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chambalero said:
You're right jay, basketball is very big here.. in fact its even bigger than pool! Makes you wonder why because of our height. Here is the brawl you were talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDrRiDRudkk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1cAvPWDYto

The guy there is part of our national team, who just qualified for the fiba world championships, finishing silver in the just concluded fiba asia championships. Along with Iran and South Korea. This is the first time since the 60's, when we lorded it over asia. The NBA knows how much we love basketball here that pre season games will be held here in October. Pacers vs Rockets. Nba superstars Kobe Bryant & Lebron James was just here and the Indiana Pacemates (cheering squad) along with James Harden & Eric Gordon.

In the 34th Jones cup in 2012, USA sent a team to participate. I don't know if they were collegiate teams. Other teams were Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, China, Iran etc.

here's the Philippines vs USA game

part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybkaDUj9zoo
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WDEFOQXtho

now back to pool :)
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Went to another PBA game at the new Mall of Asia arena. It looks like an NBA arena, huge and modern with good seating. Probably up to 15,000 capacity, four levels high. They really let them play in this league. It gets rough under the basket, players fighting for a shot or a rebound, bodies bumping hard and arms flailing wildly. It may be even rougher than the European league. A lot of very talented players in the 6'4 to 6'6 range. They only allow the "imports" (foreign players) to be 6'5 or less.

I leave in two days, after four weeks here. Nice to get a 30 day visa now, up from 21 days the maximum before. Not much pool this week. I got bit by a cockroach while sleeping and it left a huge lump on my face. So damn sore, but my GF knew right away what it was. I got some meds at the drug store and it took three days to subside. I don't feel much like playing when I'm drugged up and hurting. All the little critters here like my blood and they want some. I have to put ointment on my legs for all the bites I get from the knees down. Maybe tonite I will visit One Side one last time. I feel out of stroke but maybe only an hour of practice from hitting them good again.

All the top filipinos are off to Dubai so my buddies are gone. Only the hustlers are here now. Later gang.
 
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Jay, love all the posts. I suggested this 100 posts ago as have several other members ... start working on Pool Wars ... The Philippines. Everyone loved your book so we all would jump on a sequel. :thumbup:
 
Nine ... corner said:
Jay, love all the posts. I suggested this 100 posts ago as have several other members ... start working on Pool Wars ... The Philippines. Everyone loved your book so we all would jump on a sequel. :thumbup:
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And save a chapter for your commentating experiences.
 
jay helfert said:
Went to another PBA game at the new Mall of Asia arena. It looks like an NBA arena, huge and modern with good seating. Probably up to 15,000 capacity, four levels high. They really let them play in this league. It gets rough under the basket, players fighting for a shot or a rebound, bodies bumping hard and arms flailing wildly. It may be even rougher than the European league. A lot of very talented players in the 6'4 to 6'6 range. They only allow the "imports" (foreign players) to be 6'5 or less.

I leave in two days, after four weeks here. Nice to get a 30 day visa now, up from 21 days the maximum before. Not much pool this week. I got bit by a cockroach while sleeping and it left a huge lump on my face. So damn sore, but my GF knew right away what it was. I got some meds at the drug store and it took three days to subside. I don't feel much like playing when I'm drugged up and hurting. All the little critters here like my blood and they want some. I have to put ointment on my legs for all the bites I get from the knees down. Maybe tonite I will visit One Side one last time. I feel out of stroke but maybe only an hour of practice from hitting them good again.

All the top filipinos are off to Dubai so my buddies are gone. Only the hustlers are here now. Later gang.
Click to expand...

Don't worry Jay. You still have a little hustler left in you. :thumbup:

JoeyA
 
"More Pool Wars" is 75-80% complete. It's a high priority for me when I get back tomorrow. I have been promising this book for two years, but have been derelict in getting it written. My mom was very ill for the last two and half years and I took over the management of our family real estate business. We have over 40 residential properties so that occupied much of my time. She passed away quietly last month at 93. Now my sister and brother-in-law have stepped in to help me, so I have time to travel and do other things.

