While rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country’s murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the captain and poster child of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as “Narco-soccer.” But just when Colombia was expected to win the 1994 World Cup and transform its international image, the shocking murder of Andres Escobar dashed the hopes of a nation.
Watched it in HD download…

LINK : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OHUZEJEI

2008 has been a good year for sports and sports betting with the emergence of new superstars and breaking of old records all in all it was quite a run.
The Green Machines
Boston Celtics made a historic run against the Los Angeles Lakers gunning for their 17th Championship on their great franchise. A Cinderella run after a dismal 2006-07 season having a record of 24-58, second-worst in the NBA, including an 18-game losing streak but after acquiring Kevin Garnet and Ray Allen on a trade to Minnesota and Seattle respectively the Celtics soared high starting a 26-3 record and ended in a 66-19 record win. It was an uphill climb against the eight-seeded Atlanta Hawks on their first matchup in the Playoffs and went to seven games against Cleveland. The Celtics crush the Lakers in just 6 games in their finals battle. Though the Lakers were leading most of the games but towards the end the Celtics always come back with the win. After 22 years the Celtics had won their 17th NBA championship a truly deserving win for a seemingly down franchise that overcomes adversity and went on to win with their big hearts and strong willed.
8-8-8 fever
The Beijing Olympics opened in August 8, 2008 and American Michael Fred Phelps went on to become one of the greatest Olympian in history as he surpassed fellow American Mark Spitz having won 8 medals the most in any Olympian and breaking 7 world records. Spitz held the record with 7 medals for 36 years until Phelps changed history. It was indeed an 8-8-8 fever with Phelps breaking records with his 8 gold medals.
The fall of the ALA boys
The once undefeated AJ Banal tasted defeat through the hands of unheralded Rafael Concepcion many thought AJ will breezed off a win against a smaller foe but as the fight progresses AJ loss steam and suffered a TKO loss against Concepcion. Z Gorres road to redemption was cut short after a heart breaking decision loss to Montiel, Gorres was awarded a split draw against cocky Vic Darchinyan who floored Gorres for about 3 times in the fight. Though he escapes with a draw but people and boxing observers saw it for Vic with a wide margin. Vic Darchinyan went on to fight for the IBF title which he easily won via knockout and trash reigning WBC champion Christian Mijares in a unification bout. The last ALA boy was Rey “Boomboom” Bautista who everyone thought is already ripe for a title crack again after failing to answer the mandatory count in round one against hard hitting Ponce De Leon in the boxing world cup. But to everyone’s dismay “Boomboom” failed again and this time against a class B journey man in Heriberto Ruiz. Rey has many flaws but still too young to retire. He needs a major change to get back in championship form. The ALA boys who everyone thought would follow the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao failed on their respective assignments. The dream is there for the taking the question would be how much they want it? Will 2009 be a better year for the famed ALA boys? …Will see.
The MMA kings
We all thought Kimbo Slice would dominate MMA this year but it turns out to be all hype. He was slowly self-destructing as opponents exposing his capability to fight. His fight with unknown Seth Petruzelli was a testament of who the real Kimbo is.
Brock Lesnar who shifted from wrestling to American football found his home in UFC. Winning a championship belt is a rewarding accomplishment but winning it against a legendary fighter is a different thing. Brock took Randy Couture’s UFC belt in an amazing fashion. Kimbo should try his luck in UFC if he wants redemption and fighting against Brock would be much much rewarding for him but then again we don’t want it to over hype coz we all know what happens next.
Pacman doing an Armstrong feat
Henry Armstrong fought in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions all at once and become champion in those divisions the feat was never duplicated especially in this era were a growing number of champions are made with different organizations built. But Manny Pacquiao has changed history fighting Juan Manuel Marquez as a superfeather weight, fought David Diaz as a lightweight and fought Golden boy Oscar De La Hoya as a Welterweight though the Marquez fight was a close one and could go either way but his manner in dismantling Diaz and Oscar was a tactical display of the once one sided warrior from the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao has showed tremendous determination especially against a bigger foe in Oscar. 2008 was Manny’s year and with bigger fights coming this 2009 against Ricky Hatton or Mayweather Jr. we would witness another classic fights in the making.

2008 was quite a good year for sports and could set up a much bigger and brighter future with records to break and titles to earn. It’s nice to reminisce on all the things that happened. But we all have to move on and face a brighter 2009 with a smile.
2008 what a year that was….

