'After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.'

• 11Jun 09

  Ronaldo Sale: A New Era Begins

  

  1 and a half years have passed since my last blog post. It seems in the past year I've neglected Gamespot, which I don't know if I should consider a good or a bad thing. I've dropped in from time to time, but my visits were brief. The news however that my team, Man Utd, have finally caved in to Real Madrid justifies a new blog post. Today marks the end of an era, an era that I thought would've lasted for many years to come. Cristiano Ronaldo was indeed a great player, and with this post, I would like to thank him for all the help he has provided to United in the years he has spend with the club (3 Premier League titles and a Champions League win is by no means a small feat). His 42 goals in the 2007/08 season were phenomenal and to see this small-town Portuguese kid evolve in a world superstar has been a great pleasure for every United fan. However, with Madrid declaring an interest in him in the past summer, Ronaldo's heart never seemed to be with Utd anymore. Fergie did a good job to keep him away from Madrid's grasp last summer, but last season, Ronaldo did not play with the same conviction that earned him the Ballon D'or and the FIFA World Player of the Year accolades. With Madrid renewing their interest in him this summer and with big-money spending Florentino Perez elected as President of the Spanish outfit, Utd could not resist the record-breaking $130million offer. And so, this season will be the post-Ronaldo era, and even though some fans may not consider him a legend yet, I think his contribution to the club justifies some sort of acknowledgment. I hope he does well for Madrid, even though I have a feeling he will fade in the filled-to-the-brink-with-superstars Madrid squad. I sincerely hope that the money we have received will be well invested and hopefully United will bounce back. Here's to Ronaldo - the wonderboy-turned-superstar.

  • Posted Jun 11, 2009 11:09 am PT
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• 5Jan 08

  The Best of 2007

  Hey guys! First of all I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I'd also like to thank fishdalf for the idea of a Best of '07 blog entry. Anyways, enough blabbering, let's cut to the chase.

  Best Movie

  Nominees: 300, Disturbia, Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

  And the Winner:

  300

  

  Now, I may have missed on what many would believe are much better movies than the ones listed, like No Country for Old Men and The Bourne Ultimatum, so one could criticize this category as being somewhat limited. But the hell with it 300 is a movie that is may not be historically accurate, but sure kicks ass. From the sumptuous fighting scenes, to the well-crafted CGI scenery, to bodybuilders in minimal clothing (). There's just no denying that 300 is a milestone in a genre that seemed to be running out of creative ideas. If you want more on 300, you can read my 'review' here.

  Best Game

  Nominees: Call of Duty 4, FIFA 08, Assasin's Creed

  And the Winner:

  Call of Duty 4

  

  Call of Duty 4 is just an all-round amazing game. The single-player campaign may be short, but what a campaign it is! It's not the quantity but the quality that matters, and CoD4 really drives home in that department. The sniper mission is probably the single best mission I have ever played in any game I remember. And once the single-player is over, the fun has just began. The multiplayer takes on the helm thereafter, and it's just unbelievably fun to play. Such an amazing game, kudos to Infinity Ward for continuing the legacy of Call of Duty with another great addition, perhaps the best in the series.

  Best Sportsman

  Nominees: Cristiano Ronaldo (football), Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1), Cesc Fabregas (football)

  And the Winner:

  Cristiano Ronaldo

  

  Well I can't really claim to know a lot of sportsmen, as I am primarily an avid football fan, and rarely watch any other sport except for Formula 1. Some may also call me biased, being a Man U supporter, and even though it was a close contest between Lewis Hamilton and Cristiano Ronaldo, Cristiano just edges past the Brit. It truly has been an amazing year for the Portuguese wing wizard, with his abundant trickery and talent. While Lewis Hamilton had a phenomenal year in F1, just losing the title in the last race to veteran Raikonnen, Cristiano was the driving force behind United's title charge and also was a key factor in United's Champions League amazing run and reaching the FA Cup semi-final. Voted the second best football player in the world (although he should have been first), and being just 22 years old. there's no denying that future United fans will be looking back at the Cristiano Ronaldo years.

  Best Album

  Nominees: In Rainbows (Radiohead), Hold Your Colour (Pendulum), Blackbird (Alter Bridge), Leaving Eden (Antimatter), Blackfield II (Blackfield)

  And the Winner:

  Blackbird (Alter Bridge)

  

  The second album by the brainchild of Creed, Alter Bridge, Blackbird is truly a masterpiece. There simply is not one song on the album that I don't like, and as the tracks progress, the songs just keep getting better and better. The highlight of the album is of course the song 'Blackbird' - a seven-minute beauty of a song. Competition was fierce however, with Antimatter's Leaving Eden coming a close second and Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows, coming in third. Some Radiohead fanatic might hate me for ranking the album at third, but it's difficult to simply ignore my favorite album of 2007, 'Blackbird'. Check it out, buy it, enjoy it!

  Best TV Show

  Nominees: Scrubs (season 5), Heroes (season 1), Dexter (season 1), Top Gear (season 10)

  And the Winner:

  Heroes

  

  Again, another category with fierce competition. But I find it necessary to note the season of each program I am referring to as it may not be the latest ones shown in the US. In this category, for me, Scrubs would have been a clear winner. Until I stumbled upon Heroes. This show is definitely a breath of fresh air in the series industry. The plot of season 1 is quite deep, and each episode asks more question than it answers, leaving you wanting more and more. After finishing one episode, I felt compelled to watch the next one. That's how gripping this series is.

  Top Gear is another great TV show, and season 10 is admittedly one of the best TG seasons. Some amazing challenges, and Jeremy is such a funny guy. But Heroes just had to be top spot for me, and I'm glad I indulged into watching this show after hearing all this hype about it, because it ends up (surprisingly) that the hype was right. I was expecting an X-men spin-off but Heroes is just so much more than that, and if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth checking out.

  And that concludes the Best of 2007 'Awards'. I'd love to hear your 'best of 2007' and which of these you agree with or disagree with. Overall, a great year and hoping the same for 2008.

  Until next time!

  • Posted Jan 5, 2008 5:22 pm PT
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• 25Dec 07

  Merry Christmas everybody!

  

  The title says it all! Merry Christmas everybody! Hope everyone had fun. I'll leave you with one of my favourite Christmas songs.

  Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon

  • Posted Dec 25, 2007 7:17 am PT
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