Once again: the Azkals and the RP team
THE recent popularity for the Philippine team has also led a surge to the question: Why call the RP team the Azkals?
Some simply want to know the history, while some question how a few group of fans get the right to name the Philippine team.
Some hate it, some love it. Some question the process of how it became the “official name” for the RP team.
Why Azkals and should we stick with it?
In 2007, the first time the Azkals name got threatened by those who didn’t like it, I said the reason we should stick with it was simple. It was the same reason I cited in 2008, when PFF president Mari Martinez ordered his marketing arm (the missing marketing arm?) to look for a new name for the RP team because he didn’t like the Azkals. Mari reasoned out, he never read the word in the national papers. (Mari, it seems, only reads football reports in the national papers when he pays for it.)
Why Azkals? Well in 2005, for a group of football fanatics, the name struck a chord. It symbolized Philippine football, that’s why it won the vote.
Why Azkals? Well, because Philippine football is an askal, though it is a trait that we hope to erase.
If you hate the Azkal name, well, it’s a nick name. It’s called a nick name because it’s not the official name.
I was christened Michael Jerome but had to go through life being called “Miguel,” “kel,” “kael,” “Maykol,” “Mike,” “Muragi,” “Gaw.” I also called friends named “Earl” or Mike “Kano,” “Itom,” “Tambok,” Tibors,” “”Gallo.”
And such.
Nicknames, like the Azkals, you see, are never about whether you like them or not, it’s always about the one who calls you by that name, and the reason behind it. You can call the Azkals the Tri-Stars, the Tamaraws, the Eagles or what-have-you, nobody is stopping you.
Nobody will stop you, gaw.
So don’t stop people from calling your Tri-Stars, the Azkals.
Whatever name you call them, for me, and for fans like me, the RP team is and will always be the Azkals.
Some simply want to know the history, while some question how a few group of fans get the right to name the Philippine team.
Some hate it, some love it. Some question the process of how it became the “official name” for the RP team.
Why Azkals and should we stick with it?
In 2007, the first time the Azkals name got threatened by those who didn’t like it, I said the reason we should stick with it was simple. It was the same reason I cited in 2008, when PFF president Mari Martinez ordered his marketing arm (the missing marketing arm?) to look for a new name for the RP team because he didn’t like the Azkals. Mari reasoned out, he never read the word in the national papers. (Mari, it seems, only reads football reports in the national papers when he pays for it.)
Why Azkals? Well in 2005, for a group of football fanatics, the name struck a chord. It symbolized Philippine football, that’s why it won the vote.
Why Azkals? Well, because Philippine football is an askal, though it is a trait that we hope to erase.
If you hate the Azkal name, well, it’s a nick name. It’s called a nick name because it’s not the official name.
I was christened Michael Jerome but had to go through life being called “Miguel,” “kel,” “kael,” “Maykol,” “Mike,” “Muragi,” “Gaw.” I also called friends named “Earl” or Mike “Kano,” “Itom,” “Tambok,” Tibors,” “”Gallo.”
And such.
Nicknames, like the Azkals, you see, are never about whether you like them or not, it’s always about the one who calls you by that name, and the reason behind it. You can call the Azkals the Tri-Stars, the Tamaraws, the Eagles or what-have-you, nobody is stopping you.
Nobody will stop you, gaw.
So don’t stop people from calling your Tri-Stars, the Azkals.
Whatever name you call them, for me, and for fans like me, the RP team is and will always be the Azkals.
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