My Turf

Oh yes, that’s me among the thousands of people in Araneta Coliseum last Friday. It was Game 4 of the PBA All Filipino Cup Finals. San Miguel vs. Ginebra. And I, in case you do not know, was once a huge Ginebra fan .

Actually, I am no longer as big a PBA fan as I used to be. The interest waned big time when Jawo quit coaching and ran for Senator in the late 90s. Then Marlou Aquino moved to Sta. Lucia and Noli Locsin elsewhere (I honestly don’t give a s*it about EJ Feihl). Bal David did not play the point half as well as he used to… Tapos nagkaron pa ang ABS-CBN ng MBA and Ginebra’s star players including Vince Hizon made the jump. Simply put, when the new millennium entered, I quit watching the PBA altogether.

Well, there was a time when my interest perked up some. Ginebra was in the finals again, Caidic was coach. The squad boasted of power players again like Mark Caguioa and JJ Helterbrand. Sadly, Bal David has long since been reduced to second-stringer.  The team had huge potential but I really didn’t think Alan Caidic is fit for coaching. Oh yeah, he was a fine shooter during his heyday, but it is one thing to be able to play well and another to be able to teach one how to play well. Needless to say, Ginebra did not win that finals then.

One Sunday, I chanced upon a Ginebra game. My Mom told me that Ginebra was in the semis. I think that game was a playoff match (basta yung team ni Mac-Mac Cardona, kung ano man yun). I felt really irritated with myself that I didn’t know most of the players anymore.

I realize I kind of miss the feeling of being purely passionate about something. Ngayon, many issues and people get me worked up, but none can still compare to the kind of emotion that my Ginebra fanaticism evoked in me.

At the height of my fanaticism, I knew all the full names and numbers (I mean uniform numbers) of all the Ginebra players. Kilala ko lahat ng coaches ng lahat ng teams.  I wrote articles with ardor (and love?) about the basketball squad. I carefully scheduled my classes so that I would be free on days when there were PBA games. I used to go to UP’s Main Library even on Saturdays to read articles on microfilm about Jaworski’s magic—I yearned to find out the reason behind the magnetism that lured legions and legions of fans through the decades. My mood changed with every win or loss. I clipped articles from newspapers and magazines (which I keep and still reread up to now). I used to send articles and letters to columnists. I had letters published in sports magazines. Recah Trinidad of the Inquirer praised an article I sent to him in his column. “A delight to read,” he called it.

Those were the days when I felt most alive and happy and inspired. The Ginebra fanaticism was an unashamed passion. I have yet to find something that would make me feel that way again. To this day, my mood shifts each time someone mentions Ginebra, Añejo, Gordon’s Gin, Jaworski, Ampalayo, Isaac, Distrito, Loyzaga Brothers, Jarencio, Gayoso, Noli Locsin, Marlou Aquino, Bal David…it may sound like an exaggeration, but I feel like I am in a different time zone or I am a different person when these topics are brought up. Fellow Ginebra fans are sure to be my instant friends. =)

When I watched the game last Friday, naalala ko na naman kung gaano kasarap ang mag-chant ng "Gi-neb-ra! Gi-neb-ra!" along with the huge crowd. Yung excitement ng running game clock. Yung feeling of actually rooting for someone or something. Mejo weird lang na si Jarencio nasa coaching staff na ng San Miguel. Si Johnny Abarrientos, who I used to hate cause he was really great at laging natatalo ang Ginebra sa Alaska dahil sa kanya, is now playing for Ginebra. Jong Uichico, who used to coach San Miguel, is now the Ginebra coach. Chot Reyes, who was formerly the coach of Purefoods, is now the San Miguel coach. So much has changed since I actually last watched a game! Nakaka-inspire tuloy na manood ng manood ulit (though my schedule won’t allow it. Sigh!). Especially since lagi na nananalo Ginebra! Weee! Nung Friday game, super tambak ang San Miguel!

Look at that 3rd quarter score! Woo-hoo!

Why do I like Ginebra? Some reasons I could readily identify: the Never-say-die spirit (kahit tambak sila ng 40 points sa 4th quarter, alam mong hahabulin at hahabulin nila ang lead na yan). The fact that even if they lose, you, as a fan, could sense that they did their darn best. Ginebra ang tipo ng team na you could only either hate or love. It just so happens that I am on the "Love" end of the pole.

For the most part, I really couldn’t explain what I loved about this team or jow I got hooked on this phenomenon. Neither would I try to defend for I myself do not understand. My take on it is: you can never dig die-hard fanaticism unless you’re a die-hard fan of something yourself.

Last time I checked, 3-2 na, in favor of Ginebra. My friend, Tina, with whom I watched the game last Friday, swears she could sense there’s something fishy going on. She is a San Miguel fan kaya super kawawa sya when we watched kasi parang sya lang ang nag-iisang San Miguel fan sa buong Coliseum at lahat ay rooting for Ginebra na (well, dalawa pala sila ni Ana, who also watched live but was sitting in another area. Hahaha). Tina’s so certain San Miguel will win again on Friday para sure na may Game 7 at tatabo na naman sa takilya ang PBA.

Jampacked Araneta

Lutong Macao na nga ba ang PBA? Wag naman sana…