Why we are part of FIFA World Cup

 

“Life is a soccer field, don't you think?”

—Shakira

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

EVEN if we don’t have an entry in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we must continue to watch, monitor, get an update, and talk about this Titanic sporting event being held for the first time in the gulf region.

We must get involved; we must look beyond the pitch and show that we belong.

In reporting about the FIFA World Cup, there’s no distinction among local, national or international coverage. If it is FIFA World Cup, it’s BIG news period. 

In the dizzying age of globalization, we can’t afford to be left behind. 

Ignorance, or the lack of basic information about the FIFA World Cup, isn’t an excuse, especially if it’s the talk of the universe (no longer “the talk of the town”).

In one way or the other, opinion makers, fans, politicians, soldiers, rebels, barbarians, students, faith healers, scientists, overseas Filipino workers have become part of the FIFA World Cup, which can be monitored and chronicled even via the social media anywhere in the world.

FIFA World Cup isn’t only about soccer. It’s about world economy,  media, geopolitics, gigantic sponsorship, franchise investments, network technology, rags to riches, global rivalries, advertisements, big dreams, discipline, supremacy, patriotism, team play, sacrifice, attitude, stardom, Olympic spirit, commerce, respect.

 

-o0o-

 

This is the only international spectacle where the kings and queens, as well as state leaders, spiritual gurus and dictators, ordinary street soccer players have been known to be enamored if not head over hills for several decades now. It’s not called a beautiful game for nothing. 

Some view soccer to be boring. No, it’s not. It depends on how the fans appreciate it; it depends on what kind of fans are watching it.

Coming from the third world, the Philippines has all the reason to be part of the FIFA World Cup both in sentiments and spirit.

In terms of economic impact, nothing compares the FIFA World Cup to other sports conclaves.

We learned last month that FIFA earned record revenues of $7.5 billion in the four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The last three sponsors—two American and one from the Middle East—were reportedly disclosed hours before the opening game: YouTube, Visit Las Vegas and Fine Hygienic Holding, all in the third-tier category of regional sponsors.

The late arrivals to complete the slate of World Cup sponsors reportedly helped lift FIFA's four-year income to more than $1 billion ahead of the previous commercial cycle linked to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

 

-o0o-

 

Bloomberg has revealed in an Associated Press report on November 20, 2022 that FIFA's reserves will rise to about $2.5 billion despite the COVID-19 pandemic. FIFA was prepared to use that cash to help members through uncertainty in 2020 when national team soccer and World Cup qualifying games were almost entirely shut down.

Revenues are reportedly likely to approach $10 billion for the next four years thanks to a new financial strategy for women's soccer and the expanded 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Separate sponsor deals for women's soccer are being signed for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2026 men's tournament will have 48 teams instead of 32.

According to report, FIFA has an almost blank slate for the 2026 edition with top-tier sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas and Wanda the only deals currently extended.

FIFA also reportedly pledged to give more money to member federations when they gathered in Qatar in March, promising their basic grant from Zurich would rise by 33% to $8 million in total from 2023-27.

 

-o0o-

 

A PRIDE OF ILOILO. We congratulate Robert Seraph Abogado Armada, the gifted son of former Iloilo (elected) vice governor and (DILG-sworn in) governor Roberto “Obet” Armada for having been awarded with a record scholarships in the total amount of $102,500 by the Seton Hall, a private university in South Orange, New Jersey, USA.

The scholarships, awarded as follows: a University Scholarship in the amount if $98,000, which will be awarded annually for four years in the amount of $24,500 per year, and a Summer Scholarship in the amount of $4,500, which will be awarded for three consecutive summers in the amount of $1,500 per year, were revealed by Katherine Fainer, Seto Hall University director of Undergraduate Admission, in a letter dated November 28, 2022.

“We commend you on your outstanding academic accomplishments,” Fainer wrote Armada.

“On behalf of the Seton Hall University community, we are delighted to recognize your accomplishments. I look forward to welcoming you as a member of the Seton Hall community.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

Confession of a dying criminal

“The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.”

—Saint Augustine

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE confirmation made by retired international boxing referee Carlos “Sonny” Padilla Jr. that he helped rob Aussie visitor Nedal Hussein of a victory to save Manny Pacquiao from a knockout loss in a WBC international championship 22 years ago in Manila, can be compared to the confession of a dying criminal.

