The trials of Ginebra

PEOPLE from all walks of life—security guards, taxi drivers, teachers at election precincts, tricycle drivers and men who seem to hang around all day in their basketball jerseys beside sari-sari stores—all want to know what’s wrong with Barangay Ginebra, their team that’s struggling in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals.

I am a frequent street walker and do enjoy the treks from where I live in Santolan to the Greenhills Shopping Center to do errands and pick up a few things.

On the way back on some afternoons, I see the menfolk hanging around the barbecue stand that hawk everything that can be grilled or heated on a trusty though dilapidated ulingan (grill).

On most days, the guys yell out for tickets and by now they know that I don’t have any.

But over this weekend, the cries to me have been more about the hole their Gin Kings are in.

“Ano ba nangyayari sa Ginebra ko?” (What’s happening to my Ginebra?); “Pagod na kasi sila” (They’re tired), and “Babawi ’yan” (They’ll get back) are some of their painful though hopeful moans.

The PBA fan world is divided simply into two.  Fans that adore Ginebra and those that hate the Gin Kings.  Robert Jaworski’s legacy lives on in the present and probably future generations of Ginebra teams.  Fans either love or detest Jaworski’s macho approach to the game.

The product managers who handle the iconic Philippine gin brand couldn’t be more delighted. Despite the detractors, their team and the product it banners have a perfect fit.

The bigger bulk of Ginebra fans have indeed tried forgetting their day’s woes in a shared bottle of the drink.  And although wives and behavior managers abhor the escapist approach, the men who drink will simply have to face the job of making a living all over again tomorrow.

But this popularity is both a plus and minus for the team.  There’s a fan base to cheer for you but it’s a tall order to deliver the goods each time.

You can almost imagine what it’s like to be the Boston Celtics, the New York Yankees or Manchester United.

The escape route out of the 2-0 abyss for Ginebra is a narrow one especially since Alaska has played extremely well.  Game 1 seemed to have defined the series as Alaska limited Ginebra to an all-time finals low of only six points in the first quarter.

Alaska mentor Luigi Trillo nailed it perfectly with the quote of the year thus far citing defense as the “identity” and the reason why his team won.

The defensive identity tag correctly frames the way Trillo wants his team to play.  Keep in mind this is a grittier Alaska team than that of the past.

Cyrus Baguio, Gabby Espinas and most especially Calvin Abueva have given Alaska an edgier if not more rugged look.  This may not be exactly aligned with the wholesome Alaska image we have grown accustomed to but hey, this is sports and you do need a tougher side to win in the PBA.

So what’s going to happen to the Ginebra faithful? As most things in their lives, they’ll still go to work or hang around all day at the sari-sari store and hope things will get better for them and their team.