 |
I’m baaaaaack! After more than a month of hiatus, I am blogging again. For some coincidence, I do not have time for writing during the month of July (also happened last year). I might be too stressed, preoccupied or just too lazy to write. I know it is strange because I should have more time because the network TV shows are not eating up my free time. Heck, I only have college basketball and baseball as the sports I watch at this time of the year. Whatever. Let’s get to the meaty stuff about sports and pop culture. There are too many topics I missed so I have to use the “Eight Random Thoughts” format. Let’s do this!
Random Thought #1: Any thoughts about the Ateneo Blue Eagles?
There are many topics to discuss so I had to use a vague question to tackle everything about Ateneo’s first round performance. As most people know, the Blue Eagles are destroying everything in their path. I would have written the same thing a month ago because this team is built to dominate. I do not want to brag but the fact is, this is probably the best assembly that Ateneo had (talent-wise).
The Blue Eagles kept most of their core from last year’s championship run. Then, they were able to bag the best rookies this year. That is the ultimate combination. You have the experience and confidence of veteran players who have been-there-done-that. Those should influence the eager and poised newbies. Kiefer Ravena is playing out of his mind right now. If Ryan Buenafe was the much-awaited savior in 2008, then think of Kiefer as a more athletic, assertive alpha dog version of Buenafe. Kiefer is joining a champion team – something that Ryan did not have the luxury of. Ravena also has a dominating big man to pass the ball to. How can you go wrong with that?
The only problem that critics see in the Blue Eagles right now is the idea of peaking early. Yes, Ateneo has swept the competition thus far. Their leads were also huge. There were only two close games as opposed to six boring games. But if you think the Hail Mary squad has peaked, I think you are wrong. I was not able to watch some of the games but from what I have seen, I noticed that there was always room for improvement: Greg Slaughter struggles when he gets the ball at the high post; offense usually has a slow start; Kirk Long is having a hard time in some of his cuts and slashes; Ateneo’s bench is playing badly on the offensive side. The team is not yet clicking on all cylinders. We might have been winning huge leads but it is because of sterling defense. As I observed in the past decade, defense is constant. Offense is the thing that needs peaking. Remember, UE circa 2007? They were an offensive bunch. When they lost their scoring touch, they crumbled in the Finals. If your team heavily relies on defense, you are pretty much assured of covering your strength during the final stretch. Defense is all about discipline and consistency. You rarely see Ateneo’s opponents scoring above thirty at the end of first half. The Blue Eagles’ score, on the other hand, fluctuates on a game-to-game basis.
Remember Ateneo’s Game 1 against FEU in last year’s Finals? That is peaking at the right time. As long as you have not seen an offensive masterpiece like that, beware of the angry birds.
If there is one weakness that Ateneo has to live with, it is the fact that we do not have Ryan Buenafe donning the Blue and White this year. He was the X-factor in most of the Blues Eagles’ Finals appearances the past few years because he brings in the intangibles (remember his rebounding in 2008?).
Thus, we ask: who is Ateneo’s X-Factor this year? I have to say that it is Captain Kirk Long. Ravena and Slaughter have taken the cudgels of scoring, but Kirk remains to be Mr. Intangible. He is Ateneo’s Shane Battier. Just note that most of the strong teams have great wingmen/guards (FEU: Garcia, Romeo and Cawaling; Adamson: Alvarez; DLSU: Revilla, Marata; NU: Parks). Kirk’s job is to stop them (although it seems that Monfort is more effective against Lester Alvarez). Defense wins championships.
New Twist: I am going to put my favorites about sport and pop culture this month.
Favorite Song of the Month: Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger”
Random Thought #2: Did you expect the UAAP season to turn out this way?
Yes and no. I expected the Blue Eagles to destroy the teams in the elimination rounds. Heck, I even expect them to sweep. But, as for the other teams to wound up this way? No. I thought that this would be a top-heavy regular season. It was just an Ateneo-heavy season. I thought that FEU, Adamson, NU and La Salle would easily fend off the other three teams. Honestly, I am impressed by UST. I always make fun of Pido Jarencio because his teams always start well and end up floundering in the second round. This time around, I think the Growling Tigers improved. They are not just an offense-reliant squad. Their defense is becoming notable. It also helps them that they have a strong big man (something they never had since Jervy Cruz). I dislike the idea of having African imports but because Ateneo already has the upper hand in local recruitment every year, I will not complain about imports in college basketball.
