Twitter and the Student-Athlete

I always believed in the context of free speech and its expressive nature. So the recent move by newly-minted Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to bar his student athletes from using social media is eyebrow-raising.

I understand the premise and the need for the move. After all, we have seen too many scenarios where these student-athletes get into trouble because of what he said and all. In fact, it's not just on social media. Remember when the brawl at the Crosstown Shootout took place, when after the game, Tu Holloway decided to use his "gangsta" bit in the post-game press conference? It illustrates that there is a dire need instead of banning the tool, one should instead educate them on the use and its repercussions, because after all, they are representing the institution that they play for, no matter if they put a disclaimer on the top.

I love tweeting, and so do most of the writers here at TVF. We enjoy how helpful this tool has been for everyone. Some more than others. (You probably know who that particular person is already) As always, one should always be prepared to handle the responsibility of wielding this instrument. As such, I leave you with this reminder.

Think Before You Click.

More Details on the #SendongCharityGame

On January 7, 2011 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and televised on Studio 23, the Dili kamo nag-iisa charity football match will take place. It will involve Tercera Division side CF Internacional de Madrid, a club that is currently twelth in their table.

The lineup for the locals, dubbed as Azkals Alyansa for this match, which is an mix of players from the national side and from the United Football League are as follows:

Goalkeepers: Eduard Sacapaño (Army Fritz & Maciol), Edmundo Mercado, Jr. (Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC), Paolo Pascual (Global FC)

Defenders: Roel Gener (Army Fritz & Maciol), Roxy Dorlas (Loyola Meralco Sparks FC), Ange Tressor-Guisso (Global FC), Yves Ashime (Pachanga FC), Martin Doctora (Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC), Anton del Rosario (Kaya Cignal FC), Jerry Barbaso (Global FC)

Midfielders: Emelio Caligdong (Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC), Misagh Bahadoran (Global FC), Valentine Kama (Global FC), Angel Guirado (Global FC), Carli de Murga (Racing Club Portuense), Lexton Moy (Kaya Cignal FC), James Younghusband (Loyola Meralco Sparks FC)

Attackers: Phil Younghusband (Loyola Meralco Sparks FC), Ian Araneta (Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC), Nate Burkey (Kaya Cignal FC), Ojay Clariño(University of Santo Tomas)

Philippine Air Force Phoenix head man Edward Cabalida will be handling the squad, whose UFL Cup Winning Squad will be having a separate friendly with the Spaniards at a yet to be determined date and time. The Spaniards also are scheduled to have a friendly with the senior women's national side on January 6, from 7-9pm at the newly built Bonifacio Global City turf field. That info came from Malditas captain Marielle Benitez.

Prohibited items for the charity match are as follows:

Cigarettes and lighters
Laser pens and pointers
Weapons and/or sharp objects
Candles, fireworks, or any type of pyrotechnics
Glass bottles, PET bottles, cans, and hard plastic containers
Posters, banners, and signage with any politics slogans or advertising without explicit Local Organizing Committee approval
Alcoholic beverages
Illegal drugs
Large chains, spike bracelets, wallet chains, metal belt buckles
Balloons Chairs

Waivers needed for Pregnant women and for Parents of children below 12 years old

As part of the activity, the classic chant of Liverpool FC supporters and other clubs, Gerry and the Peacemakers' You'll Never Walk Alone, will be sung. Here's the actual song with lyrics so that you can sing along.

Tickets for friendly are already available. Kindly check your nearest Ticketworld outlet.

Soccer Central Philippines will let you know more details when we have the information available.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/2/12 edition

Welcome to the New Year. Welcome to The Victory Formation in 2012.

A new year brings optimism and positivity. Such is needed when you have been challenged. Whether through serious matters to frivolous ones, or from pertinent issues or trivial campaigns, the new year allows us to reset and start again from scratch. If you have been through a great moment, it's an opportunity to exceed it or at least maintain the level. Otherwise, it is a means to forget about the frustrations and leave them all behind. So go forth and make the year yours.

Here forth are the posts to make your day:

#SendongCharityGame Set

The match has been set. C.F. Madrid, a Tercera Division club in Spain, will be the opponent. What matters is that help is coming on the way for those who really need it.

Blog Outsourcing - December 26 edition

Greeting to everyone.

Just happy to know the NBA is back.


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

Blog Outsourcing - December 19 edition

Hello and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and other holidays that come at this time of the year.

