The Prize Of Being A Ginebra Fran

Final Score : Talk n Text 83 Ginebra 67

And so as it is. Barangay Ginebra falls short again of their quest to capture their 9th crown. Like the hundreds or even thousands of Ginebra fans, I was disheartened seeing my beloved team beaten black and blue by the Texters. Like them also, I can hear myself saying these words again : "BAWI NA LANG NEXT CONFERENCE!"

As a Ginebra fan, it can be easy to loose heart and give up on the team because of their numerous failures. We used to be called "die hard' fans because of the passion and support we give to Ginebra. But as years went by, the number of these so-called "die-hard" fans have dwindled. Who can blame them? 17 conferences without a title. That's tough for a fan.

As expected, all over the social media you can see trash talking between Ginebra fans and their so-called haters. From being "die-hards," fans of other teams have now labelled us as KANGKONATICS (referring to fans of a team who has always fallen short of winning a championship). It makes me want to think : Is this the prize of being a Ginebra fan? Being branded as one.

Ginebra fans are one of the most passionate in the league. You see them trooping to the venues to watch the game. Whenever there is a Ginebra game, expect it to be a sellout. For this reason, Ginebra owns some of the records in terms of crowd attendance. Even though the team is falling behind big, Ginebra fans would stay in the venue anticipating a comeback. It is this "never say die" spirit of the Kings that has endeared them to their throngs of fans.

I have been a Ginebra fan since the days of Robert Jaworski. I have been a witness to their ups and downs. I don't watch them live on the venue but whenever I watch them on television, I can't help but admire the way they hustle and grab the loose balls, I cheer for every  buzzer beaters that they make, and of course celebrate with them whenever they win championships. Futility is nothing new to them. Ginebra is a team with a history of coming back from the grave. Who can forget the acrobatic Rudy Distrito shot that brought Ginebra from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship against Shell? How about winning 4 straight games against San Miguel to win the All-Filipino championship? It only goes to show that Ginebra can come back.

Some people say that the Ginebra of today is different from the old. They are playing a different game since the Jaworski days. Others claim that you do not see the "never say die" spirit in the Ginebra team of today. Unlike before, you do not see them dive for loose balls, hustle all over the court, and others. I guess this is the reason some die-hard Ginebra fans have decided to throw their support to other teams. Others, on the other hand, have opted to go for a "wait and see" attitude.

Yes, the number of die-hard Ginebra fans are numbered. I for myself have been asked "Why Ginebra?" There are other teams out there. Why cheer for a team that cannot win a championship? Honestly speaking, I really do not know why. I could have followed the other fans who have already switched their allegiance to another team or chose to remain silent. But then again, I did not.

But one thing is for sure. While there are those fans who have already given up on Ginebra, there are still a multitude who believes that the time will come when the Kings will rise to the throne again and win a title. It is this ray of hope that makes them hold on to their passion and support for Ginebra. As one fan commented in one fan page, there is no such thing as FOREVER.

Yes, die-hard Ginebra fans are a dying breed but there are still a lot of them who will defend the team at all cost. Their passion has not waned and will continue to fire up. Ginebra is Ginebra. They are not the most popular team in the PBA for nothing. Die-hard fans will keep supporting the team. They will keep on waiting until that 9th crown is won.

But for now they will have to endure the constant bashing and trash talking of fans from other teams. Call them Kangkonatics as long as you want. Call Ginebra as Boracay champs as long as you want. These fans will never quit and surrender in supporting Barangay Ginebra. I guess this is the prize they have to pay for supporting a team as popular as Ginebra.