RANDY DEL VALLE is Cebuano. He speaks Bisaya, lives in one of the plush subdivisions in Talamban, and works as a top manager at Shell Philippines. But Randy, at this very moment, is not at his office or at home—he’s in London. For years, Randy—a big, big tennis fan—had longed to watch a Grand Slam event. This week, together with his wife Christine, is that moment. This week, he’ll be sitting on one of the green chairs at the All-England Club and watching the green lawns of Wimbledon. Here’s what Randy e-mailed to me today…
Another R, not Roger or Rafa, will win W.
If you a) play badminton, b) want to watch the world’s best shuttlers, c) don’t want to spend P18,750 to fly to Singapore, d) can make a quick trip to Manila, then e) I suggest, on your calendar, you encircle “July 18.”
That’s when 428 players from 30 countries—including 26 of the world’s top players (and eight of the Top 15)—will land in Manila to smother, lob, drop shot, feather, and smash that shuttlecock. It’s the $120,000 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Championships from July 18 to 22 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Flag Football in Cebu? ‘The Sharks’ Devour
Among all the established sports that dribble and bounce in our city, flag football is one of the newest. It’s been passing and running on the grass fields of Cebu for only three years now. It’s still an infant. Right? Not true. The Cebu Flag Football League (CFFL) now boasts of over 550 active members. Quarterbacks. Wide Receivers. Men. Women. Yes, lots of girls join. Spiked shoes. Bandanas. Shin guards. Flags sticking out at the hips.
The other Saturday, on June 9, the CFFL hosted the championship bout–ala Super Bowl of Cebu–between a first-time finalist (The Rebels) against the four-time defending champs and the recent winners of the national championships (The LaserArt Sharks).
The Sharks could not be bitten. Like any shark swimming underneath the ocean, they were too big, too strong, too powerful. They won. But in the women’s side, Madille Salinas led the Dark Angels in a major upset, scoring the only touchdown of the game to beat the Sharkettes, 7-0. She won the MVP.
My good friend and former high school schoolmate Harry Radaza is one of the pioneers and movers of the sport. He’s also the Wide Receiver and Playing Coach of the Sharks. Harry tells me that while Flag Football in Cebu has been around for only three years now, in Manila it’s been circling the football fields for the past five years. And despite that early head start for Imperial Manila–and the fact that they have hundreds of thousands more of residents there–just this year, the Cebu teams (Sharks, for the men; Sharkettes, for the girls) finally beat Manila in the Nationals. Great accomplishment, Cebu!
The next Flag Football event? “All teams have confirmed joining the next league in September,” says Harry. “When the league started it was 5-on-5 with no contact. We have slowly elevated the level of play to finally get to the ultimate format which we first used this season and is here to stay… 9-on-9 full contact downfield blocking. As close as you can get to real NFL football. The only difference is the ball carrier CANNOT be hit. Contact is LEGAL for everyone else.”
Two upcoming out-of-town events, says Harry, are the Borakay Bowl – (5on5 beach flag) from Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2007, and in Panglao, Bohol (4-on-4 beach flag) April 2008. “There will be a CFFL Clinics this August,” adds Harry. “Players interested to join but have no team can contact us at http://cebuflagfootball.blogspot.com.”
Together with Harry are a group of passionate players and aficionados of the sport: Josh Pritchard, Richard Sharpe, Rayner Sangil, Loy De Los Santos, Kyle Thomas, John Paul Chongbian, Brian Lim, and Dennis Unchuan.
Here are the Winners for Season 8…..
MENS: 1st) LaserArt Sharks 2nd) Pyroworks Rebels 3rd) Browning and Sole Cocks. WOMEN’S: 1st) Browning and Sole Dark Angels 2nd) LaserArt Sharkettes 3rd) Pyroworks Bombshells. Most Improved Player: Mens – Sabellon (Rebels) Womens – Melicor (Dark Angels). Rookie of the Season: Mens – Lamban (Sherdogs) Womens – Erasga (Dark Angels). Regular Season MVP: Mens – Tanedo (Rebels) Womens – Salinas (Dark Angels). Superbowl MVP: Mens – Falcon (Sharks) Womens – Salinas (Dark Angels).
