Rags-to Riches Athletes

[carshow]

si limpot daw dati tagapulot lang ng tennis balls
si frankie minoza naman caddie lang dati

[Basketball_Man]

si pacquiao nagtitinda ng pandesal dati

[mangyan]

Originally posted by the_BuGs

Yung Kay Asaytono naman eheheh actually lumingon naman sya sa Pinangalingan nya eh... Kse nuong time nuon aping api sa Nelson sa Probinsya nil sa Mindoro and then nde pa marunong mag basketball ehehehe nakatapak pa nga to habang naglalaro.. habang one time eh nadiskuber to... ewan ko kung saan to naglaro ang naalala ko lang sa Mapua din ata naglaro to.... then nung gumaling sa basketball... pagbalik nya sa MIndoro aba.... sumali ng liga dun at yung mga tao PInagtatawanan sya eh biglang tumahik eh paano panay dunk sa Ring na harap yung mga tao ehehehehehehehe ... Actually nde naman mayabang si Nelson eh "Mukhang Mayabang" Lang Kasing Bait din to ni Ali Peek eh ehehehehhehe

i saw those days na wala syang suot kahit tsinelas pag naglalaro sya.... kse baka masira yung tsinelas nya eh ang hirap ng buhay nila nun.... i was one of the spectators during that time na nag-exhibition game sila sa municipal plaza sa mamburao.... i also remember na binu-boo nga sya ng mga manunuod at the beginning of the exhibition.... pero sa grupo namin eh alam na namin na malaki na ang naimprove nya 2 yrs din ata syang naghasa dito sa manila nun... tapos natahimik ang mga tao nung nagdakdak sya sa harapan ng kalaban.... after that idolo na nila si nelson... i was in high school during that time... sa NU sya naglaro bago nakuha sa magnolia hindi sa mapua... unless i am mistaken... I also remember na nagtreat sya sa min ng ice cream at pancit sa isang food chain/hotel sa tapat ng national high dun sa mamburao... umuwi sya sa mindoro... after nung time na nag-mvp sya sa magnolia.... magkakilala kse sila ng isang friend ko... pero ngayon pati yung friend ko ay di na rin pinapansin ni nelson.... at hindi na rin daw sya galing sa mamburao... taga calapan na raw sya...

[traveler]

Si former mayor of Mandaluyong and now MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. Before he was a caddie at Wack-Wack golf and country club before he learned playing golf and becoming what he is right now. Taga- alalay lang siya dati ng mga golfer sa Wack-wack.

[benchwarmer]

John Starks used to be a bagger at a grocery.

Also, read few years ago from Sports Illustrated about Tracy McGrady's struggle before his entry to the NBA.

[bishop]

Originally posted by kLique

macmac before playing for dlsu even went to NU to tryout for their basketball team but was unfortunately cutted for reasons unknown to me...

spell check... there is no such word as cutted .

[Cerberus]

Glen Kelley, Roy Jones Jr's last opponent, is a garbage collector in Sydney Australia. He's still one today.

Kelly is a proud aborigine who was selected to represent the Aboriginal people in a historic ceremony between white government officials and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. A deeply spiritual person, the guy is a humble role model who takes his civic responsibilities seriously. Before the fight, he said “I feel honored that I have been chosen to represent my people against Roy Jones and I will make them proud and victorious once again.”

Too bad Roy beat him up in a humiliating fashion.

[mravel22]

banda rito sa America, si KURT WARNER ng RAMS , from a grocery stock boy to a future HALL OF FAMER , a Great story!

Yeah, Kurt Warner's story is absolutely amazin'. Too schmaltzy even for Hollywood.

Huge St. Louis Rams fan here!

[mravel22]

i don't know the story of how Kurt joined the Rams. but what I do, and many NFL fan, know is that the Rams first choice QB Trent Green got injured and Kurt Warner pinched-hit for him. then Warner eventually wins the Super Bowl, the greatest prize in American football.

You're right. Kurt Warner was the second string QB of the Rams; Trent Green got injured and Kurt became the Rams' quintessential quarterback! Kinda like the Drew Bledsoe-Tom Brady story...

Alvin Patrimonio and Paul Alvarez both came from humble beginnings.

[NINJeremy]

Another one of those rags to riches athlete is Baron Davis. He grew up in the hood and both of his parents are hooked up to drugs. He was raised by his grand parents. His grand pa was one that introduced him to basketball and made this little hoop for him. But unfortnately, his grand pa died, and he was so young then. He then reconciled with his dad looking for a father figure.

