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| Credit: Breaking Bad |
How was 2013 amazing for me? You have to talk to me personally (and frankly, it is not an assurance I will share you everything or even most of it). As for other things else like my appreciation for sports and pop culture, well you are in the right place. We celebrate the highlights of these in here.
SPOILER ALERT: I will avoid spoilers as much as possible so I am sorry if I will not be able to expound on some details here. I have placed the unavoidable spoiler topics in the last part for you, dear readers.
The Year in Sports
2013 was a wild year in sports. We kicked off the year with the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend scandal. Jason Collins became the first NBA athlete to officially come out of the closet. A soccer referee stabbed a player and was eventually decapitated. I have not even talked about the Super Bowl blackout yet. While watching it at BGC Bugsy’s with a buddy, we were surprised why the commercials were running too long. It was also the same game a 49ers fan tried to give me a high five because he mistakenly thought I was rooting for his team – I was wearing the New England Patriots’ red jersey.
2013 marked the end of the glorious title run of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. It was also the first time I got to experience the Hail Mary Team missing the Final Four since I entered college. For once in the last five years, I thought I would not be experiencing a sports championship in one calendar year.
Yup, until the Boston Red Sox saved the year for me. The team that started this insane yearly sports championship streak (back in 2007) became dependable at the last shot of the year. It also became the sweetest sports championship (aside from the 2008 Ateneo championship) for me. Consecutive Years of Sports Championship Happiness: 7. I feel blessed.
But amidst all these stories, I have one favorite sports theme for the year. We will delve into it after we tackle the best championship storylines of the year.
Best Championship Storylines
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| Yes! | Credit: Ebay |
4. Jeron Teng’s La Salle Green Archers defeat his brother’s UST Growling Tigers in a thrilling Game 3 of the UAAP Finals. You may be complaining that this should be higher and I am just biased, but I will easily make my cases for the other three easily. Either way, this was a splendid (no kidding) result in UAAP this year. We know La Salle has been through a lot in the past years so they deserved this. Just a note though: Don’t every try to shoot an arrow at our 5 next time. We reached five championships. Arrow on six would have been more apt.
3. Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl on Ray Lewis' final year. It was a magical season (or a PED season if you’re looking at another perspective) for Ray Lewis as he miraculously came back from a highly probable season-ending injury to lead his Ravens for one last try at the championship. It was an even bigger storyline for their quarterback Joe Flacco who has been criticized as a weak player through the years. He had one of the best playoff seasons by a quarterback, which led him to earn huge bucks in free agency.
OK, fine. I’ll stop being snarky.
2. Miami Heat win back-to-back championships against the San Antonio Spurs in an epic seven-game NBA Finals. Oh, shit. It’s hard to not be snarky here.
Ladies and gentlemen, LeBron James has finally exorcised his demons. He was able to prove that he can win multiple championships in succession. He was able to defeat the NBA team that swept his Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. He was able to prove that he could be clutch without his headband.
We also have Dwyane Wade returning to his vintage form. And, Ray Allen has silenced his critics (like me) when he saved Miami’s season with that clutch three. Dagger to my heart? Well, they did that against my other hated team, the San Antonio Spurs, so it was just OK. In case you are scoring from home, I was a huge Spurs hater. But in these playoffs, I have to give my hats off to Tim Duncan and company. They played their heart out there. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Regardless, I applaud both teams for this epic series. Simply transcendent.
1. Boston Red Sox win the World Series to give positive news to a city affected by the Marathon bombing earlier in the year. It was not just about winning the championship here. It was about Boston’s journey after that brutal marathon bombing. It was about the sports-crazed town in Massachusetts getting a big smile at the end of a struggling year. If you have been to Boston, you would know that this city gives a shit to their sports teams. What a fitting ending it was for the city’s most loved sports franchise.
Another storyline here was the Sox’s road to the World Series. They had humiliating seasons in the past two years. They squandered a ten-game wild card lead in just a month to lose their playoff spot in 2011. What made it worse was that the team’s pitchers were exposed to have eaten fried chicken and beer during days off. They had to fire their all-time best manager. The general manager behind the 2004 and 2007 championships had to leave. 2012 was horrible too as the Sox experienced more locker room drama because of bad leadership. They finished last in the AL East.
