Limpag: Azkals win, Clavio speaks What a day

By Mike T. Limpag

Fair Play

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

CHALLENGE cup semifinals, here we come! Last Tuesday night was something. I guess, it’s safe to assume that football fans have never seen something like that. An epic win against the former champion Tajikistan to clinch a semifinals spot.

And a day, later, fans are talking about the win but there’s buzz, too, about the disparaging remarks by Arnold Clavio, who said on GMA’s morning show on the morning of the game,”Di naman sila mga Filipinos, nagpapanggap lang na kayumanggi.”


These are very disappointing remarks from a respected journalist like Arnold Clavio, who has just proven what fans suspect, journalists who have ignored the sport for so long show their ignorance when they try to sound like experts talking about football.

I wish Arnold Clavio thought for a moment, how could they play for the PHILIPPINE
national team if they are not Pinoys?

Oh yeah, Mr. Clavio, in case you missed the memo, these guys are as Filipino as you and me. They are not even naturalized citizens hired to play for the flag. They are Pinoys, period! The same guys you champion in your TV shows about OFWs.

Instead of the “think before you click” campaign, perhaps GMA too would start a “think before you speak” for its commentators, one of whom also said that someone should be punished.

So if they are that quick to bat for a sanction, fans are justified too, to demand that GMA sanction them for racist remarks. Just because they don’t look like us, they are not Pinoys?

And someone should tell them, too, not to paint an ugly picture of female fans because, while defending a female official, they kept talking as if all female fans would take off their clothes for anyone who happens to be good looking.

Incidents like these are disappointing. And the GMA anchors are right, this is not the first and there will be more incidents and I’m not talking about women and the Azkals. I’m talking about journalists and football.

Despite the recent success, there are really those who seem uncomfortable with the idea that Pinoys are playing football, that we are finally slowly becoming a footballing nation.

Just in case Mr. Clavio missed my point. You, sir, are a misinformed individual who came out rather short while trying to sound smart.

To fans, well, I guess we’ll see each other on Friday. Let’s cheer again for the Philippine national team and let’s offer our first drink to Clavio and hope that Pinoys raised abroad will teach him a thing or two on how to be a Filipino. He sure needs a few lessons.

(www.cebufootball.blogspot.com)


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 15, 2012.