Football – Page 2 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Let’s be better, not bitter

Graeme Mackinnon, the Cebu Hall of Fame football coach who’s now back in Australia, sent me this email yesterday: “I am confident that the Cebu Football Association (CFA) will handle it as it should be. There is no doubt it is not the publicity football in Cebu or anywhere for that matter wants. But it’s happened and lessons HAVE to be learned so that this problem is minimized in the future.

“I read about the call for police to be at every game. OMG, what a knee-jerk reaction. How many times has this happened in the last ten years? People in the football club or school have to be responsible for their own actions and accept the consequences of those actions.

“Here (Australia) in junior football, each club or school must provide some in-house security. I don’t mean guns. etc. but appointed club officials (usually some parents from the team that is playing) wear hi-vis vests with Security on it and they are the first line of subduing any CROWD problem. The referee looks after the players. The vest means they are appointed by the club/school to represent the CFA at games and ensure the PLAY FAIR edict just as we expect the players to. Every game from the very small to the seniors there has to be a visible calming influence. The CFA would hold an induction for clubs/schools so that they would understand their responsibilities to ensure that THEIR parents and friends of the players don’t cross the line.

“Even though it is a black eye at the moment if handled correctly CFA and Cebu football will move forward stronger from the experience.”

I agree. Let’s transform the negative into positive. The shocking incident seven days ago is the “talk of the town,” even by non-soccer followers. At Casino Español last Thursday night, I sat in between Spanish Consul Anton Perdices and Andre Borromeo and our discussion centered on the controversy.

The incident has happened. That, we can’t reverse. What’s most important today is tomorrow. Graeme’s suggestions are excellent. I’m sure Pres. Ricky Dakay and the CFA Board have plenty of additional inputs.

Football is a rough game. It’s the closest thing to “allowable” physical contact. There’s a lot of shoulder-pushing. Kicks are fired, intentionally or unintentionally. Bodies slam. A goalie dives and gets smothered with a rushing knee. Arms lock. There’s bumping. Players sprint and collide.

My brother Charlie, who has organized the Thirsty Football Cup for the past 11 years, has a poster of our event which reads: “If you can’t stand football, play tennis.”

Ouch. But it’s true: Football screams “ouch!” It’s physical. More than basketball. Surely more than volleyball or swimming or running. I can think of only a few more games that involve more contact than soccer. Boxing and mixed-martial arts top the list; ice-hockey is another slam-bang game; American football and rugby are very rough.

(As a side note, on that “Photo of the Year” by Allan Cuizon, my friend Fred Quilala made a good comment. Said Fred: “The subjects have been identified except for the good samaritan in black sleeveless who separated the protagonists at the risk of getting injured. Hope he gets recognized for his unselfish efforts.”)

In the aftermath of the melee, I hope that the afflicted and aggrieved parties, facilitated by the CFA and other highly-respected and neutral personalities, can get together. To talk. To air out grievances. To apologize. To show remorse. To seek forgiveness. To give forgiveness. As the great basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

Footbrawl! When the beautiful game turns ugly

Soccer is named “the beautiful game.” It’s the world’s most followed sport, with billions from Barcelona to Bacolod to Bangkok playing and watching the sport. But what happened last Sunday between A & A was despicable. It was disgraceful.

Ateneo is to blame because some of their players and companions were involved in the melee — including that adult whose caught-in-the-act stabbing was captured perfectly by the camera lens of ace photographer Allan Cuizon. Alcoy FC is to blame because they, too, engaged in the same acts of punching and physical aggression. The coaches have a duty to control their players. They also have the responsibility to calm the parents and team followers.

King Miyagi was one of those badly hurt in the scuffle. An extremely kind and respectful person (who was my daughter Jana’s former classmate and who’s now a national team member), King was attacked out of nowhere. I saw his photo yesterday and sadly, he has a huge black-eye.

The Cebu Football Association (CFA) will learn a lot from this. New rules will be enacted. Stricter enforcement — especially by the referees, whose main job is to control the proceedings — will be implemented.

But the biggest embarrassment were those parents and adults who engaged in the aggressive and brutal acts.

In his latest Full Point article, my mentor Nimrod Quiñones (a CFA board member) wrote an enlightening piece in www.fullpointcebu.com called “Sports Parenting 101.”

