Game 1 recap: Salva-tion in the UAAP Finals | ABS-CBN News

Game 1 recap: Salva-tion in the UAAP Finals | ABS-CBN News
One down, one to go.

Tale of the tape: Ateneo vs UST | ABS-CBN News

Tale of the tape: Ateneo vs UST | ABS-CBN News
Just my opinion here. Hope it doesn't come off as too biased. :p

The Phenom takes flight in Ateneo-La Salle game | ABS-CBN News

The Phenom takes flight in Ateneo-La Salle game | ABS-CBN News
My own humble contribution to the legend of The Phenom.

NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra Live Video Facebook Chat and Meet and Greet Promo

What’s up, NBA fans?!!!  Your very own NBA Champion, Coach Erik Spoelstra is in Manila and Gatorade is giving you exclusive access to a LIVE STREAM VIDEO CHAT with him on the Gatorade Philippines Facebook page!

 

Ten (10) lucky fans will also be invited  to the actual LIVE CHAT to meet Coach Spo in person, take pictures with The Larry O’Brien trophy, and get cool Gatorade gear on Saturday, August 4, at The Marriott Hotel, Manila. Join now and fuel your thirst for Basketball with Gatorade and The NBA!!!!!!!

 

Here’s how to join:

1)     Become a fan of Gatorade Philippines by visiting www.facebook.com/GatoradePH

2)     Submit your question for NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra on the post that will be pinned on top of the Gatorade Philippines Timeline.

3)     The best Ten (10) questions will be selected as determined by Gatorade Philippines and will each receive the following prizes:

 

·         Exclusive invitation to a Meet and Greet with Coach Spo on Saturday, August 4 at the Marriott Hotel (10 winners and each winner can bring one guest)

·         Coach Spo autographed Gatorade Ball and Gatorade Elite Training Gear (Sports Bag, Hydration bottle, Towel and ID lanyard)

 

4)     In addition, Twenty, (20) winners will be randomly chosen from fans who posted questions on the Gatorade Facebook page and will each receive the following prizes:

 

·         Two (2) tickets to the NBA Finals Viewing Party at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage Cinema (20 winners, each winner will receive 2 tickets)

·          Gatorade Sports Packs (Sling Bag, Hydration bottle, Gym Towel, and ID lanyard):  Two (2) Sports Packs per winner

Note: All winners will be required to secure their own transportation to the venues to attend or claim their respective prizes.

 

5)     Promotion begins on Monday, July 30 2012 at 12:01 am and will end on Wednesday, August 1 2012 at 11:59PM. Winners will be announced on the Gatorade Facebook page on August 2, at 5:00pm and will be asked to email their contact details to ph.gatorade@gmail.com so they can be notified on how to claim their respective prizes. Winners who fail to confirm their details by 12:00pm on August 3, 2012 will be deemed to have forfeited their prize. No substitutes will be selected.

 

ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

•  The NBA and Gatorade will monitor the questions and take down any that are believed to be rude or inappropriate.

·         Employees of Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), Pepsico International (PI), Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Inc. (PCFET), NBA Properties, Inc., the National Basketball Association, its Member Teams and affiliates (collectively, “NBA Entities”), Pepsi Partners: EDS and Distributors, including their relatives up to the third degree of affinity and consanguinity shall be disqualified from joining and/or participating in this promotion.

 

·         Winners and entrants agree NBA Entities may not be held liable for any claims or damages that might arise in connection with the promotion or related advertisement or any prizes or premiums awarded in the promotion or any incident that occurs during use of the prize won (during use of air and land transport, hotel services or during the basketball match or for any incident that occurs on these occasions).

 

·         The winners hereby authorize PCPPI, PI, PCFET, and the NBA Entities to use their names and likeness for publicity purposes without this conferring any remuneration, right or benefit of any kind other than the award of their prize.

NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra Live Video Facebook Chat and Meet and Greet Promo

What’s up, NBA fans?!!!  Your very own NBA Champion, Coach Erik Spoelstra is in Manila and Gatorade is giving you exclusive access to a LIVE STREAM VIDEO CHAT with him on the Gatorade Philippines Facebook page!

