Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

2-0 is better than 14-0

(Photo courtesy of the top UAAP and NCAA site, www.inboundpass.com)

A few hours after Manny’s victory, the headline read: “2-0 is better than 14-0.”

How is that possible? It’s not. But it did happen. At the UAAP championships held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the winner wasn’t the team that won 14-0—it was the one who scored 2-0.

De La Salle University (DLSU), which struggled past Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) last week before entering the finals against the University of the East (UE), was the underdog against the only team that scored a 14-0 regular season record. But last Sunday—as the Cebuanos watched at Hola España—La Salle beat UE, 73-64.

Cebu lucky to be a part of Pacman

When he climbs the ring at past 11 a.m. (RP time) today, this we are proud to declare: Manny Pacquiao trained in Cebu City.

He jogged on the steep hills of Alta Vista. Sprinted near call centers named People Support and eTelecare along the I.T. Park. He setup camp at a Labangon hideaway called the Rex “Wakee” Salud (RWS) Gym. Inside that blue-and-white building, Manny skipped rope, attacked the double-end bag, and logged 112 sparring rounds. At the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, he slept in a suite room and feasted on Cafe Uno’s breakfast and dinner buffets.

Basketball? Sure. As part of his Sunday morning routine, Manny dribbled together with Team Pacquiao—his loyal gang of trainers and rah-rah boys—against us, the Cebuano sportswriters. Twice, we traded jump-shots at the City Sports Club; once, we collided and tumbled on the parquet floor of the Cebu Coliseum.

Why Cebu?

Good question. From August 14 until September 21—that’s 39 days—why did the King of Boxing train in the Queen City of the South? Wasn’t he supposed to be at the Wild Card Gym? In Los Angeles? As devised by Freddie Roach?

Yes, yes, yes—but here’s another Yes: Cebu is perfect for Pacman.

More Pacman photos from Cebu

After Manny’s final basketball game… with my brother Charlie

Atty. Jingo Quijano (left) with Dong Secuya at the RWS Gym

2007 World Heart Day Run

Last Sunday, September 30, I joined the 2007 World Heart Day Run at the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital along Osmena Boulevard. There were two categories, the 5-K and the 10-K. I joined the 10-K and clocked a personal best time of 52:39. Dr. Yong Larrazabal was there. Raymund Silot, one of the pillars of the Cebu Road Runners Club, helped organize the run that attracted over a hundred participants. We all enjoyed the run and it was a success! Enjoy these photos sent by Raymund…

Isn’t she pretty?

Guess who…

Ateneo and La Salle: No rivalry comes close

(All photos courtesy of top UAAP site www.inboundpass.com)

You know what the best thing is about sports? You never know the ending.

Isn’t that true? Unlike movies where, midway through the drama, you have a hunch of how it will end—in sports, you never, never know. Sure, there are exceptions like two Nike endorsers named Federer and Woods, and a southpaw named MP who’ll feast on a Mexican dish this Sunday—but for the rest of the sports world, it’s the same ending: You never know.

Consider Ateneo vs. La Salle. Twice in the regular season, the Blue Eagles beat the Green Archers. That soared the spirits of the Eagles, blunted the arrows of the Archers.

Then the playoffs arrived. La Salle sharpened its blades, looked to the heavens and unleashed razor-sharp bullets. The eagle swerved, dove, flapped it’s mighty wings, evaded shots that riddled the air—until it succumbed to an arrow-pierce on the chest. La Salle won Game 3, 80-79. The green army stood up. They sang. Rejoiced. Smiled at the defeat of their most-loved enemy.

Federer vs. Sampras: What a dream match

“How can a dream come true if you don’t dream?”

Among all the sayings and mottos that I know, that’s one of my favorites. Isn’t it true? If you want something so bad, if you long to achieve that seemingly-impossible feat—how can you reach it if, to start with, you don’t dream?

Dreams are essential. Without dreams, Neil Armstrong wouldn’t have stepped on the moon. Lea Salonga would not be singing in Broadway. Bill Gates would be a bespectacled professor instead of the world’s only $59 billion man. And Martin Luther King, Jr. wouldn’t have ignited such passion among Americans and delivered one of history’s all-time great speeches, “I Have A Dream.”

My dreams? Plenty. Add a brother or sister to my eight-year-old daughter Jana. Build our business. Run the 42-km. marathon. Watch the Beijing Olympics. Build a 12-court Cebu Tennis Center.

These dreams—though I’m confident all will be realized—take time. Months. Maybe years. But there’s one dream that’s happening soon. To be exact, November 22, 2007.

Pete Sampras vs. Roger Federer.

Executives don’t sleep, they run

Cebu Executive Runners Club members

I woke up at 4:20 a.m. Drank coffee, changed into a sleeveless shirt, tied my shoelaces and left at 4:45. When I arrived at Sug-angan Restaurant along J. Llorente St., I met five men. At 5 in the morning two days ago—last Sunday—while the whole Cebu snuggled in bed, these five runners dripped with sweat that flowed down their cheeks.

Dr. Vic Verallo had ran 12 kms. They started pounding the asphalt at 3 a.m. Can you believe that? Jess Taburada was with Dr. Vic, so were Serge Amora and Joven Vilasor. Meyrick Jacalan, like me, just arrived.

Tired? Were they panting? Did their knees look wobbly? No. They had just warmed-up. After 12,000 meters. At 5 a.m.

We ran. We circled Fuente Osmeña, jogged along B. Rodriguez, turned right to V. Rama, down Banawa and stopped after the Labangon intersection. We bought water then ran back. Upon reaching Arcenas Estate, we turned left then toured the compound. Next, we headed back to Osmeña Boulevard, finishing with a 300-meter sprint before we reached Medalle Building. My watch read “1:11.” We had finished at over an hour and ran over 10 kms.

Tired? Panting? Wobbly legs? Not these runners.

The man called Pacman

Last Friday, I sat eight feet away from Manny Pacquaio. It was his last training session here in Cebu and—together with my dad Bunny, fellow columnist Atty. Jingo Quijano, and The Freeman sports editor Manny Villaruel—we watched Pacman spar for 10 rounds at the Rex “Wakee” Salud Gym. After sparring, he stretched, did skipping rope, toyed with the speed bag, and laid on the floor to do crunches.

Is he in shape? In excellent shape. At the end of over three training hours that would land you and I in Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital, Manny didn’t frown or drop his shoulders—he smiled, danced, sang.

ARA MINA. Yes. She’ll sing the National Anthem at Pacquiao’s October 6 fight. Questions have flourished: Has the boxer fallen in love with the sexy starlet? Did he ask her to sing to inspire him that night? Or is this a ploy to help promote their upcoming movie, “Anak ng Kumander,” which included, from what I’ve read, a kissing scene which took all of nine takes? Whatever the reason, our only request is this: Ara Mina, please don’t do a Christian Bautista.

On the greens, the winner is Green

Last Thursday, the La Salle basketball squad beat Ateneo, 70-69, for the No.2 spot in the UAAP Championships. That was basketball. At the Araneta Coliseum.

Golf? In Cebu? For the past five years, Ateneo has trounced La Salle. Ever since the Ateneo-La Salle Golf Classic was established—never mind the golf course colored all-green—Green has lost to Blue.

Not anymore. Not this year. Not when I hear fellow Lasallians say, “Nobody beats us six in a row!”