Last Sunday, 28 November 2010, the Westports KL Dragons bested the AirAsia Philippine Patriots at MABA Stadium, K. Lumpur, 96 - 81. The contest proved to be confrontational and emotionally charged. Referees had to constantly get in between players from both sides responding to one another after hard fouls and rough-house tactics. Following a clothesline foul across the face of Nakiea Miller committed by a Patriots' player, one ill-mannered spectator struck a Patriots' player, who was not involved in the infraction, in the head with a plastic container of liquid. Since the incident occurred on the Dragons' home court, the ABL has fined the Dragons' organization USD5,000 for not "safely securing the vicinity". However, I am under the opinion that the buck should not stop there. The fan who threw the bottle should be criminally charged, fined, and banned from all ABL games for a period of no less than 3 years. The league needs to send a strong message to both the culprit and would be copy cats that there is "0" tolerance for such poor and unnecessary behavior.

The hard-knock physical play was ignited by Patriots' frustration, rather than genuine animosity. The Philippine squad fell behind by double digits early in the game, and then stayed between a rock and a hard place for the remainder of the contest. Although there were standout individual efforts, most notably by Little & Wright, the Patriots lacked team continuity. They were grossly outscored by the Dragons in every period, except for the 4th. But by then the damage was already done, and it was just a matter of making the final score look more respectable. The Patriots' zone defense was mostly ineffective, as the Dragons were able to readily exploit mismatch coverages. Consequently, The Patriots turned to man to man defense, but they also got physically reckless and emotionally unbalanced in the process. The hap hazard state of body and mind lead to the Patriots' launching a hack-attack: three point shooter fouled with just 1.6 seconds remaining before half-time; big mistake, picking up fouls on simple inbound plays, 2 technical fouls in the second half; one of which threatened to cause a bench clearing brawl. By the time the Patriots found some composure at game's end the Dragons were well on their way to a convincing victory.

Statistically, the Dragons had a good all around team performance. Guganeswaran Batumalai contributed with 10 assists, Patrick Jan Cabahug's jumper was on fire; he finished the game with 23 points, Nakiea Miller recorded another double-double with 19 rebounds and 24 points and Alex Hartman added to the total with 20 points.

With the win the Dragons move from the 4th to the 3rd position in the league standings; just behind the Patriots. Their next game is 4 December at MABA Stadium against the Brunei Barracudas.

I managed to secure 2 seconds of fame playing the role of a security guard in a WRIGLEYS DOUBLEMINT COMMERCIAL "ZHOU XUN" AIRING IN CHINA. Unfortunately, the production company didn't allow me to punch, kick, or submit anyone, but I made a nice lateral step to cut off the entrance to the VIP section. The footwork in the gym really paid off.

I had to take a second look at the David Haye vs. Audley Harrison fight one more time just to count the number of punches Harrison threw the entire fight up until he was TKO with 1 minute and 8 seconds left in the 3rd round. The summary is as follows:

Round 1 - 5 jabs

Round 2 - 12 jabs

Round 3 - 7 jabs

Average - 8 jabs/round

Harrison didn't connect on a single jab he threw, and he made no attempt to throw any power shots (i.e. hook, upper-cut or cross).

With stats like this, Harrison wouldn't have even won a pissing contest against Haye; or anybody else for that matter.

Another One Bites The Dust

I just finished watching the David Haye vs. Audley Harrison WBA Heavy-Weight Championship fight which took place on November 13, 2010 in Manchester.

Harrison never remotely gave himself a chance to compete with Haye in this match; I can count the number of punches he threw the entire fight on 1 hand. So it comes as no surprise that Harrison got hammered and dropped by Haye in the 3rd round, which was then followed by Haye continuing the assault with a series of headbangers causing the referee to put a halt to the contest.

I'm a strong believer that championships have to be taken; they are never given. When you are in the mist of an epic moment, this is not the time to be cautious and reluctant. By doing so, you will find yourself on the short-end of the stick more times than not. Harrison claimed he was destined to be a champion. He was in the amateur ranks. Harrison's amateur boxing achievements easily dwarfed his long ago friend's, Haye, accomplishments at the same level. But as Dwarth Vader said, "I've been waiting for you Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete; when I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master", such is the case with Harrison and Haye.

