Just My Opinion: The 2014 NBA All-Star Game

2/20/2014 7:20:21 PM

Perhaps, here’s something that I am doing for the second straight year: my take on the NBA All-Star Game.

Wait a second; have you noticed that during the past few years, three of the host cities in the mid-2000s were the same ones who got a chance to host another All-star weekend event?

If you hadn’t... well, I did. First, it was Los Angeles (2004 and 2011), then Houston (2006 and 2012), and now... New Orleans (2008 and 2014).

But anyway, fast-forward to the game itself. It was a contest full of free-flowing offense, with the ball is flying everywhere (say, I liked the new design, eh?) and points are racking up the scoreboard, resulting into previous records shattered by this year’s edition alone.

Talk about KD and Blake’s 38 points apiece, eh? They tied Rick Barry for the all-time 4^thplacer in the mid-season exhibition.

Wait, Kobe did not play the game yet again. And it seems for the third time he did not participated at the All-Star contest, his team lost. So, is there any evident factor regarding his presence on the court? Hmmm.... Well, he played 3 minutes during '08 and was scoreless on a 134-128 triumph.

However, the East may have won the contest, but I think it just proved out that LeBron does not need to win the MVP accolade just for the conference’s victory – their 37^th, in fact.

Is sophomore superstar Damian Lillard earned signs of fatigue following his participation on five (I repeat, FIVE) All-star events, including the main dish? Maybe not. At least, he got the distinction to be part of the best in the wild, wild Western conference.

KD should have earn the prestigious accolade, until Kyrie Irving stole the spotlight from the fab four faves: Durantula, Bron, Melo and Blake.

Well, I think he deserved it though, considering not just on his scoring barrage alone, but the plays he made to complete and 18-point rally to dictate the game’s fate by 8. This guy has 31 pints and 14 assists, perfect for a point guard, though I believe Steve Nash still has an edge over him when it comes to 3-point shooting.

But hey, time flies, and like I said a week ago, who knows, when the Big Easy will host the NBA’s annual mid-season break once again, new youngsters might take place again. And the vets are gone to nowhere.

The irony though, LeBron was with Cleveland when he won the plum. Now, Irving is another Cavs member who achieved the feat. Wow, signs of coincidence?

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2014 september twenty-eight productions

Just My Opinion: Mocks, Bashes, and Reactions - featuring Justin Bieber, Manny Pacquiao, and the Raging Netizens

12:03 p.m., 12/11/2012

I'm not surprised if some of the kids nowadays would disrespect people whom were known as "legends" at present time.

Take the case of Justin Bieber's bunch of memes for an example.

As shown on his Instagram account, 2 photos were exhibited. First, displaying the late King Of Pop Michael Jackson and then-knocked out Manny Pacquiao both leaning. And second, The Lion King's Simba was attached in that screenshot where the pound-for-pound was knocked down in his recent clash with his Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez and with the caption "Dad wake up."

And the photo draw the ire of reactions, especially for the Filipinos whom were badly hurt after seeing Pacman lost the fight that way.

And in fact, #RespectThePhilippinesBieber was one of the trending topics at the social networking site Twitter last night.

Now, my take.
It's easy to say to condemn what Bieber had done. And true enough, even yours truly did not found this funny at all.

Somebody might say "Okay, give the kid the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was just trying to lighten up the situation that the world (since not all of Pacquiao's fans are Filipinos alone)." But, he'd done that on a wrong timing basis. Indeed, not a very good timing.

Or somebody might react that "Filipinos are so insensitive! They should accept defeat, and with defeat comes an array of jokes." Well, this actually is nothing new on our culture. Some people used to react properly and some may not. And that's the hardest and saddest part.

I guess, those were another bunch of reasons why Justin Bieber was always bashed, aside from those controversies he had went through on his career. Not for the music he is making for the youngsters and the crap-contented "pop culture," but for the matters off the music charts.

Now after reading the thread of those controversial posts on his Instagram, I ended up with these statements.

Is he racist? No, I think he just hates Pacquiao. And he is just expressing his opinion in boxing, like any one of us who digs and still digging on Pacquiao-Marquez IV even if it's already 2 days after that shocking upset.

But too bad.

Photo credit(s): http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-mocks-manny-pacquiao-on-instagram-draws-ire-of-boxers-fans/

This article was published at the community blog site Definitely Filipino dated Dec. 11, 2012 (URL: http://definitelyfilipino.com/blog/2012/12/11/just-my-opinion-the-mocks-bashes-and-reactions-featuring-justin-bieber-manny-pacquiao-and-the-netizens/)

author: slickmaster | (c) 2012 september twenty-eight productions

Controversial the fourth time around?

