Nung una akong nagsulat about Ginebra, na-eliminate tayo ng B-Meg through a PJ Simon put back.

Tangina.

Na-tanga ako sa harap ng computer ko for a few seconds bago ko naramdaman yung sakit.

Andun na eh. Andun na.

May chance na matapos yung apat na taon na paghihirap natin.

Yun pala, may additional na apat na taon pa.

Sa loob ng walong taon, puro "bawi na lang next conference" at "Ginebra pa rin" ang pinagsususulat ko.

I don't even know if I could finish this one properly kasi hindi ako sure kung marunong ba ako magsulat aside from my pathetic talo-na-naman-Ginebra blogs.

In the last eight years (puta, eight years), my mama has repeatedly asked me bakit fan pa rin ako ng Ginebra kahit na kangkong pa more.

Hindi ko naman masabi na "eh super magagaling ang mga players", kasi wag na tayong magsinungaling - may mga panahong putanginang jelling yan ang drama natin sa kanila.

Hindi ko rin naman masabi na "yung coach namin ma, magdadala samin sa tagumpay", kasi nakailang palit tayo ng coach - tangina naman wag na tayong maglokohan.

At mas lalong hindi ko masabi na "ba't ba nangengealam ka, ma?" Hahaha

Pero, seryoso.

May mga oras na natanong ko rin ang sarili ko why I'm still cheering for Ginebra.

Lalo na during those times na parang black hole na humihigop ng lakas ang aura nila.

Bakit ba di ko mabitiw-bitiwan itong team na ito na walong taon akong pinanganga?

Dahil ba pinakasikat na team sila?

Dahil ba nakasanayan ko na?

Dahil ba too late na para lumipat pa?

I'll be honest (kayo rin, magpaka-honest ha lol), may mga instances talaga na ang hirap maging proud na Ginebra fan. Hahahahah kamusta naman kasi yung eight years diba?

Pero if there's one thing that I can proudly say, it is this:

I never stayed as a Ginebra fan because they were popular, or because I was used to them, or because I had no other choice.

I am still a Ginebra fan, even after those looooooong eight years, because of the people who filled the big dome up to its damn rafters.

Yung mga pumuno ng gen ad.

Yung mga nakatayo sa upper B.

Yung mga nakaupo sa hagdan ng upper A.

Yung mga walang sawang naghanap ng extra tickets (pati mama ko nilapitan at tinanong kung may sobrang ticket ba siya hahaha).

Yung mga SRO.

Yung mga nanood sa big screen sa labas ng Araneta.

Yung team bahay.

Yung team abroad.

Yung team replay.

Si manong driver. Si kuyang construction worker. Si ateng saleslady. Si Buboy. Si Sandra.

Bawat Ginebra fan-

Die hard ka man o bandwagon.

Overripe na kangkong o bagong usbong.

Thunders o fan girls.

Kayo.

Kayo ang dahilan kung bakit di ko maiwan-iwan ang Ginebra despite the eight years of desolation.

Kayo.

Tangina niyo. WAHAHAHAHAHA

Chos lang. Pero, seriously- kayo talaga ang dahilan kung bakit andito pa rin ako.

Kasi yung bawat hashtag NSD niyo, I catch myself shaking my head in pure amazement.

Kasi yung bawat bawi na lang tayo niyo, I blink back the tears that threaten to fall.

Kasi yung bawat Gi-neb-ra! niyo, I just.. I'm just in utter disbelief na parte ako nitong nakakamanghang fan base na ito.

Back in 2012, I was in awe of every Ginebra fan's passion despite the four year drought.

Today, I am completely speechless with what I've witnessed last night.

Before the winning play that finally won us the long awaited hardware, I paused midway through my prayer and looked around the coliseum.

Goosebumps.

Ang dami dami dami dami dami dami dami dami natin dun.

Kahit na ang tagal tagal tagal tagal tagal tagal tagal tagal natin naghintay.

