10 Signs That You Are a Fantard

Recently, there's been a rise in the number of volleyball fans and it has made me so thrilled and thankful. This sport is still hugely underrated. But with the rise of good, evil has also followed suit (Dramatic, eh? LOL). I'm talking about the terrifying and  inevitable, rise of the FANTARDS.

According to urbandictionary.com, a fantard is a “person who obsesses over a series (TV,book, movie etc) and acts annoyingly like it’s the best thing ever made. Most fantards for movies never read the book and 99% of fantards are motivated by blind loyalty or a sad need to be popular or accepted. Fantards are also known to be really rude to people who go against their precious fandom and don't practice literary or any type of preference tolerance.”

I would also like to share my definition of a fantard but that would be boring so I decided to make a list of signs that might suggest that you have already become.. a FANTARD!

1. You think your Idol is perfect, faultless, and god-like. Ultimately, everyone who says anything that is not consistent with this perfect image of your idol, is pure evil and therefore deserves immediate death. Well, last time I checked, only God is perfect. And maybe the wintermelon milk tea from Gong Cha. :D

2. You react rudely and immaturely to people who say the slightest negative thing about your idol. You are very comfortable with the use profanities and foul language in online discussions. Mahihiya ang bungangerang palengkera sa  choice of words mo. 

3. You don’t believe in constructive criticism. You believe that the world is out to destroy your idol. So any negative comment, no matter how constructive it may be, is a sign of war.

4. You don’t care about facts or reason. You think you have the highest understanding of everything in the world and anyone who has an opinion different from yours is downright stupid.

5. You’re mind is closed, shut, locked, impermeable. No explanation needed. In fact, no explanation can pass through the nasty covering you have placed all over your brain.

6. Everyone who says anything non-positive about your idol is AUTOMATICALLY an evil HATER. Agad-agad.

7. You think you’re normal but you consider the fans of other teams as FANTARDS. Anything and everything they say is irritating.

8. You believe that you are entitled to know everything and anything about your idol. You feel like you have the right to know where she is, what she’s doing, why she's doing it, who she's doing it with and how she's doing it, ALL THE TIME.

9. You are very judgmental. You react very fast and make conclusions without much contemplation. In short, you’re brain is on vacation. Not much work going in there. You’re like a pitbull always ready to attack someone without any deliberation.

10. You boo players of the other team without any good reason. You criticize and bully players of other team just because they are not on your side. Yung totoo, ano'ng kasalanan nina Myla Pablo, Dadang at Perez sa'yo?

Frankly, I’m okay with fantards. Well, they are quite annoying and I really don’t understand them sometimes but hey, at least they appreciate the sport too. I don’t believe we can force people to fit into our definitions of right and wrong. The goal is to coexist peacefully, and hopefully, happily too.

I guess what I’m saying is that the world is not perfect. If we want the rainbow, we have to put up with the rain. So the next time you spot fantards, just try to ignore them. You can’t beat them even with the most intelligent arguments. You can only defeat  them with your indifference. 

Tricia Santos: An Unconventional Path

Now that Tricia Santos is officially part of the UST Tigresses, she might as well be the successor of Gretchen Ho as the face of UAAP Volleyball.

But first, let’s have a review. We wouldn’t even care much about this new Tigress if it weren’t for her pretty face and her brief but loud exposure in one of the PBB Teen Editions where she was one of the most popular contestants. Although she became an instant favorite because of her good looks, she quickly gained haters for being too “maarte” and “malandi”. She wasn’t exactly the most loved contestant in that edition. She was evicted on Day 63 (Wow! Some research there, huh. LOL).

In fact, as a proof that she was already a part of showbiz, some rumors of Anorexia even came out after photos of her being extremely thin started circulating.

She later explained that her weight loss was due to an injury and a long time rest from playing volleyball. Shortly after the said photos started circulating, she came back looking okay and was even able to participate in Palarong Pambansa 2012 in Pangasinan.

