Marketing is one of the greatest tools in making a movie. You can have bundles of posters, post cards and movie trailers all around cinemas and other media mediums but nothing can compare on making a great plot; a great foundation for the movie… People are willing to shed a couple of dollars to watch a good movie and to create a stir or interest among movie goers you have to produce great drama and intrigue…
The award winning HBO 24/7 series the constant face of today’s boxing saved the sport on the brink of being extinct. Touching more on the boxers other side and added a personal touch where audience could relate and feel the pain, the happiness and frustrations each boxer undergoes. Last Oct.24 HBO release the first installment of a four part series for the upcoming mega bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. It all started with Manny in the Philippines depicting the recent catastrophic tragedy of super typhoon Ondoy who claimed hundreds of lives and thousands of people homeless. Team Pacquiao is not spared by the typhoon and when the road was impossible to pass through, the swimming pool became his refuge when the high altitude run wasn’t feasible. While Miguel Cotto was training without distractions and looks really fit. The typical family man who admit he wasn’t the best husband to his wife but certainly he was the best father to his kids. Two contrasting situations and touching two different personas going to the November 14 mega fight.
When two humble and great personality boxers promote fights you won’t hear any trash talking and there won’t be any predictions they just do all the talking in the ring. Freddie Roach adds the flavor to the fight and in episode 1 the series became more interesting when Roach threatened to quit as a trainer when his star pupil did not heed Roach’s call to move the training back to Manila when another Tropical Storm is nearing and directly hits Baguio.
Episode 2 is coming and another HBO masterpiece is raring to unfold. Its one series I am patiently anticipating and like any Movie or series I won’t have any second thoughts in digging deep on my pockets or I wouldn’t mind waking up early in the morning just to watch some live streaming…
Now that’s marketing… well done HBO.

Number Zero cut to the basket and scored behind the outstretched arms of Jamario Moon. It was his 10th point in less than 30 minutes of playing time no I’m not talking about agent Zero Gilbert Arenas I am talking about the Raptors shooting guard Marco Belinelli. He requested the Raptors that he wears the number zero because it’s his new lease in life and he wants to start everything from scratch. Being drafted and played a minimal role as a Golden State Warrior Marco wants to prove to everybody that he is hungry and he wants to make the most out of the opportunity being given to him by the Raptors.
His 10 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound wasn’t that impressive compared to Andrea Bargnani’s 28 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist but it was overall a solid performance for Belinelli who have to come off the bench for rookie Demar Derozan. It was just the Raptors first game and Belinelli’s long shot for redemption but what’s significant about this win is a W against one of the best teams in the NBA the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors cohesiveness was great and when they lose their 21 point lead margin they went into their strengths and find a way to score a victory by not relying on one superstar but relying on their team’s offense and defensive plays. Marco has some moments when he went toe to toe with Lebron James forcing him to shoot fade away shots and at times disrupt some open shots which are not reflected in the Stats sheets. In other words he played an overall game which help the team hold on to a 101-91 victory.
One game doesn’t entails that Belinelli has redeemed himself. T he Raptors has 81 games left on the season and if lucky they could end up playing in the Playoffs. Marco doesn’t have to worry about proving himself because he is a good basketball player scoring huge points on summer camps and became a good role player when he was in Golden State. He may not be an All-star this year but I think he is a great candidate for a 6-man of the year award. But still it’s still too early to tell. Will we see Belinelli’s breakout year? We can never tell. At least everything started on the right direction.

