Ready for the World Cup

Are you ready for the long nights and early mornings that we’ll have to keep ourselves awake for the next month?

If not, then you better stock up on coffee and food as the 2010 South Africa World Cup opens tomorrow night (RP time).

Balls (channel 33) over SkyCable TV promises to carry the games live for the whole duration of the tournament, which is a first in Philippine television.

In the 2006 World Cup, I had to stay up late at night in hotels, bars and restaurants that featured the games, which was quite taxing as people need to go home after the games.

This time, we can wear our game faces including the jerseys of our favorite teams in the comfort of home. Just don’t make so much noise or you’ll get a good scolding from the missus.

At least you’ll be staying home to enjoy the games this time and not somewhere, which should be a good point for any argument when you can’t help but stomp your feet or growl during the games.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event after the Olympics and even if there are only 32 countries seeing action, the whole world has its eyes on the action.

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While football (soccer, to those who insist they are Americanized) is the world’s number one sport, basketball remains to be the most popular in the Philippines.

Anywhere you go around the country, you can see basketball courts or even just makeshift rings.

I asked the students in the Infantry Officers Advance Course, where I was invited as guest lecturer last week how come basketball is quite popular.

One answered that it is because of our American influence, one said that it is because it is cheap, and there were many other correct answers.

Personally, I believe that basketball is popular because it gets so much support from politicians.

But before you guys from other sports raise hell about it, here’s my take on the matter.

The politicians build basketball courts because such provide them a chance to have the people see their names 24/7, 365 days a year.

The politicians can have their names painted all over the gymnasiums that they build. They can have their names painted on the court, or even on the back boards.

The basketball courts are not only for sports, they also serve as venue for the fiesta celebrations, meetings, discorals, and many other community activities that would allow the politicians to campaign even without having to go there.

Unfortunately for sports like football, the politicians don’t see much opportunity to paint their names on the fields and on the goals aside from the fact that such sport would need a huge tract of land.

Well just have to make do with what we can now if we want to push football in this basketball country. It can actually be done if we move forward towards one goal and not fight each other.

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MILESTONES: Today’s birthday greetings go to ABS-CBN’s Atty. Haide Acuña, my high school classmate Kathleen Bongo, Arhct. Patty Rodriguez-Caballero, and Prof. Arnold Gundran.

Advance greetings to Frederick ‘Icky’ Salazar and Roy Ho, who are celebrating tomorrow.

To the Celtics fans, it was unfortunate yesterday, but still there are a few more games to go.

More power to all of you! – THE FREEMAN