Ten (10) lucky fans will also be invited  to the actual LIVE CHAT to meet Coach Spo in person, take pictures with The Larry O’Brien trophy, and get cool Gatorade gear on Saturday, August 4, at The Marriott Hotel, Manila. Join now and fuel your thirst for Basketball with Gatorade and The NBA!!!!!!!

Here’s how to join:

1)     Become a fan of Gatorade Philippines by visiting www.facebook.com/GatoradePH

2)     Submit your question for NBA Coach Erik Spoelstra on the post that will be pinned on top of the Gatorade Philippines Timeline.

3)     The best Ten (10) questions will be selected as determined by Gatorade Philippines and will each receive the following prizes:

·         Exclusive invitation to a Meet and Greet with Coach Spo on Saturday, August 4 at the Marriott Hotel (10 winners and each winner can bring one guest)

·         Coach Spo autographed Gatorade Ball and Gatorade Elite Training Gear (Sports Bag, Hydration bottle, Towel and ID lanyard)

4)     In addition, Twenty, (20) winners will be randomly chosen from fans who posted questions on the Gatorade Facebook page and will each receive the following prizes:

·         Two (2) tickets to the NBA Finals Viewing Party at the SM Mall of Asia Center Stage Cinema (20 winners, each winner will receive 2 tickets)

·          Gatorade Sports Packs (Sling Bag, Hydration bottle, Gym Towel, and ID lanyard):  Two (2) Sports Packs per winner

Note: All winners will be required to secure their own transportation to the venues to attend or claim their respective prizes.

5)     Promotion begins on Monday, July 30 2012 at 12:01 am and will end on Wednesday, August 1 2012 at 11:59PM. Winners will be announced on the Gatorade Facebook page on August 2, at 5:00pm and will be asked to email their contact details to ph.gatorade@gmail.com so they can be notified on how to claim their respective prizes. Winners who fail to confirm their details by 12:00pm on August 3, 2012 will be deemed to have forfeited their prize. No substitutes will be selected.

ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

•  The NBA and Gatorade will monitor the questions and take down any that are believed to be rude or inappropriate.

·         Employees of Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), Pepsico International (PI), Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Inc. (PCFET), NBA Properties, Inc., the National Basketball Association, its Member Teams and affiliates (collectively, “NBA Entities”), Pepsi Partners: EDS and Distributors, including their relatives up to the third degree of affinity and consanguinity shall be disqualified from joining and/or participating in this promotion.

·         Winners and entrants agree NBA Entities may not be held liable for any claims or damages that might arise in connection with the promotion or related advertisement or any prizes or premiums awarded in the promotion or any incident that occurs during use of the prize won (during use of air and land transport, hotel services or during the basketball match or for any incident that occurs on these occasions).

·         The winners hereby authorize PCPPI, PI, PCFET, and the NBA Entities to use their names and likeness for publicity purposes without this conferring any remuneration, right or benefit of any kind other than the award of their prize.

NBA Playoffs: Western dominance, Eastern struggles

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The Spurs and Thunder eliminated both LA teams while the Eastern survivors engage in war.

Western Dominance and Eastern Struggles

Four games, four wins. It’s becoming a common refrain for the San Antonio Spurs in this 2011-2012 season. It’s something that the Los Angeles Clippers became all too familiar with after Coach Gregg Popovich’s crew swept them out of the playoffs, 4-0. The combined efforts of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin fell short time and time again in the face of the Spurs’ onslaught. Even as Tim Duncan dominated inside like he did in the early 2000s, the trio of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green took care of the perimeter and quickly sent the Clips home packing and wondering what the future holds for head coach Vinny del Negro.

The more established team in L.A., the mighty Lakers, fared no better than their co-tenants at the Staples Center. Aside from a Game One blowout, each game against the Oklahoma City Thunder had been close, something that was supposed to swing in the favor of playoff veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace. But the Thunder have been showing how they’ve grown up quickly in this year’s playoffs, withstanding almost every Laker run, and forcing the Lakers into bad shots and turnovers. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been delivering big time for Coach Scott Brooks, and the defensive combination of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins has punished both Gasol and Andrew Bynum, forcing the seven-footers into uncomfortable shots. Games 2 and 4 in this series saw OKC step into passing lanes, force errors by L.A., and leave the 16-time champions wondering how they could let leads slip away late. Coach Mike Brown’s late-game decisions to just let the Lakers play by not mapping out any clear schemes is drawing criticism, and could be a reason for Brown not returning once the playoffs end. If not for the Lakers’ 41-42 free throw performance in Game 3 (Bryant himself going 18-18), this series would have ended in a sweep too. Instead, the Thunder eliminated L.A. 4-1 and sending the Lakers into an offseason of uncertainty.

