Konted's Make My Day

The Times Are A-Changin'

In the old Roman calendar, March was the first month of the year. After December came March. But this was changed and January and February were added. From 10 months to 12 months, so I was made to understand. And January was taken from the name 'Janus', the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. Janus is a two-faced god looking two ways. Similarly, January is symbolic as we look forward to the months ahead and, likewise, we look back to the past months. A good time to contemplate and make assessments. And if needed, we make adjustments and reset goals.

As I sat alone in an armchair amidst the blaring sounds and glittering, colorful lights shooting across the skies welcoming the new year, thoughts of years gone by started flashing through my mind. As one who sometimes finds delight in dwelling on the past, it was flashback time for me. I was turning back the hands of time.

I clearly recalled, many years ago, when my 2nd son Allen was a grade school student at the Ateneo de Manila in Katipunan. He was an energetic kid who liked to run and run and play basketball with just anyone his age or even older. He always had marbles and bubble gums in his pockets and when it was time to go home, it was not surprising to see dust and dirt on his shoes, pants and shirt.

There was a time when he had a near scuffle with a bigger, taller and older student. There was some pushing or shoving but no punches were thrown. It was "away bata", so to speak. The bigger kid. while taking a fighting stance, shouted: "Hindi mo ba alam anak ako ni Senator Heherson Alvarez?" To which my son Allen, with clenched fists, shouted back: "Hindi mo din ba alam anak ako ni Teddy Gener?"

Here was Allen pitting his father against the father of his opponent. A plain citizen against a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Allen had that big psychological image of his father that he would accept any dare or challenge. In his mind, I was bigger and tougher than anyone else. BTW, this is just an old story about Allen which I sometimes recall and it always elicits that corresponding laughter. I do not mean to put the other kid and the good senator in bad light. Senator Alvarez was a good member of the Philippine Senate and I always voted for him. Back to the ballgame.

Now, why am I telling you this? Because times are a'changin'. In those days, I could do no wrong in the eyes of Allen. I was indestructible. I was invincible. I was infallible. He looked at me as the walking encyclopedia. But not anymore. Not now. He begins to question my wisdom. My opinions do not carry a lot of weight anymore. He does things most of the time on his own. Without consulting me. A stark contrast to the days of old. The times, they are really a- changin' !!!!!

- Konted

Allen now with a family of his own

Allen is now 34 yrs. old while Albert is 22 yrs. old - 12 yrs. apart

Allen's eldest son Andre

Andre likes to play billiards

With his grandfather watching

I don't know the existing billiard rules now

This Macau bird knows the real score

Allen's grandmother joining the toast during UP's College of Law centennial celebration last December. She is now almost 94 yrs. old.

With Atty. Viben (Gene's legal adviser)

With UP College of Law Dean Raul Pangalangan

With her granddaughter Dra. Princess Gener

Contemplating on new year's eve

Old to pedal a bike?

With Allen's daughter Ashley

Not allowed to drink Cola but...

Fountain to greet the new year

More fireworks

Watching fireworks display

Round or oval for a prosperous new year

P.I.'s Castañas

Free-range eggs

Will this really be a lucky year?

Sipit ng Alimango

For higher cholesterol level

Medium shrimps

Porkloin

Fish Fillet

Tender meat with gravy

Crispy Pata

Fiesta Ham

Host Rene G. with Dr. Rondel G. Torres & wife

Allen with his Tita Ivy

Waking up their lola to greet the new year

"Listen, this was how we did things in the old days"

With cousin Ric

With Dr. Rondel

With cousin Art G.

With Ric & the Guevarra siblings

Allen's Tita Brenda

Allen's Court of Appeals. He always appeals my decisions to his mother.

Dra. Excella G. Torres (father's sibling) & Atty. G. Gener (Allen's Supreme Court)

Muhammad Ali : The Greatest

It was from classmate Jimmy Tiangco, in 1962, that I first heard the name Sonny Liston. Knowing that I was then an avid fan of Floyd Patterson, he was telling me that Patterson's reign as heavyweight champion was about to end. And Jimmy went on to describe Liston as a mean and lean fighter. A tough and rough looking guy who would demolish anyone with just a combination of punches. He was, according to Jimmy, called the "big bear."