Here are Nimrod’s 10 Commandments for Sports Parents…

1.   You are a parent and not the coach.
2.   You should stay away from the children while they are practicing so as not to make them lose focus.
3.   Yes, you love your child so much and want him or her well-hydrated, but running into the field to wipe their back and giving them water even if they have not been given a break is a breach of discipline.
4.   Cheer for your child, their teammates, and even their opponents. Acknowledge the good performance of the players no matter which side they play for.
5.   Winning is not everything, so don’t get angry when your child or his or her team loses.
6.   Don’t embarrass your children by fighting with other parents or worse, fighting with their opponents, who are also kids.
7.   If your child is engaged in a contact sport, expect some contact, but the good coaches and trainers can help your children minimize or avoid injuries.
8.   Do not impose yourself upon the coaches, school, or team officials even if you contribute an amount of money on a regular basis to help pay for your child’s coach or trainer.
9.   Be supportive by providing what you can in terms of equipment, refreshments, and moral support.
10.   Be a good example to your children.
Well-said, Nim. I also liked what Jack Biantan, who’s now in London, wrote the other day. He said that, sadly, this event has happened — but we have to move on. Let’s all solve this quickly, led by the CFA president Ricky Dakay. He also suggested for the teams to make amends and to apologize. Let’s not put to waste this shocking incident. Let’s all learn from it so that, looking ahead, in the heat of another sporting moment, the same won’t happen again.

Thirsty Cup: Quenching your football thirst

It started 11 years ago; a simple idea to gather footballers of all ages and sizes to one venue, one weekend, one sport. It’s the Thirsty Football Cup and, each February, the numbers have grown and ballooned. Last year, a record 340 teams joined. Multiplying that by a conservative 10 players per squad, that’s well over 3,000 players. It’s humongous.

Starting tomorrow, the 11th Thirsty Cup will kick off once again at the Cebu City Sports Center. Instead of last year’s three venues, the organizers decided on just one location for all 249 teams. This way, parents and coaches won’t have to hop, like a Sunsport football, from one spot to another.

It’s festival-type. The matches are shortened. The pitches, smaller. The players, fewer. The goal is to score goals and goals. The aim is to crowd multiple games in a brief span of time. Loud music will echo from CCSC’s speakers. Free wi-fi will allow spectators to post Instagram photos. Visitors are arriving and they’ll flood the fields. One notable visitor is “imported.” Yes. While Koreans are seen everywhere in our island, there’s one team that’s flying directly from Korea (South K. not North Korea, as we joked in the press-con). This squad is expected to land in Mactan today.

The 11th Thirsty Cup begins at 5 p.m. tomorrow and will be played throughout Friday night. By “throughout,” I mean all the way until midnight. Then, the next day, the games resume. That will last until late Saturday night. Finally, on Sunday, it’s the same day-and-night competition until the Men’s Open final game is contested late, late this weekend. (Good thing it’s a holiday on Monday!)

The Don Bosco Football Alumni group, led by Chad Songalia and Neil Montesclaros, are, as they’ve been the past decade, the lead organizers. My brother Charlie, who helped conceptualize this fast-paced event, is to be thanked for organizing the Thirsty Cup. This event is sanctioned by the Cebu Football Association, led by Engr. Ricky Dakay, Rico Navarro and the CFA board. Visit the Abellana grounds this weekend. Your thirst for this sport of Lionel Messi will surely be satisfied.

Azkals in Cebu: What a kick-start

Wasn’t Thursday night perfect? After the afternoon skies darkened and the clouds unleashed their wet venom, weren’t we all begging our Lord, Oh no, please don’t let it rain! It did not. Instead, the sky’s ceiling was pitch-dark, perfect for down below, the green pitch…

The green pitch was outstanding. Talk about surprises. Talk about transforming a dusty field into a golf course that’s called a soccer field. Wow. Everybody applauded the grass. Michael Weiss. The Singaporeans. And us, the spectators, numbering 7,000 eyeballs, all gazing and awestruck at the green field.

The venue, the Cebu City Sports Center? This is our own Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. It’s our Ground Zero. Our sports headquarters. You know what’s amazing? Coupled with the majestic green pitch was the majestic maroon-colored rubberized oval. Again, exemplary timing: the oval gets renovated just months before 11-15-2012.