Getting sick for a week (basically bed ridden and drugged up on antibiotics), plus dealing with a serious roach bite (they're killers over here - even stronger drugs I had to take for that) took a lot of the fight out of me. I would definitely have played more pool otherwise. It's a lot more fun to play when you're confident and hitting them good. I did go back to One Side last night and got a greeting like a real pool player this time. A few loud hellos but no one jumped up and asked me to play, which is what they usually did before. After I beat Lulong (a pretty strong shortstop) at Banks and he refused my offer of 1,000p a game One Pocket, things have gotten awfully quiet. I heard some buzzing about me in Tagolog ("that's Jay, he plays good Banks and One Pocket"). I practiced 9-Ball for a little while, knowing this was the game I would have to play here next time. I didn't feel that bad, just a little weak. After 45 minutes I was ready to pack it in.

There were two good games in progress, both for 20,000p (10,000 each). This is how they like to play, long races. Both were Ten Ball, one to 18 and one to 15. Lulong was playing a young Chinese guy and on the other table a young filipino against an older strong player who is a regular there. The Chinese kid beat Lulong 18 to 13, and the filipino kid was trying to spot the old guy the nine ball and lost. Every time I come here I see new faces, usually young kids in their teens and 20's who play very strong. These kids are strong B players and above! There may be as many good players here as in the USA. And all of them play for money! This is actually a good career choice over here.

At the airport now, soon on my way home, after four weeks in the promised land. :thumbup:
 
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Made it home in one piece after a 13 hour flight. I am seriously jet lagged, probably will take four or five days for me to recover from this one. I plan to start playing pool again and work on my book. That's the deal now.

Manny Chau house-sat for me for the last month and I told him the Philippines was perfect for him. He would be a rock star over there with all the girls and there's action in every room! No one plays for fun in the PI, no one ever asks just to practice or play for the time. Gambling here is the norm. I told Manny all the local hustlers want to play 9-Ball or Ten Ball, right up his alley. He plays good enough to beat most of these guys, as long as he avoids the young champions. Manny could be playing 5,000p and 10,000p sets all day long. The big thing for him is to be able to adjust to all the different equipment he would be playing on. Some of it not so good.

For me it was part of the challenge to play on all these "funny" tables. In my generation we had to do that (JohnnyT can relate), since you played on all kinds of tables back in the 60's and 70's, a lot of them 'gaffed up' with bad rails and funny rolls. Half the battle was getting the feel of the table. I used to like to watch guys play first, just to see how the table was rolling and banking. If you paid attention you could learn a lot before you ever hit a ball. But what do I know, I'm a frickin' dinosaur! :rolleyes:
 
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jay helfert said:
Made it home in one piece after a 13 hour flight. I am seriously jet lagged, probably will take four or five days for me to recover from this one. I plan to start playing pool again and work on my book. That's the deal now.

Manny Chau house-sat for me for the last month and I told him the Philippines was perfect for him. He would be a rock star over there with all the girls and there's action in every room! No one plays for fun in the PI, no one ever asks just to practice or play for the time. Gambling here is the norm. I told Manny all the local hustlers want to play 9-Ball or Ten Ball, right up his alley. He plays good enough to beat most of these guys, as long as he avoids the young champions. Manny could be playing 5,000p and 10,000p sets all day long. The big thing for him is to be able to adjust to all the different equipment he would be playing on. Some of it not so good.

For me it was part of the challenge to play on all these "funny" tables. In my generation we had to do that (JohnnyT can relate), since you played on all kinds of tables back in the 60's and 70's, a lot of them 'gaffed up' with bad rails and funny rolls. Half the battle was getting the feel of the table. I used to like to watch guys play first, just to see how the table was rolling and banking. If you paid attention you could learn a lot before you ever hit a ball. But what do I know, I'm a frickin' dinosaur! :rolleyes:
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Welcome back to reality Jay! :thumbup:
 
National Geographic’s ‘Pinoy Hoops’ explores PH basketball obsession

http://entertainment.inquirer.net/1...ops-explores-philippines-basketball-obsession

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Pinoy Hoops Episode 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEX9uub_6RM
 
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