When the Chicago Bulls were eliminated, it seemed as if everyone was clearing the way for the Miami Heat to square off against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Apparently nobody told the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers of that plan as the two underdogs have been scratching and clawing to keep their respective series interesting.

Miami was supposed to destroy Frank Vogel’s charges, but the Pacers have given Erik Spoelstra’s crew everything they can handle. Some might point to the loss of Chris Bosh to an abdominal strain as the cause for the Heat machine stalling, but others can just look at the inconsistent play from Dwyane Wade as the culprit. One game after a dismal 5 point, 5 turnover performance that was highlighted by a clash with Spoelstra on the Heat bench, Wade delivered with 30 points, 22 in the second half, as the Heat tied the Eastern Conference Semifinals at two games apiece. 3-time MVP James was no slouch either with 40 huge points and 18 rebounds to scatter Indiana’s early optimism. The Pacers need something more akin to their Game Three blowout win, when David West, George Hill, and Danny Granger showed that they have a “Big Three” of their own.

Coach Doug Collins is loving life in Philadelphia now. After taking out the top-seeded Bulls, nobody expected the Sixers to put up much of a fight versus the veteran-heavy Boston Celtics. But a team composed of Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, and rising star Evan Turner are sending a message to the rest of the NBA: Philly is here, and we will not go quietly. No clear-cut star shines brighter than the rest for this team, and that’s just fine with Collins. It means anyone and everyone is expected to show up and rise to the occasion when necessary. Boston has relied on Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo since 2008, and Coach Doc Rivers’ team has been up and down in this match-up primarily because of the strong play by the Sixers. Brandon Bass delivered for the Celtics in Game Five though to give them a 3-2 edge over Philly. The question now is if there’s anything left in the 76ers or can Boston close them out in two days.

Clearly, San Antonio has emerged as the team to beat in these playoffs. Two series sweeps means the Spurs’ veterans can rest longer while the other teams battle it out everywhere else. With their elimination by a younger, deeper, meaner Thunder team, you might have seen the last of this incarnation of the Lake Show. Focus now goes to the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder. Out East, it’s anybody’s guess right now which among the four teams will tussle in the Eastern Conference Finals. Star power is nice, but team chemistry, desire, and will could prove to significant enough to torpedo the hopes of both powerhouses in Boston and Miami.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/05/22/12/nba-playoffs-western-dominance-eastern-struggles

Two Game Sevens and the Return of KG the Kid

Now that the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs has officially ended, let’s look at a few trends that emerged. Only two teams scored series sweeps, both happened in the Western Conference: The San Antonio Spurs swept the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Only two series went seven games and they were the other two series in the West: the Los Angeles Lakers eked out a 4-3 win over the Denver Nuggets behind big games from Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Andrew Bynum, and Kobe Bryant. Meanwhile the Los Angeles Clippers survived a physical series with the Memphis Grizzlies in their own Game Seven thanks to strong bench play that negated Blake Griffin disappearing when he was needed most. Thus, the Western Conference Semifinals will see the top-seeded Spurs battling the Clippers while the marquee match-up will see the Thunder hosting the Lakers as both L.A. teams stay alive.

With the Clippers advancing, all eyes will be on the dream match-up at the point guard spot between Tony Parker and Chris Paul. These two MVP contenders will be battling it out so it will have to fall to their respective benches to determine the winner. Even as Tim Duncan nears retirement, the new power forward on the block (namely Griffin) is poised to take over for him. But until Griffin stops flopping and just throwing up wild shots with no semblance of a real post game, expect Duncan to use his veteran smarts to school the youngster.

There is some recent history between the Lakers and the Thunder, and it’s not the good kind. Metta World Peace’s elbow on James Harden might be the most replayed thing we’ll see in this series, but there are other stories to look at. Consider former Laker Derek Fisher trying to eliminate the team that he won five championships with, or his close relationship with Kobe Bryant. Both have described it as being “like brothers” but like any siblings, one definitely wants to destroy the other. The tag teams of Gasol and Bynum versus Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka are expected to bang and crash in the paint. But most of all, the explosive offenses of the top two scorers this season (Kevin Durant and Bryant) will be on full display. Call it the old school versus the new school if you will, but all eyes will be on LA and OKC over the next few games.

