Miley Cyrus maglalabas ng bagong single after 3 years, fans abangers na: ‘Finally! She’s back!’
NEW year, new Miley. ‘Yan ang naging peg ng international pop star na si Miley Cyrus sa kanyang bagong single matapos ang tatlong taon. Ang title ng kanta ay “Flowers” at inanunsyo ito mismo ni Miley sa naganap na live special ng NBC na “Miley’s New year’s Eve Party.” Ang nasabing kanta ay nakatakdang i-release […] The post Miley Cyrus maglalabas ng bagong single after 3 years, fans abangers na: ‘Finally! She’s back!’ appeared first on Bandera......»»
Eduard Folayang: When an underdog finally became a world champion
In the five years that I was with the ABS-CBN Sports website, I was fortunate enough to have covered quite a number of memorable sports moments, so when I was asked to write about which was the most memorable for me, it was tough to narrow it down to just one single coverage. I could have written about Letran’s momentous upset of a dynasty-seeking San Beda in the NCAA Season 91 Finals, or I could have written about the Philippine Azkals making history by clinching a spot in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Being an MMA fan, I could have written about getting to be Octagon-side for the UFC’s first and only trip to Manila, which was indeed a dream come true for me. When I think about it however, the coverage that sticks with me to this day, even four years later, was being cage-side, just inches away from Eduard “Landslide” Folayang as he pummeled Shinya Aoki to become the ONE Lightweight World Champion in Singapore back in 2016. I tell people about that night all the time, and I believe I’ll continue to do so for the rest of my life. A Fan First As I mentioned earlier, I’m an MMA fan. In fact, being a fan was actually how I eventually got into sports writing. During my first year or so with ABS-CBN, I got wind of a show on Balls Channel entitled “The Takedown” which was, you guessed it, about the UFC. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to be a part of that show, in any capacity. I even offered to research or write for free, LOL. While I never did get to work on the show (because unfortunately, it lasted only a few episodes), I did get to make some connections (shoutout to Sir Lori, Ms. Jo, and Ms. Anna!) which eventually landed me a gig as a UFC writer for the Balls Channel Website. During that time, I got to meet and interview stars like BJ Penn, Alexander Gustafsson, Urijah Faber, Cung Le, and even Arianny Celeste. For an MMA fan like me, it was like working a dream job. It was a pretty sweet gig. Eventually, that job with the Balls Channel Website would lead me to a spot on the ABS-CBN Sports Website which was launched in 2015. By 2016, I had started covering Asia-based MMA promotion ONE Championship quite a bit because ABS-CBN had signed a broadcast deal with them, and because ONE had a ton of homegrown Pinoy fighters on their roster, most notably Folayang and the Team Lakay guys. Folayang, whose contract with ONE expired in March of 2016, re-signed with the promotion and returned to action in August, defeating Adrian Pang by Unanimous Decision in Macau. That win over Pang earned Folayang the biggest bout of his career at that point: a title shot against reigning champion Aoki. When I learned of that title fight, I was very excited for Folayang, but had little expectations for his chances, being that Aoki was a legend in the sport. Best Seat in the House Eduard Folayang finally getting to fight for a world championship was a huge deal for Filipino MMA fans, especially those that had followed the Baguio-based star’s career since his days in the URCC. The Pinoy star was on ONE’s first ever event, but could never seem to gain enough momentum to compete for a world title, until that point. That November night in Singapore, all the years of work sacrifice that Folayang had put in during his nine-year MMA career would finally pay off. This was only my second time to cover a ONE event overseas, so apart from having to write stories, I also had to take pictures. Learning from my past mistakes, I asked if I could have a spot cage-side so that I could take some at least decent photos. Thankfully, the ONE people agreed and gave me a spot just beside one of the judges’ tables. I had the best seat in the house. Now, as I said, I had tapered my expectations for the fight. I had seen what Aoki could do in the cage. I’ve seen the guy break peoples’ bones before, so honestly, I was just hoping that he wouldn’t injure Folayang. Our guy was the underdog heading into this fight, no doubt about it. Of course, as a Filipino and as a fan I was hoping for a massive upset. The beautiful thing about MMA is anything can happen. Shock The World This was legitimately the first time that I felt nervous covering a fight. It’s like that feeling you have when your favorite basketball team is in a close game with just seconds left. That first round was a frigging whirlwind of emotions if you’re a Pinoy MMA fan. It looked like Aoki was within moments of being able to submit Folayang on multiple occasions. The second round was a little bit more relaxed for Folayang, especially since he had been able to survive Aoki’s opening round grappling blitz. It looked like he was a bit more confident and he started to throw some of his trademark spinning kicks and elbows. A miscalculated flying knee attempt led to another Aoki takedown, but this time around, Folayang appeared a little more calm and relaxed under the pressure. Late in the round, Folayang began to attack Aoki’s torso with punches and kicks, and it looked like it had the Japanese legend a bit winded. The tide had shifted. Heading into the third round, there was a different feeling in the air. It felt like Aoki was done, and it felt like Folayang knew it. In the opening seconds of that fateful third frame, Folayang knew exactly what Aoki was going to do and had an answer for it. Aoki shot in for a takedown, and Folayang countered it with a jumping knee to the jaw. For a brief second, Folayang was on his behind, but managed to outmuscle Aoki and deliver another vicious knee. “Oh sh*t!” I yelled internally while scrambling to take photos of the ensuing beatdown. Folayang turned Aoki over and began to connect with punch after unanswered punch. Without taking my eye away from my camera’s viewfinder, I started yelling for Folayang to finish it. Folayang continued to punish Aoki with piston-like punches as the Singapore Indoor Stadium began to erupt. For what felt like an eternity, referee Yuji Shimada watched as Folayang unloaded nine years worth of heartbreak and frustration into a ground-and-pound sequence. And then, it was over. There was a new lightweight king. AND NEW! EDUARD FOLAYANG STOPS SHINYA AOKI IN ROUND 3! — Santino Honasan???? (@honasantino) November 11, 2016 The Landslide Reigns As much as I would have wanted to keep it cool, I started to freak out. I looked to my right and saw my fellow Pinoy journalists doing the same, one was even standing on the table, cheering the new world champion on. At that point, I had watched UAAP championships, NCAA championships, even some boxing world championships, but this one was different. I knew what Folayang had gone through. I knew that the odds were stacked against him. As the confetti began to rain down and the celebration inside the ring continued, I recomposed myself and started to take pictures again. I wanted to be able to capture this moment. After the official decision and the post-fight interview, I remember calling out to Folayang so that I could take a photo of him with his shiny new toy. I’ve gotten to witness other members of Team Lakay become champions since then. I’ve been blessed enough to see Geje Eustaquio, Kevin Belingon and Joshua Pacio all become titleholders within a single year. While getting to see Team Lakay draped in gold to end 2018 was definitely a sight to behold, being there cage side as ‘Manong Ed’ realized a life-long dream was definitely an experience that I won’t soon forget. Folayang's title win wasn't Team Lakay's first world champmionship, and it isn't the last. For me however, I think it's the most important, because it showed that no matter how many times you fall, you can still find your way to the top. Everyone loves a good underdog story. -- Santino Honasan has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2015. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
How CHAD KINIS found purpose and ‘unexpected family’ in BEKS BATTALION
