2012 – Page 6 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Ironman 70.3 Cebu: All ready except for….

… Potholes on the road.

I met Guy Concepcion yesterday. After he landed in Cebu from Manila, he traveled straight to Marriott Hotel and partook of their lavish buffet. We sat down after breakfast at 9:10 A.M.

Rene “Guy” Concepcion is no ordinary guy. Next to Fred Uytengsu, Jr., he’s the man behind the Ironman 70.3 in Mactan. He’s also an Olympian, having joined the 1988 Seoul Olympics as a swimmer together with Akiko Thomson and Eric Buhain.

“We have 1,700 participants for Cebu, all excited,” said Guy. “This compares to the 500 participants in the first year in Camarines Sur. In the second year in Camsur, we had 700. Last year, we had 1,100.”

If you think 1,700 is plenty—think again. Hundreds more wanted to participate. (This, despite the hefty $275 fee.) That number could easily have ballooned to 2,500 had all the waiting list and interested first-timers been accepted.

“We want to limit the number this year,” he said. “Next year, if all goes well, we’ll accommodate more.”

Guy is in-charge of the race operations. And since two of the country’s biggest triathlon races are held in Cebu this 2012—the XTERRA last March and the Ironman 70.3 in August—then he’s been to Cebu dozens of times thus far.

“Welcome back!” I told him. Welcome back? he asked. “I’ve been here too many times!”

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa is ready. So are the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu—the threesome co-hosts. So is, happy for Guy to report, the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. “We’re glad to hear that the bridge repairs are nearly finished,” he said. “At first, reports came out that it won’t be done before August. This is good news.”

Thanks to the active participation of Gov. Gwen Garcia, all preparations are in place. Last week in Manila, Gov. Gwen sat beside Mr. Uytengsu and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza in a glitzy launching at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati.

Guy’s only concerns? Potholes. No, not the ones in SRP. “When I saw those huge holes at the SRP a few months back, we were concerned. Imagine the cyclists traveling at 45-kph passing through those? That would be scary. But thanks to the DPWH and other agencies, they’ve been asphalted.”

Guy is troubled with the remaining potholes in certain sections of the reclamation area: The road leading to the tunnel; the road leading to the CICC. He hopes, in a couple of weeks’ time, for these to be fixed. (Paging, DPWH!)

As to the rest of the Cebuano public, those who won’t be joining but are interested to join the revelry?

“Please cheer! This is such a huge event for Cebu and for sports and it’s exciting to watch,” he said. “Spectators can line up the roads along the reclamation area. If one leaves very early, one can be in Mactan to watch the bike and run portions.”

Inconveniences? Plenty of areas will be closed to traffic—half of the M. Fernan Bridge, the entire SRP, portions of the Reclamation Area, most of Punta Engaño—from 6 to 11 A.M. on race day. (Proper advisories will be posted soon.) Access to Mactan and the airport, though, will still be open.

“We ask for patience and for the Cebuanos to come out this August 5 to support and cheer,” said Guy. “Cheering means a lot to the participants, many of whom are foreign athletes.”

Apart from the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman race—which will fire off 32 days from now—Guy and I talked a lot about other sports stuff.

Like swimming. Guy joined the 10K Fina Marathon Swimming World Cup in Israel last April. He timed two hours, 40 minutes. (In most local triathlon races, Guy is the first one off the swim portion. At the XTERRA race last March in Liloan, he clocked five minutes in the 500-meter swim!)

We talked about Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte. “Phelps has a way to elevate himself during the big occasions,” said Guy. “Expect him to win again in London.”

Finally, in one of those you-won’t-believe-who’s-joining moments, Guy revealed that one international superstar will be joining our Ironman.

The celebrity? (Hint: Not Lance.) Soon, Guy will announce that guy’s name.

Randy writes from London and Wimbledon

I hope Lance Armstrong is innocent. I hope that, during his 7-year reign as Tour de France champion, he didn’t inject or swallow anything illegal. I hope Lance is telling the truth. Though he never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in over 500 tests spanning 15 years, doubt encircles Mr. Armstrong. Almost everybody in cycling doped. Pedaling at 50-kph for six hours is grueling—that’s why the elite cyclists doped. Are we to believe Lance when he says he’s innocent? I hope he is. His story—especially his survival from testicular cancer (with barely a 40 percent chance of survival)— is one of mankind’s most inspiring. For that story to be blemished with drug accusations is catastrophic. For sports. For the word “honesty.” For cancer survivors.