Pardon my comparison, but I was among those who were jolted by Padilla’s belated confession as he only confirmed what we had known about that controversial bout that happened two decades ago. 

The 88-year-old former movie actor, whose last known address was in Las Vegas, may not be under duress when he admitted the scam in a video that became viral, but he must have been bothered by his conscience. 

Or he was only reckless and became too much talkative as he gets older. 

We admire his honesty though even if his embarrassing admission would surely taint his reputation and blot Pacquiao’s legacy in one way or the other. 

Let’s hope he isn’t dying literally.

It was actually a bizarre interview as Padilla was caught laughing while confessing he declared a cut from a headbutt as having come from a legitimate punch, which eventually resulted in a 10th round TKO win for Pacquiao.  

The so-called long count he made on then 22-year-old Pacquiao, who was decked by Hussein with a clean punch in their 12-round WBC international super-bantamweight fisticuffs on October 14, 2000, was not actually a secret among those who understood boxing.

 

-o0o-

 

Because of that anomaly, Padilla was actually hated by Australian fans and disrespected by Hussein’s trainer Jeff Fenech, a former world bantamweight champion from Australia, who knows a lot about boxing’s red light district.

Padilla’s act of dishonesty occurred in the fourth round when Hussein delivered a coup de grace that sent Pacquiao to the canvas, forcing a 10-count.

But Padilla, before the horrified Australian and Filipino fans, allowed Pacquiao as long as 18 seconds to get up after being dazed, and let the contest continue despite Hussein's protests. Fenech, a known ring hooligan, nearly attacked him. 

The father of actress Zsa Zsa Padilla is now in the limelight once again for admitting he gave a long count after being told that it was an important bout for Pacquiao to win, as well as making other moves that hindered Hussein's ability to win.

Pacquiao’s controversial win over Hussein came eight months before he was given a world title shot in the IBF crown held by Lehlo Ledwaba in Las Vegas, where he made a good account of himself.

 

-o0o-

 

“Manny was not a world champion yet, he was only good in the Philippines,” Padilla said in a recent interview with the WBC's YouTube channel, which has now been made private. "That fight, I'm about to go and leave the following day and they told me 'Carlos, please-this is an important fight for Pacquiao, because the winner will have the chance to fight for the world championship'.

“So, you know the opponent, Hussein, or whatever his name was. He is taller, younger, stronger, and a dirty fighter, managed by Jeff Fenech. So in the seventh round, I think [it was the fourth round], Manny got knocked down, I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were cross-eyed.

"I am Filipino, and everybody watching the fight is Filipino, so I prolonged the count. I know how to do it. When he got up, I told him, ‘Hey, are you okay?’ Still prolonging the fight. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Okay, fight!’ and then Hussein……because Manny was not like Manny is now, he wasn’t trained by Freddie Roach yet, he holds on for his dear life, and the guy throws him, and he went down again. I said to the opponent, ‘Hey, you don’t do this.’ You know, I was prolonging the fight. ‘You don’t do that. Okay, judges, (point) deduction'."

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Expect amazing?

“Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football (soccer).” ― Albert Camus

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE are sad that amid the excitement and thrill soccer fans all over the globe felt since the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 unwrapped on November 20, hooliganism, threats and intimidation have taken center stage involving major characters in the world of sports.

We’re referring to the two incidents that hogged sports headlines while soccer fans were in the middle of pre-championship match celebration for the apparent successful staging of the beautiful game in the gulf region for the first time in history.    

First, the reported threats of imprisonment and torture made to the  families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team if the players failed to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on November 29.

Second, the “warning” sent to Argentina star player Lionel Messi by equally famous Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for “disrespecting” Mexico.

These are actually unnecessary distractions meant to snatch away the euphoria felt by fans anywhere in the world. 

When the Emirate of Qatar bagged the hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in December 2010, a slogan that proclaimed “Expect Amazing” was released and reverberated all over the soccer world.

What amazing things do we have to expect now that threats of violence and pure and simple hooliganism have tainted the FIFA affair?

The Iran team hullabaloo erupted following the refusal of Iranian players to sing the nation’s national anthem in their opening match against England on November 21. 

The players were reportedly called to a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and told that their families would face “violence and and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or if they joined any political protest against the Tehran regime.

 

-o0o-

 

This reportedly prompted the players to sing the anthem before their second game against Wales last November 25, which saw 2-0 victory for Iran.

