ESPN's 2008 Knockout of the Year

ESPN named its 2008 knockout of the year and it's hard to argue Edison Miranda's vicious knockout of David Banks on January 11, 2008.



Wow.

Like a Mike Tyson video game knockout.

Goodbye Garret Anderson...and I guess Mark Teixeira

Although a lot of attention has been paid today to the loss of Mark Teixeira from the Angels. I thought it appropriate to acknowledge the end of a true era in Angels baseball.

The end of the Garret Anderson era.

Anderson holds the Angels all-time club record for most RBIs, runs, total bases, and hits.

He is second to Tim Salmon in Home Runs with 272. Third in career batting average behind Vladimir Guerrero and Rod Carew.

He also holds the single game RBI record with 10 and the most consecutive games with an RBI with 12.

Yet the only thing I hear from Angels fans and news agencies is how Teixeira has left the Angels for the Yankees.

Anderson has spent 15 seasons with the Angels, not counting the minors.

Teixeira spent half a season with the Angels.

HALF A SEASON.

The Angels lost to the Red Sox WITH Teixeira on the team.

The Angels won a World Series in 2002 with Garret Anderson.

Yet in a news conference where the Angels discussed the loss of Teixeira, a reporter innocently asked if the Angels were going to re-sign Garret Anderson. Angels General Manager Tony Reagins responded with a barely noticeable "not likely."

Wow.

I may be a bit old fashioned, but shouldn't the Angels show at least a little concern for losing one of the greatest players in their franchise's history?

I know he's no longer in his prime and his best days are behind him, but shouldn't the Angels show at least a little loyalty and respect?

Red Sox nation is having a fit with just the possibility of losing Jason Varitek.

I'm thinking Anderson meant more to the Angels than Varitek does to the Red Sox.

Where is the outrage Angel fans?

I'm sad the Angels aren't going to re-sign Teixeira, but we hardly knew the guy.

Even with the guy in the fold, there was no guarantee the Angels would win a World Series.

Don't get me wrong, Teixeira is a great player but last year was the first time he reached the post season.

One post season appearance in his career.

One.

If he's so great, why was that his first post season appearance?

He piggy backed his way in too.

The Angels were 11 games ahead in the division when they acquired Teixeira.

Although, I agree the trade needed to be made at the time, I now honestly believe the Angels would've beaten Boston without Teixeira.

I know, I know, call me crazy.

But I believe the only reason why the Angels lost to the Red Sox was over confidence.

I think if Casey Kotchman was at first instead of Teixeira, the Angels would've been more focused, urgent and sharper.

We all saw that the Angels were relaxed and cocky during that series. They felt they could flip the switch at any time.

The truth is we all know pitching is what wins in the post season. The Angels have that in spades.

So although its trendy to lament the loss of Teixeira today. I choose to acknowledge a true loss to Angels nation today.

Goodbye G.A.

YOU will be missed.

Top Ten Quotes of 2008

New York Daily News released a list of the Top ten quotes of 2008.

Some really classic lines here, most related to the past election.

My favorite:

"The fundamentals of America's economy are strong." — John McCain


Enjoy.

1. "I can see Russia from my house!"

— Comedian Tina Fey

2. "All of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years."

— Sarah Palin, responding to a request by CBS anchor Katie Couric to name the newspapers or magazines she reads, broadcast Oct. 1.

3. "We have sort of become a nation of whiners."

— former Sen. Phil Gramm, an economic adviser to Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, quoted in The Washington Times, July 10.

4. "It's not based on any particular data point, we just wanted to choose a really large number."

— a Treasury Department spokeswoman explaining how the $700 billion number was chosen for the initial bailout, quoted on Forbes.com Sept. 23.

5. "The fundamentals of America's economy are strong."

— McCain, in an interview with Bloomberg TV, April 17.

6. "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

— the Treasury Department's proposed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, September 2008.

7. "Maybe 100." — McCain, discussing in a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, how many years U.S. troops could remain in Iraq, Jan. 3.

8. "I'll see you at the debates, bitches."

— Paris Hilton in a video responding to a McCain television campaign ad, August 2008.

9. "Barack, he's talking down to black people. ... I want to cut his nuts off."

— Rev. Jesse Jackson, overheard over a live microphone before a Fox News interview, July 6.

10. (tie) "Cash for trash."

— Paul Krugman discussing the financial bailout, New York Times, Sept. 22.

10. (tie) "There are no atheists in foxholes and there are no libertarians in financial crises."

— Krugman, in an interview with Bill Maher on HBO's "Real Time," broadcast Sept. 19.

10. (tie) "Anyone who says we're in a recession, or heading into one — especially the worst one since the Great Depression — is making up his own private definition of "`recession.'"

— Donald Luskin, the day before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, The Washington Post, Sept. 14.

