The Philippine Online Chronicles

When it comes to the hierarchy of the most important dates of the year, there’s no way that Pinoys will forget about February 14. Just like Christmas, Valentine’s Day is observed worldwide and millions will be celebrating it one way or another.

Here at Sportacular, we have our own little way of paying homage to this important event. Of course we’re not going to send you flowers and chocolates. If you’re a sports buff however, we have something much better than that: a list of some of the most hated and beloved Pinoy athletes of all time.

The beloved

The Philippines has had so many great athletes that it’s impossible to list all of them in just one article. The thing is, Filipinos love their athletes because they make us feel good about ourselves especially if that athlete does well internationally. Here are a few great Filipino athletes that we love and respect.

Efren “Bata” Reyes

Perhaps the greatest pool player of all time, Efren “Bata” Reyes is Michael Jordan with a cue stick. From nailing the most impossible shots at the weirdest possible angles, Reyes has been making the country proud for such a long time. Aside from amazing achievements, Reyes’s quiet, humble, and unassuming ways have endeared him to fans not only in the Philippines, but all over the world.

Gabriel “Flash” Elorde

Considered the greatest super featherweight of all time, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde was the country’s Manny Pacquiao even before Manny Pacquiao. Aside from his exploits inside the ring, Elorde was beloved because he reached out to so many people. How many times did we hear stories of Elorde reaching into his pocket just to help someone in need? With his unforgettable influence in and out of the ring, it’s not surprising that the legend of Elorde still grows 26 years after his death.

Robert “Sonny” Jaworski

Perhaps the most popular and most charismatic player that the country has ever produced, Robert “Sonny” Jaworski was will, determination, and passion personified each time he stepped onto the hard court. If you ever watched him play during his prime, Jaworski’s competitiveness could be compared to Michael Jordan and Manu Ginobili. That said, Jaworski’s fans remained loyal to him even after his playing years in the PBA. Right after his career in the pros, he served as a senator from 1998 until 2004.

Paeng Nepomuceno

The most accomplished and most recognizable face of the bowling world, Paeng Nepomuceno has won the World Cup of Bowling not twice, not thrice, but a record four times in his career. Until now, no other bowler has ever reached this milestone and it may take a while before someone else surpasses it. What makes Nepomuceno beloved is that he doesn’t seem to get tired of what he’s doing. In fact, Nepomuceno still plays in competitions decades after he first won the World Cup of Bowling in 1976.

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1996 Bowling World Cup, Northern Ireland, Paeng Nepomuceno (bowlproductions)

Pancho Villa

The Philippines’ very first boxing superstar, Pancho Villa or Francisco Guilledo in real life, swept the United States by storm by winning the world flyweight boxing championship back in 1923. Villa beat up one opponent after another during his stint in the United States. Though he seemed destined for greatness for many years to come, tragedy struck when Villa died of infection a night after getting his tooth extracted. He died at the young age of 23, compiling an amazing record of 92 wins and eight losses in less than five years of fighting as a pro. In spite of his short career, Villa was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Manny Pacquiao

The most recognizable and popular Filipino today, Manny Pacquiao achieved something that no other boxer ever did: win eight different titles in as many weight classes. Though Pacquiao had his fair share of controversy, they’re actually outweighed by all the accomplishments in and out of the ring. Right now, Pacquiao serves as a congressman for Saranggani and at 32 years old, he is far from concluding his illustrious career.

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HBO Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito Highlights (HBO)

Caloy Loyzaga

Not many people were able to watch Caloy “The Big Difference” Loyzaga when he was still playing for the Philippine national basketball team. In spite of that, nothing can deny the fact that he was the main reason why the Philippines finished third (the highest finish ever by an Asian country) in the 1954 FIBA World Championships. Many pundits still think that Loyzaga would have been able to play in the NBA had he been given the chance to play.