Sam Kiley quoted a source closely monitoring Iran’s security agencies operating in Qatar over the World Cup period that dozens of officers from the IRGC had been drafted in to monitor the Iranian players who are not allowed to mingle outside the squad or meet with foreigners.

“There are a large number of Iranian security officers in Qatar collecting information and monitoring the players,” Kiley quoted the source.

The Portuguese coach of Iran’s national team, Carlos Queiroz, reportedly met separately with IRGC officers following their threats to Iranian players and their families.

The players had been reportedly promised “presents and cars” ahead of the England game but the regime had switched to threatening players and their families after the humiliation of the team’s refusal to sing their national anthem.

In another scandalous outburst, Alvarez, who never had the opportunity to fight Senator Manny Pacquiao when the latter was still active as a prizefighter, was quoted in the reports as saying in a tweet, “Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our shirt and flag????”

 

-o0o-

 

The popular Mexican ring dynamo apparently was referencing a video in which Messi appears to kick a Mexico shirt that is on the floor during Argentina’s celebrations in the changing room.

Reports said there was no indication that Messi kicked the shirt intentionally, instead appearing to do it accidentally as he took off his football boots.

“He better pray to God that I don’t find him!!” Alvarez added in another tweet, with a series of angry emojis. “Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico! I’m not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bulls**t that Messi pulled.”

Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 on November 26 in a tense game in Group C where Messi scored the opening goal, before Enzo Fernandez sealed the victory late on to keep Argentina’s World Cup dream alive following a shocking opening round defeat to Saudi Arabia.

Widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers ever after winning world championships in four weight classes, Alvarez added in one reply to a journalist: “It’s one thing them being better than us (in football), it’s another thing to have respect.”

Messi’s former Argentina teammate Sergio Aguero responded to Alvarez on Twitter, saying: “Mr. Canelo, don’t look for excuses or problems, surely you don’t know about football and what happens in a changing room. The shirts are always on the floor after games have finished due to sweat and then if you look properly, he makes the movement to remove his boot and accidentally hits it.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Gutsy demand

“I request the audience to not mix cinema with politics.”

—Ram Charan

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

The case of a contrabida becoming an “important character” in the movies was exemplified in the call by the Iranian state media for the United States to be kicked out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) changed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for thousands of protesters in Iran.

It’s like the riding in tandem motorcycle killers telling the cops to leave the check points or else. The nerve. 

Iran’s saber-rattling came at least two days before the much-anticipated US vs Iran match in Group B on November 29. 

If it was as psywar tactic meant to demoralize the American booters, we will know during the match at Al Thumama Stadium. 

Iran must have been infuriated when USSF had temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag on its official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. 

CNN reported that a now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on November 26 displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors.

US Soccer told CNN on Sunday that it wanted to change the official flag for 24 hours to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights” but always planned to go back to the original flag.

The change “was a one-time graphic,” US Soccer told CNN. “We have the main flag on our website and other places.” 

The emblem is currently back on the flag on US Soccer’s social media channels.

 

-o0o-

 

Just when impulsive shoppers thought they’ve survived temptations after the “Black Friday”, they were in for a big surprise: there’s a deadlier animal called “Cyber Monday.”

I managed to “survive” these post-Thanksgiving Day shopping tsunamis by pretending they didn’t exist, and by not opening the links of the tempting offers sent directly to my email and cell phone by retailers.

If I accidentally opened one, I refused to further scroll down in order not to be magnetized by the shopping list’s mouth-watering deals.

As I mentioned in my previous article, stores were willing to dive down to as low as 81 percent discount during “Black Friday.” The discounts offered on “Cyber Monday” were almost identical.

Following the Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, “Cyber Monday” is an e-commerce term for discounts, special promotions, and sales only on that particular day as online retailers’ answer to the

brick-and-mortar stores’ “Black Friday” shopping extravaganza.

On this day, traditional retailers offer exclusive, website-only deals. 

The result suggests to some that “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” have merged into a combination of in-store-and-online shopping experience that has blurred the distinction between the two days.

 

-o0o-

 

It falls four days after Thanksgiving and was created to encourage consumers to shop online. Although “Black Friday”—the day after Thanksgiving—remains the busiest single shopping day of the year, the arrival of COVID-19, perhaps combined with other factors, resulted in $9 billion in online spending on “Black Friday” in 2020 and $10.8 billion on “Cyber Monday,” according to Investopedia.

Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers reportedly devote increasing amounts of time and energy to online sales to compete with each other as well as with their cyber rivals. 

For 2021, the National Retail Federation predicted online spending would amount to between $218.3 billion and $226.2 billion over the holiday season. 

This represents up to 27% of the $843.4 billion shoppers are expected to spend in November and December.

Consumers reportedly relish “Cyber Monday” for several reasons. Many people don't want to spend time away from family during the holiday just to get a bargain, while others don't want to wait in the long lines that form on “Black Friday.” 

“Cyber Monday provides consumers with a convenient, hassle-free way to shop and cash in on some great deals. And with most retailers now offering free shipping as an incentive to shop on Cyber Monday, it makes shopping online even more attractive,” Investopedia reported. 

Although Cyber Monday had its origins in the United States, it is now an international concept. 

Many e-commerce companies around the world use the term to market promotions to boost their sales at that time of year.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Pray for the poor, not the cardinal

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that-it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.”

—Charles Spurgeon

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

PONTIFICIO Collegio Filippino (PCF) Rector Gregory Ramon Gaston has urged Filipinos to pray for former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle emphasizing that Pope Francis gave Tagle other assignments, including efforts to assist the new officials of Caritas International.

Tagle’s new tasks came when he was ousted from Caritas International, the charity arm of the Catholic Church, according to Gaston in a recent interview with Church-run Radyo Veritas.

We have no problem with that.

Everyone needs to pray; we all need prayers—Catholics and non-Catholics, sinners and saints.

But, wait a minute. Why will Tagle need the people’s prayers when he is enjoying his life in the Vatican-based Caritas International? 

Gaston and Tagle, as “soldiers” of God, should be the ones to pray for us. It’s the people that need more mercy, forgiveness, and daily bread.

Even if he was “ousted” in his lofty position, Tagle would not go hungry or live in the gutter. 

He is richer than you and me.

 

-o0o-

 

Except if he is ill or battling a life-threatening disease, ordinary Filipinos will have to first pray for their families—sons and daughters—who are wallowing in poverty before they will think of kneeling in the prayer room or in the church to pray for the well-fed Tagle.

If we open his refrigerator randomly, he has more cheese, chocolate cakes, grapes and apples than the ordinary Filipinos, who are the ones that need the prayers to be able to live a decent life and eat three square meals a day. 

There are more Filipinos who need not just prayers but livelihood, medical and social assistance. Pandemic has not yet totally left. Many people are still unemployed if not underemployed. 

Many Filipinos still live below the poverty level, but some Church authorities and scumbags, who use the bible and the words of God to mesmerize and bilk the faithful, live like kings and privileged emperors.   

Although Tagle is supposed to “live an ordinary life” like Jesus Christ as what the Bible-toting preachers proclaim in the sermon, we all know that some archbishops, cardinals, and hypocrite parish priests live in affluence; many of them own mansions and luxury vehicles. 

Some so-called spiritual leaders (not just in the Catholic Church) even scandalously parade their queridas and queridos. Sin veruguenzas! 

 

-o0o-

 

A lot of pride and may be geopolitics will be at stake as pundits rev up for the November 29 encounter between nemesis Iran and the United States in Group B of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the Al Thumama Stadium.

Believe it or not but the western press has installed the US as the favorite (50 percent) to beat Iran (23 percent). The probability of a draw is 27 percent.

How can it be when Iran has just scored one of the, so far, three upsets in the Cup when it recently beat Wales, 2-0, while the US was recently held to a scoreless draw by England?

The US isn’t expected to win the World Cup which is the domain of Brazil, Argentina, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and England. The draw versus England, a soccer heavyweight, actually smelled like a win for the Americans.

"A draw's not the worst thing, but I felt like there were stretches of where we showed confidence and had a lot of the play, and created chances, and even could have won the game" US midfielder Christian Pulisic said. "But all in all, I thought we managed it quite well."

But the Stars and Stripes will be in the prime position to advance in the knock out stage with a win over Iran. But if Iran wins, it will have a tremendous psychological repercussion on the ongoing strife between the two nations now that Iran is on the radar of international conflict for its human rights abuses in the ongoing suppression of protest actions related to women’s rights.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

     

‘Black Friday’ temptations

“I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.”

