New year’s wish

I have only one wish for the New Year, that the deadly coronavirus will totally disappear so we could go back to our usual ways.  Covid-19 has wreck havoc on the whole world, not even sports was spared.  It has prevented me from doing things that I love best, like running and singing.  All major marathons including Boston, New York, Tokyo,  Los Angeles, Berlin and London were all canceled.  Even the Tokyo Olympics was moved to this year although there’s still some uncertainty.  Organizing a marathon is a real no-no since the race draws thousands of participants.  It will be in total violation of physical distancing.  My other passion, performing in Elvis tribute concerts, was also disallowed.  Like running events, concerts lure a lot of spectators.  Still, some people wanted to keep the sports fire burning and organized events in bubbles like the NBA and PBA while football matcheswere held in empty stadiums.  Some sportsmen organized events like virtual marathons but frankly speaking, it’s not my cup of tea. “Lahi jud ang actual race, so maghuwat na lang ta when things get better”.  Even in live concerts, “Lahi jud if naay mu siagit ug mag pakpak”.  I just hope and pray that the vaccine will solve all these miseries.  I know that the Pinoy has a big fighting heart, so “laban lang”.

Did you know?

Greg Lemond 

won the 1989 Tour De France on the final day of the race by overcoming what was considered an impossible margin of 50 seconds, with the fastest time trial in tour history.  Lemond upset the rated Frenchman Laurent Fignon.  But did you know Lemond almost didn’t make it to France?.  In April 1987, Lemond was accidentally shot by his brother-in-law while they were turkey hunting on a ranch in Lincoln, California.  About 60 shotgun pellets were lodged in Lemond’s side and back, some of them striking his right lung which collapsed.  Other pellets hit a kidney and his liver, two were lodged in the lining of his heart.  His wounds were nearly fatal, even after surgery, 30 of the lead pellets remained in Lemond’s body.  His sponsors believed this was the end of Lemond’s cycling career as sponsors withdrew their support, prompting Lemond to join lesser cycling teams for financial considerations.  He came close to quitting halfway through the Tour of Italy, the main event before the Tour de France.  But he didn’t gave up and won a 45 mile-time trial.  He retired in 1994 after being diagnosed with mitochondrial myopathy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy, almost unheard of among athletes.  Some people speculated that the lead pellets that Lemond continued to lodge in his body, has caused the disease.

Diego Maradona

Argentinian football legend who passed away late last year, required 10 stitches in his lips after he was bitten in the face by one of his dogs.  Reports said he bought the hound from the Argentinian Sniffer Dog Department.  The dog just confirmed that Maradona sniffed drugs. 

David Beckham

During his early Real Madrid days, shouted at a lineman during a match “Hijo De Puta”.  He was red carded and said “I didn’t realize what I said was bad.  I heard a few of my Spanish teammates say the same before me.  In English, it means “son of a whore”.  If you notice it’s also President Digong’s favorite curse “P…t ina mo”.

Mike Tyson

who again hit the limelight last year when he fought with another “oldie” Roy Jones, claimed he walked in on his ex-wife Robin Givens in bed with Brad Pitt.  He called Pitt as a broken down bootleg version of Robert Redford.  “Brad was not available for comment but refers Tyson to “The Baddest Man on the Planet.  Tyson was heavyweight champion with 45 KOs and was famous for mistaking Evander Holyfield’s ears as “chicharon”.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!!!