Unfortunately for him, both his dad and grand pa never did see him play live

NINJeremy

[kikaiArcher]

Heartbreak kid makes his Mark
Posted:7:48 PM (Manila Time) | October 23, 2001
By Jules Alcantara
Inquirer News Service

NOT by a long shot.

This is what anyone would probably say if asked if he could manage to shoot the ball from the opponent?s foul line or overcome all the obstacles that Mark Cardona, this year?s rookie sensation in the seniors basketball of the 64th UAAP, faced.

Billed Captain Hook in the UAAP for his famous semi-hook shot, Mac is the youngest in a brood of five. He has two half-siblings in his Mother?s side. Although he lives in the DLSU dormitory now, he visits his relatives and childhood friends in Boni, Mandaluyong.

His mother left him when he was 3 to work as a domestic helper in Greece. Things did not work out well for his mother. ?Hindi naging maganda ang trato sa kanya. ?Buti nalang may naging kaibigan siya na nagtatrabaho sa barko papuntang States. Naawa sa kanya so dinala siya sa California,? he says. His mother became a ?TNT? (illegal alien) and was only able to come home to see him in 1994. For eight years, Mac had to contend with moving from one relative to another. ?Dami ko nang tinirahan. Sa Cardona, Rizal tumira din ako doon. Kung kani-kanino ako nakitira. Para nga akong naging utusan. Siyempre nakikitira ako kaya tumutulong tulong ako,? he wistfully recalls.

His mother could not regularly send him support since she herself was struggling in the United States. ?Pinapadalhan ako paminsan minsan tulad ng Pasko ,? he says. His grandmother would sometimes have to borrow money for his baon or he himself had to find ways to fend for himself. ??Pag may pagkain sa bahay eh di kumakain ako.?

He did a lot of odd jobs?he looked for old bottles and plastics and sold cigarettes to earn extra income for himself and his relatives. ?Nag-bote-dyaryo ako,? he narrates with pride.

When he joined his mother and stepfather (who by the way, he only has good words for) in Carson City, he worked as cashier in Jack in the Box and Seafood City to earn extra money. ?Bata palang ako natuto na ako dumiskarte sa buhay--marunong na akong gumawa ng pera.?

It was difficult growing up without his mother or father by his side. There were moments where he felt alone and abandoned. ?Feeling ko parang wala akong magulang.? His voice breaks when he says that there were times that he felt really abandoned especially ?pag napapagalitan or kapag nabubugbog?. ?Pag nakikita nila ako ngayon parang ?di sila makasalita?parang di nila akalain,? he says bashfully.

Life was difficult for the whole brood. He could hardly rely on his older siblings to help him out since they themselves had to struggle to survive. Perhaps hardened by the difficulties that he had to go through early on in life, Mac says that he didn?t have any fancy childhood dreams of becoming a doctor or engineer. ?Pangarap ko lang talaga mabuhay,? he says.

Despite the hardships, he says he never indulged in drugs or alcohol. ?Mahirap akong maimpluwensiyahan. Kahit ipaputol ko kamay ko ngayon, never ako nag-drugs or nag-lasing.?

Basketball became his one and only vice. ?Natuto ako mag-basketball sa kalye.? Former PBA superstar Samboy Lim was his childhood idol.

It could be surmised that he learned his famous semi-hook shot in the streets of Mandaluyong where he grew up and in his scrimmages against seasoned street ball players in Carson.

He never became a varsity player because ?hindi ako natanggap.? It is indeed a welcome irony now that he is now one of the UAAP?s leading scorers.

Although he had heard of the controversial rivalry between Ateneo de Manila University and DLSU, he says that, ?pang mayaman lang kasi ?yun eh .? Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that he would ever suit up for the Archers. It was upon the encouragement of the Cavitenos in Carson to go back to the Philippines to try out for the DLSU team. Interestingly, Green Archer Mike Cortez, the league?s leading point guard, also came from Carson. Mark decided to come back from the States to pursue his dream of getting a degree and play ball at the same time. ?Gusto ko talagang makatapos, kasi ang mga magulang ko ?di nakatapos ng pag-aaral,? he explains.