Last 5 May, three years after Covid-19 struck the world, the World Health Organization finally ended its global emergency status. Many lives were lost during the nightmare of Covid-19, but there were still beautiful stories and turning points that happened to people. Chad Kinis (real name Richardson de la Cruz) has one such story. At the presscon for his directorial debut The Beks Days of Our Lives on 5 May — the same day of WHO’s declaration — the standup comedian and vlogger became emotional as he recalled how, during the time of the pandemic, his life dramatically changed. It was his friendship with Lassy and MC Muah, his co-members in the comedy troupe Beks Battalion, that inspired the storyline and concept of his first-ever movie, he said. “Beks Battalion is an unexpected family. Hindi po namin inasahan na magiging matatag kaming magkasama bilang pamilya. Nagkaroon ako ng mga bagong kapatid sa kanila (We didn’t expect that we’d emerge strong as a family. I found new siblings in them),” Kinis said, becoming tearful. “Sa totoo lang po kasi, I’ve been so alone for decades. Mag-isa nagta-trabaho. Papasok ako sa comedy bar, then uuwi ako mag-isa (In truth, I’ve been alone for decades. I was working alone. I would go to work at the comedy bar, then go home by myself).” [caption id="attachment_129313" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Photographs by stephanie mayo for the daily tribune | (FROM left) Lassy Marquez, Chad Kinis and MC Muah.[/caption] But the pandemic changed all that. It was in February 2020, a month before the country was put on Covid-19 lockdown, when Kinis formed Beks Battalion (now with over two million followers on YouTube). The trio began working hard to bring comedy online through their YouTube channel. Chad, Lassy and Muah have been long-time friends and stand-up comics before the group Beks Battalion was formed. In November 2020, still at the height of the pandemic, the trio showed a new house where the three of them decided to live together as a family. “Nung pandemic, nabuo ang Beks Battalion. Parang I found a new purpose,” Chad shared, wiping away tears. “Hindi lang po ako nagkaroon ng mga kapatid, kundi ng pamilya na gumagabay sa akin. Si Kuya Lassy, kahit pinakamatanda sa’min, parang naging bunso namin. Ang saya lang po ng buhay. Nagkaroon ako ng bagong direksyon sa kanila (I didn’t just get new siblings, but a family to guide me. Kuya Lassy is the oldest among us, but he also sort of became the youngest. Life has become happy. I’ve found a new direction because of them).” Chad said he never fails to text Lassy and MC every single day just to tell them that he loves them, “as if it’s the last breath of my life.” [caption id="attachment_129312" align="aligncenter" width="525"] CHAD Kinis[/caption] The dramedy Beks Days of Our Lives, which opens 17 May in cinemas nationwide, tells the story of three close friends, Richard (Chad), Melvin (MC) and Reggie (Lassy). When one of them is diagnosed with leukemia, the trio embarks on a vacation to experience the “beks days of their lives.” “Itong movie na ito, kaya excited kami, bukod sa may drama talaga ‘yung movie, may puso. Pero hindi pa rin namin nakakalimutan yung pinaka-core ‘namin, yung comedy. So magugulat kayo sa ending nito, na hindi talaga siya tipikal na pelikula. Talagang may pa-surprise sa ending (We’re excited about this movie because it has heart. But we haven’t forgotten our core, which is comedy. So you’d be surprised at the ending, which isn’t typical in movies. It’s really a surprise ending),” said MC at the presscon. Expressing admiration for his first-time director friend, MC revealed that Kinis studied directing and camerawork to prepare for this movie. “Napakatalino at brilliant ng mind ni Chad (Chad has a very smart and brilliant mind),” he said. Chad watched a lot of movies and even consulted with fellow directors to help him prepare for his big task as a first-time director of a full-length feature. He admitted to challenges such as budget constraints and the volatile weather, but otherwise, they were very happy on set, he said. And Lassy and Muah were “effortless” in their performances. Trusting each other helped make the project a breeze, he said. Which is a testament to the gift of having close and satisfying friendships that are more like family, like the Beks Battalion. The post How CHAD KINIS found purpose and ‘unexpected family’ in BEKS BATTALION appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pop superstar Kesha may ‘patikim’ sa bagong album, naglabas ng 2 bagong single
MAKALIPAS ang tatlong taon, maglalabas na ng bagong album ang international pop superstar na si Kesha! Pinamagatan itong “Gag Order” na mapapakinggan na sa darating na May 19 under Kemosabe/RCA Records. Pero bago ‘yan, dalawang bagong single na mula sa upcoming album ang inilabas ngayon ng singer para lalong ma-excite ang fans. Ito ang “Fine Line” […] The post Pop superstar Kesha may ‘patikim’ sa bagong album, naglabas ng 2 bagong single appeared first on Bandera......»»
Miley Cyrus enjoys endless summer
I do not know if Miley Cyrus now feels that she has finally been able to accomplish what she had been trying to do all these years......»»
Camille Prats balik-teleserye after 5 years, netizens abangers na: ‘It’s time to rise again!’
INAABANGAN na ng maraming fans ang pagbabalik-telebisyon ng dating child star na si Camille Prats! Matapos kasi ang limang taon ay muling bibida sa isang teleserye si Camille. Tampok siya sa bagong afternoon prime series ng GMA na may titulong “Arabella.” Sa isang Instagram post ay ibinandera ng aktres ang ilang behind-the-scenes ng teleserye. Sabi […] The post Camille Prats balik-teleserye after 5 years, netizens abangers na: ‘It’s time to rise again!’ appeared first on Bandera......»»
Bagong single ni Miley Cyrus na ‘Flowers’ nilabas na, trending agad sa YouTube
TRENDING sa Youtube ang kalalabas lang na single ng American singer-songwriter na si Miley Cyrus. Ito ang may titulong “Flowers” na kabilang sa inaabangang comeback album ng singer ngayong taon. ‘Yan din ang kauna-unahang kanta na ini-release niya matapos ang tatlong taong pagpapahinga sa music industry. Ayon sa Sony Music Entertainment, ang “Flowers” ay tungkol […] The post Bagong single ni Miley Cyrus na ‘Flowers’ nilabas na, trending agad sa YouTube appeared first on Bandera......»»
Babies have rights
#ASKGOYO Atty. Gregorio Larrazabal Quoted below is the statement of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines: “The tragic death of 3-month-old Baby River highlights the need to do MORE, BETTER, FASTER in the justice sector quoted below is the statement of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines: “Baby River was born at the Fabella Medical Center on July 1, 2020. Her mother, urban poor organizer Reina Mae Nasino, 23 years old, is a detainee at the Manila City Jail Female Dormitory who was arrested on November 5, 2019 at the Tondo office of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. The police raids that resulted in the arrests of over 60 activists in Metro Manila and Bacolod were by virtue of various warrants issued by the RTC Branch 89 in Quezon City. Reina Mae and two others were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, a non-bailable offense. “Despite questions raised against the validity of the raids and arrests as well as petitions for the release of Reina Mae on health and humanitarian grounds or for continued breast-feeding, the frail and underweight Baby River was separated from her mother barely a month after birth. “The case went through RTC Manila Branch 20, the Supreme Court, back to RTC Branch 20, then RTC branch 42 and RTC Branch 37, and the Court of Appeals, until Baby River died on Oct. 12, 2020. “Manila RTC Branch 47 finally allowed Reina Mae furlough – this time to visit her dead daughter. Despite many fully armed BJMP escorts, police and military personnel monitoring and accompanying Reina Mae, she remained hand-cuffed while at the wake. “The heartbreaking and brief life-story of Baby River compel us to raise these questions: “1. Why can’t our justice system safeguard the needs and rights of an innocent child to breastfeeding and a better chance to survive? “2. Why don’t our jails have adequate facilities to address the needs and rights of children and women detainees duly recognized by domestic and international law? “3. Why does it take so long to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights? “4. Isn’t there double standard when “bigger” detainees are allowed similar or even greater privileges? “5. Can we not have justice with compassion? “Let our concern, dismay, or rage and the tears that we may shed for Baby River Nasino fuel our collective determination and action to improve our justice system. Let not our innocent children fall under the cracks. Babies have rights and we have duties to nurture them. Let our humanity rise above our personal comforts or the privileges of power.” DOMINGO EGON CAYOSA National President & Chairman of the Board of Governors *** We can talk about the law legal processes, and I’m sure many will. But at the crux of all this should be:“What is it to be human?” Have we sunk so low that we’ve lost our humanity? Have we forgotten what it is that separates us from animals? Have we been numb to peoples’ suffering and death? Have we been stripped of our sense of morality and compassion that we have lost our appreciation of what is right and wrong? People have discussed the trampled rights of the mother of the infant. But what about the rights of the baby? Stripping the legalese of the tragedy, we have to ask: What about the basic needs of the baby, as emphasized by the statement of the IBP? There is no justification to being deprived of the love and care his mother, and the warmth of her embrace. The soothing voice to say she’s going to get better, and she’s loved… Have we regressed to a point that we’ve been stripped of our empathy? More than the legality of this. After the furor will have died down, and it surely will, I think we have to ask ourselves, “Where are we now?” How low have we sunk and how to we get back up and regain some sense of decency? My heart broke when I saw pictures of Reina Mae Nasino covered in PPE, in handcuffs, unable to even hug her dead baby one last time. I still cannot understand the inhumanity towards not only the mother, but the baby, who had done no one wrong, yet was treated with so much hate, disrespect, contempt, and derision for her to be born in this world, yet stripped and deprived of human love and affection. I can never hate anyone that much to treat him or her so badly. I think we need to dig deep within ourselves and search our soul. To find the humanity which has clearly been missing. We need to find our moral compass, before we all lose our soul and drown in the abyss. Stay Safe. Pray for Baby River. Pray for OUR country......»»
