Appointments

     A lot of people have been discouraging Manny Pacquiao from running for political office, claiming sports and politics shouldn't mix.  Then, add in the history of athletes in our political world (i.e. Senator Robert Jaworski, Secretary Eric Buhain) and you've got yourselves a compelling reason to agree with those people.  Let's think about it though.  What if the right athletes made the trek to the political world?  Our country may find its best government yet, so to our upcoming new (hopefully!!!) president, take a gander at these potential cabinet appointees from the sporting world.

Paeng Nepomuceno (Department of Health) - The four-time World Cup Champion and Greatest Amateur Bowler on the Planet is over fifty years old, yet he looks not a day over 40.  Still competitive against the world's best, Paeng has repeatedly stated his secret is keeping in shape.  He bikes, runs and does calisthenics, all while eating right.  My brother, who was roommates with Paeng during the Asian Games can attest to Paeng's supreme work ethic, as he wakes early every morning for sit ups/crunches as well.  Wouldn't it be great if we were all a la Paeng, healthy and looking good even at 50 years old?

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Experience: The Overhyped Commodity

     With the influx of relatively young candidates into the Philippines' presidential elections next year, the expected barrage of mud slinging has now begun, and while I seldom write about politics, this attack on candidates' "experience" and "achievements" has really rubbed me the wrong way.  As with Philippine politics, the question of which athletes to send to tournaments (or which presidentiable to elect) has been a contentious one to say the least because of the "age and experience" debate. 

     In sports (and apparently now in politics), our officials have always put a premium on "experience" and "past achievements" so much that we end up sending virtual grandfathers and grandmothers to tournaments.  Furthermore, favoring experience has slowly led to the degradation of our national development of athletes so we have now experienced a problem with continuity.  I still remember our track team sending a aged Elma Muros-Posadas and Ed Buenavista to the South East Asian Games and the Olympics because they were "experienced" and what was our medal haul? O medals, and in Buenavista's case, a disqualification for crossing running lanes.  Meanwhile, boxer Harry Tanamor will still be given a chance to fight for a 2012 Olympic slot despite the fact that he would have reached the maximum age limit for boxers competing in the Olympics because, wait for it, his "experience" and past "achievements."

     What is it with experience?  While I agree that premium should be put on experience, it shouldn't be the end all and be all of choosing an athlete or a president.  Experience is nothing more than being there.  It's what is learned form experience that is helpful and that is quite unquantifiable.  What's with the hullabaloo over past achievements?  A gold medallist now is nothing but an older, former medallist two to four years later.  Doing good things in the past doesn't always mean one is capable (or willing) to do more good things in the future.  Remember Taekwondo jin Toni Rivero and how she created a stir at the Olympics?  Well, we kept sending her and she kept losing.  Remember how we were convinced basketball pros would play better than college standouts in international play? Yup, we really did great with an 8th place finish.  Sports as with politics (and cooking, I might add), is an unforgiving field where you must outperform yourself daily, lest people criticize and attack you.   In such fields, hanging your hat on something in the past or on experience will have you eating someone else's dust.  Such fields are not to be dominated by age and experience, but they are actually settings for great performances by people, regardless of age, experience or past achievements,  who have the heart, the innovation and the intention to actually make them.  Take these athletes for example:

Sam Cassell - This loud-mouthed, trash talking NBA great (and now assistant coach) wasn't always a great.  As a fresh-faced rookie with virtually no great achievements to speak of, he was picked late (24th pick) in the first round.  Despite that, he not only earned playing time for the eventual NBA Champions Houston Rockets, but also became the team's most valuable sub for their back to back championship run, averaging 6.7 points and 2.9 assists (1st year) and 9.5 points and 4.9 assist (2nd year). Not bad for someone 23 other teams passed on.

Jim Morris - A science teacher and high school baseball coach, Morris had a bet with his students that he would try out for a Major League Baseball team if his team would win the district title.  One title later, coach and teacher Jim, whose earlier attempt at playing pro baseball was devoid of achievements and filled with injuries, did try out.  Throwing 98 mph fast balls continuously at the tryouts later netted him his dream of playing professional baseball at age 35.  His life story has been made into a Disney movie, and indeed his journey from an injured old coach and former player into the MLB's old oldest rookie and world wide inspiration does merit a movie.

Sharon Limansantoso - This Filipino-Indonesian bowler, playing for Indonesia as unassuming rookie, stunned the crowds as the 24th South East Asian Games in Thailand.  Despite being a relative unknown because of her lack of experience, Limansantoso came from behind to defeat the more experinced and highly-favored Esther Cheah of Malaysia 187-167 and 241-198 in the Masters Event, earning herself and Indonesia a gold medal in the bowling event. 

