Sportswriter’s Notebook- the Pacman-Bradley fight: a view from the barangay hall

April 13, 2014

12 nn,

Sunday,

Barangay hall

Barangay 83, Zone 10

Pilapil St.,

EDSA  Rotonda,

Pasay City

 

It’s Saturday evening  in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. And, American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. is seeking answers.

 

He has been  brashly – and repeatedly – questioned the killer instinct and competitive fire of Filipino ring legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao leading up to their welterweight rematch.

 

All this, according to reports I read on ABS-CBN online.

 

While Bradley was busy getting answers to his questions, somethings about over in Pasay City, in Metro Manila, Philippines.

 

Over at the my apartment somewhere in Pilapil St., Barangay 83, Zone 10, I was about to have lunch when I noticed a big group of people gathering at the barangay hall.

 

I was supposed to leave early for the SM Mall of Asia Arena to watch the ongoing action of the 2014 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship.

 

But, what took place at that point in time delayed my trip. Barangay chairman Jimmy Montesa had the roads leading to the barangay office cordoned off by tricycles bearing signs welcoming residents and commuters going down the nearby EDSA-LRT station to come and watch the Pacman-Bradley fight.

(tricycle in middle of Pilapil St., inviting residents and commuters going to LRT EDSA station (hidden at left) for a live viewing).

The big group of people gathering amidst the heat of the midday sun were quietly down inside half a dozen tents when I came around.

 

A 40-inch TV is sitting in front of the barangay for the free live viewing of the fight.

(barangay chairman Jimmy Montesa (in yellow shorts) looks at the crowd while standing near flat screen TV).

So, I settle down in the crowded front row to watch the beginning of the fight.

 

As Pacquiao made sure that there would be no controversy in the rematch as he dismantled Bradley to win via a unanimous decision, I took photos of the crowd around  me, noting the emotions in their faces, and until my batteries ran out.

(crowd gather to watch)

As the Pacman landed his left straight with frequency even in the latter rounds, I got distracted looking for my wife when I decided to return to the house when the third round took place.

 

She was lost in the crowd, as I tried to seek her to get the key which would unlock the door to the apartment, and so I can recharge and change batteries.

 

As Bradley faded down the stretch, I made efforts to keep a view of the fight amidst the thick crowd in between my search.

(plastic tables support flat screen TV).

 

I finally found her near a shanty and camouflaged behind a jeep.

 

I finally got into the house, got my batteries recharges, and brought out replacements as well, and took more photos from afar by the time I returned in the ninth round.

(crowd settles down to watch fight).

I felt I hardly missed a thing when Pacquiao was unable to win by knockout.

 

He clearly dazed Bradley numerous times(according to what I have read in the online reports later), and unloaded a brutal 10-punch combination in the seventh round.

(live view near the barangay hall)

I saw this happening while “Desert Storm” was pinned against the ropes.

 

As the Pacman punched away, I got fascinate taking photos of a father and kid watching closely near the TV.

 

It’s Jonjon Echalas and his seven year old son P-Jay, I would find out after the fight.

(Jon Jon Eschalar and son P-Jay, watching fight from up close).

Even while I got busy trying to reenter my house, I was always back to watch as Bradley surprisingly choosing to slug it out with Pacquiao.

 

The big exchanges were happening  in the early rounds, with Bradley staying in the pocket against the Filipino and exchanging.

 

His attacks worked in the fourth round, when he rocked Pacquiao with an overhand right that forced the “Pacman” to backpedal, according to what I later read, and what I also witnessed on the big screen.

 

On screen, it looked that Bradley was unable to sustain his early onslaught.

 

Looking quite tired in the second half of the bout, he often opted to wind up for a huge right hand in an effort to knock out Pacquiao.

 

And he wound up missing most of his punches.

 

When it was over the unanimous decision loss was the first of Bradley’s career.

(crowd reacts to Pacman win).

I knew it was time to pack when I saw the crowd around me roaring into applause, and on TV, Mommy Dionesia was giving Bradley a congatulatory hug.

 

 

 

Sportswriter’s Notebook- Kuya Derrick Pumaren, not Dindo, makes it as new UE Warriors coach

April 10, 2014,

2 p.m.

Thursday,

Press Room,

SM Mall of Asia Arena,

Pasay City

 

Like I said, somebody must be playing an April Fool’s Day when speculation grew out of  Louie Alas and  Dindo Pumaren as among the top choices as the new coach of the University of the  East Warriors coach.

 

Neither of them took over as head coach when the practices of the UE Warriors resumed this morning.

 

It was kuya Derrick Pumaren who became the head coach UE Red Warriors.

(Derrick Pumaren, new UE head coach. Photo sourced from Spin.ph).

And he gets to  handle the squad in the coming 77th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Twitter alerts early this afternoon called my attention that Derrick did make it.

 

“He officially took over this morning. True “red” Red warrior,” later said the school’s top management through sports director Rodrigo Roque.

 

This message was sent to me through text blasts forwards by a school supporter.

 

I got this message after I treated Spin.ph’s Meilin Lozada to caramel frappe, Mark Escarlote of Abante to vanilla frappe, Inquirer.net’s Celest Flores to caramel macchiato decaf(good for pregnant women) and Kristel Villar (hazelnut macchiato), and Tribune’s Julius Manicad to his favorite latte.

