Meron Akong Ano

Meron akong ano.
Meron akong kwento.

Nung unang semi-final game ng K88 Rigmarolers laban sa Batch 90, dumating si Chunky tapos na ang 1st half. Sabi ng committee di na raw sya pwede maglaro dahil late na sya. FIBA rule daw yon. Syempre umangal tayo dahil parang bigla-bigla na lang ipapatupad yang mga rules na yan, eh buong season naman bine-bend yang mga lintik na rules na yan. Halimbawa na lang eh yung default time ng mga teams at mga uniform ng mga players. Pero binatuhan nila tayo ng rason na FIBA rule daw yon na di na pwede maglaro ang player pag dumating after ng 1st half. At nung panahon na yon eh wala naman tayong dalang FIBA rulebook/manual para ikumpirma yung sinasabi nila. Kaya pinabayaan na lang natin. Natalo tayo pero ni hindi tayo nag-file ng protesta para i-challenge yung hindi nila pagpapalaro kay Chunky. Malakas loob natin na di talaga tayo kaya talunin ng Batch 90 pag kumpleto tayo. Babawian natin sila sa susunod na laro. Twice-to-beat naman tayo eh.


Meron akong ano.
Meron akong isa pang kwento.

Rubber match game natin laban sa Batch 90. Ang manalo, pasok sa Finals. Maaga dumating mga players natin. Ayaw nang maulit yung nangyaring pagbabawal maglaro pag na-late. Syempre, ano pa ba mangyayari? First quarter pa lang nilamangan na natin agad ng malaki ang kalaban, 20-9. Kumpleto tayo eh. Pero sa kainitan ng laro, sa isang rebound play, naumangan ng siko ni Chunky yung isang makulit na player (oo, sobrang kulit kahit tanungin nyo pa si Bimbo) ng Batch 90 dahil tinulak sya nito.

Technical foul. Tama yon. Pero hindi naman tumama yung siko. Dahil kung tumama yon, malamang iba na ang sinusulat ko ngayon sa inyo. Malamang naghahagilap ako ng suporta mula sa inyo para sumama sa amin na dalawin sa ospital yung nasiko ni Chunky sa mukha.

Anyway, balik tayo sa kwento. Syempre angalan ang nangyari, lalo na si Chunky. Pero di sya nagmura sa referee. Di nakuntento yung referee, binigyan ng isa pang technical si Chunky. Syempre dalawang technical equals thrown out sa laro. Eh di lalong nag-init ang tumbong ng mga Rigmarolers. Angal tayo syempre. Wala namang ganyanan.

Napikon yung referee. Naghubad. Nagsayaw. Joke. Naghubad lang pala ng t-shirt sabay nag-walk out.

Natigil yung laro natin laban sa Batch 90. Uwian na muna. Pag usapan na lang uli kung paano gagawin sa larong ito sa meeting na gagawin sa mga araw na darating.


Meron akong ano.
Meron akong nabalitaan.

Ilang linggo nang laging nauunsyami yung ni-reset na laro natin laban sa Batch 90. Una, di dumating yung referee. Sumunod, may gagamit sa gym ng PCC kaya di pwede. Pero sa Sabado, go na raw talaga yung laro. Eh di magaling.

Pero may dagdag na balita. Nakuha ko mula sa text ni Chunky ngayong umaga lang. Di raw sya paglalaruin sa game sa Sabado.

Watdapak?!?

Tinext ko si Chunky. Ano basis ng suspension? Wala nga raw sinabing dahilan. Plano natin mag-file ng pormal na protesta. Pero kailangan din muna natin malaman kung ano yung opisyal na rason kung bakit suspended si Chunky.

Alam ko yang sportsmanship-sportsmanship ek-ek na yan! Pero naman! Sobra na naman yata yan. Pumayag na nga tayo nung di nila pinaglaro si Chunky dahil late daw dumating nung 1st game. Pero ngayon sa ginagawa nila, sana sinabi na lang nila nung simula pa lang na guest team na lang tayo dahil sa sobrang lakas natin at di na tayo pwede manalo uli ng championship.

Di ba nila naisip na kung championship lang talaga ang habol natin sa ligang ito eh di na tayo nagbuo ng dalawang teams? Di ba nila naisip na hinati pa nga natin yung mga players natin dahil ang objective talaga natin dito eh mapagbigyan lahat ng gusto maglaro sa batch natin? Na kung isang solid na team lang ang ipapasok natin eh baka maging katawa-tawa yung resulta ng mga laro dahil parang isinali mo yung US Redeem Team sa PBA?


Meron akong ano.
Meron akong naalala.

Nung isang taon, Batch 90 yung nakalaban natin sa Championship. Sa mga nagpunta noon, naalala nyo pa ba yung mga drums na dinala pa natin panggulat sa Batch 90? FYI, ginaya ng Batch 90 last game yun. May dala din silang drums. Ang problema, sa atin nila ginawa. Eh tayo kaya nauna gumawa nun sa kanila. So walang dating sa atin dahil wala yung elements ng surprise at originality.

Malamang naaalala pa nila kung paano natin sila tinalo sa championship nung isang taon. At naaalala ko pa rin naman kung paano tayo nagsama-sama para ipakita sa Batch 90 ang pwersa ng K88 Rigmarolers.. Kasama pati mga asawa at anak. Sama-sama. Solid!