     In sports and in politics, what one has done and what one has experienced undoubtedly plays a role in one's ability to perform, but in examining every great political leader and athlete in our history, neither one is the most important element to their success.  What good did tons of experience do for Elma Muros and Ed Buenavista? Picking a president who was supposedly more learned and experienced has our country experiencing corruption at an all time high.  Superb politicians and athletes do have their common denominators, but they are neither experience nor past achievements.  Great heart to perform what they feel is right despite insurmountable odds and degrading criticism, unparalleled innovation to battle the constant yet ever-changing challenges that come their way and the purest of intentions to properly, respectfully and honorably represent their team or country are their common denominators. 

     Next year, decisions will be abound for our countrymen.  In forming our national sports teams and in picking our political leaders, we must all choose.  Let's do ourselves a favor and throw age, experience and past achievements out the proverbial window.  Let's choose the ones with great hearts, unparalleled innovation and pure intentions.  We cannot afford to keep sending athletes to competitions only to see them lose miserably, and Lord knows we can't afford another governement more concerned with crowing about supposed achievements instead of actually trying to achieve them.

photos courtesy of sports.espn.go.com and answers.com

In Philippine Sports, Obama's Dream continues to be a Holy Grail

     The recent US elections had the Americans show the world that they are, indeed, ready for change.  They elected Barack Obama as their 44th President, making him the first African American president.  Being overshadowed by this historic election with worldwide implications is a smaller election that is no less important to us Filipinos.

     On November 28, 2008, the different heads of the National Sports Associations will elect a new Philippine Olympic Committee President, along with the other board members and officers.  Running the respective campaigns are incumbent POC President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco of Equestrian and Shooting top honcho Art Macapagal.

     Everyone, even the politicians themselves, says that politics has no place in sports, but as early as last year, it has become clear that politics has once again entrenched itself in this POC election.  Cojuangco, the POC President that was acclaimed into office, has finally encountered a serious threat from Macapagal, who seems to have garnered allies in his quest to change and improve Philippine sports. However, the former congressman has made several moves to ensure his stay as head of POC.  Now, some of his staunchest allies in the POC are entrenched in controversies, all related to keeping the balance of power in his favor.

     Mark Joseph, the swimming head, has been facing raps because apparently, he was only supposed to serve as a transition president until the elections, but he has continued to serve (is that even the right word?) as president for several years.  A group of concerned parents and swimmers have questioned his stay, and while months ago the POC promised to hear their case, the story and the complaint have now been effectively quashed.  Whatever happened to Joseph's promise to face the group and the facts that they have?

     The archery head, his name escapes my mind, is also embroiled in controversy.  According to Cojuanco's own nephew, the "incumbent" Archery prez has submitted an "irrevocable" resignation months ago, but now, this Archery head not only plans to vote in the POC elections, he will also be running for a board seat under Peping's ticket.  According to Peping, the resignation was never "accepted" so he is still the Archery head.  Why was the resignation not accepted?

     Steve Hontiveros, the bowling president and ultimate Peping supporter, will get to be president until December but apparently he will run for reelection in January.  Just recently, the Pasig Bowling Association (PBA), Hontiveros' association , has announced it now has 1000 members, thereby giving the PBA an unprecedented amount of votes for next year's Bowling elections.  An insider was made to finally admit that the membership fees of the 1000 "members" of the PBA (who are apparently PLDT employees), a number unheard of in the history of Philippine bowling, was  paid for by one Peping Conjuangco.  Wow. Will these 1000 members play in the PBA Open this week? 

     So what do the three controversial heads and issues have to do with the POC elections?  All three are penciled in as votes for Cojuangco on November 28.  I guess there's no better way to thank these three than helping them keep their positions in their respective NSAs and giving them prime positions in the POC.  Just recently, Peping Cojuangco assailed the Macapagal team, even saying, "Is winning that important to them?"  Well, Mr. (former) Congressman, right back at you.

     Macapagal is no angel either, but right now, he represents a change Philippine Sports so desperately needs.  Will he be great?  I don't know, but the incumbent will definitely be no better.  In his tenure, he has come up with the worst showing in the SEA Games in decades (2007 Thailand), the worst Olympics in 16 years (2008 Beijing).  His only success is the 2005 SEA Games, where he was fortunate enough that Mike Arroyo was able to cajole private corporations into a one -time effort to financially-support our teams, while our teams were adrenalin-powered by home court advantage.  In those years, he has also managed to bring infighting to basketball, equestrian, archery, swimming and bowling, which I personally witnessed.  

     At this most crucial time in Philippine sports, we stand at the proverbial crossroads.  During Obama's victory speech, I was moved to witness that his slogan, "Yes we can!" finally came to fruition and I constantly ask myself why we can't say the same with regard to our sports.

     The answer? A picture of Peping Cojuanco saying, "No you can't."