Jizz in My Pants Music Video

I'm not a huge Andy Samberg fan but this is a pretty funny music video.

Pacquiao destroys De La Hoya

Wow.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think Pacquiao would dominate the fight like that. Oscar De La Hoya was simply overwhelmed by Pacquiao, he never landed a meaningful punch and Pacquiao quite simply dismantled and broke down De La Hoya in every facet of the fight.

The truth of the matter is that Pacquiao is now beyond a doubt the pound for pound champion in the sport of boxing.

Congratulations Pacman!!!!

The Dark Knight for Best Picture?

Dark Horizons has started a campaign which attempts to sell the idea of giving The Dark Knight a nomination for best picture.

It's an uphill climb.

I loved the movie and can't think of five movies off the top of my head that are in the same league, but it's hard to picture the Academy recognizing the film that way.

We'll see.

Check out the grassroots campaign here: http://www.darkcampaign.com/

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao

I know Boxing is an old man's sport, but I'm really looking forward to the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao fight.

Even though it's a huge mismatch.

Personally, I feel it's a no-win-situation for Oscar De La Hoya.

To be completely honest, as a boxing fan, I think it's kind of pathetic that De La Hoya is fighting the much smaller Manny Pacquiao.

To me it feels like a desperate attempt by him to gain the support of a Mexican audience he's never had. To most boxing insiders, it looks like he's fighting Pacquiao simply because he's famous for defeating Mexico's best fighters, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.

I like a good fight as much as anyone, but De La Hoya is FOUR inches taller than Pacquiao and has a SIX inch reach advantage over him. Not to mention that Pacquiao is going to move up TWO weight classes to fight De La Hoya.

Can you realistically script a more lopsided fight?

To me the physical mismatch is equivalent to the difference De La Hoya had against Bernard Hopkins in their fight.

We all know how that ended.

I do believe that Pacquiao has a better shot than De La Hoya did though. He's faster and quicker than Oscar. Pacquiao has a good shot if he boxes with De La Hoya and tries to win by decision. I also think it was a good move by Pacquiao to take the fight. Besides the money, it gives him more visibility and international fame in the sport. It's a win-win situation for Manny.

Don't get me wrong, I still hope that Manny wins and I'd love to see him knock De La Hoya out.

But let's be realistic. Pacquiao is going in as big underdog. It would be a huge upset if he won.

Last week during the Ricky Hatton match, the HBO announcers said that even if Pacquiao loses the match to De La Hoya, he'll still be considered the pound for pound champ because of the big jump in weight class he's making.

I agree.

But I'll still be watching on December 6, because I love Pacquiao and I'm hoping for the epic upset.

But if Oscar wins as expected, I hope he steps up and tries to fight someone his own size. Maybe someone like Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto.

Those two would dish out a beating on Oscar he won't soon forget.

I think the Golden Boy wouldn't be so Golden anymore.

Black Dynamite- Red Band Trailer

When I see epic trailers like this, it makes me acutely aware that we are now in awards season.

I find it very improbable that this film will slip through the cracks when critics consider their top 10 list for 2008.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's named the greatest film of the decade.

There's nudity, kung fu, Arsenio Hall and anamorphic duovision...honestly, what more does one need in a film?

Nuff said.

So...for your consideration...the epic Black Dynamite.

Star Trek Trailer and Star Trek 90210

The Star Trek XL trailer has finally found its way onto YouTube, but a high definition version of the clip has been available for viewing at apple trailers for about a week.


I'm really excited about seeing the film. It looks like the movie has the potential to fulfill everyone's expectations, even non-trekkers.

Of course there are a cynical few who aren't too happy about the reboot. This fan-made trailer capitalizes on the criticisms, although I believe they are also looking forward to the film, judging by the description of the video.



Classic.

Let's hope J.J. makes it less 90210 and more Star Trek, so that we don't have riots at movie houses.

Update:

Paramount has released an alternative version of the original trailer with footage of Leonard Nimoy as Spock.

The Wrestler - Trailer

The full length trailer for the upcoming movie The Wrestler was released last week and I've gotta say it looks pretty amazing. It's about time there's been a serious look at the wrestling profession. The piece seems to expose the extreme physical and emotional toll the business takes on the participants. Honestly, it's been a pretty mediocre year for the movie industry. I'm really hoping that this film closes the year out right.

Congratulations Don Wakamatsu

Being a die hard Los Angeles Angels fan, it's hard for me to give kudos to another baseball team. Especially to a team in the same division as my beloved Angels. But just to show that I'm not a heartless slob, I wanted to take this moment to officially congratulate the Seattle Mariners on hiring Don Wakamatsu.

Wakamatsu is the first Asian-American ever to be named manager of a Major League Baseball team.

Being a Filipino-American, I can't downplay the significance of this moment.