The lights? Were those lights? Or was that the sun beaming its rays on CCSC? I counted dozens, hundreds, of floodlights that flooded the arena. This is what happens when the president of the Cebu Football Association (CFA) is one of this island’s mightiest of construction magnates: the stadium is bright as noon.

Thanks to Ricky Dakay, the engineer (or “Doctor,” since he’s earned a Doctorate in Engineering in the U.S.) who owns Dakay Construction and Development Corp.

What else? Fireworks, like sparkling Christmas lights, colored the starless, black sky. The Kaholeros — more than 300-strong and standing across the stadium-full of spectators — lost all their voices by Friday morning. They screamed and danced and were gifted by the Azkals team a personal visit at game’s end.

THE GAME? Was it perfect? The 1-0 final score, no doubt, was splendid.

But the first half? Ha-ha. Don’t call me “Amalayer” when I say this: The Azkals were lousy. Were these our national players? They get hold of the ball… then lose it in 10 seconds. The Lions held the ball 70 percent of the time. It was a mismatch. Singapore would make zigzag, pinpoint passes; we’d scramble and turnover the football. “The first half was one of the least spectacular performances we’ve seen under my guidance… We’re lucky we’re not punished,” said coach Weiss.

True. In those first 45 minutes, we could easily have gone down, 0-2. Or, 0-3. They had chances after chances, especially that free kick. Thankfully, we ended the half at 0-all.

The 2nd half? What a difference. With the Younghusbands, the Azkals were a different animal. In the first half they were puppies; in the second half, they became rabid, hungry, thirsty, salivating “azkals.” They were dogs. And how the dogs would run around and defeat — in the animal kingdom — the bigger and stronger lions.

We held ball possession. We defended. We attempted on multiple occasions. We were aggressive. We were in command.

The hero? Of course: Ed Sacapaño of Bacolod, the goalie who stopped the spinning ball from hitting our net. Thanks to the man from the City of Smiles, we smiled.

CEBU. Last Thursday night was a moment-changer. The new CCSC plus the upcoming USC Talamban field (picturesque, by the mountains) will convert Sugbu into a national powerhouse football venue.

Sure, Manila is our nation’s capital — but most athletes prefer Cebu because, very often, our spectators are noisier, more rabid. We bark. We are azkals-like fans. We’re the azkals watching the azkals. Dan Palami, the country’s Mr. Football himself, couldn’t be happier with Cebu.

Mayor Michael Lopez Rama, while the game was ongoing in the early minutes, was not watching. Instead, he and Ricky Dakay toured the CCSC grounds — pointing at areas to improve. In my conversation with the mayor last Friday night, he repeatedly called the event, “superb.”

This is teamwork. It’s the private and public sectors passing the ball to one another, like James and Phil, to achieve a common goal.

The goal? To goal. To Dan Palami, the new CFA, and the rest of the tireless volunteers and organizers: What a kick-start you’ve given Cebu football.

Face off! Biggest day ever in Cebu football

Historic. A first. Football fever. Loud. Unprecedented. Call it whatever term you want but this fact is obvious: Today — Nov. 15, 2012 — will change football in Cebu.

“Since I am biased for football,” said my boss on these pages, editor Mike Limpag, “I think this is the biggest event here; though the Cobra Ironman 70.3 could also make a claim for that. But since this is the first time that the Philippines will play an international friendly here on a Fifa match day (other countries will be playing friendlies, too, on Nov. 15); so this really sets the bar.”

Last June — just five months ago — over dinner at the famed Marco Polo Hotel, a group of passionate footballers talked about holding an international meet here.

Ricky Dakay and Dan Palami, together with the Cebu Football Association (CFA) officers, sat in a large table with Mike Limpag. Is Cebu ready? Will the Cebu City Sports Center venue be in decent shape? Can the grass grow on time? Can we organize this gargantuan task in just a few months’ time?

The answers? Yes, yes, yes, yes. So, yes, here we arrive today. As a sports lover, I’ve never seen such buzz. For tonight’s Philippine Azkals versus Singapore Lions football game isn’t just for football fans. It’s not just soccer dads like Ariel Uy and Harry Radaza or for coaches like Joshua Fegidero and Dennis Peñalosa or for CFA officials like Glenn Quisido or Mike Veloso.

