ABL Game 5

(cue slow motion effect)

4th quarter. Our ball with just seconds remaining in the game.

Sonn grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to me on the left side of the free throw line.

I pulled up for a jumpshot.

The ball bounced off the side of the rim, then off the back of the rim.

Then it went in.

The whole bench was shouting and jumping. Sonn ran towards me and gave me a big chest bump. The crowd was shouting and cheering. Jaye was applauding with a big smile on her face. I faced the bench, raised my fists in triumph and let out a big "YEAAAHHHH!!!"

Game over! We win! Our season continues!

Well, we were already up by 19 at that time and it was already garbage time. The team starters were already resting as they've given the bench players some more playing time. After going 0-7 in the leveling game and 0-5 for the entire season, I finally got my first basket of the season.

Hence my nickname "The Human Victory Cigar". If there are players who can provide instant offense or instant defense, I was the one who could provide instant entertainment. I think every team has this token guy off the bench for this purpose. It's like the modern day Dodot Jaworski.

Plug them in the game during garbage time and you get your icing on the cake. In my case, you never know what I'll probably do next. Hit a three pointer? Lose a rebound off my head? Trip by myself? Gets fouled and hits a free throw?

I actually enjoy the role of being "Mr Instant Entertainment". As a photographer or a lead singer or a team lead or any other role I played, I have never ever generated this much applause.

Actually, I first entered the game in the second quarter and I quickly went to the floor after someone barrelled me over, elbowing me in the gut. Ouch. I fell to the floor and tried to get up quickly. I was too dazed since I was hurt in the play. It felt like someone threw a body shot at me, it felt like getting hit with a bat, it felt like watching DLSU's first 2 games (yes, that painful). I continued to play on and even got a decent shot attempt - the defender bit on a shot fake and I drove in for a spot up jumper which clanked out.

Of course no sequence is complete without me muffing YET ANOTHER REBOUND. This was off an airball that bounced off the board, through my arms and onto the defenders hands. I did get an official rebound in the game though when a missed jumpshot just happened to drop in front of me. I guess just by standing around the rim, you're bound to get these "accidental" rebounds.

I had trouble breathing on this game though since I had flu like symptoms just 2 days before the game. I played another minute in the 3rd quarter and I let Don yank me out since they were going for the winning run then. It was also the time when the opponent started pressing and since I couldn't run, it was an automatic bench ride for me. Overall the team played really really great. Everyone had an extra spring on their steps.

By the time the fourth quarter came, we were already up big time and Fritzie from the spectator stands was shouting to put me in. The opponent called a timeout and Don obliged by inserting the bench players.

Bert got a rebound and ran a fast break with Ferdie and Sonn which was then I realized that we were the "round" lineup. If there's a fastbreak lineup or a tall lineup, we were the round lineup since all of us were on the chubby side. That play set up my jumpshot and with the win, we got pizza the next day instead of the usual donuts.

I hope in our next game we get a chance to light up ole "VC" again. Maybe he does something more than a jumpshot. Maybe he goes for a *shudder* layup! Maybe we get the "space ball" tear drop shot again!

Graffiti

It's the usual morning rush and I again was stuck in traffic along Ortigas. I was so bored that I started not only noticing the graffiti on the wall but actually reading them. I hate to sound like an old coot but I was surprised with what kids were writing about these days.

I've seen lots and lots of graffiti back then behind toilet doors, cement walls, all around school and just about anywhere you can carve or write on. Graffiti for me can be categorized into the following: a romantic statement, a name or symbol of a group or organization, a message for the people or your "street" name.

Then I found this







cutie is cute? Gagoy is cute? Zengky is cute? JR is cute?

Your street name is "Gagoy"?!?

You're replacing the letter "S" with a "6"? You're placed eyes on the letter "U" to make it a smiley face?

What next? "Pay your taxes"? "I drink milk before I sleep"? "Bananas are good sources of potassium"? "Flowers are pretty"?

Kids these days...

ABL Game 4

The loss in our previous game placed our season against the ropes as another loss would mean elimination and a whole lot of garbage time up ahead. Game 4 came and we were again faced with a dangerous team and a dangerous player.

Big games usually mean small minutes for me and I've already embraced my role in the team. I can't run and I can't jump. Usually my shooting is my saving grace but I've been 0-3 so far for the season with 2 airballs and this doesn't include the 0-7 mess I made during the leveling games.

The game started well until Charlie picked up 2 quick fouls prompting them to put me in waaaaaaay ahead of time. I had to play forward, a position I've never placed since I was 12. I was surprisingly running fast in this game as I found myself running with the team during fast breaks. There were no knee pains as well. I guess my rehab sessions were paying off.

I muffed three rebounds - giving them up as offensive rebounds. I absolutely have little skill on rebounds and boxing out. Ugh, even a traffic cone would have gotten an offensive rebound off me.

I had fouls and all of them were hard, aggressive, playoff type fouls. The first was an illegal pick when I decked the opponent. This one I didn't understand since he rammed into me. The second pick was a hard hack in which I hoped I take out the guy's thumb and the third one was when their best player drove past by me and took a jumpshot behind me. He jumped up really high and I can't block it so I grabbed his forearms and brought him back down. Foul, fine but at he wasn't getting any three point plays off me.

