NASH WINS ALL-STAR SKILLS COMPETITION

From: Bing images



Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with the trophy after winning the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night, part of 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on February 13, 2010.
Photograph by: AFP, Getty




Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash participates in the skills competition at the NBA All-Star Saturday night in Dallas. Nash beat Utah Jazz's Deron Williams in the final round. (Eric Gay/Associated Press)



Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash won the 2010 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge beating Utah Jazz’ Deron Williams with a difference of eight seconds in the finals.

Nash, who won the title in 2005, completed the obstacle course with a time of 29.9 seconds. Williams, on the other hand, struggled in the shooting stations and only finished second with a time of 37.9 seconds.

The NBA skills challenge is a regular competition in the All-star involving four point guards. It is a two-round timed obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing and shooting stations.In completing the course, all players must observe proper NBA ball- handling rules. The two players with the fastest times advance to the final round.

Other competitors who were eliminated in the first round were Milwaukee Buck’s Brandon Jennings and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, who replaced the defending Champion Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.

"These young guys are tough, but I got my second wind,'' Nash said. "Then I took it easy on them.''

Williams, who was leading in the semi-final round was overpowered by Nash’s almost perfect play (dribbling, passing and shooting) in the final round.

To watch the 2010 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge Competition, click here.

By: Zhella Jean Hulleza

JORDAN: TEAM OWNER?

MJ to the Basketball Hall of Fame

Adam Morrison of Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats Logo

Photos from Google images

It is a common knowledge that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Not only that, he is considered a supreme competitor and top pitchman. But among this many denomination, he might soon become a team owner.

Jordan is now a part owner of Charlotte Bobcats and is responsible for the teams' basketball operations. But recent reports implied that Jordan is not contented with his role in the said team. He, coach Larry Brown said, is determined in buying the team.

But Jordan, just like in any game that he played, has a tough competition in this matter. Former Houston Rockets executive George Postolos has also expressed interest in buying the said team.

Although Bob Johnson, Bobcats current owner has not commented regarding this matter, NBA commissioner David Stern said in Saturday's interview that Johnson is eager to sell the unprofitable club. He continued that Johnson is expecting the deal to be completed within two months.

Other reports that surfaced showed the disadvantage of Bobcats if Jordan did not win the deal. It said that "if" Postolos gets the control over the team, two figures might vanish from the teams record. Jordan would no longer have a role with the team, and its domino effect will be the resignation of the team's coach, Larry Brown.

Reports said that the only reason why Brown, another Hall of Famer, agreed to coach the Bobcats, is because of Jordan. And if Postoles gets the ownership of the team, Brown will forced to resign from the team.

For more about this topic, you are free to click this link.

By: Sheila M. Pelaez

ALL-STAR WITHOUT KOBE AND A.I.

Photos from: Google images

NBA fans, especially of Bryant and Iverson are surely going to be incomplete for these two former NBA MVPs won’t play in the All-Star game.

The NBA announced last Thursday that Bryant will be replaced by the Dallas veteran Jason Kidd for the Western division. David Lee of the New York Knicks will be taking Iverson’s spot in the Eastern Conference.

Due to sprained left ankle, Bryant was forced to withdraw his appearance in Dallas. Also, Bryant has missed the last three games for the Lakers with a sore left ankle.

Iverson, on the other hand, has missed Philadelphia’s last five games to be with his ill daughter.

The coaches will decide on whom to replace these two players in the starting line-up.

Other players who won’t be in the All-Star game due to injuries were: New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul to be replaced by Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trailblazers’ Brandon Roy to be substituted by Chris Kaman of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The All-Star Game between the East and West will be aired on Monday, February 15 at 9am (Manila time).

For complete listings of 2010 NBA All-Star Rosters click here.

By: Zhella Jean Hulleza

IT’S GETTING COLD IN THERE! (Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony)

Photos from: Google images

An energetic high-flying snowboarder jumping through a giant set of Olympic rings opened the ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

This opening ceremony is an event of historic importance for Canada to inspire a world audience of three billion.

Canada, the host country, is expecting to top the medal tally at these games, hoping to get gold on the country’s favorite sport which is the hockey.

Red, the prominent color of the Canadian flag, was very dominant that day. Crowd also became loud as Clara Hughes, a Canadian speed skater carry her country’s flag and let her team into the arena.

A song performed by Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado was a tribute to the athletes for they were the role models. As Chief Executive John Furlong said, “The youth world over aspire to be just like you.”

As the ceremony goes, more than 100 screens around the stadium showed Canada’s diversity and natural beauty that turned the stadium into the recreation of the country’s constellations, oceans, rivers and forest. This visual presentation was accompanied with a song from a British Columbia resident and a dance from the Alberta Ballet.