Tonight is for all fans. Sports fans. Fans who like gazing at players with movie star good looks. Cebu fans. In fact, most of the spectators tonight will be witnessing — myself included — such a large-crowd football event for the first time. Imagine over 7,000 screaming fans?

“For me, the noise-level when Stephen Schrock scored the first goal in that 2-1 home loss against Kuwait at the Rizal Memorial Stadium was really something… 13,000 fans screaming at the same time,” said Mike Limpag. “There will be half of that at the CCSC pitch, but because of the design and the adjacent buildings, it will be noisy. A group of Kaholeros led by Egay Salvacion have been practicing for weeks now to help lead the chants, and I think they will be able to get the crowd going.”

PRESS CON. I attended yesterday’s “face off” between the two head coaches, led by our own, Michael Weiss. Also in attendance were captain Chieffy Caligdong and three Cebuanos, Paolo Pascual, Ray Jonnson and Patrick Reichelt.

The impact of this event is huge. “The positive impact has began,” said Mike Limpag. “Even days before the friendly, when somebody posted a picture of the CCSC field.. the photo went viral… some were asking if the CCSC field uses artificial grass.

“With a field like this, people are suggesting that more games should be played here. Also, the Philippines is one of two countries shortlisted to host the AFC Challenge Cup game and because of what Cebu has done, some are saying that Cebu should be considered as host.. The Challenge Cup needs two stadiums, one could be the CCSC and the other, the soon-to-be finished stadium in USC.”

NIMROD. One of the key personalities of this event is Nimrod Quiñones, who commented: “This is like a dream come true for me as I have long wished for an international football event in Cebu. As a member of the CFA board, it was quite hard to put all the preparations together with only two months given to us, but several people have come forward to help us get things done. This is not just an activity of the CFA, but the whole Cebuano community. I hope that the fans would do their share of making this successful by keeping the place clean and by behaving.”

Nimrod added that several items are not allowed inside the CCSC today: Water bottles, sharp objects, lighters, matches, umbrellas, and laser pointers.

RICKY DAKAY. The man who deserves the loudest applause is Engr. Pericles Dakay (you can also call him “Doctor” as he finished a Doctorate in Engineering in the US). Ricky is a Rotarian, a family man, a civic leader, a businessman (head of the Dakay Construction), but his most important role today is as president of the CFA. All thanks to Ricky. If not for him and the new CFA Board — and that dinner talk last June — we’d be at home early tonight watching ESPN.

The Azkals arrive!

Paolo Pascual is excited. The goalkeeper of the Azkals — and a true-blooded Cebuano — calls this week a “dream come true.”

When I spoke to Paolo yesterday morning, he was in Cebu. But he wasn’t at home with his parents, doctors Joel and Chona Pascual. “We’re in Parklane Hotel where the team is staying,” he said. “Although I’m home, I have to stay with the team.”

The “team,” of course, is the most popular team that has invaded the minds and hearts of all sports lovers: the Philippine Azkals.

This week in football has never happened to Cebu before. It started with the opening of the 15th Aboitiz Cup last Sunday. That same day, a group of about 30 athletes and coaches arrived via PAL around 1:30 P.M.

Paolo Pascual is the lone home-grown Cebuano. He mentions that two others — Patrick Alcala Reichelt (who’s mom is from Alcoy) and Ray Anthony Pepito Jonsson — are also “Cebuanos.” But, since he’s the full-blooded Bisaya, everybody is asking Paolo the same question, “Where do we go?” Show me Cebu! all his teammates insist.

Upon arrival last Sunday, the team was whisked to the Aboitiz Cup opening. “Although it was rainy and muddy,” said Paolo, “we had a wonderful time. So many people, especially children, came.”

That night, they were treated to dinner by the president of the Cebu Football Association, Ricky Dakay, at The Distillery in Crossroads. Stanley Villacin was with the group.

But if we think that this trip is for sightseeing or party-going, that’s not the case. “We train at the Ateneo-Sacred Heart field. Our focus before the game is lots of training,” said Paolo.

CCSC. “It’s the best football field we’ve had at the Cebu City Sports Center,” said Ricky Ballesteros, the facility’s chieftain. Months of preparation — plus the assistance of the “grass experts” from Alta Vista and Cebu Country Club — have elevated the stadium. “We’re also lucky that the rains have been pouring,” said Ricky. “This time, the grass has really taken root. Ni gamut gyud. Green na kaayo ang field.”

