Oooh, I Just Hate You, Ronnie
In a way, I didn’t like that ABS-CBN won the rights to televise not only the Azkals game against Mongolia on February 9, but ALL of their games in the next 12 months. Don’t get me wrong though, I have nothing against the Kapamilya network–well, except for the smiling white-haired guy above.
I’m a big fan of football and the Azkals. Like the thousands who climbed aboard the football bandwagon, I am really excited to watch the Azkals slug it out against the Mongolians in February. But unlike their stint in the AFF Suzuki Cup last month, their games will not be aired on Star Sports. After winning the bid against arch-rival GMA 7 and the bullish TV5 network backed by no other than Manny Pangilinan, ABS gained the rights to air the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying game between the Philippines and Mongolia. Which could mean only one thing: Ronnie Nathanielsz anchoring the broadcast.
I don’t want to sound disrespectful. Nathanielsz has been in the business twice, maybe even thrice as long as I am alive. But watching the reruns of Studio 23’s coverage of the Azkals’ games in the Suzuki Cup semis, the broadcast was really biased. Nathanielsz didn’t even know what he was talking about. Personally, I would rather watch the game with Tantaran-Chuchurut-churut as background music than listen to Nathanielsz blather on national TV.
But what made me hate this old guy more was when he started to write in his column that the Azkals games he had anchored rated better than the PBA games that week featuring a quarterfinals game between Air21 and San Miguel and an elims game between Meralco and Rain Or Shine. Obviously, there’s a hidden agenda in this and it surely started a holiday catfight between him and another renowned sports caster, Quinito Henson. Nathy’s write-ups seemed to light a fire under Quinito and the latter came out with his own column, calling Ronnie’s articles “a crass display of news manipulation to promote a hidden agenda,” and as Fire Quinito (no, not Henson, but Jaemark Tordecilla) wrote in his blog, “it was meant to embarass the PBA and its broadcast partner, Solar Sports”. You might say I am writing this in defense of the Philippine Basketball Association, but as what I’ve said before, I like the Azkals more than B-Meg, Meralco, Talk N Text or Yeng Guiao. I just don’t like it when well-respected people with a reputation as high as his hair is white, tells something untrue for his own personal interests. That’s lying, man!
One of my favorite sports blogs Fire Quinito further reports Ronnie’s involvement and lobbying for his mother network, ABS-CBN:
The point of [Nathanielsz’] articles was to build up ABS-CBN as the PBA’s new broadcasting partner, something that Nathanielsz has been lobbying for several years now. In these stories, he never seems to mention his chummy relationship with ABS-CBN Sports’ top brass or his connection to the broadcasts.
What a guy!
If that’s still not enough, well, in case you don’t know, Nathanielsz was a former Marcos crony and has been lobbying endlessly for his personal gain. I told you, he’s been in the business twice, maybe even thrice as long as I’ve been alive.
Wow. You made it this far? Congratulations. Just like you, I wish that ABSCBN gets an anchor who knows football more than old Nathy. (But please, not Dyan Castillejo!)
All together now: What a guy! MM
YESSIR! 