Buh-bye

To Richard Capili -- friend, colleague, fellow servant --

When all is at its end, and when everyone is at their return journey, await us, for we will be joining you. Thank you for everything.

Italy, Germany, and China

No, I'm not talking about a new Axis military power. I'm talking about the three biggest names in sportsdom for the foreseeable future. That is: Italy -- Torino Winter Olympics; Germany -- World Cup 2006; and China -- 2008 Summer Olympics. I'll add another country to that mix: Japan.

Now, before you go on about how bias I am about Japan then get this straight. One: I'm a Japanese! And I not only say that, I say it true, I feel it true, and I act it true. Second: There's a lot to root for about Japan. It's practically near perfect (asides from a really bad case of porn infestation -- Darcy's favorite).

Ok. Going back to the sports. Japan will be sending a huge delegation of athletes to both quadrennial olympics. That's because they're rich and they're competent. They will be participating in the German World Cup because they QUALIFIED! And notwithstanding the fact that Brazil is in their group division, I'm confident that they'll advance to the final 16. I say these things because I'm not entirely Japanese (which I'm thinking that you're thinking is quite ironic because I've been saying Japan, Japan, Japan--but read on). I am also a Filipino. And there's no humor in that, so quite giggling. The point is that we are in a messy situation. I say that politically, socially, culturally, and in this case, athletically.

Concentrating on athletics, I find it shameful when I realized that the biggest moments of our nation's athletic history is heavily reliant on individual successes. Efren "Bata" Reyes. Paeng Nepomuceno. And of course Manny Pacquaio. That's billiards, bowling, and boxing. Not taking into account the three Bs, we seem to well...suck in sports. Especially team sports. Now we can argue that this is because our country sucks, but say that to the Africans, who are no doubt the most impoverished people in this otherwise superbly magnificent world, and they'll just laugh at you and say that you're a MORON!

So, are Filipinos forever in dread of never knowing Italy, Germany, or China? Good thing the local media doesn't think so --they glorify the most minute of Filipino successes as if they were Super Bowl victories, and don't even get me started on how many times they proclaim that the Filipinos are world-class. Ugh.

And, No! I don't hate this country. Au contraire. It's just what they call constructive criticism. Let's win some medals, damn it!