The Charismatic Enigma: January 2009

NBA

Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date.

Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2^nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me…

Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx!

In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection!

Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1^st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest!

WWE

Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008!

Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765!

Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009!

The Chris Masters award à going undefeated à suffering 1^st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09!

Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!?

NFL & MLB

When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1^st game for 2008.

The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3^rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!

List of 1^st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!

Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.

Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.

Other Sports

The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.

Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?

DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1^st Round.

DLSU settled for a 2^nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?

Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.

Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.

Beijing Olympics

Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.

Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.

The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu.

The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.

China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.

March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone sal<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone salty, sour, and bitter… break-up was out of the question as it was the answer!!! Meanwhile, I asked a friend to give me a date and got it…The problem is that it was a snooze-fest as well… Zzzzzzz!!!! The MSSC Summer-Outing was successful except that I wasn’t able to make a move on anyone &<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone sal<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. </sp<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone sal<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone salty, sour, and bitter… break-up was out of the question as it was the answer!!! Meanwhile, I asked a friend to give me a date and got it…The problem is that it was a snooze-fest as well… Zzzzzzz!!!! The MSSC Summer-Outing was successful except that I wasn’t able to make a move on anyone &<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone sal<textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5C-user-%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> NBA<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Miami Heat sunk to obscurity, fielding a line-up of D-Leaguers to end the season. Take note that those players have yet to receive an NBA gig to date. <o:p> </o:p> Boston Celtics finally won another NBA championship, only the 2nd time in the last 18 years that my favored team has won the championship. People, bet against me… <o:p> </o:p> Kobe Bryant was named MVP… should have been Chris Paul. Well, CP3 = Christian Ponce’s jinx, jinx, jinx! <o:p> </o:p> In a lightning, the Seattle Supersonics became Oklahoma City Thunder … quoting Bill Simmons, it’s really now a No Balls Association. Whenever Green turns Blue, it’s always Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp connection turning to Earl Watson-Mohammed Sene connection! <o:p> </o:p> Joe Johnson and my Atlanta Hawks emerged from the ashes. In a typical Christian Oliver fashion, they ended up facing the Boston Celtics in the 1st round! Favorite vs. Favorite match-up when all other series were a snooze-fest! <o:p> </o:p> WWE<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Chris Jericho came back from the doldrums to become a 2-time champion. Too bad he had to change his character from hero to villain… You’re really a Chris, Chris… You win some, you lose more! But you win the Superstar of The Year for 2008! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, world championship changed hands in a regular show when Mr. Money-In-The-Bank CM Punk pinned Edge in a Raw episode in June. Unpredictability was back in WWE, the first since 1765! <o:p> </o:p> Jeff Hardy has finally exorcised the demons of the past by defeating Edge in a late Pay-per-view event. Jeff is my alter-ego, so high hopes for 2009! <o:p> </o:p> The Chris Masters award <introduction style="font-family: Wingdings;">à going undefeated à suffering 1st defeat à ended up vanished in WWE> went to Umaga. The Great Khali panicked and became a good guy and a kissing bandit. Vladimir Koslov, better watch out in ‘09! <o:p> </o:p> Finally, MVP crashed down to earth by not winning in 25 straight weeks o end the year and counting. Oh, and his buddy Mr. Kennedy turned jeers into cheers by not playing at all?!? <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> NFL & MLB<o:p></o:p> When I finally cheered for the New England Patriots, they lost in a David Tyree impossible helmet catch. Well, that’s the Christian Oliver magic again! Then, the cherry on top, Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in his 1st game for 2008.<o:p></o:p> The New York Yankees ensured that they would never ever compete for the Playoffs by fighting for 3rd, place in the AL East throughout the year! At least they are consistent!<o:p></o:p> List of 1st Place/Wild Card Teams = Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am serious!<o:p></o:p> Detroit Lions – 0-16; Jeter joined A-Rod in being 0-October; Barry Bonds 0-0 At-Bats; AL MVP Dustin Pedroia listed at 5’0”; AFC MVP Peyton Manning 0 wins in Playoffs; Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria 0-1,006 in the MLB Finals.<o:p></o:p> Ichiro Suzuki matched an MLB record of hitting .300 and amassing 2,000 hits in eight straight seasons to start a career. He was also All-Star and Gold Glove for the eight straight seasons. He’s also currently the only reason why the Seattle Mariners exists for eight straight seasons.