What is Ogie Menor Really Thinking?

Hello everybody, it has been a while. I’m sorry but things have gotten busier on my end that I have neglected trying to help you be enlightened in the scape of basketball. But, let’s can the theatrics and get to the meat.

Ogie Menor.

This guy was a beast way back in his amateur days. Bulky 6’2″-3″ Small Forward who can mow down anybody in the paint when they block his path.

He was hotly recruited coming out of the San Beda Red Cubs program, a hotbed for superstar high school players. Think of him as Ryan Buenafe with more brawn (no pun intended on RB’s weight) and a more consistent jumpshot. He decided to stay with San Beda and teamed up with Yousif Aljamal and Alex Angeles among others forming what was to be the core of the team before Sam Ekwe and Pong Escobal came aboard. But this is where our hero dwindles down.

Maybe it’s just me but I believe Menor became a star because Ekwe was the bigger star demanding everyone’s attention in the paint. He was able to roam on the perimeter and slash to his heart’s desire since pretty much everyone in the paint was latched unto Ekwe. It’s pretty much the same now for Pong Escobal who seems unable to hold on to the ball for dear life but showing signs of what can be most of the time.

But anyway, it seems Ogie Menor, once the boy scout has evolved into a Calvin Abueva. And the skills as well as I see it. No longer is Menor reliable as a solid contributor. He’s slowly turning to be an instigator of fights. Much like Abueva, his biggest rival in my eyes, he’s resorting to trash-talking and hurting which is not taught in the Ronald Tubid School of How to Make People Hate You on the Court.

He’s just being an ass out there with no will to win, no will to perform to the utmost of his abilities. He’s just there to punch, cheapshot and hurt anyone, anybody, then run under Coach Franz’s skirt to escape the irate players. I think an interv[ention is needed for Ogie Menor.

An intervention to put this guy back in the right track. Make him remember this is basketball and he’s not in the cage squaring off with Anderson Silva. It’s time someone makes him remember how good he is at playing basketball without actually resorting to pulling punches and other antics.

Do us a favor Ogie Menor, we want the old you back.

Who Can Beat Ateneo?

11 games in and no one has still scratched the perfect record of UAAP three-time defending champions Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. The closest that came to defeat the mighty Eagles were Adamson, during opening day, and FEU, at the start of the second round of eliminations. Will the Eagles go perfect? I do not know, but what I know for sure is they’ll be in the Finals. The sweep would be a blessing if it is granted.

Who can topple the Eagles from their roost? Talent-wise, rival DLSU had a shot, but we all know how that team turned out. But in reality, I see the FEU Tamaraws and the Adamson Falcons to be the best bet. Heck, even fans of the other teams have started rooting for the two when they went up against Ateneo. Not to mention, both these squads have motivation and personal reasons why they want to score the first loss for the Blue Eagles.

FEU nearly caught Ateneo’s number when they led by six, 57-63 with a minute and 16 seconds to go. But in true Morayta fashion, the team imploded when Emman Monfort and Kiefer Ravena willed the game into overtime. By far, this was the best showing of any team that fought Ateneo considering that FEU got demolished by 20 points in the first round. Also, the Tams have an axe to grind against the ballers from Katipunan. Having the best line-up in Season 73, the Tams got chased out of the then-Araneta Coliseum by the rampaging Ateneo squad en route to their third straight title. Take note, the Tams beat Ateneo convincingly in the eliminations in two wire-to-wire games but suddenly got skinned in the Finals.

Adamson, on the other hand, have came close to beating Ateneo for the past two seasons but just could not finish well in crunchtime. All games have been cardiac games, showing the mettle of the improved Falcons. But somehow, I do not understand why coach Leo Austria keeps on putting in Roider Cabrera during the important moments of the game. The guy only knows one thing when he touches that basketball whether it is the third pass or the first pass. Even with a hand in his face and no clear look at the basket, this guy will shoot, shoot and shoot. In all honesty, the reason Adamson lost that opening-day game against the Eagles will be because, with a seven point lead in tow, they decided to shoot threes when they could’ve padded the lead just by going for the deuce.

However, what’s going for the boys from Marcelino will be trying to break that 28-game losing streak against Ateneo. They haven’t beaten the Blue and White since 1997 when Gherome Ejercito still starred in an Adamson uniform. The closest they came in beating the Eagles was way back in the 2004 when Larry Fonacier suffered his season-ending ACL injury that destroyed the Blue Eagle faithful. Fortunately, LA Tenorio and JC Intal had other plans then and led a furious comeback at the turn of the second half. That step-back three-pointer from LA Tenorio to win the game is etched in my memory.

In anticipation of their September 10 date, has Adamson adjusted their end-game plans? Or will it be like last year’s second round match where the Blue Eagles just proved who was the better bird? Will the resolute champions hold fast in the face of a furious onslaught by Adamson if it comes to that or will the Falcons finally wound the proud Blue Eagles?

If Ateneo wins over everyone, the question to be begged in anticipation of next season, who can beat Ateneo?

An Open Letter to Terrence Romeo

Dear Terrence,

I’ve really been meaning to write to you since the debacle of the Tamaraws against the Ateneo Blue Eagles last year in the UAAP Finals. See, there are a lot of stuff we can talk about, but there’s only one thing on my mind right now.

Your performances have been horrid this year. Too much dribbling, not much passing, too much shooting, too much turnovers. In short, you’ve been sucking up player. Why did you try to play hero against Ateneo during the first round? Don’t you realize that you have the MVP on your side and Aldrech “The Beast of the Far East” Ramos as well? Seriously? Are they that hard to see? Is everything in your vision the hoop and nothing but the hoop? I thought you were a far more better player than being able to just score. Sadly, I was proven wrong.

Then, in the second round, again, against Ateneo, barely a week has passed and you commit the same mistake again? There was just a one week break and you do it, AGAIN? Does nothing process inside your head as a ball player? You should’ve learned from your mistakes. RR Garcia, the MVP, was waxing hot all game long yet in the dying seconds you refuse to pass the ball to him? Are you knocked off your noggin’? And there you were committing probably the silliest, if not the dumbest, turnover in basketball I’ve ever seen since the “Time Out” of Chris Webber. What were you thinking as you went for a crossover when you were clearly trapped by Nico Salva towards the sidelines that you had to dribble it out of bounds? Seriously? Did your wits leave you that you did not pick up the ball and shopped for RR Garcia who was nearby? Really?

If FEU loses this season, they can’t blame inner drama, or off-court issues or game fixing and all those shenanigans the school has been associated with. In my opinion, the one to blame here, is you, Terrence Bill Romeo. You decided to play hero when the team already has one. You decided to hog the ball instead of sharing the wealth as a point guard does. What happened Terrence? You can’t score 81 or 83 points in the seniors. You should take that off your mind. You’re no longer the team’s star as it was in your days as a Baby Tam. RR and Aldrech are the men of the team now. You’re just fourth fiddle and third fiddle at best. Accept your role. Accept that you won’t star as much this year. Accept that whatever happens, it was your ball hogging and selfishness on offense that spelled doom on the Tamaraws. Learn from it. Be better, because, I’ll be expecting a lot from you as you guys try to topple Ateneo, once more.

Sincerely,

Pio Garcia, concerned UAAP fan