After years and years of accusations, this one is the most serious. No less than the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is pursuing charges against Lance. If proven guilty, his 7 TdFs will be stripped off his resume list. Worse, he can’t join any future triathlons.

The USADA says that at least 10 former Lance teammates have testified saying they saw him dope. Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis are the two most prominent. Why would they lie? Having been convicted of drug usage themselves and stripped of their titles, why would they lie?

We don’t know. Again, I hope they’re lying. But all these raise doubts. While we were relieved that the U.S. Federal Government stopped their case earlier this year—we thought that was the end of Lance’s woes. Now, this. And this is even worse.

PHELPS. I’m a newbie swimmer. Only after registering for last March’s XTERRA off-road triathlon race that I practiced free-style swimming. But this latest rivalry has got me hooked to swimming news.

Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte. I was in Beijing four years ago during the Olympics. Though my wife Jasmin and I never got the chance to enter the Water Cube, we know the Olympics’ biggest star: Phelps. He won eight gold medals in China. He was the lone star.
Not in 2012. His fellow American Ryan Lochte is beating him. He beat him last year. He beat him again a few days ago in the U.S. qualifying. Their anticipated side-by-side rivalry will be London’s most-watched.

WIMBLEDON. Randy del Valle is a top executive of the oil giant Shell. A few years back, when he was asked if he wanted to relocate from Cebu to London, he said yes in a millisecond. A sports fanatic, Randy sent me a recent email…

“Exciting times for London! On the first day last Monday, my wife Christine and I watched Wimbledon. We did the ‘queue’ and it took us 2 hours. Interesting players were the young Americans Sloan Stephens, Christina McHale and Melanie Oudin—all promising and ready replace the Williams sisters. It was also the day that Venus Williams got eliminated.

“I was able to see the match of ‘marathon man’ Nicolas Mahut. Main draw that we watched were Federer, Sharapova, Djokovic and Cljisters.

“My son Luigi is a member of the British Tennis Association. He takes weekly lessons here in London and he became an automatic member—he is enjoying the game and plays tennis in school and outside school. With this, he was given tickets on July 8 (finals) in Court No. 1—of course, with one parent so I will take him to the finals. We will however not watch the men’s finals (which is in Centre Court) but the finals of the Juniors and the ‘veterans.’

“Big news now that Nadal lost in the 2nd round! Well, Murray’s draw is getting better and we are rooting for Andy to win this year’s Wimbledon!”

Olympics? Not everyone, even if you’re a Londoner, is guaranteed a ticket. “There was a ballot for UK residents last year and only 12% of those who applied had a chance to buy the tickets,” said Randy. Lucky for his family, they were chosen and will watch the Olympic Swimming Finals on August 1. “I got tickets for me, Christine and Luigi,” he said. “Also, we are watching the quarterfinals of football with my sister Ruby Joy and her family.”

As the London Olympics arrive, will surely get more first-hand updates from Randy.

Samsam Gullas: LeBron more like Magic than MJ

Last Friday, Gerald Anthony Gullas was both happy and sad. Happy because, seated beside Rep. Eduardo Gullas, his grandfather whom he fondly calls “Papa Eddie,” he made the announcement that will forever change his life: Samsam will run for Congress next year. Sad? That’s because, as big an NBA fan as he is, the scheduled press conference coincided with Miami Heat’s winning Game 6.

“I watched up to the 3rd quarter but missed the look on LeBron’s face when he finally won his first ring,” he said. Still, “CongresSam” is ecstatic. Last December when the NBA season began, I asked for Samsam’s predictions. His reply: LBJ will be the MVP and MIA will win. He’s two-for-two.

Yesterday, I interviewed Samsam again. A lifelong ballplayer—he regularly practices with the UV varsity squad (he’s the team manager plus the school’s AVP for Finance and Administration)—here’s the full commentary of the young Gullas:

MVP. “LeBron was legendary. With this championship he has put himself in the group together with the Jordans, Magics and Birds of the world. LeBron was aggressive and he showed that he wanted it more this year. The main difference was his improving post game; it was causing all kinds of problems for OKC. If LeBron didn’t score, 9 times out of 10, he would make the right pass. LeBron was just being LeBron. He made the game come to him. He assessed what defensive scheme OKC was running. He has been doing this even while we was with the Cavs but was never surrounded with two other superstars plus very good 3-point shooters.”

