Meet young Pinoy dancer in Super Bowl half-time show

HOLLYWOOD - A Fil-Am dancer showed off his moves during the Super Bowl half-time show with Katy Perry and Missy Elliot.

Gabe de Guzman is now part of the legendary Super Bowl half-time performance by Missy Eliot and Katy Perry.

"It was such an incredible experience, I just can't explain in words. But I didn't realized the magnitude of it until I stepped on to that stage," he said.

De Guzman initially auditioned for Perry's group and thought at first that he did not get the job. It turns out something better was in store for him.

Perry and Elliot's performance, which include De Guzman, trended nationwide and continues to draw praise to this day.

"When I got the phone call from Missy's choreographer, I was like 'Is this just a dream right now?' I was just like, 'Unbelievable'," he said.

They had only one week of rehearsals in Los Angeles but the California dancer is used to the fast-paced, having previously worked with superstars like Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera and Ariana Grande.

It was a medical condition and watching a dance routine from ABS-CBN shows on TFC that De Guzman gave into dancing.

"I needed to find an indoor activity because I had really bad allergies. But it was just asthma, and my sister she tried to get me dancing. My mom knew I had a passion for dancing because I would jump up and down on her lap at my sister's dance competitions. On my third birthday, I made lots of money doing 'Otso-otso'," he said.

His Filipino parents fully support his dancing career. They drive two hours to take De Guzman to auditions and dance classes in Hollywood.

Though he can't reveal the details yet, De Guzman said there is a chance that he will be a part of a Hollywood television show this year.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoy football fans catch Super Bowl fever

PHOENIX, Arizona - It was a game to remember at Super Bowl 49 in Glendale, Arizona.

The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady emerged victorious over the Seattle Seahawks, 28–24.

This was Brady’s fourth Super Bowl win.

Seattle's Filipino American wide receiver Doug Baldwin also grabbed headlines with controversial touchdown celebration. Officials flagged Baldwin with a 15-yard penalty.

Still, fans say this was an unforgettable game.

Fans from near and far, of all ages showed their loyalty to their teams, making sacrifices in their own lives to witness the biggest game in football.

"It was very expensive but I think it's well worth it. I am here for my Seahawks," said Lilia Ancheta-Pena.

A group of Filipino students came from Guam and said they missed school to support their team.

While others are lucky to get tickets at a fair price, another group of Filipinos decided to do a potluck and get together to watch the game.

"I'm a Seahawk fan but everybody here is actually Patriots," said Eddie Borromeo of Phoenix.

For Fil-Am teenagers from Sandra Day O’Connor High School Marching Band, it was a dream to be part of the halftime performance as back-up for Katy Perry.

"We held the orbs that lit-up during the halftime show that forms the Pepsi Logo and it was a bunch of fun and a cool experience just being close to all the celebrities," said Nathan Mansur.

With this big win New England becomes the sixth team in NFL history to win their fourth Super Bowl trophy.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Patriots beat Seahawks for first Super Bowl win in 10 years

GLENDALE, Arizona -Tom Brady cemented his legacy as one of the all-time quarterback greats, firing four touchdown passes in the New England Patriots' dramatic 28-24 comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The victory earned the Patriots their first Super Bowl title in 10 years and put them alongside five other teams with at least four wins.

Brady joined Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and childhood idol Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks with four championship rings.

A battling Brady rewrote the Super Bowl quarterbacking record books, setting new marks for single-game completions (37) and career touchdowns (13) to claim a third most valuable player award.

But it was rookie defensive back Malcolm Butler who was the hero of the night, intercepting Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's one-yard pass on the goal line with 20 seconds left to clinch a heart-stopping victory.

"We knew they were going to throw the ball," said Butler. "I had a feeling I was going to make a big play but not that big.

"I saw Wilson looking over there. He kept his head still and just looked over there so that gave me a clue... .

"I just went with it, just went with my mind and made the play."

Making their first visit back to University of Phoenix Stadium since a crushing late-game loss to the New York Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, the Patriots seemed doomed to a similar fate.

Jermaine Kearse produced an amazing jaw-dropping catch that appeared to set Seattle up for a game-winning score.

But with Seahawks fans on their feet ready to celebrate, Butler spoiled the party, stepping in front of the Wilson pass to leave Seattle billionaire owner Paul Allen looking on in stunned disbelief.

With New England down by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, Brady rallied his team, engineering two long scoring drives capped by touchdown passes to Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman to retake the lead.

Brady also fired second-quarter touchdowns to favorite target Rob Gronkowski and Brandon LaFell, completing 37 of 50 pass attempts for 328 yards, including two interceptions.

"The goal is to score points, so running it, throwing it, I don't care," said Brady. "Whatever it took today is what we needed to do.

"We found a way to get it down there at the end.

"We were down 10 and we just said, 'Look we need to put one good drive together to get back into this game.'

"These games, they're tough. They go down to the end."

New England dominated large chunks of the opening half moving the ball at will against Seattle's vaunted top-ranked defense while Wilson could not get the Seahawks' attack in gear.

But as the first half came to a close, it became clear Wilson had found his form and a new favorite target in Chris Matthews.

