By Les Tan/Red Sports. Video by Ian Chew/Red Sports.
You know how when you go to someone’s house, you put on your best behaviour? But if it’s your own place, you do what you like. You put your feet up, dig your nose. Whatever.
When the Singapore Slingers were introduced last Wednesday night, the booing started in the Singapore Indoor Stadium. When the Ginebra Kings were introduced, most of the crowd went crazy.
And this is supposed to be our house.
But, hey, you can’t blame the Filipinos. They support the team they love and they have every right to. They know who they, and they know where they come from.
Do we?
If we don’t support our own boys – and there are seven Singaporeans on the 12-man Slingers roster – nobody else will. And whether or not you like Pathman, Wei Long, Wei Jian, Michael Wong, Steven Khoo, Wai Sian or Desmond Oh is besides the point. Because one day, that player could be YOU.
For all the complaints we Singaporeans make about foreign talents (both in sports and outside sports), when it comes down to it, we don’t collectively step up in enough fan numbers to support Singaporean athletes at actual games. Oh, the bitter irony.
The national netball team played to fairly empty stands at Toa Payoh Sports Hall last year in the 2008 Nations Cup. When the 2009 Netball Super League was on at Jurong West Sports Complex, the stands were filled mostly with friends and parents.
The last near-full house for the Singapore national football team at the National Stadium was in December 2008 while the S.League attendances are poor.
The support at the Asian Youth Games for our local athletes at some of the venues? Embarrassing. You shudder to think about the Youth Olympic Games.
Everyone wants to be supported, but no one wants to do the supporting. It doesn’t work that way.
If we are going to ever have a sports industry in which more Singaporeans can take pride of place as elite athletes, coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, administrators, writers and photographers, then we have to come out and be counted.
The lifeblood of a thriving sports industry is not simply government money. If it is, you and I should ask serious questions because there are other important priorities in health, education and defence. Our government can only build infrastructure and put administrative systems in place but they cannot afford to and should not subsidise sports from cradle to grave.
The lifeblood of a thriving sports industry is commercial sponsors.
Gaping, empty stands suggest to commercial sponsors one simple thing – most Singaporeans don’t care. And if you don’t care, they don’t care. And if they don’t care, they don’t spend.
And what do sports sponsors spend on? They spend big money on the properties like English Premier League and the Formula One grand prix because they assume we care more for foreign talents.
And whatever we say about foreign talents, it’s what we actually do that is more telling.
For example, do you know how much money people on this island are willing to blow on the English Premier League just in subscription fees alone to line the pockets of foreign talents?
$75 million to $105 million.
Every year.
For the last three years.
An estimated 250,000 to 350,000 people subscribe to the Sports Group Package on StarHub cable at $25 per month.
So last Wednesday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the Filipino fans made it THEIR house because there just weren’t enough of us Singaporeans there.
We were outnumbered.
In our own house.
No surprise then when Mark Caguioa of the Ginebra Kings duly obliged and decided he could get away with his punch on Kyle Jeffers of the Slingers. Just check out how he struts around after his punch on Jeffers in the video while the crowd cheered him on. I doubt a Slinger would be able to get away with that in Philippines. The Filipinos would be insulted, and so they should.
This is our house, people.
Claim it.
Or lose it.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZavNb8d1aM
You can also see pictures of the hit here: Caguioa of Ginebra Kings punches Slinger Jeffers
Bus 16 from Dhoby Ghaut has a frequency of about 10 minutes and takes about another 10 minutes to get to the stadium. Pretty cool after I found out about it from Wai Sian lol. No more 40 minute wait for stupid bus 11.
@mark – actually the location is not really bad – the problem has been the delay in circle line. There is a MRT station named ‘Stadium’ which is just 100 metres away from SIS. Once that opens then SIS will be way more accessible. I agree with you – for the 1000 or so people who like the slingers they will come no matter how bad the location is. But how do we get the casual fan to come? You know – like for example the person who is thinking about going seeing a movie on the sunday but then realizes that he can go spend his 10 dollars doing something new and different while still getting entertained and having a good time. For this sort of a person the current access to SIS will be a huge turn off. Noone wants to spend an hour and a half reaching the venue and then standing in the q for another 30 mins to get tickets. Only the hardcore slinger fans will plan well in advance, buy tickets in advance etc. The slinger management must really think hard about getting that casual person in who wants to have a fun day out. Atleast the stadium mrt station will help out in that regard a little bit.
@mart Yeah, really good player, kinda like a Filippino Pete Maravich although the videos look really old. Anyway Slingers was derived from ‘Singapore Sling’ , which is a cocktail invented in Raffles Hotel but now available in many more places.
Sorry for being ignorant, what does the story behind the term “Slingers”?
It’s better to sched the games on Friday evenings since most people are already out during the day (especially those working near the stadium). If it’s a Sunday, people might be too lazy to get out.
