THE recent early exits of Alex Eala can be a cause for disappointment.
But over social media, I see a lot of Eala fans trying to make a defeat look like a learning experience, a stepping stone, and a reason to fight on. They are right, also.
And from the ashes of defeat is where the real fans of a sport figures emerge.
That was the case after Manny Pacquiao got knocked out (literally) by Juan Manuel Marquez in their third fight on November 2011. That was Pacquiao’s worst defeat, but his real fans kept cheering him.
And I witnessed that too after Nonito Donaire lost a gallant fight against Naoya Inoue on November 2019.
Allan Minter after getting brutally beaten by Marvin Hagler in a stoppage loss in September 1980 would find fans who posed with him in a photo, demonstrating that he is still his country’s boxing hero.
In the US, we have seen the home crowd of even the bottom-level teams in the NBA cheer their players to no end.
From the musical world, the hardcore fans (who call themselves "stans") of eight-member PPop female group Bini call themselves “Walo hanggang dulo.” And OMG, they are fiercely loyal.
For Eala, her defeats shake up her current fandom, leaving those who are real fans cheering her to no end. And to no end they will remain loyal to Eala.
Larry Bird, in a cameo appearance in “Celtic Pride,” said it rightly in the film (with disgust): "Fans like you make me sick. You love us when we're winning, and you hate us when we're losing. It's pathetic. You guys should learn a little something about loyalty."
That was the line delivered to the two main characters of the film, played by Daniel Sterm and Dan Aykroyd.
And there are many reasons why fans love their sports figures, even if they are not the winningest.
For Eala, the number one reason for Filipinos is she is the first from our country to make numerous appearances in the international tennis scene. And that does not come easy as there are others who tried but came up short.
Eala’s non-Filipino fans may also admire her for humility, potential, among others.
But then, Eala is already an international sports figure. Period.
Here comes the part that all international sports figure must face — they will always have bashers.
Bashers will look for every reason, legitimate or not, to harshly criticize a sports figure.
But in the end, the bashers lose very badly.
Here’s why.
Bashers do not realize that the sports figure they are bashing are living rent-free in their mind. Yes, rent free. And the mind of bashers goes into overdrive to look for every opportunity to harshly criticize a sport figure, even if the sports figure’s behavior does not generally offend. A good example of a sports figure who offends is Floyd Mayweather Jr.
So, who loses in the end? The sports figure or basher?
My answer is: the basher. Because the sports figure lives in the basher’s mind rent free, and the sports figures still gets to irritate the basher.
It is totally different when a corrupt politician gets harshly criticized or chastised, because it is the duty of citizens to call out public officials who pocket the people’s money. Also, getting angry at corrupt politicians should be encouraged to force accountability.
But a sports figure you hate who does not have an attitude to hate? Just live and let live. Oh yes, that’s a line from Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.”
