(Arlon Serdenia of Radyo Tirad Pass has raged on the air for days against a mysterious vessel off the ocean waters of my adopted Candon City, Ilocos Sur. There is a strong suspicion that the boat is involved in black sand mining. Policemen have done nothing but gawk from the shore. I hope a Coast Guard patrol cuts into these waters before it is too late for the area’s fish sanctuaries and a treasure trove of corral reefs. Foreign-looking black sand miners who scoop up the mineral with suction pipes in shallow ocean waters at night have eroded the beaches of Santa Catalina to the north by 100 meters, according to Arlon).
SACRAMENTO, California—Since donning a plastic mask to protect a tender nose, Kobe Bryant is tearing up the NBA ala Freddie Krueger knifing his way on Elm Street.
“He is putting on a show of epic proportions,” exclaims Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times, short of saying that barring any more injuries, the LA Lakers shooting guard should definitely contend for the MVP plum of the abbreviated season.
Bryant leads the NBA overall in point production with a per game average of 28.7. He also is on top of the league’s free-throwers at an 82.3 percent clip.
Kobe in the Krueger mask punctuated his terroristic shooting with 33 points last Sunday in the Lakers’ 93-83 victory over the Miami Heat. The game marked the third time he unloaded at least 30 points since the Heat’s Dwayne Wade gave him hard foul in the NBA All-Star game that resulted in a concussion and the broken nose. He scored 30 points Wednesday night in the Lakers’ 101-106 loss at Washington.
LA coach Mike Brown said that resolute does not come close to describing Bryant as he plays with a shattered nose, recurring neck pains and his biggest hurt –a rocky relationship with his wife who has filed for divorce. He has endured the nightmare while the Lakers compete for attention with their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Known for the worst owner in professional sports who has chased profits at the cost of winning, the Clippers are suddenly close to being contenders in the tough Western Conference.
The arrival of the league’s best point guard—Chris Paul to backup the team’s cornerstone—Blake Griffin has reversed the Clippers’ fortunes, until owner Donald Sterling spoils the equation again. Sterling is known for his trademark team interference and cutting corners to obtain quality, role players to back up his stars.
As the NBA marches to the playoffs next month, the Clippers are in third place in the tough Western Conference, just ahead of the Lakers in fourth and below Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
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In light of the Cristy Ramos controversy, the Azkals, the nation’s sports heartthrobs have found themselves in a national pickle.
Meanwhile a debate rages on whether a woman’s place is in the locker room.
The dugout is where players can chill out before and after games. It is a sanctuary of sorts where they enjoy freedom in the truest sense of the word. Oftentimes, players and coaches walk around wrapped in towels, in their briefs and sometimes just plain naked. It is not a pleasant sight for the female of the species.
There’s got to be rules for locker room availability for credential checking or media interviews by women when everybody’s decent.
Better yet, a separate venue away from the locker room should be reserved for conducting such business to avoid cat calls and school boy behavior by testosterone-driven male athletes.