March 15, 2008, the 12th round both fighters bloodied and unease about the judges decision as they raise their hands to the air declaring victory on their own right… Manny Pacquiao escape the hairline split decision win against the boxer who gave Manny some beating more than any other boxer he has faced in years. Like it or not Juan Manuel Marquez made Manny Pacquiao what he is now…a multi-dimensional fighter who has now power on both hands. So what transcends a fighter like Manny into boxing stardom? Marquez exposed Manny on their first fight mainly exposing him as a one dimensional fighter relying most on his power while decking Juanma three times on the first round but as the fight progresses Juanma took Pacquiao’s challenge and got a draw on the 12th round by simply counterpunching Pacquiao. The rematch happened four years after when Freddie Roach developed a one-dimensional fighter who bulldozed his way against his opponents into a boxer who uses tremendous footwork and speed and fights in controlled aggression the result was tremendous having legendary names on his W list such as Oscar Larios, Hector Velasquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. On their rematch 5 lbs later, Marquez almost got a win on Pacquiao if he wasn’t floored down earlier in their match it was another weakness that Marquez expose of Manny his ability to throw his right hand and when Manny lounges towards Marquez for a punch he was countered by a smashing right hook. That was corrected by Freddie Roach and gave it a test drive disposing the 135lb. champion David Diaz. So taking away all the Marquez matchup Manny could have ended his career earlier than we think. A Juan Marquez maybe Pacquiao’s nemesis but he also is a blessing in disguise because Manny won’t have those victories against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton if it weren’t for him. He sharpened Manny before going into bigger battles like the upcoming Cotto fight. Question will be will Manny and Marquez fight the third and final match? Marquez is aching to fight Manny and settle the score once and for all but I hope he doesn’t put his hopes high because Manny is now a complete fighter and it will be too late to realized when he is in the ring… he just created a monster.

A very dramatic touch to the first sequel of the four part episode of the HBO 24/7 series before Pacquiao and Cotto meet up in the ring…It started with the Philippines recent calamity that took thousands of homes and hundreds of lives and ended with Roach threatening to quit…watch and download in High Definition.. just click the image to download thanks for unifiedchamp.com
password: unifiedchamp.com

I was in a dimly lit basketball court with just me and my overused ball. As I shoot the ball all the way from the half court. The ball went outside the covered fish nets and I ran as fast as I could but in the end my legs give in and my breath cut short I knew I could catch up, with the ball attempting to go all the way to the window of the gym… luckily the ball was trapped around its grills.

Andre Miller the decorated 33 year old point guard is now playing as a Portland trail Blazer and he have a bigger task to do; provide the young team some direction and take over on pressure situations. But being a Blazer he has also ask to come off the bench when Coach Nate Mcmillan decided to stay with his starting point Steve Blake a decision he is not very well accustomed to having been a starter most of his 10 year career. Andre for a fact wasn’t the Blazers first choice but when Hedo Turkoglo opted to Toronto and Paul Milsap’s offer was matched by the Utah Jazz, Portland signed Miller. This would be Miller’s fifth team having been a solid point guard who could score and pass the ball pretty well yet teams are still willing to trade and release him for free agency. He is not a Jason Kidd or a Steve Nash but he belongs on that level and Miller has proven it time and time again.
Before Lebron James it was Andre Miller’s team and his double-double assists and points and US national team alum wasn’t enough when Cleveland traded him for Darius Miles. He was the Clippers All star when he spent only a year with them signing to the Denver Nuggets wherein he was traded for Allen Iverson in 2006. The 76ers are inclining in giving Louis Williams Miller’s starting position and giving him up to free agency. He was never the face of any franchise team and in spite of all his accomplishments he is still the expendable superstar which teams are willing to take the bait.
He managed to stay healthy without missing a game for 6 years and maybe at 33 it’s high time he let the younger legs and quicker guards take over. His 3 year contract gives Portland a court leader a true general who could man the younger players and guide them on how to attack the game. He is a thinking player and he could be a vital component on Portland’s maturity as a team.