Allow me to once again take things seriously as the Motherland, specifically its southern portion, was battered by Tropical Storm Washi (locally known as Sendong) over the weekend. I am fine, but after personally enduring the wrath two years ago, it surely is not alright down there.

Relief efforts are already underway. If you so choose to help, you can check here & here for details on how you can chip in. You may also check the website of the Philippine Red Cross.

The Filipino spirit remains undaunted. Unfazed. We will rise up again. And Again.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

May the force be with Neil Etheridge

Good luck Neil. You have just made history, not just for you, but for Philippine football and for the continent as well.

Blog Outsourcing - December 12 edition

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

The weekend was abuzz with much ado about how Tim Tebow managed to pull magic out of the hat. Again. But hey, isn't that what Eli Manning is pulling out of his hat, too? He just tied another NFL record being held by his brother and his brother's iconic predecessor. Doesn't the Broncos have a mean defensive line like Elvis Dumervil? But the Giants have that guy gracing our cover photo for today? Willis McGahee has been adequate without Knowshown, but Brandon Jacobs just passed a Tiki Barber record and played one half without Ahmad.

They have some sort of luck, but not the Andrew kind, because that is what Indianapolis needs.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

You're Quite The Natural, Brandon

I am a huge fan of Brandon Roy. The shooting guard out of Washington was a Minny draft pick before being shipped out to Portland for the rights to Randy Foye.

You cannot question his heart, his will, his love for the game and his devotion to the sport and to its fans, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where he played for Lorenzo Romar in the University of Washington and for the Portland Trailblazers.

It is with great regret that I heard reports saying that Brandon is seeking medical retirement due to his degenerative knee condition. It is definitely saddening and disappointing his physical body could not withstand the pressure and wear-and-tear that is the NBA.

However, we choose to remember his greatness and in this past postseason, he surely gave us one to remember him by.

Thanks, Brandon. We'll miss you.

There is only one Stan Musial

I guess the idea that someone playing his entire career with one team is pretty much dead or over. People prided over that notion that you stick with the team through thick and thin, through the good times and benefits, and the bad times, when things get ugly and all that.

Those were the days. It looks so far away now.

I look at this as reports come out that Albert Pujols has agreed to become a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after spending his first eleven years in the National League. A $250 to $260 million 10-year deal for a 32-year old three-time MVP. Said deal has a full no-trade clause and no opt-out.

Maybe this is for the benefit of the Cardinals, not being burdened by such a contract, but I feel this is a missed opportunity for him to burnish a legacy as a true St. Louis legend.

Kudos to the Artie Moreno and the Angels. They wanted to make a stand in a town where the being the main baseball talk can be had with the current state of the Dodgers. Adding him and then adding C.J. Wilson definitely helps.

*Stan Musial played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball. All of them with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Blog Outsourcing - 12/5 edition

Yup, David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy arrived in Manila as part of their Asia-Pacific Tour. You could also consider it as the farewell tour for the English midfielder, considering he already has offers from Paris Saint-Germain and others to return to Europe.

You can check out here for some details. Also here.

Football in the Philippines has come a long way after a year. From being nowhere in sight to now being in the spotlight. Hope this continues.

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

Wishlist for the Azkals versus the Galaxy

Yes, I am absolutely giddy for the match between our national team and that of the MLS Champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. At the same time, I would like to put my thinking cap on and dream about what I would like to see this weekend.

1. World class action from the Galaxy. At least, we have an idea on what to expect from them because they faced an Indonesian side first. Hopefully, we can get to experience world-class football action from them for at least a half before Bruce Arena decides to turn the rest of the game into an audition to see who fits into his plans next season.

2. Debuts. Well, Weiss added two new elements previously unknown to the normal masses, Matthew Uy and Demetrius Omphroy. Both are defenders, so at least they can be added onto a pool of possible plug-ins for the future given the age of our back line. Demetrius would be familiar in facing the Galaxy, after all, he was playing for a MLS club in Toronto FC. I also would like to see the only position player that did not see action in the just-concluded SEAG, Jake Morallo of the Loyola Meralco Sparks. And yes, Chris Greatwich finally returns to the side that remembers him well for his goal scoring exploits.