I think NU is disappointing. They did beat Adamson but they lost quite a lot of early games. That is not a good sign for a team that almost made it to the Final Four last year. As for La Salle, I still think that they do not have an alpha dog – they might end up having one next year with Tallo. Utilizing a guard-laden strategy, La Salle will not succeed without a star scoring guard or two. But as for the biggest disappointment, that has to be FEU. Maybe, they have learned from their ‘peaking too early’ lesson last year. However, it seems that they could not cope with being a top-tier team year in and year out. Either way, I applaud them for giving their all in the game against Ateneo last Saturday.
If I will pick a team that will face Ateneo in the Finals, I will choose the Adamson Soaring Falcons. They might have some boneheaded games like their Ateneo loss (they kept on shooting threes!) and their recent win over DLSU (too complacent). They have a problem in managing huge leads probably because they are not used to being an elite squad. Teams that are used to winning know how to handle probable breakdowns. However, that weak link could go to Adamson’s favor as they try to peak at the right time (regular season is about learning, right?). They already have high class defense so I think they have the right tools to match up with Ateneo. Yup, it seems that we are heading towards an Angry Birds finale this year.
Favorite Chick of the Month: Hayley Atwell
Random Thought #3: Can this year be the best sports year for me?
 |
| Go Pack Go! |
I am unsure on this one yet. I already reached the championship quota earlier in February (with the Packers winning it all), but it would not be perfect with Duke missing the National Championship. Ateneo is on pace, while my MLB Teams (Atlanta and Boston) are making strong cases. If the Blue Eagles and Atlanta/Boston win it all, then this would arguably be the best year in sports for me.
Speaking of Atlanta and Boston, I have to say that we have a great race to the playoffs. The East teams (Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Atlanta) are dominating the rest of the competition. It seems that all are capable of winning it all. I am quite concerned with the Braves because they are not a power-hitting squad. I always lived watching them getting bailed out by their pitchers. However, I think that Atlanta can make a huge push in the final stretch if they peak at the right time. They got Michael Bourn in the team. Martin Prado is an excellent lead-off guy. Brian McCann is their ace hitter. Gone are the days when I used to call Dan Uggla ugly because he now has a hit streak. Chipper Jones is still the reliable veteran. He is probably in his final year so I hope that he wins it all. And of course, we have young sluggers like Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward. Atlanta’s offense obviously has not yet peaked. If these guys explode at the right time, look out for the Atlanta Braves.
Then, I suddenly remembered that it was the worst year in Utah’s history. Can’t have ‘em all I guess.
Favorite Book of the Month: George R.R. Martin’s “Dance With the Dragons”
Random Thought #4: Who are your picks to win the Emmy Awards this year?
 |
| I hope Steve Carell finally wins the world's best actor in comedy |
I thought I would never get an opportunity to post these because it is taking decades for me to finish a blog entry lately. Thank God, it is taking the Emmy’s centuries before the awards night. Without further ado, here are my picks:
Best Actor (Drama)
Will win: Jon Hamm (Don Draper of “Mad Men”)
Want to win: Jon Hamm
Best Actress (Drama)
Will win: Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olson of “Mad Men”)
Want to win: Elisabeth Moss
Best Actor (Comedy)
Will win: I was about to pick Baldwin but screw it, let’s go, Michael Scott!
Want to win: Steve Carell (Michael Scott of “The Office”)
Best Actress (Comedy)
Will win: Edie Falco (Jackie Peyton of “Nurse Jackie”)
Want to win: Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope of “Parks and Recreation”)
Best Supporting Actor (Drama)
Will win: Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister of “Game of Thrones”)
Want to win: Peter Dinklage
Best Supporting Actress (Drama)
Will win: Christina Hendricks (Joan Harris of “Mad Men”)
Want to win: Duh! Christina Hendricks
Best Supporting Actor (Comedy)
Will win: Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel of “Glee”)
Want to win: Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy of “Modern Family”)
Best Supporting Actress (Comedy)
Will win: Sofia Vergara (Gloria Pritchett of “Modern Family”)
Want to win: Duh! Sofia Vergara
Outstanding Writing (Drama)
Will win: “The Suitcase” (Mad Men)
Want to win: Yeah, I am biased on “Mad Men” but this episode is the shiznit. Nothing came close
Outstanding Writing (Comedy)
Will win: “Goodbye, Michael” (The Office)
Want to win: “Goodbye, Michael”
Outstanding Comedy Series
Will win: Modern Family
Want to win: The Office
Outstanding Drama Series
Will win: Mad Men for the fourth straight victory
Want to win: Mad Men
Favorite TV Series of the Month: Breaking Bad
For Part 2, click this link: PART 2
No comments:
Post a Comment