Then came the funniest play of the game. Fred and I were the two guards in the game on defense. Fred got a steal and I sprinted to our basket. Fred threw me the ball and I found myself driving to the basket against their two defenders. I took the ball to the free throw line and was about to take a jump shot. I took one last dribble and elevated for the shot.

The ball slipped out of my hands as the ball just harmlessly went into the defender's hands.

I was charged with a turnover but Fred should have been fined for giving me the ball on a fast break.

The game also had my first true statistic. Fred got an offensive rebound and saw me behind the three point line. He passed the ball to me but I saw a wide open team mate on the wing. I shovel passed the ball to him and he casually drained a three pointer. He ran back and shouted "nice pass". Hmmm, that was one of the ugliest passes in the game (I don't think anyone passes the ball underhand anymore) and it was a no brainer pass since there was no defender. I thought about it and realized that "nice pass" actually meant "thanks for passing the ball instead of hoisting up another airball". The fact that the game went into overtime proved that he was right. Djigs had a very good fast break that led to a three point play.

Jong and Don took over in overtime and eventually we won the big game. My knees were fine but this time were thighs were so stiff. I was one full court sprint away from getting cramps. I was kneeling down on the bench and was grasping Jaye's arm as the pain just spread on the entire leg. I gulped down he rest of my Gatorade and a few minutes later I was well enough to walk.

I finished with 0 points, 1 assist, 0 rebounds and three fouls. I was 0-1 from the field (yes, they counted that free throw gaffe as an "attempt"). At least I was running harder and faster in this game. This was the first game as well where I didn't beg to be taken out due to exhaustion. There's another game in just a little over a week and there's a ton of preparations up ahead.

The Quick Gray Rat Jumped Over the Fat Man and His Lazy Dog

It was a weekday and I was done with work for the day. I love that small window between the time you actually fall asleep and after you complete all your tasks (work and nonwork) for the day. That's when my brain stops thinking and goes to auto-pilot. I hate thinking about stuff during that time anyway. I would sometimes read magazines or listen to my iPod but on this night, I decided to play with my PSP.

I was playing Patapon while sitting on my bed when this big rat jumped on my shoulder out of nowhere! It yelped out an "eek!" and disappeared under one of my boxes. I yelped out an "eek!" as well albeit it was a lot more manlier that the rat's.

I stood up and checked where it would have gone to. There was no sign of Mr. Jumpy Rat. I needed help so I took my chihuahua Hershey and brought her to my room. Hershey licked my hand then slept on my bed. Damn lazy dog.

There was a rat under the table and the dog's now sleeping on my bed. I ended up sleeping on the couch outside. Like I said, I hate thinking.

ABL Game 3

Just a recap, we've now had 3 games in the basketball league in our company. I missed the 1st game because I had a conference call. I played in the 2nd game but I really didn't do anything except run back and forth and launch an airball from a very goofy angle.

The third game came and I wasn't as giddy anymore. It was just like any other game for me and I was actually feeling better this time because my physical rehab has been coming along well. We were up against a good team and so I know I'll probably play during garbage time or not at all. The game was your usual game and we eventually lost since they were just that good.

I got to enter the game once in the second quarter and I started the fourth quarter. I played a total of four minutes and it was the usual game for me - I run back and forth, wave my arms like an idiot and shoot the occassional airball. I finished 0-2 with one airball and one foul. Three interesting incidents though:

- I played forward in this game which means I had to rebound. The opponent took a shot and missed. As soon as it hit the rim, I jumped and severely mistimed the rebound. I'm not sure what happened, maybe I thought I was seven feet or I was playing NBA Live.

- I was battling for a rebound with this tall guy. The fatso that I am, I do my rebound battles on the ground by shoving you. If it becomes a jumping contest, I'm the last guy on the team you want for that. Tall guy jumps and gets a rebound while I pathetically jump and try to swipe it from him. I didn't reach the ball (hey, I couldn't even reach his elbows). I got called for the foul and I complained to the ref that I couldn't even jump and touch the guy, how could that be a foul?

- Funny sequence: we scored so I ran back on defense. After crossing midcourt, we stole the ball so I ran back. They missed the layup and I ran back on defense again. We quickly got the ball back and everyone ran for a quick offense. I was already panting and wheezing at that time. After we scored again I ran back as fast as I can on defense and went into position complete with the textbook defensive stance. I looked for my teammates and they were... on the bench drinking water? They called a time out and I was alone in the court looking like an idiot.

Jaye arrived during the fourth quarter. Good thing she was able to catch up since she had a conference call as well that night. I was already done though and I've loosened up my shoes and my knee braces. Jaye was standing beside Des who's the girlfriend of our team's best player, Don. On the court, Don was sprinting down the court, eludes two defenders off the dribble and finished with a contested reverse lay up. Everyone cheered as he ran back. Everyone was watching this guy while Jaye was watching this other guy on the bench who's highlight of the quarter was drinking a liter of Gatorade and going to the rest room every other timeout. It made me realize more how lucky I am.