Of Lines and Lead

Of Lines and Lead

I used to be able to draw really well. There were times that I would just spend about 30 minutes just sketching away. It wasn't much of a talent 'coz I only copied illustrations off comic books but I also had my share of cartooney sketches.

I remember when I was in 3rd grade, I sold drawings of Garfield that I traced on onion skin paper for P0.50 centavos each. Haha.

Comedy. My classmates actually bought my drawings. Wala lang.

Anyway, here's my latest take on Clark Kent. It's not much. I'll be sure to do him justice quite soon. And to answer your question, no, I didn't trace this.


The Man of Steel

I've got to start sharpening those pencils again.

And The Real Winner Is...

And The Real Winner Is...

It's a shame that someone had to lose. (Even a bigger one because my team was the one that lost.) But there are only seven games in an NBA Finals series and it had to come down to this. Up until the last second I still favored Detroit. You could probably argue that it would have been different if Game 7 was in the Motor City and it could most probably rattle the Spurs as well.

But enough of that.

The better team won this year. The downside to all of this is that Larry Brown is supposedly leaving the Detroit Pistons and after this loss, it just might turn out to be one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history. Like the Lakers of last year, they went from title holders to playoff absentees. I'm afraid that it might happen to this Detroit team because they really are a great TEAM. No superstar, no ball-hogging delinquents---just great team basketball.

If you asked why I don't like the Spurs I guess I just root for the underdogs. If they stared down another team going into the NBA Finals next year, I'd probably still root for the other team.

Congratulations to the stellar play of Manu Ginobili and most especially Big Shot Rob. There weren't any dramatic three-point daggers thrown in the Pistons' way but he certainly stepped up and did well. It's absolutely baffling how he already has 6 championship rings. Ugh. But you gotta hand it to the guy. He's a role player and he did play it to perfection.

So on a lighter note, I'd like to present the TRUE WINNER in my opinion. Hehe.



Winning the championship was just a bonus. Tony Parker already won.

His Hand Moveth

His Hand Moveth

I have been recently blessed with the presence of God. Because He is my refuge and my strength; because He is not the one to leave anybody behind; because He reveals Himself to those who sincerely seek Him with all their heart; because He forgives without bringing up what I've already done.


Because of Love
by Zeus Martinez

Why do you follow me barefoot
when I tread on burning embers?
Why call out my name in love
when I have forsaken you?

I hear you voice break
and I feel Your heart ache
when I turn away from You
when I run away to sin.

Why do you seek me out
when I'm trapped within the thorns
Why wound yourself so deep
for lost sheep such as me

I see your tears for me, O Lord
and now I understand
You do it out of love;
a love I never deserved.

He is an awesome and real God. To Him be all the glory and praise!

Sudden Death

Sudden Death

Don't look now, but the NBA Finals that started out as a best-of-seven series has now come down to a single knockout game. We have a Game 7. There are no tomorrows; it's literally "Win or go home".


One more win.

Now, more than ever, the odds are stacked up against the Detroit Pistons. And it seems that everybody else is giving San Antonio the trophy in advance just because they have home court advantage; just because history and conventional wisdom is on their side. Let's not forget that only 1 point in Game 5 separated these Pistons from celebrating their second-straight title today. But I'm not about to go into that "shoulda woulda coulda" talk because it's all done. Right now, the Pistons have everything working for them except history.


One win away from a repeat.

Just some facts:

No team, however, has ever won Games 6 and 7 on the road. Ever since the NBA introduced the 2-3-2 format way back in 1984, no road team has ever won the last two games in the opposing arena. It simply hasn't happened yet.

No team has ever won two Game 7s on the road in the same postseason Detroit recovered from a 3-2 deficit in this season's Eastern Conference Finals to push the series to seven games and defeat the Miami Heat. They won the series as Eastern Conference champions and earned their right to defend their title in this season's NBA Finals. Now, they're in the same predicament again.

Oh yeah. I almost forgot.

Since the 2-3-2 format was introduced in 1984, no road team had ever won a Game 6 on to set up a seventh and deciding game. Detroit shouldn't have won Game 6. No one has ever done it before and they shouldn't have gotten the big "W" Tuesday night. One down, two to go.

I have an affinity for this team because they are able to play well in must-win games. Like what I heard before, "They only win when they have to." It's actually amusing because it borders on cockiness but you don't see their Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups stare down the crowd, head high after hitting a crucial basket. He just moves on, plays "D" and gets another one. When Tayshaun Prince sinks a floater, he doesn't go on a Alonzo Mourning pose. He just plays on. It's almost as if they're all in the same frame of mind when it comes to down-the-wire games. No doubt, they will be focused and ready on Game 7.

Frankly, I would like Detroit to win. But if San Antonio proves to themselves and to the world that they want it more than the other team, then so be it. We are only days away in finding who responds more positively to pressure.

Word of advice to San Antonio: Take the Pistons seriously. And don't ever tell them that history is against them. They just might go ahead and change it.

Déja Vu

Deja Vu

No matter what anybody says, the San Antonio Spurs came out on top because the Detroit Pistons made a costly mistake.

Roughly 5 seconds left. Pistons are up by two. Robert Horry inbounds to Manu Ginobili on the corner of the court. And then, something happens. History repeats itself.

Three years ago, Robert Horry, who was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, caught a ball tipped out by Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings. If you were a Kings fan then and you were able to watch that last play, you would still wince while reading this. It was the dying seconds of the game and the ball mysteriously ended up in Horry's hands at the top of the arc. He let it fly with the game clock winding down to zero.


Webber chases the loose ball only to find Horry picking it up...

For the win.

Swish.

Lakers tie the series at two. That was all they had to do to win the NBA championship that year. Everything else was a blur. Instead of being down 3-1, he managed to single-handedly destroy the Sacramento Kings. That was all the lift that they needed. Back then when Horry was asked about how lucky his shot was this was what he replied:

"A lucky shot is one of those guys who has no form," he said. "If you look at this shot, it was straight form. Vlade shouldn't have tipped it out there. It wasn't no luck shot. I've been doing that all my career. He should know. He better read a paper or something."

Good case coming from someone who has been there and done that. After all, he already won two rings with the Rockets from years past.

Now, it seems that Horry has come up big again. This time, for the San Antonio Spurs.

With the Pistons leading by two, Horry was assigned to inbound. For those of you who watched the game; for those of you who remembers his late-game heroics three years ago, you would have seen it coming a mile away. I knew I did. I was watching with my sister during those last seconds. When I saw Horry was the one inbounding and that Rasheed Wallace wasn't in front of him, I knew what was going to happen right then and there. I even spelled it out for her.And it happened exactly as I said it would.

Horry inbounds to Ginobili; Rasheed doubles on Manu Ginobili; Horry gets it back and calmly hits a three. Spurs up by one. Game over.

Now, control of the series is undisputably in San Antonio's favor. They win next game, and they're the champions. I do hope that this series goes to seven. I hope that it goes down to the wire. Like what one online columnist said, he has a dream for this year's NBA Finals.
And lastly, and maybe most importantly, I want seven because I have a dream, and it goes like this: Seventh game, seven overtimes, 132 personal fouls, and just two men left standing. That's right: Darko and Rasho for all the marbles.

Wishful thinking, isn't it? Then again, everything in this series is unpredictable. Whatever happens next game, I'm still happy that Game 5 turned out to be one for the ages.