A Christmas present, complete with fancy giftwrappers and shiny tassels and ribbons, brightens up Christmas for everybody.
Growing up, I used to impatiently wait for the calendar to flip to the 24th so I could open up the presents that had “Kirby” in them. Sometimes, my name would come out wrong, as is often the case, but it never mattered to me. One gift was as good as the other, wrong name and all.
When I was seven, I recall receiving a couple of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. The image of opening up that box is still fresh on my head, like it happened only a few Decembers ago. I remember how I viciously tore up those wispy Christmas wrappers, as if my whole life revolved around those action figures. When I finally laid my hands on them (it was a Michelangelo and Krang), my face lit up like Times Square on a crowded winter night.
I’ve had my fair share of exciting Christmas memories, including some very neat presents throughout the years. But as the years roll along, and the presents become scarcer and scarcer, as a kid, it’s easy to feel slighted. You’ve gotten used to seeing your name on so many presents that when the time comes when you hardly see it anymore, you feel let down and Christmas, somehow, loses a little bit of its oomph!
But behind that guise of disappointment comes a stark realization that the decline in material presents opens up another perspective on what this season is all about. In my case, I’ve began to pay more attention on who gave the present, rather than what’s underneath the wrapper.
The over-used cliché “it’s the thought that counts” is exactly that, over-used. But in spite of that, there’s really no other way to explain it better than what that phrase is trying to say. I’ve received dozens of Christmas presents, some from the regular ninongs and ninangs, and some from unexpected individuals whom I’ve had little interaction with. Each gift takes on the same significance now; some may be more expensive than others, but in the bigger scheme of things, I’m just thankful for being remembered at this time of the year.
The truth is I’m flattered that people still consider me on their holiday list. The thought that they’d waste a couple of hundred pesos (in some cases, thousands) of their hard earned money is something that I’m extremely grateful for, so much so that the actual gift itself becomes an afterthought.
What'simportant for me is being around the presence of those I love. That makes my Christmas all the more special.
Circumstances at the Christmas I spent in America made the appreciation all the more genuine. You see, the season takes on an entirely different meaning once you’ve spent it in a foreign land, away from the safe confines of home sweet home. It’s not to say that it’s not fun, in fact, it was. And to be truthfully honest, it’s something that I’d suggest to everyone who can find it in them to spend the holidays away from their families. There’s nothing like a quiet, cold winter night to get your thoughts running; one you spend sitting by a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate on one hand and a plateful of marshmallows on the other, all the while staring blankly at the flames dancing riotously in front of you. If for nothing else, the experience warms the soul like no other.
In spite of that, I still yearned for the normal traditions I’ve come to enjoy over the years. Hearing ”Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” after the midnight mass, posing for the usual family pictures, and just being with the same group of people I’ve spent the past 22 years of my life with, there is no better feeling than spending the holidays at home.
Nevermind that there’s no use for a fireplace in this country; I have my family and they’re all I need to keep my heart warm.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Price of Admission
I’ve never been comfortable talking about stuff like this because I find it hard to get my thoughts out properly and if I do try, I only end up misinterpreting my own words, and worse, end up writing something completely asinine.
What can I say, shit like this has never been my cup-of-tea, nor will it ever be. I’m not a huge fan of spilling my guts on some “blog” for everyone’s viewing pleasure, just so they can dissect my words and think that I’m some kind of unstable emotional-wreck.
Nope. That’s not my style. I prefer the laid back image; the happy-go-lucky guy who loves to write about sports. It’s what I’m good at and it helps keep me sane. To those who know me, writing something pitifully emotive like this is completely out of character.
But then again, you won’t see a wind-up mechanism on my back, either, like those cheap toys you find in the market. I still have feelings too.
So before I end up drowning on my sorrows, allow me to attempt to fill the pages of this blog with a sullen confession, of sorts - written from my “full-sized aortic pump,” as Joey Tribbiani would say.
It seems like the first and the hardest risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
Let the truth be told then: I was never good at relationships. For a lack of a better term, I sucked at it.
While I will not try to shoulder all the blame for my misfortunes, I shall not act as if I am clean of any transgressions either. After all, it does take two people to make a relationship work; but it only takes one to mess it up. More often than not, and this is what pains me to admit the most, is that I was guilty of being the one who messes everything up. Back then, the idea of building up a relationship appealed to me more than the idea of maintaining one. It may have been, and it probably still is, idiotically flawed, but that’s how it worked for me.
