Last Sunday morning I was greeted with a double whammy. My team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics lost steam in the homestretch as they bowed to the younger Miami Heat and a chance to meet the Oklahoma Thunder in the Finals. Actually, I never gave Boston a chance to go this far owing to the fact that their top three players Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are in the twilight of thier careers. But when they went up 3-2 in the Semi-finals, I entertained a little thought that Boston with their Celtic pride, might just pull this one out. But alas, age does matter. A few hours later another lightning bolt jolted me as Manny Pacquiao lost his crown to the still undefeated Tim Bradley. But even before the bout, I already had some doubts of Manny’s performance against Bradley. Manny seems to have lost his killer instinct as evidenced in his last four bouts. His last victory over Juan Marquez was even questioned. Some quarters think Manny lost that fight. Well, just like Barbara Streisand’s song “ Some Good Things Never Last”, Bradley ended Manny’s reign and his string of 15 fights.
More deaths
Barely had we gotten over the deaths of Robin Gibb and Donna Summer the other week, two more music icons bade us goodbye. The Platters last surviving original member Herb Reed died in a Boston hospital the other Monday at age 83. Reed founded the Platters in 1953 whose hits include my parents favorite song “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”. The Platters other hits include “My Prayer”, “Only You”, “ The Great Pretender”, and “Twilight Time”. Another music great Bob Welch a former member of Fleetwood Mac a popular band 70’s died Thursday after shooting himself. Welch was a composer/guitarist and vocalist of the group that was responsible for the hit tune “ Dreams”, that topped the charts in 1977. He was 65. May they rest in peace.