Over in the East, the number one seed Chicago Bulls, decimated by injuries to 2011 MVP Derrick Rose and defensive anchor Joakim Noah, were barely beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, but Philly finally got out of the first round for the first time since 2002. The Boston Celtics also took out the Atlanta Hawks despite the return of Al Horford to the Atlanta roster when Kevin Garnett discovered the Fountain of Youth while playing center for Boston. This sets up a match-up between the veteran Celtics and the no-name Sixers, a classic rivalry that dates back to the 80s and even the 60s. Garnett’s stellar play carried over to the second round when he had 29 points on top of another Rondo triple-double to snatch a 92-91 squeaker in Game One. Don’t expect Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, and the rest of the Sixers to roll over in this one because Coach Doug Collins seems to have convinced his team that the sky’s the limit in these playoffs.

The Indiana Pacers were supposed to sweep the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic but lost Game One. Still, they did enough to recover and won the series 4-1. The Miami Heat was also heavily favored to destroy the New York Knicks and even after bizarre circumstances (injuries to Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis, Amar’e Stoudemire’s brush with a glass case holding a fire extinguisher,) Miami did advance past New York 4-1. When LeBron James received his third Most Valuable Player award prior to the first game versus the Pacers, the pressure only mounted on him and the rest of the Heat to secure the championship this year. After a 95-86 win over Indiana in Game One of their Eastern Semifinals match-up, even after Chris Bosh’s abdominal strain, it’s hard not seeing Miami parading into the next round. David West and Roy Hibbert may have scored 17 points apiece here, but they’re going to need some help if they hope to derail Miami after James and Dwyane Wade combined to outscore 42-38 in the second half.

Only eight teams are left standing in these playoffs and the overall number one seed (Chicago) has been sent packing with the defending champions in Dallas. Miami now stands as the heavy favorite while San Antonio’s regular season record and experience entrenches them as tops out West. Will these two roll over the remaining teams and eventually clash in the 2012 NBA Finals?

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/05/15/12/two-game-7s-and-return-kg-kid

Two Game 7s and the return of KG the Kid | ABS-CBN News

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Uploaded Monday after the Game 7 between the Clips and Grizz.

NBA playoffs: Of departed champions and stitches from a glass case

Wrote this two days ago so apologies for the delay in posting here. :p

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Of Departed Champions and Stitches from a Glass Case

One week into the 2012 NBA Playoffs and we’ve already seen a changing of the guard out West. The Oklahoma City Thunder complete the first sweep of this postseason, unceremoniously dispatching last year’s champions, the Dallas Mavericks in four straight games. Aside from the usual big game from Kevin Durant, it was James Harden’s big game that ended the reign of the Mavs and opened the door wide open for a new champion. The San Antonio Spurs will probably be the next team to complete a sweep because the Utah Jazz have barely done anything to merit any applause whether in Texas or at home in Salt Lake City. Coach Gregg Popovich is living up to his selection as Coach of the Year by not giving any of the Jazz players any breathing room while Tony Parker leads the Spurs’ rampage.

Although the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t able to sweep the Denver Nuggets, today’s win gave them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and a probable second round match-up with the Thunder. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum are still putting up big numbers, but it’s the surprise productivity from Steve Blake and Jordan Hill that has pushed the Nuggets to the brink of elimination. The Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies have lived up to their billing as fourth and fifth seeds as every game between them has gone down the wire. The Grizzlies seemed to have recovered from their 27-point collapse in Game One, but the Clippers took a 2-1 series lead back in L.A. behind Chris Paul and a late missed three-pointer from Rudy Gay. If there’s one match-up that looks like it will go the distance in the first round, this is it.

