Princeton Survey: Webb, Jaworski Top Sports Poll (Sports World, 1973)

Sports World Magazine

March 17-23, 1973

 

There’s just no sidestepping the issue – the Philippines may be short on tall men, but it is just as long on basketball as it was since the country placed fifth behind the United States, Canada, Mexico and Poland in the Berlin Olympics of 1936.

 

Supreme in Asia until the sixties when Japan and South Korea started gracing the winner’s circle, and never again in the Big 8 of the Olympics except in Melbourne in 1956 when the Philippines wound up seventh, this nation’s sports-minded from 14 to 30 years of age nevertheless still opt for basketball as the national game.

 

This was gleaned in a recent poll conducted for the Sports Development Foundation of the Philippines by the National Sports Development Poll (Luzon Phase) – the Philippine Princeton Poll – which showed that 778 percent of those in the 14-30 age group in Luzon have basketball as their favorite spectator sport. Likewise, the sport leads as a favorite among sports participated in, with a goodly 47 percent.

 

It comes as no surprise therefore to see the names of 10 basketball players in the top 12, the only other sport represented therein being that of professional boxing.

 

Here is how the votes went for the cage luminaries:

 

FREDDIE WEBB. Yco guard. Topped in Manila (48%), Cabanatuan (40%), Rizal (34%). Average: 28.7%.

 

ROBERT JAWORSKI. Meralco forward/guard. Topped Ilocos Norte, together with Manual Paner of San Miguel Corporation (21%) was second in Manila (28%), Rizal (25%, together with Adriano Papa, Jr., erstwhile Crispa forward), Albay (29%). Average: 25.8%.

 

ADRIANO PAPA, JR. erstwhile Crispa forward. Shared second billing with Jaworski in Rizal. Average: 18.8%.

 

DANILO FLORENCIO, erstwhile Crispa forward. Surprisingly weak in Manila (4%), he scored highest in Rizal (20%), Cabanatuan and Lipa (16% each). Average: 11.8%.

 

WILLIAM ADORNADO.  Crispa forward. As expected, topped Albay (he is a Bicolano) with 31%, had his second-best percentage in Rizal (16%). Average: 9.2%.

 

MANUEL PANER. San Miguel Corporation center. Shared top billing in Ilocos Norte with Jaworski at 21%. Average: 7.8%.

 

ALBERTO REYNOSO. Meralco center. Average 6%.

 

JAIME MARIANO. Concepcion Industries center. Fourth favorite in Manila with 20%. Average: 5.8%.

 

LAWRENCE MUMAR. Universal Textiles guard. Scored his highest in Albay with 10%. Average: 4%.

 

NARCISO BERNARDO. Mariwasa forward. Average: 3.2%.

 

 

 

(The only non-active basketball player in the list was Carlos “The Great Difference” Loyzaga who retired in the early sixties and was coach of the Olympic basketball team to Mexico in 1968; he garnered the same percentage as did Bernardo.)

 

(Gabriel “Flash” Elorde placed fourth in the poll with an average of 14.3% topping Lipa with 34% and placing third – behind Webb and Jaworski – in Cabanatuan with 24%).

 

(The other non-basketball sports figure was Ben Villaflor, then junior lightweight champion of the world – he lost the crown to Kuniaki Shibata of Japan on March 13 – who averaged 5.2 percent, scoring his best in Cabanatuan at 16% and Lipa at 12%.)

 

Spodephil conducted the poll to determine “starting points” for a constructive youth and sports development program “that would help foster the ideals and goals of the New Society – such as national discipline, civic-mindedness, fair play and even community development.”