Why You Should Watch The 2018 Asian Games

It is something that I am excited about every year as a sports fan: a multi-sport event. Before, my reason was that this is an opportunity for me to get a sportscasting gig. It was my only chance for me back then to get a gig on TV so it was an exciting time for me; watching and trying to learn the different sports that was present on the event. It was a real necessity. For a country where sports coverage is mainly basketball-dominant, a sports broadcaster doesn’t have that luxury of resources to prepare for, an example, a taekwondo match. Back when I started during the 2012 London Olympics for AKTV (TV5), YouTube was not that rich yet on sports clips of the different athletes that I need to cover, so I heavily relied on Wikipedia. Year 2017 was a different story; you can practically simulate a broadcast of a weightlifting event through watching a YouTube clip of it. So when I did the 2017 SEA Games for PTV-4, it was just like a YouTube simulation for me.

This time, we have the Asian Games in Jakarta, and I am still experiencing the same level of excitement I had six years ago for the Olympics, but this time for a different reason. And also this would be the reason why you should be excited too, or at least be interested to look in to.

Aside from your favorite basketball or volleyball players, there are other athletes who will be competing in the games. Try to put yourselves in the shoes of the athletes even before the games start. Their interaction is pretty much limited to the people who join them in their training. When the games come, there might be a 10 percent increase in the number of people. Once things start to fall down for the athlete, the same will be felt by his/her training buddies. Where else could the athlete get strength if he/she is stuck in that situation? It is where moral support comes in. Yes! The fans! If you think this is just a sporting cliché, then you’re so wrong. Just ask Barangay Ginebra.

Athletes need fans’ attention too. Who doesn’t? You have your circle of friends as your support group, right? So does the athletes. They’d just appreciate a larger support group because they are carrying the entire nation on their shoulders as they compete. Ipinaglalaban nila tayo… karapat dapat lang na suklian natin ang paghihirap nila, and supporting them is an excellent way of showing it. Watch their games. Congratulate them on their win. Tell them compliments or endearments when they lose. They might accept criticisms if they feel like it. What would it mean to them is that they will know people are paying attention, and that would give them enough motivation to be better the next time they compete.

As I have said, there are other events aside from basketball and volleyball. Paying wider attention aside from those two primary sports in the country will give you an opportunity to discover other sports, and may play with the idea that Filipinos can excel in a certain sport aside from those two. Imagine, you decided to watch a “Poomsae” event even though you do not know what the heck it is. Just watch it. Throw the remote control away from you. Then your little brother, or sister, or your kid, or any young people inside your house came across with what you are watching. And that kid got interested. And that kid soon decided he/she wanted to train poomsae. And that kid became so good at it. And that kid soon was able to learn full combat taekwondo and became so good at it as well. That kid might become a medalist for the SEA Games, or the Asian Games, or the Olympics! All because it all started with a dude just deciding to watch poomsae on TV. Awareness brings interests, interests brings dreams, dreams brings desire, and desire brings success.

Lastly, this is an opportunity to witness moments in sports. They may not be as significant as seeing a unified Korea march as one during the opening ceremonies, but they are sure all be worthy of a story to be told in certain times, such as me talking about gracefulness, flexibility, and precision in execution of movements with the apparatus on national television. It is still the most macho sport that I covered up to this date: rhythmic gymnastics, 2017 SEA Games.

Support. Awareness. Appreciation. Our three reasons why you and me should watch the 2018 Asian Games; Jakarta and Palembang.

P.S. Of course I also want to cover the games. Hello ESPN 5! I miss you!

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Follow the writer on Twitter and Instagram: @sportscastengr

SPORTING JOURNEY: Court Announcing Genesis

This is definitely one of the most underrated jobs in sports. From the outside, the pros make it look easy. But in reality, it can be as chaotic as hell. In the US, they call it public address (PA) announcer. Here in the Philippines, we call it barkers. Internationally, they are called court announcers (CA).