It's especially heartwarming to consider that my son now lives in a world where doors that were previously closed to people... are now open.

Watchmen Trailer #2

The first full length trailer to the Watchmen has arrived and the footage finally features dialogue from the film. The thing I appreciate most about the trailer is that it gives a more accurate sense of what the story is about, playing up the mystery noir elements of the tale.

This trailer has made me significantly more optimistic about the film. Let's hope it's able to deliver.

The Slide of Life

When I saw this picture of my children on our backyard slide, the first thought I had... after... of course how cute they looked, was what a fascinating story that my wife captured with this photo.

For some...the slide of life is fun, for others...not so much...especially when you're not the one in control.

Glory Days

I was recently doing some SEO research on me and my site and I stumbled upon some reviews of my theatre performances in college.

It looks like the Los Angeles Times has released a batch of archived reviews.

Without spending too much time researching and reminiscing....cause that would be kind of pathetic...I found three reviews.

Apparently...judging from these reviews... I might have been pretty good.

Here's an excerpt from a review of my performance in Macbeth.

"Raymund Manukay’s Macbeth, without delving too much into detail and subtext, is a forthright and honestly confused political parvenu. He doesn’t understand his failures, thinking he’s totally right to begin with, and especially in his “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech on hearing of Lady Macbeth’s death, Manukay has a reserve and a distracted air that is effective." - October 20, 1998

Then some more kudos in the play Cloud Nine.

"All the actors deftly carve portraits of characters making the uncomfortable transition between eras. Raymond Manukay is exceptional as the boy in servitude to the African raj and as the career-conscious Martin in Act 2."
- October 16, 1997

And yet another review from the play Ah, Wilderness.

Raymund Manukay stands out for his naturalism and reserve as the crafty salesman who lures Belle away from a tiddly Richard."
- March 26, 1998

And finally another review from the play Equus.

"As the stable owner who hires Alan and furthers his passion for horses, Raymond Manukay is solid and strong." - October 25, 1999.

So what do I take away from all this?

Obviously...it's that I'm fucking awesome....and I'm heading to Broadway. I suggest everyone start kissing my ass...now... so I can mention you in my Oscar acceptance speech.

OldBoy - U.S. Version

Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are set to respectively direct and star in a U.S. remake of the excellent Korean mystery film Oldboy.

The fan boy crowd is obviously upset by these turn of events.

Although I agree that the idea of remaking this film for U.S. audiences seems strange. Especially since the original film comes from a very Korean perspective of honor, revenge and redemption.

But I don't think the film in the hands of Spielberg and Will Smith will be a total disaster.

The Departed was proof that Asian films can be successfully translated for American audiences.

Spielberg is capable of very dark material and the casting of Will Smith lends an extra edge of affability to a character who is seeking unspeakable revenge.

I believe that the film with its current creative team is an upgrade over the previous team of Justin Lin and Nicolas Cage.

I do have concerns however, especially considering the shocking subject matter. I think if the filmmakers compromise the original story and twist employed in the original film than it should honestly be considered a complete failure.

But I have faith that won't be the case. Especially in light of the accurate translation of The Departed.

No need to fix something if it isn't broken right?

I'm also looking forward to seeing how the rest of the casting turns out.

In the end, it's a chance worth taking. A bad U.S. remake doesn't take away from the greatness of the original.

I look forward to seeing the film.

The Expendables

Variety Magazine is reporting that Sylvester Stallone is writing and directing an action film called "The Expendables".

The film will star Stallone, Jason Statham and possibly Jet Li.

The plot concerns "a team of mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator."

I can't help but think that the film was at least partially inspired by Quentin Tarantino's original idea of "Inglorious Basterds".

For years, Stallone heard rumors that QT wanted to use him and other 80's action stars in a "men on a mission" movie. Like an old school Dirty Dozen or The Great Escape type of war movie with Eddie Murphy, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Obviously QT decided to go in a different direction.

But it's fun to see that Stallone has taken the ball and run.

Albeit on a smaller scale.

Stallone already pulled off a decent "men on a mission" movie with the last Rambo film.

Now we get to see an old school action film with an all-star cast.

It would be really cool if he could get a couple of more action stars in there.

Make it a big ensemble piece.

Maybe get Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. What the hell, throw in Chuck Norris in there too.

That would be classic.

Maybe not a good film....but still classic.

Top Ten Stupid Things Americans say to Brits

Letterman and Ricky Gervais....can't miss...guaranteed laughs.

It's over...time to get a life

I think this clip from Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 accurately sums up the post election dip that many people and talk shows will feel.

It's hard to top the biggest and most important reality show in the country's history.

I'm sure a lot of people will be asking themselves, "What now?"

I'm sure Saturday Night Live will be struggling to find new material. The Sarah Palin stuff was the only reason to tune in.

Oh well....

The 44th President of the United States