Some people are saying that Tricia is just using UAAP Volleyball as a way to make it back to fame and maybe, even back to showbiz. We know for sure that if that was the plan, it’s a pretty good one. Now more than ever, volleyball is capable of converting a nobody into a household name. And having a background as colorful as hers, she will surely get a lot of attention as a new UAAP volleybelle.

There's actually a good reason for some people to consider this. Years ago, Tricia seemed to be having a really good start in her showbiz career. She was even being groomed to be the next Kim Chiu. But it never happened. Maybe there's just a concern that since UAAP volleyball has created some celebrities out of ordinary college students like Michelle Gumabao, Gretchen Ho and Fille Cainglet, Tricia might just be using the sport as a stepping stone for a showbiz comeback.

Regardless if she’s playing for the love of the sport or even for an ulterior motive, she is very much welcome to the very colorful world of collegiate volleyball. I hope she’ll prove to be a powerful recruit for the Tigresses who have just lost key players in Caballejo and Ortiz. I even think that with the amount of attention  (and new fans) that she will bring to the sport, UAAP volleyball might even benefit from her. :D

*** Due to the number of reactions to this post (mostly negative), I've decided to give a response.

First, I've read the article again and forgive me but I did not see anything incorrect or offensive. Except maybe for the "anorexic" pic which I've now removed. To those who did not understand, the anorexic issue was added as a proof that she was formally part of showbiz. (Sa mga slow, ang pagkakaroon ng mga tsismis tungkol sa'yo is one of the proofs that you are already a showbiz personality. Kung di ka pinag-uusapan, hindi ka sikat. Hindi ka pag-aaksayahan ng time.)

Second, I did not say that I thought she was using volleyball to stage a showbiz comeback. Believe me, I've heard it from other people, expressed in a much harsher way. I was only presenting their thoughts and why they came up with those thoughts. I did not confirm it.

Third, I am not a hater. If there's one thing I hate in this world, it's how narrow/closed-minded people are. As I said in the last paragraph, she is VERY MUCH WELCOME to the world of collegiate volleyball. Hindi lahat ng taong magsasabi ng hindi papuri sa idol niyo, hater kaagad. I didn't say she is a bad player or that she's not really a volleyball player. I know she was a key player for Ateneo de Davao when she was in high school. I even said she played in the Palaro. And I know that she won't get into the UST Tigresses team if she was not good.

What I meant by "We wouldn’t even care much about this new Tigress if it weren’t for her pretty face and her brief but loud exposure in one of the PBB Teen Editions" was, OK I'll say it in Tagalog. Kung hindi siya maganda at kung hindi siya sumali sa PBB, hindi sana natin siya pinapansin ngayon. That's the truth. Hindi siya kasing tunog nina Cheng, Gopico or J. Santiago when it comes to being power recruits. At para sa mga closed-minded fans, hindi ko na naman sinasabing hindi siya magaling. Ang sinasabi ko lang, hindi siya napag-uusapan as of now dahil sa skills niya. Malay natin, maging "halimaw" pala siya sa court. Ok, "dyosa sa court" para sa mga sensitive na fans. Satisfied? :D

Lastly, I want to expound on  what I said in the last paragraph. I am excited to see her play in the UAAP. I believe she will actually help the sport with the number of fans she presently has and the new ones she'll attract while playing. I have nothing against her. If you back read my tweets, I've mentioned her a couple of times on a positive note. So yeah, there. Peace. 

Top 15 Most Followed UAAP75 volleybelles: June Update!

This was the previous ranking, posted last May 17, 2013.

