LOS ANGELES, USA - Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor's money-spinning superfight failed to break the record for gate receipts at a Las Vegas boxing bout, figures released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed Wednesday, September 6.

The controversial August 26 fight raked in $55,414,865.79, well short of the $72,198,500 generated by Mayweather's 2015 "Fight of the Century" against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.

The Mayweather-McGregor bout, staged at the T-Mobile Arena, sold 13,094 tickets, well short of the venue's 20,500 capacity. The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight sold 16,219 tickets.

A total of 137 complimentary tickets were given away for Mayweather-McGregor, won by Mayweather in a 10th-round technical knockout.

Face-value ticket prices for Mayweather-McGregor were among the most expensive in history, with cheapest seats going for $500 and the most expensive for as much as $10,000.

Although the fight failed to challenge the Mayweather-Pacquiao gate total, it becomes the second highest-grossing gate in Las Vegas history, surpassing the $20 million generated by Mayweather's 2013 defeat of Canelo Alvarez.

The bout is also set to be one of the richest fights in history if the most bullish predictions of pay-per-view television sales are met.

Some predictions have suggested the fight could threaten the 4.6 million buys generated by Pacquiao-Mayweather.

Official numbers have not been released although executives from cable network Showtime Sports said they expected the bout would at least be second. – Rappler.com

Basketball teams work very much like physics. Objects in movement must stop at some point when they lose energy just like how objects at rest have the potential to get somewhere when acted upon by the right force.

For the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, their red-hot charge through the UAAP may just be coming to a slow halt.

Led by PBA’s 2016 3^rd overall pick Mac Belo, the Season 78 Tamaraws treated fans to a highly entertaining do-or-die finals showdown with the Kevin Ferrer-led University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers. Although the Tigers were the sentimental pick to finally win one title with their graduating core of Ferrer, PBA’s 6^th pick Ed Daquioag and Karim Abdul, Belo and his future PBA lottery-pick mates Russel Escoto, Mike Tolomia and RR Pogoy had other plans for a graceful exit of their own. 

Fast forward to Season 80, FEU is on the brink of losing more steam. Although they only lost to eventual finalist Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles in the Season 79 semifinals by one point, things are bound to get worse. Their regular season record is on a downward trend and so are their talents and other personnel.

The Tamaraws are still a credible threat in the UAAP, but that reputation may soon be lost in the shuffle as well. 

Newton’s Third Law of Motion 

“For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”

For FEU, every departure is another blow their campaign to maintain dominance in the league. Over two seasons, they have experienced the losses of Belo, Escoto, Tolomia, Pogoy and Season 79 leading team scorers Raymar Jose and Monbert Arong. 

They will, however, still have serviceable players left like Wendell Comboy, Axel Inigo and former Eagles-turned-Tamaraws Arvin Tolentino and Hubert Cani along with prospects such as CESAFI’s Jasper Parker – keyword being “prospects.” Despite these handy additions and returnees, it’s still not the same, to put things plainly.

The Racela Effect 

FEU will still be led by a Racela, just not the Racela the UAAP has been used to. After leading the Tamaraws to a stellar 40-16 record over 4 seasons that nabbed them one championship, Coach Nash Racela has taken his talents to the PBA as the head coach of powerhouse TNT KaTropa. He is set to be replaced by his older brother, 9-time PBA champion Olsen Racela.

While Olsen has carved out a legendary career as a player, he will need to hit the hard reset as his FEU coaching stint will just be his rookie debut. Although he already has experience on the sidelines as an assistant coach for the PBA’s Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, FEU will be his first-ever head honcho gig.

--

From its coach to its players, FEU is entering Season 80 full of high hopes and unproven personnel. On paper, they are still a Final Four-level squad, but anyone who has ever followed basketball knows that things change once the ball is tossed and the games are played. With dark horse teams such as Adamson and the University of the Philippines on the come up, FEU should learn to watch their backs before charging again. – Rappler.com

LONDON, England - Under fire from furious fans and unable to placate his unsettled stars, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger finds himself assailed by familiar problems just weeks into the new season as he battles to salvage his tarnished reputation.

Just 4 months ago, the Frenchman was celebrating an FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea that the 67-year-old hoped would herald a new era of sustained success.

But after a miserable start to the Premier League campaign, Wenger once again appears trapped in a debilitating cycle of on-field underachievement and behind-the-scenes unrest.

Lacklustre defeats against Stoke and Liverpool, with the 4-0 humiliation at Anfield especially painful, have sparked renewed calls for Wenger's resignation from his army of detractors.

Making matters worse, the Arsenal boss - hailed for revolutionizing the English game in areas such as diet and fitness after he joined the club in 1996 - is locked in damaging contract stand-offs with Chile forward Alexis Sanchez and playmaker Mesut Ozil.

Wenger gambled by refusing to bow to Sanchez's demand for a move to Manchester City before the transfer window closed last week.