 

And it’s all at Starbuck’s Coffee located at the SM Mall of Asia Arena during the games of the 2014 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championships.

 

And since it came from very reliable sources, I believed it.

 

Pumaren  officially replaces Boyzie Zamar and he has also taken in his younger brother Dindo as his assistant.

 

He is a former member UE Pages team which won the junior crown, he  played for two years with the  Red Warriors.

 

Their father  Pilo used to play for the Warriors, and so did their older brother, current Air21 coach Franz.

 

Derrick has not coached a team since he handled Talk ‘N Text in the PBA six years ago, settling mostly for consultancy jobs.

 

During the first day of practice, Season 75 Mythical Team member Roi Sumang was among the first to sho.

 

Then, there was Dan Alberto, Chris Javier and Sierra Leone native Charles Mammie.

 

They  will be around to lead UE’s campaign in July along with another foreign player Mustapha Arafat.

 

The Warriors last made it to the post-season in 2009, where the team, handled by Lawrence Chongson, lost to Ateneo in the Finals.

 

UE won last year’s Filoil Flying V pre season summer tournament, and the Fr. Martin Summer Cup crown as well.

 

But the Warriors struggled in the first round due to suspensions that hit the team.

 

During the UAAP season, UE had a strong second round only to wound up in sixth place with a 7-7 record behind fourth placer University of Santo Tomas.

Zamar was sacked two years after taking over in 2012, and  after the school fired his former teammate Jerry Codinera midway in the elimination round , and after a disastrous 1-6 start.

 

Former Letran coach Louie Alas reportedly  had an inside track for the job after sitting down with Michael Tan, a son of business tycoon and top UE backer Lucio Tan.

 

 

Sportswriter’s notebook- April-fooled: Alas or Pumaren as UE Warriors coach (?), La Salle Green Archers off to Turkey.

April 2, 2014

12 nn,

Waling-Waling Room,

2^nd floor,

Orchid Garden Suites,

Vito Cruz,

Manila

Based on experiences I had recently,  an April Fool’s Day joke do not usually begin and end on April 1. It could linger on for days.

I went to visit the press conference which introduced former Procter and Gamble CEO James Lafferty as the coach of long jumper Marestella Torres.

 

I entered Waling Waling room and settled in the back of the room, since I only wanted to find out what’s going, and quickly leave the venue(This is because somebody else is doing the story for the paper) soon after.

 

Somebody greeted me(at a time when I wanted to by anonymous). It was Go Archers photographer Joseph Nebrida. He said he is a follower of Lafferty as a coach of corporate runners.

 

(The La Salle Green Archers while singing the school anthem. photo sourced from Go Archers.com, Joseph Nebrida).

 

We struck a conversation, and he told me not to touch a story which I was planning to do a follow-up on, and write that day.

 

–         La Salle Green Archers are not going to Turkey

 

On the Go Archers.com website, Nebrida informed me  that they have posted an April’s Fool’s joke on the La Salle Green Archers’ men’s basketball team.

 

He implored me not to go further into the story which states that the Green Archers are going to skip pre-season tournaments this summer and will train in Turkey.( http://www.goarchers.com/12142/green-archers-to-skip-preseason-tourney-to-train-in-turkey).

 

“It’s an April Fool’s joke. Don’t believe that. The last time we had one, it was about a Japanese player suiting up for the Green Archers. That was many years ago,” said Nebrida.

 

Ok, I said. I will just ignore the line which says that “the team’s sudden withdrawal from the annual summer tournament which is slated to begin late this month. Instead, they are scheduled to fly off to Turkey to attend a special basketball training camp and play several tune-up matches against local squads, including their national Under-21 team.”

And so I comply.

During the course of the press conference, I then bump into Spin.ph’s Reuben Terrado, who also warn me not to touch the story either.

 

–         Is Louie Alas or Dindo Pumaren among choices as UE Warriors coach?

So, the case of the La Salle Green Archers pre-season sorties has been a topic of April Fool’s jokes.

 

But that may not the only one  that I was able stumble into that day.

 

I am still waiting for the status of Louie Alas and Dindo Pumaren  after I learned something later that afternoon.

 

I was doing some follow up when I came across  a story which Spin.ph came out on April 1, 2014 by Reuben Terrado.(http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/choice-for-next-ue-coach-down-to-louie-alas-and-dindo-pumaren-says-source).

 

(The UE Red Warriors during happier times. photo sourced from PBA online.com).

This after I returned to the media center at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, and made a call to one of my sources at the UE Warriors camp.

 

I asked about the status of Louie Alas and Dindo Pumaren as being in the short list of coaches.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Kasi, sabi ng management, they want someone who is committed eh,” said the top UE sports official I had a word.

 

Up to this day, those words have stuck to my head as the UE Warriors are still without a head coach.

 

And only time will tell, if the case of Dindo Pumaren and Louie Alas are really part of an April Fool’s joke.

 

Wherever I go over the past week, people within the collegiate basketball community seem to think the Pumaren and Alas are indeed among the choices.

 

The last time I checked with my source, this is what he had to say.

 

“Wala na kaming pinagpipilian,” he says.

 

And so we wait for the official announcement…