I remember wishing so hard na para sa libo-libong fans na walang sawang sumuporta, sana matapos na yung mga makukulimlim na araw ng Ginebra.

And just like that, several stars started popping out of the darkness that enveloped the skies of the big dome.

Alam mo yung, pakshet. Ano to?

Parang, pucha. Iba. Iba talaga.

I felt like everyone that cheered for Ginebra inside Araneta just knew- amid the cellphone flashlights, the screaming loud Gi-neb-ra! chants, and the nerves- I think, they knew.

They knew that it was time, and it was damn well-deserved and fucking well-earned.

The whistle blew.

Sol for the inbound.

Brownlee at the top of the key.

CHAOS.

Sweet, sweet chaos - and an equally sweet redemption.

Nung una akong nagsulat about Ginebra, na-eliminate tayo ng B-Meg through a PJ Simon put back.

Tangina.

Na-tanga ako sa harap ng computer ko for a few seconds bago ko naramdaman yung sakit.

Pero kagabi, nung na-shoot ni Brownlee yung huling tres, na-tanga ako sa harap ng libo-libong taong naghihiyawan at nag-iiyakan.

Tangina.

Nag-champion na talaga.

Dear Lamberto,

Let me tell you about that one particular day quite sometime ago.

There were two men on my doorstep.

The first one was a salesman who aggressively knocked on my door - Mark, who immediately got my attention when he was called two Ts for spitting gum on the hard court and thrusting the ball on the floor much too strong.

Then, there was you.

The salesman beside him who readily and eagerly and honestly pitched your product - you carrying the entire team after your partner got ejected; it was a sorry, sorry loss.

I was the customer.

That lost game was the product.

But instead of slamming the door shut on your face, I was sold.

You sold me Ginebra.

It has been a good (and sometimes not so good) decade now, and I've already thrown away the money back guarantee slip- I'm in this for the long run.

I'll be very honest with you, these last eight years have been filled with more downs than ups, sad tears than happy ones, heartbreaks than whole hearts, but tonight - on your birthday- you reminded me why I bought Ginebra from you.

I didn't buy Ginebra from you because of a W, I bought it because inspite of possible future defects - you made the never say die spirit look so damn worth it.

And, it really is.

So thank you, Lamberto.

Thank you, not only for tonight's amazing win- but most importantly, for Ginebra.

Love,
Satisified Customer

PS: Happy 25th (plus 15 years of wisdom) birthday to you!

Minsan naiisip ko na, putang ina, deserve na deserve na ng mga Ginebra fans na manalo ulit.

Alam mo yun?

Eight years. As in, eight years na.

Eight fucking, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching long years.

College pa ako nung huling panalo nila.

When I started blogging about this "drought", eh four years palang tayong tigang.

Yung pinanganak nung 2008, mag-ge grade two na sa pasukan.

In other words, walong taon na tayong nagmumukhang tanga.

Pero okay lang. No problem.

Ganun naman talaga eh. Minsan talo, minsan panalo.

Hindi pa naman end of the world kung hindi sila manalo ng championship diba?

Hindi naman ata tayo mawawalan ng trabaho dahil hindi sila nakalagpas ng quarterfinals diba?

Hindi naman siguro kawalan sa atin yung bakasyon na uli sila diba?

Pero, masakit.

Tangina. Masakit.

Masakit hindi dahil natalo.

Masakit hindi dahil aasarin kami ng "kangkong".

Masakit hindi dahil after eight years, nganga na naman.

Kasi yung talo? Yung kangkong? Yung nganga?

Jusko. Sanay na sanay na kami dyan.

Walong taon na kaming praktisado dyan.

Aminin man ng ibang Ginebra fans o hindi..

Kapag opening lahat kami iniisip na "ito na uli, bagong chance uli" pero at the back of our heads.. Andun yung "mananalo na ba talaga?" O "Kaya na ba talaga?".

