To Raise Moral (Sports World, 1974)

Sports World Magazine

November 23, 1974

Beth Celis

 

 

            At last, they’re forming a professional basketball league.

 

            Good. Now there is a chance to restore morality to Philippine basketball.

 

            The eight breakaway MICAA teams – Mariwasa, Crispa, Toyota, YCO, Concepcion, U/Tex, Seven-Up, and CFC – led by no less than the association’s former president (Domingo Itchon of YCO) and current president (Mariwasa’s Emerson Coseteng) have declared they’re going pro in order to “clarify” the status of their players and of the league itself.

 

            The BAP, on the other hand, wants a “transition” period. In other words, they want more time under the status quo.

 

            And the BAP argument is based on their fear, a valid one, of course, that national representation will suddenly become much weaker until stronger amateurs can be developed by a more competent development program.

 

            The argument is couched in moral terms, naturally. One side speaks of “honesty,” the other of “patriotism.” 

 

 

 

            But we all know that the breakaway MICAA teams simply, finally got fed up with the BAP’s honing in on the playing time of the best MICAA players. And playing time means money at the gate and from TV.

 

            Remember when the BAP wanted to ban the champion ABC players from playing in the MICAA from December, 1973 to July, 1974 because the BAP said, they wanted to keep training the team for the Puerto Rico games? That would have been eight months of fundraising games for the BAP.

 

            The MICAA hasn’t issued any income announcements, but the players know that its take went down this year owing to frequent BAP requisitions of playing time.

 

            So, if you go behind the value-attached terminology (such as “amateurism” and “patriotism”), what you get is a struggle over income between the MICAA teams and the BAP. And the BAP, it turns out, will be the loser since its position is basically parasitic and usurping.

 

            Doming Itchon told us that it won’t take six months before the pro league gets going. They’re waiting for the papers from the NBA so they’ll profit from the American experience. But at the same time, their local preparations are also quite advanced. As he says, it won’t take six months.

 

            One good sign is that the organizers are concerned over the moral aspects of pro basketball. According to Itchon, they would want the players to consult their lawyers before signing contracts with their respective teams.

 

            This is the current attitude. The overwhelming majority of MICAA players want a professional league, but there are also others who have a wait and see attitude. Their reason?

 

            “If the terms of our contract with a pro team are just going to be the same as with the MICAA teams at present, there will be no improvement really.”

 

            This is from a leader among the players.

 

            But it seems that the pro league’s organizers, judging from Mr. Itchon’s statement, are out to do justice to the players.

 

            That’s a very crucial point. It should lay the basis for a moral attitude towards every other aspect of pro basketball in the Philippines. Another word would be “honesty” – it should be an honest to goodness professional league and not just an escape from the clutches of the BAP.

 

            Nobody could really complain about certain irregularities in the MICAA, or in other amateur leagues, for that matter. An organization, for example, could not be criticized for recruiting only mediocre players. And players could not be concretely faulted for holding back. After all, there are more “important” things than amateur play.

 

 

 

            But a pro league will be different. A much higher standard of competence and, yes, morality will be demanded by the public. For the public will be paying for entertainment. Juan Dela Cruz in the bleachers will be a customer, not just a spectator as in amateur sports.

 

            That will mean he will have a right to demand more balanced teams, better conditioned players, more knowledgeable coaches, better officiating, better coliseum facilities, more competent league leadership (such as keeping of statistics), more professional behavior from the players, etc.

 

            The public will henceforth be paying customers. They’ll be more demanding than the present “audience” who can’t really kick about shortcomings in “amateur” circumstances.

 

            In short, there will be a morality to professional basketball, the obligation to give a good and honest show. Since this is basketball country, I’m betting that the pro league will do a good job.

 

            The technical level of basketball will improve, just as the NBA has raised the level not only in the United States but all over the world. We’ll be seeing the exciting return of imported American players. Playing for real money, the pros will have to be and they will be better (At present, the only truly full-time team is the Crispa Redmanizers).

 

            From the point of view of basketball, we like what’s coming. In less than six months.

Big Break for Big J (Expressweek, 1974)

Expressweek Magazine

September 19, 1974

Ricky Lo

 

                                         

 

Pinning Bobby Jaworski down for this interview had been a Herculean task, it was like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. The plan was hatched in May when news came out that Bobby had signed a contract with Sampaguita Pictures and the idea was to feature him mainly as Big J, The Movie Star. It was an almost impossible “mission” because of too many hitches.

 

There was his impending trip to Puerto Rico for the World Basketball Championship. There was the movie, Big J, waiting for him to start. And there were the daily workouts and games at the Rizal Memorial and Araneta Coliseum. Bobby stuck to a very tight schedule and it was impossible to pirate him for a one-hour pictorial.

 

His schedule became even more crowded when he came back from Puerto Rico. The shooting had finally started and he plunged into more workouts, this time for the Asian Games in Teheran. And he barely had time to rest. Finally, three months after the cover idea was conceived, we caught Bobby on the set of Big J at Dasmariñas Village. Before he could say, “wait a minute,” our photographer proceeded to click away with his camera and in 30 minutes, it was all over – but the interview.

 

 Hide-and-Seek

 

“Could we talk at the Araneta Coliseum day after tomorrow during our practice?” Bobby begged off, seeing that the camera was about to grind. It turned out to be another three weeks of hide-and-seek and had we known, we could have tied Bobby down to a chair right then and there and bombarded him with questions.

 

After several misses and frantic phone calls, we caught Bobby again at the Rizal Coliseum on a Saturday morning, the day before they left for Teheran. They just had their final workouts and last-minute briefing and he said he was going to see somebody in an hour and he still had to go home and dress up, “so bakit pa tayo mag-i-interview? Anyway, you have enough facts about me from the first interview we had.”

