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by Philipina A. Marcelo
So, even when Lionel Messi and his star-studded Argentina side cannot put away Bolivia in their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers fixture last Friday, drawing the match at 1-1 and making it 1-1 at 11/11/11, there is something else that keeps Barca's little genius in the limelight... and it isn't just the Albicelestes' 2-1 win against Colombia a few hours ago, following the Bolivia hiccups, either. The world leader in football boot-making business - Adidas - launched yet another innovation recently: the "smart boot", the newest version of adizero f50. And the best footballer of this generation, no less, is endorsing it. And so, La Pulga's adorable smile is all over the net traffic, causing congestions in a few places in the www... and vena contracta effect in many (female) hearts! Oy! :)
Here, get a load of some footie-bootie awesomeness...
"It's football perfection!"
Feel free to replay... it's totally understandable to feel the urge to do so! And that's talking through experience, too. :)
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Xavi is a "Century Man"
Of course, this news made me flip with excitement. :)
Sure, there's a good number of awesome geniuses in the world of football
Xavi, a century of kicking beauty for Spain.today who are all worthy of admiration (... and more!). But, for a long time now, I still cannot make up my mind between Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández for my BIGGEST favorite in this generation's football greats! :) Add he who is World Cup smooth assassin, Andres Iniesta, in the mix... and ranking them becomes close to a headache - the sweet kind. The Barça trio of geniuses are in the 2011 FIFA Ballon D'Or Award shortlist again - as in the previous year when they occupied the top three spots in the final race for the award given to the best player in the world.
Although Messi leads by a few yards in my personal "favorite race", I've never stopped wishing great things for Barça's playmaking guru par excellence, Xavi. And so, when he received his UEFA International Centurion medal for his 100+ appearances in the Spanish uniform, I was so happy for him that I celebrated with two new pairs of shoes (good bargain, too), a haircut (eat your heart out, Cesc!), foot spa, and manicure/pedicure! :) Forget hat-trick, I did a manita of celebration for the high priest of the Barça formation's heart on the pitch... and it felt good! Yaay! :)
Felicitaciones, El Mestro! :)
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The Kings have new clothes
The Spanish National Team - the reigning Euro and World Champs - launched their new kit... and it's predominantly red, as in La Furia Roja, indeed! Very nice! What's nicer is that the launching went with this...
Campeones del Mundo... that's all you need to understand. :)
Hmmm... sumptuous, isn't it? Santa Claus should consider working out and getting into a La Furia Roja kit, don't you think? Then, many Mommies (and non-Mommies, too) would be kissing him, Santa baby! :)
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And the Swiss Maestro hits the "usual" high notes - on court
Yes, yes, and yes! Of course, I've been paying attention... from the Davis
Paris... not a last tango, but a first time for RF.Cup in Australia - after the US Open - to the indoor tournament in his hometown, Basel, Switzerland, and last week's Masters event in Paris where he downed his 2011 Wimbledon QF conqueror, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga! Yes, I am aware that Roger Federer is slowly mounting a "mini comeback" in the Barclays ATP Tour year-ender in London featuring the Top Eight of men's tennis, which he won last year. It's just that work is "in the way" - as usual... and, the sports (cable) channels here in Manila do not cover so many of the Masters and ATP tours. But they do follow all sorts of golf touring events in every corner of the Universe where there's expensively mown grass! Ugh! I know, I know, it's a matter of preference, and I shouldn't fret over the unfairly wider coverage of golf even when it still remains to be an "elitist sport", as far as I'm concerned... not to mention, it isn't nearly as beautiful as either football or tennis. Once again, a matter of preference....
Going back to RF... he is still the BEST today, methinks. At 30 years, the oldest in men's Top 10, he still possesses the loveliest of games - classic in its absolute beauty! His is still the most fascinating
The RF grace and elegance... that beauty with
which the gentlemen's sport should be played -
in my book.game, technically and tactically. He hasn't lost his breathtaking grace on court, too... and it's always fantastic to watch him after all these years, and a few places below the #1 in the World spot in the rankings. And because age-related stamina and shifting personal priorities, being the father of a fast-growing adorable twin girls, are slowly limiting him to best-of-three-sets matches, savoring his sumptuous tennis is fast becoming a rarity - almost a luxury these days. In fact, Andy Murray overtook him in the rankings recently because the Swiss Maestro had skipped a number of ATP and Masters tour events, mostly in Asia, :( losing a lot of ranking points in the process, while the Scot ammassed points, enjoying the limelight, mostly without the other Top 4 players. It still doesn't necessarily mean that RF's tennis has faded to ugliness as he, yet again, slipped down the ranking - definitely not! And I still looove him - always will! Roger that! :)
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Oh, and there's that PacMan issue
While, to me, boxing is not a "beautiful game", some boxing events deserve blog time. :)
I'd be the first to admit that the Philippines' "national fist", Manny Pacquiao, was not in his usual brilliant form when he went to meet Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez in a slugfest in Las Vegas last Sunday. Pac-Man took a lot of beating from the Mexican -
Ow! That hurts (the ego)!just a thin margin more than the beating he gave the obviously in-form, in-the-zone, win-against-Pacman-starved Marquez. However, Pac-Man stood his ground. He stepped into the ring to defend his crown, albeit ill-prepared... and defend he did. While Marquez did absolutely great trying to take away Pac-Man's crown, he didn't do enough to show that he actually, and without a doubt overpowered the Pinoy fighter, just because that Pinoy fighter can be brilliant even in his most lackluster form. So, I think, the fight should've been a draw. But because the judges made the puzzling decision, I think it isn't fair to be hurling unkind words to Pac-Man no matter how bad we feel for Marquez... and feeling bad for Marquez is totally justifiable, too. It's painful enough that, for the first time in a long time, the Philippines cannot celebrate in a real victorious glee after a Pacman fight.
So, let's have that rematch ASAP... and move on, okay? :) NEXT! Floyd Mayweather, Jr.? Huh? Still busy eating chicken? :) Oh well... In the meantime, forget those trips to the recording studios, Congressman Pacman, and mind your boxing first - please!
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Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Video credits: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
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