I RECEIVED some queries from fellow Last Rounders on where that erring van driver took us in the unscheduled ?tour? of EDSA I mentioned in my previous column.
Well, I was seated at the rear portion of the van laughing at Atty. Aven Piramede?s hilarious jokes when I actually noticed us passing by the Araneta Coliseum.
We were in the wrong lane.
The miscreant schmuck took us past Cubao, to Quezon avenue, and then right before reaching Monumento-apparently realizing he was freaking lost- took the nearest available U-turn slot.
Back again to Cubao we went, and past the Araneta Coliseum again. All the way to Megamall and past our hotel. It was at this point that Dodie Boy Pe?alosa started complaining in his thick visayan accent: ?Di mo pala alam saan ang Aranita, bay??
He didn?t answer.
Bert Batawang, the only boxer who had the terrible misfortune of riding in our van, started getting wild eyed.
Heri Amol, his tough, stocky Indonesian opponent, probably was already working up a sweat in locker room, pounding the mitts, getting ready. Here he was, still in sweatpants, riding a merry-go-round to God-knows-where. .
Worse, were it not for Dodie Boy?s timely admonition, we would have again missed the U-turn slot at SLEX which took us back to Cubao.
And why didn?t I raise a whimper when I knew we were going the wrong way?
When we went past the Araneta Coliseum, I honestly thought we were going to pick up somebody or turn right later at some side street. I don?t know. It was really not my call and so I just went along for the ride. (literally)
I have it on good authority that it was another case of lost in translation. Because everybody was in a mad rush to get to the arena, our proto-brained driver, misheard the instruction ?Ilingaw ninyo ang media? for ?Iligaw ninyo ang media!? .
NO HABLO INGLES. Later that evening I found myself alone in the elevator with no other than Sor Vorapin himself. He was smiling and busily munching on some chips. I asked him ?Are you hurt?? to which he could only offer a wide grin in return.
Thinking I wasn?t speaking loud enough, I repeated my question. His grin remained frozen on his pudgy, battered face. The elevator bell sounded to signal his triumphant return to his floor and he politely nodded before leaving. Nice guy.
Much, much later that evening, I was informed that his inebriated trainer, whose name escapes me at the moment, kissed everybody he was sharing some drinks with, ALA boxing staff and media people included. Both men and women were reportedly not spared.
Yikes!
COVERAGE. From most accounts, everybody was pleased with the TV coverage provided by ABS CBN. It was prompt and had fewer commercials. Or at least it was a stark improvement from last time out which took 5 dreary hours and two naps to finish.
And better than GMA-7?s coverage of the Pacquiao-Marquez bout, which according to Last Rounder Tom John Pineda, left much to be desired. He narrated the following points:
a) No pre-fight introduction and analysis and no introduction on how the audience would see the fight.
b) No post-fight analysis & commentaries.
c) The announcement of the winner had to be divided into 3 segments, just to please the sponsors. Viewers be damned. Commercialism (in sports) is way too much.
LAST ROUND. It?s on two birthday girls, Francine Pepito and to my kumare, Liezl Siu, loving wife to my good buddy Alan, and doting mom to baby Ethan. Cheers!