Miller doesn’t have to run and catch up with all the superstar point guards in the NBA he has a name of his own and he is well respected as a player himself because no matter how far the ball goes up it always goes back down he can be effective If he wants to even if he comes off the bench.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came out as the biggest name and a team to beat gearing to the 2010 NBA season they have a truck load or should I say a mountain of talents being recruited. Leading the pack would be the 7-foot-1, 17 year veteran Shaquille Oneal who still dominates the game with his rebounds and his big wide body to bang on centers such as Dwight Howard. Leon Powe a good role player who rebounds the ball very well and is a good post defender. The Cavaliers have also signed two rookies and added Coby Karl, Darryl Watkins and Andre Barrett. The signing of Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker give Cleveland versatility on offense and defense. It looks like Cleveland is likely to duplicate their last season outing. It was just last season when they are soaring high making them the no.1 team going to the playoffs. They were demolishing teams with ease and Lebron James was awarded MVP. The level of confidence have sored to greater heights that sometimes it was mistaken as arrogance. They were labeled as the prima donna team of the NBA. They argue on every call and they laugh at opponents while they are leading with 20 or more points adding insult to injury. They feel they are NBA’s top team even though there were no trophies or rings on their fingers. The Orlando Magic brought them back to the ground and back to reality. The Cavaliers found no solution against a dominating Dwight Howard and they needed a change to make Lebron happy… Lebron’s competitiveness is way above his maturity there was no smiles or no camera pose; there wasn’t even a handshake of congratulations to Dwight Howard… He will be back and he will find his redemption. Now the Cavaliers have added depth to their roster they went into games with a different aura and a different mindset. Yes there are still smiles and some pre game rituals but on their back of their head they know the games are over. This time the Cavaliers are for real and teams should better be ready.

With barely a month to go before firepower kicks off and I believed the key for winning would be preparation. The well prepared will come out as the better fighter. I took each fighter with equal opportunity and I see both of them winning against the other but looking at each preparation Manny has the edge in terms of sparring partners. I am not saying Miguel Cotto had the wrong set of sparring partners but definitely team Pacquiao has done their assessment very well.

Maybe hiring Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa wasn’t such a good thing for Cotto. El Gato does not punch as hard as Manny and he came out kissing the canvass on the fourth round against Randall Bailey on his last fight. The only similarity with Figueroa and Manny is they are both southpaw fighters. Now team Cotto is looking for a new replacement with only Kenny Abril (9-3-1 with 5KOs) the 25 year old light welterweight who never fought a named fighter on his record and Fred Tukes (7-1-1, 5KOs) the 36 year old fighter who fought opponents with more losses than wins except for Max Skayzer who was 3-0 and ended the fight with a draw. Maybe team Cotto doesn’t care much about sparring partners and they are more focusing about little details that could open up Manny’s defense in short they are merely hiring sacrificial lambs. While Manny Pacquiao’s camp is singing a different tune with Shawn Porter the light middleweight fighter who packs a great power on both hands and still at 21 years old with a perfect 10-0 record with 8KOs who gave Manny some problems earlier on their sparring session. Urbano Antillon (26-1, 19 KOs) is Manny’s mainstay sparring partner who have to flew back to LA and was replaced by a sturdy Mexican veteran who have an amazing record at 60-9-1 with 52 KOs Jose Luis Castillo. Both fighters are working hard and no question about their work ethic but Manny is benefiting more on his sparring partners “I Work hard through the pain because if you work hard everything will come out easy in the fight” said Manny.

When I was in school it took me a belt beating and some spanking before I study or finish my assignments but having studied and ready… exams are just a piece of cake… between Manny and Cotto there is no doubt Manny is much prepared going to war. He just exemplifies the definition of no pain no gain…

Back then, films are used for cameras and require a lot of careful deliberation because when exposed the film could ruin everything and all those shots gone to waste….

Joe Chavez the former Pacquiao Cut man has been making noises lately saying he knows Pacquiao’s weaknesses and he’s out to expose a perfect game plan to oust Manny. “When attacked, he (Pacquiao) doesn’t know what to do,” said Chavez. We remember that Joe Chavez used to be Manny’s cut man but when Manny fought Oscar De La Hoya, Chavez opt to be with De La Hoya. Now that Miguel Cotto is fighting Pacquiao on Nov.14 he was hired as Cotto’s cut man. There is some worry about the situation although Chavez could have given Oscar some notes but Oscar is so over his prime He could have been bigger and stronger but it came out he was just a bigger fighter with no pop on his hooks. Miguel Cotto is an entirely different situation. The 28 year old welterweight will definitely come out the bigger and the much stronger fighter and although those are just some fragments of his statement team Pacquiao knows Chavez had seen all of Manny’s scrimmages in sparring and the actual fight and he knows how Manny could get hurt on some occasions. If there is anyone on the welterweight division that could really hurt Manny it’s undoubtedly Miguel Cotto and Chavez was quick to share his knowledge about Manny. No matter how you see it even if Chavez gives all the details on how to dismantle Manny it all boils down to one thing and that’s execution. It wasn’t a surprise to team Pacquiao knowing Chavez will change allegiance when opportunity comes and it was no surprise knowing that Chavez had divulge details to De La Hoya and Oscar could have given Ricky Hatton some tips. Chavez could have known some tidbits and even if team Cotto put up a good game plan what matters most is between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto in the ring.