Matthews, who was selling sneakers before the Seahawks signed him last year, recorded his first career catch, a twisting 44-yard grab to set up Seattle's first touchdown and hauled in an 11-yard strike later in the second half for his first career touchdown.

He added a 45-yard catch early in the third quarter to set up a field goal the gave the Seahawks their first lead.

Wilson, who is expected to sign a new contract that will make him the NFL's highest-paid quarterback, completed just 12 of 21 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns and one very big interception.

The buildup to the Super Bowl had been dominated by a controversy over deflated footballs used by the Patriots in a blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game that earned them a trip to Arizona and a whiff of scandal hung over the stadium as the NFL investigation into the matter continued.

The game represented a last chance for the NFL to put a scandal-scarred season behind it, and the Patriots and Seahawks did their part, providing a game of edge-of-your-seat excitement.

"Every year if you're privileged to get to this game, hard things happen," said Patriots owner Robert Kraft. "I'm so proud of Brady and (coach Bill) Belichick for handling things the way they did.

"I love them. And all our Patriots fans should feel very good."

(Editing by Frank Pingue/Gene Cherry)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Katy Perry brings spectacle to Super Bowl halftime

GLENDALE, Arizona - Katy Perry delivered a spectacular halftime show at the Super Bowl on Sunday assisted by special guests Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz.

Perry entered the field astride a giant, golden, robotic lion as she sang her hit "Roar" before Kravitz brought some rock guitar to a version of "I Kissed a Girl".

After Missy Elliott provided the crowd of over 70,000 with her own distinctive brand of hip-hop, including "Get Ur Freak On", Perry performed on a desert island, singing her hit "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls".

The halftime show ended with another surprise as Perry was lifted 50 feet off the ground by a mechanical contraption and as she floated above the field singing "Firework", sparkling flames emerged from the construction.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Who won in high-stakes Super Bowl ad battle?

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK - Budweiser capitalized on cuteness with the return of a puppy and Coca-Cola stood out with an anti-bullying message as many brands stirred emotions rather than going for laughs during the annual high-stakes battle of Super Bowl commercials.

Companies paid up to a record $4.5 million for 30 seconds during the championship game on Comcast Corp's NBC network seen by an estimated 100 million-plus viewers, the year's biggest television audience. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks.

Brands employed uplifting themes including the celebration of dads and tackled somber social issues in their bids to grab attention among more than 70 commercials.

"There has been an awful lot of stuff tugging at the heart strings," said John Maxham, chief creative officer of DDB Chicago. "I'm struck at how many brands have gone with a serious almost socially minded tone to their advertising."
Budweiser had a hit even before kickoff. The beer maker owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev reprised last year's winning formula with another appearance by a puppy and his Clydesdale friends. This time, the horses help the lost puppy find his way home.


That ad was watched nearly 42 million times ahead of the game and topped rankings by iSpot, which tracks online views and social media chatter.

Coke won cheers from advertising experts for addressing digital hate speech, showing mean messages sent through texts or social media that were changed to positive missives once a bottle of Coke spilled into the wiring of servers.

The NFL ran a public service announcement that urged an end to domestic violence, a problem that tarnished the league's image during the season. The spot featured a woman calling the police but pretending to order a pizza so she wouldn't tip off her abuser.


Taking on serious issues during the Super Bowl can be tricky with viewers used to a celebratory atmosphere. Nationwide Insurance sparked a social media backlash with an ad that many called jarring.

The ad spotlighted a boy who could never grow up and ride a bike or get married because he died in an accident in a commercial meant to highlight preventable child injuries.

"Many people felt it was just the wrong time for a message like that," said Tim Calkins, marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, which runs an annual review of Super Bowl ads. "It was a very disturbing piece of advertising."

Adam Tucker, president of Ogilvy & Mather, the agency that created the commercial, said the ad was "intended to spark a conversation and create awareness around an important issue".

Web services company GoDaddy's commercial focused on a guy missing the game because he was working, the type of business owner GoDaddy serves. The company scrapped an earlier spot following an outcry from animal lovers who said it seemed to advocate puppy mills.

"They ended up running an ad that just didn't break through the clutter," Calkins said.

Going with comedy, Snickers scored with its spot featuring Marcia Brady of "The Brady Bunch" TV series transformed into angry action movie star Danny Trejo, part of the company's "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign.


"It stood out," said Jay Russell, chief creative officer at advertising agency GSD&M. "It's simple and quick."

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian mocked her own celebrity in a T-Mobile ad, dead panning about the "tragic" practice by some wireless carriers that take back unused data that could have been used to view more photos of her.

Unilever's Dove Men+Care was one of at least three companies to celebrate fatherhood, showing doting dads rushing to help an upset child or dancing at a daughter's wedding.

McDonald's - which ran a crowd-pleasing TV ad in which people paid for their orders by showing love to others - told people to follow its Twitter feed during each commercial break. The fast food restaurant chain set up a team of people in a war room to comment on every commercial, encouraging people to re-tweet to win a related promotion.

"Lovin' Clydesdales & puppies & wolves, oh my, @Budweiser. RT to try & win a trip with your best bud, up to 500 miles," McDonald's wrote.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com