Ricky expects over 7,000 spectators to flood the CCSC on Thursday. His advice? Come early. “We’re open starting 3 P.M. Also, please don’t bring your own vehicles. Ask to be dropped-off or take a taxi. This will help decongest the traffic and parking.” Although Citom will allow one-car parking on both sides of Osmeña Blvd., it’s best to lessen the number of parked cars. Or, parking at E-mall or nearby establishments is another alternative.

GRAEME. On the beauty of grass field, I got this mesage from Cebu Sports Hall of Famer Graeme Mackinnon, who’s joining us here this week:

“My lasting recollection of Cebu City Sports Center was that it sat firmly in the too hard basket. No one wanted to do anything to upgrade it. It was a dangerous dust bowl and needed political will to renovate and maintain it. Or did it?

“Maybe it needed the phenom that is the AZKALS and the promise of international football to spark Cebu from its lethargy. Led by the vision of Ricky Dakay, the CFA has transformed the dust bowl into an oasis. But is this transformation just a mirage? The complex has now been upgraded and handed to the current administration on a silver platter.

“With what I saw on Monday night, I was blown away with pride at the transformation. I hope the transformation will not be blown away due to a lack of vision. The game with Singapore will be fiesta-like and something Cebuanos will be proud of. But please don’t make it a one-off and put the CCSC back in the too hard basket.”

AYALA CENTER. I also received an e-mail from Ayala Center Cebu’s marketing executive Wilma Entera on the meet-and-greet. Said Wilma:

“PUMA brings the Azkals to Ayala Center. For those who can buy at least P1,500 worth of PUMA items, they will be given a poster that the Azkals members can sign (with a photo-op) at 1PM at the Activity Center. The following will be there: Eduard Sacapaño, Roel Gener, Jason Sabio, Nestorio Margarse, Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Joshua Beloya, Chris Greatwich and one of the Younghusbands.”

Can we teach our children Harmony through Sports?

Yesterday’s article by sports editor Mike Limpag was like a Lionel Messi kick: it was direct, straight, razor-sharp.

The biggest losers in this controversy between the Cebu Football Association (CFA) and PAREF-Springdale? The children. They’re innocent. They just want to play.

Here are some questions: Was CFA correct to forfeit Springdale? When, according to Springdale parents whom I spoke to, the players were at the gate when the 15-minute extension expired? Upon seeing the players at the entrance, could they not have been accommodated and given the go-signal? (I can imagine the pain in the eyes of the children; you sprint to the venue, all-excited, and, at the last second, are denied to play. Your coach argues. The referee sticks to his ruling. Parents complain. Officials rebut. It’s all chaos.)

But, on the opposite side, wasn’t CFA just enforcing the rules? Doesn’t the rule state that you have to be ON THE FIELD on or before the 15th minute extension time? (I can imagine the referee looking at his wristwatch and, upon the tick of that 15th minute, blowing the whistle to announce the default… CFA argues that the referee was just doing his job.)

Here’s one more: Isn’t it also unfair to the opposing team to “accommodate” another team for being late, even for just a few seconds?

In all this: Who’s right? Who’s wrong? It depends. It depends on who you’re talking to.

Springdale will say: They’re biased. We were there! Why couldn’t they just let us play?

CFA will answer: Rules are rules! An extension was given and the time expired.

Here are more questions… Was Springdale’s reaction to withdraw ALL of their teams from the 14th Aboitiz Cup not exaggerated? Did they not anticipate a harsh rebuke? Did Springdale decide on their forceful “let’s-all-withdraw” act purposely to incite a fight with the CFA? Surely, they anticipated, pulling out midway through Cebu’s most prestigious football event will have severe repercussions…

Talking about “severe,” here’s one query, this time, for the CFA: Isn’t the three-year ban too harsh? Imagine banning one of the country’s most successful football programs for three years?!

Wow. How do you explain this to the hundreds of athletic and eager and active boys of Springdale? You can’t. Now, while I believe Springdale was too hasty on their “let’s-withdraw-from-Aboitiz” move, wasn’t CFA also guilty of the same? Thirty six months! Banning the children? This is preposterous.

