Do You Still Care About the Pro Game?

Do you still care about the pro game?

For me, the PBA is not what it once was. The last time I really followed the pro league was the second generation Ginebra San Miguel team of Marlou Aquino, Noli Locsin, Vince Hizon, and Bal David. That they could never seem to get over the hump that was Alaska made for such great theater and endeared them more to the masses. When that team was broken up, the league just didn’t cut it for me anymore. The influx of the Fil-Ams made the league interesting and as good as they were, they weren’t that easy to follow. They were petulant. They were hard to identify with. They took away slots that I would have rather gone to other homegrown talents. Yes, they elevated the game, but they lowered the self-esteem of many and once more reiterated that the imported was better than the local version.

But that’s not something new isn’t it?

So how come I never rooted for the Ginebra 2K version. The one with those players they call the Fast, the Furious, and the Fearless? Sorry but perhaps save for Ronald Tubid, I don’t think this is a true people’s team. How many Fil-Ams do they have? Did you ever see these guys play college ball?

Are there any teams that I just have to hate? None. There are no true rivalries in the current league. There are no larger than life personalities whose every movement was cheered and jeered. There aren’t imports anymore who could shoot the daylights out of the gym. There aren’t bench-clearing brawls that inflamed passions and heightened match-ups.

Does any team approximate that Ginebra of old? Maybe Yeng Guiao’s Red Bull Barako team. It wasn't simply that they had a lot of Ateneo boys in the fold. They were -- like the old Ginebra team -- a squad made up of discards, nobodies, retreads, and perceived thugs. And they had a feisty and crafty coach. When Rico Villanueva and Larry Fonacier transferred to Magnolia, it was hard to switch my allegiance to the SMC franchise. I did watch a few games, but I preferred to watch Red Bull that played with their trademark fire and spunk.

Last Sunday, I stayed glued to the TV watching Magnolia come back from 24 points down to beat Talk ‘N Text. When was the last time a PBA team came back from such a huge margin? Will it revitalize the fan in me? I’m not sure.

But I guess that says a lot about my interest.