#1 Gretchen Ho (ADMU) - 166,155 followers

#2 Fille Cainglet (ADMU) - 92,701 followers

#3 Mika Reyes (DLSU) - 75,814 followers

#4 Alyssa Valdez (ADMU) - 72,312 followers

#5 Michele Gumabao (DLSU) - 49,747 followers

#6 Dzi Gervacio (ADMU) - 39,689 followers

#7 Jem Ferrer (ADMU) - 37,102 followers

#8 Aby Maraño (DLSU) - 34,779 followers

#9 Ara Galang (DLSU) - 29,647 followers

#10 Denden Lazaro (ADMU) - 27,987 followers

#11 Marge Tejada (ADMU) - 20,935 followers

#12 Ella De Jesus (ADMU) - 20,180 followers

#13 A Nacachi (ADMU) - 20,179 followers

#14 Mela Tunay (UST) - 16,528 followers

#15 Mae Tajima (ADMU) - 16,503 followers

Now here is the updated list as of June 3, 2013 10:40am.

#1 Gretchen Ho (ADMU) - 178,445 followers
#2 Fille Cainglet (ADMU) - 99,527 followers
#3 Alyssa Valdez (ADMU) - 81,230 followers

#4 Mika Reyes (DLSU) - 79,305 followers
#5 Michele Gumabao (DLSU) - 53,673 followers
#6 Dzi Gervacio (ADMU) - 42,087 followers
#7 Jem Ferrer (ADMU) - 40,847 followers
#8 Aby Maraño (DLSU) - 36,674 followers
#9 Denden Lazaro (ADMU) - 32,983 followers

#10 Ara Galang (DLSU) - 31,129 followers
#11 Marge Tejada (ADMU) - 25,732 followers
#12 A Nacachi (ADMU) - 21,523 followers

#13 Ella De Jesus (ADMU) - 21,283 followers
#14 Mae Tajima (ADMU) - 19,670 followers

#15 Mela Tunay (UST) - 19,276 followers

So as you have noticed Alyssa Valdez has dethroned Mika Reyes in the Third place. Meanwhile Denden Lazaro has overtaken Ara Galang for 9th place. A Nacachi has climbed up 1 rank, exchanging spots with Ella De Jesus. Mela Tunay also dropped down to the 15th position after being beaten by Mae Tajima. Now the rise in popularity of the Ateneo girls might be due to their exposure in the V-League.

Most Followed Team Accounts on Twitter

Perhaps the most controversial and most followed UAAP women's volleyball team account on Twitter, @ADMU_WVT, has finally bid farewell after some really embarrassing tweets yesterday. Out of curiosity (and my weird interest in rankings), I made a quick research to find out what the most followed UAAP Volleyball Team accounts are on twitter. And here's the list!

As of 06/03/2013 8:40am

1. @dlsuladyspikers with 18,585 followers

2. @admuvolleyball with 14,612 followers

3. @TheTigresses with 8,896 followers

4. @LadyTamaraws with  5,728 followers

5. @NUWVT with 4,094 followers

6. @AdU_WVT with 1,430 followers

*I'm sorry I couldn't find a team account for the UP Lady Maroons and the UE Lady Warriors. 

The V-league Finals: A Fan's Analysis

Okay. Let’s start with some interesting things I observed.

First, scalpers. They were literally everywhere outside Ultra. What happened? It seemed like there more than thirty scalpers who were holding more than twenty tickets each. SM Tickets must come up with ways to avoid this. Fans ended up paying 1000 pesos for the 300-peso tickets. Not cool.

Second, NU T-shirts. I was quite happy to see some fans wearing NU shirts with their idols’ names on the back. They were still a small minority compared to the hundreds of Ateneo fans wering ADMU shirts. But hey that's a huge step.

Third, celebrities! Okay, I was only able to spot one personally. It was Anjo Yllana and his family. However, many former UAAP stars also made the event more interesting. Michelle Gumabao was there and many of the ex-Ateneo players like Ho, Gervacio, Acevedo and Soriano. I also saw some men’s volleyball players like Peter Torres and even some basketball superstars (which I don’t know the names.)