By now, every one knows of how Franz Pumaren, coach of the Green Archers, has called this walk-in a ?hulog ng langit .? And for Mac, Pumaren has been a father figure he has long wished for. It is interesting to listen to Mac talk about Pumaren. ?Lagi akong napapagalitan ni coach as in minsan mangiyak-ngiyak na ako ,? he says. Untrained and very much raw, Mac had difficulty adjusting, especially since Pumaren is well known for being a strict and systematic coach.

Mac says that one time, he earned the wrath of his coach when he was caught having a nightout some time during semis. He was not allowed to practice and was sent home. ?Napaiyak ako nun pero naintindihan ko rin naman pagkatapos,? he says.

But Mac says that he appreciates all the efforts that his coach instilled in him. ?Mas gusto ko na pinapagalitan ako para nabubuhayan ang dugo-dugo ko ,? he says in jest. It is evident that he does not only have respect but also admiration and love for the person that has become his mentor in the game that loves the most. His teammates had to keep reminding to take heed of Coach Franz? directions and to follow the system. ?I needed to learn and step up kasi sabi nila ?pag ?di ko inayos baka ?di ako paglaruin. Simula nung sinabi nila ?yun, nag-ayos na talaga ako.?

Mac also gives credit to all his teammates, especially Ren Ren Ritualo, Willy Wilson and Adonis Sta. Maria who went out of their way to help understand and appreciate the importance of their training.

?Favorite ni Coach pagalitan yan!? DLSU?s captain ball Ritualo exclaims with a laugh when asked to talk about Mac. ?He?s very raw and gigil. And you know, that?s what makes him a great player,? the most loved Archer adds.

The probe (or as they term it, board inquiry) on his documents made Mac fodder for the headlines for several weeks, but evidently, this did not in any way hinder him from scoring double digits in most of the DLSU games.

It is short of amazing that this spirited small forward does not harbor any resentment towards the UAAP board, specifically board president Anton Montinola. ?Naiintindihan ko naman sila eh. ?Di naman ako apekatado or nainis. Wala akong galit sa kanya. Kinakamayan naman niya ako pag nakikita niya ako,? he says sincerely.

News of the controversy greeted him before their game against NU in the second round. He admits to crying after the game (which they won). ?Sumama ang loob ko kasi parang ?di lang ako dina-down nila, pati team ko, pati La Salle!? he says. If anything, the controversy even inspired him to turn in a spectacular performance. ?I really just want to prove them wrong. Coach told me to just relax and take it easy. He told me not to think about it. He told me that I am not breaking any rule,? he explains.

The eligibility issue was never really, well, resolved. No official word has been given as to the result of the board inquiry. But then again, Cardona was awarded the UAAP Rookie of the Year award, which virtually erased all questions and doubts on the veracity of his documents.

He says that his mother and family are quite proud with what he has achieved. His mother watches his games on The Filipino Channel in the US. Just like any varsity ball player, Mac also dreams of becoming a PBA player?if only to help his relatives ?para makaahon naman sa kahirapan?. ?Yung mga dating umaapi or nagda-down sa akin nung bata ako, proud na sila sa akin. Wala naman akong sama ng loob sa kanila na kasi tapos na ?yun eh ,? he says, his eyes getting misty. It would have been Mac?s dream to see his mother cheering him in the sidelines especially in the championship. But this will have to wait since his mother postponed the trip due to the World Trade Center tragedy. ?Sana next year, ? he wishes out loud.

It was indeed poetic justice, as some quarters claim, that the Green Archers capped this season with a well-deserved championship crown after a season which Pumaren best describes as ?stormy.? The season has been one big uphill climb, especially for Mac, who was not only hit by controversies, but also with the mysterious flu bug and the dengue virus down the homestretch of the season. In fact, if not for his obstinacy, he would not have played in the last game. From Makati Medical Center, he went straight to the Big Dome to meet his date with destiny.

Now that the season is over for now, Mac says that he will shift his focus to his studies and enjoy life as a student. His mom may be away from him still, but he has found a new family, a support system in the persons of his teammates, Coach Franz and the alumni of DLSU. And maybe now he will have more time for his girlfriend for three months, Daisy Gonzales, who is a DLSU-Dasmarinas student.

And who knows? Maybe he can practice some more and beat his own record of making the longest shot made in this year?s tournament.

