NFL football–not the kind the Azkals play

SACRAMENTO—Countless Filipinos in the Pacific and Mountain Time zones would still watch the National Football League’s Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5 (Monday in the Philippines). Their excitement meter would have jumped several notches had their favorite teams made it to America’s biggest sports event.
The Denver Broncos, with Makati-born quarterback Tim Tebow, made a remarkable run in the playoffs. But the New England Patriots, now headed to the big dance with the New York Giants, were too much for the Broncos in the American Football Conference divisional playoffs. New England crushed Denver, 45-10.
The Boston-area Patriots who once counted Filipino American linebacker Tedy Lacap Bruschi as a starter, beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 to snatch the AFC conference title.
The Giants captured the National Football Conference crown with a 20-17 overtime win last week over the San Francisco 49ers to set up the 46th edition of the Super Bowl in Indianapolis next month. San Francisco is the other team with an emotional grip on its fans, including Bay Area Pinoys.
Now that the Broncos and the other NFL teams are headed for vacation, will Tebow mania fade as well?
Never, says Bernadette Niblo, spokesperson of the Filipino-American Community of Colorado. “We will always be proud to share our heritage with others…mentioning Tebow’s name while doing this is definitely a perk.”
“Many Filipinos did not even watch football before Tebow,” said Denver resident Angel Padrigone. “What make us proud are his support of the Philippines and his knowing a bit of Tagalog.”
Jericho Javier, another Denver Pinoy said: “The (Fil-Am) community here very much sees a lot of us in Tebow–a strong faith, a positive outlook, and a tireless work ethic.”
In the off-season, Tim’s calendar is open for a trip to Davao City where he is helping fund a hospital for children of poor families. Tebow often travels to the country of his birth under the radar of the media.
To the uninitiated, football, American-style, is not the game the Azkals play.
NFL football is a sport between two teams of 11 oversized fellows apiece. These brawny players will pull, block, wrestle, and at times topple over one another on a field called the gridiron to prevent each opposing side from advancing behind enemy lines.
The game should be called chess ball –it shares the same concept with the pastime of pushing figurines on a checkered board. The idea is identical – seek and trap the main player – the King in chess and the quarterback on the gridiron.
The quarterback steers his team to carry the pigskin (ball) through a fortress of man-mountains into enemy territory 10 yards at a time. The offense has four attempts called downs to cover 10 yards.
If that ground or more is covered in the allotted tries or less, the offense gets another first down to start a new set of four chances to gain yet another 10 yards or more while advancing towards the opponent’s end zone.
If the effort fails, the pigskin is punted to the opposite turf where a counter maneuver begins.
There is no fancy foot dribbling required ala Beckham or Maradonna like in the real McCoy – soccer –if you please.
The pigskin is carried by the quarterback protected by defenders, by running with it or hurling it to a teammate designated to receive. Points are scored when the ball is carried over the opponent’s goal line 100 yards away, or is kicked through the opponent’s goal posts.