The heart beneath Carlo Sharma's hairstyle.

You're surely wondering why Carlo Sharma is looking more and more like one of the 12 apostles and less and less like a fearsome PBA enforcer. He's not copying Bad-Beard-Boys like Baron Davis or James Harden. Carlo's reason for growing his hair and beard is much more poignant.

Carlo's long-time barber, who also happens to be his long-time friend, passed away recently. And Carlo vows that no one else will touch his hair and beard for the remainder of the season. As a tribute to his barber and friend. As a sign that deep inside a 6'7" bruiser's frame, a heart mourns. MH

Pacquiao-Mosley Scorecard = Pacquiao-JMM III Scorecard?

I was cleaning stuff at home and found a photocopy of the official Pacquiao-Mosley scorecard. For anyone who's interested to see it, here it is:
Will the scorecard for Pacquiao-Marquez part III be just as lopsided? MH

Powerade's "Barefoot Training" for PBA games. Malu-Feet!!!

Well, the Powerade Tigers are winless no more. And if they do the impossible, they can notch win number 2 if they beat unbeatable Talk 'N Text tonight in Digos, Davao. If you notice a different pep in the step of the Tigers, it might be because of radical training methods they use to prepare for games. Team trainer Julio Veloso oversees the Tigers' "Barefoot Training" and swears by its effectiveness.


Coach Julio believes using Vibrams - yup, the training shoes which look like socks with toes - strengthens the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles thereby stabilizing ankles and arches better. the logic being: stronger arches and ankles help lessen knee problems in the long run. Wearing the "five-finger" shoe during training also helps players achieve better form in drills such as laterals, sprints, plyometrics and agility tests. Coach Julio says muscles, instead of joints, are activated by barefoot training.

See, this is proof that we're just a few steps away from seeing the first ever Vibram Basketball Shoe! I even have a prototype ready for my first endorser - Mac Cardona! Watch out for Cardona's Player Exclusive - the Malu-Feet 1 or MF1 http://micohaliliblogs.blogspot.com/2011/01/cardona-malu-feet-1-sneaker.html. MH

From Billy Ray Bates to Manny Pacquiao - a Father's Day Blog.

How do you get from watching the Black Superman....

...to interviewing the World's Pound for Pound King?

How does a journey start? It starts with a PBA double-header featuring Gilbey's vs Great Taste, Crispa vs San Miguel. It starts when your dad brings you to your first ever PBA game and you see Billy Ray Bates in the flesh for the first time. When you see Bates dunk in high-definition for the first time. When you see Atoy Co and Philip Cezar (even if you're a die-hard Toyota fan) for the first time. When you see Norman Black for the first time. When you enter the Big Dome for the first time.

It starts because your dad helps you start it. It starts because your dad knows how much you want to start it. Even at 9-years-old. My journey never starts if my dad never helped me begin. Thanks Dad. Thanks to you, the journey starts, the journey continues... MH

*thanks to Benito for the Billy Ray Bates pic http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MV4lEUkfg_iYfK_euLqZTg

Chot Reyes and "Camo" Pants? It's just a matter of time.

I'm sure TNT Head Coach Chot Reyes, being an avid golfer, is watching the US Open on ESPN. I'm even more certain, as basketball's committed fashionista, he already spotted American golfer Bubba Watson rocking the camouflage pants.

According to Esquire Magazine , Watson is wearing camo pants to raise money and awareness for US military families. http://www.esquire.com/the-side/style-guides/us-open-clothes-2011-5934444?src=rss#fbIndex3

I can already see Chot wearing slim-fit camo urban pants for a crucial TNT game. I can already hear his answer when the courtside reporter asks, "Coach Chot, why are you wearing camouflage pants?". Chot's likely reply: "I'm wearing camo pants to show my players that we're in a war in this series, that we are like soldiers on a battlefield and we will take no prisoners." Trust me, Coach Chot and Camo's...it's just a matter of time. MH

Dope Undrcrwn Dynasty Tees and what an Alaska Dynasty shirt might look like.

