The Road Warriors

The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion of Doom (LOD for short) in the World Wrestling Federation (despite the altered team name, they were still individually introduced as "Road Warrior" Hawk and "Road Warrior" Animal). Under either name, their gimmick was the same – two imposing musclebound wrestlers in face paint. For brief periods, other wrestlers were added as stand-in partners for both men. In Japan in the 1990s, Kensuke "Power Warrior" Sasaki often teamed with Hawk and Animal, separately and together.

Considered one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history, Hawk and Animal were well known as innovators, popularizing the use of face paint, using their large physiques and power moves to win over audiences, and introducing a tandem maneuver known as the Doomsday Device. Both men used the move as a team finisher throughout their careers, even when teaming with other partners.

NLEX Road Warriors

The NLEX Road Warriors are a professional basketball team owned by Manila North Tollways Corporation that is playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) beginning the 2014–2015 season.

The Road Warriors began in the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League) as one its founding teams, winning a total of six championships. The franchise transferred to the PBA after the Manila North Tollways Corporation (a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation) acquired the PBA franchise of the Air21 Express in June 2014. It is one of three PBA teams currently under the control of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan (the other teams are the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and the Meralco Bolts).

History

PBA D-League

From 2011 to 2014, the Road Warriors were the dominant team in the PBA D-League, setting a record six championships in the seven conferences that it participated. It is the second PBA D-League franchise to join the PBA.

PBA expansion franchise application

In March 2014, Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) submitted its letter of intent to join the PBA as an expansion team. On April 10, 2014, the PBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the application of NLEX, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. (Blackwater Elite) and Columbian Autocar Corporation (Kia Sorento) as expansion teams for the 2014-2015 season.

Smart Gilas

Gilas Pilipinas (originally known as Smart Gilas from 2010 to 2012) is the team consisting mostly of PBA players that serves as the Philippines men's national basketball team for elite level international tournaments since 2010. The team is under the aegis of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and sponsored by Smart Communications. Gilas is the Tagalog word that loosely translates as "prowess". The all-amateur men's team is known as the Gilas Cadets (previously known from 2011 to 2014 as Sinag Pilipinas - sinag is the Tagalog word for "ray" (sunlight)), while the women's team is named Perlas Pilipinas (perlas is the Tagalog word for "pearl").

The Gilas Pilipinas program succeeded the Team Pilipinas program (2005-2009) which was an initiative of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and sponsored by San Miguel Corporation (2005-2007, known as San Miguel-Team Pilipinas) and Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (2009, known as Powerade-Team Pilipinas).

Gilas 1.0 (Toroman era, 2009–2012)

North Luzon Expressway

The North Luzon Expressway (NLE or NLEx), formerly known as the North Diversion Road and Manila North Expressway (MNEX), is a 2 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. It is a component of Radial Road 8 (R-8) of Metro Manila's road network. Its southern section from Guiguinto to Metro Manila is also designated as Expressway 1 (E1) of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26). It was built in the 1960s.

The expressway begins in Quezon City at a cloverleaf interchange with EDSA: a continuation of Andres Bonifacio Avenue. It then passes through Quezon City, Caloocan, and Valenzuela in Metro Manila. Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, Plaridel, and Pulilan in Bulacan. San Simon, San Fernando, Mexico and Angeles in Pampanga. The expressway currently ends at Mabalacat and merges with the MacArthur Highway, which continues northward into the rest of Central and Northern Luzon. The segment between Santa Rita Exit and Balintawak Cloverleaf is a part of the new alignment of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26)

Christian Standhardinger

Christian Hermoso Standhardinger (on (1989-07-04)July 4, 1989 in Munich) is a Filipino-German professional basketball player.

He started his professional career in the Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule in the ProA in 2006. He played there till 2009. After playing five years in the United States for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors teams, Standhardinger signed a contract with Mitteldeutscher BC of the first tier BBL. In his first season, he was an All-Star. He signed with the ProA team SC Rasta Vechta in the 2015 offseason.

References