Where Eagles Dare

The participation of Ateneo in the just-concluded 40th William Jones Cup in Taiwan has given the Blue Eagles a good experience that will be a plus factor to their title defense of the UAAP Basketball crown. No, I’ve not change colors, I am still a green-blooded La Sallite, but as a journalist, I have also to express what I expect to happen. In a previous column, I mentioned that the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will be a  force to reckon with this year. US-trained Kobe Paras and former La Salle hotshot Ricci Riverohas made the Fighting Maroons a contender.  Of course, La Salle will be there to give the favorites a run for their money.  La Salle also beefed up its team with the addition of Jordan Barlett and Miguel Corteza in providing support to Aljun Melecio, Andrei Caracut, Jollo Go and Mark Anthony Dyke. Ateneo has been impressive in the Jones Cup knocking out Chinese Taipei, Japan, Indonesia, Lithuania and Chinese Taipei team A while losing to eventual champion Canada and Korea. Thirdy Ravena is breaking away from the shadow of his brother Keifer while Isaac Go is becoming a terror in the paint and outside the arc. The Nieto brothers Mike and Mat continue to sizzle. Mat Nieto was the hero in Ateneo’s win over Chinese Taipei A where he drilled a trey with time almost expiring.  Ateneo was the surprise team in the Jones Cup being a contingent composed of students that battled national teams and professional clubs.  And to think that Taipei is a hostile territory. The fatigue factor finally caught up with the Eagles having played eight games in eight days.  Congratulations to coach Tab Baldwin for a job well done, steering the Eagles to a fourth place overall finish.

Next Lydia De Vega

Don’t look now but there’s a new kid in Philippine athletics who will probably be the next Lydia de Vega, Asia’s erstwhile fastest sprinter. Fil-Am Kristina Knott was impressive during the Colgate Weekly Relay when she timed below 12 seconds in the 100 meters. PATAFA officials are confident our athletics team will fare better in the Asian Games which fires off in Jakarta, Indonesia next month.  Joining Knott are Olympian Eric Cray, sprinter Trenton Beram , decathlete Aries Toledo, pole vaulter Ernest Obiena, triple jumper Mark Diones, 800m specialist  Marco Vilog, marathoner and Mary Joy Tabal and Olympian long jumper Marestela Torres Sunag.If given the right training program and support, Knott could be the  next important runner we’ve been waiting for.  In its bid to improve from a previous Asian Games, PATAFA has tapped Carlo Buzzichell to whip the Philippine team into top shape.  Carlo is also the coach of  female long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta of the US.

Did you know?

Charles Barkley then with the Phoenix Suns ran a special promotion during a game with the Houston Rockets in February of 1992.  Any male fan who got his head shaved, ala Barkley, would get two free tickets to the game. Any female who cut off all her locks would receive season tickets.  Unbelievably, about 200 fans “nagpa opao”, with 12 of them being females.