DOMINANCE. “Yes, I expected LeBron James to be dominant in every facet of the game. What I love about LeBron is that he can score 30 points and it would be not the best thing he did for the team. People always compare LeBron to Michael Jordan; I think he’s more of a Magic Johnson. LeBron is bigger, stronger, a better passer, a better ball handler and has more skills than MJ. But what MJ had was HEART. It is unfair to compare the two of them.”

KOBE. “I’m a Laker fan for life. But today, if I were to build a team, I would take LeBron as my franchise player. He does everything: score, rebound, pass and, most importantly, defend. Kobe will always be the better offensive player; LeBron is just the better all-around player.”

RESILIENCE. “Miami learned from last year’s loss. Erik Spoelstra said it best when he used a boxing analogy (but before that he said he was a huge Pacquiao fan), We were knocked down so many times, but each time we got up. With Boston they were down 3-2, Indiana 2-1 and OKC 1-0. Playoff basketball is more on making game-time adjustments and off-day adjustments. Credit should be given to Coach Spo, despite being a young coach he is able to adjust.”

TEAM. “LeBron became the beast we thought he would be last year. Wade said that this is LeBron’s team and he accepted the secondary role to perfection. Miami’s role players did well: Chalmers, Battier, Haslem and Miller. Lastly, credit to Coach Spo, his defensive schemes were a joy to watch. Papa Eddie voted for OKC to win but, as a former coach, he always admired the defensive schemes of Coach Spo.”

BOSH. “Bosh gives the Heat another scorer and one of the league’s best Pick and roll players. When used as a screener in the pick and roll with either Wade or James, it was a deadly combination. Bosh was also able to extend OKC’s defense because he can shoot. Perkins or Ibaka had to leave the paint making it very open for LeBron and Wade to penetrate.”

NEXT SEASON. ““I see Miami winning 1 or 2 more titles, but this year was the best chance for the Heat to win. Rose (Chicago), Ray Allen and other role players of Boston were injured. The West teams will be improving, so next season will be interesting. If OKC learns and takes this loss as the most humbling experience of their lives, they will be very dangerous next year.

“OKC will be contending again, Mavs might get an overhaul from free agency, Spurs will always be ready, and it seems like everyone is forgetting about number 24 in LA. Stay tuned!”

Exorbitant fees the reason for fewer races?

Manny Villaruel lost 42 lbs. He used to weigh 235. Now, six months after he started running, he weighs 193. Manny used to drink beer. LOTS of beer. One party we attended, the annual Press Freedom night, I kept on ordering the free San Mig Light and, like a plant who’d swallow water from a gardener’s hose, Manny gulped and gulped. Not today. Not last Sunday. Not anymore.

“I haven’t taken a single sip since January,” said Manny, the sports editor of The Freeman. It shows. Running the 12-km. distance during the “Hunat Subgu 2 – Dagan Para Kay Maning” race two mornings ago, Manny did drink—from the water stations. (He runs… away from beer.) Amazing transformation.

From the hundreds who participated, I saw plenty of familiar faces: Dr. Marivic Tan, Joe Soberano with his son Franco, Allan Choachuy, Dr. Vic Verallo with his son; Roy and Dr. Rosan Trani, my idol Steve Ferraren, speedy Jun Remo (who finished the 21K in 1:41), Kenneth Casquejo, Dr. Edward Gaisano…

Thanks to race director Joel Baring, the event had few hitches. Water stations, stationed every 1.5 kms., overflowed. The race started on time. Each category—6K, 12K and 21K—had its own overhead digital clock. The jersey, color blue with sleeves, was of high quality. A Pocari Sweat energy drink station stood. A bottle was given to each 12K and 21K finisher. The food at The Terraces was plenty: two puso, one hard-boiled egg, a stick of longanisa, a banana and juice. The 21K finisher’s medal was large and made by Suarez.

My only complaints? It would be nice to see a complete set of kilometer markers. There was zero entertainment on the road. This is what excites the wearied runner: music or dancers along the route. During the 21K start at 4:30 A.M., there was no loud, heart-stomping music that accompanied Jiggy Jr.’s countdown.

Still, these are few and minor. What I liked best: the venue. The Terraces of Ayala Center is the best start/finish area in our island. The location is central. There are plenty of parking slots. Comfort rooms abound. And, during the awarding, where everyone converges at the sunken portion—it’s perfect. (See you there again this Sunday for the MAPFRE Insular-organized “Go Run For Road Safety” race.)

