By: Alex P. Vidal
“I like being the underdog so they don’t expect what’s going to happen. It pushes me to work harder and do the things I’m not doing better.” – Kawhi Leonard
THERE are probably more Ilonggos living in Oakland, California than in Toronto, Ontario, thus the Golden State Warriors apparently have more fans among the Ilonggo populace in both the United States and Canada compared to the Toronto Raptors.
We are supposed to be “lovers of the underdogs,” but we’ve noticed the Ilonggos are more agog over the Warriors, the defending champions, even if the Western Conference kings have already won the NBA Finals for several times in a row and the Raptors, the Eastern Conference heroes, are chasing history and currently the darling of the basketball world.
Even in the social media, the Warriors are very much hailed and cheered especially when they averted annihilation in Game 5 on June 10 with a nerve-tingling 106-105 win.
Many Filipinos fans rooting for both teams from the US and Canada are workers in the health industry–nurses, caregivers, doctors, physical therapists–or Filipino-Americans and Filipino-Canadians who have been following the NBA games with passion and style for several years now. How exciting to read their debates and fierce discussions in the social media and in other communication platforms.
Basketball old-timers in Western Visayas, as a whole, also appear to be Warriors fans, including some politicians, local sports analysts, ordinary folks, and anchormen in leading radio stations chronicling the exciting best-of-seven finals.
May the best team win in Game 6 or Game 7, if necessary.
-o0o-
The original “Ilonggo Bikoy” was reportedly spotted again in Iloilo City weeks after his politician boss lost in the mayoral elections in Metro Manila.
The “Ilonggo Bikoy” is a well-connected mystery man. He has spilled the beans on so many high-profile personalities involved in illegal drugs.
Many of these high-profile personalities linked by this original “Ilonggo Bikoy” in illegal drugs are now either have been buried six feet below the ground, or have left Western Visayas and are now hiding in Metro Manila and Mindanao.
He is a friend of a balikbayan who recently lost in a local election in Iloilo City.
He is an admirer of former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada, who recently hogged headlines after being arrested for cyberlibel filed by Iloilo Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr.
The “Ilonggo Bikoy” is being suspected as one of those who spread the canard that former Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog was involved in illegal drugs.
Former Western Visayas narcotics chief Genodepa of Guimbal, Iloilo knows this “Ilonggo Bikoy” very well.
I know him, too–also very well.
-o0o-
According to Dr. Deepak Chopra, one of the causes of Ernest Hemingway’s “deepest depression” was due to “Writer’s Block” which could happen to any writer.
When asked to write a speech for the inaugural of President JFK, Hemingway, America’s all-time best Nobel Prize in Literature winner, suffered “Writer’s Block” and could not start a sentence.
Several days later, he shot himself to death with a shotgun!
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)