Sugarfree drops new song ‘Nagkita Muli’ on digital platforms
No grand launch or crowded listening parties. Just a new song from one of the popular Filipino bands Sugarfree whose sound endeared OPM lovers for many years. The new Sugarfree returns as a duo with Kaka Quisumbing (drums) and Jal Taguibao (vocals/ bass). After nine years, minus fellow members Ebe Dancel and Mitch Singson, Sugarfree is back with a new tune called “Nagkita Muli” released under Glass Onion Entertainment. “Dear Friends. Sugarfree is back with our newest single, ‘Nagkita Muli.’ This was just premiered tonight exclusively at Jam 88.3 FM!,” says Sugarfree made the announcement on Facebook when their new song debuted on February 25. Eight months later, “Nagkita Muli” will be streamed on audio streaming and media services providers. Their fans are simply ecstatic about their comeback in the music scene. Some of the comments: “Long wait is over!” “Love it” “100% support! Sugarfree is Sugarfree!” “Missing both these guys!” “Sooo glad to see this. I just hope people from the scene would just let them be. They’re just making music and clearly not harming anyone or anyone else’s legacy for that matter.” On Oct. 9, the group posted on Facebook: “And now we are here and meet again. Wounds heal and all pain.” Kaka Quisumbing (left) and Jal Taguibao. “Na-miss lang namin talaga ang isa’t isa sa pag-gawa ng kanta. Ang tagal din namin nawala sa music scene. So nung nagkita kami, sabi namin gawa uli kami ng songs,” says Taguibao, who is also a professor in the Department of Political Science, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of the Philippines Diliman. “Ganun lang ka-simple kung paano nabuo ang new song namin,” adds Quisumbing. During an exclusive online interview, the duo reminisced about memorable moments of their successful career. “Ang hindi talaga namin malilimutan yung mga ‘lagare’ gigs namin. Meaning pagkatapos ng isang gig sa isang lugar, pupunta kami ng probinsiya for the second gig and then lilipad naman uli sa isang province para tumugtog,” recalls Taguibao. Quisumbing says: “Minsan sobrang sikip ng venue na parang hindi na kami maka-hinga. Ang hindi ko makakalimutan siyempre yung beginnings namin. Noon kami pa ang nagbabayad sa venue para maka-kanta lang tapos wala pang sampu ang nakikinig sa’yo. I guess halos lahat dumaan sa mga ganung simula bago sumikat.” A.L. Henson, manager of the group, says nothing big is being planned yet now that Sugarfree is back. “Initially, ang plan lang muna is to release a song. Then konting gig siguro. Release uli ng song. Ganun lang muna,” says Henson when asked if the duo was going full-blast in 2021. The duo adds that it will keep its Sugarfree style of music, similar to the sound they have embraced in the past. “Sa ngayon naman wala kaming plan mag experiment ng new sound. Tama na sa amin yung tunog na kinalakihan ng aming mga fans. Wala kaming plano na gumawa ng mga obscure na sound,” says Taguibao. Formed in 1999, Sugarfree is known for their hits “Hari Ng Sablay,” Mariposa,” “Wag Ka Ng Umiyak,” “Makita Kang Muli,” Burnout,” etc. They disbanded in 2011. In February 2020, they came back as a duo. No plans yet for a Sugarfree reunion despite clamor from fans, Hanson says. But the band promises fans that they will continue to make music. Formed in 1999, Sugarfree is known for their hits “Hari Ng Sablay,” Mariposa,” “Wag Ka Ng Umiyak,” “Makita Kang Muli,” Burnout,” etc. They disbanded in 2011. In February 2020, they came back as a duo. “Our fans can expect that we will be making new music with our brand of melodies and flavor. While doing that, we will continue exploring tunes to articulate through music, our personal histories and experiences,” the duo said......»»
Dara holds live broadcast to celebrate reaching 1 million subscribers on YouTube
Dara, aka Sandara Park, held a live broadcast on Oct. 16 to celebrate her milestone of getting one million subscribers on her YouTube channel Dara TV. People from different countries tuned in to watch Dara’s broadcast where she thanked subscribers, gave updates about herself, discussed her plans and raffled off personal items to mark the occasion. Her YouTube subscribers reached one million on Oct. 10 and she tweeted, “Happy 1M subscribers #DaraTV Thank you so much everyone!!! Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat!!! #DaraTV1Million.” “This is the first time I’m doing YouTube Live and the comments are coming in so fast we can’t even read it,” Dara said during the broadcast. She added, “I’ve been doing YouTube for three years and there are about 60 videos uploaded on my channel. But, guys, that is amazing because I still hit one million. Thank you to everyone who subscribed.” Dara also revealed that she put on some weight and she’s very happy about it, saying, “I gained some weight for the first time in my life. I’ve been 38 to 39 kilos. I’ve finally gained six kilos.” “A lot of people were worried about me. I look more mature and I’m very pleased. The sad part about gaining weight is I don’t fit into all of my clothes anymore. I recently donated my clothes to my niece and nephews. I’m gonna shop for some jeans next week. My jeans don’t fit me anymore,” she said. She told her Pinoy fans, “Kamusta kayong lahat? Nagustuhan nyo ba yung recent upload ko sa DaraTV, yung Philippine market? Super enjoy ako dun. Ang ginawa ko dun nagpicture lang pero nag-enjoy pa rin ako (How are you? Did you like my recent upload on DaraTV about the Philippine market? I enjoyed it. I only took photos but I still enjoyed it).” In a video she uploaded on Oct. 3, Dara went to a Filipino street market near the Hyehwadong Catholic Church in Hyehwa-dong in Jongno, Seoul where she got to mingle and take photos with Pinoys and Koreans. Every Sunday, hundreds of Filipinos go to the street market to eat, buy Filipino food and products.The video now has more than 2 million views on YouTube. Dara also ranked the top five countries that watch her YouTube videos the most and the Philippines emerged as No. 1. “Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Grabe number one talaga kayo (Thank you very much. You are really number one). I love it because I started my career there. I miss you guys. I’m always thankful for support,” she said. Dara during her live broadcast on YouTube (Screenshot from Dara’s video) The US placed second with Dara saying, “Thank you so much for supporting DaraTV. South Korea, her home country, is third. She commented, “Even though I have a lot of content outside of Korea, im very thankful that I have a lot of Korean subscribers.” “Thank you so much, Indonesia,” she said as the country placed fourth while United Arab Emirates is fifth and Dara said, “I’ve never been there but I really wanna go.” Dara thanked viewers for enjoying her video with CL and said she also wants “to go to Minzy’s dance academy to learn and dance there.” She was asked what was most memorable during the music video shoot with Park Bom and she said, “It’s always very chaotic when I’m with her. The most memorable thing about that shoot is that it had to be very serious but she just made me laugh so much and she asked why I wasn’t being all ‘hip-hoppy’ for my web scene but I just enjoyed that shoot a lot because it was so funny.” Dara started her showbiz career in the Philippines and left it to debut in 2NE1 in 2009. The group disbanded in 2016. She is still under YG Entertainment. She was asked if she’s going to blog about a tour of the new YG Entertainment headquarters located in Hapjeong in Mapo District, Seoul. “Next year, maybe. Still a work in progress. It looks very futuristic, very cool looking. Kinda looks like a music video set,” she said. One commented that Dara has no problem buying new clothes but she said “I can’t shop that much these days because I want to save more money [because of the ongoing pandemic].” “We should all save money. Since we can’t perform and also everyone around the world, we have to save our money. We’re just being very mindful here. I’m very thankful because I’ve been working so much. I just came back from a schedule and this entire week I had schedules and it looks like I will be very busy next week as well so I’m very thankful for my job,” she said. She said the upcoming episodes on DaraTV include staycation and cooking episodes. To celebrate the milestone, Dara raffled off bracelets and Polaroid photos, and her own clothes. Dara will also be hosting the second season of the TV show “Idol League” with BTOB’s Eunkwang and the first episode is set on Oct. 17. About her plans, she said, “Right now, I’m gonna focus on emceeing and you guys can look forward to that. You guys might see something related to acting because I’ve been talking to my musical friend. And for music, it’s always on my mind. We are all working on it so stay tuned.” Caption Dara during her live broadcast on YouTube (Screenshot from Dara’s video).....»»