AdU versus UST

I was quite puzzled why Maizo didn’t play. However, I was surprised at how well the Tigresses were able to win convincingly without her. Well, I respect UST, how talented their players are and how well they played earlier. But I think it was more of the AdU Lady Falcons doing themselves in. Lebumfacil? She was playing badly at the start, worse in the middle and worst at the end of the game. What happened to Listana?

Adamson’s notorious floor defense was obviously missing. I felt really bad for Pau Soriano, Benting, Pineda, Guevarra and Zapanta who played really well. I even saw Lebumfacil crying after they lost. I don’t think it’s her fault though. Nobody wants to lose. But I guess it’s the coach’s mistake. He gave her too many chances. She was obviously not in the zone, why let her play the entire game? 

ADMU vs. NU

Okay, hooray for the fans of both squads! Nice presence today. There was still booing but what I noticed was, it was already coming from BOTH sides. Not cool again. Anyway, the good thing is, the players seemed to be oblivious to the boos already. It’s like they don’t give a damn anymore. Nice!

Next, the referee. Damn! What’s wrong with the referee? There were SO MANY wrong calls. I could forgive the ones in the first, second and third sets. However, in the tight and well-contested fourth, I think those wrong calls were really outrageous! Technically, ADMU should have won the fourth set already if the referee was paying more attention. We could have had a really great fifth set and an epic victory moment for the winning team.

I believe the Referee just stole that sweet, clean victory from NU. Sure NU won. But they will have to deal with people saying they won “because of the referee” which is a really sad thing since they really deserved the win.

As an Ateneo fan, I was really disappointed with how they played in the first two sets. I have already accepted by the end of the second set that they were gonna lose. But then, they came alive in the third set thanks to Valdez and Tejada. The fourth set was an emotional rollercoaster. And it ended with a heart-breaking loss.

I could have accepted the defeat more easily if there were no wrong calls from the referee (again) but yeah, I also believe that even without the “referee factor”, NU could have  won.

So moving on now. I am very happy for Dindin Santiago. I understand how much pressure was on her shoulders to pay back all the things that NU has invested on her. She deserves the MVP trophy and the Championship crown. She obviously poured out her everything in this conference. De Leon also deserves a huge bonus from the NU staff. She was the glue that held the team together and the supporting actress that allowed the lead stars to shine.

As for the Lady Eagles, I know this must be really tragic, being 1^st runner-up twice this year. First in the UAAP, and now in the V-league. I guess this is a wake-up call to Coach Roger and the ADMU volleyball staff. They have to stop “kinda” wanting to win. They must do everything possible to strengthen the team if they really want to stay relevant. These excuses about “being student first before an athlete” or “how hard the ACET is” or “how they have no time for practice”, won’t be able to give them championships. It’s either they approach the UAAP and V-league with a “we-will-win-no-matter-what” attitude or they should just be contented with a slot in the middle of the team rankings.

The NU team that defeated them will be almost the same team that they will fac in UAAP 76. Only De Leon and Reyes will be missing. But for Ateneo, the Daquis-Bualee-Cainglet-Ferrer quartet will not be in their line-up when they face the Bulldogs again in the UAAP. Scary. Really scary.

So yeah, that caps the 2012-2013 volleyball school year. Whether we had the ending that we wanted, it’s nice to know that fans from all teams can share 2 happy endings, the incredible increase in the popularity of the sport and all the great players who played in front of us.

ADMU Team while Training: Who are these new faces?

Amidst the frenzy on Twitter about who will be enrolling where, this photo surfaced credited to some Mr. Nolasco. Jem Ferrer once revealed to @VolleyballDonya before that Ateneo only had three recruits as we posted before: Morado, Gopico and Gequillana.

But lo and behold! There are lots of new faces in this picture. The girl sitting beside Ahomiro is supposed to be Mendiola, the 6ft. 2in. middle/open hitter.

Hmm. Interesting. Comments?