Kating-kati na itong Batch 90 na bawian tayo. Pero may laman kaya para sa kanila kung manalo sila sa atin na di tayo kumpleto? Masarap kaya para sa kanila kung manalo sila laban sa atin na wala yung isang main player natin?

Ewan ko sa kanila. Basta ako proud ako na kasama ako sa Kumbento88.


Meron akong ano.
Meron akong pakiusap.

Paglaruin man si Chunky o hindi sa Sabado, pakiusap ko sana na manindigan tayo. Against all odds – ang sarap ng plot para sa semifinals game na ito.

Manalo man o matalo tayo sa Sabado, pakiusap ko sana sumuporta tayo. Gaya nung isang taon. Gaya nung sama-sama tayong tumahak ng daan papunta sa kampeonato.

Gulatin uli natin ang Batch 90 sa Sabado. Maingay ang drums, kung magdadala nga sila ulit nun sa Sabado. Pero mas astig kung pupunuin natin ng manonood yung PCC gym habang sabay sabay tayo sumisigaw para sumuporta sa team natin. Daanin natin sa sindakan. Daanin natin sa paramihan. Daanin natin sa paingayan. Tayo lang ang may kakayanan na gumawa nun. Tayo lang ang natatanging batch na kayang sumindak ng ganun.

Magsuot tayo ng asul. Mas solid yung kulay natin, mas ok.

At matapos yung laro sa Sabado, isang bagay ang pinaka-sigurado – tayo pa rin ang nangungunang batch ng Kumbento!

Sabado. September 13, 2008. 6PM. PCC Gym.

Siguradong andun ako sa Sabado. Ikaw?

Arnold In Coron

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Coron, Palawan

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KBBL Semifinals

Last Saturday, the Kumbento88 Rigmarolers-B lost to Batch 90, the very same team we beat in last season’s championship series.

We were outplayed, outhussled, outcheered, and even outdrummed by the same opponents we pulverized just a few months ago.

I arrived at the game late due to traffic in the Ortigas/Floodway area. The 3rd quarter of the semifinal game, where our team has a twice-to-beat advantage, was already well under way when I entered the PCC gym.

But it was not only me who arrived late during that game last Saturday. Our main big man, Chunky Ramos, also arrived late with the 3rd quarter already underway due to a previous commitment he had to attend to. (Note: Nagninong si Chunky sa kasal. Repeat: Nagninong, hindi nag-abay!)

It wouldn’t have been a big problem that Chunky was late for the game since the opponents were just leading by a very manageable margin by halftime. We could have easily overhauled that lead as we have previously done so in the past.

But the problem was the tournament committee refused to let Chunky play, citing a FIBA ruling that any player arriving at the game after the 1st half of play is not eligible to play for the remainder of the ballgame anymore.

This was the same committee which tolerated various violations in game schedules, player uniforms, and other trivial matters. This was a friendly tournament after all. Allowances were to be given to achieve the ultimate goal of the tournament, which is brotherhood.

But rules are rules, they say. We just did not want to argue further, or put the game under protest. All in the spirit of sportsmanship.

We lost the game. But Batch 90 did not beat us.

They cannot beat us when we are complete as a team – from the starters to the relievers, to the role players, to the coaching staff, and more importantly, to the numerous supporters showing our undying batch spirit.

They can once again bring on the drums this coming Saturday. We just have to bring the full force of Kumbento88 to drown out their beats.

We are the defending champions. No one can be louder. No one can be prouder.

Support you team! Be there at the PCC gym on Saturday, August 23, 2008, 7:30PM. No excuses for being late this time. Destiny will not wait for us.

Bing In Italy

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Venice

Florence

Pisa

Vatican

Rome

Batchmate In A Coma

lifted from my email sent to our yahoogroup

I was also able to contact Cedric Sta. Ana's sister, Eileen, yesterday thru text and got the message that they shall be removing Cedric from the ICU today. I cannot assume to pretend that I know how the family feels at these moments. But what I do know is that Cedric's sister is very glad when someone from his brother's batch contacted them even just thru text to offer their support.

Last Friday, Jeff and I were exchanging texts as we were planning to arrange a visit to Cedric. But it being a Friday, time went by so fast and by the end of the day, no plan was actualized. And I knew that the next 2 days, being a weekend, would be as equally hard for us to organize a visit to the hospital. But today, let's not waste another day with our usual excuses. A batchmate is fighting for his life. No, let me rephrase that, a batchmate is hanging on for his life. Let us show him and his family that his brothers here in Kumbento88 are here to support him in whatever way we can. Nalalagas na tayo. But this is the sad reality of life that we have to face. And it would be better if we face this as one - showing support to one another.

I haven't known Cedric personally as we didn't become classmates in my whole stay in PCC. But with the recent events bonding our whole batch as one, does it even matter? Let's pay him a visit at The Medical City later tonight. Anyone is welcome to join us. But I particularly request those who know him personally to come with us. I gather that he was in Eagle in his 4th year in HS, just in case some of his classmates forgot. Let us show support. When you come to think of it, the basketball game that got us united in support last year was very trivial when you compare it to the support we are asking from you now.

This is the Game of Life. A teammate is badly beaten entering the last 2 minutes. What do you do?

Note: For those planning to pay Cedric a visit, he is currently at Room 441 of The Medical City in Pasig.