McIlroy, Cantlay the sole survivors to par at Olympia Fields
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — Rory McIlroy doesn't need fans to keep his head in the game at the BMW Championship. Olympia Fields is so tough it won't allow anything but his full attention on every shot. McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay made their share of mistakes Friday and shrugged them off because that's bound to happen on the toughest test the PGA Tour has seen this year. By the end of another steamy afternoon south of Chicago, they were the sole survivors to par. One week after McIlroy admitted to going through the motions without spectators around to provide the cheers, he had a 1-under 69 to share the 36-hole lead with Cantlay. It was plenty tough for Tiger Woods, whose PGA Tour season appears to be two rounds from being over. He didn't have enough good shots to atone for his bad ones, and he had to make a 35-foot par putt on his final hole to shoot 75, leaving him nine shots behind. Woods was toward the bottom of the pack at a tournament where he needs to finish around fourth to be among the top 30 who advance to the Tour Championship. Cantlay holed a 50-foot chip for birdie, and holed out a 50-yard wedge for eagle. He also missed the green on three of the par 3s, the last one leading to a double bogey. He finished with a 6-iron out of the thick rough and made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. It added to a 68, matching the best score of the round. They were at 1-under 139, one shot ahead of Hideki Matsuyama and Dustin Johnson, who were going in opposite directions when it was time to sign their scorecards. Matsuyama, the only player to reach 4 under at any point this week, dropped four shots over his last 10 holes for a 73. Johnson finished birdie-birdie for 69. The phrase “U.S. Open” is being heard a lot more than “FedEx Cup” this week. “I think the test is what’s helped me focus and concentrate because if you lose focus out there for one second ... just one lapse in concentration can really cost you around here,” McIlroy said. “I think one of the big keys this week is just not making big numbers. If you hit it out of position, get it back in position, make sure that your worse score is bogey and move on. Honestly, bogeys aren't that bad out here.” He made a mistake on the 14th hole by going long and left, and only a great wedge to a back pin to 5 feet kept him from a big blunder, even though he missed the par putt. He flirted with trouble later in his round on the fifth hole with a wedge from 134 yards that came up 30 yards short, the pin tucked behind a big bunker. He left that in collar short of the green and got up-and-down for bogey. Cantlay doesn't expect to hole out twice a round with wedges and hopes he can sharpen up his game a little. Still, he loves the idea of having to think and plot his way around the course. “It's about as stiff of a test as you would want,” Cantlay said. “It's very, very difficult, and you have to play from the fairway, and you have to play from below the hole, frankly. The greens have so much slope on them that you really need to be putting uphill. And so if you're in the rough, it gets exponentially harder to do that.” For those playing well — anywhere within a few shots of par in this case — it was an enjoyable challenge. For everyone, regardless of the score, it was a grind. “I don't know if any rain will matter, really,” Kevin Kisner said after a bogey-bogey finish ruined an otherwise good day and gave him a 70, leaving him three shots behind. “I think even par wins the golf tournament.” Doesn't 280 always win the U.S. Open? That's what Arnold Palmer used to say. And this feels like a U.S. Open. Go back to Shinnecock Hills two years ago in the U.S. Open to find the last time someone won at over par (Brooks Koepka). For non-majors, the tour said over par hasn't won since Bruce Lietzke at the Byron Nelson Classic in 1981. It's a massive change from last week, when Johnson won by 11 shots at 30-under 254. “Last week was fun, too,” Johnson said. “But this week is more of a grind, that's for sure. Every single hole out here is difficult. You've got to really be focused on every shot that you hit.” Among those two shots behind was Louis Oosthuizen, whose birdie in the dark on the final hole last week at the TPC Boston moved him to No. 70 to qualify for the BMW Championship. “This is the golf course I needed to do what I must do,” he said of moving into the top 30. “Look, this can go really south on you quickly. You can shoot 6, 7 over on this golf course very quickly. But if you really stick to it and play middle of the greens and lag those putts, you can make a lot of pars. And you're not going to lose spots if you're making pars.”.....»»
Rays hold Yankees to 2 hits in 1-0 win
By The Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning on his 28th birthday, six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a two-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL East-leading New York Yankees 1-0 on Friday night. Yoshi Tsutsugo drew a leadoff walk from Adam Ottavino (2-1) in the eighth and went to second with one out when Kevin Kiermaier walked. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Perez put the Rays up 1-0 on his fly to center. Chaz Roe (2-0) went the final two innings for the win. Masahiro Tanaka allowed one hit and struck out five over five innings, retiring his final 13 batters after giving up a first-inning single to Yandy Diaz. The Yankees’ right-hander needed just 59 pitches in his second start after beginning the season on the concussion list after being struck in the head by Giancarlo Stanton’s liner during a July 4th summer camp simulated game. Three New York pitchers also limited the Rays to just two hits. MARLINS 4, METS 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Cervelli hit a three-run homer, Humberto Mejia impressed in his abbreviated major league debut and Miami kept up its surprising surge. The Marlins won their sixth in a row and improved to 7-1 — they’re 5-0 since missing more than a week because of the team’s coronavirus outbreak. Cervelli waved and pointed to the imaginary fans in the seating areas after hitting his second homer of the season. Jonathan Villar added an RBI double in Miami’s four-run second. Dominic Smith homered for the Mets, who have lost seven of nine. New York scored its other runs in the eighth on a throwing error by third baseman Brian Anderson and RBI single by J.D. Davis. Stephen Tarpley (2-0) pitched two innings for the win. Nick Vincent escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and finished for his first save since 2016 with Seattle. Michael Wacha (1-2) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease worked his way through five shutout innings, and the Chicago White Sox beat Aaron Civale and Cleveland. Cease walked the leadoff man four times and hit a batter, but wiggled out of trouble each time. The right-hander allowed two hits and struck out four. The Indians went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base, continuing a season-long problem and wasting a terrific start by Civale. They had won three in a row. Civale (1-2) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings. Cleveland played without manager Terry Francona and hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo. Francona missed his sixth straight game while addressing a gastrointestinal issue he has been dealing with for months. The team announced before the series opener that Van Burkleo had opted out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus. RED SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 3 BOSTON (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit two solo homers over the Green Monster, Mitch Moreland had a two-run shot and Boston’s beleaguered staff rebounded to lift the Red Sox past Toronto. Verdugo also robbed Travis Shaw of a homer with a leaping grab and Moreland had a bases-loaded walk to help Boston win its second straight following a four-game losing streak. Cavan Biggio hit a solo homer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette each had an RBI double for Toronto, which has dropped five of six. Moreland’s homer sailed just over the 380-foot sign at the edge of the Blue Jays’ bullpen in right off starter Tanner Roark (1-1) in the third inning for his fourth homer. Reliever Heath Hembree (2-0) got three outs for the victory and Brandon Workman the final three for his third save. ROYALS 3, INDIANS 2 KANSAS CITY, Mo, (AP) — Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning and Kansas City held Minnesota to a pair of solo homers. Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide. Jakob Junis served up homers to Byron Buxton and Marwin Gonzalez before leaving with two outs in the fifth inning, and Greg Holland (2-0) led four relievers in holding down the Twins the rest of the way. Trevor Rosenthal retired the final three batters in order for his second save. Matt Wisler (0-1) served up McBroom’s homer as Minnesota lost a one-run game for the second consecutive night. REDS 8, BREWERS 3 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Trevor Bauer turned in another stellar outing, and Matt Davidson and Nick Castellanos homered to lead Cincinnati. Bauer (2-0) gave up three hits and one run in six innings while striking out 12. The Reds scored six runs in the second off Milwaukee starter Eric Lauer (0-1), ending a 24-inning scoring drought. Cincinnati had pushed across three runs before Davidson’s three-run homer, his first of the season, which barely cleared the wall in center field. The Reds (6-8) lost 13-0 to Cleveland on Thursday night, failing to score in the last 23 innings of the home-and-home series. PADRES 3, DIAMONDBACKS O SAN DIEGO (AP) — Zach Davies retired the first 13 Arizona batters, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a leadoff homer and rookies Jake Cronenworth and Edward Olivares also went deep to lead San Diego. Davies (2-1) took a perfect game into the fifth before giving up consecutive one-out singles to Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta. He got out of the jam by retiring the next two batters on popups. Davies allowed three singles in 5 2/3 innings, struck out six and walked none. Four relievers finished the combined four-hitter for San Diego’s first shutout. Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his second save in two chances. Luke Weaver (0-3) went only three innings, allowing two runs and two hits with three strikeouts and one walk. TIGERS 17, PIRATES 13, 11 INNINGS PITTSBURGH (AP) — Niko Goodrum drove in five runs, two on a double in a big 11th inning that sent Detroit past Pittsburgh. Both teams finished with 16 hits, surprising since each club had four players in the starting lineup batting under .190. Those numbers soon changed as Detroit played its first game in five days. Erik Gonzalez drove in six runs. He homered, doubled and singled twice as Pittsburgh lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell to 3-11. It was 12-all after nine innings and Jeimer Candelario broke a 13-all tie with an RBI single in the 11th. Austin Romine singled home another run and Goodrum capped the inning with his line drive to right field. Candelario finished with three hits and three RBIs. Rookie Bryan Garcia (2-0) got the win despite giving up the 10th-inning run. Dovydas Neverauskas (0-2) allowed all four runs in the 11th. ATHLETICS 3, ASTROS 2, 13 INNINGS OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Semien singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 13th to lift Oakland to its seventh straight win in a game that matched the longest this season with baseball’s new extra-innings rule. Alex Bregman hit an RBI double in the top of the 13th inning only for the A’s to tie it on Austin Allen’s single in the bottom half against Cy Sneed (0-2). J.B. Wendelken (1-0) worked three strong innings and the A’s finally delivered after squandering bases-loaded chances in the 10th and 12th. Houston lost its third straight. The Astros were supposed to visit Oakland months ago in late March for their first road trip of 2020 after a sign-stealing scam that blemished baseball during the offseason. Coronavirus delayed the Bay Area trip. Robbie Grossman hit a tying homer in the seventh and Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman made a terrific stop on Jose Altuve’s sharp grounder to keep the game tied in the 10th. ROCKIES 8, MARINERS 4 SEATTLE (AP) — Daniel Murphy had a key two-run single and later hit a two-run home run, Garrett Hampson and Charlie Blackmon added solo shots, and Colorado won for the sixth time in seven games. Murphy’s hit with two outs in the sixth ended the night for Seattle starter Yusei Kikuchi (0-1) and gave Colorado a 4-1 lead. Colorado then feasted on Seattle’s shaky bullpen. Hampson hit his first home run of the season with two outs in the seventh, and Blackmon led off the eighth with his third long ball. Murphy capped his night lining the first pitch from reliever Yohan Ramriez into the right-field seats with one out in the eighth. Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela (3-0) threw six strong innings, allowing two earned runs and struck out five. DODGERS 7, GIANTS 2 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts homered for the first time at Dodger Stadium, and Max Muncy, Will Smith and Edwin Ríos went deep to lead Los Angeles. The Dodgers have won three in a row and eight of 10. Betts was back in the lineup for the first time since injuring his left middle finger last Sunday in Phoenix. He didn’t waste any time, doubling in his first at-bat. He homered into the left-field pavilion in the third, tying the game 1-all. Two batters later, Justin Turner’s RBI single gave Los Angeles the lead for good, 2-1. The Dodgers pummeled Jeff Samardzija in the fourth. Muncy homered to the right-field pavilion leading off. Smith slugged his second homer of the season — both against the Giants — that eluded a leaping Darin Ruf in left field, extending the lead to 5-1. Samardzija (0-2) struggled again in the fifth, and was pulled after loading the bases with no outs. Samardzija was charged with six runs (five earned) and seven hits in four-plus innings. Dylan Floro (1-0) got the victory, giving up one hit in one inning with two strikeouts. RANGERS 4, ANGELS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Trout homered again on his birthday, but Robinson Chirinos drove in two runs without a hit and Texas snapped a three-game losing streak. Trout turned 29, and homered for the fifth time in the seven big league games he has played on his birthday. The three-time AL MVP put the Angels up 2-0 in the first with his 444-foot drive over their bullpen in left-center. Chirinos had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, then walked with the bases loaded as part of a three-run fourth when the Rangers went ahead to stay when all of those runs were unearned. Jordan Lyles (1-1), one of three offseason additions to the Rangers rotation, struck out five in 5 1/3 innings. Rafael Montero, activated from the injured list earlier in the day, worked a perfect ninth for his first career save capped by Trout’s game-ending strikeout. Angels starter Griffin Canning (0-2) threw more balls (45) than strikes (43) while walking six batters in 3 2/3 innings. ORIOLES 11, NATIONALS 0 BALTIMORE (AP) — Even Chris Davis got in on the act for the suddenly slugging Orioles, doubling his season total by collecting two of Baltimore’s 19 hits and raising his average from .087 to .143 in a big win over Washington. Seven of the Orioles’ nine starting position players each got at least a pair of hits. José Iglesias led the way by going 4 for 4 with three RBIs, and Renato Núñez added a three-run homer to back left-hander Tommy Milone (1-1), whose six-inning outing was the longest by an Orioles pitcher this year. Milone, who was drafted by the Nationals in 2008 and briefly pitched for them in 2011 and 2018, allowed just three hits and didn’t walk anyone. The Orioles were coming off getting swept in four games at home by the cobbled-together, coronavirus-struck Miami Marlins. But after scoring a grand total of once through the first three games of that series, Baltimore put up seven runs in the finale Thursday, then kept on swinging well Friday against the reigning World Series champion Nationals and starter Aníbal Sánchez (0-2)......»»