Sanchez's refusal to sign a new contract, with his current deal due to expire at the end of the season, makes it difficult for the Frenchman to expect full commitment from his most influential player.

Ozil is also in the last year of his Arsenal contract and the German's patchy performances over the past two years suggest Wenger should not rely on him for help when the flack is flying.

England internationals Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs were sold before the deadline because they showed little interest in signing new deals, while Wenger failed with a bid for Monaco prodigy Thomas Lemar, leaving him with depleted options as he tries to reverse Arsenal's decline.

Watching Wenger ashen-faced on the touchline during Arsenal's capitulation at Liverpool, it was hard to believe only weeks earlier he was talking boldly of pushing to win the English title for the first time since 2004.

Wenger believed last season's success at Wembley and his subsequent decision to sign a two-year contract extension, after briefly contemplating ending his 21-year reign, had put him back in a position of strength.

Infuriated

Spending a club-record £52 million ($68 million, 57 million euros) on Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette indicated Wenger was intent on maximising his opportunity.

Yet he did not have to wait long for that optimism to dissipate.

Infuriated by Arsenal's failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades, many Gunners' supporters had staged protests calling for Wenger to quit last season and the detractors remained steadfast in their belief he should go.

It took less than 90 minutes of Arsenal's first match on home turf this season for that to become abundantly clear.

A forgettable pre-season friendly against Benfica at the Emirates Stadium suddenly turned ugly when an irate fan sprinted onto the pitch and made a beeline for Wenger before being tackled by stewards.

The supporter appeared to launch a tirade at the Frenchman as he was escorted away, the uncomfortable flashpoint foreshadowing the renewed misery looming around the corner for the Arsenal boss.

Those who admire Wenger for his purist principles and recall the three Premier League titles of his early Arsenal teams, when he went toe-to-toe with Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, have clung to the belief he could still conjure up that old magic.

But the losses to Stoke and Liverpool laid bare the fatal flaws Wenger has stubbornly refused to fix.

His error-prone defence lacks leadership, the midfield is short of drive and desire and Wenger's forwards too often fail to turn their team's possession into goals.

Even Wenger's former players are losing faith, with former Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Petit saying: "I really thought they would have a big transfer window. 

"But since the start of July, every day I look at the newspapers, and nothing has happened. He is no longer the man for the job."

Ex-striker Ian Wright added: "Watching him now is like watching Muhammad Ali fight Larry Holmes. You're watching Ali, one of the greatest ever, getting beat up. 

"It was horrible, it was uncomfortable, you don't want to see that."

Starting this weekend against Bournemouth, the clock will be ticking on Wenger's bid to avoid the knockout blow. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - It’s that time of the year again, when the fans of football (not the soccer variety) flock to stadiums or vege out in front of the TV for a Sunday full of NFL games.

On the other side of the world, and with significantly less fanfare, teams in the Philippine-American Football League will strap on their pads and helmets when its second season kicks off this Sunday, September 10, beginning at 9 am at the Circuit Makati Blue Pitch. 

The single round robin season will run each Sunday until November 19 with 5 teams - The Olongapo Warriors, Cavemen, Juggernauts, Wolves and Datu (a sixth team dropped out due to lack of commitment). The players come from the Philippines plus the US, various Southeast Asia countries, South Korea, Poland, Guam and others, according to a league press kit. Some of the players have semi-pro experience and have backgrounds in other sports including rugby, basketball and soccer, the press kit said.

Demosthenes Juanatas Jr, the league’s owner and founder, was born in Manila but was raised in Bakersfield, California from the age of two. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan says the league has found support among friends and family of the players, and sponsors like Summit Water and Cobra Energy Drink.

The league’s biggest struggle has been finding suitable venues to host a game that has a limited following and requires a lot of space.

“There are not a lot of open fields for our teams to practice on or even play on, so our venues are quite expensive. It is one of the limiting factors as to why our sport is having a hard time to grow, and I am sure other sports are affected by this as well,” says Juanatas Jr, who doubles as a CrossFit trainer off the field.

“So far, there is no official American Football Stadium suited and fitted for American Football games, which requires a field 120 yards in length and 53 yards in width. That is just the size of the playing field, so if you add in the parking lot and stands for the spectators and other amenities, you are talking about  a sizeable area of land, in a country that prioritizes high rise buildings for profit.”

{source}<iframe src="https://web.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FPhilippineAmericanFootballLeague%2Fvideos%2F283155925424070%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>{/source}

American Football, as it’s known everywhere outside of America, has struggled to find a foothold outside of its country of origin, even as other US imports like basketball and baseball have become world games. The National Football League has worked aggressively to promote the sport in the United Kingdom in recent years but its qualifying “American” tag has limited it to a regional pastime. Yet even if the Super Bowl is billed as the world’s biggest annual sporting event, it hasn’t been shown live on terrestrial television in the Philippines since 2014.

