"Bombs away!" and "magic in the air!" are just some of the familar catchphrases we hear whenever a player hits a triple or each time an acrobatic shot is converted in a televised Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) game. Can you guess who is the man behind those lines?
If you are a solid MPBL fan, you may have already guessed it right. Yes, it's Migs Gomez- the young man who uses said expressions in order to make his play-by-play accounts of MPBL games more engaging to viewers.
At just 23 years old, Migs is already making a name for himself commentating for the MPBL, a fledgling basketball league founded by Senator Manny Pacquiao. It was not, however, something that Migs dreamt of doing when he was a kid nor was it part of any plan.
Ending up as a University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) courtside reporter was rather accidental. When he felt like life is giving him a hard time in the middle of his college years as a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Electrical Engineering student at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, he wrote basketball stories to escape the nitty-gritty of academics. As fate would have it, his hobby of writing basketball eventually opened opportunities for him.
For the uninitiated, Migs reported courtside for the University of the East (UE) in seasons 80-81 of the UAAP. His courtside duties for the UE Warriors allowed him to learn the ropes of sports broadcasting and prepared him for bigger roles ahead.
Indeed, his experience as a courtside reporter did not go to waste as Migs immediately found a job that fits his passion. As if the stars perfectly aligned for him, he was recruited after his stint with the Warriors by veteran sports journalist Cedelf Tupas to join the MPBL which was looking for male commentators to beef up its broadcast team.
Coming from a courtside reporting background, Migs needed to adjust to his new role of commentating because each role obviously fulfills different functions. The commentators keep the live broadcast more interesting to fans by narrating the action as they happen on TV.
In practice, there are normally two commentators in a game - the first one gives a play-by-play account while the other serves as the analyst. Meanwhile, we usually see the courtside reporter giving details on what's happening on the sidelines and in the dugout which are not usually captured by the camera.
For Migs, there's also a difference on how a commentator and courtside reporter view and present a story.
Working with renowned commentators in the local basketball scene definitely helped Migs transition quickly to commentating. He considers Mico Halili as his number one mentor but he also receives pointers from Anton Roxas and Boom Gonzales who both anchor UAAP basketball games also on ABS-CBN S+A.
But of course, there were many challenges along the way. Believe it or not, Migs earned his degree while commentating for MPBL games which were often held outside of Metro Manila. He managed to do it by taking up advance units in his early college years.
Hence, by the time he was reporting courtside for UAAP and commentating for the MPBL, his academic load was manageable enough. It also helped that broadcasting became his passion- if there's will, there's a way.
The journey to reach, if not surpass, the achievement of his mentors has just started for Migs. Interestingly, he is building his basketball broadcasting career with the MPBL which is also in its infancy. But that does not discourage Migs as he thinks the MPBL will thrive under the leadership of Senator Manny Pacquiao, a boxing legend and sports icon himself.
Besides, an NBA-like format wherein teams play for hometown pride is a proven and tested formula around the globe. If the UAAP and NCAA which pit student athletes from their respective schools were able to survive for 80+ years and are now enjoying commercial success, what's stopping the MPBL that has a potential market of more than a million people from exceeding other basketball league in the Philippines in terms of viewership and ratings?
Unfortunately, it may take a while before we see Migs or the MPBL live again on TV due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine which will last until April 30, 2020, unless extended further. We will have to be contented watching replays if you already miss hearing Migs' go-to-catchphrases which, by the way, he took from a couple of songs.
In the meantime, Migs is keeping himself busy writing for the basketball show "The Score", reading books, watching movies and working out while he is locked up at home. He encourages the public to also stay at home and make the most out of the things in our houses which we usually take for granted.
Moreover, he has nothing but gratitude for the frontliners who are risking their own lives to fight the pandemic.
Nobody knows when will the Covid-19 pandemic ends nor when will the MPBL return. But one thing is for sure, Migs Gonez has a bright future ahead in sports broadcasting.
Young man, continue to make magic in the air. Bombs away!
If you are a solid MPBL fan, you may have already guessed it right. Yes, it's Migs Gomez- the young man who uses said expressions in order to make his play-by-play accounts of MPBL games more engaging to viewers.
At just 23 years old, Migs is already making a name for himself commentating for the MPBL, a fledgling basketball league founded by Senator Manny Pacquiao. It was not, however, something that Migs dreamt of doing when he was a kid nor was it part of any plan.
Ending up as a University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) courtside reporter was rather accidental. When he felt like life is giving him a hard time in the middle of his college years as a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Electrical Engineering student at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, he wrote basketball stories to escape the nitty-gritty of academics. As fate would have it, his hobby of writing basketball eventually opened opportunities for him.
