A TRUE PATRIOT AND HERO

By Toto Mortillero

People who are serving in whatever field in pursuit of national glory is considered a patriot. An athlete who is representing his/her country is considered a patriot, much more if he/she fights on the battlefield for the freedom of his/her country.

Teofilo Yldefonso whose monicker was the "Ilocano Shark" represented the Philippine flag in the 200-meter breaststroke in swimming three times specifically in1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics. He grabbed the bronze medal in the said event during the 1928 and 1932 Olympics and landed seventh in the 1936 Olympics. Such feat is already recorded in the annals of history of the Philippine Sports since we can only count our fingertips as regards to the Filipino athletes who made us proud during the Olympics.

Yldefonso got 144 medals in his 16-year stint as a swimmer and became a member of the SWIMMING HALL OF FAME IN 2009. His unorthodox style of swimming known otherwise as the "Yldefonso stroke" is being adapted by pint-sized swimmers, especially by the Japanese swimmers.

Such accomplishments of Teofilo Yldefonso were already considered patriotic for giving glory to our motherland, the Philippines by way of the Olympics, but his greater legacy was the fact that he joined the Philippine Scout during the Second World War to save the Philippines from the Japanese invaders.

Yldefonso became a lieutenant in the Philippine Scout during the course of the Second World War and was one of those captured and joined the Death March. He survived the said harrowing march of death but later on died in a concentration camp in Capas, Tarlac due to the injuries he got from the said long, tiring and trying march.

His life can be a good inspiration for us, the new generation of Filipinos to be a TRUE PATRIOT AND HERO especially in this very challenging part of our national journey. May his sterling accomplishments be a guiding light for us to be freedom loving people and become good citizens of our country, the Philippines. May his likes increase and may the sunshine of the Philippines never fade in every challenge it has to face. So be it.

THE CAVALIERS MUST REBUILD FOR THEIR FUTURE

By Toto Mortillero

The Cleveland Cavaliers is now considered as the oldest team of the National Basketball Association and has a sub-par performance in the premier basketball league in the world. Even though LeBron James performs like a Most Valuable Player, the Cavaliers have lost ten contests in fourteen games and that is very alarming. Basing on their recent performances it seems like they cannot secure the most prestigious basketball trophy this year, the James Naismith NBA Championship trophy.

So what shall the Cavaliers do to save their basketball team? It is my humble opinion that the Cavs must forget their championship contention for this year and prepare for its future. I believe it is now the most opportune time for them to rebuild the team by trading their old but naturally talented players to the young and fresh ballers and to protect their future draft rights.

Of course the heart and soul of the team, LeBron James must stay, since he would be needed by the soon to be formed fresh Cavaliers team by next season. Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert who performed well for the past three years but underperforming this season must be traded to a younger and stronger guy like the L.A. Clippers alley-hoop dunker DeAndre Jordan. The threesome off Smith, Shumpert, and Thompson would be better for the Clippers in rebuilding its team too, thus the trade between these four players involving the Cavaliers and the Clippers would be a win-win solution for the rebuilding of the two teams.

Jose Calderon, an old but good point guard together with the former NBA Most Valuable Player Awardee but injury prone point guard Derek Rose and Kyle Korver may be a good offer for the Atlanta Hawks' Kent Bazemore for the Cavaliers to have a sharpshooter from the three-point range. Rose and Calderon are no longer indispensable for the Cavaliers since the same has already enough of Lebron James and Isaiah Thomas to run the point guard position.

As far as I see it, the Cavaliers are performing good in the offense department but lack the strong defense that it needs to stifle the offense of the opponent, this fact can be gleaned in its home lost the game to the Oklahoma City Thunders whom the Cavaliers permitted to score 148 points. Defense is the best offense as they say it, hence the problem of the Cavaliers with regard to defense must be solved and their aging roster should be refreshed for them to go back to a title contention by next year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may not land in the finals this season, but the Cavaliers front desk can remedy their losing skid by focusing on rebuilding their team for them to amass championships in the near future. The Cavaliers must bear in mind that youth and defense are two of the essentials for a team to be of a championship caliber.

THE PASSING OF AN ERA

By Toto Mortillero

Just this last Sunday, Puerto Rico's boxing pride and future Boxing Hall of Famer, Miguel Angel Cotto, retired from the sport that he loved most after losing his World Boxing Organization (WBO), Junior Middleweight diadem to the youthful American Saddam Ali, via a unanimous decision.

The Puerto Ricans would forever remember Miguel Cotto as a fat, young lad who tried to lace the gloves just to shed weight only to find himself becoming a great fighter under the guidance and tutelage of his trainer-uncle Evangelista Cotto.

Under the almost two decades of prizefighting, Miguel Angel Cotto had surpassed the boxing records of the great Boricua/Puerto Rican boxers who were inducted to the Boxing Hall of Fame like former three division world champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad, Jr., former three-division world boxing champion Wilfredo Vasquez Sr., and former three division boxing world champion Wilfredo Benitez.

His record of six world titles in four boxing divisions is the grandest in the Puerto Rican Boxing history and his heart as a pugilist is considered as one of the best because of his never say die attitude atop the squared ring.

His unforgettable world title fights with Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweathet Jr., Antonio Margarito, Saul Alvarez and Sergio Martinez would be etched forever in the boxing books and never be forgotten by hardcore boxing followers.

His recent loss to Saddam Ali was somehow a message for him that after years of fighting in the name of his family, country and.personal honor, all he has to do now is to stop fighting and.enjoy the fruits of his labor. He may have conquered many good fighters but he cannot outlast father time, hence it is high time for him to hang his gloves since it is now clear as a crystal pool that indeed his era has already passed.