ORDINANCE. My colleague Cheska Geli wrote an article last Sunday entitled “Running code downside.” Since the new ordinance was implemented in February, fewer runs are being organized in Cebu City. Many have moved to Talisay or Lapu-Lapu or Mandaue.

While I agree with the one-race-a-day policy (though organizers can still hold simultaneous events in other cities), there are plenty of questions to ask:

Where does the P15,000 payment go? Does it help the run? Or does it help the city run these events?

This amount (for the 21K) excludes the thousands (for overtime pay) that must be paid to CITOM. This amount, if I’m not mistaken, will not even go to the personnel of the Department of Public Services because, according to the new rule, the organizers themselves have to clean all the garbage.

No doubt this ordinance has plenty of good. But, four months after its implementation, it appears to have one bad outcome: fewer Cebu City races.

As an organizer/sponsor, why pay P15,000 when you can pay P500 for a Mandaue City-located run in Parkmall?

WIMBLEDON. If you switched on your cable TV last night and watched sports, your eyes must have been attracted to green grass.

As is the tradition, Wimbledon’s defending champion plays first. And so, at 8 P.M. (PHL time) yesterday, Novak Djokovic stepped on the manicured lawn of Centre Court.

Like any tennis fanatic, my dream is to watch the event that’s been visited by Monsignor Achilles Dakay.

“My first Wimbledon visit was in 1999 with Monsignor Eliseo Gamallo. We saw Lindsay Davenport beat Steffi Graf to win the trophy,” Msgr. Dakay told me in an earlier interview. His next visit was in 2003 when the William sisters met in the finals. “There’s no place like Wimbledon.” he said, adding, “You’ve got to try those strawberries and cream!”

Can Durant and Westbrook do a Bradley?

Don’t believe Bob Arum. Not when he says that his first preference is Pacquiao vs. Marquez Part 4. That’s absurd. There’s unfinished and unsettled Las Vegas business. We want a rematch. Didn’t a huge majority conclude, non-Filipinos included, that our Pinoy won? This controversy has to be settled. Not in the trial court. And, hopefully, not again using the judges’ ball pens.

But why, I ask, isn’t Bob Arum trumpeting a Part 2? Five letters: Money. If Timothy Bradley’s ego bloats and he asks for $15.5 million, for example, then that’s bloated. Arum wants to temper Bradley’s excitement. Its called negotiating tactics. Publicly, he’s saying, “Part 2 is not guaranteed!” but, I’m sure, in talks with the congressman’s camp, that’s the goal.

Don’t you think Manny The Renewed Christian wants justice? And so, in the end of all this posturing, let’s expect another Pacquiao-Bradley (or shall it now be “Bradley-Pacquiao?”). Also, don’t be surprised if my earlier prediction holds true: This November will be Manny’s last hurrah. His legs will turn 34 on December 17 and, having been adjudged as the world’s 2nd highest sports money-earner in 2011 (beating the recently-beaten Tiger Woods), he has more than enough billions to buy Sarangani Bay.

The 3 Rs to watch: Rematch. Revenge. Retire.

MIAMI. It’s been nine long years. Each NBA season, the league’s best ballplayer has dreamed of winning the prize.

LeBron James has everything in life: Three times, “Mr. Basketball” in high school in Ohio. The 1st Round overall NBA pick. Rookie of the Year honors. Three-time MVP awardee. He has two young boys: LeBron James, Jr, age 7, and Bryce Maximus, 5 years old. Endorsements with McDonald’s, Sprite, Nike. He has everything but—

Will it all change tomorrow? Will June 21, 2012 (U.S. time) be that day when the planets (aka “floating balls in space”) realign? When the long-named King will be crowned with a Ring? Yes. Yes. Yes.

In tomorrow’s Game 5, expect thunder and fire to collide. Who’ll win? Abangan. But this one’s for sure: Tomorrow will be the most anticipated game of the abbreviated season.

For one, the Heat will do all they can to burn, sizzle and cook the Thunder. If Miami loses, the momentum shifts. If they lose, they travel. They get to board that plane with all their XL-size baggage. They don’t want that. They want to stay home. To celebrate on their turf. And where better to party than with the presence of your family, right? But for Oklahoma, it’s a near-death experience. And we know what happens when one is near-dying; that ER-bound individual will be extra motivated to stay alive.

