I decided to dump Windows Vista and go with Windows 7 as my OS. Had to reinstall applications that I use, like Destroy Twitter and Skype.
I presume that we will need a new set of picture logos. I hope they can produce more classics on the way.
Someone posted the video yesterday. Here are some pictures with captioning. The best thing about the clip was that how Rudy gave the Heat bench a death stare.
Welcome to the latest edition of Sparty and Friends.
Patphish posted a message on my Facebook informing me about some guy coming in 60 Minutes. It is nice to have the US President being the intro story before Manny Pacquiao. Managed to see that a few minutes before the end of the Chiefs-Raiders game, so I was able to see the segment in full afterwards.
I was not really surprised with what I saw there. Pretty much a rehash from what I have seen all around. Just another puff piece for the American audience, as if you did not know, he will be engaged in what could be the most action that can be seen in the new Cowboys stadium for the rest of the year, because I am sure Cowboys fans would agree.
Meanwhile, the concern still remains in his condition. I still believe that he has too many distractions at this point, with the relative Rocky analogy of the first Clubber Lang fight fitting. Still hoping for a win this weekend, though. Still think there is still bad karma for Margacheato.
Here are the links:
Nate Newton slimmed down. Yep. He took the fast way, though.
Ted Leonsis is in touch with the fanbase. No, I don't think Mark Cuban ever thought of it.
Even with this, it is still a pain to see them in a game.
Kobe earned his pay. But Rashard Lewis? It remains to be seen.
McDaniels is part of, but not entirely the reason why they have issues.
Probably did not learn from Pete Rose. Never bet on baseball.
You probably did not notice it. Anyway, she's still hot.
Sports averting another evil plot by the North Koreans.
Texas cashes in their chips. But their football team still stinks right now.
The Cam Newton situation being the illustration of the state of college football.
Today is a new month, November. Yes! Another month to enjoy. Another month to savor. And I cannot wait for next week, when the clock moves. That means an extra hour for me to ensure the best quality links and post to cover almost everything. Also means December is fast approaching. And thus, 2011 beckons.
Today also serves as a All Saints' Day. It is tradition here in the Motherland to spend the day with your departed ones. This year, though, with the day falling on a Monday and that All Souls' Day (November 2) not being declared as a special non-working holiday, most have decided to spend time on Sunday instead of usually staying late today.
That is why I am crafting the post this morning instead of the usual late afternoon, because I will be at the cemetery with the loved ones to commemorate the dead. Next week, with the clocks having moved by then, it will be something different.
Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend. I know I did and so should you.
Mizzou got whacked. Like we were all not surprised by that happening.
Some also felt this was inevitable: Sparty getting shelled by the Hawkeyes.
