Friday, March 22, 2013

From The Stands Podcast Episode 49: Grading the PBA Teams.


From The Stands Podcast: The guys grade the PBA teams in the Commish Cup.

@polo_bustamante: "Beau Belga has been solid. He's playing crazy, great defense."

@carlo_pamintuan: "Alaska knows what it's doing. It's working out. It's beautiful."

@chuck_araneta: "Don't forget, wala si Ali Peek."

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Listen to the From The Stands Podcast here:

Monday, March 18, 2013

The Best Ginebra Fan Poster I've seen this year. PHOTO.


Thanks to Ian Paul Baloran Discaya for sharing this on Facebook. This fan is intense. His poster is intense. Amazing what pentel pen, manila paper and a lifetime of passion can do. Clearly the best fan poster we've seen all year. And he was immortalized on live television Sunday night - Watch this: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/video-it-is-better-to-die-than-to-see-barangay-ginebra-lose

But guys, if you see this guy with the champion smile at a Ginebra game, and Ginebra loses that game, pakisamahan siya please, all the way hanggang makauwi, all the way until he recovers, all the way until he watches the next Ginebra game. Bro, I absolutely love the attitude but just remember your team's legendary motto - Never Say Die:) MH

Thursday, March 14, 2013

From The Stands Podcast Episode 48: The Stats Revolution, Balkman and Manila Clasico.


Sports mathematician Nico Baguio of @HumbleBola_ joins From The Stands to discuss the ongoing Stats Revolution in Philippine Basketball. The guys also discuss, naturally, emotionally and expectedly, Renaldo Balkman. You'll also enjoy their animated discussion on Manila Clasico. 

@Polo_Bustamante: "Commissioner Salud did what Petron didn't have the balls to do."

@Carlo_Pamintuan: "If the PBA is trying to make an example, this is way too much."

@NicoBaguio: "Once Macklin joined Ginebra and LA Tenorio, it unleashed Ginebra's offense!"

And Nico Baguio debunks some PBA myths about your favorite players! Haha. Bring out your pen and paper and take notes. Must-listen.

Listen to Episode 48 of the From The Stands Podcast Now:

The DeAndre Jordan DunkFace T-Shirt. PHOTO.


An awesome dunk deserves an awesome dunk face which in turn deserves an awesome dunk face shirt. They're actually selling this on the Under Armour website. I think a pop-up will even say that Under Armour can deliver your shirt to the Philippines. Brandon Knight is sort of lucky his face is not on the shirt. Good for him. Just in case you missed the dunk, here it is again:


Under Armour is also having a #DeAndreDunkFace Instagram contest for fans. Check out details on Kustoo.com. MH

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

#OurHoops Board Shorts Basketball in Caliraya. PHOTO.


Thanks to @EMnCRUZ for sharing this #OurHoops pic. While vacationing in Caliraya, they saw this basketball court and simply couldn't resist. What swimming? It's time for board-shorts-basketball! Game four-on-four na! This is where they hoop. Where do you hoop? MH

Yup it's a sneaker that can talk! adidas + bluetooth = The Talking Sneaker. VIDEO.


The Talking Shoe is a multimedia collab by Art, Copy and Code and YesYesNo. They created an adidas smart sneaker (to work seamlessly with your smart phone of course) that talks. Well, not really talk but it communicates. By connecting your sneaker to the web, using bluetooth and other gadgets which are hard to spell, your sneaker will send witty, funny, sarcastic messages to your phone app. It truly is the next step: for sneakers to start talking to their owners and for sneakerheads to start talking back. Sneaker says, "I love you bro." Sneakerhead replies, "I love you back."


To know more about this sneaker experiment, head on over to DesignBoom.com and ArtCopyCode.com. MH

Monday, March 11, 2013

DeAndre Jordan crushes Brandon Knight with alley-oop. VIDEO.

What was more awesome? The DeAndre Jordan monster alley-oop which absolutely crushed Brandon Knight? Although if you watch the clip very closely, Knight deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor for even trying to block DeAndre's dunk. Clearly Brandon tried. Clearly Brandon failed.


