Online Escape: Human Tetris

Rumor Mill: Aurora's Phillips to fight Duddy?

Rumor has it that Aurora's own IBF Light Middleweight champion Verno Phillips (42-10, 21 KOs) may be making his title defense against undefeated Irish phenom John Duddy (25-0, 17).

For Duddy, a natural middleweight, it will new ground. He has never fought below 155 pounds – light middleweights need to weigh in at 154.

Phillips has fought between 147 and 160 his entire career. Making weight won't be a problem for him, but age could be. At 38, he's no spring chicken. Duddy, who's nine years younger, is in the prime of his career.

Duddy is also a completely different fighter than Cory Spinks, who Phillips defeated for the title. Spinks is a slow, methodic defensive specialist. Duddy hits you until you fall down.

The thrilla from Manila

Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns did it back in the 80s.

Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. did it more recently.

And now boxer Manny Pacquiao joins this select group of men who have won world titles at five different weight classes after beating down former WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz June 28 in Las Vegas.

Alright, so Pacquiao technically won The Ring magazine's featherweight lineal title from Barrera in 2003 and not one of the big four (IBF, WBC, WBA and, to a lesser extent, the WBO). But Barrera was the WBC champion before he decided to vacate the title.

Regardless, Pacquiao is still the first Asian boxer to win a major title at four different weight divisions and is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world since Mayweather retired.

At his essence, Pacquiao is a crowd-pleasing brawler, someone who is willing to go punch-for-punch until someone falls. But he's a brawler who's faster and stronger than everyone who gets in the ring with him. And ever since he's improved his footwork after his first fight against Erik Morales, he's been a beast.

And his feats don't stop in the ring.

According to The Philippine Star, the Metro Manila police reported no crimes as, apparently, everyone stayed in to watch him dismantle Diaz.

Now the question is, where does he go from here?

He has plenty of high-profile opponents to battle at 135 from Nate Campbell to Joel Casamayor, but they're all fighting one another in September. This means Pacquiao wouldn't have a crack at them until early 2009.

There's 130-pound WBA champion Edwin Valero who would be a fun fight. The fight would probably have to take place overseas since Valero isn't cleared to fight in the U.S. with the exception of Texas.

There's also the less-likely option of moving up to junior welterweight and fight Ricky Hatton. Hatton has about an inch in height on Pacquiao, but it would be a high-profile match with plenty of action.

Then there's the rumor of meeting Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach told ESPN.com that they'd be willing to fight at 147 if the money's right.

Pacman vs. the Golden Boy would be an interesting and entertaining match-up, but my bet is that he's probably going to fight Valero before the end of the year – probably in Macau or Tokyo.

But whatever happens, this pride of the Philippines has captured the hearts of imaginations of fans around the world.

Online Escape: Creative pole vaulting

The Japanese sure have a lot of time on their hands.

False alarm

David Ho, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had an interesting plane trip recently. On a flight from New York to Las Vegas, he was pulled off of a plane because a woman caught him putting an Airborne tablet into a bottle of water and called the cops.

"I didn't expect a return to the gate. Certainly not the Port Authority Police car waiting for us and four more cars and trucks speeding our way. I was really surprised by the two guys in black body armor who strode toward the front of the plane with automatic weapons."

He was questioned by the police, but they soon figured out that he was harmless.

In his piece, he mentions that the officer who questioned him seemed to be annoyed by the amount of false claims he has to deal with.

I can see the PSA announcement now:
So remember minorities, the next you fly, watch what you do because even the most ordinary routines can be seen as a terrorist threat.

Dang, makes me think twice about bringing Alka Seltzer the next time I fly.

Online Escape: Space bears

Help! These space bears make me do crazy things!

My inner fanboy

I've been a comic book collector ever since I was 7 years old. I still have the very first one I ever owned: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures," Vol. 2, No. 23.

But it took a couple more years before I started to read the "real" comics. I still remember that day in July 1993 when I picked up a copy of "Uncanny X-Men" No. 302.

