(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu, Jan. 7 issue)
MY supposedly 24-hour trip to Manila got extended but I didn�t mind spending another 24 hours in traffic-mad Manila because I learned a lot of things.
I went to Manila not for the charity match between the Azkals and the CF Madrid (aired live today at 4 p.m.) as most expected, but to listen to a 20-minute speech Dan Palami gave in Philam Life�s sales convention.
Philam, where my wife works, got Dan as the guest speaker with a little help from me and as a thank you, they got me tickets to Manila. Which, of course, was fine by me.
Now, one of the things I learned is that Dan Palami can be literally in two places at the same time and it�s not by magic.
I met the other Dan Palami and boy has he got stories to tell (One time, he said, kids were made to sing Happy Birthday Gov. G___, while washing hands) and one of these days I�m going to get an exclusive interview with the other Palami. Maybe, I�ll get him to spill some juicy bits about Philippine football. Perhaps, I can also try to convince him to get rid of this uniform provider for the team (because they suck) and get a new one?
I also learned that one Filipino player is going to sign for Barcelona (if Real Madrid doesn�t get him first) and I�m serious. We didn�t have a single drop of alcohol in our system when I, Cedelf Tupas, the original Dan Palami, and Global FC coach Graeme Mackinnon discussed this �uncapped player� who could be also playing for the US national team.
Who is this dude? Just wait. You�ll hear about him soon enough.
When I got to Manila last Wednesday afternoon, I spent the time lounging at the Global APT office in Magallanes and wasn�t able to attend a press conference at the Philippine Football Federation office.
That night, I was at the National Sports Grill�where fans gather to watch football matches�and by god NSG should be ashamed of itself. I was there with Graeme, Azkal fan page�s Andi, Soccer Central�s Icko and Jaron (did I forget anybody), and I just had warmed my seat when the waitress told me she has already taken the last order and couldn�t hand more beer.
It wasn�t even 11 p.m! Gee whiz! A sports bar with a curfew? What happens in late matches? Sorry, we have to close the bar, injury time be damned?
And on Thursday on my way to the Azkals� first training session at the Fort, I stopped by the PFF office and realized, for the first time, why Philippine football got so screwed all those previous years.
The folks who go to the area are f***ing around. Literally!
Go to your left, you have those special rates, taxi rates and just in front of the entrance to the three-storey edifice is a hotel with a logo that left nothing to the imagination. Sanamagan.
But the PFF office itself, is quite nice and when I got there, there weren�t too many people around and those who were there were busy preparing for today�s friendly.
And the final stop, of course, was the newly-opened artificial turf at Global City, where the Azkals tried to sweat away their holiday baggage with a training session. The pitch, though not the standard size, makes for a nice training ground and boy, I spent a few minutes admiring the fake grass because it looked real! I even brought home a patch!
Ernie Nierras said plans for the artificial turf were put on hold during the previous PFF president�s time and when Nonong Araneta took over, he and the guys at Global City pushed through with it.
It was also at that time that Dan and I had a mini-one on one, and I dared the team manager to score a goal with me on goal. Unfortunately, his injured toe prevented him from showing his under-appreciated bend. Unfortunately, too, I left my shades at the pitch. But Ernie, the Malditas team manager and Stallions coach, sure showed he can curl it.
One funny thing though, one Azkal player (let�s just call him, Hollywood) arrived at the first practice with only 10 minutes left. His reason? His English!
The text message for the practice said the schedule was �4 to 6,� and he thought the number �4,� meant �for� and he said �I thought the practice was for 6! Because, you know, sometimes they substitute �4� for �for!�
As I told the player, that�s a nice excuse!
MY supposedly 24-hour trip to Manila got extended but I didn�t mind spending another 24 hours in traffic-mad Manila because I learned a lot of things.
I went to Manila not for the charity match between the Azkals and the CF Madrid (aired live today at 4 p.m.) as most expected, but to listen to a 20-minute speech Dan Palami gave in Philam Life�s sales convention.
Philam, where my wife works, got Dan as the guest speaker with a little help from me and as a thank you, they got me tickets to Manila. Which, of course, was fine by me.
Now, one of the things I learned is that Dan Palami can be literally in two places at the same time and it�s not by magic.
I met the other Dan Palami and boy has he got stories to tell (One time, he said, kids were made to sing Happy Birthday Gov. G___, while washing hands) and one of these days I�m going to get an exclusive interview with the other Palami. Maybe, I�ll get him to spill some juicy bits about Philippine football. Perhaps, I can also try to convince him to get rid of this uniform provider for the team (because they suck) and get a new one?
I also learned that one Filipino player is going to sign for Barcelona (if Real Madrid doesn�t get him first) and I�m serious. We didn�t have a single drop of alcohol in our system when I, Cedelf Tupas, the original Dan Palami, and Global FC coach Graeme Mackinnon discussed this �uncapped player� who could be also playing for the US national team.
Who is this dude? Just wait. You�ll hear about him soon enough.
When I got to Manila last Wednesday afternoon, I spent the time lounging at the Global APT office in Magallanes and wasn�t able to attend a press conference at the Philippine Football Federation office.
That night, I was at the National Sports Grill�where fans gather to watch football matches�and by god NSG should be ashamed of itself. I was there with Graeme, Azkal fan page�s Andi, Soccer Central�s Icko and Jaron (did I forget anybody), and I just had warmed my seat when the waitress told me she has already taken the last order and couldn�t hand more beer.
It wasn�t even 11 p.m! Gee whiz! A sports bar with a curfew? What happens in late matches? Sorry, we have to close the bar, injury time be damned?
And on Thursday on my way to the Azkals� first training session at the Fort, I stopped by the PFF office and realized, for the first time, why Philippine football got so screwed all those previous years.
The folks who go to the area are f***ing around. Literally!
Go to your left, you have those special rates, taxi rates and just in front of the entrance to the three-storey edifice is a hotel with a logo that left nothing to the imagination. Sanamagan.
But the PFF office itself, is quite nice and when I got there, there weren�t too many people around and those who were there were busy preparing for today�s friendly.
And the final stop, of course, was the newly-opened artificial turf at Global City, where the Azkals tried to sweat away their holiday baggage with a training session. The pitch, though not the standard size, makes for a nice training ground and boy, I spent a few minutes admiring the fake grass because it looked real! I even brought home a patch!
Ernie Nierras said plans for the artificial turf were put on hold during the previous PFF president�s time and when Nonong Araneta took over, he and the guys at Global City pushed through with it.
It was also at that time that Dan and I had a mini-one on one, and I dared the team manager to score a goal with me on goal. Unfortunately, his injured toe prevented him from showing his under-appreciated bend. Unfortunately, too, I left my shades at the pitch. But Ernie, the Malditas team manager and Stallions coach, sure showed he can curl it.
One funny thing though, one Azkal player (let�s just call him, Hollywood) arrived at the first practice with only 10 minutes left. His reason? His English!
The text message for the practice said the schedule was �4 to 6,� and he thought the number �4,� meant �for� and he said �I thought the practice was for 6! Because, you know, sometimes they substitute �4� for �for!�
As I told the player, that�s a nice excuse!
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