Love verbs, avoid adjectives
Ding Marcelo
ing Marcelo, our sports editor, has this piece of advice for every new reporter that works in his section: “Embrace verbs, avoid adjectives. Verbs are friends, adjectives enemies.”
For nearly half a century since he joined the The Manila Bulletin directly from college, he has taken on various roles in the company, including that of mentor to many who went on to hold various positions in rival sports sections.
While he has been given different hats to wear, sports writing has always been the hallmark of his career.
His column, Sports Fan, does not hold its punches, and goes out, as they say, “to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”
Over the decades, Marcelo has witnessed some of the most memorable moments in Philippine sports.
He was one of the pioneer reporters covering the Philippine Basketball Association and has chronicled the rise of PBA stars, among them Robert Jaworski, whom he first met as a young sportswriter at the Dawn, the University of the East’s college newspaper.
He was at the Big Dome for the “Thrilla in Manila,” the classic Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight for the heavyweight title, and has covered four Olympiads, including the Atlanta Olympic Games where boxer Mansueto Velasco narrowly missed a gold medal. He was also in Las Vegas when Manny Pacquiao fought Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in the richest bout in history.
It’s hard to say, he says, which of his past assignments was the most memorable.
Pressed to name some, he recalls that perhaps it was his coverage in 1986, and this was not even for the sports pages. Marcelo was assigned to cover President Cory Aquino’s state visit to the United States shortly after People Power rode her to power.
President Aquino spoke before a Joint Session of Congress, and her speech drew a standing ovation.
“It sent shudders down my spine, and the scene showing members of the Senate and House standing up, cheering, and applauding gave me goose bumps.”
He could add to that the interview with Ninoy Aquino in New York, roughly three years before the archrival of Ferdinand Marcos was assassinated. That moment with Ninoy at a New York diner was unforgettable, he says, during which time Ninoy talked of returning to Manila. As we all know, it was upon his return to Manila, right on the tarmac, that the man everyone thought would succeed Marcos as president was murdered.
As sports editor, Marcelo would encourage his staff to improve their craft, sending them quality stories from The New York Times and other publications as examples of good writing.
He would tell us to go outside the box, write about the travails and struggles of athletes in their quest for personal and national glory, and never be satisfied with the usual advancers and gameresult stories.
It’s been a continuing learning process with the man.