Filipinos Beat Daryl Peach
In World Championship Pool

Simon says, ‘Coping with the inevitability of defeat makes victories all the more sweet’ (Simon Barnes, timesonline.co.uk). Pray tell me, Simon, how can you celebrate a victory when it’s not yours?

Yesterday, Sunday, November 11 (Manila), in the 2007 World Pool Championship, Daryl ‘Dazzler’ Peach of Blackpool, England outshone the Philippines’ brilliant billiards last hope, Roberto ‘Superman’ Gomez of Zamboanga City. Last time I looked, it was 12-15 Dazzler-Superman. Then Superman, eyeing the bright light of a promised victory, got dazzled. It happens to the best. Superman got beaten; he must be the best. That’s his picture there.

But before that, the Filipino audience crushed Daryl Peach, booing him even after he would pocket a ball. He was subdued. One of the commentators could not help but comment that Peach was an ‘unpopular winner.’ Peach didn’t win the hearts of us Filipinos. The best gets beaten; we beat him with our catcalls. He must be the best.

Simon says, ‘Defeat is the sporting experience that dare not speak its name.’
Simon, it does now. If you are the loser, at least have the grace to make fun of yourself – and the victor.

In the Philippines, we know how to celebrate a victory when it’s ours. If you didn’t know that, you don’t know our Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao and how we Filipinos lionize him. I’ve written about him too; try this, ‘Will To Run. Barrera, Your Hall-Of-Famer, I Presume?’ (americanchronicle.com); he is our living national hero. He makes us proud to be Filipinos & winners.

Oh to be English & losers! Simon Barnes is writing about football and England (Team Arsenal) losing to Spain (Barcelona) in the Champions League. My favorite game is billiards. I’m a champion in my own eyes; I have given quite a few guys love sets myself, including friends. I don’t care about football, and Simon, I don’t care if your column is dated more than a year ago, 2006 May 19 – what you write is history, and history is always good for the present, for us, if we know how to handle it. This time, I’ll handle it with gusto, with the verve of a winner. It’s the best I can do.

You know the Bloody Brits, the proud Englishmen; they can’t afford to lose – because Arsenal has just lost, Simon is trying to cheer them up. Simon, you can’t cheer up a loser – he has to do it himself. Oh, that’s why you’re cheering yourself up! ‘Arsenal bitterly accepted their right to be called the first loser in the Champions League.’ The English lost to the Spanish in the land of the French; it happened in Paris – which all goes to show that defeat speaks only one language: Loser.

Simon says, ‘And not winning was very much on my mind as I looked back on Arsenal’s jaunt to Paris and the miracle that never quite was.’

That’s pretty much what’s on my mind as I look back at yesterday’s English-Filipino battle of the world pool champions and the miracle that was quite British. I can’t forgive the English for this. During my (official) birthday, my hero lost the Philippines’ World Championship Pool? Unforgivable! I couldn’t celebrate; losing has never been my cup of tea. I will never forgive Daryl Peach for this, for winning, on my birthday.

Simon says, ‘You can be beaten and take a lot of positives from this.’
Simon, we Filipinos want to win, we always do. As for the positives, take that! and that!

Simon says, ‘Winners get more space in the papers.’
And bigger prizes, Simon.

Simon says, ‘But it is the losers that have numbers on their side.’
Yeah, the bad numbers. The losing figures. US$100K vs US$40K. How does losing taste? Bitter. Better after a few days, but that’s no consolation.

Simon says, ‘Losing is a big thing in sport, perhaps the biggest.’
Perhaps, but you get the fine print. Big deal!

Simon, I assure you Daryl Peach didn’t win – Roberto Gomez defeated himself, for instance, failing to hole-in one, and that was a very easy last shot. He was tired; he was nervous; he wanted very much to win. Maybe that is the worst thing a player can do, anyone can do – wanting very much to win.

Simon says, ‘But we repress the idea of losing.’
No, Simon, you should have seen Roberto Gomez cry.

Simon says, ‘Some will tell you that sport is all about winning.’
Simon, sport is all about losing when you are the loser.

Simon says, ‘Winning is not the only thing in sport.’
Of course not. There’s the losing.

Simon says, ‘Losing is one of the most important things in sport, and people do it all the time.’
Losing is not important at all, Simon. People don’t like losing at all.