2013 was the Red Sox’s redemption year. They had strong team camaraderie as they grew beards to signify team unity. They rejuvenated the city of Boston after the marathon bombing when star player David Ortiz remarked, “This is our fucking city!” And, the Red Sox kept on fighting throughout the year. There were lots of stretches where you may think that they are going to lose but they did not fold. In Game 2 of the ALCS, the Red Sox were about to go down 0-2 at home, but Big Papi hit a grand slam homerun to bring life to the team. In Game 4 of the World Series, Boston was down 1-2. They seemed lifeless as they struggled in batting. Then, the famous David Ortiz speech lit up the team. Result: three-run homerun by Jonny Gomes. Series tied 2-2. The rest was history as the Red Sox completed their championship run.
Exorcising Your Personal Demons
You guessed it right, that was the theme in sports this year. In four of the five championships I have mentioned, that was the common denominator. Even the Gilas Pilipinas team had that storyline. They were all damaged in the past and they had doubts haunting them all throughout. There were several moments when these doubts and horrific images resurfaced (i.e., Korea getting the lead in the late stretch of the semis game; Boston’s batting becoming pathetic in a lot of stretches in the World Series; LeBron committing mistakes in crucial stretches of Game 6). Images of failure would flash through your eyes on those moments. It was something like: “Shit, I have been through this road before and this is bound to get bad.”
Not this time.
You know what, sometimes you just have to believe and outgrow your past mistakes.
Easier said than done. Honestly, I hope I could also exorcise my personal demons in life. I actually have a lot. It remains to be seen if I could though. But for whatever the sports stories of this year showcased, these are constant reminders to us that there is hope.
Top Non-Championship Sports News
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| The wild finish of the Auburn-Alabama game | Credit: ESPN |
4. Peyton Manning breaking Tom Brady's record of most touchdowns in a year and potentially beating Drew Brees' record of most passing yards in a year. Should have been higher especially because this is one of the best performances of an NFL player in a single season? Yeah, probably. But, we are in a pass-crazy league. Peyton has the best offensive weapons and we still do not know if he will win in the postseason.
3. Auburn beats Alabama via a last second missed field goal touchdown return. My Twitter feed exploded when this happened. Yup, and I think I only have two Twitter friends who watch college football. For those who do not know, Auburn and Alabama are two college football titan teams. The Alabama Crimson Tide are the back-to-back defending champions. They were poised to reach the BCS National Championship. Everything changed when Auburn upset them with a highly improbable last second missed field goal touchdown return. In case you are wondering how hard that was, the field goal returner ran for more than 100 yards avoiding tackles (I know that most of the D/ST unit would have been incapable but pulling that off was crazy hard). Still do not understand how huge it was? Here is a better comparison: Imagine a tied Ateneo-La Salle game where La Salle has the possession and only has three seconds remaining. They inbound the ball but the Blue Eagles intercept it. However, they are at La Salle’s side of the court so the Atenean with the ball had to heave the ball from halfcourt for a Hail Mary shot. Swish.
2. Gilas Pilipinas finally beating South Korea in basketball.
1. The Boston Marathon bombing.
Enough of sports. This blog has been mostly about sports this year. It is time to discuss some pop culture. I do admit that I have not been into a lot of pop culture lately. I do not know if I should blame my stay at our condominium (we just have one TV there and they use it during primetime + we have bad Internet connection too) or I just do not have much willpower to download movies and TV shows. It could have been an effect of my stay in the United States last year. I was not able to keep up to date then. As a result, I am still catching up on TV shows and movies. But it is alright. Life changes and that is how it goes. For whatever film or TV series I was able to watch this year, here are my final rankings (please do note that I did not include those I have not watched yet).
Top Movies
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| Katniss on Fire | Credit: Catching Fire |
4. Captain Phillips. Normally, an African setting bores me, but this intense and gripping movie was good enough that it landed on my Top 4. Tom Hanks also played it well. I don’t care if he was nicer than the actual Captain Phillips as long as his character made the storyline better.