 

But that was almost two years ago, we snapped, and besides, he is now a superstar, almost, so a new interview was in order. (Big J, where he portrays a Dirty Harry type of role, is actually Bobby’s biggest break as an actor, although he has done a dozen or so movies before).

 

“Okay,” he compromised, opening the door of his Toyota sports car, “hop in, so we can talk on my way home.”

 

(The first thing he asked was about the color pictures. How did they come out? “Okay ba?” he was concerned. “Kasi hindi man lang ninyo ako pinagpalit ng damit. Usually, hindi ko sinusuot ang polo na ‘yon, eh.”)

 

He started the motor, turned on the tape player, and to the tune of Matt Monro’s “Exodus,” we conducted an approximately 20-minute fastbreaking interview on the way from Rizal Memorial to his home in St. Ignatius Village in Quezon City that went this way:

 

What can you say about the Big J?

 

“Okay lang.”

 

What does the BAP say about your using Big J in the movie?

 

“Wala naman.”

 

As Big J, the title role, what deadly feats are you going to do?

 

“Fire a gun, do some karate, bakbakan at marami pang iba. It’s an action film kasi, eh.”

 

What can you say about Totoy Buenaventura? He’s one of the country’s top directors.

 

“Oh, he’s nice, he’s a very good guy. I feel honored and challenged to be working under him. He is very keen and very observant as a director, he is very particular about details, kahit kaliit-liitang bagay, mahalaga sa kanya.”

 

What about Gina Pareño, your leading lady?

 

“She’s a very good actress. She’s the heroine in the movie but not exactly my leading lady. In all the movies I’ve done, I never had any leading lady at all.”

 

                                                 

 

About love-teaming

 

Why, do you have anything against having a love team?

 

“No naman, coincidence lang Seguro. Besides, it won’t be believable dahil alam naman ng public na may asawa na ako.”

 

Who among the local actesses has the most (sex) appeal to you?

 

“Marami.”

 

Name some.

 

“Huwag na lang, mahirap na I might foget the others, baka magalit sa akin.”

 

Who do you think is the most kissable among the local actresses?

 

“Marami rin!”

 

Like who?

 

“Hindi bale na rin, kasi ang dami nila eh. I might forget to mention the name of others.”

 

Would you kiss an actress if the script calls for it?

 

“Kung properly motivated, why not? Pero kung hindi, bakit pa kami maghahalikan? I don’t think it’s right to kiss just for the sake of kissing.”

 

Would you agree to strip before the cameras?

 

“They have to do a lot of convincing before I agree to do it.”

 

But what if the story is good, the director is good and your co-stars are all good?

 

“Kahit na.”

 

So does it mean that you are not yet that deeply involved in acting?

 

“No, it’s not that. Kaya lang there are a lot of things to consider. Ano na lamang ang sasabihin ng asawa ko?”

 

Just in case, which of the two would you give up, basketball or acting?

 

“Mahirap sagutin yan. Kailangan pag-isipan ko muna nang matagal. It would be a hard decision for me to make.”

 

Does that mean you have come to love the movies as much as basketball?

 

“Ganoon na nga.”

 

How is basketball similar to the movies?

 

“Well, both deal with the public. As a basketball player, you should always act in a manner acceptable to the public. Ganoon din as an actor. Both require you to be physically and mentally fit. Physical endurance is important in basketball, ganoon din naman samovies, especially in action films. Basketball requires a little acting also. Halimbawa, a player crumples to the floor as if in pain although he isn’t really hit hard para lang ma-foul ang kalaban. Acting na rin yun, di ba?”

 

Some people say that you are a “grandstand” player.” Are you conscious that you are a movie star when you are playing?

 

“Of course not! Basketball is an aggressive game so I have to be aggressive on the court. Walang mangyayari kung papatay patay ka. At saka, I have to play well para hindi mapahiya sa tao. Pero yung sinasabing showmanship, wala yon.”

 

                                                

 

Busy schedule

You have had a very busy schedule these past weeks, shooting Big J and training, don’t you get kind of schizophrenic about the whole thing?

 

“Hindi naman. Sanay na ako.”

 

I mean, in the morning, do you wake up and ask yourself whether you are a movie star today or a basketball player?

 

“At first, parang ganoon. You know, magigising ka sa umaga at iisipin mo, ano ba ang schedule ko ngayon, shooting ba o basketball? Artist aba ako ngayon o player? Kung may shooting, kinakalimutan kong player ako; kung may basketball, kinakalimutan kong artista ako. It’s a matter of getting used to it.”

 

How do you take care of your health?

 

“Simple. I don’t smoke and I drink moderately. I get at least 8 hours of sleep every day. I eat regularly, I mean, I always eat on time. I observe a well-balanced diet. I go to bed early if I have no social functions to attend, and I wake up early. First thing I do is my morning exercises. Pang-kondisyon.”

 

Do you think an athlete should regulate his sex life?

 

“I don’t think it’s necessary. Besides, I read in several magazines that sex has nothing to do with a player’s physical fitness. At saka, kanya-kanya yun. Mayroong kailangan araw-araw, yong iba every other day, at yong iba naman once a week. Iba-iba.”

 

What about you?

 

“Ewan…”

 

If you were stranded in an island, who would you like to be with?

 

“Teka, iisipin ko muna. Isip, isip, “Oy, baka nakakalimutan mong may asawa ako!”

 

Hindi naman.

 

“Eh di siempre, ang asawa ko, sino pa?”

End of the road.

 

End of the interview.