Alvin Patrimonio

Also known as “The Captain”, Alvin Patrimonio had a very successful PBA career that lasted for 16 long years. Being only the second player to ever win the PBA MVP plum four times, Patrimonio is just as competitive as Jaworksi every time he steps on the hardwood. Patrimonio was beloved because he gave it his all in every play and you can also argue that he isn’t that bad looking either. If you mix a once-in-a-generation talent, great looks, and an even better personality, then you’ll have a Pinoy athlete that everyone would love. Alvin Patrimonio has them all.

The hated

Let’s admit it: Pinoys love athletes no matter what, and with our nature to forgive easily, we usually don’t have a hit list of athletes to hate. Despite that, there had been athletes who have surely irked us through the years, most of them in basketball.

BJ Manalo

BJ Manalo was perhaps the most controversial college player in the country’s history. Playing for the Ateneo from elementary to high school, a lot of people expected the sharpshooter to stay in Katipunan. However, Manalo shocked the basketball world when he decided to play for La Salle in college. Though Manalo never really enjoyed the stardom that he had during his high school years, he became a marked man for transferring to Ateneo’s archrival. As result, it wasn’t surprising to hear his name being booed each time the Blue Eagles and Green Archers faced each other in the UAAP.

Marlou Aquino

At 6'9" and blessed with the mobility and offensive/defensive skills that most big men don’t have, Marlou Aquino was already a star even before he turned pro in 1996. Though he was clearly the PBA's best big man from 1996-1999, his game declined once he was traded to Sta. Lucia by Ginebra. Many people observed that Aquino simply coasted after getting a huge contract, and upped his performance when he was about to sign a new one. The thing that really put Aquino under bad light was his refusal to play for the 2002 National Team that competed in Busan, Korea. His reason? He wasn’t sure he would get paid if he decided to don the country’s colors.

Mark Cardona

Possessing a deadly hook shot that is virtually unguardable, Mark “Captain Hook” Cardona is without a doubt, the best offensive player in the country not named James Yap. In spite of his talents, Cardona is renowned for his trash talking towards fans of opposing teams. Years after turning pro, Cardona is still having a hard time realizing that playing tough doesn’t necessarily mean acting like a thug.

Wilmer Ong

Back in the 1990s when the Ginebra franchise was far from the stacked team that it is today, coach Jaworski regularly dispatched Wilmer Ong to bother the opposing teams’ best big men. Ong was a beefy 6’5 guy who had six fouls to spare each game. Limited offensively, he did what he did best: playing defense. Ong was hated because he had a knack of getting under an opponent’s skin that ultimately affected his performance on the court. With his physical play, even the best post operators such as Patrimonio had their hands full against Ong.

Rudy Distrito

Before there was Ron Artest, the PBA already had Rudy Distrito. Tough as nails, determined, and surprisingly clutch, Distrito was best remembered for the dagger shot that clinched the championship for Ginebra back in 1991 against Shell. Distrito was already a household name when he went under Jeffrey Cariaso, which sent the rookie guard crashing to the floor and unable to stand up for several minutes. Distrito’s hard foul ultimately resulted in the league's banning him for life. Years after the Cariaso incident, Distrito was put behind bars for killing the boyfriend of his wife in the United States.

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Ginebra Flashback Rudy Distrito (ala8n)

Rolando Navarette

More than being hated, boxer Rolando Navarette might be the biggest waste of talent in Philippine boxing history. Regarded as the best super featherweight fighter back in the '80s, the “Bad Boy from Dadiangas” partied like no other while throwing away all his money at the peak of his career. Navarette lost against Rafael "Bazooka" Limón in his title fight and from that point, it was downhill for him. He eventually found himself being involved in domestic violence cases while trying to make ends meet by doing odd jobs, including selling fish in the market. Navarette is the classic example of a prizefighter who simply got too carried away by the glitz and glamour of success.

The Philippines’ rich sports history has many movers and shakers that have shaped its landscape over the years. Success is not something new to Filipinos in the world of sports and the fact is, we simply love and even deify our athletes. Sometimes however, there are athletes who really give us a lot of trouble liking them no matter what they do.