Manila Invitationals, foul-mouths among us and Tim - the dull

• The finals game is set between the RP Team and the Lebanese (again) after China was unceremoniously booted by Khatib and company to finish 3rd in quotient comparison.
  
• Drum roll, please. Finally saw a live basketball game yesterday courtesy of a most generous friend who is privy to the ins and outs of Philippine basketball. Unfortunately, this was the result.
  
• My thoughts, though not in any remarkable order
• Araneta coliseum, as a venue for great Filipino basketball, isn't great at all. Sure the playing court does serve its purpose but everything else is simply dirty and poorly-maintained. No wonder attendance is at a low, notwithstanding the level of play right now in the pro league.
• Watching games gives you access to sit with TV and movie female celebrities, who I guess are on the prowl of drafting (more of ensnaring) a gullible millionaire player. Nevertheless, these women add entertainment value to the games and being seated at quality patron seats, just a seat across SBP top brass, Mr. "MVP' Pangilinan makes you feel like royalty.
• Differences in height of about 3 inches really isn't that pronounced looking at players up close. I guess positioning, jumping ability and over-all athletic skills and 'determination' more than makes up for perceived physical disadvantages. Mark Caguioa was quite the spark on how he makes his way even among the tall and young Chinese. And I'm glad Asi wa able to find a wife considering the burden of sharing a bed his size.
• Lastly, and this really burst my bubble, there are quite a number of fans who ruin the game by shouting invectives by the minute (mostly at the poor referees) as if they own the country and would make excellent game officials, themselves. And they are not the ones in the bleachers. And to think there are plenty of kids. Nope, watching a basketball game live isn't for the family, unless you'd like to teach about sportsmanship, not. If I do remember, this is still a basketball game and we are not looking at any life-saving situation and this won't show us the way towards eliminating poverty.

• There's not much you can read about him and most articles allude to him as 'exciting as a brocolli' But not only is he a certified basketball all-time great, yet he also isn't a superstar by our typical definition. In his own words, Tim Duncan.