Last Saturday we could have witness the face off eliminations of the two lightweight fights scheduled but Joan Guzman had to cancel the fight for his own good after 3.5lbs heavy than the 135lb lightweight limit and had to suffer serious dehydration and so all roads goes to the Juan Manuel Marquez and Joel Casamayor Face off.
The fight was a see saw battle until Marquez right hand found its place in the 11th round and scored a knockout on the crafty Casamayor. Marquez have accomplished what Acelino Frietas, Jose Luis Castillo and the late Diego Corrales haven’t done to knock the lights off of Casamayor. Marquez is now the Ring magazine lightweight champion and was quoted as saying “Mayweather is the no.1 and after he retired I am now the no.1 best in the world” Is Juanma the best? Everyone can make a good argument about this… Many think Manny Pacquiao is the best after his demolition job against hard hitting David Diaz but still a draw and a split decision win against Marquez still leaves everything unsettled.
Juan Manuel’s Argument
Marquez followed Manny Pacquiao in the lightweight division hoping to settle the score against Pacman by doing so he fought one of the best in the lightweight division. Pacquiao fought a hard hitting sitting duck David Diaz although David was overwhelmed by Manny’s speed and power but David was once an Olympian and had never been down prior to Pacquiao’s fight the thing is interim or champion the fact that David Diaz won the WBC belt means that he had fought through nails to be a champion and there’s no such thing as an easy opponent or a champion in that matter.
Juan Manuel Marquez may have fought a more known commodity in the lightweight division but the fight before the 11th round could have gone either way if it had reach the full 12 rounds. Age got into Joel Casamayor with all the battles he had sooner or later he will self destruct.
Credit is served to where it is due. Hats off to Juan Manuel for fighting a good fight and I have never seen Juanma this good. He deserved the win and a third fight with Pacquiao should have been made but this time things are a bit blurry for that fight to happen.
Pacquiao
Manny would be fighting a dream match with Oscar De La Hoya this Dec.6 and if Manny wins Oscar would beg for a rematch for another mega money fight or a matchup with Ricky Hatton would be feasible. That would leave Juan Manuel Marquez looking for another dance partner. Pacquiao was vocal about fighting his last two fights before hanging up for good and time is running out for Marquez at age 35.
Future Fights for Marquez
If a Pacquiao fight is not available Juanma should clean the lightweight division by fighting Nate Campbell then Juan Diaz or a rematch against Casamayor. If Pacquiao and Marquez both successful on their fights a face off between two unsettled pound per pound kings would be a fitting finale for their careers.
Who is the best lightweight?
I would have voted the tested veteran Nate Campbell holding three belts on his name. But Juan Manuel Marquez has showed a good argument after beating Casamayor in a classy fashion. Manny Pacquiao’s sterling performance against David Diaz could also be a base for a good debate. Everything is still unclear for now but lets all settle this argument in the ring…. Pacquiao-Marquez 3 this would seal the deal.

It takes 36 years before Mark Spitz Olympic record has been broken. A young 23 year old Michael Phelps captured his 8th gold medal in a dramatic fashion. A jubilant Phelps raised his arms in the air and the loud cheers echoed around the arena yes Michael is now safe to say the greatest Olympian in sports history.
Diagnosed as having an Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder at an early age he made swimming as an outlet for his energy. He made the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000 and became the youngest American male swimmer for the last 68 years at age 15.
He could have made the $1million bonus from Speedo if he had won 8 golds in the 2004 Athens Olympics but he failed. Michael had to endure such fate in order to feel the fruition of his success.
The previous record of 7 Olympic medals by Spitz in 1972 made Mark an instant celebrity but also to his early retirement at age 22. There was a lot of pressure surrounding him and at that time it was best for him to retire although he tried coming back in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics at age 41 but he failed to get the qualifying time at the Olympics trial. Michael Phelps in the 2004 Athens Olympics knew his time will come winning 6 gold medals and 2 bronze was a definite sign of things to come.
Phelps won his 8th gold in the Beijing Olympics which started at 8th of August 2008. Truly 8 was a magical number and Michael Phelps broke records and won gold medals and became the be-medaled Olympian of all time.
Now Phelps has an estimated $5 million endorsements not to mention the 1$million bonus from Speedo.
After serving 18 months in probation for driving under influence of alcohol Phelps said he let his self and his family down… his people and his country… but after winning his 8th gold medal he doesn’t need to apologized anymore his people and his country were so proud to call them their own. I’m honored to witness Phelps greatest performance a once in a lifetime feat by the greatest Olympian ever.

