Tuloy pa rin

Tuloy pa rin ang pagdating ng mga mensahe mula sa mga nagbabasa ng ating kolum tungkol sa isyu kung sobra o hindi ang basketbol sa atin.

Ayon kay Antonio "Boyet" Dones, hepe ng Billing Management Office ng Philippine Postal Corporation ([email protected]):

"There is not too much basketball for me. Why? As the old saying goes "In every game there is a new one being played".

"I became a diehard NBA fanatic in 1975 and followed religiously the championship series between the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Bullets that year in which the Warriors won in a four (4) game sweep. The year saw the birth of the PBA and the visit of a 32 man NBA all-star team that played with the local PBA clubs in June of the same year.

"What triggered my desire to go back to basketball is the birth of Basketball TV. It was a dream come true for every true blooded cage fanatic. Having the NBA, Euro League, US NCAA and the Australian NBL on TV night in and night out is simply a blast! Since then I began to buy again various NBA preview magazines and regularly surf the net for all the latest happenings in the basketball world."

"From now on I honestly believe that I will never have too much of basketball. I am what you call a basketball junkie and a die hard fanatic. I consider basketball as my second love after my wife of course."

Samantala, ito naman ang pananaw ni Winston Tan ([email protected]), who laments:

"Yes there is much basketball indeed today. There’s NBA, Euro League and FIBA tournaments Basketball TV, there’s PBA in ABC 5 and NCAA, UAAP, Champions League in Studio 23. There’s just a different feeling when PBA was the only local league we follow. Now, it is a bit boring to watch NBA as there are no great rivalries anymore. When I was in elmentary, it was Lakers and Celtics. Then the Bad Boys of Pistons in early 90’s, then the Rockets and then the Bulls."

"I don’t know but for me, basketball has been boring as of late especially that we are still banned by FIBA. Boring because there are any champions in different leagues. Why can’t the country unite NCAA, UAAP and other collegiate leagues as one league. Just like NCAA in the United States. My idea is to make college basketball’s format like the Davis Cup in tennis where the worst standing in Division 1 will fight for the slot with the best of Division 2. Just an idea."

Narito naman ang e-mail ni Alex Etcuban ([email protected]):

"Yes, there’s too much basketball in the country. As if it’s the only sport men or women can play. As if it’s the only sport where advertisers and sponsors can make money. Like in any section of our country, anything goes. No systematic plan or sports program to follow, no calendar. With the funny proliferation of basketball leagues in our country, it’s ironic that our FIBA ranking is abysmal, imagine, Thailand ranked higher than us! It only confirms as well our damaged culture. Even in choosing our sport to play, we chose a sport were we cannot excel. Basketball is for tall people, we are not a tall race. That’ how ridiculous we are as a people."

Ito naman ang paniniwala ni dating KBS sports broadcaster Carlos "Caloy" Prieto ([email protected]), na ngayo’y residente ng New Jersey.

"The main reason why basketball is immensely popular in the Philippines just as it is in the poor neighborhoods in the U.S. is economics. This is a sport that does not require gear or gadgets. A pair of sneakers is all a kid needs to be able to play with 9 others in a public court and of course a ball that’s very affordable. It’s practically free and it’s a great spectator sport since it’s fast paced and high scoring. Soccer you might argue is in the same category, but why it isn’t popular back home is the same reason that it’s not here in the U.S. It’s a low-scoring game and is limited to the use of one’s lower limbs. It also requires shoes with cleats so one has to bring an extra pair of shoes to go home in."

 Kayo, ano sa palagay ninyo?