—Mae West

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF we lived in the Third World, we would not experience being tempted by the “Black Friday” shopping madness mainly because the inferior economy doesn’t have the “star quality” or capability to offer a bonanza or windfall being enjoyed by the consumers in the United States, the beacon of abundance and unlimited prosperity.

Thus we don’t have the bagsak presyo attraction in the Philippines similar to the ones being dangled to American consumers during the Thanksgiving Day (November 24^th ) and “Black Friday.”

They call it “doorbusters.” With or without inflation and, perhaps, recession, shops in the United States offer prices that are hard to ignore and resist: when they woo the consumers during the special holidays they dive down from 60 to 81 percent discount.

Giant malls that house shopping establishments like Macy’s, Nordstrom, Marshalls, JCPenney, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Old Navy, Best Buy, Sears, Target, Dillard’s, Ikea, etcetera lead the tempting offers.

First timers in America who happen to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day and “Black Friday” will definitely succumb to these mouth-watering sales.

 

-o0o-

 

I am embarrassed to admit that I was once tempted—but not tainted—during my early years living in the US. Tempted to imagine to indulge in a mindless shopping spree, but not tainted to perform or implement it for obvious reason: I’m penniless (read: no extra budget for such unnecessary splurge).

A week before the Thanksgiving Day and “Black Friday”, shops started to bombard prospective buyers with appealing items accompanied by offers for a bagsak presyoor really cheap prices and attractive discounts. 

In a world powered by technology, consumers are constantly looking for the latest and greatest gadget. 

At T-Mobile, I was offered succulent freebies: a new iPhone 14 unit and Apple Watch plus 50 percent discount in iPad Generation 9. Although I could avail them in normal days, modesty aside, owing to my good record as a paying subscriber, I was told “these are part of our Thanksgiving promo.”

Thanks but no thanks. I have been buying used or refurbished gadgets for electronics. 

Andre Woroch, an expert in consumer buying, had warned us that while a new device often brings the potential for improving a person's life, consumers shouldn't confuse these purchases with investments. Just like a new car, electronics lose value as soon as they are taken for a spin.

 

-o0o-

 

"We live in a world in which significant technological improvements in the consumer electronics and gadget verticals are seen on an annual basis," says Joshua Weiss, CEO Of TeliApp, a company that develops and executes digital media marketing strategies for a variety of brands including those in the consumer electronics space. 

"As such, 1-year-old devices will depreciate significantly, especially because the cost for better and brand-new items continues to go down."

Though short product cycles and saturated markets add to the rapid depreciation of consumer gadgets, demand for new tech continues to rise, Woroch warned. 

In fact, she stressed, the technology industry is estimated to grow 3.2 percent in 2017 and earn $321 billion in retail revenues, according to a semiannual report from the Consumer Technology Association.

 While fighting depreciation may feel like a losing battle, there are certain steps consumers can take to save money on the gadgets they need.

She gave the this advice: Compare features and specifications carefully. Electronic manufacturers, brands and retailers bombard consumers with ads promoting the newest devices that tout better performance and superior features, making it hard to resist the urge to buy. 

While many shoppers justify splurging on a new device for updated specs, experts caution that the differences between old and new may be minimal, and the price to upgrade may not be worth it.

"Many of these new models do not have major, innovative upgrades, but rather small internal hardware modifications, like a slightly faster CPU clock speed," says Emily Shapiro, marketing associate at iPowerResale, a site that specializes in reselling refurbished, used and overstock Apple products.

Consumers should review potential product purchases carefully, looking over specs in detail, or seek guidance from product experts to understand key features. 

Since many electronic retailers charge restocking fees of 10 to 15 percent of a returned item's purchase price, an impulse purchase could cost even more in the end.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

   

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

Let’s go to the parade

 

“I'm still passionately interested in what my fellow humans are up to. For me, a day spent monitoring the passing parade is a day well-spent.”

—Garry Trudeau

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

FOR many Pinoys living in New York, the sure thing to be among the three million people expected to line up the Big Apple streets during the fabulous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24, is when either they were off duty or they didn’t have work.

In the past, the most popular line we normally heard during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was, “Let’s go to the parade.Tara na.” It’s totally unacceptable to miss the parade when we were free. No other events on that day could match the excitement people feel for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Some spectators travel by groups—including whole families—from other states to watch the colorful parade even if the temperature are not so good.  

In the past seven years, I missed the parade three times. Either the parade occurred on my off day, or I didn’t have work on the day of the parade in those four years that I was “present.”

