Inflammatory categories

It's not often that someone is attacked for being politically correct, but that's what Paulo Serodio alleges happened to him.

The former New Jersey med school student claims in a lawsuit that he told his professor and classmates that he is a "white, African, American," according to the Associated Press, since he is a Caucasian male who was born in Mozambique and later became a U.S. citizen.

He said various classmates and staff members at the school found it offense that a Caucasian man would call himself "African-American," which led to harassment and his inevitable suspension.

For all I know, he could have been someone who was unfairly discriminated against or an absolute jerk who provoked others. Regardless, this story got me thinking about how I categorize myself.

Throughout high school and college, I called myself either Asian American or Vietnamese American. While widely accepted, it isn't quite true. One day, my freshman college roommate, Steph, asked me why I called myself that since I was born here, adding that I should just be "American."

Easy for him to say. He doesn't have to answer the consequential follow-up question, "No, what are you, really?" before having to engage in an inane conversation about everything that person knows about Vietnam and/or Asia. (Note to others: I don't care that you've tried pho or know someone who shares my last name.)

At the time I felt it was an attack on my pride of my heritage, but he was right. Calling myself something hyphenated wasn't accurate. I wasn't born in Vietnam or any other part of Asia. Heck, I haven't even been over there.

Taiwan-born Milwaukee Bucks forward Joe Alexander has more reason to be called Asian American than I do, despite the fact that he's Caucasian.

So what does that leave me? In recent years, I've gone with "American of Vietnamese descent." It's more accurate but not completely.

I suppose I could go with "American of mostly Vietnamese but also Chinese and perhaps French descent," but that may be too long.

Time to crown King Manny

(and boom goes the dynamite)

Wow.

Simply wow.

When Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao faced British fighter Ricky Hatton last Saturday, I – along with nearly every boxing analyst I saw and read – predicted that it was going to be a long, hard-fought bout (I had Pacquiao winning with a ninth-round knockout). This was only the Pacman's third bout above 130 and Hatton had an undefeated record at light welterweight.

In fact, the only person I saw who predicted anything short of a drawn-out battle was Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, who said it wasn't going to go past three rounds.

It didn't even get to round three. In fact it was absolutely lopsided as Pacquiao utterly dominated Hatton, knocking him down twice in the first before taking him out with a devastating left with a second left in the second. Hatton's trademark bullying tactics could not work against someone so fast, so strong and oh so accurate.

Any doubts that he's not big enough to compete at this weight has been erased. Those who questioned his beating of an over-the-hill, malnourished Oscar De La Hoya can't argue with his results against Hatton, who before this weekend was the reigning king of light welterweights.

All hail, King Manny.

When Pacquiao beat Erik Morales, he was considered one of the best fighters the Philippines had produced, alongside Flash Elorde. When he won the world title at 135 and then beat De La Hoya at 147, he was seen as the best boxer Asia's produced and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. With his domination of Hatton, he now has to be placed among the greatest of all time.

This from a 98-pound 16-year-old who lied about his age and placed metal weights in his pockets so that he could participate in his first fight 14 years ago.

But like most boxing fans, I want to see him face Floyd Mayweather Jr., the former pound-for-pound champion. If Mayweather beats Juan Manuel Marquez in July, it's almost a certainty that their paths will clash in a December or January fight.

Mayweather has shown that he has problems against fighters who are faster and stronger than him. Against Zab Judah, he struggled early on as Judah pushed him. But Judah has no stamina and once round three started, Mayweather was in his rhythm.

But Pacquiao's no Judah. He's faster, more accurate and has some of the best footwork in boxing. Mayweather relies on speed and accuracy, too, so it'll be fun to watch.

Broncos draft recap

Coach McDaniels, I hope you know what you're doing.

Coming into this year's draft, the number one concern for the Broncos, according to most analysts, is defense. And what did the Broncos take with their first pick? That's right, a running back.

Wait, what?

