This is the UAAP without us

I got this from my mail... read on...

UAAP feels pinch of La Salle’s absence
By Jasmine W. Payo, Francis OchoaInquirerLast updated 05:32am (Mla time) 07/20/2006
Published on page A24 of the July 20, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
AT WHAT price does discipline come?
Whether the league admits it or not the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is feeling the pinch of De La Salle University’s suspension, and most of it is coming from the cash registers.
Sponsors have backed out, venues have become smaller and live attendance is expected to shrink from last year.
According to an official from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the television network that doubles as the UAAP’s marketing arm, approximately half of the league’s top advertisers have pulled out this season. The percentage as to how much La Salle’s absence has to do with it is even greater.
“Admittedly, there are less advertisers because the landscape is different,” Jojo Garcia, ABS-CBN’s customer development head for sports, told the Inquirer. “Some clients cited the absence of La Salle, but it’s also more than that.”
He did not elaborate on the La Salle factor, but Garcia said the game venues chosen this season -- Ninoy Aquino Stadium and Rizal Coliseum -- also had a hand in turning away some of the UAAP’s top advertisers.
“Both the venues are smaller,” noted Garcia. “For some clients, it’s different compared to Araneta (Coliseum) in terms of prestige and accessibility.”
Raised eyebrows
The timing of the switch to smaller venues also raised eyebrows. Last season, the UAAP played the bulk of its games at both the Blue Eagle gym of Ateneo de Manila University and the Araneta Coliseum. This year, with La Salle serving out its suspension for fielding ineligible players in its basketball team in the last three seasons, there will be less games at the Big Dome.
UAAP secretary general Bren Perez of host University of the East says the switch of venues was coincidental.
“The PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) offered us the venues, through chairman Butch Ramirez,” said Perez. “They invited both the UAAP and the NCAA to make it the home of both leagues. And we considered it because they gave us discounts.”
And the league needs discounts where it can take them.
Among the missing notable sponsors who usually plunk millions worth of advertising money to the league coffers are Globe Telecom, a heavy advertiser during the college basketball tournament, Nestlé Philippines and Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp.
“We lost our top three clients, but we’re still negotiating with others,” said Garcia. “It’s a work in progress. We have to move forward.”
Globe, whose president is La Salle product Gerry Ablaza, usually competes with Smart Communications for advertising spots during the basketball tournament.
Nestle’s ice cream product, meanwhile, institutionalized the cheer dance competition, a regular fare highly anticipated by college basketball followers.
Other top advertisers who have pulled out their spots are Mentos, Milo, Polo and Close-Up.
“We’re currently selling the cheer dance competition,” added Garcia. “Yes, it will be next month, but we’re in the process of negotiation.”
No figures were given as to how much both the UAAP and ABS-CBN stand to lose this season, but the price could be substantial.
Absent rivalry
Further hurting the league’s profits is the absence of the blockbuster games between arch rivals Ateneo and La Salle, who meet at least twice every season. For the television carrier and for the league, every game between both squads is an automatic cash cow, not just through ticket sales.
Last year, Ford launched a new car model at halftime during the first-round match between the two glamour squads.
“We get spot buys for Ateneo-La Salle games,” said Garcia. “There are also spot buys for games featuring other teams. But we can command better rates, the premium rates, for Ateneo-La Salle games.”
Although league observers see a decline in attendance rates with no Ateneo-La Salle rivalry to look forward to, host University of the East still noted the strong opening-day attendance, which nearly reached the 15,000 mark.
“As far as attendance and the crowd is concerned, we had no problems on opening day,” said Perez.
But numbers can sometimes be deceiving, especially if only the opening day weekend is concerned. Already, the league will be playing with a depleted schedule -- La Salle’s absence means 14 less games.
The fact that the Archers bring a full-house crowd and that the Blue-versus-Green rivalry never fails to pack playing venues means that a fat chunk of the attendance rates just got flushed down the drain this season.
But the UAAP is willing to weather the financial storm, if only to prove there’s no price too steep to pay for discipline.
“We have just renewed a five-year contract with ABS-CBN and there will be good years and not so good years,” said UAAP board representative Anton Montinola of Far Eastern University. “They’ve earned from the Ateneo-La Salle games in the past and this year may not be a good one. So it will just average out.”
Besides, as Perez puts it, “the league is still doing okay, we’re moving on. We’re doing our best as host, and so far, we’re having no problems.”
La Salle made the bed by fielding two ineligible players for three seasons, including during its championship year in 2004. Unfortunately, it’s the league that has to find ways to sleep through the night on it.

The Day she Said "Yes"

July 21, 2006 was a day that started for me like any other but ended in the most unique way. Along with the greats, its certainly going down the books as one of the most unforgettable days in my entire mundane life.