Present means physically watching in person and lining the parade route; like the other spectators, I also hooted and waved my hands like a child again as the balloons, floats and marching bands made their way from the Upper West Side to Macy's flagship store at Herald Square.

Last year I was lucky to be there again when pandemic was almost over and the parade was back after a TV-only event in 2020. 

 

-o0o-

 

As early as eight o’clock in the morning, I buried myself in the “sea of humanity” near the Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue and had a good view of the parade. What a feeling.

About 2.5 million spectators were expected to be in the parade routes during the 96th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year that would kick off Thursday, Nov. 24, at 9 a.m. ET local time.

This time, I won’t be physically present.

This year's event would reportedly feature 16 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 12 marching bands, a host of musical stars and more. Plus 700 clowns and Santa Claus, for good measure.

Spectators getting a jump on the big event can watch the balloons being inflated on Wednesday afternoon, November 23, on the Upper West Side, CNN reported.

The preparations were open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. The area could only be accessed from West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue.

There would be a packed slate of performers, as usual. The 2022 lineup, according to the news, includes Paula Abdul, Jordin Sparks, Dionne Warwick, Betty Who, Big Time Rush, Gloria Estefan with her daughter Emily and grandson Sasha, Sean Paul, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, and Fitz and the Tantrums. The stars from Peacock's upcoming series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin—Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland, and Flula Borg—would also make an appearance.

 

-o0o-

 

Broadway fans would reportedly be treated to a performance from Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl. The casts of The Lion King, Some Like It Hot, and A Beautiful Noise, would also do numbers from their respective shows, as will the Radio City Rockettes. 

For the grand finale, Mariah Carey will belt out her iconic Christmas anthem, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," just before Santa Claus and his sleigh land in front of Macy's on 34th Street in Manhattan.

Four balloons would be making their first trip down the parade route, including Bluey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star, Dino and Baby Dino, and Stuart the Minion.

Spectacular new floats include Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party by Toys "R" Us, Baby Shark by Pinkfong and Nickelodeon, People of First Light by Macy's, the Wondership by Wonder, and Supersized Slumber by Netflix, which will celebrate the magical world of the upcoming Netflix movie Slumberland.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Rooting for the underdog

“If you're an underdog, mentally disabled, physically disabled, if you don't fit in, if you're not as pretty as the others, you can still be a hero.”

—Steve Guttenberg

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IT’S a natural tendency for sports fans to root for the underdog in any competition and close rivalry.

Saudi Arabia’s recent 2-1 conquest of Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar was considered as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

But the “one for the books” (the exact words used by Saudi coach Herve Renard to describe the gigantic soccer upset) defeat by a highly touted team that produced Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Gabriel Batistuta was not the first earthshaking event in the World Cup.

Let’s consider it as soccer’s version of Mike Tyson’s scary KO defeat from slow-moving Buster Douglas in Tokyo in 1990, or Rafael Nadal’s embarrassing 2012 Wimbledon loss to unknown Lucas Rosol. 

In the 1990 FIFA World Cup or the 14^th FIFA World Cup, Cameroon also pulled a dramatic shocker in the opening match, 1-0, over Argentina, the defending champion and the most feared soccer team in the world at that time.

Upsets and shockers are part and parcel of the World Cup. They aren’t new. World Cup is not known as the most beautiful game in the universe for nothing. 

François Omam-Biyik, who now works as Cameroon’s assistant manager, scored Cameroon’s lone goal, a downward header, that shocked the world.

Omam-Bitik, who also scored against Sweden in the first round of the 1994 World Cup, and brother Andre, helped Cameroon to the quarter-finals.

His appearance in the 1998 World Cup was his third. In his 73 appearances, had Omam-Biyik scored a total of 26 goals. He is Cameroon's record World Cup player with 11 matches in three tournaments.

 

-o0o-

 

We don’t know what will happen next to Saudi Arabia, which is in the company of intriguing group of teams in Group C composed of Mexico and Poland, both known to have very little styles of play.

ABC News has reported while everyone else in Saudi Arabia was having a great old time, Saudi booter Yasser Al-Shahrani was facing the prospect of emergency surgery.

The defender copped a knee to the face after colliding with goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais in a sickening clash in the dying moments of the game, it was reported.