Cruz-Behag, Baron recall De Jesus words of wisdom
De La Salle University head coach Ramil de Jesus is the type of coach who won’t mince his words when addressing his team. If he wants to get his message across he’ll tell it straightforward. No sugarcoating. While some may take it against the mentor, his Lady Spikers understand that it is just how De Jesus wants his players to learn. It is his way of motivating them to be better. Cha Cruz-Behag and Majoy Baron shared on The Collective, how De Jesus’ ‘choice’ words fueled their desire to step up and bring honor to DLSU back in their playing days in the UAAP. Cruz-Behag recalled how she was challenged by De Jesus. “Back in Season 68 that was my rookie year. When we finally won that Game 3, nag-champion na kami, we were celebrating. Ang saya-saya. Nakaka-proud,” said Cruz-Behag, who still plays for De Jesus with F2 Logistics in the Philippine Superliga. But the mentor put Cruz-Behag in her place. “After some time we went back to training. Coach came in and he talked to us rookies and sinabi niya sa amin na kaming mga bata wala kaming karapatan to celebrate and wala kaming karapatan na umastang champion,” Cruz-Behag said. “Kasi langaw lang kami sa likod ng kalabaw.” It stuck in her head. “Para sa akin ang lalim ng dating kasi nga naman ‘di naman talaga kami ‘yung nagtrabaho to earn that championship. It was really our seniors who worked hard for it,” she said. “I took it as a challenge. Gusto ko dumating naman ang panahon na we’re gonna win out own championship. I want to feel that we earned it and we truly deserved it. So di na niya kami tatawaging langaw and magiging promoted na kami to kalabaw,” Cruz-Behag added. Unfortunately, Cruz-Behag had to wait another three years before earning her stripes as DLSU was suspended in Season 69 (2006-07) while she skipped Season 70 (2007-08). Cruz-Behag won her first title in her return in Season 71, won a silver the following year before leading DLSU to back-to-back titles in Seasons 73 and 74 where she was named Finals MVP both times. Meanwhile, Baron was the Lady Spikers’ team captain when De Jesus called their performance as ‘pambarangay’ following a humiliating loss to Adamson in Season 80. “As a captain ina-accept ko na ang pangit talaga ng laro namin that time. Sobrang unacceptable talaga ng loss na yun against Adamson,” said Baron. De Jesus’ statement became a trending topic and drew mixed reactions from volleyball fans. “Medyo na-bash din si coach nun,” recalled Baron. “But for us players we get Coach Ramil eh.” The Lady Spikers understood what De Jesus wanted them to understand. They responded by winning 11 straight wins including a sweep in the Finals to complete the Taft-based squad’s third three-peat and 11th overall crown. As for Baron, she won the Season MVP honors capping off her collegiate career on a high note. De Jesus is quick to call-out the mistakes of his wards, that’s his style. His words may sometimes be harsh. But his statements always serve their purpose......»»
Finau leads Memorial at 65 as Woods has quiet return to golf
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Tiger Woods was back on the PGA Tour for the first time in five months Thursday and saw Muirfield Village like never before. It was practically empty. Woods opened with a 10-foot birdie and there was silence. He finished with a 15-foot birdie for a 1-under 71, leaving him five shots behind Tony Finau in the Memorial, and he walked to the side of the green and stood with Rory McIlroy, chatting briefly before they nudged their elbows toward one another without touching. It’s a different world, Woods keeps saying. It was a reasonable return. “Got off to almost an ideal start and got a feel for the round early,” Woods said. “I just didn’t make anything today. I had looks at birdies, but I really didn’t make much.” He left that to Finau, who seemed to make everything. Finau finished with seven birdies over his last 10 holes on a Muirfield Village course that was faster and tougher than last week in the Workday Charity Open. That gave him a one-shot lead over Ryan Palmer. The greens are being replaced after the Memorial, so there’s no concern about them dying out. They were 2 feet faster on the Stimpmeter, the wind was strong and often changed direction without notice. That showed in the scoring. Only seven players broke 70, compared with 35 rounds in the 60s for the first round last week. This is the first itme in 63 years the PGA Tour has played consecutive weeks on the same course. Muirfield Village only looked like the same course. “It’s night and day,” Palmer said. “The greens, they’re 2, 3 feet faster for sure. So I knew it wasn’t a course you had to just go out and light up.” It wasn’t a course to overpower, either. Bryson DeChambeau hit one drive 423 yards with the wind at his back, leaving him 46 yards to the pin on No. 1, a hole where he recalls hitting 5-iron in the past. That was a rare birdie. With wedges in his hand, he still managed only a 73. Collin Morikawa won at Muirfield Village last week at 19-under 269, beating Justin Thomas in a playoff. Morikawa opened with a 76. Thomas, who didn’t make a bogey until his 55th hole last week, had two bogeys after two holes. He shot 74. Dustin Johnson shot 80, his highest score on the PGA Tour in more than four years. Rickie Fowler shot 81. By now, players are used to seeing open spaces with minimal distraction. That wasn’t the case for Woods, who last played Feb. 16 when he finished last in the Genesis Invitational during a cold week at Riviera that caused his back to feel stiff. The absence of spectators was something new, and it was even more pronounced with Woods playing alongside McIlroy (70) and Brooks Koepka (72). They still had the biggest group, with 36 people around them on the 16th green. That mostly was TV and radio crews, photographers and a few volunteers. No one to cheer when Woods opened with a birdie and quickly reached 2 under with a wedge that spun back to a foot on the third hole. And there was no one to groan when he wasted a clean card on the back nine with a bunker shot that sailed over the green into the rough. “I definitely didn’t have any issue with energy and not having the fans’ reactions out there,” Woods said. “I still felt the same eagerness, edginess, nerviness starting out, and it was good. It was a good feel. I haven’t felt this in a while.” U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and Brendan Steele each shot 68, with Jon Rahm among those at 69. McIlroy had two splendid short-game shots on the back nine that led to par and birdie, and he was in a group at 70 that included Jordan Spieth and defending champion Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay hit a pitch-and-run across the fifth green that last week would have settled next to the hole. On Thursday, it kept rolling until it was just off the green. Finau didn’t play last week, so he wouldn’t know the difference. “I don’t know about an advantage, but I definitely felt like I played this golf course this way before,” Finau said. “I don’t know what the numbers might be as far as the guys that played last week compared to this week. I’ve played this golf course in these type of conditions, and it definitely helped me.” DeChambeau brought the pop with five more tee shots at 350 yards or longer, two of them over 400 yards. Some of his tee shots wound up in places where players normally hit into the trees or rough and can’t reach the green. But he failed to capitalize with short clubs in his hands. He hit a wedge into a bunker on the 14th and his chip went over the green, which would not have happened last week. He had to make a 6-footer to save bogey. He also was a victim to the swirling wind at the worse time — a 7-iron from 230 yards over the water to the par-5 fifth. The wind died and he never had a chance, leading to bogey. “When I was standing over it, it was 20 miles an hour downwind. And when I hit it, it dead stopped. Can’t do anything about it,” DeChambeau said. “That’s golf, man. You’re not going to shoot the lowest number every single day. I felt like I played really bad. My wedging wasn’t great. If I can tidy that up, make some putts, keep driving it the way I’m doing, I’ll have a chance.”.....»»