The Philippines had a national team, the Philippine Aguilas, but the collapse of its parent league the American Tackle Football Federation in 2015 put its existence in limbo.

The sport is played with 11-a-side squads trying to advance up and down the field through a mix of passing and rushing plays, with 5 “downs” resulting in turnovers, and scoring being achieved primarily on touchdowns (6 points plus an extra point kick or two-point conversion attempt) and field goals (3 points), and less commonly, a two-point safety (bringing an offensive player down in his own end zone).

Even with much working against its success, Juanatas Jr said "this year is set to be the biggest American Football season the Philippines has yet to see." He said cable channel Light Network will begin showing games in October.

Whether the league has better luck catching on than the now defunct ATFF remains to be seen, but the PAFL is throwing up a Hail Mary and keeping the chains moving in hopes of getting a fresh set of downs on the Philippine sports scene.

“I guess we have to prove to the Philippines that this sport is very profitable and good for the economy before the government puts up a real stadium suited for American Football,” says Juanatas Jr.

All game days run from 9 am to 4 pm with DJ Awel providing additional entertainment. Admission is P50 per head. – Rappler.com

Forget Pacquiao-Marquez. Forget the Manila Clasico. If there is one rivalry in Philippine sports that has stood the test of time, it is Ateneo-La Salle.

As fate would have it, that’s the matchup fans were treated to last year in the UAAP Season 79 finals as the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles tussled one more time against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers. 

One season removed from the departure of local hero Kiefer Ravena, Ateneo still brought the fight to the “shield of green and white.” However, it was just not their time yet, as they were swept by the Archers in two close games, 62-65 and 72-79.

Entering Season 80, Ateneo boasts a roster that proved to be the least affected by the yearly graduation bug. Despite losing their top gunners in Ravena and Von Pessumal after Season 78, they still reached the finals anyway, like it was no big deal. 

Now that they have proven to still be a title contender with a new player core, their biggest adversaries, aside from La Salle of course, will really just be themselves. 

The House that Ravena Built 

For one half of the 2010s, Ateneo is Kiefer Ravena. More often than not, he alone was majorly responsible for their wins and losses, depending on his groove. Sure, studs like Greg Slaughter and Chris Newsome have come and gone, but it was Kiefer who held down the Eagles’ nest for his entire stay in Ateneo.

Just as the legend of Kiefer moves on from the white and blue, in comes his younger brother, Thirdy. Right after he sat out Season 78, he was thrust into the spotlight of a championship squad along with Adrian Wong and Mike Nieto. 

The regular season went along smoothly for the younger Ravena as he posted averages of 9.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, both team-highs, on a 41% clip. However, things went south for him come playoff time, as his averages dipped to 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds on a significantly worse 20% shooting percentage. 

Ateneo as a team did fine, but Thirdy was clearly exposed way too long, too heavily and too early. Having him come off the bench in all games but one means nothing since he averaged the second-most minutes on the team anyway.

This season, Thirdy will still be an important building block in the Eagles’ attempt to repeat a finals berth, but maybe coaches should ease up on him a bit more as he further hones his skills. 

Unlimited resources

Aside from the continuing Ravena factor, what still defines Ateneo as a legitimate contender is their endless supply of talent.  

Mike Nieto, Aaron Black, Adrian Wong, Anton Asistio, Vince Tolentino, Chibueze Ikeh and La Salle Greenhills high school standout Troy Mallilin, among others, round up Ateneo’s slew of reliable men. That’s literally half the roster that they can really count on. Few teams can say the same.

Also, Tab Baldwin is still their coach. That same guy who coached Gilas that one time. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

-- 

In college basketball, Ateneo has always been the one of the teams beset with the highest of expectations. Year after year, however, they always pull through with a Final Four finish. This year, expect nothing less than a nice flight from these Eagles. Such is The Ateneo Way. – Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA - National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday, September 7 he believes free agent Colin Kaepernick will eventually find a team after being shunned in the wake of his national anthem protest. 

Kaepernick has found himself unemployed since being released by the San Francisco 49ers at the end of last season, a campaign dominated by his protests against the treatment of minorities by police. 

The quarterback's failure to find a team when several less talented players have managed to win contracts has led to speculation that Kaepernick is paying the price for his activism. 

Speaking as the new season prepared to kick off later Thursday, Goodell told Fox Sports 1 television he believed Kaepernick would eventually find a team. 

"The thing we're always about is meritocracy and opportunity," Goodell said. "I want to see everyone get an opportunity including Colin but those are decisions made by football people. 

"I'm still convinced he'll get that opportunity when the right opportunity comes along and that's what our league is all about as you know." 

Pressed on the issue, and whether he felt personally that Kaepernick was good enough to earn a place on an NFL roster, Goodell replied: "I'm not a football expert."