With Al-Shahrani laying unresponsive on the ground, referee Slavko Vincic reportedly made the bizarre call to allow play to continue, in another controversial moment after Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was allowed to play on despite his own sickening head clash in their match with England.

Meanwhile, after the loud shellacking of Argentina in 1990, Cameroon had cruised to a Cinderella run. 

It earlier bested Nigeria and ousted Tunisia in the final playoff, Cameroon qualified for the 1990 World Cup. Cameroon were drawn into Group B with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union in the final tournament.

Cameroon later defeated Romania 2–1 and lost to the Soviet Union 0–4, becoming the first side to top a World Cup Finals group with a negative goal difference. 

In the second round, Cameroon defeated Colombia 2–1 with the 38-year-old Roger Milla scoring two goals in extra-time.

Cameroon faced England in the quarter-finals. After 25 minutes, England's David Platt scored for England, while in the second-half, Cameroon came back with a 61st-minute penalty from Emmanuel Kunde and took the lead with Eugene Ekeke on 65 minutes. 

England, however, equalized in the 83rd minute with a penalty from Gary Lineker, while Lineker again found the net via a 105th-minute penalty to make the eventual scoreline 3–2 for England. The team was coached by Russian manager and former player Valeri Nepomniachi.

 

-o0o-

 

We have more interesting chess news from US national master Marlon Bernardino, who recently covered the Asian Juniors and Girls Chess Championships at the Knights Templar hotel in Tagaytay City.

Bernardino reported that National Master Eric Labog Jr. of the Philippines bested International Master Raahul V S of India November 22 to bounce back into contention.

He added that Labog’s third win against one draw and a loss gave him 3.5 points, a half point behind pacesetter top seed International Master Saha Neelash of India, International Master Harshavardhan G B of India and International Master Sugar Gan-Erdene of Mongolia who totes 4.0 points each.

Also with 3.5 points are Chatterjee Utsab of India, Dziththauly Ramadhan of Indonesia and Fide Master Daniyal Sapenov of Kazakhstan.

In other results, Harshavardhan G B split the points with Neelash while Gan-Erdene drew with Utsab.

The 19 year old Labog, a freshman student at Immaculada Concepcion College, earlier loss to Neelash in Monday's fourth round.

International Master Daniel Quizon edged countryman Mar Aviel Carredo to score 3.0 points and climb at 8th to 14th places along with International Master Michael Concio Jr. and National Master Christian Mark Daluz of the Philippines.

Woman International Master Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong of Vietnam routed Woman International Master Nazerke Nurgali  of  Kazakhstan to remain on top with 4.5 points, half point ahead with top pick Woman International Master Assel Serikbay of  Kazakhstan and Woman Fide Master Mitra Asgharzadeh of Iran, both tallied 4.0 points apiece.

Two players follow with 3.0 points each, namely Woman International Master Ravi Rakshitta of India and Femil Chelladurai of India.

Thirty two boys from eleven countries are competing the junior division while 20 players are participating in the 9-round Swiss system tournament among the girls. Bernardino said the championship is organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines on behalf of the Asian Chess Federation.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

World Cup and Twitter imbroglio

“When you're part of a World Cup, it's always now or never.”

—Kevin De Bruyne

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

LET’S hope our regular monitoring of the ongoing The FIFA World Cup Qatar won’t be disrupted or “shortchanged” in the Twitter now that thousands of its employees—including key technical workers—have either stopped working (read: quit) or been laid off these past two weeks.

Sadly, the bloody carnage in this popular social media was bad timing because it occurred even before the start of the world’s greatest sporting event hosted by the peninsular Arab country whose terrain comprises arid desert and a long Persian (Arab) Gulf shoreline of beaches and dunes.

There are soccer fans who find it convenient to check the latest stories and results in the social media, and Twitter is among the leading sources of these stories in a unique platform.

In this age of fast information technology, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, WhatsApp, Reddit, Pinterest, SnapChat, and Linkedin play pivotal roles in the dissemination of accurate facts and data.   

Like ordinary news hunters who want to know the stories fresh and as quickly as possible, soccer fans love to know the scores in each match especially in the heart-thumping elimination rounds conveniently from their gadgets and mobile phones.

They are excited to know how top favorite England will tame the resurging Germany and how perennial winner Brazil will tackle the swashbuckling Spain.

 

-o0o-

 

Twitter can’t afford to make its patrons and users disappointed and neglected in these coming weeks when the world is agog over the Beautiful Game.

