REPEAT or REVENGE?

And the answer is - it's a fantastic REPEAT!

I am talking about my Purefoods TJ Hotdogs - okay, Chunkee Giants - winning over Alaska. From 0-2 and 1-3, with their backs completely against the wall, they stepped up to the challenge and repeated a feat so extraordinary (and against the same team, I must add).

While everyone else is going ga-ga over the World Cup, I am still stuck in my very own PBA warp zone. I have never been a fan of foreign tournaments, not even NBA (I was a semi-fan of Reggie Miller when he can still shoot the lights out from beyond the 3-pt arc), and the game tonight reminded me why. There's something heart-pounding about the action in PBA that no other tournament can come close to copying (maybe it's because I have a team to root for in the PBA?). When I try to watch NBA for example, almost everyone is a shooter and all shots hit nothing but net. Where's the challenge? Where's the excitement? Where's the feeling of not knowing who's going to win until the very last second? Where's the defense? When somebody drives hard to the basket, sure, someone's on his face but not in the same way as our local players do it. I am obviously biased, but that's how I see it.

Back to Purefoods.

Game 1 of the Finals (as of press-time, San Miguel and Red Bull are still slugging it out and I'm too lazy to check who's in the lead) is scheduled on Wednesday I believe, so I have this weird feeling that I'll be going down with the flu on that day. Please anticipate. Never mind that I have month-end reports to do. They can wait. Right? Besides, it's an overdue leave waiting to happen.

If Red Bull squeaks past San Miguel, it's the classic repeat of last conference's Finals. And that also means I have Ma'am Jelaine to play hooky with. You should see us - taking a half-day leave from work, leaving the office 5 minutes apart, meeting at Ayala Ave, cheering for different ball clubs when the game starts. Should it be San Miguel, I have my dad's pang-aasar to contend with. And prolly Dong to accompany me to Araneta. No matter which team Purefoods will face, I'll still be down with the flu on Wednesday. Or maybe diarrhea. Or a mild case of asthma.

Oh, I have to congratulate Alaska for a job well-done. Congratulations for not giving up early on in the game and for giving the fans one hell of a game. Honestly, I couldn't sit/lie still until the last 5 seconds because you refused to go away. But really, allowing Purefoods to win 3 straight games? That's abysmal. But congratulations still (even if just to quell my friend Jen's dismay and probably Sara's and Dee's? =)). Personally, my mantra ever since I've been a fan of PBA is any team but Alaska. I just can't stand them. I know, Jen, I'm not helping, right? =) You'll probably pounce on me tomorrow.

* And congratulations also to all the boxers who fought their Mexican counterparts this morning and came out sizzling! It was truly a knockout Sunday (well for me, atleast). What a good way to start the week!