Simon says, ‘Defeat is an important – perhaps the most important – part of the sporting life.’
Simon, I agree with you; losing is the most important part of sport – to the winner.

Simon says, ‘You can lose gloriously, dramatically, heroically, unluckily, abjectly, humiliatingly, compliantly, haplessly.’

We Filipinos would rather win, Simon, gloriously, dramatically, heroically, luckily, cheerfully, gloriously, compliantly, hopefully. We have already learned everything from losing. We’ve been losers. What we have not learned is not to be poor losers.

Simon says, ‘So much of the sporting experience is about anticipation.’
You anticipate what people will say behind your back after you lose.

Simon says, ‘Defeat is the thing that keeps us coming back.’
Oh no, Simon! For us losers, it’s victory that keeps us coming back.

Simon says, ‘When victory is certain, where is the joy?’
Look to the direction of the winner, Simon.

Simon says, ‘A mismatch brings no pleasure to the winner, and we call such victories hollow.’
You’re the loser, Simon!

Simon says, ‘Victory is not much of a dish unless it is seasoned with the possibility of defeat.’’
Simon, victory is the spice of sport. Defeat is an aftertaste.

Simon says, ‘Without defeat there is no victory.’
Don’t we losers know that! Please don’t rub it in.

Simon says, ‘Without losers, there are no winners.’
We Filipinos would rather that there be no losers.

Simon says, ‘We celebrate the winners.’
Not if the winners are not us.

Simon says, ‘We celebrate the winners, and we do so while repressing the thought that every winner floats high on buoyancy on the tears of the losers.’
Excuse me while we Filipinos cry.

Simon says, ‘We should be forever grateful to every loser.’
Don’t thank Roberto Gomez. He didn’t want to lose. He didn’t give away the game!

Simon says, ‘We who follow sports are hooked on the twists and turns of the narrative, the ever-changing cast of heroes and villains, the thrilling alternations of victory and defeat.’
We Filipinos follow only the twists and turns of the narrative that refers to the victor. We know a good story when we see one!

Simon says, ‘It is the unexpected victory that is always the sweetest, because it comes so close to defeat.’
That makes the defeat ever so bitter. 17-15 Peach-Gomez in a race to 17. It comes so close to victory!

Simon says, ‘Without that history of defeat, victory would have been far less sweet.’
We Filipinos would rather write and read the history of victory. Like 15-17 Peach-Gomez.

Simon says, ‘Defeat is a constituent part of sporting joy.’
Joy to the 2007 World Pool Championship winner, Daryl Peach. He’s the winner. Is he Champion? No, a Champion cannot be made overnight, over one championship. Roberto Gomez should know that. Daryl Peach should know that.

Simon says, ‘(Just in case), we will watch as if we were seeking defeat and when defeat comes, we shall meet it with appropriate gloom.’
Next time, we Filipinos will watch as if we were seeking victory and when victory comes, we shall meet it with appropriate boom. Today, because we’re down, there’s no way but up!

Simon says, ‘We are as hooked on defeat as we are on victory.’
You mean like some people who are hooked on drugs? Simon, those who are hooked on defeat are the losers!

Simon says, ‘Sport would not be sport without misery, without despair, without hopelessness.’
We Filipinos would rather have sport without misery, without despair, without hopelessness. We have enough of those already.

Simon says, ‘Victory is for wimps.’
No, Simon, victory is for champs.

Simon says, ‘It is in defeat that the true spirit of sport is to be found.’
No, Simon, it is in victory that the true spirit of sport is to be found. Take away victory and what have you got? Only losers! Oh, victory, where is thy sting! Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of victory.

Simon says, ‘Why involve yourself in that, if losing is not to your taste?’
Simon, winning is much to the Filipinos’ taste.

Simon says, ‘It all adds up to the same common experience of sport: not winning.’
We Filipinos want the uncommon experience of sport: Victory.

Simon says, ‘Without losers, there is no sport.’
I hate sports. Sports were invented for winners, not losers.

Simon says, ‘How can winning possibly be the only thing when so many people in sport quite patently are not doing it?’
Simon, to the loser, winning is the only thing in sport. So, I beg your pardon, my favorite sport is the only thing in my mind right now. And winning. Excuse me while I bow my head and cry.

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 11:22 am and is filed under creative thinking, creative writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.