It’s now or never

“It’s Now or Never” is my favorite Elvis song.  I never miss singing this Italian classic “O Sole Mio” in my Elvis gigs.  It’s also the favorite of many tenors Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Mario Lanza and Jerry Vale.  Well this could very well be the song our Olympic hopefuls should be singing.  In previous columns, I wrote that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (postponed to July 2021) could be the Games that our country will win its Olympic gold medal which has eluded us for decades.  Boxers Anthony Villanueva and Onyok Velasco came close in 1964 and 2004 respectively, winning the silver in close, controversial bouts. Our best bets are gymnast Caloy Yulo , pole vaulter, Ej Obiena and boxers  Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Irish Magno and oh yes, Hidilyn Diaz and skateboarder Margie Didal.  As I wrote this column, the Tokyo hopefuls start their much delayed training in a bubble set up at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.  The training camp is called “Calambubble”.  But what’s the latest update from the Games organizers that there are reports claiming cancellation of the Olympics?  With the Games just barely six months to go, Covid-19 is spiking with Tokyo under a state of emergency.  A number of people want the Games to be delayed again.  British rowing champion Matthew Pinsent even want the Tokyo Games cancelled and host it in 2024, replacing Paris.  Toshiro Muto, Tokyo 2020 CEO, dismissed the reports as fake and assured that the Games will go on as scheduled in July 2021.  Well, I just hope and pray, that the Olympics will be held.  We have come so close to winning our first gold medal, another four years will make a big difference.  “It’s Now Or Never”.

Houston we don’t have problem

After James Harden blasted off from Houston,the Rockets seems to have no problem.  Christian Wood scored a team high 27 points as the Rockets drubbed the San Antonio Spurs.  The Rockets also got points from Sterling Brown who tallied 23 while Jae Sean Tate chipped in 13. The three-time NBA scoring champion Harden, was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a mamouth multi-team deal.  Harden thus was reunited with his former teammate Kevin Durant but the problem is, will Harden continue to hog the ball, considering that Durant and Kylie Irving are also ball hogs?

Did you know?

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

After the Los Angeles Lakers lost the fourth and final game of the 1989 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons, which also marked the final game of Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Laker coach Pat Riley took Jabbar’s sweaty Jersey home with him as memento.  Magic Johnson took Kareem’s warm-up jacket, Byron Scott his shoes, and PR director Josh Rosenfeld, his shorts.

Milwaukee Bucks 

On November 18, 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks were leading the  New York Knicks comfortably 86-68 at Madison Square Garden with five and a half minutes to play.  But the  Bucks did not score another point in the game, while the Knicks scored 19 to win 87-86.  An 18 point-lead gone in 5 1/2 minutes!