Morikawa back from missed cut with strong debut at Muirfield
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Collin Morikawa didn't get rattled by his first missed cut as a pro or his first time playing Muirfield Village. Morikawa finally had a forced weekend off two weeks ago after 22 consecutive cuts to start his PGA Tour career, three short of the standard set by Tiger Woods. He bounced back Thursday in the Workday Charity Open with a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over Adam Hadwin. It was a quiet day of work, typical for the PGA Tour with no spectators allowed in the return from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. It was never more evident at Muirfield Village, which typically has enough fans to frame just about every hole. Morikawa goes about his work quietly in any circumstances, and he was dialed in from the start of a relatively calm and steamy afternoon on the course Jack Nicklaus built. His shot into the par-5 fifth settled 3 feet away for eagle. All but one of his birdie putts was inside 12 feet. The only setback was a bogey from the fairway on the 18th. “It's a beautiful track. It’s a very tough course, obviously, but you just have to map your way around it,” Morikawa said. “You've got to be really smart. If you’re not in the fairway, you’ve got to make sure you play smart. I was playing smart but I felt good with my irons, so I was able to attack some pins when they were accessible.” He liked it so much that Morikawa is even more excited about spending two weeks at Muirfield Village. For the first time in 63 years, the PGA Tour will have tournaments on the same course in consecutive weeks. The Workday Charity Open fills a void this year for the John Deere Classic, which decided to cancel without being able to have spectators, a pro-am or corporate hospitality. The second week at Muirfield Village — the Memorial — was supposed to be the first with fans since the PGA Tour returned June 11. That plan was scrapped at the last minute and it was clear how much work went into it. There were signs for spectator parking along the streets outside the club. Concession and hospitality tents were a few days away from being completed. There was no point taking them down, because sound travels when no one is around. Rory Sabbatini found out the hard way. He was at the top of his swing for his opening tee shot when a volunteer some 80 yards away laughed in conversation. Sabbatini flinched, sent his drive well to the right and he stood looking at the volunteer, too far away to realize what had happened. Jon Rahm was in a perilous spot in juicy rough left of the 14th green, facing a downhill chip toward the water. He took a full swing for a flop shot, it came out softly and raced down the green and into the cup for a birdie. That hole — that shot — is best known for when Tiger Woods chipped in for par on his way to victory in 1999. Rahm was a 4-year-old in Spain at the time, but apparently he has seen enough video of the shot that as he stood to the side of the green, he smiled and said of the empty theater, “Just like when Tiger did it.” Phil Mickelson made plenty of noise, at least for nine holes. Lefty was 4 under at the turn and narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 11th. He made bogey from the bunker. He missed a 5-foot par. He needed two chips from 25 feet to get on the 14th green. He hit in the water for double bogey on the 16th. He shot 41 on the back for a 73. Brooks Koepka played for the first time since withdrawing from the Travelers Championship two weeks ago after his caddie tested positive for the coronavirus. He used PGA Tour winner Marc Turnesa as a caddie for this week, which might be a short week. Koepka opened with a 74. Most of the good scoring came in the morning. Hadwin had five birdies over his last eight holes for a 66. Nick Taylor, a new father who chose to stay home in Canada for an extra month after the tour resumed, had an eagle at No. 11 and kept bogeys off his card for a 67. He was joined by past Muirfield Village winner Hideki Matsuyama. Keegan Bradley had a 69 and was among 35 players who shot in the 60s. One shot summed up the environment at PGA Tour events at the moment. He hit a 6-iron on the par-3 fourth hole for an ace, and didn't even know it. “There was probably five or six people up by the green, and no one did anything,” Bradley said. “We walked up to the green, I fixed my ball mark. I'm looking all over the green for it. And someone just goes, ‘It’s in the hole,' like really casually. It was just bizarre.” And it will be that way for two weeks......»»
Filipino-American MMA star Mark Muñoz recalls retirement bout in Manila
In 2015, Filipino mixed martial arts fans’ prayers were answered when the UFC, finally brought the legendary Octagon to the Philippines. UFC Fight Night Manila was headlined by Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber, two former world champions and two of the world’s best at the time. But while the main event was indeed on worthy of a pay-per-view card, Pinoy fans flocked to the Mall of Asia Arena to see one of their own compete in the Octagon for the very last time. The UFC’s inaugural card in Manila also featured the retirement bout of Filipino-American Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz. (READ ALSO: Mark Muñoz ends career on the highest of notes) Muñoz was 37 at the time, and was already a veteran in the UFC, having fought 14 times for the North American promotion. During his peak in the UFC, the California-native won seven out of eight fights and came within a win away from becoming a title contender, before losing to eventual middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman. Following the loss to Weidman, Munoz went on to drop three of his next four bouts. In the final fight of his MMA career, Muñoz had the chance to go out on top and retire in front of his fellow Filipinos. In front of over 13,000 strong, Muñoz did just that, beating Luke Barnatt via unanimous decision and announcing his retirement durung the post-fight speech. (READ ALSO: The MMA community reacts to Mark Munoz's final fight and retirement) On an episode of The Hit List Vodcast, Muñoz recalled that night and what it meant for him to end his career that way. “Oh man. I would cherish that night forever,” Muñoz said. “Even when I came to the Philippines early and I visited my family, I still have four generations of my family still there and it was so cool to see my whole family and just to have the support there from everybody. It was amazing and for me, you know, I just felt the love.” “I loved it. And when I walked out, I heard just people cheering and as I was walking out, I slapped somebody’s hand and I started crying you know. Like, whoah, that’s crazy, I’m getting ready to fight and you know like, dude that’s nuts. For me to be able to have that impact on people because they love the sport I love and I’m able to do it in a high level, it made me just wanna give,” he continued. Following the hard-fought three-round victory, Muñoz addressed the Pinoy crowd and gave a heartfelt message, thanking his fans and then expressing his desire to help the Philippines out in terms of wrestling, an aspect that has long been deemed lacking or inadequate among Filipino mixed martial artists. “Like I said before, when I got on the microphone, they handed the microphone to me and they never do that, so when they handed the mic to me, I told everybody that I wanna go back to the Philippines and I wanna help in any way I can and so, right now I’m actually building a website that people could access from all around the world, so it’s a wrestling website and I have the best people on there. Muñoz’s commitment to helping Filipino wrestlers remains to this day, saying that he would gladly fly out to the motherland if he was asked to do so. “I have my wrestling room where you could have the capability of getting on there and learning from me, and if someone wants to bring me for a seminar out there, I’ll come. In a heartbeat. I’d love to go back to the Philippines and help my kababayan. Just be able to support and help everybody I can,” he said. While Muñoz did decide to call it a career that night, the former collegiate wrestling star believed that he could still compete at a high level, especially since he was working with world champions and elite-level talent on a daily basis. “I honestly felt that I was still in my prime,” Muñoz admitted. “I honestly felt that I could have fought more and I felt like I could beat still the guys that beat me. I trained with all the best guys. I trained with Lyoto Machida and fought him and I do very well with him inside the gym. Michael Bisping was a training partner of mine. Anderson Silva I trained with him for a very long time. I know that level and I can be at that level. I felt like I could still compete at that level.” The reason why he left the sport, Muñoz explained, is to be able to spend more time with his family. “To answer your question, the reason why I stepped away from the sport was not because my body wasn’t able to do it. I stepped away because my family needed me more than me being in the sport. Because, I’m telling you it was hard for my wife, she was a single mom with all the kids for a long time so it was hard. Things at home was pretty rough for us and I didn’t like that at all. All the while I was coaching and travelling all the time so something has to give. I felt like yes, it was a storybook ending but a the same time, I can still compete with the best guys in the division.” Check out the full interview HERE .....»»