UNARGUABLY THE GREATEST TENNISTER OF ALL TIME

By Toto Mortillero

With the latest collection of his 18th grand slam at the Australian Open, I consider Roger Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time. His 18 grand slams is by far the greatest feat any tennis player can do since the game was invented, not to mention the fact that he had eclipsed the number of grand slams the all time greats like Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg, to name a few had.

He is one of the few to have won all the three surfaces in grand slam events in tennis namely, the clay court, the grass surface and the cemented one. Dubbed as the Federer Express, Roger Federer is also one of the few to have won all of the four grand slams in tennis like the Australian Open, the French Open, the U.S. Open and the Wimbledon.

His rivalry with the Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal an all time great himself to having won fourteen grand slams in his name is considered as the greatest rivalry in tennis. The duo had battled neck and neck for more than thirty times already in world championship and grand slam tennis matches.

His undying love of tennis made him the greatest as a matter of fact he tried to claim greatness by playing the game without winning a single grand slam for five years not until he won again the Australian Open. His thirty five (35) years of existence in the planet makes him an old man in the game but he managed to establish as the oldest Australian Open champion and probably as the oldest grand slam tennis champion.

His undying love of the game, his untiring capacity to play the game not to mention his feats, accolades and exploits of it makes ROGER FEDERER the greatest tennis player of all time.

SENATOR PACQUIAO MUST STOP FIGHTING

By Toto Mortillero

During the campaign period Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao would keep on telling the people that if he's gonna be elected senator of the land he would not fight anymore since the senate needs one hundred percent attendance for him to really serve the people. Now, his promoter Bob Arum, probably the greatest matchmaker of all time and his trainer, the multi-awarded Freddie Roach are now preparing for a possible Manny Pacquiao fight before the year ends. If this is gonna happen this would run counter to his promise to the people, anyway ... "promises are made to be broken" as they would say it.

Pacquiao could still have effectively serve the people if he only run for congressman during the last elections since he can still be in the lower house and at the same time give honor and glory for the Filipino flag as a boxer. To me being a congressman does not need full attendance for one to be good. At the age of thirty seven (37), Pacquiao is still as strong as Samson and can still fight the best in his division, he would still have twenty (20) million dollar fights 'til he finish his last term as congressman had he sought for re-election and he could have made us continually proud of being Filipinos each time he waves the Philippine flag atop the ring and pummeling boxers of international caliber, hence I believe that his run for the senate was inopportune and not in time.

Becoming a senator-boxer would be unthinkable for one since by doing so it would make the senate a cheap institution of the state, it would make the senate nothing but a boxing stable and it would make the people who voted for him political ignorants. The senate is the house of many national leaders whose remarkable records are already etched in the annals of the history of Philippine public service, the senate is the home of respectable statesmen who made a difference of what the Philippines it is already at the moment. The senate was the haven of the great legislators like Arturo Tolentino, Sergio Osmena Sr., Manuel L. Quezon, Raul Manglapus, Emmanuel Pelaez, Lorenzo Tanada, Jovito Salonga, Sergio Osmena Jr., Benigno Aquino Jr. etc. hence it must be respected with full dedication by having full attendance.

How can Senator Pacquiao be a good senator if he would then just be a part time law maker? How can he fare well with the above-mentioned senators if he would continue fighting atop the squared ring? I'm not saying that he can't be a good senator, what I'd like to drive at here is this, he must stop fighting and focus his time to pass laws for the good of the people for clearly " salus populi est suprema lex" the welfare of the people is the supreme law.

UFC 200: Teary-eyed Jon Jones maintains innocence

LAS VEGAS — Tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto his dress shirt, his voice catching and at times so broken it was inaudible, Jon Jones, arguably the baddest man mixed martial arts has ever known, faced the media Thursday morning as an emotional mess.

This was hours after receiving word from the United States Anti-Doping Agency that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. That cost him his headlining spot in Saturday’s UFC 200, while potentially bringing a two-year ban from a sport and derailing a comeback story from recreational substance abuse and legal issues.

“Ah, man,” Jones said, before pausing for more tears. “… I just want to apologize to everybody, sincerely. I really don’t know what to say, I’m really sorry that this is happening.”

Jones maintained his innocence by denying that he knowingly took a banned substance. He argued that whatever triggered the positive test came without his knowledge. His agent, Malki Kawa, said they will fight the finding and are having the B sample tested Thursday, with results possibly coming as soon as Thursday night.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/teary-eyed-jon-jones-maintains-innocence-173304545.html

Andre Ward has advice for Kevin Durant: Don’t let critics get you down

Oakland native Andre Ward has some advice for his friend and fellow Roc Nation client Kevin Durant as he makes the transition from Oklahoma City savior to the loaded Golden State Warriors after his surprise decision on Monday.  

As someone who has endured criticism for his own career moves, Ward advised Durant to block out the personal attacks and just be himself. Durant has been pilloried for leaving a small-market team on the verge of a championship to a club that is expected to win titles.    

“Don’t let the negativity of others pollute you,” Ward told RingTV.com on Monday. “Don’t let them twist you into being a villain or wearing the black hat. Be KD. Be who you are. And then as a player, yes, you can use that as motivation. Use it as fuel. But stay who you are.”
Ward (29-0, 15 knockouts) speaks from experience. Ward, who is close with several players on the Golden State Warriors, sees similarities in the way fans reacted to Durant’s decision to leave the Thunder to his own move to Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports in January of 2015. When Ward signed with Roc Nation, there was the feeling he was leaving the company that groomed him for the new, flashy kid on the block, not unlike what Durant is going through today...click for more http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/427679-andre-ward-has-advice-for-kevin-durant-dont-let-the-critics-get-you-down