Ginebra
4:04 pmNung 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.
2 comments
Nice piece. I am a fan since 1986, when Dondon Ampalayo won Rookie of the year honors. They were also blessed by a the most talented imports back then. And they were winning. Because that was the birth of the now infamous NSD.
ReplyDeleteThen came the early 90's, and all I can say is DAMN. Awful decisions by the team have really caused us. If you can imagine the kangkong days of this generation of Gin Kings, that's nothing compared to 1993 - 95 Ginebra. I think, in 3 years, Gin Kings only won less than 1/3 of their games, sadly winning only 5 games the entire 1995 season. 5 games. In 1 year. 5. Ugh.
Maganda lang nun, walang social media, so walang asaran, walang memes, walang mga hashtag. Makikita mo lang e yung mga nagkukwentuhan sa labas ng bahay nila after each game trying to break down what happened.
But what struck me the most is back then, we don't dwell on the loss, instead, ang kwentuhan namin will focus on the positives. Yung magandang reverse ni Noli Locsin. Yung sapal ni EJ Feihl. Yung hustle ni Jarencio at Gayoso. Yung mga gulang ni Jawo. Walang sisihan. No pointing fingers and no one questions Jaworski's leadership. Matalo man, he will show class and professionalism, walang reklamo ng dayaan.
Nung pumasok na sina Marlou Aquino at Bal David, naging successful na naman ang team, pero yung success. Nung nanalo ng championship ang Gordon's Gin against Alaska (coached by Tim Cone), yung feeling is the same as when Brownlee hit the game winner last Wednesday. And for me, what made it sweeter is all the losing that we endured.
Pag lagi kang panalo, may point na magiging desensitized ka na and every game, you expect na mananalo ka. And that's not fun. All the heartbreaks, the insults, the losing have made winning the championship so much better.
And that is the reason kung bakit hanggang ngayon, matalo - manalo, Ginebra pa din ako.
Ang ganda..actually ako nagtataka din di ko maiwan iwan Ang team na ito..mula 1989 hanggang ngayon. Parte na ng buhay natin kumbaga...At ayaw Kong bumitaw sa pagsuporta..Manalo man o matalo..
ReplyDeleteOh, hello there.