When I met my mentor back in 2012, it was the first thing that he mentioned to me when he heard me speak. “O… pwede ka maging barker ah!” he said. I never entertained the thought that time because I was too focused on my training to become a sportscaster (because I really want to be one), that deciding to become a CA would deviate me on my dream to become a sportscaster (because… I really, really want to be one). I thought it was a dead-end job that would lead me nowhere near towards my dream.

Four years later… it was when that I decided to finally get in and stay inside the world of Philippine sports through broadcasting. But to everyone who is aspiring to become a sportscaster, one knows how difficult it is specially for an ordinary-looking person like me to get a foot on the door. Doesn’t matter if you are properly trained to be one or not. Desperate for solutions, I asked my mentor about it.

“…subukan mo magbarker muna. Ito ang gawin mong entry point sa pagiging sportscaster mo.”

Since I heard the words that I will become a broadcaster… hell yeah! Let’s do it! I think I can do it. Back in that 2012 workshop, the parting advice to me was “Believe in my voice.” So yeah! Let’s do this!

Preparation? Always high premium on me. Even though I know basketball rules so well, I re-read them and watched a lot of videos of those infractions and violations that corresponded to those rules. I also listened to different CAs and distinguished their styles of delivering the calls. On site, I shadowed my mentor and sat beside a couple of CAs as well to look on how they do their thing and to study other things that I got to do aside from speaking. I also simulated what they do so I can get a hang of it.

It is a big break! I must not screw up!

February, 2017… PBA D-League… Tuesday…

“Ganito gawin natin… first time-out ipasa ko na sayo. Ikaw ang tumawag. Pag nagtime-out ulit, ibalik mo na sakin.”

Dead-ball situation under six minutes in the first quarter. Mandatory time-out. The microphone was given to me. A player made a basket, therefore I have to call his name. One dude from the table officials on my left offered me a coffee. Another basket is made, and they now offered me energy drink. They were shouting while they were offering me stuff. On my right was a team bench, and the coach was naturally shouting. Play goes on. Then a foul was called. The referee made a signal, but apparently he gave the wrong number. I called the foul on the wrong number. In three-tenths of a second, everyone was now shouting at me. Referee acknowledged the wrong signal and made the correct call. I corrected the call as well. The technical chiefs across us are scolding the table officials through a two-way radio, and I wanted to lock myself inside the bathroom for the rest of the day.

This was our scheme when Noel Zarate was training me on being a court announcer. From in-between time-outs, to until end of quarters, to until end of halves, to a game, to a game day. Whenever he was the one holding the mic, I would also pay attention to the game and record fouls and substitutions like I was the actual court announcer. Letting your mind and body adapt to the flow of the game is the very essence of being one, which is something I failed to do on that story I just told you. It is a very different perspective from being a fan watching in the stands, or a player or a coach watching on your team’s bench. It’s a chaotic situation, but once you get the flow you will be able to control that chaos; players reporting in for substitutions, coaches asking for time-outs, referees’ calls (correct or not), and even announcements totally unrelated to the game.

One more important key in doing CA duties; relax. It is what everybody was telling me when I was training in the D-League. It was also the first and only thing they told me when I made an errant call on my very first (and only, so far) PBA assignment as a CA. The reason why my fellow table officials was offering me Robust (energy drink won’t work for me during that time according to them) because I sound so lame. Even though I was already making the correct calls and having flawless games, I still sounded lame. This is very similar to the difference between “playing to win” and “playing not to lose”; “calling the game as appropriately (enjoy delivery on big moments, serious tone on down moments) as possible” and “trying not to screw up”. Just when I think I am confident, but my voice says otherwise. It was an unknown tension that was present in me during those times that I was starting, so everyone’s advice to me was very suitable… relax.

Lastly, a heavenly guidance will complete it all. My prayer in every game is that I wish I can deliver this game the way everybody – the players, league officials, team officials, the fans in the venue or watching – wanted it; informative, neutral, and exciting… all for His glory and praise. Through your faith, you’ll be totally confident and you won’t screw up. I still make errant calls up to this date, but it doesn’t feel like a total disaster when I make one, all thanks to Him.