Will OKC stay alive? No. Also, like most I’ve talked to, I want Miami to win. LeBron deserves the gold. Plus, isn’t there a Filipino mentor there whom we want to smile his winning smile? One who’s been subjected to unimaginable pressure, especially last season? Go, Erik!

But, like what we’ve seen with Pacquiao, anything can happen on the ring or the parquet floor. An Oklahoma Game 5 win will change everything. For OKC, it’s these famous words: One. Game. At. A. Time.

IRONMAN 70.3. Only 44 days are left before the grandest sporting event this 2012 starts at the Shangri-La in Mactan.

This fight between Camsur and Cebu? On who has the largest number of tourists? Wait for the figures after this year and, no doubt, a substantial drop awaits Camsur. Why? Because the Ironman 70.3 in Camarines Sur—there from 2009 to 2011—was their Super Bowl/Wimbledon/World Cup of an event. It was their No.1 crowd-drawer. Was.

Because Cebu—thanks to Mactan’s open-sea beachfront and our abundance of hotels and our international MCIAA and our central/tourist-friendly setting—has snatched the Ironman from Camsur.

XTERRA in Liloan, Ironman 70.3 in Lapu-Lapu City. These are two of the most sought-after triathlon events in our archipelago. No wonder hundreds of runners have been pedaling bikes; swimmers now strut running shoes; bikers don Speedo trunks. Everybody’s Tri’ing.

Only 48 days to go before Ironman 70.3

Barely a month and a half is left before triathletes from all over the globe converge at Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort for the first Ironman 70.3 race in Cebu. Exciting! I know plenty, many of whom are first-timers, who are joining. All have programmed their schedules and minds on the biggest race that they’ll join. Cebu is honored and proud to be chosen as the host. To all participants, good luck with the training!

Revenge then retire

Call me anti-Filipino or a non-boxing expert, but what my eyes witnessed last Sunday was the opposite of what the majority saw: I thought Manny lost.

The key moment was the 12th round. And the 11th. The 10th. Sadly, and inexplicably, like LeBron James when the 4th quarter of the NBA Final arrives, Pacman does the same: seeing the finish line in those last three rounds, he flees.

In the scorecards of all three judges, Manny lost that all-crucial final round. (Even Jerry Roth, the lone judge who scored the bout in Manny’s favor, gave Timothy Bradley the nod from Rounds 10 to 12.)

Back to the 12th round, had Manny won those final 180 seconds—by striking, by attacking, by bombarding the American with that German-like blitzkrieg attack of Pinoy punches, then the decision would have been reversed. Duane Ford and CJ Ross would have totaled 114-114 and Pacman would have won.

But, no. When it was time to unleash the storm of bullets off his red gloves, Manny did not. It was Bradley who looked revitalized. Manny should know better. Why leave the decision in the trickle minds of the judges? Why not go ferocious, animalistic, merciless, like we’ve seen him against Cotto, Margarito and De La Hoya?

Michael Aldeguer said it best: “Manny lost the last two rounds which sometimes could sway the judges. As I always believe, the last two rounds are the most important.”

Like any movie or book or concert, we know what part is most significant: The Ending. And, in this ending, Manny failed. And while we can argue forever about the outcome, this conclusion we all agree on: Manny has lost his power. He’s no longer the same man who bloodied David Diaz, who laid to bed Ricky Hatton, who transformed Joshua Clottey into a coward. Pacman has fought 60 times and, if we add all his years of brutal hand-to-hand exchanges from the teenage years to today, then it’s two decades of relentless combat.

The pattern is obvious. Wasn’t Manny unimpressive in his previous fight against Juan Manuel Marquez? (“Now we know how the Mexicans feel!” said Jack Jakosalem.) Against Shane Mosley, he, too, was unremarkable.

JIMMY LAO. I watched the fight inside the multi-million peso home theater (possibly the best home theater in the entire island) of Jimmy Lao, my fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Cebu West. Inside the dark room with dozens of La-Z-Boy reclining chairs, our companions from Singapore (RC of Singapore West) joined us. Unlike the previous Pacman fights when shouting and cheering would energize us, this time, like a bad foretelling, the mood was subdued.

I was seated beside Romy Dy Pico. “Congressman,” we call him, Romy was in Las Vegas last November when Pacquiao beat Marquez. “The booing was so loud by the Mexicans when Marquez lost,” said Romy.

Conspiracy theories? Dr. Ronnie Medalle and our Rotary Past District Governor Ray Patuasi think so. They believe that Pacman is looking long-term and this loss his part of a grander scheme.

