Diesel XXX

Stumbled upon this online from my favorite jeans manufacturer.


http://view.break.com/577249 - Watch more free videos

Cool stuff.

2008 MCBL 2nd Conference Season Opener

The MPG Corporate Basketball League (MCBL) formally started its Second Conference last Saturday with a bunch of games on the schedule. IBM is fielding two teams this time, one each in Divisions A and B. My team plays in Division B.

We opened the season with a relatively easy 85-78 win over Chevron at the Reyes Gym. We led all throughout the game except for about a few seconds into the first quarter. Since then, it was pretty much all IBM. We managed to maintain our lead between 10-15 points until a late 8-0 Chevron run in the final minute pegged the winning margin at 7 points.

If the game was a sign of things to come, then hopefully we're off to a fantastic season. We shot 49% from the field, going 13 of 26 (50%) from three-point land. We've never had this much firepower.

Herbert displayed his dominance on the scoring end, leading four IBMers in double digits with 31 points. New additions Paul Ansay and Alfie Sanchez had 20 and 15 respectively while Daryl contributed 11 points.

Record: 1-0
Next game: vs Chevron (again) - October 4, Saturday, at the Acropolis Gym

Overtime and overnight

I spent almost 24 hours in Eastwood. I came in around 10am yesterday and left at 9am this morning. I'm totally exhausted and to think I have a corporate game to play tonight.

Anyway, it's also been a while since I stayed overnight in Eastwood but it was fun so it's all good. I can get used to it again.

Ateneo: 2008 UAAP Men's Basketball Champions

13-1 regular season record
3-0 postseason record

Rabeh Al-Hussaini - Most Valuable Player, All-UAAP First Team, Most Improved Player
Chris Tiu - All-UAAP First Team
Nonoy Baclao - Defensive Player of the Year
Ryan Buenafe - Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie First Team

C'mon now. With the strength of this year's team, was it ever in doubt?

Ateneo sweeps DLSU for the UAAP title

After six long years, Ateneo is on top of the local college basketball world again. To do it at their archrival's expense makes it even sweeter.

Ateneo forced La Salle into submission last night via a masterful 62-51 win, to capture the 2008 UAAP Men's Basketball Championship. This is Ateneo's fourth straight victory over DLSU this season, all of which were won in convincing fashion.

The clear and overwhelming favorites this year, Ateneo utilized their vaunted halfcourt defense to perfection, holding La Salle to a measly four points in the fourth quarter.

As expected, the Blue Eagles swept all the official individual awards, including the corporate-sponsored ones (Jollibee, PSBank, KFC).

Rabeh Al-Hussaini - MVP, Most Improved Player, Jollibee Scoring Champ
Ryan Buenafe - Rookie of the Year
Nonoy Baclao - Best Defensive Player
Chris Tiu - PSBank Maaasahan Player of the Season
Eric Salamat - KFC Court Colonel

Pass your permit

I just received my pass last Friday. Now, I only need a permit.

Ateneo wins Game 1

This is becoming to be habit-forming.

Ateneo beats La Salle for the third straight time this year, winning 69-61 to take Game 1 of their best-of-three championship series.

The Blue Eagles had superb games from Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Ryan Buenafe and Nonoy Baclao. Not surprisingly, the three are favored to win individual awards this season - Rabeh for MVP, Ryan for Rookie of the Year and Nonoy for Defensive Player of the Year.

Game 2 is on Thursday, September 25. The awarding ceremonies will precede the game. Up for grabs are the various individual honors. Aside from the three frontrunners mentioned earlier, Chris Tiu is a virtual lock for a Mythical 5 spot.

In heat and on fire!

It's been a while since I played great at the weekly Saturday basketball gig at Moro. I wasn't expecting to do well since I was trying to break-in a deadstock pair of Jordan XX3's in time for the MCBL 2nd Conference opening next weekend.

I waxed hot during the last game, scoring at will and hitting from just about anywhere. I ended up dropping around 20 of our 37 points. We lost the race-to-40 game though and I took home a nasty, busted lip off of an elbow as a souvenir too.

Circus act

I was chatting with another soon-to-be-exiting colleague the other day and we agreed that this is becoming one big circus, transforming right before our eyes. Word to Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey.

Oh, that wasn't meant as a compliment. How dare do I compare this against the greatest show on Earth. My bad.

Massive choke job

I don't know how else to explain except I definitely blew it. I can't believe I choked big time.

With 45 days to go...

...things are just about to heat up. This is gonna be exciting.