In retrospect, I’ve spent so many nights staring blankly in space, thinking that if I could have mustered up enough cojones then to make a relationship last, maybe everything would have turned out different today. Maybe the 22 year old wont be reaping the sins laid out by the foolishness of the 18 year old.
But that’s not how my story goes.
The reality is that no matter how hard I try to convince myself that I can draw from my past experiences and learn from them, the more it becomes clear that any attempts of conjuring up inspiration was like trying to draw water from a well in the middle of the Gobi. I had nothing.
Try as I may to look back on my relationships and think about the lessons I learned, experiences I treasured, and memories I cherished – the more I realize that I hadn’t learned anything, I had no treasured experiences, and the only memories I’ve made are those that I’d rather forget.
It’s a bitter realization, I’ll tell you that. Enough to shake up my confidence, develop self-doubt, and have lingering thoughts of maybe not being good enough.
Or maybe I wasn’t good enough to begin with.
What can I say, shit like this has never been my cup-of-tea, nor will it ever be. I’m not a huge fan of spilling my guts on some “blog” for everyone’s viewing pleasure, just so they can dissect my words and think that I’m some kind of unstable emotional-wreck.
Nope. That’s not my style. I prefer the laid back image; the happy-go-lucky guy who loves to write about sports. It’s what I’m good at and it helps keep me sane. To those who know me, writing something pitifully emotive like this is completely out of character.
But then again, you won’t see a wind-up mechanism on my back, either, like those cheap toys you find in the market. I still have feelings too.
So before I end up drowning on my sorrows, allow me to attempt to fill the pages of this blog with a sullen confession, of sorts - written from my “full-sized aortic pump,” as Joey Tribbiani would say.
It seems like the first and the hardest risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
Let the truth be told then: I was never good at relationships. For a lack of a better term, I sucked at it.
While I will not try to shoulder all the blame for my misfortunes, I shall not act as if I am clean of any transgressions either. After all, it does take two people to make a relationship work; but it only takes one to mess it up. More often than not, and this is what pains me to admit the most, is that I was guilty of being the one who messes everything up. Back then, the idea of building up a relationship appealed to me more than the idea of maintaining one. It may have been, and it probably still is, idiotically flawed, but that’s how it worked for me.
In retrospect, I’ve spent so many nights staring blankly in space, thinking that if I could have mustered up enough cojones then to make a relationship last, maybe everything would have turned out different today. Maybe the 22 year old wont be reaping the sins laid out by the foolishness of the 18 year old.
But that’s not how my story goes.
The reality is that no matter how hard I try to convince myself that I can draw from my past experiences and learn from them, the more it becomes clear that any attempts of conjuring up inspiration was like trying to draw water from a well in the middle of the Gobi. I had nothing.
Try as I may to look back on my relationships and think about the lessons I learned, experiences I treasured, and memories I cherished – the more I realize that I hadn’t learned anything, I had no treasured experiences, and the only memories I’ve made are those that I’d rather forget.
It’s a bitter realization, I’ll tell you that. Enough to shake up my confidence, develop self-doubt, and have lingering thoughts of maybe not being good enough.
Or maybe I wasn’t good enough to begin with.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
End of an Era
So it’s official: The Allen Iverson-Philadelphia 76ers marriage is about to end.
Allen Iverson has asked to be traded and the Sixers are going to accommodate his request.
After several seasons of toiling in mediocrity, followed by a very sluggish 5-12 start to this season, the proverbial camel’s back has finally broken.
The last straw happened during the Sixers practice last Friday. Iverson showed up at practice but what was told that he didn’t need to participate (because of his back, which Iverson said was not a problem). Furthermore, he was also told not to be in the game against the Wizards on Friday night and against Orlando on Saturday.
In a statement that he released, Iverson had this to say:
"In my entire career, even the doctors haven't been able to tell me not to play. I've played through injury and illness. I think everyone knows how much I love being out on the court, competing and winning. That's why it was so disheartening to be told that I couldn't play, knowing that I was ready. It hurt even more to be told not to come at all.
"This season has been very frustrating for everyone. We've lost 12 of 14 games and nothing seems to be working. I have expressed my frustration to my teammates; however, I have continued to give 100 percent night in and night out. Apparently, it hasn't been enough to help our team win. As hard as it is to admit, a change may be the best thing for everyone. I hate admitting that because I love the guys on the team and the city of Philadelphia. I truly wanted to retire a 76er.
"I appreciate that in my 11 years in Philadelphia, the fans have always stood by me, supported me, and gone to bat for me."
We’ve all gone through this with the Sixers and Iverson. They look to trade him, tease us with all the teams they’re talking to, only to pull back on the trigger and up doing nothing.