Eastern Conference supremacy was all set for the Chicago Bulls this year. After getting to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, they recruited Rip Hamilton from Detroit and developed their bench even when Derrick Rose missed time in the regular season due to various injuries. But when Rose went down with a torn ACL in Game One of their series against the Philadelphia 76ers, things just caved in on Tom Thibodeau’s crew. Coach Doug Collins got his own team to play serious defense while getting timely contributions from Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday, and even Spencer Hawes. When Joakim Noah went down with a serious ankle injury in Game Three, Philadelphia could smell the upset actually going their way. The eight-seeded Sixers are now up 3-1 and look poised to accomplish what only four other eight seeds have done in the past; eliminate a number one seed in the first round.

Things haven’t been as difficult for the favored Miami Heat while things couldn’t get more bizarre for the New York Knicks. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade & co. had been routinely blowing out the Knicks in the first three games of their series, and at the end of Game Two, Amar’e Stoudemire committed what can only be described as a stupid act. Frustration overcoming him, Stoudemire smacked his hand on the glass case housing a fire hydrant in Miami’s American Airlines Arena resulting in heavy bleeding, lots of stitches, and worldwide ridicule for not thinking about what’s best for his team. It didn’t help matters that Carmelo Anthony has been hogging the ball and taking so many shots while missing most of them too. Luckily for New York, things finally came together in Game Four as they avoided a Heat sweep and ended the NBA record for most consecutive playoff losses at thirteen games. Most are in agreement though that it’s only a matter of time until the Heat eliminate the Knicks and advance.

After stumbling in Game One of their showdown with the Orlando Magic, the Indiana Pacers have shown what they were expected to do to a team without All-Star Dwight Howard. Through a blowout and a couple of tight encounters, Coach Frank Vogel looks all set to send the Magic packing and leaving Stan Van Gundy wondering if he’ll still coach the team with or without D12 next season. The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics were supposed to be the East’s equivalent of the tight Clippers-Grizzlies series, but Josh Smith’s injured leg kept him out of the crucial Game Three which Boston won. By the time Smith returned for Game Four (as did Al Horford after missing four months due to injury), Atlanta was cooked. Boston led by as much as 37 points in seizing a 3-1 lead and are looking to end it in five games.

Though Derrick Rose’s injury probably remains the biggest story of the playoffs so far, add the elimination of the defending champions from Dallas, as well as the Knicks’ struggles on and off the court as banner headlines. By the time next week rolls around, we might already be starting the conference semifinals for both the East and West.

Posted at 05/07/2012 5:45 PM | Updated as of 05/07/2012 5:50 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/05/07/12/nba-playoffs-departed-champions-and-stitches-glass-case 

Every Moment is Big

For a unique season that was only 66 games and only started on Christmas Day, the Playoffs couldn’t have come any sooner. After a prolonged work stoppage, the 2011-2012 Season began with the Dallas Mavericks raising their Championship Banner and the target placed squarely on their backs. Dirk Nowitzki carried the Mavs to the title, but that’s all in the past now as the 2012 NBA Playoffs are here and the stakes are at their highest.

Eastern Conference

The Chicago Bulls were on their way to slamming the Philadelphia 76ers and claiming a 1-0 lead in their Best-of-Seven series when the worst news possible happened: Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL that effectively ends both his playoff campaign and his participation in this summer’s London Olympics. The good news is that this Bulls squad has already been playing without Rose, Richard Hamilton, and even Luol Deng for different parts of the regular season. The Sixers started the season hot and were even in contention for the Atlantic Division crown until a late swoon barely got them the eighth seed. Even without Rose in the lineup though, most expect the Bulls to drill Doug Collins’ boys with ease.

The glamorous pick throughout the season, the heavily favored Miami Heat were strong enough to grab the second seed despite Dwyane Wade missing chunks of the season due to injury. LeBron James arguably had his most complete season ever and might have just won his third Most Valuable Player award in the process. New York already lost the sensation that was Jeremy Lin as the season wound down, then Iman Shumpert injured his ACL in Game One of the Playoffs. After surviving the firing of Mike D’Antoni and the promotion of Mike Woodson to head coach, the Big Apple dreamed of playoff wins and upsets. Highly unlikely with James firing on all cylinders, but the Knicks are still dreaming.

Frank Vogel coached the Indiana Pacers to a surprising 42 wins, earning them the third seed and a first round encounter with the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic. While thoughts of a Pacers sweep was talk of the town, Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and the rest of Stan Van Gundy’s crew instead pulled off a Magic upset in Game One. This won’t be as easy as previously thought so Danny Granger, David West, Paul George, and the other Pacers better wake up if they want to advance.