Harrison will be left to wonder what would have happened if he had truly felt the power of the force. He might have fulfilled his self- proclaimed prophecy of being a professional world champion boxer, a fate his highly successful amateur career made seem inevitable. Instead, boxing will remember Audley Harrison as an English man without a lion's heart.

Paco Gonzales is a Keiser International Cycling Master Trainer and presenter and is one of the most popular and sought-after trainers in the world. He has successfully created many training programs for cycling, indoor cycling and fitness in general, as well as instructor training.

Paco has presented Keiser indoor cycling programs and training in over 20 countries, as well as at major conventions throughout the world, including IDEA, IHRSA, Club Industry, Can Fit Pro, Asia Fit; and the Fitness and Fitness Pentatlon conventions in Spain.

Paco has been a well-respected and motivating instructor for over 10 years, presenting indoor cycling extension courses at several universities in Spain, including the National Institute of Education in Barcelona and the University of Gran Canary in Tenerife.

F1 Recreation will be hosting a 1-day Keiser m3 Cycling Foundation Certification Camp/Workshop taught by featured Master Trainer, Paco Gonzales. Refer to the information below to attend.

DATE: 30th November or 1st December ( Please select the date )

Location: F1 Recreation Showroom Gym @ No:12, Jalan Shamelin Niaga 1, Shamelin Heights Business Park, Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Kuala Lumpur, 56100 Malaysia

Duration: 8 hours ( 1 day workshop)

Time: 8.30am - 6pm

Lunch/ Coffee & Tea Included.

Fees: RM50 – Administration & Certificate

To attend: contact Jeannie Fung - Director F1 Recreation Sdn Bhd by Email: jeannie@f1-recreation.com.my

There is a merciful God. How else could you explain back-up quarterback Jon Kitna's 13 of 22 passes for 327 yards and 3 touchdowns, which helped lead the Cowboys to a 33 - 20 victory over the New York Giants. I certainly did not expect my favorite NFL football team with a record of 1 and 7 to walk into the home stadium of one their division rivals, and then actually beat the best team in the eastern division.

When a state-of-the-art 1.6 billion dollar stadium experiences an unlikely blackout in the 3rd quarter which is then followed by the Cowboys scoring on their second play upon the lights returning via a 71 yard screen pass to running back, Felix Jones, you have to wonder whether the intervention of God is at work. I can't say for sure. I'm just happy that God is apparently a Cowboys fan.

Touched by Speed

If you are a boxing fan, then you already know that Manny Pacquiao beat the snot bubbles out of Antonio Margarito for his 8th crown. If you didn’t know this, than you truly aren’t a boxing fan. At which point, you can stop reading this post.

Despite Margarito’s menacing reputation as a hard hitting brawler he lost badly against Pac-man, because speed kills. Choosing between being bigger and stronger or faster and more agile than my opponent is an easy choice for me to make. I will always choose the later. Combine speed with stamina, then you can chop a whole lot of over-size aggressors down to size. This is how Pac-Man has beaten every fighter that he has faced in the welter and middle weight divisions; he has simply been faster than they are stronger.

After trailing the entire first half of the game, the KL Dragons rally to defeat Satria Muda BritAma 85 – 72.

The Dragons came out flat at the start of the game and struggled both on offense and defense. Satria Muda BritAma controlled the tempo of the game for much of the first half. They were able to score on Dragons’ defenders with dribble penetration, as well as high pick and rolls that created wide open 3 point shots. However, the Dragons scrapped back and managed to end the first half only down by 3 points, with the score standing at 53 – 50.

After sleep walking through the game’s first 2 periods, Dragons’ player, Nakiea Miller, finally decided to come alive. By game’s end, he recorded a double-double with 31 points and almost as many rebounds, 28 boards. Alex Hartman, the Dragons' leading scorer, who usually averages 20 + points a game had a more subtle contribution toward the Dragons’ win with 14 points. But the slack was picked up by the guard play of Guganeswaran Batumalai, who scored 12 points, and Rudy Lingganay, who scored 11 points.

The key to the Dragons’ turn-around was defense. Any good coach will tell you that defense leads to offense. Once the Dragons started stepping up the defensive pressure on Satria Muda BritAma, it lead to easy fast break points on the other end of the court. By the mid-point of the 4th period the Dragons were cruising their way to a decisive victory.