A look at the Broncos picks:

First round, No. 12 pick: RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 5'11", 217 lb.
As my friend Dan said, the best defense is a great offense and taking Moreno surely helps that cause. The running back was a big-time playmaker in college, and should give the Broncos their first true big-name back since Clinton Portis. That said, I'm confused why the Broncos grabbed him so high. Moreno was projected to be available in the 20s and Texas DE Brian Orakpo was still available.

First round, No. 18 overall: DE Robert Ayers, Tennessee, 6'3", 270 lb.
Ayers isn't exactly the pass rusher the Broncos so desperately need. He lacks that elite first step speed and didn't get many sacks last year at Tenn. But he is a big-time hitter and a solid run stopper, something Denver will need going into a 3-4 defense. Still, I would've liked to have seen them go with someone like USC LB Rey Maualuga here.

Second round, No. 37 overall: CB Alphonso Smith Jr., Wake Forest, 5'9", 193 lb.
With Dre Bly gone, the Broncos needs someone to eventually take his place. Smith is a ballhawking shutdown corner -- he actually broke Bly's ACC record for career interceptions with 21. While he may be pretty short for a corner, so was Bly (5'10") and former Broncos CB Darrent Williams (5'8"). I like this pick, but Maualuga was still available here.

Second round, No. 48 overall: S Darcel McBath, Texas Tech, 6'1", 196 lb.
McBath is a solid, well-rounded safety who has the potential to take over as a starting in a year or two. Scouts say he's not a dominant hitter, but being around Brian Dawkins may help that.

Second round, No. 64 overall: TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina, 6'4", 260 lb.
Quinn is an excellent blocking tight end, but he's not much of a receiver. I'm confused by this pick, the Broncos already have Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham on the roster. There were a number of defensive lineman who could've been taken here.

Fourth round, No. 114 overall: S David Bruton, Notre Dame, 6'2", 219 lb.
He's big and he hits hard, exactly what Denver needs in the secondary. He's not the fastest person out there, so coverage will be a weakpoint.

Fourth round, No. 132 overall: G Seth Olsen, Iowa, 6'5", 306 lb.
Depth on the line is something the Broncos need and Olsen provides that. He's versatile, being able to play both guard and tackle.

Fifth round, No. 141 overall: WR Kenny McKinley, South Carolina, 6'0", 189 lb.
Solid route runner with sure hands. Kinda thin, but athletic.

Sixth round, No. 174 overall: QB Tom Brandstater, Fresno State, 6'5", 220 lb.
He's built like a prototypical quarterback: big and strong. McDaniels seems to be able to get the best out of his quarterbacks, so this could be a good pick. Regardless, Brandstater will probably be the No. 3 QB for a while.

Seventh round, No. 225 overall: C Blake Schlueter, TCU, 6'2", 290 lb.
He's quick, agile and a little undersized -- typical lineman for the Broncos' blocking scheme.

Analysis
While Denver did shore up some of its defensive needs, getting a pass rusher wasn't one of them. Getting Orakpo and Maualuga in the first round would've greatly helped. Moreno is an interesting pick, especially with the number of RBs they have on the roster already. Then again, it's been a long time since Denver's had a RB of his pedigree on the team.

It wasn't a great draft, but it wasn't horrible. Getting Smith in the second round is nice, but giving up their first round pick is risky. McDaniels has a lot of confidence in his team to give up a potentially top 10 pick.

Who they should pick up
K Louie Sakoda, Utah, 5'9", 176 lb.
Matt Prater tailed off at the end of last season, so why not get someone to give him a run for his money in the preseason. Sakoda is the most decorated college kicker to come out this year, so why not give him a chance?

FS Otis Wiley, Michigan State 6'2", 210 lb.
Big free safety who has a lot of potential if he stays healthy.

And who they should've picked up
DT George "The Rabid Goldfish" Hypolite, Colorado, 6'2", 270 lb.
He's small for the 3-4 scheme, but it'd just be cool to have "The Rabid Goldfish" on the team.

Nuggets are golden

Who would’ve thunk it that when the Nuggets traded away Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups and Marcus Camby for, well, nothing really, that they would actually improve?