This time, it’s looking like it will really go down.
Lisa Salters, ESPN correspondent, talked to Ed Snider, the Sixers chairman during the game against the Wizards. Salters asked Snider whether Iverson had come up to him and asked to be traded. Snicer’s response was a short, yet resolute “yes”.
Then Salters asked Snider the question all Philadelphians have feared.
”Has Allen Iverson played his last game as a Philadelpia 76er?”
“Probably.”
"At a certain point, you have to come to grips with the fact that it's not working. He wants out and we're ready to accommodate him," Snider adds.
While I can’t say I’m surprised, I am kind of bummed out at how everything has played out. I’ve always been, and I can’t stress this enough, a huge fan of a franchise player sticking it out with one team throughout the course of his career, whether they’re contenders or whether they stink up the gym every night. That’s why I’ll always admire Reggie Miller for that. Here’s a guy who was the face of the Indiana Pacers for almost two decades. Through thick or thin, through all the ups and downs, Reggie Miller never cut sail and bolted. Even though he didn’t win a championship, you respect him more because he really bled Hoosier blood.
I look at the league right now and see only two players who fit that bill: Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett.
Let’s face it. Allen Iverson is the Philadelphia 76ers. While he may have had his fair share of off-court troubles, nobody can deny that he loves to play for the Sixers. The Sixers fans love him too, there’s no question about that. A.I. has always made it known that he wanted to end his career in Philadelphia.
"I always wanted to stay here because of the loyalty, it's all I know," he said then.
As a matter of fact, you can actually make a case that Iverson just might be the most popular 76er of all time. He’s more popular than Chamberlain, Barkley, Moses, or any of those guys.
The only one that is as popular as him is Julius Erving and if you ask Philadelphians, there’s no 1 and 2 between them, just 1a and 1b.
But the inevitable has come. Sixers fans have to come to grips that they may be seeing a whole lot less of The Answer from here on out.
With regards to where A.I. might potentially go, there are a number of teams that can make a trade work, although it’s not as easy as it looks. Iverson, after this season will still be owed around $35 million for two years, a risky proposition considering he’s turning 32 next year.
I’m not that familiar with players’ salaries but with his salary, his high asking price will cost a lot for other teams to acquire him. As for the teams, the three teams that I’m thinking has a legitimate shot at landing Iverson are Minnesota, Boston, and Chicago.
Minnesota, for example, just might have to give up Mike James, Ricky Davis, and Randy Foye and some draft picks. Boston might have to part ways with Wally Szczerbiak, Al Jefferson, and Gerald Green. Chicago, although it’s unlikely that they’ll make a run for Iverson, has Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and a plethora of draft picks as bait.
Whatever happens, Allen Iverson has done so much and meant so much to the Sixers and to the city of Philadelphia that it’s almost a blasphemous sight to see him in another uniform and playing for another city.
It’s a crying shame they couldn’t make it work.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Weekly Whistle 4
Weekly Whistle 4
A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions
Has any division in all of sports been this disturbingly awful like what the Atlantic Division is right now?
Consider that the top team in the Division, the New Jersey Nets, sports a sparkling 6-9 record. Four of the five teams have a winning percentage of less than 38% with the Nets not really that far ahead with a 40% winning percentage.
The division reeks of so much tragedy Shakespeare might have a field day just thinking of compelling ideas for a tragedy.
Here are a few suggestions:
1) Make Red Proud
Their patriarch dies before the season. The man led them to nine championships, assembled the greatest teams in history and is one of the most influential people in the history of the NBA. The team dedicates the entire year to his memory, with a mission to “make Red proud.”
Then they end up with the worst season in Celtics history. So much for restoring tradition
2) The Deserted Brother
They play in a country that only cares about hockey.
Their mascot looks like Barney’s ‘roided up cousin.
Except for Chris Bosh, they have the worst 2-12 lineup in the league.
Sam Mitchell is their coach.
Nothing can be as tragic as this.
3) Allen
After holding down the gates of Philly for over a decade, and having nothing to show for it, Allen Iverson gets tired of all the empty promises of a better team and strangles General Manager Billy King.
The ironic twist? The Philadelphians will love him for it.
4) The Four Hogs of Broadway
Four egotistical, selfish ball hogs on one team. That, in itself, speaks volumes on how bad that team is.
You’d think it can’t get any worse, right?
Not if you realize that those four players are ALL POINT GUARDS!