The floodgates were opened.

Over the next seven years, I became an avid reader of Marvel Comics, reading all the X-titles, while staying current with various other books such as "Avengers West Coast" and a few others. Since then, I've been an on-again, off-again collector, picking up a few titles here and there, but never staying consistant.

However, I recently started collecting again. It's a little strange to actually have money to spend on leisure reading. Sure I pick up novels, but there's something about comic books that creates nostalgia, taking me back to my childhood. And some of the stories are amazingly written. (If you get a chance, go pick up a copy of Mark Millar's "Kick-Ass")

Last night I pulled out my two long boxes of comics filled with hundreds of comics from my youth. I had forgotten how extensive my collection was. It was fun seeing how some of the issues I owned are worth more than $50, according to the books.

Granted, they would probably only garner $15 to $25 on eBay, but the monetary value doesn't matter. It's the stories inside them that do.

I haven't had a chance to finish categorizing them yet, but it's been fun picking up the forgotten treasures in my collection and reading them all over again.

Money makers (the ones that actually have some monetary value): "Ultimate Spider-Man" #5 ($75, supposedly), "Ultimate Spider-Man" #2 car cover ($50), a few other "Ultimate Spider-Mans" that are $15-30 (notice a trend?)

Issues that took me forever to hunt down: "Gambit" #1 Gold foil, "Marvel Mangaverse" #1

Comics that make me glad I read comics: "Kick-Ass," "JLA/Avengers," "Secret Invasion"

A look at Team USA

America's dream team days are over. This was particularly evident in the 2004's embarrassing third-place performance.

In an effort to remedy the United States' international struggles, the USOC worked for four years to compile a team that wouldn't just be a gathering of stars, but a team.

Let's take a look at the roster:

Point guards Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams Having a good point guard is the most important piece of any basketball team and that's what the 2004 team lacked. With Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury and Dwyane Wade – none of whom are true points – the team struggled. Without an unselfish player to share the ball, it's difficult to score. But this year they have three true point guards, arguably three of the best the NBA has to offer aside from Canada's Steve Nash. Kidd will give the team a big, bruiser who likes to run. Paul is perhaps the best 1-guard in the game today and Williams is isn't far behind.

Two guards Kobe Bryant, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade Bryant is the best player in the game today. Period. No one can guard him one-on-one. With him in the lineup, it opens up a shot for any number of players. Redd is a deadly three-point threat, something else the team was missing in 2004. With three true point guards, Wade will be more effective playing his more natural 2-guard position.

Forwards LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Tayshaun Prince It's difficult to make the distinction between the 3 and the 4 positions with this year's team. Over the past few years, James and Anthony have both positions. James gives the team another distributing threat and can take over games if he needs to. Anthony has been the team's best scorer over the past few years and he should continue to in the Olympics. Few can guard him when he's posting up. Prince is a long, gangly defender who will be a pest against opposing player. Boozer is a prototypical power forward. He's big, physical and will be a presence on the inside. Look for him to play some minutes at center.

Centers Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh Howard has emerged as a monster with Orlando since he was drafted, finally utilizing his physical talents and size. He's a rebounding machine. Bosh is an athletic big man who will draw defenders out of the paint with his range.

Strengths • Athleticism No team in the world is more athletic than the U.S. They'll use this to their advantage.

• Everyone is a scoring threat From the point guards to the centers, everybody on the team is a potentially dangerous threat to drop 20. And with three highly skilled point guards, everyone will.

• Thieves Paul, Bryant, James and Kidd all finished in the top 10 last season in steals. Team America is certain to be filled with ball hawks in Beijing.

Weakness • Size At 6'11, Howard is the tallest person on the team. It's a far cry from the true centers the team used to have with David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. It could be a problem when playing against larger teams such as Spain and the Gasol brothers.

• Inexperience in the international game There are subtle differences with NBA and FIBA rules such as the trapezoidal paint, true zone defense and one less referee. But FIBA rules are a little closer to NCAA rules and Coach K certainly knows those.