I saw a copy of the letter from CFA President, Engr. Richard Montayre, addressed to Ric R. Ampiloquio, Executive Director of PAREF-Springdale, and, true enough, it stated a specific provision of the “3 years up to life time ban…”

First of all, this “banning for three years or more” ruling is crazy. I know, I know. The CFA Board will say… this is done to prevent teams from just brazenly pulling out. True. But here’s a question…

Why wasn’t a formal inquiry or meeting conducted prior to the tyrannical 36-month ban? I mean, how difficult is it to call together both parties and talk?

Was this not done because, as Mike Limpag pointed out yesterday, there’s a deeper, underlying conflict between the two camps, CFA vs. the Cebu Amateur Football Club (CAFC) included? I think so. Because if there was no “bad blood” between the two, this issue could have been settled amicably.

CFA could have called Springdale for a meeting and explained the possible harsh sanctions. CFA could have, “inamigo-style,” asked them to reconsider. A compromise could have been arrived at. Conflict, resolved.

Let’s play ball! would have been the happy yell. Instead, sadly, the one playing is…. drum roll, please…

Politics. Ugly, ugly politics in sports.

My suggestion? Sit down. Relax. Smile. Begin with a prayer. Look at the “bigger picture” and know that the ones who’ll suffer in this uncalled-for fight are the children.

Let’s show them that, as God-loving adults and parents, we can resolve conflicts. Let’s resolve this conflict. It’s the best lesson we can teach our children.

What a photo!

By Mike Hutchings/Reuters

The Azkals are good — and looking good

Girls dream of convincing James and Phil to be their young husbands. The Fil-Brit brothers are rockstar-famous. They’re celebrities in today’s hottest entertainment called football. My wife Jasmin calls them “hot.” Quinito Henson has a new term for the PHL squad: “The Beatles.” Mobbed by Ilonggas, their shirts pulled, their hands wearied with autograph-signing, their photos plastered on pink bedroom walls, the female population is obsessed.

This craze began when the Azkals shockingly beat Vietnam, tied with Singapore, and reached the semifinals of the AFF (Suzuki) Cup last December. It reached a climax last Wednesday night when the fireworks erupted at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.

These footballers are good. But more than good, they’re good-looking. And this is what fuels their popularity. In the same way that all movie stars except Pokwang are pretty, we assume the same with our athletic heroes: we adore them because of their incredible prowess on the sports arena.

And, even better, if they’re beautiful, we worship them. Consider Anna Kournikova. She is more famous than 97.5 percent of the world’s female athletes–not because she’s won 38 events (she has zero singles titles)–but because of her Russian beauty and curvaceous Jessica Alba-like body.

Michael Jordan is the same. The reason why he topped the No. 1 ranking as the all-time greatest is not solely because of his acrobatics wearing the Chicago Bulls jersey, it’s because he’s the complete package. He’s got the tools, the Nike goods, the look.

David Beckham, in People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive 2010,” is right there alongside Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. Sure, the former England captain is adroit and dexterous. His feet are good. But his face—as millions will agree–is even better looking.

Which brings me back to Neil Etheridge, Alex Borromeo, Simon Greatwich, Jason de Jong, James and Phil and the other Azkals. These guys are good, no doubt. Did you see the in-between-the-legs goal stung by Chieffy Caligdong? That was like Manny Pacquiao’s left hook on Ricky Hatton. Or how about, just seconds before the final whistle by the referee to end the game at 1-0, a curving shot by Phil Younghusband that penetrated the goal line and erupted a nationwide scream which reverberated from Davao to Mandaue to Barotac Nuevo?

Football, beginning this 2011, will reach heights to rival basketball and boxing. The reason? Football is grass-roots. If you study closely the elementary and high school students–in Cebu’s private schools, for example—the most-played sport is not basketball–it’s soccer. It’s what five-year-olds dribble. The game of the foot, not hand. Parents of Springdale and Sacred Heart-Ateneo and Bright Academy and Don Bosco and USC and many more are soccer moms and dads. The Azkals give these youngsters their Super Heroes. Which brings me to the “celebrity” discussion. These Azkals boys have an opportunity to be much more famous than their PBA 6-footer counterparts. They have a chance to achieve movie star-like prominence.

How? One example: The “tweet” sent by Phil Younghusband to Angel Locsin. In a Twitter message delivered the day after the Azkals win over Mongolia, he said: “Hi Angel! This Phil. How are you? I was just wondering if you are free for Valentines day?”