"I had a rough time in 2017 in the middle of my college years. I started writing about basketball to make myself happy and fulfilled. My ninang saw potential and recommended courtside reporting. I ended up auditioning and getting a job, Gomez recalled."
For the uninitiated, Migs reported courtside for the University of the East (UE) in seasons 80-81 of the UAAP. His courtside duties for the UE Warriors allowed him to learn the ropes of sports broadcasting and prepared him for bigger roles ahead.
Indeed, his experience as a courtside reporter did not go to waste as Migs immediately found a job that fits his passion. As if the stars perfectly aligned for him, he was recruited after his stint with the Warriors by veteran sports journalist Cedelf Tupas to join the MPBL which was looking for male commentators to beef up its broadcast team.
"There was a shortage of commentators in the MPBL, and Cedelf Tupas knew that Miguel Dypiangco and I were two male courtside reporters in the UAAP. So he asked Nikki Viola who she knew between me and Dyp. I ended up getting the call and being recruited to commentate, shared Migs."
Coming from a courtside reporting background, Migs needed to adjust to his new role of commentating because each role obviously fulfills different functions. The commentators keep the live broadcast more interesting to fans by narrating the action as they happen on TV.
In practice, there are normally two commentators in a game - the first one gives a play-by-play account while the other serves as the analyst. Meanwhile, we usually see the courtside reporter giving details on what's happening on the sidelines and in the dugout which are not usually captured by the camera.
For Migs, there's also a difference on how a commentator and courtside reporter view and present a story.
"At the very core of our jobs, we fulfill only one purpose- to build up the athletes and inspire the audience on the sport. But we attack on different angles. As commentators, we draw the whole picture, so that the audience would be able to understand the story. As courtside reporters, we add color to the picture so that the audience can appreciate the story even more coming from a special point of view, explained Migs."
Working with renowned commentators in the local basketball scene definitely helped Migs transition quickly to commentating. He considers Mico Halili as his number one mentor but he also receives pointers from Anton Roxas and Boom Gonzales who both anchor UAAP basketball games also on ABS-CBN S+A.
But of course, there were many challenges along the way. Believe it or not, Migs earned his degree while commentating for MPBL games which were often held outside of Metro Manila. He managed to do it by taking up advance units in his early college years.
Hence, by the time he was reporting courtside for UAAP and commentating for the MPBL, his academic load was manageable enough. It also helped that broadcasting became his passion- if there's will, there's a way.
The journey to reach, if not surpass, the achievement of his mentors has just started for Migs. Interestingly, he is building his basketball broadcasting career with the MPBL which is also in its infancy. But that does not discourage Migs as he thinks the MPBL will thrive under the leadership of Senator Manny Pacquiao, a boxing legend and sports icon himself.
Besides, an NBA-like format wherein teams play for hometown pride is a proven and tested formula around the globe. If the UAAP and NCAA which pit student athletes from their respective schools were able to survive for 80+ years and are now enjoying commercial success, what's stopping the MPBL that has a potential market of more than a million people from exceeding other basketball league in the Philippines in terms of viewership and ratings?
"The MPBL will continue to grow because it's Manny Pacquiao's passion project (meaning he will take good care of it). Plus the city versus city idea is not hard to sell to the viewers (loyalty is easy), added Migs."
Unfortunately, it may take a while before we see Migs or the MPBL live again on TV due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine which will last until April 30, 2020, unless extended further. We will have to be contented watching replays if you already miss hearing Migs' go-to-catchphrases which, by the way, he took from a couple of songs.
" 'Bombs Away' came from the song 'Geronimo'. I immediately thought of using it because of UE's cheer "bomba UE!" but of course, I could only execute it when I started commentating. "Magic in the air" is actually more interesting. My favorite singer is Taylor Swift and the phrase came from her song "Today was a fairytale". The first time I watched the MPBL, it was San Juan vs Cebu. I got to watch Mike Ayonayon's hangtime, practice commentating, and ended up using "magic in the air", said Migs."
In the meantime, Migs is keeping himself busy writing for the basketball show "The Score", reading books, watching movies and working out while he is locked up at home. He encourages the public to also stay at home and make the most out of the things in our houses which we usually take for granted.
Moreover, he has nothing but gratitude for the frontliners who are risking their own lives to fight the pandemic.
"I am glad that this quarantine has given recognition to your service for the country. I hope you are all well provided for. Thank you so much and keep safe."
Nobody knows when will the Covid-19 pandemic ends nor when will the MPBL return. But one thing is for sure, Migs Gonez has a bright future ahead in sports broadcasting.
Young man, continue to make magic in the air. Bombs away!
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