Lahug brgy. captain and race organizer Mary Ann De Los Santos (center)at the starting line minutes before the start of the Running MAD event which drew over 1,600 runners
Mary Ann De Los Santos (center) with Men’s 12K champion Mendel Lopez (2nd from left), runner-up Philip Dueñas (3rd from right) and Sherwin Manangil (2nd from right) with race officials Raffy Uytiepo (left-most) and John Pages (right)
Call it any adjective you prefer—“Amazing,” “Incredible,” “Breathtaking”—what transpired 24 hours ago at the Quicken Loans Arena in Ohio will forever be etched in NBA history. Down 0-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, down 93-95 with the same length of time it takes to say “goodbye,” LeBron James does the unthinkable: He grabs the inbounds pass, spins around and, barely looking at the goal and with roughly 0.4 seconds left, unleashes a missile that dribbles against the rim of the basket and slides down the net.
Swoosh! Wasn’t that stunning? It wasn’t a Steven Spielberg movie—it was better; a real-life script with turns and twists that no one could have plotted and whose ending, wow, was spectacular and unknown until after the buzzer sounded.
Best of all, wasn’t that a Michael Moment? For while LBJ had accumulated a multitude of accolades—Rookie of the Year, MVP, scoring champion, Olympic gold medalist—he’s never had that one moment like MJ.
Now, this. The LeBron Moment. “The biggest shot I’ve made in my career,” he said. Hey, it may have been the biggest shot in all of the National Basketball Association.
If you’re a fan of Rafael Nadal, you’ve got to read this.
Yesterday, like many of you, I watched part of the Lakers-Nuggets game. From start to near-the-finish, Denver led. They led 5-0 after the opening tip, led by 13 points during the First Quarter, led by 11 at half time, led by 7 points with 7:01 left. But, as we all know, the term led during the game is nowhere near the same as led at the end of the game. Because in sports, the beginning and middle are essential—but what’s most imperative and paramount is The End.
Take swimming. Many a backstroke swimmer has led Michael Phelps at the start only for the Olympic gold medalist to overtake in the end. The same with cycling. A few overeager pedalists sprint to the front when the starting gun is fired—only to evaporate towards the finish line.
Which brings me to Kobe. Is there any ballplayer who’s a better closer? Who, when the seconds are ticking and the enemy is bloodying you, stands up front, lifts his sword like King Arthur and bludgeons his way to victory?
For this Sunday’s 3K, 6K and 12K distances, here’s the map…
Everybody’s talking about one of the most-awaited sporting events this ’09: the Ironman 70.3 event in Camarines Sur this August 23. Singapore Marathon runner Jane-Jane Ong is targeting to join. Gerry Malixi is swimming the 2-km. length. Noy Jopson, the former triathlon record holder, is one of the local favorites. Anton Regis will join. What makes this triathlon special, from among many reasons, are these: 1) This is the first time in Phil. history that an Ironman (a licensed brand/event) will be competed here and, 2) The event allows relay teams: One can swim, another can bike the 90K length, and a third athlete can do the 21K run. It’s perfect, right? And, doesn’t the three-person squad fit the name Tri-athlete? For details, visit www.ironman703phil.com.
Just when I had written a story on Roger Federer’s demise, he goes on to win his first 2009 title (Madrid Open) and, yes, defeat The Unbeatable On Clay in his home country soil with a score, 6-4, 6-4. True, Rafael Nadal supporters will say, their Spanish Red Bull played 4 hours-plus the day before against Novak Djokovic and was fatigued and worn-out. But, still, a win is a victory. All this means two things: Chinggay Utzurrum and Michelle So of Sun.Star are euphoric and, come Sunday when the French Open begins in Paris, watch for a Confident Roger against a Vengeful Rafa.
Lahug Brgy. Captain Mary Ann de los Santos is running. She ran in the past, she’ll run in 2010 and, this Sunday, starting at the U.P. Cebu grounds and circling the city for 12 long kilometers, she’ll run. I’m no political journalist—that’s why this space is on these back pages—and so, by “run,” I mean, literally, run, as in planting one foot in front of the other and moving forward as sweat drips from the body then bounces off the asphalted road.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6WQLvRvtjs[/youtube]
Thanks to my daughter Jana for suggesting this video.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z7fOtwWUes&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]