Shout-out from Parks’ son

Seven-time PBA Best Import awardee Bobby Parks’ son Ray sent an email from Memphis the other day to say he’s doing fine playing basketball and missing his Filipino relatives.

Ray seems on the way to becoming a Fil-Am superstar. He turned only 14 last Feb. 19 and now stands 6-4, give or take an inch. From the way he’s growing, Ray could shoot up to 6-8 – way taller than his dad who was listed a generous 6-5 in US college basketball record books.

Bobby, 45, was a star at Memphis State and played for the Tigers varsity that went to the NCAA Sweet 16 thrice. He was picked on the third round by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1984 NBA draft where the top five picks, in order, were Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Charles Barkley.

Bobby was the 58th player of 228 chosen in the draft. Among the players who were selected after him were Rick Carlisle, Bob Thornton, Eddie Wilkins, Butch Hays and Ken Bannister. Wearing his trademark No. 22, Bobby played for the Hawks in the NBA preseason but was cut before the regular campaign started.

Bobby made his PBA debut for San Miguel Beer in 1987 then saw action for Shell up to 1998, finishing his 12-year career with nearly 9,000 points, over 3,000 rebounds and more than 1,000 assists in 220 games. In 1989, he averaged a whopping 52.6 points in 23 games with a high of 72.

Ray’s email was written in both English and Filipino, like a true Fil-Am. Here’s what he said:

"My name is Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. but my close friends call me Ray. I am originally from the Philippines.

"Ako ay tumira sa Pilipinas ng eight to nine years. I speak Tagalog fluently. I am about 6-3 or 6-4 and I play all positions but I prefer to play the shooting guard or small forward (positions).

"Ako ngayon ay tumitira sa Memphis, Tennessee. I’ve been staying here for a year. I average about 25 points a game and around seven rebounds and five assists. I just turned 14 last Feb. 19 and I weigh about 178 pounds.

"There is a lot more competition here in Memphis. I’m a lefty and I can handle, shoot, post up and dunk. Also, I wear a size 14 shoe. I attend Ridgeway Middle School and I’m in the eighth grade going to ninth. I hope to play in the NBA or PBA someday. That’s after I finish college.

"I would want to give a shout-out to my family in the Philippines and my close friends. Ingat kayo, mga kababayan ko, mga taga-Parañaque at Makati."

Ray’s Filipina mother Shane was Bobby’s first wife. Bobby is remarried to another Filipina, Jasmine.

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Boxing judge Chuck Giampa is gaining a solid reputation for incredible scoring in world title fights and should either get his eyes checked or surrender his license forever to preserve the integrity of the sport.

In Las Vegas last Saturday, Giampa turned in another questionable scorecard. He saw it, 116-112, for Floyd Mayweather Jr. over Oscar de la Hoya. The four-point margin could hardly be justified, considering how close the fight was. Another judge Jerry Roth had it, 115-113, for Mayweather. If Roth scored the 12th and last round for de la Hoya as did Giampa and judge Tom Kaczmarek, the outcome would’ve been a split draw.

Giampa gave six of the last eight rounds to Mayweather to seal it for Pretty Boy.

You remember, of course, that Giampa scored, 114-112, for Fernando Montiel in his defense of the WBO superflyweight crown against Filipino challenger Z Gorres in Cebu last February. Montiel beat Gorres by a disputed split decision. Judge Raul Caiz Sr. also saw it for Montiel, 115-111. Only Denny Nelson followed his conscience or judged the right fight and had it, 115-111, for Gorres.

A month later, Giampa was again in queer street, scoring, 119-109, for WBO superbantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon over Gerry Peñalosa in Las Vegas. He gave Peñalosa just one round even as The Ring Magazine said Ponce de Leon was lucky to win the bout.

Giampa is no stranger to strange scoring. In 1993, he was the only judge to favor Sung Kil Moon as Jose Luis Bueno won by split decision in a WBC superflyweight title bout in Pohang, Korea. Giampa had it, 115-114, for the hometowner, perhaps to worm his way into the hosts’ good graces, while Marty Denkin saw it, 117-112, and Lou Filippo, 118-110, for the visitor. You’ll notice the two other judges’ scorecards weren’t close.

Only last January, Giampa once more stood out like a sore thumb when he scored it ,115-113, for Herman Ngoudjo in Jose Luis Castillo’s win via a split decision in a WBC lightwelterweight title eliminator in Las Vegas. Mike Ross and Glenn Trowbridge both saw it, 115-113, for Castillo.

Give boxing a break. Giampa, who started as a boxing judge in 1986, should be retired. At 64, the dinosaur should be declared extinct.