3. Prove-its. No one probably took a huge flak in their individual performance earlier this year than what Edward Sacapano had to go through in the second leg of the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier at Mongolia. This is his chance to prove the naysayers wrong. Of course, no one else has to be under fire more than Weiss, after what can be said as a disastrous SEAG campaign and with mounting questions about whether he really is fit to handle our national side.

4. Chemistry. This is the chance for the under-23 standouts to see if they can immediately fit right in our senior side. Good opportunity for the likes of Joshua Beloya or Ojay Clarino to play a role alongside their elder counterparts. Yes. This is a good time to experiment, but not at the extent Weiss pulled off in earlier matches. Remember, the Challenge Cup is to be held in March.

5. Crowd. I'd like to see a vibrant, energetic crowd that will inspire our national side to give its fullest effort. Hopefully, a full crowd that can convince the powers that be, that you know what, there is hope in getting people to watch events like this in the future.

Blog Outsourcing - 11/28/11

Welcome to this week's edition of The Morning After.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving Weekend. Thanksgiving is an opportunity for everyone to be appreciative and reflective. I hope you were able to do that with you and your families.

What I am thankful for is that basketball is coming soon to you and yours. It was a warm Saturday afternoon watching live futbol action outside when my twitter timeline just got flooded by stuff from the likes of Woj, Sheridan, Stein and Bucher.

I am pleased that the NBA is back. Hopefully, all the fine lines are smoothed over. The t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. You can get better enjoyment from your football and baseball. My groove is with basketball and now futbol.

Here forth are the links after the jump.

Texas State Champions

You got to love college sports. They always bring out the creative minds of the youth. Whether it is from the Philippines or overseas, if you have something creative, it might just be on a shirt.

The latest neat idea came from the twitter feed of CNBC's Darren Rovell, who tweets sports-related stuff from the business perspective. He is referring to 11th ranked Kansas State (15th if you ask USA Today and 16th if you ask the Associated Press), currently toting a 9-2 record (6-2 in Big 12). They are now selling a shirt that is factual and legit.

Now that is what you call sticking it to them. Because the truth hurts.

Blog Outsourcing - November 21, 2011 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation.

The University of Miami is one very very proud institution that has produced lots of NFL greats then and now. Although it has fallen through hard times as of late both on and off the field, it has always taken pride in the success of its athletes in the NFL, especially in its knack to score touchdowns. In fact, they have scored in 149 straight weeks, far and away the longest for a NCAA team. 33 different alumni from Da U! have scored 661 touchdowns.

That streak is now in question. With Monday Night Football in sight, there are only two Canes' alumni who will be playing tonight. Vince Wilfork and Allen Bailey. Can they continue the streak? Who knows.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

Are we back at the drawing board?

So we end our campaign in the Southeast Asian Games in the sport of men's football. What was thought to be a promising opportunity turned into something quite different. Very very different.

The anthem snafu in the opener versus Vietnam probably signaled the woes that our national team had to face. In that match, we managed to snatch a 1-0 lead, only to lose 3-1, with captain Matthew Hartmann having a hand thanks to a own goal. After a narrow 2-1 defeat against Timor Leste, the next thing we knew was that Matthew is back home, getting into an argument against Green Archer players whilst playing for club team Loyola Meralco.

Then, Joshua Beloya against Laos happened.

It buoyed optimism that we can still make it past the so-called "Group of Hope." Raised fervor and enthusiasm. And then reality smashed our dreams and visions. Myanmar and Brunei ended that for us.

So, two losses sandwich a come-from-behind win. Not really what we had in mind. Hey, they thought they could pull off ten points. So did we. And we are reminded that we are miles away from it. We are reminded that band-aid-esque measures ain't gonna work. This ain't basketball where our collegiate studs would get the job done in the region.

Now what? What lies ahead? The same rhetoric is still echoing. The same issues still remain and prevailing. Divisions and controversies and yet it is just there, waiting for a solution. A sincere fix. A permanent one. Maybe when the PFF elections come later this month. The leadership needs to step up to the plate.

The success opened the eyes of the larger populace. It is expected that we are to make upgrades our well.

Blog Outsourcing - 11/14 edition

Hello and Welcome to the latest edition of The Morning After (which has somewhat morphed into some kind of a weekly thing).

So, there was a fight this Saturday / Sunday. A long awaited fight. Featuring two pound-for-pound greats. One from Mexico, the other, the Philippines. Much has been said before, during and after the match. Lot of debate whether Dinamita won, or should it be a draw, but one thing for sure, come Cinco de Mayo 2012, the Fighting Congressman will be facing someone.