Another Ateneo-DLSU championship series

A highly-anticipated game turned into a boring blowout as Ateneo demolished UE for a convincing 70-50 win in their Final Four matchup today. The Blue Eagles blew the game wide open with a big run in the third quarter while doubling up UE in the fourth, 56-28, for its biggest lead.

La Salle squeaked past FEU in the other semifinal game to forge another dream finals series with archrival Ateneo.

Game 1 of the Finals is scheduled for next Sunday, September 21, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Sell out story

After holding out for such a long time, I finally succumbed to the pressure (and perhaps temptation). I still can't believe I just sold out.

My friends will have a grand time rubbing this in.

MDC Sportsfest: CS-COM signs off

We bowed out of basketball contention with a 54-71 loss to the TR Toreros last night. We were basically outran for most of the game. A spirited comeback was thwarted by the fuckin' zebras. They nullified my clear-and-undeniably-counted buzzer-beating layup at the end of the third quarter which would've trimmed their lead down to six points. Instead, we lost out on not just the two points but the decisive momentum as well.

Record: 4-2 (5th overall)

Remembering 9/11/2001

I was with a couple of friends holding court at the Super Six table at the Casino Filipino Airport when we found out about 9/11.

My mom was on a CX flight on her way back home from New York (JFK-YVR-HKG-MNL) when the towers were struck. They were ordered to land at the nearest US airport which happened to be in Anchorage. They were stranded in Alaska for several days as the entire American airspace was declared a no-fly zone.

My brother was sleeping in his Manhattan flat just a few blocks away from ground zero.

Where were you?

Ateneo tops UAAP elims with a 13-1 record

Ateneo ended the regular season the same way it started it - ripping archrival La Salle. The Blue Eagles swept both elimination games against the Green Archers with a 65-57 win yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Though it was a no-bearing game for Ateneo, they came out strong and never looked back. They led from start to finish and never gave La Salle the opportunity to tie the game or take the lead.

Ateneo finishes the the elimination round as the top seed, sporting an almost immaculate 13-1 record. If it weren't for a fourth quarter breakdown against FEU in the first round, the Blue Eagles would be looking at a 14-0 sweep and an automatic Finals birth. They will face UE next week in the Final Four holding a twice-to-beat advantage.

Playing it smart

For once I had the patience to back down. I think everyone was surprised and perhaps shocked. I know I was too. As rare an occurrence as it was, I was clearly the better man. There's just no doubting that.

MDC Sportsfest: CS-COM edges O'Keeffe

In what turned out to be such an exciting and eventful game, a five-man CS-COM team used a late fourth quarter rally to score a come-from-behind win over O'Keeffe, 49-46, last night at Club 650.

CS-COM had only seven players available, with three starters out due to work engagements. Two fouled out in the second half leaving us stranded with only five. Still, the undermanned squad proved they had enough end-game composure to close out the victory.

CS-COM ends regular season play tied with Emerson atop the Division A. Both sport identical 4-1 records. However, by virtue of Emerson's win over CS-COM last week, they get the top seed along with the automatic semifinals berth. CS-COM will play against Division B's TR Toreros in the quarterfinals.

Record: 4-1 (2nd seed, Division A)
Next game: vs TR Toreros - September 12, Friday, at Club 650

Step one is done

I got my work pass approved today. I should be receiving the documents soon. With 57 days to go, I'm in no rush to finalize anything yet. Matagal-tagal pa 'to.

Loyola Schools stopover

I passed by Ateneo this morning to get a couple of documents from the registrar's office. I haven't been to this side of the campus in God-knows-how-long. I'm usually either at Moro, Blue Eagle Gym or at the college courts.

Can't believe Ateneo has changed a lot since I left school over five years ago. There are new buildings and structures everywhere. For a while, I felt like studying again. But then that bubble burst soon after. I doubt I can mix work and academics together. That'll be like UNC and Duke, the Yankees and the Red Sox - no such thing as peaceful co-existence.

A different set of balls

I spent the past two days playing unconventional sports for the Center Support team - table tennis and bowling. Too bad we failed to advance in both. Ben and I dropped out in straight sets against a more consistent duo from EDM, while our bowling team, the CS Bowl Jobs, lost to the group from Learning with a 2-game aggregate score of -7 pinfalls.

Can't believe ping-pong can be so tiring. I was freaking exhausted after Monday night's game. My right forearm's pretty banged up from hurling bowling balls too.

Anyway, I think I'll just stick to basketball.