"I'm a huge fan. I have a role as commissioner also, but for me I watch the games and enjoy and I let the football people make those decisions," Goodell said. 

"And the reality is there's 32 different decisions, and multiple decisions within an organization, so there's always a dispute. The idea of who can play, who can't play, who's best for our system and not best for our system are decisions that should be made by those 32 teams." – Rappler.com

NEW YORK, USA - Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, both struggling with serious injuries just 3 months ago, advanced to their first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday, September 7.

Stephens, who missed 11 months with a left foot injury before returning in July, outlasted 7-time Slam champion Venus Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.

"I'm super happy to be in a Grand Slam final," Stephens said. "To do it here, my home slam, is obviously more special. I think this is what every player dreams about."

US 15th seed Keys, who had left wrist surgery for the second time in 10 months after a first-round French Open exit, routed US 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2 in 66 minutes to complete the first all-American US Open final since Serena Williams beat sister Venus in 2002.

"It still doesn't feel real. I'm still shaking," Keys said. "I played pretty well. There's a lot of things in my head right now so I'm struggling to come up with words.

"I knew I had to rise to the occasion. I'm just happy to be in the final."

The friends and Fed Cup teammates will meet Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the biggest match of either's career for a top prize of $3.7 million.

"I've known her for a long time. She's one of my closest friends on tour," Stephens said. "I love her to death. And it's not easy playing a friend."

Stephens, who was wearing a walking boot in June and ranked 957th in July, has won 14 of her past 16 matches, with semi-final runs at Toronto and Cincinnati.

"I have no words to describe what I'm feeling, what it took to get here, the journey I've been on," Stephens said.

"It's incredible. I don't know how I got here. Your guess is as good as mine. Just hard work. That's it."

Stephens beat Keys in the second round at Miami in 2015 in their only career meeting.

"Sloane is a new person right now," Keys said. "She's so excited to be out on the court again. I'm excited we get to play each other in the US Open final."

Stephens needed a thrilling break at love in the penultimate game and closing hold of serve to deny two-time champion Williams her first US Open final in 15 years.

"I just worked my tail off and tried to run every ball down and here we are," Stephens said. "It required a lot of fight and a lot of grit."

Now 83rd, Stephens is the lowest-ranked Slam finalist since unranked Justine Henin at the 2010 Australian Open and the lowest at the US Open since unranked Kim Clijsters won the 2009 title.

Stephens, who beat Williams in the first round of the 2015 French Open in their only prior meeting, will jump into the world top 25 next week with the victory.

US ninth seed Williams could not overcome 51 unforced errors that doomed her bid to become the oldest women's singles finalist in US Open history at age 37.

"It was definitely well competed," Williams said. "In the end she won more points than I did and that's what it added up to.

"Just made so many errors at the end there... I wasn't playing well. Just wasn't playing well."

Williams will return to the top five in Monday's world rankings for the first time since 2011, the year she was diagnosed with strength-sapping Sjogren's Syndrome.

Stephens 4-0 in WTA finals

Stephens, 24, is 4-0 in WTA finals, having won titles in 2015 at Washington and last year in Auckland, Acapulco and Charleston.

The only cautionary note for Keys, 22, was a medical timeout to have her right leg taped three games from the end.

"I definitely started to feel it," she said. "I felt if I went too far it might be something more."

It was the first all-American US Open women's semi-finals since 1981 and the first at any Slam since Wimbledon in 1985.

On Friday, the men return to Arthur Ashe Stadium with 15-time Slam champion Rafael Nadal, the world number one, seeking his fourth trip to the New York finals against 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, the 24th seed from Argentina. 

South African Kevin Anderson and Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta meet in the other semi-final. – Rappler.com

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Spain star Pau Gasol surpassed French icon Tony Parker on Thursday, September 7 as the all-time leading scorer in European Championship history by moving on to 1,111 career points. 

The 37-year-old Gasol, an NBA teammate of Parker's with the San Antonio Spurs, climbed to the top of the list with a 20-point effort in Spain's 87-64 group-stage victory over Hungary in Romania.

The veteran center, who signed a new 3-year deal with San Antonio in July, is a three-time European champion with Spain - in 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Gasol eclipsed Parker's previous record of 1,104 points while German legend Dirk Nowitzki, set for his 20th season with the Dallas Mavericks, is third on 1,052. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - After being initially deemed ineligible to suit up for their respective schools, Steve Akomo of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers and Ibrahim Ouattara of the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons were given the green light to play in the UAAP Season 80 which tips off tomorrow, Saturday, September 9.

The UAAP Board of Trustees (BOT) reached the decision to allow the big men to play with the approval of their one-year residency.

The development was confirmed by a league source to Rappler on Friday, September 8.

Akomo, a transferee from CESAFI, and Ouattara, a 6-foot-9 reinforcement from Mali, made news earlier in the week when they were tagged as ineligible for not completing the foreign student-athlete residency rule.

