The Stands - An Inquirer Sports Newsletter

 

March 22, 2024

The Tigresses remain on top of the UAAP standings.  (MARLO CUETO)

Hey there sports fan, University of Santo Tomas needed a tense fifth set to dispose of Ateneo and keep its record unblemished in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament.  The Tigresses racked up an eighth straight win, just a few days after wrapping up its first-round schedule with a similarly challenging victory over Adamson. UST will be the first to admit that there are a lot of things that still needs polishing with their game and those tough wins against the Lady Falcons and the Blue Eagles were proof of that.  And if the Tigresses need motivation to sharpen their game, they don't need to look far: The two teams they beat in the first round, National U and La Salle, are both eager for payback.  But hey, let's talk about the Tigresses kicks too. For some time now, the team has been rocking Kobe 8s (ProTro Halo), which were customized by artist Chachi Victorino.  Photos of the custom sneakers had gone viral, with players even talking about "Mamba Mentality," the winning philosophy espoused by the late basketball great Kobe Bryant. In fact, news of Bianca Plaza's pair allegedly getting picked off by a delivery rider also made rounds on the Internet, proof that the sneakers have become quite the talk of the volleyball world. In an interview with the Inquirer, Ms. Victorino spoke about the process and challenges of customizing the Tigresses sneakers.

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Chery TIggo is all smiles after pulling off a major upset.  (PVL IMAGES)

Meanwhile... Before we talk of the upset that rocked the PVL, allow us to express our excitement over the country winning the bid to host the 2025 men's volleyball world championship.  Ateneo coach Sergio Veloso, who also handles the men's national volleyball team, is optimistic the event will do a lot of good for the sport in the country.  Anyway, unless you were living under a rock the past few days, you know that Chery Tiggo just pulled off the biggest upset in pro volleyball this year. The Crossovers dealt the Creamline Cool Smashers their first loss after 19 straight victories. For Alyssa Valdez, that upset made Creamline realize one thing: "It's really about time for us to feel [the pain of losing] again so there will be renewed energy and strength." Creamline has since bounced back from the loss, routing league newcomer Capital1.  WIll that rare loss push the Cool Smashers to even greater heights in their title defense? Let's tune in to the games and find out. Or, let us bring you the stories straight to whatever platform you are on.  What we're up to next: The PBA All-Star weekend will be held in Bacolod City and we will have two guys on the ground to bring you the highlifghts from there. We'll also dig in more on the country's hosting of the men's volleyball world championship slated next year. And we'll still keep you updated with everything going on in the UAAP and the PVL. Number of the Week: 9 Number of Olympic gold medals the US basketball team has won so far.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “[T]his is for the Philippines, the country [for which] my heart will always beat proud.” —Maxine Esteban, Filipino-Ivorian fencer, who became the first homegrown female Filipino fencer to qualify for the Olympics.

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There are two items on this newsletter that are answers to our sports trivia quiz that comes out weekly. If you think you can ace our weekly Friday sports quiz, and if you want more sports updates, join our Viber community.  Buy the Inquirer at newsstands, subscribe to our digital edition, Inquirer Plus, visit our online site and follow us on socials (Twitter: @inquirersports; FB: facebook.com/inquirersports) for more stories and updates—or to send us questions or suggestions of stories you'd want to read. See you next Friday! Francis Francis T. J. Ochoa is the Sports Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For comments, suggestions and questions, hit him up on Twitter (@ftjochoaINQ).

The Stands - An INQUIRER Sports Newsletter

 

March 8, 2024

Tim Cone speaks to the Inquirer Sports Staff.  (MARLO CUETO)

Hey there sports fan, Last Monday, the Inquirer Sports Staff hosted a testimonial dinner for Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who is also the head coach of Gilas Pilipinas. Inside the posh Casa Buenas at Resort Drive in Pasay City, Cone spent a lot of time talking about his coaching career and the childhood he had growing up here in the Philippines (the guy is a certified probinsyano, settling first in Baler). He flew here when he was eight and in one of the legs of his journey from the United States (the flight from Waikiki to Manila), the jet had to return to the airport because one of its engines caught fire. "You looked out the window and because the plane was tossing out gasoline, you could see these fireballs coming out of the engine," he recalled.  It would have been a distressing experience for anyone on that flight. But for an eight-year-old kid who got to witness an emergency landing at runway filled with screaming firetrucks, "it was quite an adventure." Cone hopped from one province to another, flying back to the States only for college. After five years in the US, he "flew back home." Home, being the Philippines, where he still lived outside Manila for a while until work brought him back to the Big City.  If you are a Filipino under the age of 50, Tim Cone has lived in the country longer than you have. The Inquirer awarded Cone with the Best Performance by a Coach trophy. The Guyito, the Inquirer Sports Awards trophy's nickname, was for his coaching stint in the Asian Games men's basketball championship last year, where the Philippines won its first gold in over six decades. Cone also received the Best Performance by a Team trophy in behalf of Gilas Pilipinas and talked about the team in depth, including its immediate future. Do you know in what country Gilas Pilipinas will play next? Clue: The country will be hosting an Olympic-qualifying tournament. The answer at the end of this email. We'll have more on the Inquirer Sports Awards and Tim Cone next week.