• Shot blocking
The team lacks a great shot blocker. Howard averaged 2.2 and Bosh had 1.2 last season. True, Howard finished fifth in the league last year, but beyond him, there's no one else.

Prediction: I'm a homer when it comes to sports, so my views may be bias. But I'm thinking the U.S. is going to be undefeated in Beijing en route to the gold. There are going to be obstacles – Argentina and Spain have strong teams – but I tend to side with teams who have good point guards. And the U.S. have the best out there right now.

Seven words

Seven words you can say about George Carlin:

Satirical. Funny. Outspoken. Witty. Controversial. Respected. Timeless.

An army of one

I went out to see comedian Jo Koy perform June 18 at ComedyWorks Downtown. I interviewed him the day before, so I figured it'd be fun to see him live.

As I was walking down the stairs to the main room, I could see a man coming up.

"Joe?" he asked.

I didn't recognize him, but it seemed like he knew me, so I replied, "Yes?"

"It's so nice to meet you!" he said as he introduced himself. He was someone who worked there, so I assumed it was someone who knew I was working on the story.

Well, until he said this:

"Is everything OK for you at the condo?" he asked.

At first I couldn't figure out what he meant by that, but then it became clear.

"I think you have me mistaken for Jo Koy," I said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "You look so much like him."

We've all had a case of mistaken identity. Whether it's moment when someone thinks we're someone else or we think a complete stranger is an old friend, it's happened to us all.

But this takes "all Asians look alike" to a new level.

Now before you roll your eyes, thinking, Joe's over-reacting and started on yet another rant about Asian stereotypes, keep in mind that Koy's pictures are plastered all over the building. And we don't look alike – at all.



I wouldn't mind if I was mistaken for someone who bore a resemblance to me. I mean, when I was rockin' my fu manchu and someone said I kind of looked like Chow Yun-Fat from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," I'd be fine with that.

It’s not something I found makes me angry; rather it’s something that’s humorous in a sad, sad way. And it's not just from random people, the mainstream media's done this, too. People Magazine mistakenly used a picture of actor Karl Yune for a story about Korean pop star Rain back in May.

Heck, countries aren't immune to this either. In 2006, the Associated Press ran a story about China planning lunar missions. So, they attached a graphic with a Japanese flag planted into Dione, one of Saturn's moons.

Apparently all moons look alike, too.



"The Office" made fun of this phenomenon in its Dec. 14, 2006 episode where Michael (Steve Carell) and Andy (Ed Helms) pick up two Asian waitresses at Benihana's and bring them to the office Christmas party. But when they get there, Michael isn't able to tell them apart, and doesn't remember which one is the one who is with him. When he does, he slyly marks her with a marker.

The premise wasn't the only joke – the show used two sets of Asian-American actresses with different appearances to play the same role.

It was a brilliant move to not only make a jab at this stereotype, but to give it a full uppercut.

Sadly, I doubt many folks actually picked up on it.

Sigh, I can't wait until next week when my "doppelganger" Russell Peters performs at ComedyWorks.

Vote for me!

Alright readers, I'm usually not a campaigning man, but it's Hot Stuff season and I want to win a category.

Everyone should vote for my blog as the Best Cup o' Joe.

Should 7-Eleven or McDonald's win again with their coffee? No! My blog should be Best Cup o' Joe.

Together, we can do this.

Yes, we can.

A shirt-y idea

CNN has started selling T-shirts that feature headlines on them.

Now, for a fee of $15 plus $4.99 shipping and handling, you can own a shirt that says, “McCain: I will veto every beer” or “$200 bird poop facial offered by spa” on it.

All this with “I just saw it on CNN.com” at the bottom.

Wow! I know I can’t pass this offer up.

Ugh, I hope this fails miserably because if it works, then editors everywhere will try to create bad headlines to peddle shirts.

Online Escape: A bad day in the office

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