Bleacher Talk

MGCQ, GCQ, or MECQ? Note: Updated from its May 31 version.... There seems to be confusion over the quarantine status that the government is declaring all over the country. The latest is that the entire province of Cebu will be under General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from June 1-15, including Cebu City. Still Confused? The IATF Resolution Number 38 earlier indicated that the Cebu Province would be under GCQ while Cebu City would be under MECQ from June 1-15. This was apparently changed a day after the memo was released, leaving many to ask, “Unsa ba gyud?” As I write this piece, anything can still happen and don’t be surprised if another change is made. Let’s all just chill, relax and wait for the succeeding announcements from our local officials. One thing is certain, there is still the letter “Q” (stay home) and most importantly, COVID 19 is very much alive, kicking and ready to rumble! For the sports world, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infe...

Online Classes: The MWF Model I won’t mince words. I’m biased about this. I was one of its facilitators. I ran the Facebook Page. And I enjoyed and loved every moment of it. And I’ll boast to all that it’s one the best models for online education. Gain Insights. Seek Wisdon. Create a Plan of Action. It’s the MWF online series of sports talks that was initiated by the virus-like influencer Coach Noli Ayo, the Athletic Director of Ateneo de Davao and Convenor of the Mindanao Peace Games (MPG). We started on March 30 and ended on May 15, just right for the ECQ period nationwide. With the advent of distance learning, online education will be the standard to replace the four walls of a classroom. The MWF Forum served as a perfect model, taking the lead in handling online-real-time talks on sport topics that were relevant/essential, casual (not boring), interactive and learning-guaranteed. But ironically, it wasn’t designed to be this way at the start. Ayo bared that “the goal in...

New Normal for Sports on TV The sports world is itching for the day when their favorite teams and stars will see action again. NBA? PBA? Football in Europe? Baseball? What will it be like? Will spectators be allowed to fill up a venue? What kind of social distancing can be practiced? Will rapid testing be held at the venues? For now, we are looking at a scenario where there still is no vaccine against COVID-19. Neither is there a wonder drug that can kill this coronavirus. The funny thing is that someone was bold enough to do something. Whether or not they were right in doing so is still up for judgment, but you never know. When UFC 249 was held last weekend in Miami, Florida, it was behind closed doors, without fans. Medical exams were required for everyone who took part of the event, from fighters to their coaching staff, UFC officials and members from the TV coverage team. When a fighter was found positive for COVID 19, his fight was canceled. And I guess he and his delegat...

New Normal for Athletes? Here’s another interesting set of questions for these days. What are athletes to do during this pandemic? Should they continue practicing? Who will push them to train? Survey: How many athletes continue training today and how? When I was a student-athlete (way back in the day), our season would always be interrupted by a two-week Christmas break. I can vividly remember how at the last practice before the Christmas break, our coaching staff would prepare a training program that was to be done on our own and without supervision. We had to stay in shape as the tournament resumed right after the break. Did we as a team practice over the holidays? Of course not! We all went back to school with excess poundage and were out of shape. We expectedly lost our next two games when the games resumed. Yes, I exaggerate but you get the point. Today though is something totally different. This is not a two-week Christmas break. In fact, we don’t know how long this will...

New Normal in Sports? Yes. That's a question. One that I myself can’t even answer definitely. Has COVID 19 thrown a monkey wrench into everything or what? This virus has been a true “VUCA,” to borrow a term from a friend’s presentation: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. But now that we have accepted this as harsh reality (or are we still in denial?), all of us in sports must now learn how to move on and find ways to find that new normal while a permanent solution to the virus is nowhere in sight (for now). The sad part about the sports industry is that coaches, semi-pro players, game officials, team managers and team staff earn their pay via the “no work no pay” scheme. While the pros in the PBA won’t be affected by this, did you know that around 90% of the sports industry work under this “talay” set-up? They are the coaches of sports clubs, schools or teams. Included here are members of their coaching staff like physical therapists and utility staff members. ...