Akomo and Ouattara will now face each other when UST and UP first square off on Sunday, September 10 at 2 pm.

UP’s Rob Ricafort, however, was still said to be ineligible due to age requirements. – With reports from Beatrice Go/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson won't get a chance to surpass Anderson Silva's record for most title defenses this weekend as challenger Ray Borg has withdrawn from their fight in the UFC 215 main event, scheduled for this Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada.

Borg had been ill this week, multiple outlets report, and he wasn't cleared to compete by UFC medical staff.

Dr Michelle Ingels, Borg’s nutritionist, told MMAFighting.com that his withdrawal “wasn’t weight related.”

“Ray has been progressively [sicker] each day this week and still wanted to fight so badly that he put on a game face and went to all of his fight week obligations,” Ingels added. 

“However, prior to beginning the bulk of his weight cut, the UFC doctor examined Borg and concluded that he was too ill to fight this week and needed to rest and get better.”

Johnson’s title defense at UFC 215 would have been his 11^th consecutive, putting him in position to break Silva’s record for most defenses. Johnson will still have a chance to break the record, although he would have to wait for when the fight is rebooked. As of press time, nothing has been finalized. 

Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s bantamweight title will replace Johnson vs. Borg as the UFC 215 main event. Nunes is the first openly gay champion in UFC history and is best known for obliterating Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds in Rousey’s comeback to the Octagon after a one-year hiatus. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Super Liga (PSL) All-Star team brought home the bronze medal in the 2017 Annual Princess Maja Chakri Sirindhorn’s Cup after emerging victorious over the Khonkaen Star Volleyball Club, 25-18, 25-22, 32-34, 25-22 on Friday, September 8 in Sisaket, Thailand. 

The PSL squad, which was captained by F2 Logistics and former De La Salle University star Aby Marano, moved on from a 3rd set defeat and finished strong to ensure a podium finish in the tourney.

Head coach Shaq Delos Santos expressed his pride for the girls’ dedication to win and bring home a medal for the country. 

“They came here in high spirit and very motivated to win,” said Petron mentor Delos Santos. 

“We want to thank Mr. Tats Suzara for the trust and top AVC officials like (AVC secretary-general) Mr. Shanrit (Wongprasert) for the encouragement. We want to share this victory to the entire league and all Filipino volleyball fans.”

The feat also marked the first time a visiting team clinched a medal, with PSL Grand Prix champs Foton Tornadoes settling for 6th place last year in the tourney, which was then called the Sealect Tuna Women’s Volleyball Championship. 

It was also the first medal achievement for the PSL selection team, which failed to deliver podium finishes in international competitions such as the Thai-Denmark Super League, the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in Manila last year, as well as the AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Kazakhstan back in May. 

Joining Marano in the roster were Mika Reyes, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Remy Palma, Bang Pineda, Ces Molina, Rhea Dimaculangan, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Chie Saet, Jheck Dionela, Honey Tubino, and Mar-Jana Phillips. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - After shaking off a lengthy slump, the Alaska Aces have now made it two victories in a row after defeating the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 101-88, in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday, September 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. 

The two squads kept it close throughout the match, with Alaska only pulling away after a quick 5-0 run to start the final frame. 

The Aces dominated the paint with reinforcement LaDontae Henton leading the way. He logged in a game-high 36 points and tracked down 21 of Alaska’s 60 boards in the game, while GlobalPort listed 44. 

Calvin Abueva and JVee Casio also finished in double digits with 12 and 11, respectively. 

Murphy Holloway paced the Batang Pier with 25 markers and 9 rebounds, while Sean Anthony added 19. 

Comebacking Mac Cardona earned the starting nod and likewise delivered 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists. 

GlobalPort star Terrence Romeo was meanwhile held down to only 5 points on 2-of-9 shooting in almost 27 minutes of action. 

The Aces were coming off an impressive win - their first since April - over the San Miguel Beermen, which in turn also snapped a franchise-worst 14-game losing skid. 

With back-to-back wins, Alaska is now at 2-6, while GlobalPort sinks to a 3-5 slate. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings erupted in the final frame to tally a 98-81 victory against the Blackwater Elite for their 7th win in the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday, September 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. 

Blackwater kept pace with the streaking Ginebra for most of the match, but wasn’t able to make critical defensive stops down the stretch as Ginebra took advantage for a double-digit lead, 90-80 with 3 minutes remaining.

The Elite were hot from beyond the arc - burying 13 triples in the first 3 quarters - but missed all their attempts in the payoff period as the Gin Kings held their own defensively. 

Greg Slaughter had a team-high 22 points coupled with 8 rebounds, while Justin Brownlee had 17 markers and 13 boards. 

LA Tenorio and Joe Devance added 16 and 15, respectively, for the Gin Kings, who came off an epic Manila Clasico victory last Sunday.