Also, watch these amazing YouTube videos: Double Reverse pass trick play to the Quarterback which put us up for good. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8wt59LbUB8) and a 60 yard Touchdown pass to Celocia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF3emqnrhtE). Plus, read this January 22 story by my Sun.Star Cebu colleague, Jade Violeta, entitled, “Cebu’s Flag Football Dynasty in the Making.”
Want to get a glimpse of this sport? Watch this amazing 70-yard touchdown…
Blood? Broken noses? Yes… Not this Football
Among all the sports that dribble, bounce and fly in our city, one of the newest is Flag Football. It’s been sprinting on the green lawns of Cebu for only three years now. It’s still an infant. Right? Not true. The Cebu Flag Football League (CFFL) now boasts of over 550 active members. Quarterbacks. Wide Receivers. Men. Women. Yes, lots of girls. Spiked shoes. Bandanas. Shin guards. Flags sticking out at the hips.
You lost? In Badminton? No problem… Here’s what to say
“My full potential is still asleep.” … “You can’t make shots I can’t get, that’s illegal!”
“I wasn’t using my own racket.” … “My foot fell asleep.”
“Someone took my racket!” … “It would be boring if I won every match!”
“The net’s too high.” … “Hey, the line jumped!”
“There’s a hole in my racket!”
“I had to let my girlfriend win.”
“The net moved on me.”
“I only win when I play someone I consider a challenge.”
If George W. Bush wears one, you should, too!
THEY’RE CALLED HELMETS. Their singular purpose is to protect your head. In case you meet an accident while riding a mountain-bike or sitting on your Yamaha two-wheeler, you’ll be saved from serious head injury. And so everybody should wear a helmet. It’s the law. It’s safe for riders. It’s a must. Unfortunately, especially on early mornings or late evenings when CITOM is not watching, many don’t snap one on. Unlike George W. Bush.
Run for P.E.A.C.E.
LAST JULY 10 at the South Reclamation Project, hundreds of running shoes trampled on the cement road of the SRP. There were five distance categories: 21K, 15K, 10K, 5K and 3K, and it was named “Run for P.E.A.C.E.,” which stands for… Planting a church; Equipping Servant Leaders; Assisting the Poor; Caring for the Sick; and Educating the next Generation.
Why You Should Watch ‘Rocky Balboa’
OF ALL the 728 movies I’ve watched, one of my all-time favorites is ‘Rocky.’ Who hasn’t seen Rocky? Who doesn’t know him? Who didn’t clench his fist when he sparred inside the freezer against those slabs of meat? Whose heartbeat, upon hearing the Rocky theme song, didn’t bang against his chest? And whose tears didn’t drip when he was bullied and spat on by Apollo Creed?
Morgan Freeman on Golf
I LOVE MORGAN FREEMAN. To my mind, no actor is more credible, more respected, and more trusted than the 70-year-old golfer. Golfer? Yes. “Morgan Freeman the Golfer.” You see, in the upcoming June 25 issue of Newsweek, Morgan Freeman writes about his passion for the sport. “Take Another Swing,” it’s titled, the by-line reads: Golf has taught the actor an important lesson about life: Age doesn’t have to keep you out of the game. Golfer or not, you have to read this…
How Difficult is Golf’s Hole-In-One?
Golf statisticians estimate the odds of a hole-in-one to be as high as 42,952 to 1. That’s for the average club golfer. The insurance companies? Haha. Of course they want to play safe—so they peg the odds at 15,000 to 1. Still, that’s difficult. This means that—if you follow the odds—you need 15,000 swings before you can hole that one shot. Difficult? No. Lucky.
Now, here’s an unbelievable story I read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, published last Friday (June 15). It’s entitled “One for Ripley’s: Fonacier aces same hole in 2 days.”