The Dragons will need to carry the lesson of defense first into their next game, when they face-off against the AirAsia Philippine Patriots, the #1 team in the league, on November 28, 2010 at MABA Stadium.

Roc-It @ Elements Gym

On the request of a friend, I just recently paid a visit to Elements Gym located on the 7th floor at G Tower in KL. The club definitely delivers on aesthetics. As you enter the gym, you are treated to a view of the facility’s horizon pool which seemingly pours into the skyline view of the surrounding luxury condominiums and offices buildings that includes the Twin Towers. Care has been taken to include the elements of wood, stone, water, earth and metal in constructing the Zen-like facades which are orchestrated throughout the gym. I particularly thought the use of bamboo rods to create naturalistic barriers which gives the impression of privacy without feeling confined was a nice touch.

Spacious walkways made it easy to move from one corner of the club to the next without having to dodge trainees in mid-workout. Elements Gym also boasts four studios. One for private Pilates training, a second for group Pilates classes, a third for cycling classes and another for Les Mills programs.

Putting aside the gym’s tasteful interior, what stood out for me was the management’s decision to use the complete gamete of Hoist Roc-It selectorized equipment as one of Element’s offered circuit lines. Being away from the States for the last 3 years, it’s been a while since I had last seen Hoist in active use. I remember Hoist machines being a bit bulky and somewhat industrially awkward looking. But it is apparent that the manufacture has taken steps to smooth out the rough edges and inject a contemporary style into the Roc-It RS series. According to the club’s manager the decision was made to purchase the line because it offered a unique function and look compared to what other clubs in the area were providing gym participants. Mission accomplished. To my knowledge no other commercial outfit in KL to date uses Hoist equipment. Correct me, if I’m wrong.

So what’s unique about ‘Roc-It’? In terms of style, other reputable equipment manufactures easily match Hoist machines in look and craftsmanship. Roc-It is unique, because it continually adjusts the position of the user relative to the line of exertion. In layman’s terms the machine rocks while you use it. It’s kind of like the Health Rider meets selectorizied equipment.

What I thought. I didn’t use every machine in the Roc-It RS line that was available. Instead I tested the leg press, calf raise, lat pulldown, low back and seated mid row. The machines’ adjustments were easy to make, the pulley system was smooth, construction was solid, and the seating was comfortable. But I would expect nothing less from any commercial grade machine. What I didn’t like was how easy the Roc-It system made it to cheat. For instance, pressing down on the foot rests with your legs while using the low back machine causes the hips to move into extension, thereby eliminating the need to use your lower back to do so. It defeats the whole purpose of the machine, if the exercise is performed wrongly in this matter. Be assured that an inexperienced member will do just as I described; if not from the first repetition, surely when he/she starts to get tired. It’s a matter of seeking the path of least resistance. However, Roc-It applied to the lat pulldown provided a modest applicable advantage without allowing me to cheat. With the exception of the lat pull, I didn’t feel there was any real value added to the exercises by the Roc-It motion. When I return to the center next Wednesday, I’ll have a go at the machines I didn’t use. Maybe I will make a startling observation I had previously overlooked.

Cowboys Out For The Season

To say it delicately, “The Dallas Cowboys are in deep shit up to their eyeballs”. With a record of 1 – 5, I’m sure the Head Coach Wade Phillips feels the noose tightening around his neck. It’s a good bet that he should start shopping his resume now.

Cowboys’ starting quarterback Tony Romo is out for the rest of the season with a broken clavicle. His replacement, Jon Kinta, hasn’t started a game since 2008. This is definitely not a promising substitute, especially since the Cowboys are at the bottom half of the league for rush yards per game. Couple this with the fact that there are issues on the offensive line which allowed Kinta to be sacked 3 times in his start against the New York Giants. One gets the feeling that the Cowboys’ playbook has been reduced to a single option; hell-Mary. That play should be good for 6-points in every 3 games. Throw in an extra point and a field goal, and you’ve got double figure scoring. I know sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, but as a Cowboys fan it’s the only thing I have left, and the promise of a first-round draft choice at the end of the season. Can we use that pick to get a new team owner?