Some thoughts on Fil-Ams

I have to admit that it has been quite a while since I really enjoyed watching an entire PBA game. But the game last Saturday between Air 21 and San Miguel had me glued to the television set that I ended up staying up past my bedtime, which is rare.

What a game! It was played at a level that made every minute of it worth watching.

The Express successfully displayed more than the amount of talent one thought that they have in each of their players. More importantly, they showed how vital it is to utilize all of their players in such a way that benefited the entire team. They epitomized the term TEAM PLAY without limiting their game plan to just using who they considered to be exceptional.

What made it even more delightful to watch was how they managed to upstage a much more mature and experienced San Miguel, which has three Fil-American players on its roster.

It was beautiful to watch. It brought me back to the days of Bogs Adornado, Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Francis Arnaiz, Atoy Co, and Philip Cezar — all exceptional and talented but more importantly, all purely Filipino.

I admit to having been one of those responsible for bringing the first Fil-American players into the PBA several years ago. However, I find that the extent to which this is being carried out today has indeed crossed the parameters that we set when it was first thought about. The way it is now being handled and executed clearly indicates that those responsible for its implementation have lost sight as to why it was initiated in the first place — to add spice and twist to the game by creating a balance in the competition.

Now, I really have to use my imagination and see if there are traces of "Filipino blood" in the paper Fil-Ams currently playing in the PBA.

The PBA was built mainly for the Filipino players and it hurts to see that it is the paper Fil-Ams who are benefiting the most at present.

It has set the stage for the Fil-Ams to play all year round at the expense of the homegrown talents.

I consider the quality of performance that Air 21 — both players and coaching staff — gave to the league through their level of play that night as a sort of reminder, at least to me, as to what we have here in our very own backyard. It’s a sad fact that only two teams in the league today — Air 21 and Sta. Lucia — have made a stand — knowingly or not — on this. They are the only two teams who have absolutely no Fil-Ams on their roster.

Please do not get me wrong in thinking that I am totally against the idea of having the Fil-Ams as part of the league. As I mentioned earlier, I was one of those who brought the first ones in and I do not regret it. But perhaps allowing them to play during the import conference only — rather than all year round — to serve as the balancing factor in the game, could be well worth considering.

For as it is, they are surely displacing our very own Filipino players to play all year round in a league that was created for them.

Generally speaking, I feel that the Filipino and perhaps almost anyone, enjoys rooting and watching a player all year round whom he can identify with. Even more so when he knows the background of this particular player, where he went to school, and maybe whom he even went to school with. It is an aspect of human nature that we wish to see ourselves in the "other" and this is made simpler when the "other" has something that resembles us — be it his color, his height, his province of origin or even his dialect or accent — that we can identify with.

"It’s probably my age that has made me realized the value of appreciating who you are and not think those who are physically bigger and stronger necessarily have more to give. I never dreamed of thinking this way when I was younger. But last Saturday’s game between Air 21 and San Miguel made it very clear to me.

There is no denying that the league has reached rock bottom in terms of popularity with the general public and yet we have never seen as many paper Fil-Ams in the league as we do today.

For this reason, I have often thought that there will come a time when those who head the PBA will have to take stock and re-assess where the league is today and the direction it is actually going.

Band aid solutions have never been known to provide long-term programs and achieve goals. Perhaps the time has come to start appreciating and giving more exposure and importance to our local talents.

There are many waiting.