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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Sayson: Geography 101: Are Turkey and Lebanon in Asia?
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – It’s e-mail bonding time once again, boys and girls, and Ivan de Leon (ivan-a.delion@AIG.com) begins our session with his comments on my piece about Asians in the NBA last Tuesday (“The column police and the Picasso with a scalpel”).
“I think you forgot to mention Korean Ha Seung Jin of the Portland Trailblazers. And speaking of Asians players in the NBA, I wonder why are the likes of Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur of Turkey and Ron Seikaly of Lebanon not considered Asian.
“I don’t think Americans are that dumb in geography not to recognize these countries as part of Asia. I don’t hear them saying that Hedo and Mehmet are part of the European stereotype either.”
I didn’t forget about the 7-foot-3, 305-pound Korean, Ivan. I simply didn’t know he existed until you brought him up. But please, don’t begrudge me for the oversight. The Blazers were easy to ignore last season, what with their woeful 27-55 record.
Also, Jin barely saw action for Portland. He logged just 104 minutes in 19 games, averaging 1.4 points and .09 rebounds.
All I can say about the Americans’ sense of geography is that, perhaps, they just don’t care where the hell on earth Istanbul or Beirut are. Can you blame them?
EXCLUSIVE. “I’m a practicing CPA from Cebu City. Just like your millions of readers, I find your column very, very interestingly entertaining,” so says Angelo Ortiz (tito_ortiz@yahoo.com).
He added: “I’m writing you because as far as I can recall, I can’t remember that there’s a daily paper in Cebu that talks all about sports, sporting heroes, etc. Maybe with your brilliance and wide array of sports knowledge, you can bring about the idea of having a daily, or whatever paper, maybe a six-pager or what, that talks all about sports.”
Thanks for your confidence, Angelo. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to commit to such a huge project. I have a regular job here in Chicago, you know. And besides my four-times-a-week column at Sun.Star, I also have a live on-air weekly sports segment at Y101, plus a more elaborate and more frequent NBA segment at dyAB with my best-pal Leo Lastimosa.
VERBAL JABS. From James Albert Alivio (alivio.jc@ibank.com): “My wife Cindy (Copingco), who happens to be an avid reader of Second Overtime, is already five months pregnant and we hope to expect a visit from the stork this yuletide. Also, I’m so excited for the Heat this 2005 season.”
Congrats, Cindy and Albert. If it’s a boy, name the kid Larry, for the Larry O’Brien trophy. If it’s a girl, make it Eva, as in Eva Longoria. You can also choose between Shaq and Shakira.
From Roger Belina of New Zealand: “I’m going to my annual pilgrimage to the northern hemisphere. I’m stopping over in SFO and CRP via San Antonio, not to ask for Eva Longoria’s parents’ blessings but to visit a friend.
“But in case I will and I’m unsuccessful asking for Eva’s hand, can I stop over at your doorstep and drown all my sorrows? Just kidding!”
Kidding or not, mi casa es su casa, Roger. Rum and Coke, or do you need something stronger?
PACQUIAO FIGHT. I got a surprise phone call Wednesday afternoon from Rudy Tejano, a close friend of my dad and a retired Cebu City policeman who is here in the States with his wife Concepcion. The Tejanos are in West Covina, California, visiting their daughter Grethel, a registered nurse.
Noy Rudy, who lives in Banawa, wondered if I will cover the Pacquiao-Hernandez fight in September at Staples Center, just a drive away from where they’re nestled.
I thought of flying to Los Angeles for the fight, but since PacMan’s latest bout is merely a tune-up and not a championship, my sponsors are reluctant to support such coverage. My reunion with the Tejanos will have to be postponed.
Finally, I’d like to greet the Watins of Talisay, Mar of Grepalife and his gorgeous wife, Luz. Both are big fans of this column as well as my NBA segment at dyAB.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(August 13, 2005 issue)
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