As you’re reading this, I’m probably somewhere in Central Mindanao working on a documentary project with The War Correspondent Ed Lingao for the day job. Which is awesome, except for the part where I’m going to miss the opening of the NBA season. But worry not, I’ve loaded up some posts which are scheduled to be published over the course of the week though, so you’ll have something to read despite me being away. On to the bullets:

• I’m a late roster addition to the Adventurer In the Huddle 2010 National Sports Writing Congress, which is “a sports writing congress-cum-competition designed for elementary, high school and college campus journalists and school publication advisers.” You’ll probably learn a lot from the distinguished roster of speakers, which include broadcast journalists TJ Manotoc and my idol Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, and writers Rick Olivares, Tessa Jazmines, and my other idol Francis Ochoa (apparently, the “Shakespeare” of Philippine sportswriting.) Then there’s me, who will probably spend my session making Val Sotto jokes.
  
  Pacific Rims author Rafe Bartholomew is also in the slate, although he won’t be physically present in the venue, instead doing a webcast from New York. So kung kasali kayo at ang habol niyo ay maka-kiss kay Tiyo Paeng, you’re shit out of luck.


• I enjoyed this GMANews.TV piece by Krip Yuson proposing a dream matchup between the Ateneo and San Beda basketball teams – both seniors and juniors. See, I’m a big fan of Philippine literature in English, and for some reason, I always found Yuson’s work to be damn near unreadable, so I was surprised to find myself reading the whole piece through.
  
  The most interesting part of his article was his comparison between junior stars Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo and Baser Amer of San Beda; you got the feeling that he really watched the kids extensively. He seems to be taking Amer’s side in the discussion, for compelling reasons which boil down to the fact that the Red Cub is a better all-around player.
  
  It’s a fair enough point, although in most comparisons I’ve read between the two players, almost no one seems to point out that Amer is at least two years older than Ravena, leaving one to wonder if the former’s edge could be attributed to physical maturity. For some reason, precocity is a trait that’s terribly underrated in Philippine basketball.


• Off the Bench V2.0 has a series of posts trying to figure out the best players in every position in the PBA, taking on the small forwards and point guards so far. By the way, I’d pick LA Tenorio over Jimmy Alapag because of LA’s defense.


• Pinoy Fight Scribe ponders life after Manny Pacquiao’s retirement.


• Loved this INQUIRER.net story by Celest Flores on Derby Ace and Ryan Gregorio from their meeting last Wednesday. Another quotable quote from ‘The Genius’: “Eight years is such a long time—the memories are there—but we all have to move forward.”


• Twitter beef between PBA stats guru Fidel Mangonon III and San Miguel point guard Alex Cabagnot.


• Not exactly basketball-related, but I laughed when I discovered that actor Robin da Roza is on Twitter, because he absolutely looks like Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia. And he’s buddies with Jinno Rufino. That’s what Jinno should ask the next time he’s assigned to an Elastopainters game: “Coach, anong masasabi mo na kamukhang-kamukha mo si Robin da Roza?”