Good evening. My name is Aimee Grace B. Tapeceria, a 25-year old writer/web content editor, an sports enthusiast, and avid fan and supporter of the Powerade Tigers. I am writing this just in case you will be reading this email, amidst all the others that you have no doubt heard from the rest of the Powerade Fans.
We Filipinos, are softies (as well as the rest of the world) when it comes to stories of people’s triumph despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Let me just enumerate 3 specific types.
1. Rags to Riches (Cinderella Story) experiences will always gain the attention of the masses for both empathetic and entertainment value. We have Congressman Manny Pacquiao with his rags to riches story of him getting out of out of extreme poverty to become the Prominent Boxer and Global Figure that he is today, is a big part of why he is held in such awe. We also have Charice Pempengco and her story of how she had to start competing in singing contests at the early age 7 because she wanted to primarily help her mom earn money for their basic commodities was a major reason for Oprah and David Foster to take her under their wings, mentoring her to be the Hollywood Pop star that she is today.
2. David vs Goliath (underdog vs crowd favorite) matches will always be talked about for generations to come because of their once-in-a-generation (rare) occurrence. We’ve watched the movie “300” which tells the story about the Spartans and great Persians Army and we can’t help but be in awe of these brave men, whose determination and zeal were so strong, that they were recorded in history, giving honor to the Spartans despite their loss. We can also look into our own history and read about how our national heroes, the uneducated yet brave and patriotic leaders of the Philippine Revolution, who fought against the rich and affluent Spanish Colonizers for our nation’s independence from Spain’s rule.
3. Do-Or-Die a.k.a. Survival matches whose prize is more than just recognition and status, but for life itself, will always touch the hearts of humanity because mortality is something that everyone has had to deal with, one way or another. In a country where more than 60% lives below the poverty line, we, as a nation, have had become used living one day at a time, earning just enough money to eat that day, getting into all kinds of livelihood, just to earn just enough to feed our families. We have all come into situations where you just want to give up, because the hole in which we have dropped into, just seems too deep to climb out of. And so stories of survival are the type of stories that are very close to our hearts, because these are ones that gives us hope and that extra ounce of energy to keep on fighting.
YOUR TEAM, the Powerade Tigers, were able to transcend beyond the norm, and not just win the 2nd place in the 37th PBA All-Filipino Cup, but was able to touch the hearts of so many Filipinos that were not previously PBA fans. Their whole play-offs run was called the Cinderella Run, because it really was that. It almost seemed that some “fairy dust” was sprinkled on the team during the 2 Do-Or-Die game against BMEG because where no sports analysts game them a chance, with one actually going as far as to say
that there was “NO CHANGE IN HELL”, it just seemed too for the #8th seed Powerade Tigers to beat the 8-game winning streak #1 seed, BMEG. Well, not only did they do that, but somehow, through the play-offs run, the group transformed from a team with mostly “El-Granada” who won it for them in the “David vs Goliath” match-up in the quarterfinals, to a team with the Big-3 with the super rookies Jvee Casio and Marcio Lassiter factoring in greatly in the semis, and finally to the Power 5 with Sean Anthony and Doug Kramer being added into the mix, who were able to achieve impossible feats such as play an average of 40+ minutes per game. The transformation was a joy to witness, and as each nail biting series came to a do-or-die game, they somehow were able to come up with a win, all except the last one.
YOUR TEAM, the Powerade Tigers, led Coach Bo Perasol with the approval of Mr. J.B. Baylon, has managed to get the pieces of a winning team together, that has exceeded even their greatest expectation. And when basketball crazy country of the Philippines finally caught on to what was happening, they couldn’t help but root for the often over-looked scorer Gary David, the often questioned #1 Pick in Jvee Casio, and a team full of both players and coaches, who were previously questioned for the changes they made to the team, and have now come out and redeemed themselves in such magnificent form.
The Champion team that finally cut the Cinderella run of YOUR TEAM, had some problems of their own. But this conference will be more greatly remembered because POWERADE’s CINDERELLA STORY. They will no longer be called a “DAVID” when facing franchise “GOLIATHS” such as BMEG, and Talk and Text. They are now known as a “DO-OR-DIE” team, who will play with their hearts on their sleeve, not accepting defeat without leaving everything on the court.
A puzzle that has finally been completed should be carefully preserved. A winning formula shouldn’t be carelessly tampered with. A group of orphans, who have finally found a place where they belong, should not be haphazardly tossed back out on the streets.
Ever since last Thursday, when the word got out on the web, that there was a major change impending on the ownership of the team, we, the fans, became frantic. Why? Because YOUR TEAM, the Powerade Tiger’s achievement this last 3 months is one that is so HISTORICAL, MONUMENTAL, and nearly LEGENDARY for this basketball crazy country of the Philippines, that the mere threat to its well-being has its fans and supporters going little bit crazy.
Your company is essential to the chemistry of the Powerade Tigers. Your company, in the presence of Mr. J.B. Baylon, has served as the mold in which the puzzle is formed. The ideals of the Mr. J.B. Baylon, which he made public through a public podcast, (http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/overtime-podcast-powerades-jb-baylon-talks-about-his-teams-cinderella-run ) is a big factor in the success. To take it out of your company would be like taking a painting out of a museum, where it is the sole center of attention, and placing it in an art gallery, where it would be lost amongst so many others. Selling YOUR TEAM, the Powerade Tigers, to the San Miguel Corporation, with their roster of giant teams, would almost be like the young Mark Zuckerberg selling Facebook to Bill Gates before it went global. Nothing would have prevented Bill Gates from pulling Facebook apart, and somehow, nothing can prevent San Miguel Corporation from pulling the current Powerade Tigers team apart, because if given
the choice between developing it vs taking its star players and putting it in its own marquee teams to beat the champion MVP team TNT , it would be an easy choice to make.
Mr. Kent, Coca-Cola, as an Multi-national company has made a very big difference in this country. You may think that to help out the whole league would be more beneficial than to just support one team, and to a certain extent, you may be right sir. But the mere presence of this newly evolved Powerade Team, has already benefited the league and the nation in more ways than you can imagine, and their story is getting more and more inspirational, that now, the fans are willing to get into the battle field, to protect a team that, though has only begun its miracle transformation, has touched our lives in so many ways. Your objectives and goals could still be met, without shoving this team away from you.
Emotions aside, as a PhD in Commerce student, I am no expert in business, but in with my limited analysis, I can’t foresee any harm that keeping the team would do to your company. From the advertisement of your products, to the endorsement of your players to your brand, to the on and off court competition with SMC and MVP, it can only increase the sales, the boost of morale for your employees, and the effect that you have on the Filipino people, not to mention the un-paralleled excitement that the fans get to experience whenever the Powerade Tigers come on the court, it can only spell good things for you.
I, and the 13,161 fans in the Powerade Tigers Facebook Page, have the same sentiment. If you do not believe me, feel free to check http://www.facebook.com/powerade.tigers . Though its small compared to the 35,000+ in Petron Boosters Facebook Page, but it has growned exponentially in the last 3 months, and who knows what it could actually become, after a couple of years.
If you have read this whole email, I am thankful. But if not, I make one more plea, PLEASE DO NOT SELL THE TIGERS.
Sincerely;
Aimee Grace B. Tapeceria, Fan
P.S. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this as a fan, he he.