Category: Uncategorized

The Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) is a band of 20 or so men and women whose jobs are to inform, entertain, and report to you, dear readers, the scores and facts about athletes who dunk, sportsmen like Tiger Woods who putt, and chisel-bodied boxers like AJ and Boom-Boom who score KOs.

Last Thursday at 8:30 p.m., we gathered. At Mooon Cafe, we dined, drank products by San Miguel, swapped stories about this morning’s boxing event at the Araneta Coliseum. From Sun.Star, sports editor Mike Limpag headed our line-up together with writers Marian Baring, Norvie Misa, and Edri Aznar, and columnists Atty. Jingo Quijano and myself.

Not sports-related but must-be-reported-news… Heading out of the Waterfront ballroom last Wednesday night, I heard various comments: “highway robbery,” “yabag,” “they forgot their lines!” “fake,” and “rip-off.”

Toto was bad. Really bad. As a start, the tickets weren’t inexpensive—the highest-priced at P3,500. In my case, with wife Jasmin and best friend Dr. Ron Eullaran and his wife Raycia, we bought the P2,000.

Our expectations were high—and justifiably so. Toto is one of the world’s most popular bands. During my teenage days in the ‘80s, I grew up listening to the American band. Toto was revered.

What happened? Put simply, they did not sing their most popular hits. Yes, songs like “Rosanna” and “Georgy Porgy” were sung but several major hits—like “Lea,” “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “I’ll Be Over You”—which the thousands in attendance kept on pleading and awaiting and asking to be sung—were never sung.

Every cause must have a reason. For the past five years the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival has been in honor of a man who has lived in an unobtrusive way.

Born the eldest boy of a family of seven on April 4, 1938 to the late Potenciano Larrazabal and Aniceta Veloso, Terry, as he was fondly called, lived his life devoid of the glitter of fame and fortune of which his family was blessed. Wealth and honor never got the better of him. He lived a simple life, married in September 24, 1961 to an equally simple lady in the person of Adelina Yrastorza, he begot eight children whom he brought up frugally, instilling in them proper family values centering around family solidarity. He was a father overly generous to his children almost to a fault. He was a loving husband and a good provider to his family, being a sugar planter and a businessman in his own right.

This is funny. Absurd. Never done before. Crazy. But, if they’re able to perform what they’ve boldly promised to accomplish, it will be unprecedented. A first. Freakish. An act to prove that man, indeed, is starting to play God.

Have you heard this news before? Of China, with only 159 days left before the Beijing Olympics, spending $100 million annually and deploying 50,000 people to—believe it or not—keep rain away during the Olympic Opening Ceremony? That China is concocting a storm—yes, a real-life, but man-made, storm—to clear the skies of pollution?

This is no joke. It’s true.

My good friend from Australia, Graeme Mackinnon, sent this informative and yes, funny, comment. Note: I especially like his last-sentence suggestion! Hehe… Thanks, Graeme!

“John, I watched a tennis player chewing on a banana during a game and it got me thinking. So two years ago I decided to give it a try. I quietly gave my son Robert one before a game and I watched what happened. Put it this way it did not affect him adversely, so I decided to put the rest of the team on bananas for the rest of the season.

“The team that I was coaching was not an elite squad of players and many of them you would have to say were not adonis in their physical attributes. They would eat half a banana five to ten minutes before the start of the game and then consume the other half at half time. I expect a lot from the players and I drive them in the heat of the game to go for that extra effort when the occasion arises.

Anyone out there who can identify these two?

This weekend (Feb. 15 to 17), a big event will kick-off at the Mandaue Reclamation area: the annual Horse Show and Competition now officially named “The Governor’s Cup 2008.” If you want to see cowboys or want your 12-year-old to ride on a pony, visit this weekend. To my brother-in-law Jake Mendez, the president of the organizing group (CEOBSA), good luck. And, doesn’t Governor Gwen look pretty and perfect in cowboy attire?

Daniela Hantuchova