A challenging coverage of the Challenge Cup

I’ve heard that the media center for the Asian Challenge Cup only had one PC on it. Phew.

It isn’t surprising since it was also the case during the Asean Football Federation Qualifiers, hosted by Bacolod City in 2006.

Good thing our office provided us with a laptop then, but the problem was our bulky laptop didn’t have any wi fi, I had to wait for the guy in charge of that lone PC to get finished so I can send my report.


(This is me, pretending to be busy at the AFF Qualifers. Note the photo in the lap top)
I remember, after the second game of the Philippines in the AFF Qualifiers, the guy with the PC (I think he wrote for the AFF Website) left his unit to interview somebody, and I went and commandeered his PC, wrote and submitted my report in under five minutes.

Back to that one-pc media center.

Amazing isn’t it? All this time, football doesn’t get any publicity in the papers and for the biggest tournament this year, this is what we get?

And here’s a quote from one of the PFF’s new moves, “The PFF President hopes to utilize Ramirez's international track record and media expertise to aggressively work on the sports PR and promotional marketing of its sponsorship programs and to develop awareness for the sport thru extensive media coverage and strategic alliances.”

Aaah, extensive media coverage. Must be all those brown envelopes thingy.

If I was the one in charge with the publicity and promotions of PFF…

Step one simply involves giving Ernie (Or anyone involved in the TV coverage of the games) a gofer with an internet access, hence the people who look for updates of the game through the net can get one, without having to call for a mom, or a friend or anybody who’s watching the game. Ever wonder why the NBA—one of the most publicized league in the world—even offer shot-by-shot update through websites?

Step two. Widescreens. Lots and lots of widescreens. Require each FA to have at least two—on opposite ends of each FA’s jurisdiction—to air the Solar coverage. If the FA is under Stupidcable…er Skycable, let that FA go to the nearest area where Solar Sports is offered and show the games. Gather the fans.

Step three. Read the forums. Read Pinoysoccer.com, Asiasfinest, or whatever forum there is that touches on Philippine football.

Step four, of course, after you read, you have to respond, it shows that the PFF does exist, at least in the cyberworld.

Step five. Pics and videos. Get the local pros, hire them, pay them. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have any outlet to send or have those videos aired, we have the internet, everyone is a budding journalist. Ever heard of youtube?

The Philippines will have one of its most important games this Saturday, and unless a miracle occurs, we are again left to our own devices for real-time updates of the match.

This B.S. about extensive media coverage remains that, unless of course, you define “extensive media coverage” as reading the same report, word-for-word in every paper.

Media coverage shouldn’t be about the media covering or writing about Philippine football, it should be people reading, watching or listening to news about Philippine football. (Add clicking)

Here’s a bet, buy three national papers, compare the write up, and if it isn’t the same, I’ll fight Manny Pacquiao today, with my left hand tied up, sitting.

That my friend, is “extensive media coverage.”