3. Catching Fire. This should have been 2b because I had a hard time picking which of the two movies was better. I actually liked this movie a lot because it was an improvement over the first Hunger Games movie despite the fact that there is no more novelty in play. This movie played well with the context that was built from the first movie even if there was little transition shown on how the revolution was started. After all, “Hunger Games” was the poignant depiction of reality so it was easy to catch up on its message. As always, Jennifer Lawrence was brilliant. Lastly, I also liked how the Hunger Games participants have evolved from the first movie as they got more collaborative and humane this time around (well, they have been Hunger Games participants before so they must have developed the sense that what they were forced to do is not right at all).
2. Iron Man 3. It has been more than half a year since this was released and I still love it more than any Iron Man movie. Just like the first Iron Man movie, it emphasized on how Tony Stark’s smarts compensate his lack of real physical super power. And of course, any time you have several Iron Men flying around, it has to get some merit from it, right?
1. Gravity. I had a very wide smile after watching this flick because I knew it was very special. It showed how silence can be intense and scary. Any time two great actors can handle the whole show, it has to be great as well. This is because you are just focused on their dialogue, and it also meant that they did not bore the shit out of you. It was like Mad Men’s “Suitcase” episode in space or it was like the space movie equivalent of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart duelling it out in an Iron Man Match. It was very dramatic for the whole 91 minutes.
It was also apt that my number one movie of 2013 matched my sports theme of the year: conquer your own doubts and fears despite of the improbable obstacles ahead.
I had to choose one song per band for music. In case you missed it, I have already blogged about my favorite songs for the year.
Top Songs
5. OneRepublic – If I Lose Myself
4. Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark. Tough pick between this song and “Just One Yesterday.” But “My Songs” won because it was the more uplifting song (“Just One Yesterday” is a post-breakup song from a bad relationship in case you are wondering… and yes, I couldn’t relate to it for the moment so there’s that)
3. The Killers – Shot At The Night. Just a brilliant song by The Killers.
2. Vampire Weekend – Unbelievers. Won by a hair over “Ya Hey” because I think this would stand the test of time better
1. Paramore – Ain’t It Fun
I am actually hesitant to include the next ranking because it was not really a year for celebrity chick eye candy. I am probably getting old for this schtick but what kind of a Top Five Year-ender list would this be from me without discussing who were the most awesome celebrity gals?
So yes, we are doing this.
Top Female Celebrities
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| Oh Jessy! | Credit: McDonald's |
4. Jennifer Lawrence. One of the best up-and-coming actresses with the two Hunger Games movies and Silver Linings Playbook. Splendid acting as well.
3. Taylor Swift. Last year’s Number One Chick falls down two spots. But if you actually followed my Twitter feed earlier this year, you may think that she won’t be ranked here anymore after all the speedy relationship drama (and breakup songs) she had. But to be fair to Swifty, she eventually kept quiet and carried on. She eventually performed in Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Now, that’s hot. Fair is fair, she had ups and downs so she is just properly rated on my Top Three
2. Hayley Williams. Of course, Paramore’s lead vocalist is ranked here as the band returned back to the music scene. Pulling it off even if they have changed their style was quite a feat for Ms. Williams. I know that 99% of dudes won’t be having her in their personal Top 2 because she is not a Victoria’s Secret model and all, but I don’t care. Her voice is still beautiful as ever.
1. Jessica Mendoza. Halfway through the year, I would not have thought of placing her here. After all, she was leaving the Philippines. Celebrities need to stay prominent and relevant (well, not just them but everyone including the actual girls we like in real life). And she did just that with her blog and via her Twitter/Instagram. What made her more awesome for me is that she is a Red Sox and a Patriots fan. I could not even fully convince my ex-girlfriend back then to genuinely root for Ateneo against La Salle. I know it is beside the point because I do not actually have a shot at Jessica Mendoza in real life, but you get my point – what more can you ask for if you are a fan of someone?
Beauty is subjective and I admit that physical attraction matters a lot, but assuming that a girl is sufficient on your physical attraction scale, personality trumps physical beauty the rest of the way. This is why I ranked it this way. I know it is hard to say that especially if you are staring at a model with an hourglass-shaped body in front of you. However, I would pick the interesting gal who I could easily converse with over a hot vixen I would have a hard time talking a single thing to because our wavelengths do not match.