Fan experience to change profoundly amid COVID-19 pandemic
By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dayton Moore remembers so clearly the vast sections of empty seats inside Kauffman Stadium when he took over as general manager of the Kansas City Royals, and he remembers just as vividly — nearly a decade later — how those seats filled and fans roared as the long-suffering club won the World Series. Those dueling memories make the thought of playing games in empty stadiums hard for Moore to fathom. “I know how much strength all players draw from the fans and environment,” he said, when asked about plans to play a shortened season without crowds, “and you need that support to get through an entire Major League Baseball schedule.” As lockdowns are lifted and restrictions eased, sports are finally starting to emerge in the coronavirus pandemic. But in virtually every situation, fans are not yet being allowed to attend and the only consensus for now is that there could be a long period of empty or nearly empty seating. Some U.S. universities are modeling for 25% capacity for the upcoming football season or maybe half-full arenas for the ensuing basketball season. “I think for most sports, a reduced crowd wouldn't negatively impact the overall experience, especially in a situation like baseball or even the NFL,” said Katy Lucy, a digital marketing agent from Atlanta whose fandom is split between all things Georgia Bulldogs and the Washington Capitals. “But it would be different for sure for those who attend in person." Count her family among those who would pause before heading to the ballpark. “For me personally, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable attending a live sporting event until there is a known treatment or widely available vaccine,” Lucy said. “I trust the institutions to put the proper measures in place; however, making sure that they are enforced is another matter.” Many college and pro sports teams already were dealing with declining ticket sales. Watching at home or streaming games are factors, as is the changing social makeup of fan bases. Dynamic pricing, increases in parking and concession prices, and a push toward luxury seating have exacerbated the problem. Major League Baseball attendance has declined six of the past seven seasons. In college football, 13 of the 130 schools that played in the Football Bowl Subdivision reported average crowd sizes of 50% or less last season. Even the NFL has seen an increase in empty seats despite its generally rock-solid popularity. So as coronavirus concerns linger, how are teams going to lure fans back when stadiums do reopen? Loyalty and engagement apps, widespread around the major leagues and colleges even before the pandemic, will become even more common and interactive as teams try to recapture lost revenue. There also will be more behind-the-scenes content and enhancements available via smartphones that will only be available to those in the stadium or arena, offering fans something unique over fans watching at home. “Fans want that experience to be top-notch, period. That's why teams are thinking about this,” said Britton Stackhouse Miller, senior vice president at Fortress U.S., a developer of engagement and integration systems with clients in European soccer, baseball, the NBA, NFL and NHL. Temperature checks, hand sanitizer distribution stations and touchless vending will become the norm for a while. Even concessions will change, though one big difference — gulp — could lead to a lot of grumbling. “If you don't sell beer the number of visits to the bathroom drops dramatically,” said Marc Ganis, the director of sports consulting firm Sportscorp. “So for a time we may have to think about not selling beer.” It won't just be the vast oceans of bench seats left open, either. Many experts believe those hardy fans will be the first to return. It's the corporate suites from which many colleges and pro franchises derive so much of their gameday revenue that may end up being empty until long after games have resumed. Economic woes may last for some time. For fans who stay home, leagues are looking for ways to keep them engaged, too. When Germany's top soccer league returned without fans, broadcaster Sky knew it had a problem with silence coming through the TV. Engineers created “carpet audio” from previous games between the same teams, then teased out roars for specific events such as goals and red cards, giving those watching at home the option of a more realistic experience. “This was the only idea that we thought could be most respectful to the fans,” said Alessandro Reitano, vice president of sports production for Sky Deutschland. “To be honest, it's a major success.” Old crowd noise is a bit like an old game, though. It lacks a certain authenticity. So along came ChampTrack, which created an app that utilizes the microphones of fans. It captures their every roar and groan and sends the audio to its server, which then aggregates the noise into a single stream. That stream is then returned to the viewer using proprietary algorithms to provide the broadcast with real-time sound, which is then immediately erased to ensure personal privacy. “Once they press play on our web app, they can hear what everyone else is cheering about and their own cheer,” said ChampTrack chief executive Elias Anderson, adding the system could soon handle as many as 150,000 fans for each game. Sound is one element of the fan experience. Optics is another. “When it was clear there would be no audience this season, the fans had the idea of bringing their images to the stadium,” said Lubbo Popken, deputy press secretary for German soccer club Borussia Monchengladbach, which affixed fan likenesses to their seats. “We were surprised how many people wanted to be part of this idea and have their images in the stadium. It really changed the atmosphere in the empty stadium.” Of course, none of that is the same as having real fans creating real noise......»»
Wellness center celebrates a decade of healing
A certain demographic of women who need support, healing, self-improvement or with fitness goals is drawn to ONELIFE, a center for Pilates and physical therapy. This year, ONELIFE has turned 10 years old, and to celebrate, the studio’s clientele made up of mostly women gathered together last 23 May at the studio’s Estancia Mall branch to look back at how their journey began. “Ten years ago, we started something small. We wanted a place for people to come and work on themselves without feeling intimidated, without feeling judged, without feeling insecure,” said an emotional Tanya Maria Aguila, founder of ONELIFE, during her speech at the company’s 10th-anniversary party. [caption id="attachment_137170" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Tanya Maria Aguila, founder of ONELIFE.[/caption] The party was packed with women in athleisure chic attire, sporting ONELIFE’s colors of blue, ecru, white and grey. It’s a community of glowing women, whose lives have changed and have become one in their sustainable goal: To feel good, become better and healthier—and support fellow women to achieve the same. ONELIFE is clearly driven by the need to help a Filipino woman with her unique needs. It understands that a woman’s body is ever-changing, coupled with various experiences, such as the transition to motherhood, aging and juggling parenthood and career, and how these factors affect her body. Not to mention how women look at other women on social media. “As a woman, it’s so difficult to really—with social media nowadays, right? It’s so difficult to keep up. And so we really wanted this place to become an even safer place for women,” mused Tanya. Tanya described how ONELIFE through the years has shaped into a place for a variety of programs or “care tracks”—be it weight loss, strengthening, toning, posture correction or general fitness. According to Tanya, they have the best licensed physical therapists in the country and internationally trained fitness coaches and consultants. ONELIFE also introduced a care track that focuses on pregnant women, which Tanya says is the first in the country. With studios scattered in major cities in the Metro — San Juan, Pasig and Makati — Tanya even plans to expand ONELIFE to reach and support more women. “What we want to do, really, is to expand here more and abroad. We really want to be a Filipino company that expands abroad. So we are hoping to expand where our physical therapists go to: Australia, the US, Canada and hopefully, later on, Asia,” she shared. If a woman has a physical injury or condition, ONELIFE designs a program to address these needs. “What we do here is actually very bespoke,” added Tanya. “It’s personalized every single time. So in terms of program, we really customize it each time. What people can expect is that when they come here, it’s always like a new program for them, depending on what they need at the moment.” “When you have a special condition, we ask for your doctor’s diagnosis and recommendation, and our PTs read that and they execute the program with a bit of a customized program for us as well,” she said. ONELIFE’s community of its women clientele, who had forged friendships over the years, advocate women empowerment and support. Tanya, the women’s leader and friend, on her company’s 10th year, still carries that fervent passion in her crusade for women’s well-being and betterment. “…We realized, to serve the people best, people like us who have special needs, who have special — you know, who need a little bit of support — we needed to specialize more and more. So we’re here. ONELIFE has evolved into a place that’s really for women. I dare say that we know women best,” Tanya concluded. The post Wellness center celebrates a decade of healing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jason Hernandez releases new single specifically for Moira dela Torre
Jason Marvin Hernandez once again made headlines after confirming that his newly released single entitled "Ikaw Pa Rin" is really dedicated to his estranged wife Moira Dela Torre. In the music video of his new song, the singer-songwriter included actual clips taken during their wedding ceremony. This concluded the series of photos that Hernandez's previously shared on his social media account prior to releasing the song's video. This confession received mixed reactions from fans but amid this new controversy, Hernandez firmly admitted that he desperately wants Dela Torre back in his life. The post Jason Hernandez releases new single specifically for Moira dela Torre appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Slander’s ‘Wish I Could Forget’ features blackbear, Bring Me The Horizon
GRAMMY-nominated American electronic music duo and producers SLANDER (Derek Andersen and Scott Land) have released their new single “Wish I Could Forget,” featuring multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and producer blackbear and GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum-selling quintet Bring Me The Horizon. The collaboration — first teased live by SLANDER last summer to over 18,500 fans at the Long Beach Arena — is a true worlds-colliding moment, uniquely bringing in the sounds of all three accomplished artists. “Working with blackbear and Bring Me The Horizon was a dream come true and we are thrilled with how the final version has turned out! We have been fans of both of them for years, so to hear bear and Oli together on one track is truly incredible,” said Andersen. The official music video is directed by Emil Nava, the talented visual storyteller with directorial credits on videos by Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Khalid, Ellie Goulding and more. The release of “Wish I Could Forget” marks the start of an extremely busy year for the musicians and label heads, as SLANDER gears up to perform in Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza Paris, a Las Vegas residency at Zouk and more later this year. The post Slander’s ‘Wish I Could Forget’ features blackbear, Bring Me The Horizon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Coco Martin confirms 12-year relationship with Julia Montes
Finally, Coco Martin and Julia Montes fans may now rejoice! Martin has finally confirmed that he’s in a relationship with Julia Montes for 12 years, putting an end to longstanding speculations about their romantic status. The “Batang Quiapo” star made the revelation on ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol on Tuesday, May 23, where they were asked about the status […] The post Coco Martin confirms 12-year relationship with Julia Montes appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»