I've always been a fan of inspired, simple, uncluttered designs.

Check out these UNDRCRWN "Dynasty" championship tees http://www.undrcrwn.com/blog/tag/undrcrwn-dynasty-tee !

They're nostalgic and straight to the point. Easy to understand. Evokes so many memories. A tribute to the players and names which built winning teams.

I suppose this is how an Alaska 90's Grand Slam version will look like. Gotta have an All-Filipino Conference version to include Poch Juinio. Gotta have a Reinforced Conference version to include Sean Chambers.


And since we're on the subject of Sean Chambers, might as well watch this FTW episode pitting Sean Chambers against Tony "The Hurricane" Harris.


For more FTW videos, visit GMANews.TV FTW

Old School! MH

Benedict Fernandez - all hail his Hairness.

This is not Benedict Fernandez circa 2005. This is Benedict Fernandez circa, uhm, last Tuesday. 2011. Bilib ako kay Benedict, who now plays for Cebuana Lhuillier in the PBA D-League. Loyal to the hairstyle. Committed to the look. So what if he spends 75% of his basketball salary on hair wax. Basta we all know the Wolverine mane is his. And it's his style alone. MH

Done Fishing. Gone Fishing. Dirk Nowitzki finally catches the big one.

"Fishing, of course, is faith. You have to focus on each cast as if it were the very one that is going to produce the fish of your dreams. In fact, on almost every cast nothing happens. Maintaining faith through blankness repeated hundreds of times is the sport's essential discipline." - Ian Frazier

Honor the winners of the NBA Finals. They worked hard. They battled back from big deficits. They won close games. Go admire what the Mavericks have done. Salute Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd for this long-awaited moment. They kept the faith. And now they're finally champions.

Dallas is done fishing. Miami has gone fishing.

Perhaps in the future, for there are so few sure things in life, LeBron James will get his winner's due. Until then, you just hope he keeps the faith. Maybe someday, adulation, admiration and end-game perfection will not be as elusive. For some, the waiting continues. For others, the waiting is over. And a hard-earned championship seems a just reward. MH

Daddy's Basketball Boot Camp June 19 and 26

One's never too old to join a basketball camp -- kahit erpats ka na! Join the 2011 Daddy's Basketball Boot Camp on June 19 and 26. Camp supervisor is Coach Xavy Nunag of the Meralco Bolts. Registration fee is PHP 1,000.00 for two (2) days inclusive of jersey.

To register, call 470-9925, 0920-9458051 or email bootcamp@mommymundo.com. So hoopin' daddys, sali na. If Jason Kidd can learn how to sink game-winning three-point shots at his age, so can you! MH

Video: Dear LeBron - a fan's love-letter for The King.

Hi guys. Meet my friend Isa. She cheers for the Heat. And adores D-Wade. But she agonizes each time LeBron disappears in the fourth quarter. Plain torture. She's had enough. She's seen enough. Her heartfelt plea: it's winning time 'Bron. It's time to show people why you're The King. Kasi kung hindi....

In Game 5, it was KBJ over LBJ.

Everyone has to respect what a triple double is. Although I'm not sure what has happened to the LeBron James we saw in the Boston and Chicago series. Today was a huge opportunity for LeBron to take over when Wade got hurt. Headline tomorrow could've read, "Wade gets hurt, LeBron saves day."

Yet in the matter of big-time shots to win Game 5 in Dallas, meaning shots na maaalala mo 5 hours from now, even 5 days from now, and if Dallas finds a way to win the title in Miami (holy kamote!), 5 years from now, the dagger truth is this: Kidd, Barea and Jet took the biggest shots in Game 5. MH

Will you name your son LeBron? This guy did.

Disappointed with LeBron's 8 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in Game 4 of the Finals? I know one guy who's not. In fact, Jeff Zamora is such a rabid fan of LBJ, he named his 2-year-old son after King James.

