Thanks to Mr. Jefferson Quincy (Quincy Jefferson? Dude what is your name anyway?) Reyes, who told me I had 24 hours to come up with an 800-1000 word article about “anything and everything under the sun”, I’ve spent the past few hours trying to come up with something decent and presentable to write about. In my desperation I began asking people around me for suggestions. Upon hearing my plea for help, my dad’s eyes lit up and he said he had the perfect topic in mind.
“Remember that Friends episode where Rachel and Monica were talking about how they missed the times when NBA players wore really short shorts? They made it obvious that they weren’t watching the games and were watching the players instead. So don’t call guys out about openly checking out girls because you do it too. You know that you, along with tons of other girls out there, do the exact same thing every UAAP season.”
Seeing as I was about to protest, he immediately added “I’m not saying that’s the only reason why you watch the games. But you have to admit that it is definitely a factor.”
I think that support in general is beneficial and can actually help the players. Imagine the ego boost when they hear thousands of people cheering for them and screaming their names. These people, regardless of whether or not they have better things to do, took the time to go there and show their support. How’s that for inspiration?
Now I’m not saying having males cheer for you would be any less flattering, but based on what I have seen, females tend to be more vocal when it comes to supporting individual players. I remember at the end of one game there was a group of about four girls wearing a specific jersey number seated at the lower box section of Araneta, whispering amongst themselves and shooting glances as the players began exiting the court. When their target was sighted, they screamed “We love you *insert his name here*!” He stopped, grinned and threw the towel which he had around his neck at them. They screamed and lunged towards it while he looked on with a bemused expression before leaving. It was an unhygienic response (I’m assuming it was covered in sweat since he just played a game after all) but good for them since he noticed them and got a used towel for their efforts. I have yet to see a guy do that, although that would definitely be something.
I’ve witnessed many girls attend games clad in personalized shirts, holding up signs with words of encouragement or playful twists of names and monikers like Sweet Sexy Teng, I’m caught in your Webb, or Will you be my Aba-boo in the hopes of catching the seemingly unattainable eye of a college basketball demigod. Their blatant display of admiration towards the players ranges from tame (“Omg I love him so much I want to marry him”), somewhat cute (“He’s so small I want to turn him into a keychain and make him my pet”) and downright disturbing (“I just want to rip off his head and put it on my dashboard next to the pink dice and a bobblehead toy”).
Wherever there are athletes, fangirls (and the occasional fanboys) will follow. That’s just the way it works.
Personally, I watch the UAAP mainly just to cheer for my alma mater, celebrating every victory and keeping the faith through every loss. However, I too am not immune to this type of shameless and somewhat twisted idolatry.
Admittedly, I have marveled over certain players regarding their toned physiques, and even openly expressed my envy towards those fortunate enough to be sporting abs that Spartans themselves would die for. I’ve even squealed and cooed with a friend over a player who bears an undeniably striking similarity to a pokemon (if you have no idea what this is, it stands for pocket monster and it hails from Japan, which is known for its ability to produce the greatest and most random things. Proof of its existence by those intelligent enough to believe that they’re real is still being debated upon as of this moment. Check youtube for more details) — Charmander, to be more specific — as he runs around the court, half expecting him to tackle or breathe fire on others stupid enough to cross his path.
Those who have watched games with me can attest to all of this. Call it whatever you want but I think that I (and pretty much everyone else if they want to) am entitled to express my awe that these people do exist. After all, I’m only human and all I’m doing is enjoying and taking advantage of part of the unique experience that the UAAP has to offer. The fact that there are players that are easy on the eyes is just an added bonus. Now if that’s the main thing that brings in the fans, then it can’t be all that bad. In the end, everyone (except the team that loses) gets what they want.
Editor’s note: Ericka’s column name is really *insert column name here*
