Christmas day

‘Tis Christmas morn and not a soul is stirring, not even a mouse. Everyone’s sleeping in today. We all went to bed late — more like early morning. When the kids wake up, they’ll race to the Christmas tree and sort out the gifts. There’ll be gifts from family and of course, Santa Claus. Who’s been naughty and who’s been nice? Ah, you’ll find out whom Santa blessed soon enough.

Christmas, however, isn’t only for kids. Christmas is for all mankind — you and I, no matter how old we are. It’s a season of celebration. It’s the birthday of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who became Man to save us. Our gifts to each other symbolize our gifts to the Lord on this special day. Joy to the world for the Lord has come.

Sure, there’s a kid in all of us and Christmas brings out that kid in us. Who doesn’t like opening presents? And who doesn’t wish for something on Christmas?

So what could our favorite sporting friends be getting for Christmas? Here’s a list:

Double cup protector. For International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao. He’ll need it for future title defenses. Last November, rulebreaker Agapito Sanchez showed the best way to slow down Pacquiao is to bang him below the belt.

Peace pipe. For former two-time world boxing titlist Luisito Espinosa who’s on the warpath… again. Poor Louie can’t seem to find peace of mind. He’s forever in a fighting mood — in and out of the ring. If anyone cares to listen, Louie isn’t just after former South Cotabato Gov. Larry DePedro’s bank account — DePedro still owes him about $130,000 from an unpaid purse dating back to 1997. He’s also gunning for lawyer Sydney Hall, former manager Boots Aniel, ex-Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Dominador Cepeda, Japanese matchmaker Joe Koizumi, and maybe even, IBF featherweight king Manuel Medina.

An appropriate nickname. For Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) president Quinteliano (Tiny) Literal. With a nickname like Tiny, it’s no wonder Literal gets no respect. Does BAP secretary general Graham Lim take him seriously? Is it true that Literal is nothing without Lim and the BAP’s so-called Chinese connection? Now, if only Literal could borrow Alberto Reynoso’s nickname.

A set of dentures. For billiards wizard Efren (Bata) Reyes. The toothless tiger insists he plays better without teeth — could it be his dentures make too much grinding noise when he misses a shot? The Magician is the world’s most visible cue artist. Surely, he wouldn’t like his fans to think he can’t afford a set of dentures that won’t clack.

A Chinese restaurant. For Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Go Teng Kok. He spends a fortune treating anyone and everyone who comes to his table at the Century Park Sheraton — breakfast, lunch, dinner, merienda, and whatever else. Go’s bills should qualify him as a stockholder in Lucio (Kapitan) Tan’s coffee shop. If he has his own restaurant, at least the money he pays will go back to his account. The only problem is the restaurant will be forever in the red. Remember, Go has an Army to feed.

Trip to the moon. For those government-appointed sports officials whose itch to travel is insatiable. Join the government, see the world — or so the saying goes. They live to junket. Unless you’re pure of heart, there’s little motivation to sacrifice your career for a government job. If the unscrupulous lechers run out of destinations, there’s always the moon. A one-way ticket would be just fine.

Filipino blood. For Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) star Alex Compton. The word is the ex-Cornell guard is dying to play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The hitch is while Compton was born here, not a drop of Filipino blood flows in his veins — making him ineligible to play in the PBA as a local. The only way Compton can enter the PBA is if the league allows him to play as an exception or if by some miracle, he obtains a Department of Justice (DOJ) clearance as a Fil-Am. There is one other way — to play as an import. Sorry, a blood transfusion won’t do.

A big stick. For Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Celso Dayrit to put the troops in line. There’s too much intrigue and back-biting within the POC ranks. Dayrit should just crack the whip — no more pussyfooting, no more playing politics. His lack of decisiveness led to the BAP’s suspension by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) this year — a suspension that disqualified the Philippines from participating in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championships for the first time ever. If Dayrit continues to take a backseat, the POC will be in perpetual turmoil. The brush fires in cycling, taekwondo, softball, weightlifting, tennis, and more could escalate into a major conflagration before he knows it.

Back to prominence. For Philippine tennis. In Davis Cup competition, the Philippines fell to the lowly Group 3 bracket in the Asia Oceania zone last year. The country was in the World Group of 16 in 1991 then slid to Group 1 on the zonal level, then Group 2 and Group 3. This year, the Philippines battled back to Group 2 after whipping Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bahrain and Tajikistan behind Johnny Arcilla and Adelo Abadia. In February, the Philippines plays Kazakhstan in a bid to return to Group 1.

An international crown. For superhorse Wind Blown. The 4-year-old bay colt won the Breeders Cup and Gran Copa de Manila before becoming only the fourth horse ever in nearly three decades to win two Gold Cup titles. There are plans to enter Wind Blown in overseas competitions by owner Hermie Esguerra. Wind Blown was bred by Sandy Javier and sold to Esguerra for P1 Million over a year ago.

Enjoy opening your presents today. Give thanks to the Lord. And merry Christmas to all.