Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    View Today
    Sun, Nov 5

    COLUMN: Are fans wrong to hold PBA stars to high standards?

    This is something most athletes find hard to understand. That along with the glory, the fame, the clout, the huge contracts and endorsement deals comes the responsibility to act responsibly for the sake of people that look up to them.
    Jun 27, 2021
    PHOTO: Jerome AscaƱo | Marlo Cueto
    commentary

    IT'S never comfortable whenever an athlete's private life becomes a public issue owing to controversy. Unfortunately, that's a part of being a public personality.

    That has always been the case for showbiz personalities and celebrities since the line between their private and public lives seems to blur once too often, inevitably turning into a viral banner story or two for our sister site Pep.ph.

    Athletes are no exceptions, especially those whose profiles have transcended sports. How many times did Kiefer Ravena and Alyssa Valdez have to answer the question on when they plan to marry? Much more than they wish, for sure.

    And that's not even the worst.

    Remember when Calvin Abueva's marital issues became the talk of the town? The on-again, off-again relationship became so messy that in one Instagram live post, Calvin even asked his wife Sam, "Masaya ka na at nasulat tayo sa Spin?"

    Scottie Thompson with former fiance Pau Fajardo.

    The situation got so out of hand it had to be addressed as part of the 'rehabilitation process' the then-Phoenix forward went through before his indefinite ban was lifted by the PBA and the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) last October.

    Or how about the incident between Jio Jalalon and wife Kristina, where issues of infidelity and domestic abuse were flaunted on social media and even found their way to Raffy Tulfo's popular TV show Idol in Action?

    Issues hounding Scottie Thompson now are no exception, with fans weighing in on the turn of events that saw the Ginebra guard marry another girl, less than six months after proposing to longtime girlfriend Pau Fajardo.

    Thompson went on Facebook to, one, admit he was the cause of the break-up with Fajardo and, two, ask fans to respect his privacy. He deleted the post hours later, perhaps because he realized the folly of it all.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    MORE FROM SPIN
    MORE FROM SPIN

      That begs one important question to be asked: can you blame the fans for feeling involved enough to meddle in the players' lives? Or, perhaps more fittingly, is it wrong for them to hold their idols to high standards?

      Of course not.

      Whether they like it or not, there's a flipside to being a public figure. That no matter what you do in the field of battle, people will always dig deeper. More so in this digital age when PBA stars themselves let fans into their lives with vlogs and viral posts.

      Thompson himself is very active on social media, his YouTube channel currently having 249,000 subscribers. Thompson's proposal video with Fajardo actually garnered north of 700,000 views, easily the channel's most watched, before it was taken down.

      Fame comes at a cost

      So can you fault the fans for being affected by the breakup, given how they invested time following the ex-couple's ups and downs, all the way to the bitter end?

      CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
      Watch Now

      Fans can be very understanding of their idols. But they can also smell a rat from a mile away. Remember, when there's smoke, there's fire.

      This is something most athletes find hard to understand. That along with the glory, the fame, the clout, the huge contracts and endorsement deals comes the responsibility to act responsibly for the sake of people that look up to them.

      That's why we always admire athletes who choose to take a stand against injustices and fight for what they believe is right, as well as icons like Robert Jaworski and Alvin Patrimonio who never failed to go the extra mile for their fans.

      These special breed of athletes know their jobs extend beyond their sport and go over and above to fulfill and honor that responsibility. No wonder their fans adore them, long after their careers are over.

      MORE FROM SPIN
      MORE FROM SPIN

        Yes, people make mistakes and no one is perfect. But there's also a clear line between what's legal and illegal, moral and immoral. Domestic abuse is violence. Cheating is cheating. No ifs, no buts.

        ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

        We'll always root for athletes, extol them in their moments of glory. But they should also understand when fans and the media vilify them, especially when they veer away from the straight and narrow.

        More than athletes, they're role models. And they must never forget why fans call them idols.

        Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

        Read Next
        Watch Now
        Sorry, no results found for
        PHOTO: Jerome AscaƱo | Marlo Cueto
      • POLL

        • Quiz

          Quiz Result