Basketball vs soccer: Two leading scribes weigh in

From: Jaemark Tordecilla To: Rafe Bartholomew Subject: Congratulations! Congratulations on having perhaps the only basketball book to have a successful launch in the middle of World Cup fever. Here in the Philippines, every time the World Cup rolls around, there’s a familiar refrain from local soccer fans – usually bandwagon, and often the type who think that basketball, specifically Philippine basketball, is masa – that Filipinos are better off going into soccer instead of basketball. But what these people leave out, or don’t know, is that we don’t really have much of a chance in soccer either. Every World Cup has been won by a country from either Europe or South America. The highest placing that an Asian team has ever had in the competition was the 2002 semifinals appearance by South Korea, which co-hosted the event with Japan, and even then, there were widespread allegations of game-fixing to benefit the home team. Before 2010, South Korea, Asia’s traditional soccer powerhouse, had played in 24 World Cup games, winning only 4. Our soccer prospects aren’t as good at the Asian level either. While our neighbors are certified football nuts, the last time a Southeast Asian team finished in the top 4 of the Asian Cup was in 1972, when Thailand placed third, while Burma’s runner-up finish in 1968 remains the best-ever showing by a team from our region. What makes people think we could do better, even if we tried? Our showing in Asian basketball competitions, which are much-maligned, shine in comparison: the national basketball team won the bronze in the 1998 Asian Games, narrowly missed entering the finals in the 2002 Asiad, gave eventual Asian champions Iran a huge scare in the 2007 Fiba-Asia championships, and lost a fairly winnable game against Jordan in the quarterfinals in the 2009 Fiba-Asia tournament. Isn’t it about time we stop trying to apologize for being short people who love a tall man’s game? After all, there are so many other embarrassing things we ought to be apologizing for, such as undying love for cheesy late ‘80s/early ‘90s power ballads by groups like Air Supply and Michael Learns to Rock. Please click on Rafe's bobblehead to read his reply.

From: Rafe Bartholomew To: Jaemark Tordecilla Subject: Basketball Over Soccer You're preaching to the choir here, buddy. Besides, what exactly is the problem with a sport – or anything – being masa? I know that PBA franchises like San Miguel, Ginebra, Talk 'N Text and Alaska value basketball's mass appeal. It's the reason why the league was founded -- to associate consumer brands with a game and athletes that are adored by Filipinos throughout the country. Names like Cojuangco and Uytengsu certainly don't make you think masa, but those tycoons are wise enough to know that a few pesos coming from millions of customers add up fast. Even beyond the economic value of basketball's popularity, what's wrong with masa? One of the beautiful things about Philippine hoops is that it cuts across social and regional barriers in a way that not much else does. From the fisherman in Samar to the banker in Forbes, you'll find an awful lot of people who love hoops not because they're planning on winning a gold medal or starting for Rain or Shine, but because it's something they grew up with that adds some joy to their day. That's what sports are for anyway. Another thing, which some folks in Manila might not be aware of, is that American hoops luminaries (and me, although I'm not counting myself in the aforementioned category) invariably come to the Philippines and are blown away by people's passion, enthusiasm and talent for the sport. I saw that reaction in Gilbert Arenas; I've read admiring quotes from imports ranging from Michael Hackett to Rod Nealy; and it's one of the reasons why Americans like Ron Jacobs and Norman Black chose to devote their careers to Philippine hoops. That's not to say that the Philippines should look to Americans for approval, but to point out that foreigners who aren't so tied up in the nationalistic game of qualifying for the Olympics will look at the Philippine game and see something worth celebrating. I asked Norman a question along these lines once, and here's what he told me: “If you look at Filipinos compared to other Asians, maybe they don't have the size, but they have the rhythm. The Chinese and the South Koreans are good, but they're very mechanical. Filipinos have a lot of rhythm to their game, which is what basketball is all about. It's a combination of strength, speed, ballet, and athleticism--and Filipinos, they have it." That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with promoting other sports, whether it be soccer, badminton or snow-dog sled racing (although the latter raises some logistical concerns). Basketball's vice grip on Filipinos' sports consciousness is probably a tad unnatural, and it has probably forced young athletes into hoops over sports they might have loved even more. I love basketball as much as anything in the world, but I came to that place after having brief romances with baseball and soccer. If the entertainment world allows Jaemark to choose Dingdong Dantes as his favorite male artista over Richard Gutierrez and Richard Gomez, then wouldn't it be nice for him to have more of a choice between sports? You’re up. (Part 2 of the exchange is here)