“No follow-up!” said Dr. Nonito Narvasa. Unlike the Manny-of-Old who’d tirelessly go for the kill when the opponent is weakening, this time he was passive.

COINCIDENCE? As pointed out by Quinito Henson in yesterday’s Philippine Star, here’s an interesting occurrence: Manny lost to Medgeon 3-K Battery of Thailand in 1999 after he won 15 straight wins. In 2005, he lost to Erik Morales after winning another 15 straight. And now… after winning 15 straight, he loses.

FINISH. To me, this defeat of Pacquiao is ultimately good for his career. (He’s still expected to earn, including PPV receipts, over $30 million! If that’s not good…)

Nobody wants Manny to fight three more times. He’s already on the all-time greatest list. He’s earned billions. He’s a congressman. He’ll turn 34 this December.

What’s the best scenario? Pacman secures a rematch in November and KOs the American. Manny retires with a win, his place in the greatest-of-all-time secure. Now that—and not a 12th round retreat—brings a Happy Ending to this real-life Manny Pacquiao movie.

New Balance 10K

Miami, Manny, Maria and the Mallorcan

John Gurzinski/AFP/GettyImages

It’s not just Manny Pacquiao who’s fighting today. There’s Boston vs. Miami in the do-or-die Game 7. And, if that’s not enough, last night we had Maria Sharapova winning (M. Jerome Limpag hopes!) and, later this evening, an epic French Open ending between Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic. All within 24 hours.

Mallorcan? That’s Nadal. He’s from the resort island of Spain called Mallorca. Why is the battle against Djokovic of legendary proportions? Because if Nadal wins, it will be his 7th Parisian title—a record. But, if he loses, it will be Djokovic who will record a masterpiece: He’d have won his 4th straight Grand Slam crown—all against the same fallen enemy, Nadal.

I pick Spain over Serbia. Though Nadal lost to Djokovic in their last three Grand Slam finals meetings, it’s the Mallorcan who has looked unbeatable the past two weeks. He hasn’t lost a set. He’s 51 of 52 matches (career) in Roland Garros. He’s also beaten Djokovic in their last two encounters. Tonight, watch Nadal-Djokovic at 9 P.M.

MARIA. Is there a female athlete who’s prettier? Taller? With more slender legs and flowing blonde hair? Than Ms. Maria? None. That’s why the most celebrated sportswoman is the 6-foot-2 former Russian native who now calls Florida home.

At the French Open, with the early departures of Serena, Schiavone, Azarenka, Venus & Co., it’s been an easy path for Maria. And, with Stosur losing to the unknown Sara Errani, it should be an easy, two-set victory for MS.

MIAMI. Nobody wants that NBA ring more than LeBron Raymone James. Drafted as the No.1 pick in 2003, he’s waited every month of June for NBA Commissioner David Stern to hand him that most precious jewelry. But each year, LBJ has been relegated to Groomsman (“always the contender, but never the Groom”).

Will June 2012 finally be the moment? It depends today. Because if the Heat sizzle and sauté the green peas called Boston, and with Chris Bosh returning fully by the NBA Final, then, yes, LeBron will pocket that NBA Championship.

Statistics? Miami is 7-2 at home in these playoffs. Boston is 3-6. This is problematic for Paul Pierce & Co. Plus, the return of Bosh appears to have troubled Kevin Garnett. In Game 6, he shot a dismal 12 points and rebounded only five times. Bad numbers.

Destiny is etched in the fingertips of LeBron. He will shine today and meet Oklahoma beginning June 12.

MANNY. A big fan of the Celtics, Manny will be watching (from inside the locker room) his team lose to Miami. But this won’t affect Manny.

Today in Las Vegas, Manny is aiming for his career win No. 60. He’s drawn twice and lost thrice. But the most important statistic? This one: Not since March 19, 2005 has Manny lost a fight. That’s seven years ago. Since that Erik Morales UD loss, Manny has won 15. Today, he’s gunning for Consecutive Win No. 16. In this era when, after each strong opponent, you fight another who’s bigger, faster, better—this 15-fight streak is unprecedented.

Two specific numbers interest me. One, that Manny is heavier than the other guy. This isn’t normal. When was the last time it happened? At 147 lbs., this is Manny at his heaviest. Also, the height. Used to seeing the Margaritos and De La Hoyas who’d stare down at our Pinoy superhero, this time, it’s Manny who’s taller than Bradley.