Only separated by one win, the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks renew acquaintances after their last battle four years ago. The Hawks won the first game this time but Josh Smith’s stellar performance was overshadowed by Rajon Rondo’s bumping of a referee in the dying minutes, something that will surely lead to some kind of disciplinary action. Without Rondo and with Ray Allen still nursing an ankle injury, this may be the last time we see this version of the Celtics on the hardcourt.

Western Conference

 The San Antonio Spurs took the top seed in the West near the end of the regular season after periodically resting ageing stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Even as Tony Parker inserted himself into MVP discussions, the memory of 2011, when the Spurs became just the third number one seed to be eliminated in the first round, lingers heavily on their minds. They’ve got a tough assignment in the Utah Jazz powered by Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, but most don’t expect a repeat of last year’s upset.

Kevin Durant won his third straight scoring title this year but he wants much more. Tagging up with Russell Westbrook and James Harden to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder, they’ve been the favorites in the West even before the season began. This young and deep nucleus drew a tough out in the defending champion Mavericks (as proved by their needing Durant to bail them out as time expired) but the Thunder should dethrone Dirk Nowitzki’s veteran crew in the end.

Even with Mike Brown now at the helm and despite Kobe Bryant missing some time to heal an injured shin, the Los Angeles Lakers still earned the third seed out West. Andrew Bynum finally became a force on both offense and defense, something the rest of the NBA has been fearing for years. Though Metta World Peace is still serving his seven-game suspension for elbowing James Harden, the Lakers will likely stomp over Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari’s Denver Nuggets for an eagerly anticipated match with the exciting Thunder.

After blowing a 27-point lead in Game One, the Memphis Grizzlies will be hard-pressed to get their groove back against the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s the kind of loss that can destroy a team’s morale and it will be up to Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, and Marc Gasol to make sure they get back on track. Otherwise, Chris Paul will lead the Clips’ dissection of these Grizzlies.

With Derrick Rose going down, the path to the Finals just got a lot easier in the East, particularly for the favored Miami Heat. Over in the West, teams seem more bunched together as the veteran quintets make some last pushes in the face of the hungry young guns. All eyes are on the NBA Playoffs once again after the lockout, and that is the best news of all.

Posted at 04/30/2012 11:00 PM | Updated as of 04/30/2012 11:00 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/04/30/12/nba-playoffs-every-moment-big

The NBA Playoffs: Every moment is big

Link Just a little something I whipped up after Game One in every series so far.

Why Batman Matters to Me

When we were kids, we all wanted to be Superman. It helped that my childhood featured seeing Christopher Reeve donning the iconic red and blue tights and flying around with Margot Kidder as “Can You Read My Mind?” was blaring from the big screen. It’s easy to fall for the strongest man alive who just happens to be able to fly while being faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. Yet something happened on the way from childhood to puberty and Superman turned into something not as cool anymore and I found myself gravitating instead to that dark, brooding crimefighter from Gotham City known as Batman.

His origin story is just as familiar as Superman’s. Young Bruce Wayne sees his parents, Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne, gunned down before his eyes. The boy swears revenge, and using the billions his parents left him, Bruce trains himself to become a physical marvel but also sharpens his mind to become an illusionist, an escape artist, but most of all, the world’s greatest detective. He chose a bat to become his avatar of vengeance when it crashes into the Wayne Manor study because, “criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot.” Thus was the Batman born, a 1939 creation of Bob Kane who has gone from carrying a gun to having a sidekick, went from smiling comedian with quick wit to avenging angel who relishes life in the shadows.

My first exposure to Batman: Adam West and Burt Ward

I don’t remember my first exposure to the Caped Crusader but it was likely one of the reruns of the campy 1960s show featuring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Everyone remembers it, the show with “Bam!” “Zowie!” and “Clang!” coming onscreen when the Bat or the Bird would land a punch, or the show with a Batman that climbed walls while obviously standing straight up, or simply as the show with Bat Shark Repellent and had the Dark Knight dancing the “bat-usi.” Those were dark days, no pun intended, for the Batman, at least for fans of Bob Kane’s original vision of the character.