[Jeffreyw]

A case about Riches to Rags athlete:

Yves Dignadice is now working as a security guard in the US. Walang naipon during his career in the PBA, maybe brought about by his constant womanizing, drugs and other vices (as he was a noted expert), or maybe just plain stupid when it comes to handling money.

Drugs would make the career of any athlete or any profession go down the drain. Look at what's happening to Shawn Kemp now.

[kikaiArcher]

RICH MAN, POOR MAN
By Philip Ella Juico

No matter how one looks at it, the story of Mark Reynan Cardona of DLSU has all the upbuilding qualities of a young man?s Herculean efforts to buck extreme poverty.
Kicked around like a pinball, was the way Jeff Davis, one of the three assistant principals of Carson High School in California, described the life of Mark Reynan Cardona, or Macmac, in the two years and three months he spent as a student from Grade Nine to 11 at Carson High.
Cardona, the 6-1, 170-lb De La Salle University (DLSU) basketball squad rookie, had been practically a non-entity at Carson, unlike another Green Archer, Mike Cortez, who was well known in Carson High as a basketball star.
Things started to change for Cardona when he came back to the Philippines, finished his high school via the Department of Education, Culture and Sports' (DECS) home-study program to obtain the DECS diploma, tried out first with the National University Bulldogs, where he failed to make it, and eventually ended up in the starting five of three-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball champion, DLSU, where he alternates between the off-guard and small forward positions. But this is getting ahead of the story.
How Cardona got to Carson ?and eventually to DLSU?is by itself a story, a saga, to be more precise, with miniplots.
No matter how one looks at it, Cardona's story has all the upbuilding qualities of a young man's Herculean efforts to buck extreme poverty, of patiently and humbly resisting powerful opposition from the better off elements of society and of starting to acquire a college education from one of the best institutions of higher learning in Asia by using his basketball talent as an entry point.
Cardona's story begins in Manila, where, on November 13, 1981, he was born to Reynaldo Cardona of Pampanga and Criselda Mikesel of Manila.
The elder Cardona was a professional cyclist who made a living by joining the cycling tours named after their sponsors, such as Marlboro. By most accounts, Reynaldo was not definitely one of the more outstanding cycling pros. By some accounts, too, he had a fondness for alcoholic drinks. By the time Reynaldo died in 1994, he had sired five children by Criselda. Macmac was the youngest of the brood.
Over the years, with very little help from Reynaldo, Criselda supported her five children by taking on odd jobs and by working as a house help in different households. In 1983 Criselda packed up and went off to Greece as a domestic help. Friends and confidantes of Macmac say that Criselda's own story is another heartwarming saga of single-mindedness and love for her children that deserves separate treatment.
In Greece Criselda worked under slave-like conditions and is a classic example of the exploited poor. After years of back-breaking labor, Criselda decided she has had enough and befriends a group of Filipino seamen whose boat had docked in Greek waters. The seamen take pity on her and smuggle her in as a stowaway on the boat which was headed for San Francisco in the United States, the promised land.
Back in the Philippines, Macmac spends a great part of his childhood years in the streets of Mandaluyong. He spends his time on Aglipay Street in the Boni area and hangs around San Felipe Neri Church. At the church, Macmac earns his keep by selling cigarettes and newspapers and is gopher to gamblers who would play sakla, mahjong, pusoy and other games of chance during the many wakes in the church.
Grades one and two were spent at a training school for seamen, the NAMEI Polytechnic Institute in Mandaluyong. Next stop, Grade Three, was at Jose Rizal College (now University). Part of Grade Three and the whole of Grade Four were spent in Isaac Lopez, a public school in Mandaluyong. By the time Macmac got to fifth grade, he had attended his fifth grade school, this time a public school in Cardona, Rizal, where he stayed with Irene Cardona, sister-in-law of his father. In between school and summers, Macmac would be placed under the care of aunties, uncles and a grandmother, lola Adela Mangahas, mother of Criselda, and Tita Lolita Cardona, sister of Reynaldo.
In the States Macmac would also move from one relative to the next, thus prompting the pinball remark of Davis.
In 1995 Criselda married a divorced Filipino old-timer by the name of Amando Gamboa. Shortly after the wedding, Macmac is petitioned by Criselda.
Macmac then goes to school at Carson High.
While at Carson, Macmac was not good enough to play for the school team. Instead, Macmac spent his time playing street basketball with the taller, heftier and more athletic Afro-Americans. In between street basketball, Macmac would join Fil-Am leagues like the annual tournaments of Caviteños.
To support himself and help augment the household income, Macmac worked part time as cashier in the nearby Jack-in-the-Box outlet and at the popular Seafood City restaurant.
To be sure, Cardona has gone some ways from his less than humble and modest beginnings. With a season-high output of 25 points and an average playing time of about 33 minutes, Cardona has been named Rookie of the Year by the UAAP Press Corps, an award he won hands down.
Reflecting on his present situation and with the alleged controversy regarding his eligibility behind both him and DLSU which has stood steadfastly and unwaveringly supported him and his eligibility in all respects, Cardona says, "I know this is my opportunity to make a better life not just for me but also for my other relatives. Basketball brought me to La Salle and I intend to be a good student so I can continue playing and to give me a better future. I didn't want to tell my story public kasi medyo iba sa istorya ng mayayaman but my story can help others and shows that La Salle is truly for everyone?kahit na mahirap ka lamang."