Canadian sports legends- Hockey legend Wayne Getzy, speed skating hero Catriona LeMay Doan, NBA star Steve Nash and alpine ski star Nancy Greene light the Olympic torch. Upon lighting, minimal mechanical glitch occurred.The cauldron near the Coal Harbor was lit by Wayne Getzy.

In the long run, the opening ceremony became successful except for one sad story. Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian athlete died after a training run at the Whistler Sliding Center. He was given a tribute and standing ovation at the ceremony.

Officials are now investigating his luge death.

For further information, related videos and photos about the 2010 winter games you can click here.

By: Zhella Jean A. Hulleza

NBA's All-star vs NFL's Superbowl

GOOGLE IMAGES

(Drew Brees, Most Valuable Player of 2010 Super Bowl)


The National Football League (NFL)Super Bowl XLIV, played February 7 at Sun Life (formerly Dolphin) Stadium in Miami, Florida became the most-watched television program ever, drawing an average audience of 106.5 million viewers and taking over the spot held for 27 years by the final episode of M*A*S*H.

With the goal of persuading even half the number of Super Bowl viewers, the National Basketball Association (NBA)All-Star game officials have been doing public relations to catch the attention of those football fans.

The 59th All-Star has kicked-off its Rookies and second-year players square off in the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam Friday, February 12, at American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

Will NBA finally get a nod from American audience and top what NFL has recorded in history of broadcast media?

by Sheila M. Pelaez

IT'S ROGER ONCE AGAIN

When Roger Federer played Rafael Nadal in last year’s Australian Open, he struggled for four hours of five sets but failed to win. Luckily, this year, it was absolutely the other way - he didn’t struggle but easily won the championships.

If Roger sobbed like a little kid a year ago, it now turned to an all-smile finals after easily beating Andy Murray in the Australian Open at Melbourne. It just turned out that he only needed two hours and 41 minutes of the first three sets to disappoint his adversary. It was very unusual for a Grand Slam tournament and very much hammering on his opponent’s part.

In an interview, Federer said that, all of a sudden it was over and it hit him (6-3, 6-4, 7-6). He even compared his match to a roller-coaster. Much that he controlled the whole game, leaving Murray choking back in tears.

“I can cry like Roger,” Murray said. “It’s just a shame I can’t play like him.”

Sad to say, Federer again shattered Andy Murray’s dream to be the first British man to win a grand slam that stretches all the way in 1936.

Winning 2010 Aussie open, was very special for Federer. It is now his 4th title in the tournament and his first as a dad. Federer became the first father to win a Grand Slam title since Andre Agassi 2003. Much more, he has achieved something which no man has accomplished since 1969.

Tracing back, Federer missed the chance to tie Pete Sampras record of 14 Grand Slam titles, after losing to Nadal. However, he didn’t wait that long. He just made history, after the winning the French Open. That time, he has completed a career by winning a major on clay to go with grass and hard-court titles.

At hand, Federer receives $1.86 million through the win, while Murray gets $927,990.

Again, congratulations Roger. He is really a great champion with talent and heart. In fact, he has achieved what everybody in the world of tennis wanted. For this, he once more confirmed that he’s the man to envy and watch out for. With 16 grand slams at hand, many players would be surely exerting most of their effort to at least tie or even surpass that record.

And let’s not talk about history, Roger’s still making it.

By: Zhella Jean A. Hulleza

FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT: AT LAST MAYWEATHER vs. MOSLEY IS ON!

Boxing fans around the world is experiencing an emotional high after the future events that they were looking forward to in the four-sided ring had turned upside down.

The anticlimax that the aficionados felt after the could-have-been the most awaiting match of the year between the unbeatable Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao was canceled, it was just then replaced with total excitement when boxing promoters agreed to kick-off another must-see fight between Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley.

On the Jan. 29 episode of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, it was officially announced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be fighting Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1. Both camps said that the fight is a "done deal" although the contracts haven't been signed.

Mayweather gained criticisms from boxing fans and critics when he declined a match with Mosley who is said to be his best opponent in the welterweight division.

But this ended when Mosley take an action to catch Mayweather with his guard down. After Mayweather annihilated Juan Manuel Marquez last September, a sign of his big comeback to the boxing world, Mosley made a scene by challenging Mayweather during his post-fight ring interview. Mosley's famous words during that time were "just want to get it on," and indeed, it just did.

Mayweather boosts his flawless record of of 40-0 with 25 knockouts. Critics said that he is a defensive genius, "the likes of which the sport has rarely seen". He could even be "the greatest defensive technician" ever.

Mosley, on the other, has a record of 46-5 with 39 knockouts. Although Mosley is now 39, he is not looking old as a fighter. Along with a knockout rate of 75%, Mosley possesses the ultimate combination of lightning-quick hands, and excellent agility.

With this at hand, critics said that this fight will be tight and that it is anybody's game. But whoever will get the last laugh from this fight, one thing will surely happen, this will bring fans around the globe a great dose of entertainment.

by Sheila M. Pelaez