The tricky aspect of entrusting the success of your franchise on a dynamic duo is that in theory, one cannot thrive without the other. Batman and Robin. Cheech and Chong. Guy and Pip. So it makes one wonder how injury-plagued Ginebra is still in contention for an outright semifinals berth without Mark Caguioa. The Gin Kings used to tear opponents apart with the Fast and the Furious running amok in the open-court. Sans the Spark, Jayjay Helterbrand has had to play multiple roles this conference.

“Jayjay does everything for us now,” shares Ginebra point starting point guard Paul Artadi. “Jayjay scores, runs the team, and is the leader on and off the court.”

Often, fans will find Helterbrand start games alongside Artadi. Helterbrand assumes the role of scoring guard while Artadi, the point guard in this common scenario. Helterbrand’s happiness used to be locating Caguioa for a nifty assist or leading a three-on-one Ginebra fastbreak. Nowadays, however, the National Team mainstay has abandoned playmaking chores in favor of man-of-the-moment responsibilities.

In Ginebra’s game against powerhouse San Miguel last December 20, 2008 in Batangas City, Helterbrand torched the Beermen with a career-high 35 points including a game-breaking three-point basket late in the fourth quarter. He also recovered from a two-game slump in style. Returning from sick bay, Helterbrand averaged just 8.5 points and shot a combined 3 out of 12 from beyond the three point arc in a surprise win over Alaska and an embarrassing loss to Talk and Text. Obviously playing in better shape against the Beermen, Helterbrand broke out of his 2-game funk by scoring 35 points in 33 minutes, nailing 8 three-pointers and committing a grand total of zero turnovers.

“Jayjay is a physical monster who can take control of the game whenever he wants to,” Macky Escalona, Ginebra back-up point guard, says. “But most of all he embodies the Ginebra spirit - matapang, buo ang loob and has the never say die attitude.”

On Christmas day, Ginebra (9-8) faces the Cinderella-esque Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters. Once upon a time, Ginebra owned the most lethal 1-2 punch in the PBA with Caguioa and Helterbrand. Enter Rain or Shine’s “Fire and Ice” backcourt tandem of  Sol Mercado and Gabe Norwood. Armed with moves and moxie, the rookie-tandem of Mercado and Norwood has revitalized a once-moribund franchise and generated a lot of interest from intrigued PBA fans. The upcoming Christmas day game would’ve showcased a great duel between two prime backcourt combinations. Instead, Mercado and Norwood will try to send Rain or Shine (10-7) straight into the Semifinals via business-class while Helterbrand reassumes his role as surrogate scorer for a team surviving without The Spark.

If Ginebra wishes to go far in the Philippine Cup, McCartney has to grow up without Lennon and The Fast has no other recourse but to be The Furious as well. MH

For every praise Manny Pacquiao receives, there seems to be the equivalent rejoinder; a potshot for every paean, a ticklish rumor for every fight-related fact. So in place of spreading Pacman gossip and instead of painfully dwelling on the humanity of boxing’s pound for pound king, let me enumerate a grocery list Pacquiao may follow for his general well-being. I believe this list can help Pacman become the paragon of sound athletic and financial judgment. Either that or he becomes the world’s ultimate precautionary tale.

Just like a million others, I wish to see Pacquiao triumphant at his peak, graceful in his future retirement, stately in his post-boxing-career as ambassador and still unforgivingly wealthy in his golden years. Thus, I offer my unsubstantiated, not-really-well-thought-out and most probably inane list of recommendations. Here are the Top 10 things I would do If I were Manny Pacquiao:

1. I will not enter politics to keep my name immaculate and preserve the integrity of all my boxing earnings.
2. I will relocate myself to a tropical paradise like the Bahamas so I can safely tuck myself away from all the leeches, crabs, snakes and other vile vermin in the world.
3. I will not enter politics to keep my name immaculate and preserve the integrity of all my boxing earnings.
4. I will no longer entertain offers to do movies. In the Philippines, showbusiness, not law school, is the most intelligent springboard for a fruitful career in politics.
5. I will not enter politics to keep my name immaculate and preserve the intergrity of all my boxing earnings.
6. I will open the first-ever Manny Pacquiao Boxing Academy so young Filipinos can get the best scientific training available. The establishment of my boxing academy could result to national success in both amateur and professional boxing.
7. I will not enter politics to keep my name immaculate and preserve the intergrity of all my boxing earnings.
8. I will stop playing basketball on the hard-cement surface of the town plaza in Gensan. I wouldn’t want my billion-dollar boxing career go pfft! because of a poorly-executed, ill-advised sidestep move to the basket. If I really feel the itch to play hoops, I’ll just stick to my sons’ NBA Live ‘09 on their Sony PlayStation.
9. I will not enter politics to keep my name immaculate and preserve the integrity of all my boxing earnings.
10. I will knockout everyone, trust no one and exclusively believe in the survival instincts of the singular person who’s sincerely after my own welfare - Me, Myself, Manny. MH

There’s an ongoing poll on www.espnstar.com called the Champion of Champions. Vote for Manny Pacquiao and make our pound-for-pound king the top sports personality of 2008. As of this writing, Pacquiao is on the verge of defeating Liverpool striker Fernando Torres in the voting semifinals. Among the contenders for the Champion of Champions crown are Olympic submariner Michael Phelps, F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, tennis sensation Rafael Nadal, speed demon Usain Bolt and reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant.

The Philippine Collegiate Championship (PCC) crowned a National Champion last December 8, 2008 when La Salle defeated arch-rival Ateneo, 71-62, at the Araneta Coliseum. The Green Archers had unfinished business in mind heading into this encounter. And they certainly played with businesslike precision. Peejay Barua and James Mangahas sank cold-blooded jumpers in a pivotal second half run, which allowed La Salle to pull away for good. For good measure, the Archers also rolled up their sleeves and did the dirty work by out-rebounding the Blue Eagles, 53-39. Although we’re probably years away from truly regarding the Philippine Collegiate Championship as the ultimate prize in college basketball, La Salle will gladly take this championship trophy home. Read the rest of this entry »

“So who’s the Golden Boy now?!!! Who’s the Golden Boy now?!!!!”

You could almost hear Manny Pacquiao utter these words while he was busy pummeling Oscar De La Hoya into submission in their super-hyped bout last December 07, 2008. De La Hoya painfully learned–even as early as the opening round–that what you can’t catch, you can’t hit. And chances are, what you can’t hit, you can’t defend against. If not for De La Hoya’s inherent size advantage, the carnage would’ve been incomprehensible.

As Pacquiao dazzled a worldwide audience with his speed, live audiences here in the Philippines were stunned. Jaws dropped. Eyes popped. A nationwide feeling of joyous disbelief engulfed a country earlier mortified by the perceived mismatch between a universal boxing legend and undersized Filipino ring icon. As wide screen monitors nationwide displayed the first images of De La Hoya, befuddled in his corner, with the unmistakable stamp of Pacquiao’s power tattooed under his now-swollen left eye, disbelief for Pacquiao devotees turned into realization. We realized most of us were wrong. We realized Pacquiao is THAT good. He is THAT fast. Read the rest of this entry »

6 slots down. 2 berths to go.

Teams expected to dominate foes in the Philippine Collegiate Championship (PCC) did exactly as planned in the first playdates of the PCC Sweet 16. UAAP Champion Ateneo, NCAA Champion San Beda, Mapua, Arellano*, UE and DLSU all booked seats in the PCC Elite 8 with wins over underdog opponents at the San Juan Arena. Thus, 4 teams remain to dispute the last 2 tickets to the Elite 8 on Saturday, November 29, 2008 at the San Juan Arena. Letran meets San Sebastian Cavite, coached by ex-sweetshooter Egay Macaraya, while top-caliber Manila teams FEU and JRU collide during the final Sweet 16 playdate. Read the rest of this entry »