The day before was also something else but on that day, I did something I'm afraid I cannot disclose to anyone but it was still perfect. Thinking that I had one good day, I told myself that tomorrow was going to be ordinary. I can't be on a roll of perfection happening over 24 hours, it just doesn't come to me. But I proved myself wrong.

Classes came on normally just the way they always do. Quite boring if I may be honest. I was also anticipating the feeling to get really beaten up and tired for I was about to have a six-hour rehearsal for Remix '06 from about 6pm lasting until 12am. Apart from that, I had the task to interview people for the Filipi2 mtv/documentary that's going to be due soon and think of a way to snap some shots of stalls at the nearby Harrison Plaza selling pirated cd's or fake merch, still for Filipi2. But before I got to do those things, something happened...

Every Friday, after classes end at 2:20 in the afternoon, I would go to this cafe at school and have lunch with Ali, the silly girl I've been loving since I was thirteen. We've been together before from September 2002 to July 2004 and broke off. Something was telling me that this lunch was quite different from the ones we had. Before I got there, she even texted me that she was going to give me something that she was sure to claim that I'll like. And we had lunch. While I was eating, I already kept on asking her to give the thing to me so we can talk about it while I gobbled my meal down since we can only be together for 30 short minutes. But she insisted that I finish eating then she'll give it to me. So, feeling full, I asked what it was. She pulled out a picture of the two of us together from her bag and handed it to me. My initial unspoken reaction was "okay, this is it?" and so I looked at the back of the photo, thinking it means more than just that. There, written were the words I'd never ever forget "This is the last time things will be just about You and Me. From now until forever, it's going to be about US" I took about 2 seconds to process her words and after that tears started streaming from my eyes. I was surprised at my own reaction. And why wouldn't I be? I've been waiting for her to say yes for more than 2 years now and I couldn't believe what was happening. All too good to be true.

We ended that day like no other. We were both so happy. I never saw her as joyful as that. I had cramps on my left foot but I got to walk til Harrison and rehearse for more than 6 hours of hip-hop dancing and learn my very first breakdancing stunt.

I guess when you're too happy, you won't give a shit even to an amputated leg.

Happy pedestrian, signing off... for now

Hanging by a Thread

I committed myself to join this inter-school dance competiton, Remix '06, with a friend of mine and 5 other people I had no acquaintance of. Things unfolded slowly and one by one, I got to know them eventually and everyone turned out to be nice. So we started practicing everyday after school which is about 4 or 5 in the afternoon and would end at around 7 to 7:30 in the evening. Rehearsals are damn tiring, and believe me when I say that I experience the exhaustion not only physically, but emotionally. I knew it right from the start that these people I joined in with were not gonna take things lightly. They're serious about dancing and when I dance with them, I feel like the one tagged as the "Weakest Link". I take the longest time to pick-up steps (or I'm the most vocal about the difficulty) and the most uncomfortable one to move around.

Feeling like a big failure, I'm doubting if I'm really cut out for this thing I'm about to take on. I ain't quitting, I'm never the quitter but I just don't want to be the guy that lets the whole group down. It's me and my pride at stake right here. I'm taking this on not for winning, not for bragging rights or what have you.

I'm gonna do this, no matter how hard it takes, how many times I may commit mistakes just to prove to myself that I can do something at the very least--that I can commit myself and get it done.

Superfly's Reply...

I got the message from Karl Ty, a DJ from Superfly Manila about the mail I sent him. Here's what he had to say:

Hi shifty

Got your text the other day but i was in the states going around for more music to bring back. Anyway, here's what i have to say about this issue.

As hopeless as it may sound, piracy is one of the biggest businesses found around the world right now. Its in the alleys of most first world countires and can be found in all shapes and sizes. What's funny is thatas ironic as it may sound, it has also helped them get their music accross to markets which it would never could have reached in the first place. Of course they look down on it and most of them only patronize original material. But they are fully aware of the situation and the repercussions. There is very little that we as promoters or the artists can do but to make statements to the listeners to buy original material.

There are some people. like you, who see this and look down on it... keep it up man. It's people like you who these artists make music for.

I've forwarded this message to Kaskade for his review.

All the Best,

Karl Ty
Superfly Entertainment, Inc.

and there you go...
til then...
xxx...the deranged pedestrian...xxx

Tagos sa Buto (Filipi2 req)

Hindi ko ni minsan akalain na masarap maramdaman ang sobrang galit. Yun para bang magagawa mo ang lahat ng gusto mong gawin, parang may bahagi mo na unti-unting humuhiwalay sa sarili mo. Alam mong may gusto kang gawin pero nasa tama ka pa ring pag-iisip kaya nagagawa mong pigilan ang sarili mo. Naranasan ko na ring magalit at maabot ang sukdulan--sumasakit anf ulo at leeg sa tindi ng emosyon. Hindi ko lang batud kung ano ang meron sa marami sa atin na nauunahan pa rin tayo ng hiya at konsensiya kaya bago pa tayo kumilos ay humupa na ang damdamin. Yun lang siguro ang naghihiwalay sa atin at sa mga kriminal; ang kakayahang pumigil sa sarili.