Or was DeAndre's Dunk Face afterwards ten times more entertaining? 


Dunk Face of the Year > Dunk of the Year. MH

Finally received my official Gaconatics Membership Card. PHOTO.

Thank you so much to @reenaddm of San Mig Coffee for giving me and @charddelrosario the membership card to end all membership cards. I finally got my official Gaconatics Membership Card during our "oath-taking" last night.






I'm proud to say that I'm member number 002. Richard is member number 001. We're still verifying if this card can also serve as an ATM, Credit Card, Senior Citizen's Discount Card and Coding Exemption Card. Kahit libre parking man lang sa Araneta, pwede na. This membership card is proof that Gaconatics is really ready to go worldwide!MH

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Commissioner David Stern's message for NBA fans in the Philippines. VIDEO.


Best line from this taped message from NBA Commissioner David Stern which was first shown on the big screen inside the MOA Arena last March 5: "And the most fans outside the United States on Facebook and Twitter." We love our hoops just as passionately as we love social media. The Indiana Pacers will play the Houston Rockets in an official NBA Preseason Game at the MOA Arena on October 10, 2013. MH

Friday, March 8, 2013

Insane Lob City alley-oop between Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin. VIDEO.


We're still not sure if the Clippers' highlight-crazy brand of basketball will help them win an NBA championship. We can worry about that during the NBA Playoffs. But we're certain Lob City is a ton of fun to watch. One of the best examples so far: this alley-oop between Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin. It's creative. It's spontaneous. It's between the legs. It's Lob City. MH

Thursday, March 7, 2013

From The Stands Episode 47: Alaska vs San Mig Coffee Recap plus extensive talk on new UAAP rule. PODCAST.


The From The Stands Podcast Episode 47:

@chuck_araneta: Chris Ross is keeping Meralco competitive! He's basically Rajon Rondo.

@polo_bustamante: Hindi kaya ng angas ni Abueva yung angas ni Pingris.

@carlo_pamintuan: (Re the new UAAP residency rules) You're limiting the competition and it's for selfish purposes.

Listen to From The Stands now:

Was interviewed by "dSource" re NBA in Manila. VIDEO.


Always fun bumping into Dennis "dSource" Guillermo. We had this nice little chat inside the MOA Arena during the press conference for the first-ever NBA Preseason Game in the Manila. If you want to follow someone who loves boxing and basketball (he covers the Indiana Pacers very closely by the way), follow @dRealSource on Twitter and check out dSource TV on YouTube. MH

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

"Give Me The Ball." New Kobe Bryant Nike Commercial for China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. VIDEO.


It's interesting to watch how campaigns are constructed for specific markets. While communication concepts such as hegemony are certainly in play here, it's also noteworthy to spot the differences between regional campaigns and global initiatives.


This new Kobe Bryant commercial designed for audiences in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong was clearly not meant for Filipino audiences. Yet somehow, if you cut through the cultural divide, you might feel, while watching it, that we can somehow relate to the material. The premise of the commercial is that kids can dream big, speak up and take charge when they have a basketball in their hands. It's a universal message, even when delivered in different ways. MH

San Mig Coffee Commercials featuring James Yap, PJ Simon and more. VIDEOS.




I always believe PBA teams should maximize the popularity of their players by featuring in them in well-produced commercials. This series of commercials/videos by San Mig Coffee is setting a good example. Just don't break the backboard in an actual game Joe. MH

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

NBA Commissioner David Stern invites fans to watch Rockets vs Pacers in Manila on October 10. VIDEO.


Through a taped message shown on the MOA Arena big screen, NBA Commissioner David Stern officially announced that the Indiana Pacers will face the Houston Rockets at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 10, 2013. In his message, Stern highlighted that the Philippines has the most number of NBA fans on Twitter and Facebook outside of the United States.




