the real and terrifying score behind the mayweather-pacquaio match

It is touted as the fight of the century, a match several years in the making. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquaio, both boxing legends in their own right, have finally gone head-to-head on May 3, 2015. The world stood still.

By now everyone knows the results and each has their share of debate and analysis to contribute to the general conversation. But there’s this one aspect in this historical event that many, if not the majority, seem to ignore. It is not about the alleged rigging by the judges and especially not the dancing and running skills of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It is that Mayweather on this day is apparently gay. He is a fag, talawan, bayut, bakla, bading, or simply and ultimately put, “Gayweather.” As for him being a wife-beater, that’s a different story.

For having defeated a crowd favorite by sheer calculation, physiological advantage, and maybe even luck, Mayweather has received the ire of millions. But what surprised me was that many people still brandish the word “gay” as a kind of insult in this time and age.

I shared this sentiment online, and those who used the slur countered that I was over-reading it. “No offense”, “It’s just an expression,” “It’s for fun”, and “Chill” were the responses I received. Some even personally messaged me, perhaps, to hide their lapses and lack of better judgment. But this is not something to be chill with.

Chill my balls.

It is easy to raise hell and fire back, like slitting some throats with a butter knife (kidding), but as how a friend has reminded me, the best way to approach these people is with education. We need to teach everyone to stop using “gay” as an insult, a joke or for fun. Most especially the latter.

Take note, this is the same kind of reasoning why some arsonists burn houses, why anarchists terrorize people, or why rapists do what they do. They do it for fun.

In fact, hate is perpetuated by being too casual on matters that are actually derogatory. The fact alone that it is used as an “expression” only underscores how far we are from becoming aware of this or how plenty of people are becoming mindlessly oppressive by thinking they are better than the others. This is a case that makes it truly terrifying to the gay community.

Educating people is hard, especially for the older generation when it comes to sensitivity, but it is not impossible. My generation, our generation, is a tribe that has the responsibility to learn from the previous generation’s mistakes. And whether you agree or disagree, one of their mistakes is the shaming and disgust towards the LGBTQ community (which goes back further into the prejudice against the black community and the exclusion of women’s rights).

If we drag the word “gay” as a convenient slur, we also drag a community that has experienced a long, painful history of injustice that resulted to more fights and unnecessary deaths. If we continue to act the way we act right now, what are we showing to the youth who are still coming into terms with their inner selves? What are we teaching to some kids who already feel bullying is just normal?

Yes, we are a nation that is shamed. We Filipinos (and supporters of Manny Pacquiao from around the globe) have a collective morale that is deeply wounded. The classic story of an underdog winning at the end of day just did not happen. And it is all right. There is no need for this hatred.

Bigotry is not how we should project our patriotism to the world. Discrimination is not the proper attitude towards defeat. Think again and think harder. There are still many fights to fight, and more are not found inside the boxing ring.


[ image borrowed from this site ]

a good sport

I have once been asked to write something about sports. The closest I could get to was that event in college, the intramural. It has always been a part of many institutions since time immemorial. Its history could be sketchy at best; it could have started in the 1910s or it could have dated back to the era when Greece or Rome are in power, setting up games and competitions in arenas. This alone speaks volumes on how significant sports are in one’s culture.

But in this age of the iPhone 6 Plus, the internet, and other modern distractions, do the young still have time for ball games? Do they still have the slightest bit of interest on rules and discipline along with sweat and dirt? If we at the colleges of today, the answer is simple: Yes. During the intramurals, we see students taking pride in their team colors, taking part in an event that forges solidarity through fair play. There are no different courses and year levels, just skill and talent.

As tirelessly taught by many P.E. instructors, this is the constant agenda: We play to be better not only as an individual but as a community. Like a family. The intramurals are never meant to divide us. And this is the part where I have to probe deeper into the significance of sports among the young people of this generation.

Despite the consensus, a sport is not entirely about victory, power, strategy and strength in numbers. It is about the need to remind the young of the significance of principles such as honesty.

Fairness and truth must be discussed as a major factor in sports as much as being brave, being intelligent, and being pleasant. It must be discussed even more than the usual. Honesty is in fact a multilayered word. There are a lot of ways to interpret it: There was Gilas Pilipinas who admitted defeat to Argentina in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. There was the former cyclist champion Lance Armstrong who eventually revealed his use of performance-enhancing drugs in competitions. There was the regret of having not to play the sports I wanted to play now after suffering from a surfing accident that rendered both of my ankles inept. There was this defeat in a game I thought I was really good at. There are a lot more. Conceding only little.

That is why significance of sports must not only tackle whether there is a need to implement this among the youth or bring up what specific sport is good for them. Significance should also bring to light the values we can learn from sports. Because what good is winning when you have cheated? What good is a strategy when you mean to hurt someone? What good is a trophy if your hands are as dirty as your next lie? 

Indeed, honesty is the foundation of sports, the bedrock of all the other codes and morals that makes the games more engaging, profound, and beautiful. That is why we take the oath of sportsmanship before anything else, right? No amount of medals and recognition would result to honor without honesty. This is the crucial significance in sports that the youth needs to remember now and always.

Honesty though can pull one in different directions. Like a tug of war, there is tension from opposite ends. In a sport that you have lost, you could be left embittered, in surrender to the raw emotions of anger and envy. But on the other hand, you could be liberated from what you think you can do and get up from there. This is the kind of honesty that nurtures humility and would make one say, “Yes, I will do better next time.”

You see, when it comes to sports, we become too preoccupied on the competition, too focused on the reward, and burdened by the desire to outdo one another and to claim that elusive success story that we forget the very core of sports: to be good, to be better, and to be humble. I believe these are what makes one notable, in and out of the court.

To bring this to a close, the significance of sports among the young people of today remains indefatigable. It is ever-changing, never-ending, and tireless like the spirit of a true athlete. And one could only be as such if there is a certain kind of openness and sincerity in his heart. Honesty, win or lose, makes one a good sport.

end of jordan

I don’t think so. No one will ever conquer Michael “Air” Jordan. But our household boxer takes the spotlight again. Manny Pacquaio is already in the thick of consumerism—from laughable water to medicine ads—that Nike tailored another set of apparel especially for him. What’s next? Pacquaio’s Pacman toothpaste, for that winning champion smile? I don’t even want to imagine it.

missing beijing

The Olympics is back—and it’s in Beijing!

Unfortunately, due to unavailability of resources in the slipshod sensibilities of my Dumaguete abode, I'm not updated with the hundred of sports happening in the The Nest, in the Water Cube, and in the many places that I do not know. I don’t have television. Though I have read the results of competitions in the dailies, I still want to see the actual sports games. But thanks to Youtube and its staple “uploaders,” I get to witness the opening ceremony of this event. It was jaw-dropping; definitely a showcase of how Chinese creativity and discipline work well together. Cool.

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