Top TV Shows
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| Credit: Breaking Bad |
4. Homeland. I was actually pondering if Suits should be in here or not. I find it easy to follow Suits on a weekly basis while I have not even watched the last two to three episodes of Homeland. But if you are going to think about it, what makes Suits so compelling? As for Homeland, they actually had a lot of lackluster episodes but they made up for it with the espionage tactics midway. #Patinkinsanity #SorryICouldntResist
3. Game of Thrones. Of course! This season was about my favorite book in the series (yeah, I still haven’t finished reading the fifth instalment after more than two and a half years since I bought it. Shame.)
2. Mad Men. A lot of people are calling it a down year for Mad Men. Pundits do not even have the show on their Top Five lists especially on this strong year of television (which I pretty much boycotted – I should have watched Orange is the New Black, House of Cards or Masters of Sex. I haven’t even caught up with Boardwalk Empire and I already know who died in the latest episode). Either way, Mad Men was still great. The Don-Sally storyline was great because it added bigger depth on how Don’s childhood paved way for him to be the cheating husband he is right now. Sure, there were weird episodes like the drug-related ones but hey, they are in the late 1960s! What do you expect?
1. Breaking Bad. This was pretty much a no-brainer. In previous years, I would be able to defend Mad Men over Breaking Bad. This year, Breaking Bad upped the ante with their best season (or half season) ever. I am still astonished as to how they pulled it off. Normally, this is the breakdown for TV shows: A) Majority of the shows are the best at the start. They have novelty after all. Then, the writers start to get bored or they try to overdo it just for the sake of ratings. B) Some shows get stronger in the middle years. Most of my favorite TV shows fall in this category. You would feel that they continue on their huge momentum after the first two to three years. Then, they stumble or got mediocre when they reach their late stretches. At some point, great TV shows become a shell of their former selves. (Wow! Parang tao lang) C) It is rare for a show to finish strongly. The writers may have been able to improve or develop their storylines further after the initial phase but when it comes to ending it, some shows just stumble at the finish line. Breaking Bad was nowhere similar to that type of show. Breaking Bad continued to be as thrilling as it could be up to the end. In fact, their greatest episode (Ozymandias) was the third to the last episode this year. The clusterfuck that Walter White had been in the past three years kept on escalating even if you thought that it was already at its extreme every time you watch each episode unfold. The writers were just able to find ways to make scenarios realistically worse for Walter White.
The next category is a new one but because we had some memorable songs played during the TV season this year, I thought it was just apt. After all, I am such a sucker for songs being played at the middle of important TV scenes. This was usually the forte of Grey’s Anatomy (think “Chasing Cars” at the Season 2 Finale) but this year, some shows made me rush to my computer to download them right away (or check my iTunes to listen to them again)
Top TV Soundtracks
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| The Mother | Credit: How I Met Your Mother |
4. Judy Collins – Both Sides Now (Mad Men Season 6). Brilliant song to finish the Mad Men season. I am not spoiling the ending but this coming of age song fit the final scene with Don Draper and his kids.
3. Breaking Bad Theme Song (Breaking Bad - Granite State). This was the final song played at the penultimate episode of the show. I know that it is the same as the regular Breaking Bad theme song but the way they executed it then got me pumped up on how Walter White intends to finish the show.
2. Snow Patrol - Open Your Eyes (The Office - A.A.R.M) Another penultimate episode song. In case you missed it, The Office also ended this year. This penultimate episode was brilliant because Jim got to show an awesome music video to Pam. It was about how much he loves him that he would ditch his job just for love and an ounce of him won’t feel bad doing it. As Jim says when he faces tough decisions, there is one thing that outweighs everything –even the most rational decision – and it is love. #TrueStory
1. The Shins – Simple Song (How I Met Your Mother Season 8 Finale). Of course, this was hands down the best TV song this year. The song was so right on point that they had to play the whole damn song in the entirety of the final sequence. This song just gives some magical hope and uplifts you. I do not even have a problem if they have to play this as an entrance song to the Mother every time she shows up this season.
