Check: NFL and the US Open

CEBU - In our short human lives, we all have places to go and events to see. However, certain circumstances make it impossible in our lifetime. Some are extremely lucky, and some are just content and happy where they are. Neil Armstrong wanted to go to the moon and he did. All kids want to go to Disneyland but not all can’t go there. There’s Disney Channel, though.

Back then, all I wanted to was to see a “live” Van Halen concert and then I thought I’d die happy. But priorities change and Van Halen was replaced by any Lakers game. That, too, changed and my “thing-to-watch-before-I-go” wish became two- the Tour de France and any National Football League (NFL) game. The way things are going here, I’d have to take up nursing first.

But now, my flights of fancy are almost a reality. That’s because this Thursday, thanks to my brother JC and prettiest sister, Flom, I’d finally get to see the one events that I’d dreamed of watching, an NFL game between the New York Giants vs. the Washington Redskins at the Meadowlands. Whoa!!!

You see, this afternoon, my Dad and I will be leaving for the US. We’ll be hooking up with my sister, Flom, in Manila before proceeding to New Jersey where JC, and his wife, Hazel and the apple of their eyes, Erin, are now based.

And get this- as an appetizer for the Giants vs. Skins game, we will be on grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows this Wednesday to watch hopefully a quarterfinals match of this year’s US Open! (pinch me!) We have confirmed tickets already for both days. Another destination is Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, of which Flom is a big fan.

I originally wanted to watch the New England Patriots vs. New York Jets game but I realized that we are scheduled to leave home that day. It would have been amazing to watch Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Teddy Bruschi go up against Brett Frave (and all the intrigue that comes with Farve!), but maybe some other time.

I’d like to thank JC and his family and Flom for giving me and my Dad this oppurtunity to soak in this once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching the defending Super Bowl Champions and the US Open on consecutive days.

Hopefully, I can check, “NFL” and say, “been there, done that”. And no, I don’t want to go yet. Priorities change, you know.

Vuelta A Espana

The 63rd edition of the Vuelta a Espana rolled off last weekend.

The big story in this years’ Vuelta is the particiaption of ASATANA, the team snobbed by the Tour de France. With ASTANA carrying a huge chip on its shoulder, I’m sure they’d like to show the Tour the big mistake they made by not sending them an invitation card. ASTANA has the top 3 stage cyclists in the world in Alberto Contador, Levi Leiheimmer and Andreas Kloden, a trio one Euro writer called as a director sportif’s “wet dream”.

Challenging ASTANA is Sastre and his team, SAXO-CSC but honestly folks, I don’t think that Sastre nor Cadel Evans (he was a last minute scratch) has the talent to beat any of the three. I also would like to say here that Sastre would never have won the Tour if ASTANA was there. Contador is hands down the best stage racer since Lance Armstrong retired, period.

CRIT RIDER OF THE MONTH (AUGUST)

1ST- JON SIMBAJON-117POINTS, 2ND- CELING VILLAROSA-75, 3RD- LOLOY BERDUN-73, 4TH- LITO QUEBEC-65, 5TH- JOHANN ERMITANIO-46

I’d like to thank Engr. Arnold Gallego, Nonoy Abasola and Dr. Rodney Rubi for sponsoring this month’s CRM.