I admit it, when we sent Camby to the Clippers, I called it the “worst trade in Nuggets history.” But having Nene and Kenyon Martin healthy, and Chris Andersen ranked second in the league in blocks (Camby finished fourth), the Nuggs have effectively become better as a whole while saving quite a bit of money.

Most of that credit, however, should go to Billups, who’s shown why he’s one of the league’s best point guards. Beyond his stats on the court (17.9 ppg, 6.4 apg), he’s emerged as the clubhouse’s leader; a voice everyone in the locker room listens to because he commands authority — and has two championship rings to back it up.

Carmelo Anthony has become a more well-rounded player because of it. Not needing to drop 30 every game, he helps by crashing the boards and being a more efficient player all around.
And heading into the playoffs, the team looks to be on a roll, led by J.R. Smith, who’s averaging 25 ppg in the month of April.

While this the Lakers are far and away the best team in the conference, Denver looks like it has the ability to beat any other team in the west. It could be a fun playoff season in Denver — finally.

Online Escape: The 'illmatic' Kim Jong

The illmatic Kim Jong Il struts his stuff on the dance floor. Gotta love Danny Cho and the Far-East Movement.

Taking one for the team

Times are tough, there’s no doubt about that.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are finding themselves out of work. Splattered across the news are headlines that say unemployment rates are reaching levels unseen in decades.

And the effects are spreading across the board. We in the news industry are seeing our fellow journalists lose their jobs as many newsrooms across the country are downsizing in order to survive. But one reporter decided to give the ultimate sacrifice to help save a coworker.

Nicole Wong, a business reporter at The Boston Globe, volunteered to be laid off.

It’s unprecedented. In this economy, just having a job is a blessing. But Wong didn’t want to see someone with a family lose their job just because they had less seniority. Someone with roots in Boston where uplifting them would be far more difficult than it would be for her.

In a note posted on Facebook, Wong wrote about the countless stories she’s covered about people who have been negatively affected by the economy.

“Their stories of strife have lingered in the back of my mind. It’s tough being out of work,” she wrote. “And even tougher when you have a family or mortgage to take care of.

“I happen to have neither.”

These stories, ultimately, found their way into her daily life as coworkers often expressed worries about losing their jobs, she wrote. After much thought, Wong came to the difficult decision that leaving the Globe would be for the best.

“ ... it should be less of a hardship for me to find a job since I’m more mobile than my colleagues who have spouses, kids, mortgages, and more. (This is probably the first time I’m relieved to not even have a boyfriend or a house!),” she wrote.

While one job may not seem like much compared to the 50 that the Globe is eliminating, the unselfish gesture and the optimism Wong displays is a beacon of light in these dark, uncertain times. It’s a story that shows the American spirit and says, hey, we can make it past this.

“With that, I’m off to pursue the next great adventure!” she closed.

We hope it’s a good one, Nicole, you deserve it.

Fight nights

Both Vitali Klitschko and Roy Jones Jr. were in action in the ring this weekend. It's a fun week in boxing — if they were fighting six years ago.

Klitschko pummeled overmatched mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez to retain his WBC Heavyweight Title. Jones destroyed Omar Sheika to get some light heavyweight alphabet soup belt.

Omar who?

Exactly.

Heavyweights
Klitschko is heads and shoulders above everyone in the heavyweight division with the exception of one man — his 32-year-old brother Wladimir — but don't look for the two to ever battle. Britain's David Haye, a former cruiserweight champ, has been looking for a fight with one of the brothers for months now and he looks like he may get his chance as Wladimir's camp says they're getting close for a June 20 bout.

And while that's all fine and dandy, there aren't many American prospects who look like they can challenge them. 28-year-old Chris Arreola has size (6'4", 255) and power, but hasn't fought anyone with world-class ability yet. John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman and Lamon Brewster are all in their mid- to late-30s.

Junior Welterweights
This is one of the most exciting division in boxing today. And it's all for one reason: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton in May. Hatton's a hard-nosed brawler who tries to bully his opponents. Pacquiao's quick on his feet and has tremendous power. Both like to punch. This'll be fun.