Thoughts on Game Two: Of Referees and Booing

THE REFEREE

I chanced upon these tweets about the referee Lumer Pajarillo:

@gretchenho11h

Controversial calls. Hmmm. Wait for a stronger Ateneo in Game 3. #OBF

‏@UAAP_updates10h

Papa-IMBESTIGADOR ko na talaga si Lumer Pajarillo , hehe! last mo na yan Ref. nag aaway ang both fans ng ADMU and NU dahil sa new rules mo.

@VolleyballDonya10h

Na-Lumer Pajarillo ka! Yun yung nagbibilang ka tapos nalagpasan mo yung #3. Ex: 1... 2... 4...

‏@jesseydeleon4 Apr

“@Benggadora08: "You touched the net @jesseydeleon.." -Lumer Pajarillo #BestLieEver” HAHAHAHA!! :))

@Benggadora0819 Mar

Sana kunin ding Guest Hurado sa Showtime si Lumer Pajarillo. Nang mahasa niya ang kanyang judging skills at di puro bad calls sa UAAP! KLK!

Well, if you type Lumer Pajarillo on your twitter search bars, you'll see how he's being bashed like he's the new Amalayer girl. One lesson, don't make  bad calls on a team who has the most Twitter followers and fans. Second, don't make bad calls AT ALL.

Well, through some quick research, I found out there've been some issues regarding Pajarillo before. Like the one regarding the La Salle Men's Volleyball team. Here's the link: http://thelasallian.com/2012/03/28/green-spikers-ends-season-via-controversial-call-clinches-fourth/

Nobody is perfect. We have to give him that. But when it comes to crucial games and your ONLY job is to make good calls, you HAVE to make good calls. Valdez has to spike. Gumabao has to block. Reyes has to dive. Maraño has to lead. And Pajarillo has to make good calls. That's how it's supposed to be.

When a game is as controversial as the ADMU vs. NU game yesterday, wrong calls (mind the S after the word, as in plural) made by the referee(s) kinda destroy the game. It makes the losers feel like they were cheated. And worse, it makes the winners feel like they did not really win. It takes the meaning out of things. How would any team feel if they won the championship just because the referee made wrong calls against the opponent?

I'm not saying Pajarillo should be fired or something. I guess he, and the entire group of referees and management of the Shakey's V-League should look into this issue and find ways to make it NOT happen again.

ON BOOING

I admit, yesterday I booed at the referee too. I couldn't help it. When you're in the Arena and you see how frustrated the players looked after losing a point for no good reason, you sort of feel for them. 

But when the Ateneo crowd started booing at Aiko Urdas, Myla Pablo, Dindin Santiago and some other NU players while they were serving, I was like, wait, this is not right. These girls are not doing anything worng! Outrageous!

Anyway, I was seated beside an NU fan (in a row full of ADMU fans) and she pointed to Jaja and Dindin Santiago's older sister who was seated with NU Men's Volleyball Team star Peter Torres. I observed how they reacted to the game and was really amazed at how they clapped every time a point was made, no matter WHO made the point. Of course, there was more enthusiasm when someone from the Bulldogs team scored but hey, no booing seen there.

Two words for those who booed: Stop it! First, you're not really helping your team win. Second, you are bullying some players who aren't doing anything aside from playing really well. From our seats yesterday, some Ateneo fans (based on their shirts) were shouting "Go Pablo!" just to neutralize the boos. Maybe they also didn't agree on the booing. But wait, the admin of @ADMU_WVT thinks otherwise. Read his tweets: 

@ADMU_WVT11h

You want to win the 3-peat? Help the girls! Bring a big blue crowd. Boo if you must. #AngryBirdsMode #OBF

@ADMU_WVT12h

Ateneo fans, Be FIERCE on Sunday too. Distract the opponent especially when serving. Bring horns & other noise makers. #AngryBirdsMode #OBF

What can you say about this?