Kevin Ferguson otherwise known as Kimbo Slice is a product of the new age internet technology. He was a Youtube hit with all his underground Mixed Martial arts fights. Edwin Valero a virtually unknown boxer who made a living destroying his opponents by a perfect KO record was discovered mainly on Youtube since he was banned from America because of his accident which damaged a minor part of his brain. Edwin fights more overseas and with his 18 first round KOs everybody was intrigued about his power and a lot of times being matched up against pound per pound fighters among boxing fanatics. Ricky Rubio was only 14 years old when he played pro basketball he was considered a child phenom with all his passing skills and fancy dribbling he was a hit in every youtube addicts. The 6’4” young point guard made some NBA scouts booked themselves to Spain to see the so called Pete Maravich reborn. His maturity is way beyond his years. He is not only a talented ball player but he knows pretty well how to play the game. Pistol Pete is not the fastest player or the most talented player in his years in the NBA but what made him great was the understanding of the game the fundamentals are there spicing up with great passes and fancy dribbling and Ricky is not far fetched from the great Maravich and the kid is still improving each and every game.
Now Ricky has the chance to prove himself in the ongoing Beijing Olympics where billions of people are eagerly watching. The internet born Ricky will now be known all throughout the world and a chance to play against the best of the world is not only a privileged but also an honor for young Ricky. The Overtime come from behind win against the hometown China was the highlight of Ricky’s Olympic debut. He made the crucial passes, steals and the maturity to handle China’s pressure no wonder Jose Calderon stayed more minutes in the bench.
But after their devastating loss against the mighty USA, Ricky Rubio look ordinary as Jason Kid, Chris Paul and Deron Williams take turns in guarding Ricky. Maybe he was just in awe with banging against Kobe or the NBA stars but beyond his maturity at 17 years old Ricky is still a kid.
Kimbo Slice had a hard time against unheralded Thompson in his primetime debut in live television. Edwin Valero with all his record has fought with unknown fighters and up to now he is still the hype untested fighter and booking a big name in boxing is still clueless.
Ricky Rubio with all his hyped and talent was proven human after all.
Ricky will be a household name in the near future and there is no rush in putting him in the rugged terrain of the NBA. He needs the exposure in the Olympics but he also needs the experience to ripen up in a physically demanding 82 games in the NBA. There’s no rush let the kid grow and find his place. Kimbo, Valero and Ricky are products of the internet and its not a guarantee that they will come out a legend. We won’t know our limitations if we are not tested. But so far all of them passed with flying colors.
Lastly the words to live-by by the great Simple plan…”I’m all alone tonight, nobody cares tonight, cause I’m just a kid tonight..Im just a Kid!”

Leandro Barbosa was scoring at will on the FIBA Americas tournament with lesser resistance. He average about 27 points per game until Kobe came and eat Leandro alive with his suffocating defense. Barbosa scored a measly 4 points that night and Kobe with his entire offensive and defensive prowess is now the designated stopper on team USA.
Team USA mightily struggled to obtain the no.1 status in world basketball for two Olympics now. They have succumbed to Spain’s supremacy and are trying to get back to where they really started… on top.
So how would USA match-up against the growing number of talents around the world? Will Kobe, Lebron, Anthony and coach K finally went back to their glory days?
USA is on bracket B on the summer Olympics and could easily breeze their way against China (8/10/08) and Angola (8/12/08) but could very well feel the competition against Greece (8/14/08), Spain (8/16/08) and Germany (8/18/08).
Kobe will have his hands full against top scorers on their respective teams. The talent level on international competitions is getting higher. So how will Team USA handle the fight?
China- China’s twin towers Yao Ming and Ji Lian Yi will give team USA some problems and as the host team millions will be cheering and a hostile and boisterous crowd will be in full support to the highest level. Team USA’s composure will surely be tested.
Angola- This time Team USA would handle Angola easily though talent wise Angola has got what it takes to be on top but being in a soccer world country basketball might not be part of their country’s sports development. A raw and inexperience Angola team is no match for team USA.
Greece- We all remembered how Greece got a win against team USA some Olympics ago. The precise passing and team offense surely made team USA push the panic button. Although Greece this time will parade some new faces but their roster is still intact. Team USA whipped Greece on their exhibition match in Macau but theirs a big difference between exhibition and the real thing right?
Germany- the Dirk Nowitzki team could handle team USA defensively but I don’t think if they can handle them offensively. Just try to fathom Kobe, Lebron and Anthony all in one roster.
Spain- This would be the toughest test team USA will have throughout the tournament. Exhibition games and practices all roads lead to team Spain. They are the no.1 team in the world but as mighty as they might think team Russia exposed Spain’s flaws as Russia handed Spain a loss in FIBA Europe.

Team USA will have the chance for redemption but they will have to go through nails to be on top. Teams are preparing for them and will give all their best to get a monumental upset. The World is closing in on basketball and talent alone doesn’t give you any advantage… They cant count on Kobe or Lebron alone they will have to play as a team.
Defense wins games. A designated stopper would have to be team USA not Kobe in perspective. So how will USA fare with other teams? I think the level of competition this time would be so much different. They will always be the team to beat and I do believe this time they will grab the gold with pride and redemption but then again all remains to be seen…