[leigh_0914]

i agree don sa story abt. macmac, duremdes and ali...ali was even seen as a bouncer sa isang episode ng sliders....just wanna add that...

[Cerberus]

Would you believe that 7 foot 7 former NBA Center Manute Bol will be fighting a celebrity boxing match against former Chicago Bear lineman William "Refrigerator" Perry in may 22?

Yep. Bol will be taking the bout so that he could donate money for his fellow tribesmen in Sudan who are facing persecution from the Muslim-controlled government. He's not on easy streets himself. Most of his earnings went to funding the freedom fighters of his country during the war. Bol himself is broke.

From what news I heard from boxing boards recently, the guy got stranded in Sudan for months on end last year because of the unstable socio-political state of the country. The former NBA ball player was only able to leave after jumping a flight to Egypt at the last second. The sad thing about this is that Bol is now penniless and can most likely no longer return to the NBA because of age and contract intangibles.

Just how old is he? I heard one comment that Manute himself apparently isn't even sure how old he is. His tribe recorded their ages by making notches on trees. But unfortunately, all the trees were destroyed in a fire or something to that effect. It's a humorous anecdote. But Bol's situation certainly isn't. Maybe he'll be able pull through this. Manute seems to be a good guy.

[Xiaoyu]

Grabe, I remember the first time I heard about Mac's story, naluha talaga ako. When I saw him in school the next day, gusto ko sha i-hug! Pero shempre papagtawanan lang ako non kung ginawa ko yon diba. Mac deserves all the attention he's getting right now, not just because of what he's been through, but also because of the kind of person he is. He is SOOO unbelievably nice, and he's the type of person that can make you laugh even when you feel like you're having the worst day ever.
BTW, Ali Peek was also in the movie...Face Off?? Tama ba?? Or The Rock?? Basta, a Nicholas Cage movie.

[9ino]

Originally posted by Xiaoyu
BTW, Ali Peek was also in the movie...Face Off?? Tama ba?? Or The Rock?? Basta, a Nicholas Cage movie.

Xiaoyu, u sure si ALI PEEK nsa hollywood movie?.....anong papel nya???....tnx

[9ino]

bump natin!

[Cool_Enz]

There are a lot of athletes who have these inspiring stories to tell. Here are some of them.

The Great Flash Elorde was a former bootblock from Bogo. Onyok Velasco had his bumble beginnings in Bago City. Danny Ildefonso is proud to say that he was once a farmer in remote Pangasinan and saluyot is his favorite food to eat. Rommel Adducul came from a modest family in Tuguegarao. I believe that Kerby Raymundo turned pro early to support his family in Bataan. Freddie Abuda also experienced poverty in Lawaan, Samer.

Sadly there are those who experienced the Rags - to - Riches - to Rags.
Rolando Navarrate and Dommy Ursua are just few of our local fighters who once rose to fame but came back crashing to the ground. In basketball, there are the likes of Teddy Alfarero and the late Alex Clarino.

[brembo]

Si former mayor of Mandaluyong and now MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. Before he was a caddie at Wack-Wack golf and country club before he learned playing golf and becoming what he is right now. Taga- alalay lang siya dati ng mga golfer sa Wack-wack.

Actualy, Ben Abalos was the caddie of Paul Tanchi's grandfather, who was one of the senior members at Wack-WAck. The elder Tanchi helped Ben Abalos to get into law school, and that was eventually his ticket to getting out of poverty.