Mahalaga ang galit sa opinyon ko. HIndi lang dahil sa gusto ko ang pakiramdam na ito kundi dahil ginagawa tayong tao ng galit. Bahagi ng pagkatao ang galit. Tulad ng tuwa, lungkot at gutom, tao ka pag galit ka. Defense mechanism rin ito, nagagawa mong lumaban, bagay na hindi mo magagawa pag wala ka sa tamang emosyon. Inilalabas nito ang pinakamaganda o pinakapangit sa atin.

Kaya sa susunod na makaramdam ng masidhing galit, huwag takbuhan. Harapin at maging tao.

To Err is Human and so I am Indeed One.

In one sigh, i can sum up all the past things that took place in the mundane and blurred pages of my life. Things left and right happened all too quickly and I am left in a place where turning back can all be but a crime. I refuse the option of regret for I wish to have seomthing left for me; the fact that I, in all and full consent, let things be for the way they are. I assume responsibility over my actions and claiming that I had no say in them would inflict more and more damage to my already injured self.

Remix '06. Oh the drama in the group. My tastelessness is my expression is not what it seems to be like. It certainly is not that I hate all the things that has happened in the group, actually I like it for I proved everyone's commitment in the endeavor we are about to take on. Choreography has to be changed for integrity cannot be fused with it and so is honesty. But I am doubting why I joined it. I told myself I only move to dance for fun but for fun to be experienced, do we really have to go all through this. If we win, then all the glory for me. Otherwise, experience is there, the ever reliable intangible object we hide our regrets in.

til then
the deranged pedestrian.

HOUSE MUSIC IS BEING FED TO THE DOGS

i e-mailed BigFish Manila. Read on.

"ei guys... thanks for bringing house greats here in the country. but there is a serious problem right now. i was on my way to school when i passed by this stall selling pirated cd's. on regular days, i would pass there being unmindful of everything. but something caught my eye. i saw a hed kandi triple cd (the mix 06 and swing city) being sold for a hundred bucks. i asked the ale, about 40 yrs old, looks like the typical mid-aged vendor, "miss, meron kayong david morales?" and she answered me casually "oo. siya yung kumanta ng here i am d b? meron ding kaskade, mas maganda" chicane, bonnie bailey and ministry of sound was also available. i walked away from the stall on the verge of crying. this is alarming and a complete shame. house is being fed to the fangs of piracy. we have to put a stop to this, in any way we can."

My nightmare came true.

Kaskade Update

ei guys... visit Kaskademusic.com... it's been updated and packed with more juicy stuff. 3 new Kaskade songs up for download for free. Check out the media link for that. And Kaskade looks like he can pass up as a male model in the pics. Everybody's getting metro nowadays.And also check out the journal link. There's fun pics right there about his Pinas trip...

Amused by Superman No More

"A 2006 remake of the 80's Superman". For some, that would have sounded like a statement of Hollywood box-office topping proportions. It's like one of the greatest super hero legends of all time has finally come to life once again after being rested (God bless Christopher Reeve). But when I heard it, the first thing I asked myself was am I gonna watch this?

The lack of spin in excitement made me decide not to. But it's Superman, right? Yeah, that's the main point--it's Superman so I ain't watching it. I think nothing could be made new about Superman. He's been embedded so deep on the minds of the people who watch him that they couldn't even vamp up his costume. He's a standard superhero. He can't wear a different outfit 'cuz if he did, he wouldn't be Superman. He must be this and that for him to be him. That's what I love about X-Men, they're flexible characters (kudos to Stan Lee). You can change what they wear, you can change the sides their own and they'd still be the X-Men. Is it in the numbers that we see this battle going to the X-Men's way? I don't think so. I tried to watch Smallville over X-Men Evolution (yeah, the toon) and Clark left me with a bland taste. It's limited action for Superman. He's just extra-ordinarily strong with x-ray vision and a kryponite phobia. I think that's why it's so full of drama, it makes up for the action part.

I never found the fascination for Superman. He's the kind that he's so extraordinary that you've been imagining him ever since before he came. It's Lex, Lois Lane and the Daily Planet. For me, there's nothing more to it. We've seen him carry trucks and leap over buildings in a single bound so many times already--too many times, in fact. I'd rather watch Cars and see Lighting McQueen in actions. Now, that ain't decades old.