Houston Rockets Head Coach and Boston Celtics legend Kevin McHale also prepared a message for NBA fans in Manila. This October's historic pre-season game between the Rockets and the Pacers will be a landmark NBA event, not just for the Philippines, but for the entire Southeast Asia region as well. Surely, basketball fans from neighboring countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong will plan to fly to Manila to watch the game as well. 


Since I believe in the globalization of basketball, I'm not stunned to learn that players like Houston's James Harden and Jeremy Lin and Indiana's Paul George and Danny Granger are officially scheduled to play in Manila. In the context of the NBA's logical move to reach out to more fans in Asia as well as the Philippines' natural ability to attract the best athletes and performers, I believe this event is not just an end point. I believe this event will be a starting point for even bigger things ahead for basketball fans.



"This is definitely sports history in the making," Mr. Hans Sy, SM Prime Holdings Inc. President, said. "The Filipinos are one of the biggest basketball fans in the world. It is only fitting that we bring the NBA pre-season game to Philippine shores. And SM will make it happen at the Mall of Asia Arena." MH

PBA Fan Art by @HaeLGRfx. Alaska vs San Mig Coffee tomorrow!!!


The concept of teams spending for retro jerseys can lead to two things: a) merchandise sales if merchandising is indeed part of the overall business plan and b) giving fans a palpable sense of basketball nostalgia. Merchandise sales is about profit. Nostalgia is about public service -- in other words, it's a service for the fans -- or -- it's wanting to serve the fans. In short, it's doing it for the fans.

Alaska and San Mig Coffee won't wear retro jerseys tomorrow night. Although Alaska already rocked retro jerseys during official games before (good job Alaska). PBA Fan Artist Hael Pinat does an excellent job visualizing what a "retro" Alaska vs San Mig Coffee match-up would look like. It looks super awesome right? But what about San Mig Coffee? With the team's incredible history and just as incredible fan base, isn't it time that this team rocked some retro jerseys of its own? MH

Kobe Bryant's nasty, nasty dunk vs the Hawks. VIDEO.


It's a nasty, nasty dunk complete with Kobe Bryant's nasty, nasty scowl. Malas ni Josh Smith: he had the best seat in the house. I'm thinking, you don't even need to be a Laker fan to enjoy watching this over and over. Mamba wanted it. Mamba got it. MH

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Have you seen the adidas camo jerseys for NCAA March Madness? PHOTOS.


Expect to see these new adidas jerseys for select schools during the NCAA March Madness. Reactions to these camo unis have been mixed. Some love 'em. Some don't. And yeah, you notice that Louisville, UCLA and Baylor will be rockin' sleeves just like the Golden State Warriors. Yup, the sleeves. It seems weird now but in the 80s and 90s, it was normal for players to wear cotton t-shirts under their jerseys. Check out Patrick Ewing during his Georgetown days:

www.bigeasthoops.com

Or how different are these 2013 sleeved unis from the cut-off shirt JJ Redick wore under his jersey during his years at Duke? I remember watching the Evansville Purple Aces rock sleeved jerseys during March Madness in the 90s.


Wearing a cotton shirt under the jersey was a huge thing even in the UAAP and PBA in the 80's and 90's. Ateneo players wore them. La Salle players wore them. Everyone wore them. In the PBA, players who weren't feeling well were allowed to wear cotton shirts (remember this was the pre-dri-fit era) under their jerseys. If you've been watching basketball long enough like I have, sleeves aren't shocking.


But those camo patterns on the shorts....ah well...there's always room for an open-minded discussion on those. MH


Dynamite Danny's Magic. A fan's love letter for Danny Seigle.


Often, people ask me if I get a kick out of meeting famous athletes here and abroad. Naturally I do. But believe me when I say that some of the most interesting people I meet in sports are people who don't have millions of followers on Twitter or don't own mega-zillion-peso contracts. They're just people who love sports like you and me. People like Eths Domingo.