Don’t be surprised if they end up killing each other because someone was “hugging the ball a little too much”
5) Wildly Inconsistent
Lose six in a row. Win 11 in a row. Lose five in a row. Win seven in a row.
That basically summarizes the Nets season.
If you’re a Jersey fan, that’s enough mood swings to last you an entire year.
I’m beginning to think that the only team to crack .500 will be The Nets (barely) and the rest of the division will finish with a -.455 season. From the way it’s shaping up, that scenario is becoming more and more likely.
If it does happen, you read it here first!
Players of the Week:
East: Dwight Howard – Earning his second Player of the Week honor, Dwight has the Magic on a tear. Howard notched up averages of 21 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks during the week as the Magic extended their winning streak to six games.
When I went to a taping of Quite Frankly in New York, I wanted to ask Stephen A. Smith who he thought was going to beast up the league in the coming years, Amare or Dwight?
While I never got around to asking SAS that question, the answer’s becoming really clear.
West: Steve Nash – With respects to Kobe Bryant and his jaw-dropping performance last Friday, Steve Nash gets the nod for Western Conference Player of the Week.
(Editor’s note: I was one of those who was bummed to find out that Nash traded in his long locks for a shorter crew-cut in the off-season. It meant that we couldn’t call him Hair Canada anymore, which is really one of the coolest nicknames out there.)
Leading the Suns to a six game winning streak, MVP has been also been MEP (Most Efficient Player) for the Suns by posting averages of 22 points, ten assists while shooting 51% from the field in the past week.
Have you ever seen a line like this from anybody? 51% from the field, 47%(!!!) from 3’s and 90% percent from the line.
Quiet and unassuming greatness – that’s what Nash is all about. Don’t worry Steve, you’re getting love from the Whistle.
Kobe v2
Kobe Bryant?
Name sound familiar?
Oh yeah, isn’t he that basketball player fellow? Whatever happened to him? Is he still playing?
The first month of the season sure didn’t look like it. I mean, yeah, he WAS technically playing, but it wasn’t the Kobe Bryant we’ve come to love (or hate, whichever side of the fence you’re on).
He was actually passing the ball, playing within the system of the triangle offense.
Where was 35 points-per-game-Kobe?
Well, The Kobe Show returned with a huge bang last week as Bryant dropped 52 points on the Jazz and looking more like his old number 8 self again. You have to feel bad for Kirilenko. A week earlier he was responsible for locking down Kobe in a Jazz win at Salt Lake City, and you know how Kobe likes to take things personally. So really, we should have seen this coming.
Steve Kerr made a good point during the game when he noticed that Kobe had his game face on, that unmistakable scowl of his that you know something special was going to happen that night.
And boy, did he deliver, and in the process, he put the whole league on notice.
Kobe’s back, baby.
He was making shots from all angles he made Andrei Kirilenko, one of the games premier defenders, look like a blond Antoine Walker. It was so effortless that even Phil Jackson, ever the stoic statue on the bench, got up and gave him a high-five as he was going back to the bench.
What’s most impressive about this performance wasn’t the 52 or the 30 points in the third quarter (where he made 11 straight shots). It wasn’t even the 19 for 26 shooting he had.
It was that most of his points came in the flow of the triangle offense. Everything was in groove, and in synch. Even better, Kobe is beginning to trust his teammates even more. The lack of which, led to their demise in the playoffs last year.
As they say, defeat changes a man. It makes him stronger, faster, and wiser.
From the way the season has gone, the biggest change in Kobe this year is not the number on his jersey.
Quote of the Week:
"What is venom? I've only been here eight years, guys." - Dirk Nowitzki, reminding his audience that there are still few English words he hasn't been exposed to yet.
He was asked to respond to coach Avery Johnson's recent assertion that bad blood between the Mavs and San Antonio Spurs is "great" because you don't get venom "if there aren't two good teams."
A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions
Has any division in all of sports been this disturbingly awful like what the Atlantic Division is right now?
Consider that the top team in the Division, the New Jersey Nets, sports a sparkling 6-9 record. Four of the five teams have a winning percentage of less than 38% with the Nets not really that far ahead with a 40% winning percentage.
The division reeks of so much tragedy Shakespeare might have a field day just thinking of compelling ideas for a tragedy.
Here are a few suggestions:
1) Make Red Proud
Their patriarch dies before the season. The man led them to nine championships, assembled the greatest teams in history and is one of the most influential people in the history of the NBA. The team dedicates the entire year to his memory, with a mission to “make Red proud.”
Then they end up with the worst season in Celtics history. So much for restoring tradition
2) The Deserted Brother
They play in a country that only cares about hockey.