Henry Walker put up a game-high 26 points and 17 rebounds for Blackwater, while Mike DiGregorio and Roi Sumang contributed 12 apiece. 

The game also marked Dave Marcelo’s debut for Blackwater following a trade that saw him and Chris Ellis move to the side of the Elite. 

The 28-year-old big man scored 4 points to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists against his former team Ginebra. 

Ellis, on the other, has yet to see action for his new squad as he is still recovering from full-body cramps, as reported by Spin.ph.

Ginebra will continue on with their 7-game streak in a quest to defend the season-ending conference title, while Blackwater drops to 4-5. －Rappler.com

The 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup tips off on September 22 in Chenzhou, China and runs through September 30 with 10 club teams competing, including a selection of players from the Philippines. 

The Philippines, which received a wild card entry after Japan withdrew, will be represented by Chooks To Go, with a roster of players still to be announced. The Philippine squad will compete in Group A alongside BC Astana (Kazakhstan), Mono Vampire BC (Thailand), Sarreyet Ramallah (Palestine) and Petrochimi (Iran) in Group A. 

Group B will include China Kashgar, Al Riyadi of Lebanon, Dacin Tigers of Chinese-Taipei, ONGC of India, and Al Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates.

Both groups will play under single round robin rules to determine the 8 teams (4 from each group) that will move on. Then each team from Group A will face one team from Group B in a knockout format to determine the semifinalists. 

The 4 losers from the quarterfinals will then face one another to determine the two teams who will battle for 5th place.  

The 4 winners then battle in the semifinals to determine which two teams will move on to the finals and which two teams will end up battling for 3rd. – Rappler.com

The 80th season of the UAAP is upon us with men's basketball action tipping off on Saturday, September 9. 

Following along with your favorite team's campaign for a Final Four spot with the team rosters and first round schedules. The full first round schedule of all games can be found here.

Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles season preview

Adamson University Soaring Falcons season preview

De La Salle University Green Archers season preview

Far Eastern University Tamaraws season preview

National University Bulldogs season preview

University of the East Red Warriors season preview

University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons season preview

University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers season preview

– Rappler.com

“High in the sky! Big Ben Mbala!”

For one fleeting minute, the UAAP world stopped. During an already heated first round matchup featuring the legendary rivalry of the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles, graduating DLSU guard Thomas Torres grabbed the ball away courtesy of another ADMU turnover and ran the other way. Then he threw up the ball. Then Ben Mbala flew. 

In one fluid motion, “Big Ben” easily cupped what was otherwise a bad lob and mercilessly threw the ball down, straight to a 21-point hope-killing lead for the Archers. It was a move straight out of an NBA game and could only be described by longtime commentator Mico Halili as “life-changing.”

{source}<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zFubK736az8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}

That one play perhaps summed up what it was like to watch the eventual champion Green Archers in Season 79. Their lightning-quick offense initiated by their league-best defense could have been more suitably called “shock and awe” instead of the usual run and gun. Teams could only stare helplessly as the monstrous Mbala, the runaway pick for Season 79 Most Valuable Player, ran and leapt over and over again. 

Not bad, rookie. 

Head of the snake 

As previously illustrated throughout the first few paragraphs, Ben Mbala is the rest of the league’s biggest problem – an entertaining, 21-point, 16-rebound-averaging problem. Worst of all for them, he’s not going anywhere. The 6-foot-7 Cameroonian phenom is set to play in only his second season for the Archers, and unlike fellow dominant big man Papi Sarr of Adamson, Mbala is still eligible for a third run in Season 81. 

However, he is set to miss DLSU’s first two games due to his participation with Cameroon in the ongoing FIBA Afrobasket 2017 in Tunisia that will run until September 17. Not that it matters. Barring a huge team collapse or injuries, DLSU is still set to run away straight to the Final Four. 

So according to the official schedule, DLSU will leave two Mbala-less windows of opportunity, one each for Far Eastern University and National University. Then after that, the Archers will be back running on full artillery, which will never be a good thing for teams not named DLSU Green Archers. 

Just how good is this guy, really? Well, he crushed the NCAA’s top dog Letran Knights, 93-77, in the FilOil Preseason tournament just this year with a 45-point, 17-rebound performance while down with the flu. This guy is just fooling around recreating Michael Jordan stuff in college. He’s wearing #23 after all. 

The other guys 

Did we mention this guy has teammates? And pretty good ones too? 

Like Ateneo, La Salle is still filled to the brim with reliable talents. Despite the losses of Finals MVP Jeron Teng, Thomas Torres, Jason Perkins and Julian Sargent, the Archers are still fielding a great supporting cast of Aljun Melecio, Kib Montalbo, Abu Tratter, Andrei Caracut, Ricci Rivero, and the list goes on and on. They have supports for their supports.

