The Elegant Shot: Restoring the excitement that was the PBA
by Henry B. Abes (06/03/08)
Back in the 70s and 80s, PBA popularity was at its peak, reaching legendary status in Philippine pop culture. PBA stars were considered equals of movie stars. Fanaticism was at its height when Toyota and Crispa were the two most dominant teams, and brawls among fans outdid the occasional on-court altercations. When both teams disbanded in the early 80s, everybody thought that was the start of the fall of the PBA. But Tanduay, Purefoods and of course Barangay Giñebra saved the league, even surpassing the Toyota-Crispa games in gate receipts and TV ratings. >> read more

In Your Face: MVP, SBP taking care of business
by Joe W. Buduan (06/03/08)
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the country's official national sports agency for basketball, is taking care of business in spite of the pathetic and continuing inanities being mounted by the people-on-the-other-side. Undoing decades of incompetence by the people-on-the-other-side is difficult enough as it is. Actually having to deal with those who simply refuse to wither away like the underhand freethrow makes it all the more difficult. Still, the SBP has a job to do and is steadily seeing to everything that needs to be done.>> read more

Family Jewels: Family jewels and flashbacks
by Alan B. Taule (0602/08)
I often wonder how and why I get into the messes I get into. If I were shellfish I should aptly be named the accident prawn or at least the accident jumbo shrimp. This is what I get from watching Sponge Bob cartoons four hours a day. I have turned into Patrick the starfish. It is a good thing that I refrain from wearing tidy whites as a matter of personal taste: the t-brief of Bench remains my undergarment of choice.. >> read more