SPOILER ALERT: I really have no choice in this last category no matter how hard I tried
Top TV Scenes
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| Jim-Pam forever | Credit: The Office |
Seriously, I cheered loudly when Michonne eventually stabbed that asshole to death.
5. The Not Great, Bob scene in Mad Men. Youtube Link
Just kidding, but come on! That Pete Campbell reaction was epic.
5. The Final Scene of Breaking Bad. I guess it was just too perfect of an ending that is why I had this scene this low. Regardless, it was picture perfect scene with Walt dying with a smile in his face as he vindicated himself from everything. The Nazis are dead, thanks to his well-timed machinery and he got to save Jesse Pinkman.
4. The Jim-Pam Love Team Music Video (The Office). Of course, one of the best love stories has to have that fitting ending. We rooted for this couple through the years from Doormat Jim to Confused Pam to Moving On Jim to Cold Feet Pam (she actually got warm feet eventually if you get my reference) to well, they got their happy ending (well, let’s forget what happened after the wedding though because I have erased that boring storyline already from my mind). But seriously, this was one of the most underrated love stories ever. It was heart-wrenching and hopeful at the same time. I do not even know how the hell Jim endured the torture at the start but he did (yeah, I am guilty of being on a similar road way back then and it did not turn out well). Then, Pam had to endure it when the tables were turned. But above it all, this story became one of the bests for me because of the genuine love and random sweetness they displayed for each other. It was subtle and well-paced as well.
This season showed the dilemma that Jim wanted to work for a business in Philadelphia but he had to ditch it because Pam was already missing him in Scranton. But at the end of the season, Pam was feeling guilty that Jim stopped his dreams for the sake of her. She felt that she was not enough for him. Jim asked help from The Office crew to show a video of him and Pam through the years. By the time the video ended, Jim said it best with “(You think that you) are not enough for me? You are everything.” BAM! That’s how you portray unconditional love, ladies and gentlemen.
3. Sally Draper finding out Don Draper doing the deed with another woman (Mad Men). We have watched Don cheating with women in the entirety of Mad Men. He tried to stop when he married Megan but he went back to his old ways this season. Everything changed when Sally (his daughter) caught him doing the act. Don Draper was traumatized. He felt lost and he did not know what to do. For once, Don felt an immense guilt. The tension actually grew stronger when Sally saw Megan kissing Don at their dinner table.
Well played, Mad Men. It took years to build up to this scenario and you guys have executed it well.
2. Hank’s Death (Breaking Bad). When To’hajilee ended, we somehow have an idea that Hank is not going to last long. They were outnumber by a gang of fully armed men after all. But the way the whole scene unfolded where Walt wanted to negotiate with the Nazis was excruciating. He gave up all his money to save his brother-in-law but Hank still got killed. Andohbytheway, this happened at the opening credits of the episode so just imagine how things escalated all throughout. I was in such an emotional mess then that I did not know how to react when the Ateneo Blue Eagles were eliminated the following day.
1. Red Wedding (Game of Thrones). I read the books so I knew this was coming. I was devastated when I read this eight years ago. When I saw it unfold in TV? Still sick.
Top TV Episodes
5. One Last Thing (Homeland). Brody’s redemption episode + Saul’s wise ass big picture plan + the father-daughter dynamic on how it played a role on Brody joining the espionage team = Yes. Yes. Yes!
4. The Rains of Castamere (Game of Thrones). Enough said.
3. In Care Of (Mad Men). Mad Men’s finale was brilliant. We had Don Draper sharing his sad past during the Hershey’s ad pitch. A very rare moment from a mysterious guy. We had Ted Chaough coming to his senses that he should take care of his family instead of cheating with Peggy. And of course, the ending where Don Draper shows his old house (whore house) to his kids so they would realize how their father grew up was just plain brilliant.
2. To'hajilee (Breaking Bad). Well played by Hank and Jesse as they tricked Walter White to expose his crimes in this episode. They also had him revealing where he buried his treasure. But of course, the episode ended with a clusterfuck scenario involving the Nazis.
1. Ozymandias (Breaking Bad). Gotta be one of the top TV episodes of all-time, right? It was like all the tension the show has built through the years came crashing all in one episode.
And that’s it for this year. Happy New Year!:)
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