<o:p></o:p> Other Sports<o:p></o:p> The Nadal-Federer Wimbledon epic solidified 2008 as a Nadal-Year. My favorite small champion Justine Henin retired at a tender age of 26 while ranked #1. Locally, the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team rose from the ashes to come back to Zone I… Only to have them relegated again to Zone II.<o:p></o:p> Memphis vs Kansas & LSU vs Ohio State typified a boring year in College Sports. What, no Duke?!?!?<o:p></o:p> DLSU women’s volleyball, trying to come back with grace in UAAP Season ’70 and fighting with Ateneo for the last Final Four berth, sank near the cellar when Jacq Alarca found ineligible. FEU beat a camera-shy Adamson team, what if it’s not televised. Season 71’ marks DLSU back into the elite, finishing 6-1 in the 1st Round.<o:p></o:p> DLSU settled for a 2nd place in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament after Rabeh Al-Hussaini eclipsed cousin and former Archer Carlo Sharma as the best center in the Sharma/Al Hussaini family. However, DLSU claimed the National Championship by beating both UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo & San Beda in the final four. Who’s laffing now, MVP?<o:p></o:p> Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and the great Oscar De La Hoya in different weight classes to vault himself as the top draw and pound-for-pound fighter in boxing to date. It’s a wonder how he’s seen outside of the country as a very humble man despite of his accomplishments, but here in the Philippines, he’s not really seen in that light. Foreign media really doesn’t know Mike Arroyo, Chavit Singson, Lito Atienza et. al.<o:p></o:p> Other great match-ups during the year were Tiger Woods (less 1 leg) vs. Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff in US Open; Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by 1 point in F1 Driver’s Championship; and Brock Lesnar beating Randy Couture in UFC 91 to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, so insipid, Bobby Lashley followed the script.. err… Brock from WWE to MMA.<o:p></o:p> Beijing Olympics<o:p></o:p> Michael Phelps of USA broke an Olympic standard by winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics, mostly in record fashion. That’s eight more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> Usain Bolt of Jamiaica established himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the Track sprints, tallying an overall Gold Medal haul of three. That’s three more than the whole country of Philippines Olympic History.<o:p></o:p> The Philippines established a standard of consistency by finishing dead-last in all events they joined. We’re hoping all other athletes will be tested positive for illegal substance to barge into the medal tally. Meanwhile, they became the all-time leader medal hauler in Exhibition sports by hauling 4 medals in Wushu. <o:p></o:p> The USA Redeem Team beat Spain in the Gold medal game in Men’s Basketball after Kobe Bryant threatened his LA Lakers teammate Pau Gasol that Chris Mihm will average more points and rebounds than Gasol if Spain will win the Gold.<o:p></o:p> China officially declared as a sports superpower by capturing the Overall championship in the Olympics. Their secret: long-term training, discipline, and a whole lot of White Rabbit.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <textarea name="postBody" rows="17" cols="47" id="textarea" wrap="soft" tabindex="5" dir="ltr">March Miami Heat couldn’t beat NBDL Teams and was already (not) playing for the lottery of the CBA. Shaquille O’Neal has been performing well in his D-League Assignment at Phoenix. Duke and Florida vanishes in the NCAA early and have been assigned to the D-League as well. Expectations were high in Seattle & Ichiro while the Sonics were reeling in the standings and out of the city. Meanwhile, my relationship has gotten stronger and weaker on the same month. I even fought for girlfriends to be included in our summer outing when the debate is all about including the families. She continues to be a four-faced assassin by the day… make war in the afternoon, asking for a break-up in the evening, apologetic in the morning and sweet at noon. I aged 20 years in the two-month old relationship!My maturity regressed naturally! My 6:30 habit was broken… I can’t stand anymore the news that there was a rice shortage in the Philippines… people flew to NFA rice centers to purchase rice… very pathetic sight in the news that I have learned to watch Quick Fire(!) and The Sweet Life(!!!) instead. Some believed (including myself) that it was just an effort to cover-up the NBN-ZTE expose that has been white hot at that point. The Jun Lozada world tour is still going strong though. To sum up, the whole realization of all those things was… there is not one, but two Rosebuds in the world! I prefer the single-mom chef!!! (Please tickle me if she is not a single mom!) April Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs after 150 years of futility. Baseball season started, the Washington Nationals were on pace for 162-0 after the 1st game!!! The NCAA finals made people sleep early as it was a snooze-fest!Zzzzzz!Hockey?…errr…. Playoffss… Zzzzzz! My relationship has gone salty, sour, and bitter… break-up was out of the question as it was the answer!!! Meanwhile, I asked a friend to give me a date and got it…The problem is that it was a snooze-fest as well… Zzzzzzz!!!! The MSSC Summer-Outing was successful except that I wasn’t able to make a move on anyone ‘coz my relationship was still at the “sour” mode. Planning for the sportsfest heated up that I found out that The Zone was booked until 2043 and Blurackets’ courts were made from Marble. I got the 1st taste of AIP, actually, I just sipped my AIP ‘coz its (1) pro-rated from June-Dec, and (2) Taxes got the lion’s share and my mom got the tiger’s share. My rating was… Cute and Handsome!!! (You’re expecting anything else?!?). Unleaded gasoline reached past 50/liter again, thus EDSA was passable again and three LRT/MRT couches have been allocated for females & senior citizen’s only… forcing the male population to walk from the Motel Strip in Taft to Trinoma, or risk squeezing each other on one couch! To be continued… promise!!!

The Charismatic Enigma

Thursday, January 1, 2009

The Year That Was(n't) - Part II

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me