While Elon Musk is busy streamlining Twitter’s workforce and tackling both the veiled and open recalcitrance of employees against his rigid management style, soccer fans are pinning their hopes for accurate and crispier coverage of the World Cup primarily in this gigantic social media platform.

The Verge has reported that after purging nearly two-thirds of Twitter’s 7,500-person workforce in three weeks, Musk is hiring again.

During an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees November 21, Musk reportedly said the company was done with layoffs and actively recruiting for roles in engineering and sales and that employees are encouraged to make referrals, according to two people who attended and a partial recording obtained by The Verge. 

His comments were made the same day that an unspecified wave of cuts hit Twitter’s sales department, which has lost almost all of its senior leadership since Musk took over.

 

-o0o-

 

US chess master Marlon Bernardino, who dabbles in sports journalism, recently delivered to me a sad news about Filipino GM Regelio “Joey” Antonio’s participation in the 30^th FIDE World Senior Individual Chess Championship held at the Hotel Cenacolo in Assisi, Umbria, Italy on Sunday.

“Joey Antonio falters in Italy chess,” Bernardino wrote in the story he sent to this writer as he disclosed the individual standings after Round 6: (Open 50+ division) 5.5 points---GM Darcy Lima (Brazil), GM Frank Holzke (Germany) 5.0 points---GM Ivan Morovic Fernandez (Chile), GM Milos Pavlovic (Serbia) 4.5 points---GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr. (Philippines), GM Maxim Novik (Lithuania), GM Zurab Sturua (Georgia), GM Vladislav Nevednichy (Romania), GM Dejan Antic (Serbia), GM Klaus Bischoff (Germany), GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (Scotland), IM Krizsany Laszlo (Hungrary), IM Fabrizio Bellia (Italy), IM  William Paschall (USA), IM Klaus De Francesco (Germany), FM Stephen Dishman (England), FM Kok Siong Teo (Singapore)

Bernardino reported that Antonio (Elo 2397), the 13-time National Open Champion, lost a crucial battle against GM Darcy Lima of Brazil (Elo 2415) in the sixth round.

“Antonio, a long-time vanguard of Philippine Chess, was using the disadvantageous black pieces while playing against Lima. The game was ended after 45 moves of Bogo Indian Defense,” wrote Bernardino.

The 60-year-old Filipino GM now has 4.5 points to  share 5th to 17th places with GM Maxim Novik (Lithuania), GM Zurab Sturua (Georgia), GM Vladislav Nevednichy (Romania), GM Dejan Antic (Serbia), GM Klaus Bischoff (Germany), GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (Scotland), IM Krizsany Laszlo (Hungrary), IM Fabrizio Bellia (Italy), IM William Paschall (USA), IM Klaus De Francesco (Germany), FM Stephen Dishman (England) and FM Kok Siong Teo (Singapore).

Antonio would be playing against Sturua in the seventh round.

 

-o0o-

 

Bernardino said the 60-year-old Lima, meanwhile, shared the leadership board in the Open 50+ class tournament with a total of 5.5 points, the same output of GM Frank Holzke of Germany (Elo 2476), who brought down Novik after 53 moves of Gruenfeld Defense.

GM Ivan Morovic Fernandez of Chile and GM Milos Pavlovic of Serbia toppled their respective rivals to climb at third to fourth places with 5.0 points apiece.

International Master Angelo Abundo Young (Elo 2309) defeated Ulises Decozar (Elo 2102) of the United States to score 3.5 points and create a twenty seven-way tie for 36th places together with seventh round opponent FM Milan Kolesar of Slovakia (Elo 2136).

In the Open 65+ class, International Master elect and Fide Master Jose Efren Bagamasbad (Elo 2051) beat Eero Patola (Elo 1830) of Finland to raise his total 3.0 points. The 66-year-old Bagamasbad was tied at 84th to 112th places. He would be meeting Olav Thoresen of Norway (Elo 1874) in the next round.

Bernardino said the triumvirate would like to thank NCFP Chairman/President Rep. Prospero "Butch" Arreza Pichay Jr. and NCFP CEO GM Jayson O. Gonzales for supporting their Europe chess campaign as well to POC President Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino Jr. for helping to secure their Schengen visa on time.

Bernardino and Roberto M. Racasa serve as the triumvirate coaches, trainers and second.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local papers in Iloilo.—Ed)