And...and...he didn't name his son James. He named his son LeBron. First name - LeBron. Second name - Jazzfrey. Last name - Zamora. Pwera stir. Here's the birth certificate to prove it:


Yes guys, meet little LBJ Zamora --


LBJ, no kidding, that's his nickname! MH

Gilas fans not just being patriotic.

I was there for the battle for third. Between two teams which forced themselves to play on. I must assume Gilas players had a harder time just "getting up" for the game. To say "waking up" doesn't make sense since I'm sure many of the Gilas players didn't get any sleep. But both teams showed up, anyway. And so did the fans. Gilas fans. Philsports wasn't packed with Saturday's mammoth crowd. But there was a crowd for Sunday's game nonetheless. And it was involved in the game. Surprisingly.

I spotted families, couples, mga barkada, there were even spectators in the bleachers. There was a father who brought along his son (I really enjoy seeing parents bringing along their children to sporting events). There was a fan who proudly carried a Marcio Lassiter poster. Didn't seem like they were there because of commitment to the country. Or commitment to the sponsors. Or commitment to the powers that be. Hindi naman sila mukhang obligado. Wala namang ordinance. Especially since they showed up even after the deflating loss against Mahram-Iran.

Maybe Gilas fans like ball movement, outside shooting, kick-out passes. Maybe they like the Gilas players. Maybe they like Coach Rajko. Who knows, baka naman they wanted to see Charles, that other Tiu who sits behind the Gilas bench.

Whatever the reasons, fans wanted to be there. Even for a battle for third. Whatever the reasons, Gilas has provided these, in enough quantities, to gain a devoted, free-willed following. MH

JVee Casio -- Coach Rajko's Little Beast!

Coach Rajko Toroman seems quite protective of his players. Before the Gilas vs Iraq game, I sat beside Coach Rajko and he jokingly asked me, "Why you make comment about JVee's ears but not make comment about Caguioa's haircut?" My reply? I raised my hands, lifted my shoulders and gave Coach Rajko the trademark "Toroman Shrug". (I'm sure I've pointed out Caguioa's mohawk more than once on-the-air).

I remember making a remark about JVee Casio's ears during the Gilas-Ginebra series. Then, I think I pointed them out again during the Gilas-Al Ittihad-KSA game. Coach Rajko heard my remarks while viewing games on DVD and noted it down. If JV is sensitive about the ears, which he probably isn't, he shouldn't be. I believe Coach Rajko is more sensitive about them than JVee is (which, in a way, is good). I honestly believe they work like radar. Which explains why Casio can knock down three point shots, with the game on the line, over 7-footers, with his eyes closed, for pride and country. Swish.

I actually like how Coach Rajko protects his players this way. But in truth, other coaches are now scrambling to find ways to protect their players from JVee -- 22 points, 4/9 3-pts, 7/14 FG, 9 assists vs the giants of Al Jala'a Syria. That Little Monster!!! MH

D-Wade learns NBA Finals Rule #5 the hard way.

Where was PH TV Panel's Miami Vice vibe in Game 1 of NBA Finals???

Really disappointed that Boom Gonzalez, TJ Manotoc and Jason Webb didn't dress up for the part. Where were your salmon suits? Rayban shades? Sky blue espadrilles? Slick back hair? The white Ferrari Testarossa? The south beach 80's style? Didn't you discuss roles -- sino si Sonny Crockett? Sino si Ricardo Tubbs? And if malasin sa jack en poy, sino si Edward James Olmos? C'mon guys, you still have time before Game 2. Suit it up. Slick it back. Besides, alam ko secretly nagbaon si Jason ng espadrilles. So Boom and TJ, bring out your Dippity-Doo gel and let's see our talented Philippine TV Broadcast Panel bring its 80's style to South Beach!

Thanks to http://adventuresincreating.blogspot.com for the Miami Vice photo.

O eto guys, pang-inspire --
MH