Sa pang-apat na pagkakaton sa kasaysayan ng boxing, dalawang mama na naman ang makikipagtunggalian sa isa’t isa. Isang parte na naman ng epiko ito dahil sa, as usual na rivalry sa pagitan ng bansang Pilipinas at Mexico – ang labananang Manny Pacquiao at Juan Manuel Marquez 4.

At sa halos lahat ng mga karibal ni Pacman sa boxing rin, ito ang isa sa mga pinakamatimbang sa lahat – dahil ito ay laging nagiging parte ng maiinit na balita. Oo, kontorbersyal nga.

Pero bakit nga ba naging ganun?

Dahil umangal ang Mehikanong boksingero matapos siyang matalo sa pambansang kamao? Not just once, but twice?

Dahil din ba naging draw ang resulta ng isa sa mga laban nila nun kahit ilang beses na napatumba ni Manny sa canvas si JuanMa?

Hmm... sa kartada bago ang ika-apat na duelo ng dalwang ito e, may dalawang panalo kay Pacquiao, habang hindi pa nakakaiskor ng panalo sa nasabing trilogy si JuanMa. Pero sa kabilang banda, ang draw ang nakapagpasira ng record ni Pacquiao sa tunggaliang ito.

At take note, sa huling laban ng dalawang ito, nanalo si Manny Pacquiao – kahit taliwas ito sa nakikita ng karamihan. Kung maalala niyo kasi e hindi rin maitatanggi na mas lumabas ang kalakasan ni Juan Manuel Marquez sa labang ito via majority decision. Pero bakit nga ba siya nanalo? At sa mala-kontrobersyal na pamamaraan na naman ito naganap?

Hindi ba tanggap ng tao ang kartada ng mga husgado? (114-all kay Robert Doyle, 115-113 at 116-112 mula kila Dave Moretti at Glenn Throwbridge – in favour kay Pacman)

Kung ang sports media kasi na nagcover ng laban ang pagbabasehan, dapat daw ay si Marquez ang panalo.

Sa sobrang badtrip nga ng nakararami e naging trending ito sa Twitter. At ang mga Meksikanong mamamayan na nanood sa Las Vegas nun? Ayun, sobrang badtrip lang nila na winagayway pa nga ng isa ang kaniyang gitnang daliri sa harap ng press.

At kahit ang ilang mga Pinoy na nakasaksi sa laban na yun ay hindi makaget-over sa resulta nito. Aniya, dapat raw nanalo si Marquez nun.

At diyan din na-uso ang pagiging instant sports analyst ng karamihan. Nagiging aware sila sa mga naganap nun. Sobrang awareness nga lang kasi kahit tapos na ang isyu e pilit pa rin nilang pinag-uusapan ito. Ke... “Luto raw ang laban.”

Ganun? Sabagay, noong mga nagdaang taon din kasi e nasanay tayo sa mga laban ni Manny Pacquiao na panay pabor na pabor sa kanya ang resulta? Yung tipong nagnanaknak na ang mukha ng kanyang mga kalaban. Yung tipong nanana-knock-out niya tulad ng ginawa niya kila Miguel Cotto, Oscar Dela Hoya at Ricky Hatton. Noong panahon na bato-bato na ang mga nakakabangga ni Pacquaio tulad ni Joshua Clottey hanggang sa kontrobersyal na pagkatalo kay Timothy Bradley e parang unti-unti nang lumamya ang performance ni Pacquiao para sa atin.

Hmm... ganun? So ang lumabalas e tumaas na rin ba ang ekspektasyon natin sa mga laban ni Pacquiao, tama ba? Kaya tulad ng kasabihan na “too much expectation can lead to disappointments,” e ganun nga ang nangyari sa malayang demokratikong lipunan na sumusubaybay sa laban ni Manny?

Kaya ito lang naman ang mga napapansin ko na katanungan pagdating bukas, a-9 ng Disyembre, 2012 oras sa Pilipinas:

Titigil na naman ba ang takbo ng mundo ng karamihan sa mga Pinoy, mula sa mga trapiko sa kalsada hanggang sa mga crime rate?

Magiging “instant boxing analyst” na naman ba ang mga tao nito? (sabagay, walang masama dun. In fact, ito ang kagandahan sa isang demokrasya. Ika nga ng isang EP ng Word Of The Lourd, “lahat may kanyang kuro-kuro.")

O magiging interesado pa ba ang taumbayan sa kabila ng mga naglalakihang streamer at pakulo na may kinalaman sa labanang Pacuqiao-Marquez IV? Kung papansin kasi e hanggang trilogy lang tumatagal ang karamihan sa boxing. Ilang dekada na nga yata mula noong huling nakasaksi ang mundo ng matinding rivalry sa boxing. Kung hindi pa ako nagkakamali nun ay 5 serye pa ito umabot.

Ay, ewan ko lang ha.

07:44 p.m., 12/08/2012

Author: slick master | (c) 2012 september twenty-eight productions