And, it's okay. Okay lang talaga, as in

Lahat tayo dadaan at dadaan dyan sa doubts chemerloo na yan.

Kung malalagpasan mo, congratulations!

Kung hindi, eh di wag! Hahaha

Pero alam mo yung tunay na masakit?

Yung chest hollowing disappointment na mararamdaman mo every time na nalalaglag sila.

Kasi yan, believe it or not, hindi kayang sanayin ang sarili dyan.

And worst of all, kada taon, kada conference, kada laro - it keeps on growing and growing and growing.

And I don't think I'll ever stop feeling disappointed until they win it all again.

Kasi lahat lahat, bilang fan, nagawa mo na eh.

Yung magsisigaw na parang walang bukas sa Araneta o Sa MOA o sa bahay.

Yung makipag away, at kulang na lang makipagpatayan, sa Twitter dahil ipinaglalaban mo sila vs trolls and other fans.

Yung umiyak sa tuwa kasi naka buzzer beater, at umiyak sa galit dahil - #whatisnew.

Nagawa mo na lahat ng kayang mong gawin.

Pati nga siguro lahat na ng Santo nadasalan at napag alayan mo na.

O baka naman narindi mo na sila sa paulit-ulit mong prayer request na sana manalo na ang Ginebra.

But gusto kong malaman mo na okay lang magalit, okay lang malungkot, okay lang madisappoint.

At higit sa lahat, I want you to know na saludo ako sayo.

Saludong saludo ako sa bawat Ginebra fan.

Mapa-team thunders ka man o team pogi.

Mapa-team #bounceback ka man o team #tanginaniyoginebra.

Mapa-team never say die ka man o team kangkong.

Saludo ako sa bawat isa sa inyo.

Hindi madaling magmukhang tanga. Lalo na walong taong in the making na. Hahaha

Hindi ka nagkulang.

Lahat lahat na naibigay mo.

At, I'm pretty sure, handa ka pa sigurong ibigay ang natitira sayo para sa kanila.

Pero I think it's high time for them to realize something.

Hindi pa ba enough yung walang sawang pagsuporta for the past eight years para marealize nilang deserving na tayong magsisigaw sa tuwa after a playoffs series?

Hindi pa ba enough yung masasakit na salita na naririnig for the past eight years para marealize nilang worthy na tayong ipagpanalo ng isang trophy?

Hindi pa ba enough yung iyak, inis, galit, lungkot, at disappointment na nararamdaman for the past eight years para marealize nilang "tangina, dapat bigyan na natin ng rasong lumigaya ang mga muntangang ito"?

Kasi at this point in time?

Wala ng worth yung "lumaban naman kami ah".

Wala ng worth yung "we did our best".

Wala ng worth yung "we'll make it up to you next time".

Gasgas na gasgas na yan mga yan. And I don't think I can even swallow those excuses for what we have now and for what is to come.

Pero alam mo, may narealize din ako.

Talaga bang, bilang isang die hard fan, lahat na ba ng pwede nating sabihin o gawin for Ginebra eh nailatag na?

Talaga bang lahat lahat ng pwede nating ibigay eh naibigay na?

Minsan naiisip ko na, putang ina, deserve na deserve na ng mga Ginebra fans na manalo ulit.

Pero kanina while reading disgruntled tweets from fans, naisip ko na we are not just worthy of it.. Yet.

Hindi pa tayo nararapat manalo ng kampeonato.

Kasi sa lahat lahat ng mga masasakit na salita, mura, pagmamakaawa, pag demand at kung ano pa na ipinarating natin sa Ginebra..

All this time, hindi tayo naglakas loob na ipa-abot sa kanila ang pinaka importanteng tanong na..

Dear Ginebra,

Yung totoo? Gugustuhin ba naming malaman ang sagot sa tanong na -

Do you really, as in really, believe that Ginebra fans are worth winning that championship for?