Here forth are the links after the jump to stuff you may not necessarily have missed during the weekend.

Welcome to (Not-So) Happy Valley

The Sandusky scandal has rocked Penn State in a way that has not been seen in a long while.

What happened? Well, Jerry Sandusky was the long-time defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions under Joe Paterno. Just a few days ago, he was arrested on charges of felony sex crimes on children. Crimes that are pretty much too disturbing to illustrate and describe.

This editorial (h/t to the Newseum for this one) pretty much encapsulates the whole thing.

It is unfortunate, but I'm sorry, JoePa. It's time for you to depart the Valley.

Blog Outsourcing - 11/7 edition

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

Currently penning this piece a little early because I will be focused on watching the Philippines' Men's Under-23 football team play their Timor Leste counterparts at 5pm local time (4am in the turf of most of the TVF writers). We had just lost our first match in the Group Stage in the Southeast Asian Games and I personally would like to start off the new week right.

And I'd like to congratulate the Giants for their entertaining win. Just like last time, someone wearing 85 caught a pass that beat a team maintaining perfection. This is a day after Kirk Ferentz somehow saved his job. Sounds like a cranky gambler coming soon.

Oh and by the way, hopefully you guys have already adjusted your clocks.

Here forth are the links after the jump:

The Blue-Haired Defense

c/o Life's My Trip

It is very very easy to make allegations if you hid behind the anonymity of a blank face, especially when you making very damaging ones that impede on the integrity of an individual and to a sport and institution.

Here is the said allegation:



It is prudent of a journalist to hear the other side of the story, which the site owner Rick Olivares provided by posting the response around three-and-a-half hours after the anonymous individual placed his. I am posting it here (in full) on a specific post of its own to give it the fullness that it deserves:

This is from Ebong Joson who I have known since our school days in Ateneo. I have also worked with him professionally and have become good friends with in the last few years:

Hello. Si Ebong ito. Gusto ko lang sana malaman kung saan mo nakuha ang info na kumukuha ako sa ticket sales kasi hindi ko kontrolado iyan at ni kailan man ay hindi ako humingi ng cut sa kahit kanino man. Sa totoo lang, ang laki ng nagastos ko just to be able to launch the Kaholeros,at hanggang ngayon ay wala naman akong sweldo dito. Walang perang pampersonal na hinahanap. As for the non-profit incorporation that we are working on, that is the way we can properly seek for sponsorship while giving back to the companies that may help us (and Philippine sports in general and Philippine FOOTBALL in particular) by offering tax breaks to the amount they give. Everything will be in the open. I will never hold any money or bank account, and the distribution and control of assets garnered will be subject to the approval of the Kaholeros board. We will also have a third party auditing firm to make sure everything is properly done. That is why we need the incorportion. Why do we need the sponsorship? Because it costs money to mobilize people. We need to help our members by helping them with transpo, meals, uniforms, and yes, even tickets. Napakarami kong mga members gusto sana mag practice. Gusto sana pumunta sa mga football events, gusto sana makapag cheer para sa PilipinasFutbol, pero hindi kaya kasi sagad ang budget. Yung sponsorships na gusto kong mahanap ay hindi para sa akin kundi para sa mga miyembro ng Kaholeros. Dahil tuwing nakikita ko sila na nahihilo na sa kaka-cheer, iniisip ko kung sila ba ay nakakain ng maigi bago pumunta sa game.

As a parting request, if you really have concrete evidence that I have been raking in the money, or even witnesses to bear to that fact, I would gladly sit down with all of you and Mr Rick Olivares. You can openly reach me on Kaholeros Official (FB Community), or privately through PM in my FB account. Mr Olivares can even put the whole meeting on video, so everyone can see and judge properly the hard work and sacrifice that I and my Kaholeros have made for our country.

Mabuhay, and God Bless.

Ebong Joson
The Blue-Haired Fanatic
Kaholero 

I have seen how much he puts himself into this little vocation and how much he has given to the sport. It is unfair that one individual rewards such sacrifice and nobility with crass. It is not right to impinge the integrity of someone like him if you do not back up what you say. I can personally vouch for the commitment that he puts forth each and every single time.

So please, unless you have something to prove, kindly keep your hands off the keyboard and keep those voices in your head just there, inside your head.