It is one tough job… but, damn it, I’m learning a lot. I value this job so much that even with the little knowledge and experience I have in court announcing, I want to teach others who are serious in entering this industry. That bit of a story might not be scary, but in the actual game, it is… but I can promise you it will bring out the best in you.

The journey continues…

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Follow the writer on Twitter and Instagram: @sportscastengr

The Imaginary PBA Third Conference

If this was anywhere between 2005 to 2010, the current PBA season would be over. But since one of the country’s national mottos is “Bola muna bago dro…” …er, I mean “We can’t get enough of basketball” (yeah, I’m making this one up), the PBA will give us the Governor’s Cup in just a few days.

But imagine having this kind of third conference for the PBA.

The 12 teams will be divided into four groups, with the top four teams with aggregate win-loss record of the two conferences having their spot in each group. The other eight will be determined by draw lots. In the first round Groups A, B, C, and D will play a single round robin among their groupmates. The top two teams of each Groups A and B will form Group E, and same will happen with Groups C and D to form Group F. In the second round the teams will carry over their standings from the first round excluding the game they played against the eliminated team and play another single round robin among their groupmates except for their groupmate in the first round. The top team in Groups E and F will advance to the semifinals. The second and third placers in each group will advance to a crossover knockout quarterfinals match. Single elimination in the playoffs to determine the champion of this third conference.

Imagine… Groups A and B will play their first round games in Pangasinan on the first week in a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Groups C and D will play their first round games in Cagayan De Oro on the second week in a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well. Let’s go some other place like Quezon province for the second round, with doubleheaders scheduled on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then let’s have the final round, let’s say, in Cebu, with the quarterfinals on Friday, semifinals on Saturday, and Finals on Sunday. That’s a total of 25 games for 12 teams for us to have a champion, with all games played outside Metro Manila. It will also take only four weekends to finish this conference.

For one, this I think is one of the best way the PBA can reach to farther areas where they can only afford to watch the best basketball in the country thru television. Plus, all these games would have so much meaning because it is just a short conference, in comparison with random Saturday out of town games where it falls right smack in middle of the elimination round where indeed it would feel so random. With this, the fans would expect an all-out performance from the players, thus a great weekend of high-level basketball for the fans of the host city. With proper marketing, three or four-day sellouts on the venues is almost a guarantee.

Next, this will give the teams who are great in starting strong in a conference. The eventual champion will only play a maximum of seven games and a two-game losing streak to start the conference means you are out of the title contention. Take for instance the Columbian Dyip; they were 2-1 at the start of the Commissioner’s Cup. That win-loss record could be enough to merit them a spot in the quarterfinals. Another example is the recent Commissioner’s Cup champion Brgy. Ginebra, who had a really bad start in that conference. If they have that same bad start in this imaginary conference and drop their two games in the first round, they will be eliminated. Adapting a FIBA-style tournament to these professional teams will present an equal opportunity to all of the teams to win a championship. Imagine a universe where Blackwater Elite is crowned a PBA Champion… this kind of conference will make it possible.

For the players, I’m pretty sure they will like this, so they can give their bodies that much needed time to recover between conferences. No one will complain about their tired bodies anymore because of too much basketball. This will also enable the league to get some breathing space whenever they are going on a break to make way for the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

In short, let’s go back to the day where we have a couple of conferences; the Philippine Cup, and the Fiesta Cup. For the sake of having a third conference like we used to do ever since its creation in 1975, let’s have this tournament. I’ll leave it up to them on what will they name it if ever they found this one a good idea. I just laid down the format, and the potential advantages it will bring. They are better on the details and all other stuff.

I just like to see this work. It’s a mere suggestion that I can give to Philippine basketball.

#ParaSaBayan

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Follow the writer on Twitter and Instagram: @sportscastengr