Category: Culture

Basketball vs Filipinos: Can genetic underdogs win international respect?

July 6, 2018 zaxx 46 Comments

The recent disgusting and shameful yet shameless brawl that engulfed what was intended as a friendly match between two allies (Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian team) brings us to a point of deep reflection as a nation of civilized Homo sapiens. The grave level of pikon (butthurt) and crushing tambak defeat of the “Pinoy” shooters would not…

Culture, Society

Resbak Mentality Keeps the Philippines backward

July 5, 2018 ChinoF 7 Comments

I wrote before about how the culture of retribution contributes to more violence in the world. It is one of the things keeping our own society backward as well. Not only in life, but in sports. People who are pro-Gilas brawl in Facebook keep raising up resbak as the justification. They say that because one…

Culture

Filipino pride and ego delivered NOTHING to Gilas Pilipinas

July 5, 2018 benign0 8 Comments

A common argument I’ve been seeing directed at people who dare write about Filipino-style basketball in a critical way comes in the form of this statement… You probably don’t play basketball so you won’t understand where we are coming from. Funny that. If there is anything more bizarre than Filipino exceptionalism, it is Filipino Basketball…

Culture, Society

A Simple Solution For The Problem Of Trolls Who Tell You What To Write

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 Gogs 69 Comments

I noticed there was the distinct flavor of reaction to Kate’s recent post in GRP: Gilas-Aussie brawl proves basketball is a TAMBAY sport in the Philippines A lot of people seem to believe that GRP writers should not even write about sports. Even more people think GRP writers should not write about anything. Well you…

Culture

Why Spectator Sports is not the Hope of any Society

July 4, 2018July 4, 2018 ChinoF 17 Comments

I know, my colleague Ilda had an article why she believes in sports as a good thing to get into. Sports has exercise and helps develop competitive spirit, desire to grow and grit. I agree with that. Some even say, better to be into sports (at least it’s a hobby) rather than getting into drugs….

Culture, Media

Gilas-Aussie brawl proves basketball is a TAMBAY sport in the Philippines

July 4, 2018 Kate Natividad 19 Comments

What can I say? Philippine sports mirrors Philippine life. The unclassy behavior of Gilas Pilipinas broadcast to the whole world the other day reflects the way Filipinos regard their national sport. This is, after all, a sport played on any large enough hard surface that could be found across the country. Watching a barangay league…

Culture, Society

Mediocre Filipino basketball followed by shameful Filipino-style brawl

July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 benign0 20 Comments

It comes down to a single Filipino word that encapsulates everything that could be gleaned from the now viral footage of the brawl: pikon. In that melee was exhibited a representation of how Filipinos represent their country and the renowned lack of a sense of proportion applied to their collective notion of “national pride”. Perhaps…

Culture, Society

Martial Law “victims” aren’t a reliable source of information about the Martial Law years

July 2, 2018 benign0 12 Comments

Indeed, those who lived through it live to tell about it. Those who died, well, aren’t really in a position to say much today. All they really have are those who presume to speak for the dead. It is therefore no surprise that the presumptive “leaders” of the Opposition, the so-called Liberal Party (better known…

Culture, Politics, Religion