Money? Wow, what a disparity. Anybody who’s not ultra-famous who fights Manny gets $5 million. While this is huge, it’s minuscule compared to the $26 million guaranteed (plus PPV extras) for Manny. Boxing is big business. (By comparison, Nadal has earned $48M—in his entire career.) Manny earns more than 99 percent of the world’s top athletes—in just 36 minutes, max.

Will this be Manny’s last fight? We never know. With Manny now a Bible-loving and God-fearing Christian, who knows if he’ll forever say goodbye to boxing. While unlikely, we never know. That’s why we should treasure these few noontime hours. We have never—and will never again—see the likes of Pacman.

Oh, no! It’s a Boston vs. Oklahoma final?

Who would have thought. Who’d have guessed. Who’d have expected that, with all eyes focused on The Favored Two, that The Forgotten Two will meet in the NBA Finals. No, it’s not over yet. And, no, I have nothing against the Celtics and the Thunder. But, who’d have predicted such an ending?

I bet even the two Kevins are surprised. Yes, that’s Durant and Garnett—long lost Kevin brothers—who, after their teams were forgotten when they trailed 0-2, are now just 48 minutes away from meeting each other.

Kevin and Kevin. Nice starring names, no? What a true-to-life, the-ball-is-round and anything-can-happen scenario. This upset in the making has upset all kinds of predictions. But, just like our conversation 48 hours ago with Coach Yayoy Alcoseba, the home-court advantage both Boston and Oklahoma enjoy are not advantages—unless they take advantage of it today and tomorrow.

This is why the most thrilling type of entertainment is still the same. It’s these very pages that you’re reading. Sports. Anything can happen. Chris Bosh returns and loses. The San Antonio Spurs are on a 20-game winning streak and they lose three straight. Paul Pierce, relegated to a improbable one-on-one match up with LeBron James, fires a three-point shot (in LBJ’s face!) with seconds left to win Boston the Game 5.

Isn’t this entertainment—Sports—incomparable? We never know the ending. We still don’t. If the Spurs win today and the Heat scorch the Celtics tomorrow, the momentum shifts to the other side. The pendulum will swing. If. This is why the word “momentum” is so important. When you’re riding that rolling ball and it keeps on turning and gaining speed, don’t stop. Pedal faster.

My predictions? I pity LeBron. Since last year, he’s been castigated. He’s a nice fellow. He just got wrong advice last year (trumpeting his transfer from Cleveland to Miami). I hope the Heat win tomorrow and make it. I cannot imagine the pain LeBron will suffer if he loses again this 2012. OKC and SAS? I want a Game 7.

FRENCH OPEN. So far, Rafael Nadal has looked invincible. Out of the seven years that he’s played in Roland Garros, he’s won six. Three nights ago against clay-court specialist Juan Monaco, he won, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0. Nadal is tenacious and relentless. He sprints like Usain Bolt but runs for hours like a Kenyan. He’s left-handed. His topspin is heavy with lots of extra allowance over the net. If God created Michael Phelphs for the pool, He molded Nadal for the clay court.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic? The two are still alive. They’ll play in the semi-finals tomorrow. Novak escaped from four match points down against Tsonga and won. Federer was down two-sets-to-love against Del Potro and won. Roger and Novak—plus Rafa—are the best because of one reason: their mind. Sure, tennis often lasts five sets and is physically tiresome. But it’s all-mental. And, mentally, the world’s top three are strongest.

Ladies? I hope Maria wins. Because while Sharapova has won the three other Grand Slam titles (Wimbledon, the U.S. and Australian Opens), she has yet to win on the red clay of Paris. The 6-foot-2, 130-lb. Floridian will have an easy path. Serena is out. Li Na is out. So is Azarenka.

BRADLEY-MANNY. Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, the former City Councilor and now-CITOM chairman, is an astute boxing observer. Commenting on the fight this Sunday, he said: “I watched two full fights of Timothy Bradley (v. Casamayor and Devon Alexander) plus many highlights. He’s got excellent defense and a very strong chin, which are the major reasons why he’s undefeated. He also has power but lacks the speed. But what Pacman should watch for are his head-butts because he likes to lunge forward with his head. If Pacman can restore himself to his condition when he fought Cotto and Margarito, then it’s TKO by the 10th. But if he gets to play it too safe like in the Marquez fight, then its Unanimous Decision. But for sure it’s Pacman!”