There were a couple of times during my childhood that I saw Batman in cartoon form. The first might have been from the classic Superfriends cartoons that was a kid-friendly version of the more iconic Justice League of America. There, with Batmobile, Batjet, and Robin in tow, the Caped Crusader would team up with fellow superheroes Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and others to save the world from threats both earthbound and from space. This was probably the age that I first started reading comics in earnest, but for one reason or another, I wasn’t collecting any of the numerous Batman-related titles. Other Batman cartoons were from the 1960s and 1970s that showcased the wide range of villains that Batman faced. It’s been argued numerous times that Batman probably has the most deranged, psychotic, and murderous rogues gallery and it’s tough to find anyone who comes close. Those old toons featured such baddie favorites as The Penquin, The Riddler, Catwoman, and of course, everyone’s all-time favorite nutjob, The Joker.

By the time I reached college, I had to give up comics (too expensive, particularly when one is trying to save money to impress girls. Even after college, I wasn’t reading comics of any variety, that is until a friend shared with me a book that changed my life. That was Kingdom Come.

Batman leads his army to action in Kingdom Come

Writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross brought me to a world wherein my childhood heroes had gotten older and the next generation of superpowered beings was too violent and reckless in dealing with ordinary humans. And though Kingdom Come is mostly a story about Superman, it also made me look at Batman once more. It helped me realize that yes, to appreciate Superman, we really have to look at Batman more. For Batman is more than just the darkness in contrast to Superman’s light. Batman is the ordinary human who has pushed himself to be the equal, if not the better, of those not born of this world or aren’t using some alien artifact to alter reality as they see fit.

From a purely Batman-fan’s perspective, there have been so many great storylines over the nearly eight decades that Bruce Wayne has been in the cape and cowl that picking one favorite is almost impossible. I own all the essentials though: Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, A Death in the Family, Hush. Yet among all of these, one stands out for me… The Long Halloween.

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale give us a Batman who’s relatively new at the crimefighting game. Lacking the experience and arrogance that would come later, Batman works with the unlikely duo of Captain James Gordon (not yet the police commissioner) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (not yet the tragic character who would become Two-Face). The trio have to deal with the mafia-like Falcone crime family led by Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, but are also confronted by a new villain in Gotham City. Dubbed “Holiday” because he kills on a holiday every month, Batman, Gordon, and Dent are put through the wringer as they figure out the criminal’s identity. Along the way, we see some of Batman’s villainous rogues rendered in scary detail by Sale’s pencils.

Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Batman. An
unlikely trio from The Long Halloween

The beauty of The Long Halloween is that every month, Batman deals with some new wrinkle just when we think he’s close to determining who Holiday is. It tests the friendship and uneasy partnership of this trio, making Dent’s inevitable downfall all the more tragic even if you’re expecting it from the first few pages of the story’s first issue. Loeb’s plot and story merge seamlessly with Sale’s dark and moody pencils as we go from month to month while also examining different aspects of Batman’s psyche. All of this wrapped neatly in a twelve month period with tragedy written all over it.

It’s been a long time since I finished college and I’m now collecting five Batman titles: Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Batman Incorporated. In spite of his recent “death” and “return” in the comics, most people think Bruce Wayne has continued to be Batman from 1939 until today. And as much as I enjoyed Dick Grayson’s time in the cowl and cape, I was never delusional to think that Bruce was dead, buried, and never going to reclaim his mantle.

So even if I now collect one Superman book (Grant Morrison’s Action Comics), I enter my 37th year on this earth and still find myself enjoying things related to the Dark Knight more. Perhaps it’s because of the tragedies the character has endured from the time he saw his parents murdered. Maybe it’s as shallow as the many gadgets in his utility belt or the billions he has from inheriting the Wayne fortune. Or maybe it’s merely because I’m one of those guys who thinks “Damn, Batman wasn’t born on Krypton, wasn’t given a power ring, didn’t have an accident that gave him super speed, or wasn’t even born with a mutant ability, yet he still fights crime every night.” He's really just a man. That, I believe, is at the core of the character, and makes me paraphrase a sentence used a few times in The Long Halloween, “I believe in Batman.”


I'm submitting this baby for Fully Booked's Bloggers Challenge on Batman because the current artist for Batman: The Dark Knight, David Finch, is coming to town. For more on Mr. Fince, check out http://www.fullybookedonline.com/davidfinch