This public announcement during this love month rippled throughout the showbiz world—in particular, to the millions of non-sports Pinoy fans. This was juicy. Kilig. A top story for Boy Abunda. Then, not long after, Angel responded with her own Twitter message: “hi! this is angel? Congrats on your win last night! Tnx for the invite but I have work on valentines.. Let’s try another day?”

My point? These non-sports acts are perfect for sports. By fueling tsismis, by creating gossip, Phil—off the field—has excited our nation.

Good. Good PR. Good-looking. Good for football.

Football and Football: These games are super

At the same Cowboys Stadium in Texas where Manny Pacquiao annihilated Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey, it was a national holiday yesterday.

The Super Bowl. For many of the 310 million Americans, no game or entertainment or party is bigger. That’s in America. Because here in Cebu, when I clicked open the TV set at 7:30 a.m. yesterday, nothing super was shown. A replay of the Australian Open mixed doubles final was broadcasted on Star Sports. It was the UEFA Champions League featuring Barcelona in the Balls Channel. Golf was presented in Solar Sports.

Nothing super. There was no American football. Too bad. The Super Bowl, for the past years and if my nearly 39-year-old brain still remembers correctly, has always been shown on cable TV. Not Super Bowl XLV. Not the Green Bay Packers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It was one super ballgame, though. I followed it via the ESPN website and New York Times’ real-time blog. The GB Packers led by as much as 21-3. Surely, with that lopsided score, it’s a guaranteed win. But, no, the Steelers, led by Ben Roethlisberger–infamous for his sex-related charges–rallied in the second half to make the score, 21-17. Plus, sometime in the 4th quarter, they had ball possession. But a fumble by Rashard Mendenhall condemned their fate. In the end, with GB quarterback Aaron Rogers doing an Aa+ effort, it was the Packers who win the NFL crown, 31-25.

Of the multitude of sporting events I’ve watched live, American football remains one of the few I’d love to see with my bare eyes. NFL games are thrilling. You see passes, runs, tackles, interceptions, punts, blitzes. Plus there are a myriad of interesting terms like fumble, incomplete pass, kneel, red zone, safety, trick play. This sport presents so many scenarios. Would be a fascinating experience to watch it live.

Back to our no-show here in Cebu, sayang. I hope, the very least, replays are shown. Because, apart from the stirring finish, I’d like to watch the half-time show. The Black Eyed Peas performed with Usher. Same with Christina Aguilera, who sang the national anthem (and made a blunder–ala Christian Bautista—by singing the lyrics wrongly).

FOOTBALL. Speaking of another sport with a similar name, it was the Thirsty Football Cup last weekend at the Cebu City Sports Center. An estimated 2,500 players involving 243 teams participated.

This event started in 2004 when my younger brother Charlie teamed up with Neil Montesclaros, Chad Songalia and a few others from Don Bosco to introduce a quicker and more intense type of play: Festival Football.

Instead of the prolonged 90-minute games that involve only two teams and a giant-sized rectangle of a field, this idea was radical. Loud music blared. Five-year-olds kicked. And, if there’s a category for the young ones, there, too, was one for the once young: a 36-and-under division. After the whistle blew, only 15 minutes of play ensued. It was speedy and rapid-fire. And, since the field was tiny, players would propel their bodies faster, pass hurriedly, bolt and charge after opponents in a rush.

Last weekend was the same. Only bigger. (As Graeme Mackinnon, who arrived last Saturday from Australia, observed his former pupils from Springdale: “They’ve grown so tall after eight years I can hardly recognize them!”)

AZKALS. Inside the Abellana football grounds, all the talk, of course, was about this Thursday. Plenty are traveling to Bacolod. Mike Limpag and Noel Villaflor–our resident soccer experts on these back pages–are leaving this early morning. We also saw Dr. Joel Pascual. His son–Paolo Pascual (replace the “a” with an “i” and you get another superstar’s name)–is one of the goalies of Team Philippines. When we spoke last Saturday, Joel beamed with a full smile. He has reason to be proud of his son.

If not for a tight schedule here, it would be nice to sip batchoy at 21 Restaurant, gobble up the pitso and atay at Chicken House, and watch those “stray dogs” beat Mongolia.