Starting today on FHM.com.ph’s Buzzer Beater section, I’ll be sharing my personal reviews of sports books I’ve been reading. I firmly believe in the importance of reading. It makes our brains work harder than usual. It helps us gain a deeper understanding of things around us. For sports followers, reading sports books allows us to develop critical insight on the athletes we watch, the teams we support (or despise), the coaches we admire (or abhor) and the legends we all revere.

Last Wednesday night, I finished reading “The Best American Sports Writing 2008″ edited by William Nack with Glenn Stout as Series Editor. The book is a collection of the best sports feature articles of 2008 found in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Esquire, The New Yorker, and Men’s Health. I’ve been a huge fan of this series since I received “The Best American Sports Writing 1991″ 17 years ago as pasalubong from the states. Read the rest of this entry »

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” - Confucius
In a week’s time, the 2009 PBA Fiesta Conference will start. My team, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, faces the daunting task of defending the championship we won last year. While our battle doesn’t start on March 4, the day we play our first game versus Coke, preparations have already started a month ago, when we started training for the upcoming PBA Fiesta Conference. Read the rest of this entry »

I am Macky Escalona. Some of you might know me as a former Blue Eagle who played for the Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP or as a current member of the “team ng bayan” the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. However which way you know me, the truth is that just like you and millions of other Pinoy Basketball aficionados, I am also a fan.

Read the rest of this entry »

If reports are true that dishonored Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury is headed for Boston, then the list of things to dislike about the Celtics just grew by one item.

Marbury has been given the green light by Knicks management to officially, and finally, vacate New York to shop for a new NBA address. The internet grapevine suggests that Marbury, in line with Boston’s earlier pronouncements that it is searching for another point guard, is headed for the Celtics. Expectedly, rumors of Starbury’s possible sojourn in Boston has sparked riotous debate among Celtics fans and foes alike. Read the rest of this entry »

Swagger was his middle name. He waltzed into every room like a king. He came to save people from hoop drudgery. Coaches cleared all driving lanes. Local cagers pocketed their egos. They placed the ball in his hands, then, watched the one-man fireworks show unfold. He was the almighty offense-driven, American-made PBA import of days gone by.

Every year, they arrived to scatter magic dust on local hoops. The likes of Cyrus Mann, Bruce “Sky” King, Donnie Ray Koonce, Byron “Snake” Jones, Tony “Hurricane” Harris and Billy Ray Bates enthralled PBA fans in the same way Barney places 5-year old kids in a trance. These weapons of hard-court destruction were programmed, ultimately paid, to score in style. Read the rest of this entry »