Another Brick Off the Wall

September 3, 2008

 

 

Article for the column “Mirror Image” (Business Mirror, September 3, 2008)

 

“Another Brick Off The Wall”

 

By Rene F. Concepcion

 

Michael Jackson turned 50 years old last week.  But does anyone know how old are his bleached skin, cleft chin, and nose?

 

This is my third of three pieces on the Olympic Games, but I’m starting off with Michael Jackson, who instead of the musical talent who thrilled us for decades has become what my 13-year old godson calls a freak.  I guess I can’t help but think our Filipino athletes of natural grace, talent, and potential have also been butchered, like Michael, by misguided beliefs in plastic solutions intent on the now, never the before, and with no intention for the after.

 

Since I’m already on a pop music tone, let’s listen to some Bob Marley:

 

Old pirates, yes, they rob I; Sold I to the merchant ships, Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.

 

Usian Bolt has landed on Planet Earth!  The Jamaicans must be doing something right, man.  At 6’5” and can run 100 meters in 9.69 seconds, Bolt is superhuman.  Not many people know Jamaica also got gold-silver-bronze in the women’s 100-meter final, and added the men’s 4×100-meter (beating the world record set by the United States), the women’s 200-meter, the women’s 400-meter hurdles, plus, Bolt’s other superhuman feat, the 200-meter dash.  That’s six gold medals total.  It is inspiring that the redemption Bob Marley believed in, the triumph of a strong hand, is possible even from one, tiny island. 

 

I suppose it must also be possible for a nation composed of 7,101 islands.  But I learned some Filipino Olympians missed the celebration of the closing ceremonies due to airline ticketing trouble – although some Filipino sports officials were able to stay on longer in Beijing.  And while the Olympic issue is hot, many government soap-boxers are berating sport incumbents and then offering their expert solutions.  These blame-games result in the usual cosmetic surgery – politicians get press, the press gets headlines, and people get topical during happy hour. Meanwhile, the “atletang Pilipino” gets robbed by pirates with false promises of emancipation from the bottomless pit.    

 

 

          South Korea already has an Olympic gold medalist in swimming.  Indonesia is continuing its winning streak in badminton.  Even war-torn Afghanistan won a medal.  In fairness, there are still dozens of countries like us that don’t score on the medal board.  So to be less medal-count and medal-color conscious, let’s analyze specific results to see if our country’s sports program has generally improved or suffered:

 

* In 1992, a Filipino swimmer’s 200-meter breaststroke time would have won gold in 1972.  So back in Barcelona, one can argue that Philippine swimming was 20 years behind.

 

* In 2008, in the same event, the Philippines would still have only won gold in 1972.  Therefore in Beijing, it can again be argued that Philippine swimming has fallen 36 years behind.

 

* The Philippines has actually medaled in this event, courtesy of Teofisto Yldefonso, who won back-to-back bronze medals way back in 1928 and 1932!

 

Maybe the United States swimming program is to blame for our decline.  In ’92, 2008 (and even in Yldefonso’s time of the American Occupation), Philippine Olympic swimmers have been U.S. trained.  Hey America, why didn’t you coach our swimmers better!?  (Or, hey you Filipinos who married Americans, why didn’t you choose Caucasian spouses with better swimming genes!?)  All facetiousness aside, this just goes to show there is no viable local swimming program whatsoever. 

 

Maybe I’m the one to blame because I am a local swim coach.  I’ve coached some breaststrokers who wouldn’t be able to beat Yldefonso, perhaps proving my coaching is 80 years behind.  Wait a second, what am I saying!?  You see, there simply aren’t enough funds, there’s too much politics, there’s too much pollution, we only care about basketball, parents are pests, school is too hard, kids eat only fast food, Filipino athletes are always afraid, besides,  we’ll only win in sports with weight categories anyway, etc., etc., etc.

 

Excuses are just another brick on the wall; the wall plastered with political campaign posters and hard body billboards with factory-manufactured celebrity models who convince the populace it’s better to look good than to swim, bike, run, jump, shoot, throw, serve, kick, box, fence, and putt good. 

 

To paraphrase Pink Floyd:  We don’t need your kind of education.  We don’t need education that allows for no accountability; and the kind that doesn’t recognize heartfelt effort.  How sad for our Beijing squad to come home to bricks thrown at their performances - that is if they actually come home to the Philippines because some don’t call our country home.

 

 

Professor Rene F. Concepcion is a full-time faculty member at the De La Salle University – Manila Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Graduate School of Business.  He teaches Sports and Recreation Management and Culture and Arts Management.  He is currently on his one-year research sabbatical, but he continues to be the head coach of the DLSU varsity swimming team.  Comments can be sent to his email:  concepcionr@dlsu.edu.ph