Their mascot looks like Barney’s ‘roided up cousin.
Except for Chris Bosh, they have the worst 2-12 lineup in the league.
Sam Mitchell is their coach.
Nothing can be as tragic as this.
3) Allen
After holding down the gates of Philly for over a decade, and having nothing to show for it, Allen Iverson gets tired of all the empty promises of a better team and strangles General Manager Billy King.
The ironic twist? The Philadelphians will love him for it.
4) The Four Hogs of Broadway
Four egotistical, selfish ball hogs on one team. That, in itself, speaks volumes on how bad that team is.
You’d think it can’t get any worse, right?
Not if you realize that those four players are ALL POINT GUARDS!
Don’t be surprised if they end up killing each other because someone was “hugging the ball a little too much”
5) Wildly Inconsistent
Lose six in a row. Win 11 in a row. Lose five in a row. Win seven in a row.
That basically summarizes the Nets season.
If you’re a Jersey fan, that’s enough mood swings to last you an entire year.
I’m beginning to think that the only team to crack .500 will be The Nets (barely) and the rest of the division will finish with a -.455 season. From the way it’s shaping up, that scenario is becoming more and more likely.
If it does happen, you read it here first!
Players of the Week:
East: Dwight Howard – Earning his second Player of the Week honor, Dwight has the Magic on a tear. Howard notched up averages of 21 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks during the week as the Magic extended their winning streak to six games.
When I went to a taping of Quite Frankly in New York, I wanted to ask Stephen A. Smith who he thought was going to beast up the league in the coming years, Amare or Dwight?
While I never got around to asking SAS that question, the answer’s becoming really clear.
West: Steve Nash – With respects to Kobe Bryant and his jaw-dropping performance last Friday, Steve Nash gets the nod for Western Conference Player of the Week.
(Editor’s note: I was one of those who was bummed to find out that Nash traded in his long locks for a shorter crew-cut in the off-season. It meant that we couldn’t call him Hair Canada anymore, which is really one of the coolest nicknames out there.)
Leading the Suns to a six game winning streak, MVP has been also been MEP (Most Efficient Player) for the Suns by posting averages of 22 points, ten assists while shooting 51% from the field in the past week.
Have you ever seen a line like this from anybody? 51% from the field, 47%(!!!) from 3’s and 90% percent from the line.
Quiet and unassuming greatness – that’s what Nash is all about. Don’t worry Steve, you’re getting love from the Whistle.
Kobe v2
Kobe Bryant?
Name sound familiar?
Oh yeah, isn’t he that basketball player fellow? Whatever happened to him? Is he still playing?
The first month of the season sure didn’t look like it. I mean, yeah, he WAS technically playing, but it wasn’t the Kobe Bryant we’ve come to love (or hate, whichever side of the fence you’re on).
He was actually passing the ball, playing within the system of the triangle offense.
Where was 35 points-per-game-Kobe?
Well, The Kobe Show returned with a huge bang last week as Bryant dropped 52 points on the Jazz and looking more like his old number 8 self again. You have to feel bad for Kirilenko. A week earlier he was responsible for locking down Kobe in a Jazz win at Salt Lake City, and you know how Kobe likes to take things personally. So really, we should have seen this coming.
Steve Kerr made a good point during the game when he noticed that Kobe had his game face on, that unmistakable scowl of his that you know something special was going to happen that night.
And boy, did he deliver, and in the process, he put the whole league on notice.
Kobe’s back, baby.
He was making shots from all angles he made Andrei Kirilenko, one of the games premier defenders, look like a blond Antoine Walker. It was so effortless that even Phil Jackson, ever the stoic statue on the bench, got up and gave him a high-five as he was going back to the bench.
What’s most impressive about this performance wasn’t the 52 or the 30 points in the third quarter (where he made 11 straight shots). It wasn’t even the 19 for 26 shooting he had.
It was that most of his points came in the flow of the triangle offense. Everything was in groove, and in synch. Even better, Kobe is beginning to trust his teammates even more. The lack of which, led to their demise in the playoffs last year.
As they say, defeat changes a man. It makes him stronger, faster, and wiser.
From the way the season has gone, the biggest change in Kobe this year is not the number on his jersey.
Quote of the Week:
"What is venom? I've only been here eight years, guys." - Dirk Nowitzki, reminding his audience that there are still few English words he hasn't been exposed to yet.
He was asked to respond to coach Avery Johnson's recent assertion that bad blood between the Mavs and San Antonio Spurs is "great" because you don't get venom "if there aren't two good teams."
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