Sunday, April 21, 2013

Never-Say-Die is Timeless

Ah, basketball. When ever did I started getting hooked in watching this game? Something about the interplay of all the participants, each with his own role in the team & the fast-paced action culminating in the entering of a ball to a ring atop a rather lofty pole.

Yes, I am a basketball fan. But more importantly I am a fan of Philippine basketball, notably the PBA.  My first glimpse of the game was back when I was too young to fully comprehend what it's all about. All I recall then was the running to and fro, the shooting of the ball which somehow mesmerized my impressionable mind back then. I chanced upon those games on TV waking up in the middle of the night to go downstairs to pee, probably just 5 or 6 yrs old I do not remember.  My parents were both watching, the lights turned off and only the glare of the TV set (black and white then) illuminated the living room.  So after taking a pee I would always walk by my parents and sit behind my father (me, in my semi-awake state) and just stared blankly on the TV screen at the jumping, running men with a lone ball as their toy.  There were many nights like that and to this day I can still vividly recall that comfortable feeling of just sitting behind both parents as they watched basketball (come to think of it, I now wonder why they are so silent watching the game). PBA Games were on delayed telecast then as I they weren't showing the games live and possibly the programming on TV confined to Marcos propaganda but that's another story.

Both my parents were Crispa fans & back then I somehow had a glimpse of Philippine basketball rivalry between Crispa and Toyota days.  And then other childhood activities took over and I stopped watching for a few years.  Until Ginebra happened..

Suffice it to say that spanning almost two decades now, I have been hooked on the Ginebra San Miguel brand of basketball. And to think that I grew up almost a Crispa fan and never a Jaworski fan because of my parents but somehow fate would intervene and I developed a fondness for the Jaworski magic that soon transcended into the Ginebra spirit as we know now.

After taking a hiatus from watching PBA games because of pressing 'childhood' matters, I again started to take notice of the PBA games (and yes, the colored TV was already in vogue and President Marcos has since been deposed) in 1986.  There were certain problems of personal and family nature that happened then and what kept me going in those dark days (I was still very young & in pre-adolescent stage so I was probably depressed for all the wrong, petty reasons) was my renewed interest in watching PBA games and the kind of play that I saw Ginebra dish out.  I was never aware then that Ginebra is beginning its crowd-darling status.  All I know was during those rather depressing moments or what you may simply call the 'emo stages' of my life, I was entertained watching the team play.  It became my rallying point too whenever I see the Ginebra team of old rally from 20 points down until they emerge as winners.  All trepidation in life, all the depressing situations washed away by watching my favorite team subdue their opponents.  Every behind-the-back pass of Jaworski to a streaking Dondon Ampalayo, a 3-point shot by Loyzaga, or a courtside 'nakaw play' was my elixir to ward off any misgivings on the existence of good life.  Watching Ginebra win is like a signal for me that yes, I too can take on anything that fate throws at me.

The way the whole team carried on the creed of never-say-die for many years now continued to get me hooked on Ginebra that even if the older players were since replaced by younger, more athletic guys, my fondness for watching the team play has never waned. Each win, each obstacle the team faced and hurdled with fortitude only served as an inspiration to carry on despite the challenges.  At the height of my growing fanaticism then with Ginebra, I even composed a poem for them during my teens. I might post it separately here and dedicate to the throngs of their followers.

Watching Ginebra play is like a diversion for me - to ward off loneliness when the boyfriend is far away working abroad, a balm to a weary mind whenever life's situation is less than ideal. It's like an unseen brother's consoling hand to a sister whose heart is broken - well, at least almost that kind of effect just to give you an idea.  As a die-hard fan of the never-say-die team, it is often hard to explain this devotion.  It's like trying to explain to others why you love someone when the mere definition of the feeling doesn't even come close to the actual feeling so it's best to leave it unexplained.

And once more with Ginebra facing a gigantic task tonight to beat a strong team, their attempt at victory will again be foremost in my mind as well as in the minds of the thousands of Ginebra fans in the land (and some Filipinos overseas, my boyfriend included).  It is a challenge that we will face alongside the team - and their win tonight to enter the next level of the playoffs would be like a fresh mango shake taken on a sweltering midday sun, a bit like crushing all those jellies at Candy Crush Saga (he he, well not exactly but close) and almost synonymous to the elation brought by a budding summer romance - exhilarating, inspiring and yes always unforgettable.

Because even as black & white TVs have become relics of the past thanks to the Flat Screen LEDs, and social media and the internet has taken over most of our conversations or the iconic voice of Joe Cantada now replaced by the amusingly funny in-his-own-way but sensible type of game commentary of Mico Halili , the never-say-die spirit lives on.  Because like our pursuit to happiness & our constant battle with life's struggles the Ginebra's formula of conquering the odds will forever be timeless.