And true enough, Liston, dubbed as the "killing machine", destroyed America's sentimental favorite, Patterson, in Round One to win the heavyweight title. He, again, knocked Patterson out in one round in their rematch. He was now universally perceived as indestructible who would finish his opponents in early rounds. He was methodically aggressive, overpowering and viewed by boxing analysts as the boxer most likely to rule the heavyweight division for a long time.

But in a short time came a young boxer from Louisville, Kentucky who challenged the reigning champ. He was tall at 6 ft 3 inches and with good body built. But what drew the attention, and the ire, of boxing aficionados was the man's being talkative. Being loquacious is the right word. He talked too much and non-stop. And he kept taunting the champ and called him 'the ugly big bear'. His name was Cassius Clay and this was in 1964.

No one was taking Cassius Clay seriously. While shouting that he was going "to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee", he was a 7-1 underdog come fight time. Liston said the fight would be over in 2 rounds. And at the start of the bell, Clay was dancing and throwing strong punches and made Liston look bad as the Big Bear could not land a punch. Perhaps frustrated and shamed by an unknown pugilist, Liston quit after round 6. The braggart from Louisville, Kentucky was now the new heavyweight champion of the world. In his own words, Clay " shook up the world". He was now calling himself "the greatest".

The return bout was shorter but controversial. In Round One, while on the offensive, Liston was hit by a chopping right to the head and he dropped to the canvass. He was counted out. The Ali punch was so quick that some did not see it. Some called it the Phantom Punch. Others said Liston, known as having ties with the Mafia, took a dive. But I have been reviewing the tape up to now and still cannot say if Liston threw the fight. My two cents worth is that if Liston threw the fight, it was that he knew he could not beat Clay.

At that time, whenever I would see Jimmy somewhere in the Santa Mesa Heights area, I was now doing the ribbing. "What happened to your Big Bear, Jimmy?" And Jimmy would just smile. And in 1969, during one of our drinking sprees, Jimmy tappped my hand and said:" Ted, abangan mo si Joe Frazier. Magaling."

And, again, consistent to Jimmy's impression, Joe Frazier was a very good fighter and a knockout artist. He kept moving forward, kept applying pressure on his opponent through relentless punches and, for this, he was called "Smoking Joe" And this Smoking Joe had to cross paths three times with Cassius Clay who was now called Muhammad Ali. Frazier decked Ali in the 15th and final round to win by unanimous decision. The 2nd and 3rd fights of the classic trilogy were won by Ali with the 3rd fight ending in a technical knockout in the 14th round. The more Ali called himself "the greatest". Still I could not agree completely.

At about this time, a new powerful figure was emerging and was stealing the thunder in the boxing scene. This was in 1973. With a record of 37 - 0 with 34 knockouts, 6 ft 4" George Foreman easily disposed of Frazier in two rounds with devastating blows to the body to win the heavyweight crown. It was a one-sided match and others called it as a mismatch. Foreman knocked Frazier down 6 times. He was now hailed as a great champion. And the inevitable had to come: Foreman Vs. Ali. This was in 1974.

It was billed as The Rumble in the Jungle with Foreman as the overwhelming favorite. He had that aura of invincibility. At 32, Ali was past his prime and I thought that he was fighting Foreman in Zaire just for the money. I was watching the fight in my father's clinic at Utex. The 1st round saw Ali trading punches with Foreman. And in the succeeding rounds, just when I thought he would use his footwork and hand speed to his advantage, Ali took refuge in the loose ropes, contented with shielding his face and head with his gloves. He allowed Foreman to throw punches with the intent of tiring the reigning champ.

In Round 8, just when I was about to give the fight to Foreman, Ali unleashed a very powerful punch to Foreman's face that staggered Big George. Ali followed this with successive punches that finally floored Foreman. When he was trying hard to beat the count, the referee, seeing how dazed he was, counted Foreman out. Again, Muhammad Ali was world champion.

It was Ali's defining moment. It showed, once again, his superior boxing skills, his sound discretion, his strength, his speed and agility. He defied seemingly insurmountable odds and proved critics and skeptics wrong. And as I was about to step out of my father's clinic, I looked at Father and said: "This man is indeed the greatest." To which Father replied: "Yes, yes.....the greatest.....of all time !!!!!"

- Konted

* see video - ali vs foreman Round 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY3yIIxXvy4