If Slinger’s Flyboy can copy some of these guy’s move, maybe you’ll get some more support:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shz8xa9hnAU&NR=1
@ gordon – perhaps mark meant to type NBL instead of ABL there. By the way, check out the remainder of the schedule – the next home game is the last weekend home game. The final 4 home games are mid-week games!! My new job has pretty long hours – so will need to sneak out to make it for them… hope I can somehow make it. Kind of surprised the slingers couldn’t schedule everything during the weekend – perhaps the stadium was already booked or something?
@mark I do agree that the commentary stinks!
@mark The Slingers ARE in the ABL now. I’m not so sure about what you said about the jersey because it’s changed this season (although I don’t exactly like the home kit). And… most games starts at 4pm, on a SUNDAY
Since you’ve noticed that Singaporeans are willing to spend money in sports packages, it’s apparent that we have a huge pool of sports fan locally.
I think the problem lies with the location, commentators and the team.
Firstly it is located at Singapore Indoor Stadium. Most matches start at 7pm. Since it is in the East, people from the West or North would have to spend a huge amount of time to travel to the East. I left out Central area because the residents are normally rich and busy people. If it can be located in the center of Singapore, I think more people will support Singapore Slingers.
Commentators are dull and boring, compared to the NBA or even PBA.
Have you noticed they don’t have the enthusiasm? Their voices lack expressions and are monotone. Sorry for my criticism here, but this is my opinion.
Singapore Slingers was once in the ABL. Although they pulled out from ABL, they still don in the same jerseys Singapore Slingers has already created an identity that does not belong to Singapore, ironically. If we can revamp the whole thing, i supposed it helps to create a common identity.
Thank you.
Where’s your blog link on Prasad vs Ginebra by the way?
Hey, at least I have an idea 😉
@Gordon
Wake up your idea.
GILAS is able to beat the Slingers by 3 (exhibition). Slingers beat San Miguel by 6 (exhibition). San Miguel beats Burger King by 18 (official game). Burger King beats GILAS by 10 (official game).
Conclusion of some here: PBA teams cannot play in the ABL!!!!
@jimmy arroyo the cap for each team is 1 million. How do you sign a multi million deal?
MAJOR SIGNING: SLingers sign prasad for multi-million dollar deal.
Good job caguioa. I am proud of you as a fellow countrymen. Caguioa should sign with the los angelas lakers to help injure lebron james so that the lakers can win the title. RUmors has it that de ocampo from the PBA is working out a multi-million deal with boston celtics. He is very ood at injuring opposing team superstars. Go youtube to check out his mix…
@nolah, Watch Ian Chew’s video carefully. It gives a close-up view. Wong Wei Long’s elbow did not even touch that dirty point guard who was grabbing Wei Long the entire game.
And LeBlanc’s play was an accident. Yes, LeBlanc’s hand touched his face. But that guy who fell was a FLOPPER.He tried to exaggerate as if he could rammed by a trunk. A bad flopper. That is why the referees couldn’t be bothered with him.
A thug is someone who hits intentionally, not accidentally. Someone like Caguioa and the Wynne guy who whacked a fan. You want to see a thug? Those are thugs!
Seriously, the PBA isn’t good enough for the ABL. Remember that Slingers won 2 PBA teams, including San Miguel Beermen and Coca-Cola Tigers.
We have to give Al credit because he is a very good point guard. Much better than most PBA point guards, in fact, that’s why the Slingers re-signed him. I hope to see Al with the Slingers as least for a few more years.
Even when Cyrus Baguio, one of the PBA stars came down with Ginebra to play the Slingers, look at the number of points he scored. He stands no chance. Even our premier perimeter defender, Desmond Oh, can stop him.
well slingerrocks the asnwer to your first question is that vergara was cut from the PBA and he is to old for the PBL. i give him credit for doing his job in a foregn country but to say that the ABL is higher in terms of skill level and money compared to the PBA is not reasonable…al vergara is a good player but lets just say he was not good enough for the PBA
@rashid: Where is the story that he was cut from the PBA?
As I understand it from Slinger GM Michael Johnson, Vergara rejected a contract extension with the last PBA team (Purefoods) he played for because he wanted to return to Singapore to play for the Slingers.
@slingersrocks- oh yes of course we do support al, we do support the slingers if they do battle it out on another opposition team except from the philippines. u must understand that. it really makes us proud every time the slingers wins their game knowing that our own boy Al, is one of the big factors on that triumph. Go slingers! Go kapatid na Al!
the last game of the slingers when the substitute point guard wei long threw an elbow to a patriot player coronel did shows that in basketball, players get carried away with their emotions. its the same thing that caguioa did, but a lot of comments were brought up that he’s a thug. the same goes for wei long and le blanc.. thugs..
Just a curious question open to all Filipinos in Singapore. Why aren’t u all supporting Al Vergara? Is he really a “traitor”? Do you not know that Singaporeans are also supporting him? Why isn’t his own countrymen doing the same? @BGKLoyalist, in that case you are a traitor yourself because you see yourself in Singapore to better your future. Isn’t Al doing the same thing? He is playing for the Slingers because it is an organisation that can help him improve his skills and better his future. You may ask why is he not playing for the PBA, then, i’ll ask you, why are you in singapore and not in Philippines?