Capital1 celebrates its breakthrough victory.  (AUGUST DELA CRUZ)

Meanwhile... Volleyball continues to dominate the sporting conversation nowadays, what with the PVL All-Filipino Conference and the UAAP volleyball tournaments in full swing.  Here are a few stories we feel you should read: You get a sense that La Salle isn't going to be contented until it gets a chance to get back at UST. The Lady Spikers have been using that defeat to the Tigresses to fuel their current run. National U continues to look for its identity in the UAAP. Another name comes out of UST's bench mob.  And Capital1 finally barges into the win column, but coach Roger Gorayeb says for now, winning isn't the only goal.  What we're up to next: We will announce the winners of the Inquirer Sports Awards soon, along with features on Tim Cone. More volleyball coverage, too, as the PVL All-FIlipino and the UAAP tournaments chug along. Blackwater is currently on a hot start in the PBA Philippine Cup and we will be on ground to see how long that run lasts.  Number of the Week: 34 Number of years Tim Cone has been coaching in the PBA.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “[W]e need to be one-point warriors so we fought for every point.” —Xyza Gula, on UST's philosophy that has allowed the team to fight back from deep deficits..

The answer to our trivia question? Latvia. If you think you can ace our weekly Friday sports quiz, and if you want more sports updates, join our Viber community.  Buy the Inquirer at newsstands, subscribe to our digital edition, Inquirer Plus, visit our online site and follow us on socials (Twitter: @inquirersports; FB: facebook.com/inquirersports) for more stories and updates—or to send us questions or suggestions of stories you'd want to read. See you next Friday! Francis Francis T. J. Ochoa is the Sports Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For comments, suggestions and questions, hit him up on Twitter (@ftjochoaINQ).

The Stands - An INQUIRER SPORTS NEWSLETTER

 

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February 9, 2024

Calvin Abueva (13) has been warned. (AUGUST DELA CRUZ)

Hey there sports fan, Before anything else, do you know how many players the Games and Amusements Board has suspended since 2021 because of game-fixing? The answer is at the end of this newsletter. Or you could go ahead and read the story here.   The number is quite astounding, never mind if the names, according to one senator, were not really big ones. Elsewhere, consipracy theories also abound. But some, like in the NFL, are quite absurd.  But you don't need a wild imagination to stir up controversies. In the PBA, Calvin Abueva pretty much jumped into one after losing track of his manners in Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner's Cup. The tireless Magnolia forward, nicknamed "The Beast" because of his tenacity on the court, was recently fined for his antics, some of which bordered on an utter lack of class.  He got away with a warning from Commissioner Willie Marcial, who reminded him about not too long ago when he was slapped with an indefinite suspension that lasted 16 months, a league record. The Abueva Incident was a distraction from the Finals, which started out as a showcase of San Miguel Beer's depth. Somehow, though, coach Chito Victolero and the Hotshots managed to squeeze out a Game 3 win and get themselves back into the series. It's up to Abueva to keep himself in check and help Magnolia on the court and minimize the distractions off it.

The Adamson Lady Falcons have reason to keep their hopes up.  (CONTRIBUTED)

Meanwhile... There are two resons for volleyball fans to get excited. The UAAP women's volleyball tournament is just around to corner with teams like Adamson thriving​ in pocket tournaments to show their readiness for the competition. Also, there is the Premier Volleyball League, which will kick off later this month even as a busy offseason already has the league's ardent followers gasping breathlessly. Much of that excitement has been dampened by injuries old​ and new​, but you can sense that fans are ready to troop to arenas to cheer on their favorites—and soon-to-be idols​. Teams have been competing in pocket tournaments​ to likewise prepare for the new season. These matches provide PVL squads with an inkling of what they need to do​ to be in the best position to succeed in the looming season.  What we're up to next: Keep it here for more updates on the coming Inquirer Sports Awards, which will be held in March. Also, we will bring you stories and features from the UAAP and PVL to further whet up your apptite for their coming tournaments (like you need more prodding t Number of the Week: 60 Points scored by Steph Curry in a loss by the Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks. Currey is just the second player after the late Kobe Bryant to get 60 points after the age of 35.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “For coach Pat and the program, I will always be there—and that will never change” —Jack Animam, on always being ready to play for the national team and for Gilas Women program director Pat Aquino.

For more sports updates, join our Viber community, which features a weekly sports quiz every Friday.  Buy the Inquirer at newsstands, subscribe to our digital edition, Inquirer Plus, visit our online site and follow us on socials (Twitter: @inquirersports; FB: facebook.com/inquirersports) for more stories and updates—or to send us questions or suggestions of stories you'd want to read. Have a great and safe Holidays! See you next Friday. Francis Francis T. J. Ochoa is the Sports Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For comments, suggestions and questions, hit him up on Twitter (@ftjochoaINQ).