Most importantly, they are still led by the young Aldin Ayo, who has already won both the NCAA and UAAP championships in a span of two seasons – one in Letran and the other in La Salle. He is a magnet for success, and we perhaps can forgive his unpredictable temper for that. Two years were all he needed to get both the country's most prestigious collegiate basketball titles. We can safely say he's gotten the hang of this coaching thing.

--

Really, what else can we say? It’s La Salle. The only thing they don’t know in sports is how to stink. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France - Kylian Mbappe scored on his debut as Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 5-1 away thumping of 10-man Metz in Ligue 1 on Friday, September 8.

Neymar's pin-point through ball created the opening goal for Edinson Cavani in the 31st minute, only for Emmanuel Riviere to head in an equalizer before half-time.

But the game was all but ended in the space of 3 second-half minutes, as Benoit Assou-Ekotto saw red for a lunge on Mbappe, before the youngster netted his debut strike.

PSG ran riot late on, with Neymar getting himself onto the scoresheet, Cavani stabbing in his second and Lucas Moura scoring the fifth.

The victory is PSG's fifth in a row to start the Ligue 1 season, and takes them three points clear at the top of the fledgling table, ahead of champions Monaco, who play Nice on Saturday.

Mbappe was handed a starting spot on his debut after joining from Monaco on a season-long loan, with an option to buy for a fee that could reach 180 million euros ($216.5m).

Unai Emery's visitors started firmly on the front foot, with Cavani clipping the ball onto the post when he had only home goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to beat and full-back Thomas Meunier volleying wide.

The hosts held firm throughout the first half-hour and almost forged ahead when PSG keeper Alphonse Areola was confident enough to leave Riviere's shot onto the post.

But the away side took the lead thanks to a moment of class from world-record signing Neymar.

The Brazilian threaded through a perfect pass with the outside of his foot for Mbappe and Cavani to run onto, with the latter rounding Kawashima and slotting in his sixth league goal of the season.

Mbappe, 18, continued to show his unselfish side with a wonderful cross for an unmarked Cavani, who was denied by a fantastic Kawashima save.

Metz delivered a sucker-punch eight minutes before the interval, as Mathieu Dossevi's determination down the right-hand side created space for a cross that gave Riviere the simplest of tasks to nod in.

It was the former Monaco striker's first Metz goal since ending his torrid spell at Newcastle United in the close season.

Kawashima continued his virtuoso display in the home goal with a wonderful low stop to deny Neymar his fourth goal in France, and PSG a half-time advantage.

Paris were desperately lucky not to fall behind soon after the restart, as Areola's dreadful blunder handed Riviere a golden opportunity, but he somehow contrived to scoop it over the bar.

The capital-city giants were struggling early in the second half, until Assou-Ekotto's sending off changed the game.

The Cameroonian left-back was shown a straight red card for a strong tackle on Mbappe, despite taking the ball before making contact with the player.

Unperturbed, Mbappe picked himself up and duly put PSG back in front with his first goal of the campaign.

A cross was only half-cleared as far as the world's second-most expensive player, and he rifled home a clinical volley from the edge of the area.

Cavani went close to a third from a routine long ball over the top, but his volley rattled the crossbar before bouncing on the goalline and away to safety.

Neymar made no such mistake though, as he collected the ball unchallenged outside the area and casually curled the ball into the far corner of Kawashima's net.

And Cavani prodded in a trademark effort from close range to complete a brace with 15 minutes to play, before a ricochet gave substitute Lucas a goal on his first appearance of the season.

Elsewhere on Friday, Marcelo Bielsa's Lille were reduced to 10 men and held to a goalless draw at home by Bordeaux. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Former two-division world champion Brian Viloria is set for his second fight of 2017 after weighing in under the junior bantamweight limit for his 8-round assignment against Miguel Cartagena at Friday's weigh-in.

Viloria (37-5, 22 knockouts) weighed 113.4 pounds, while Cartagena (15-3-1, 6 KOs) was slightly higher at 113.6.

The bout is part of the untelevised portion of Saturday's "SuperFly" card at StubHub Center in Carson, California, which will feature the WBC title rematch between Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Roman Gonzalez, plus the US debut of WBO 115-pound champion Naoya Inoue, a Japanese Supernova, facing Antonio Nieves in HBO-televised bouts.

The 36-year-old Viloria, fighting in his 16th year as a pro, last fought in March, decisioning Ruben Montoya in Japan to break a 15-month layoff after his defeat to Gonzalez for the flyweight title.

The Filipino-American boxer from Waipahu, Hawaii had previously held the WBC and IBF junior flyweight belts, and unified the WBA and WBO flyweight titles.

Cartagena, 25, of Philadelphia is known to some Filipino fans for his first round knockout win over Jobert Alvarez in July of 2016. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The National University (NU) Bulldogs opened the UAAP Season 80 basketball tournament with a win over the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 86-69, on Saturday, September 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bulldogs established a steady lead during the first period to end the quarter with a 20-13 advantage over the Red Warriors. However, an Alvin Pasaol triple stimulated the Red Warriors to rally back, with Culler's layup making it 20-all early in the second period. 