Eths is a sports fan. To be more precise, she's a Danny Seigle fan. It was such a thrill to finally meet her in person. You know why? Take time to read this opus and you'll understand:

Dynamite Danny's Magic

By Eths Domingo


When Danny Seigle arrived in the PBA, I was not yet a basketball fan. Only a four-year-old back then, I was still glued to Blues Clues and Looney Tunes. I knew nothing special about the sport which, little did I know, would someday be more than just my favorite.
It all began in 2004 when I first heard about the man referred to as Dynamite Danny. From a distance, I saw how he often left everyone in awe. Because of his breathtaking jumpers and jaw-dropping slams, it didn’t take me so long to understand why he was also called a walking mismatch. I didn’t need to be older to notice that he was too strong for smaller defenders and too fast for bigger guys. Of course I then knew he was the best in the league. I was told however that what I saw was not really the beginning of the great DS reign, but was his return from a career-threatening injury.
Today, I accept that time has gone by. It is no longer 1999, not even 2004. I am no longer a kid. But what even time can’t change is the truth that I grew up as a witness to Dynamite Danny’s magic.



I was not yet there when he fell down in 2002 but I arrived just in time to see him get back up in 2004. I was there when he made it to the 5,000 career points club. I was there when he was named Best Player of the Conference and Comeback Player of the Year in the 2005-2006 season. I was there when he won his sixth PBA championship with the Beermen. Also, I was there when injuries started to bother him again, and again, and again, and again. Tears ran down my face, I remember, when he left San Miguel – the team where I first saw him, the team which we thought would be his home forever. I truly have had a taste of both the glory and the agony. And as DS performs big time in 2013, his brilliance outweighs all the dark moments in his career. All the worries. All the pain. The magic just lives on.
I must admit that sometimes I wish I joined the party in 1999. Sometimes I wish I witnessed the very beginning. Sometimes it hurts me that I did not. But past is past and I cannot change any of it. What I can change though is the notion that Dynamite Danny’s greatness in his prime seems to be too good to be true in the eyes of younger fans like me. Yes, time may have slowed him down. Yes, time may have changed the way he hangs in the air. But I see that not even time, heavier legs, and the emergence of new superstars can make him any less.
The Danny Seigle I first saw in 2004 is still vivid in my memories and no one can ever take his place.  And maybe my wish was granted somehow. In his 14th year in the league, we are all seeing a reminiscent of the old days. As he soars high for an emphatic slam, he brings back the hands of time. As he plays clutch game after game, he brings us all back to 1999. And for a longtime fan – a lifelong even, if I may say, it means so much more.
Now we all think about the real thing with this man. We wonder how he was able to move even a little grade schooler. We wonder what made that grade schooler, who obviously has grown, remain in the list of huge fans. For me? It’s all because of Dynamite Danny’s magic. No one ever does it better. No one ever  does it like Danny. ED
Check out Eths Domingo's blog at http://ethsdomingo.wordpress.com and follow @eths619 on Twitter. 

Ginebra Fan Artist says #CountOnCaguioa. GRAPHIC.


Despite Ginebra's 1-4 record in the Commish Cup, Mark Caguioa's game appears to be on point. In fact, Ginebra Fan Artist @geraldasakura says, that even in these trying times, you can #CountOnCaguioa. This dude is playing 38 minutes per game and has not scored under 20 points in the tournament. He's averaging 23 PPG 4 RPG 3 APG. He even stole the ball 4 times in their last game. Can you #CountOnCaguioa? You know what Ginebra fans, I believe you can. MH

Friday, March 1, 2013

Alaska's Harlem Shake from 5 countries. This is awesome. VIDEO.


Nice job Gatas Republik. A truly international Alaska Harlem Shake. Singapore. Saudi Arabia. The UK. United Arab Emirates. And France. Hi there Jason Forte! This is obviously a labor of love from Alaska fans, and a former import, based all over the world. MH

The San Mig Coffee Mixers are dancing...and...singing! Wow. VIDEO:


What you need to know about this video: Joe Disco is dancing again. James Yap is dancing too. And PJ. And Sakuragi. And the entire team! They're dancing and singing. Total package. Plus check out priceless cameo appearances by Matt Rogers and Anne Curtis. Yes, Anne Curtis. Watch and enjoy. MH