An exposed camera film maybe damaging and unwanted but thanks God for digital cameras… It solves the problem about film exposure and turned out to be handy…. In the end all we wanted was the result and so be it.

The court generals and the heart and soul of the team the point guards have bigger roles in the team’s chemistry. They direct the offense and they are the first line of defense. With days left before tipoff let’s try to evaluate the NBA’s top ten point guards coming to this 2010 NBA season.

10. Gilbert Arenas (WAS) –He only averaged 13 points last season in just 2 games because of injuries. “Hibachi” who was recently got fined after snubbing the media decided to be more of a contributor rather than the offensive dynamo this coming season. He will still be a 20 plus points per game guy but expect a more productive Washington Wizards with Arenas back facilitating. He is still one of the best point guard out there but after missing almost the entire season last year there is still some cloud of doubt about his legs.

9. Rajon Rondo (BOS) – He can outrun everybody and he plays pretty good defense but he has to learn to shoot the ball consistently as good as he is he still needs to improve his shooting. He is still a solid top ten candidate though

8. Devin Harris – Many would disagree about this since Devin should rightfully belong on the top 5 point guard list. His 21.3 ppg and 6.9 assist per game is a clear indication of his highly improved game but with individual statistics aside he still needs to put his team in the playoffs especially with Carter out of the picture he has to carry a much bigger load this time.

7. Jason Kidd (DAL) – Kidd defies father time once again the 36 year old point guard is still very solid with his midrange shooting and pin point passing. With a better cast Kidd has virtually improved his assists and has added a new arsenal when his three point shots are slowly finding its mark.

6. Tony Parker (SA) – a steady offensive performance averaging 22.0 ppg his highest since 2006 Tony Parker will be in for a great year this season but with his recent injury and his low medium range percentage it made him slid down to the top 6. The Spurs will be one of the teams to watch for with newly signed Richard Jefferson and sensational rookie Dajuan Blair.

5. Derrick Rose (CHI) – The rookie of the year and his taking the Chicago Bulls in a different level and he’s doing it with everybody involved in offense he is a complete player but still needs the experience. He can be the top point guard in the NBA at about a year or two from now.

4. Steve Nash (PHO) – He is the perfect definition of a complete point guard. With Alvin Gentry inculcating back the Mike D’ Antoni days Nash and Stoudemire are back on their run and gun and pick and roll system. Expect a good Phoenix Suns team this season.

3. Chauncy Billups (DEN) – Last year wasn’t a big year for Chauncy Billups statistically but his accomplishments were phenomenal. He took his Nuggets team all the way to the conference finals and with basically the same roster last year the Nuggets are still a solid team. Billups is a proven winner and that’s the culture he is bringing to the Nuggets.

2. Deron Williams (UTA) – 19.4 points per game is typical of an NBA superstar but what make him different are his 10.7 assists per game. A typical pass first point guard Deron is soaring to greater heights.

1. Chris Paul (NOH)- If you are averaging about 23 points per game and you lead the NBA in assists at 11 per game and in a consistent basis then you must be a very good point guard the shoot first with offensive prowess kind of point guard or maybe you are just Chris Paul. No doubt about it Chris Paul continues to give MVP stats every year and with a better and versatile team Chris Paul is on a tear. Watch out for the new and improve Hornets.