JJ Alejandro sparked a mini 4-point run to extend the lead for the Bulldogs, 25-20, but UE rookie player Mark Maloles made his second 3-pointer of the game that led the Red Warriors to another tie at 29-all. Reggie Morrido powered the Bulldogs to end the first half at 38-30. 

The second half saw Bulldogs Alejandro and Dave Wilson Yu catch fire. Yu led the Bulldogs with outside shots as he made two triples in the third quarter that saw Bulldogs garner a 66-53 lead by the end of the third.

Alejandro proved to be essential in garnering inside points that widened the score gap. The Bulldogs were successful in limiting the Red Warriors' offense as the ended the game with a 17-point lead.

Yu led the Bulldogs with a stat line of 14 points, 8 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Morido followed with 12 points, while NU rookie Issa Gaye and Alejandro contributed 11 points apiece. Alejandro proved to also be consistent throughout the game as he grabbed 5 rebounds and made 7 assists and 5 steals.

Pasaol top-scored for the Red Warriors with 14 points, while Maloles and Rey Acuno scored 10 points each.

Jamike Jarin, making his first start as Bulldogs head coach in the UAAP, praised Alejandro and Yu for their contributions.

“It feels good that we won, but there are lot of things to work on. It’s always hard to play the opening game.

“This guy to my right (Alejandro) played consistently, and this guy on my left (Yu), I don’t know what he ate today but he played so well.”

Last season, the Bulldogs and the Red Warriors failed to make it to the final four, landing in 5th and 7th place, respectively. 

This win puts the Bulldogs at a 1-0 record in the UAAP Season 80 basketball tournament, while the Red Warriors fall to 0-1. 

Scores

NU (86): Yu 14, Morido 12, Alejandro 11, Gaye 11, Aquino 9, Diputado 6, Salem 5, Abatayo 5, Bartlett 5, Mosqueda 4, Joson 2, Lastimosa 2, Cauilan 0, Tibayan 0, Flores 0.

UE (69): Pasaol 14, Maloles 10, Acuno 10, Olayon 6, Derige 5, Armenion 5, Abanto 5, Manalang 4, Varilla 2, Conner 2, Cruz 2, Bartolome 2, Cullar 2, Gagate 0.

Quarter scores: 20-13, 38-30, 66-53, 86-69. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo Blue Eagles emerged victorious against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 85-65, on Saturday, September 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The battle of the blue birds would put Coach Tab Baldwin’s highly technical system against Franz Pumaren’s full court press. However, Adamson had a hole in their lineup as Papi Sarr sat out of this game due to a groin injury. 

The match also featured Blue Eagle-turned-Falcon Jerie Pingoy's debut with Adamson this UAAP Season. 

Ateneo built an early 8-0 lead before Adamson closed the gap through production from rookie Tyrus Hill and Jerrick Ahanmisi, 12-10. The Blue Eagles end the first quarter with back-to-back threes from Jawuan White and Jolo Mendoza to increase the lead to 9 at 25-16. 

The second frame started sluggish on both ends, but Ateneo players Chibueze Ikeh, Anton Asistio and Thirdy Ravena led the scoring towards the end to put the Blue Eagles at a 15-point lead by the end of the first half, 43-28. 

Ikeh impressed by top scoring in the first half with 14 points and establishing vital inside presence by grabbing a total of 13 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive board.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles continued to exert dominance in the third, as they ballooned the lead to 20 points in the last two minutes of the game.

The Falcons rallied back with 6-0 run in the fourth through the heroics of Kurt Lojera and Keith Zalvidar which was too little, too late.

This win puts the Blue Eagles at a 1-0 record, while the Adamson Falcons are at 0-1.

Ravena led the scoring for the Blue Eagles with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Chibueze contributed 18 points and 17 rebounds.

On the other hand, Lojera top scored for the Falcons with 11 points, followed by Zaldivar with 10 points and 5 boards.

Ateneo will face University of the Philippines on Wednesday, September 13 at 4 pm, while Adamson will go head-to-head with University of Santo Tomas on Saturday, September 16 at 4 pm.

Scores: 

Ateneo (85): Ravena 20, Ikeh 18, Mendoza 14, Asistio 9, Tolentino 7, Go 4, Matt Nieto 3, White 3, Porter 3, Mike Nieto 2, Black 2, Verano 0, Mamuyac 0, Malilin 0, Andrade 0. 

Adamson (65): Lojera 11, Zaldivar 10, Ahanmisi 9, Manganti 9, Hill 6, Manalang 6, Pingoy 5, Ochea 3, Camacho 3, Bernardo 3, Chua 0, Mustre 0, Frias 0. – Rappler.com