Beyond The Game
It’s been something in the works for a while and we didn’t want to come out with the dish until the recipe was perfect. Finally, we got it right.
The Philippine STAR is producing its first-ever sports web talk show and it’s called “Beyond The Game With The Dean.”
The show couldn’t have come at a better time. There are no live sporting events under GCQ and fans are wondering what their favorite athletes are doing while waiting for the go-signal to restart playing. But wait. The IATF recently gave the green light for athletes in pro basketball, pro football and pro boxing to return to the gym under strict health/ safety protocols, train in limited numbers and get ready for competition once MGCQ kicks in.
After months of lockdown, the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting clearer, brighter and closer. Athletes are excited, coaches are excited. And of course, fans like you and me are excited. It’s in this context that “Beyond The Game With The Dean” was conceived. We hope to take you on this journey from lockdown to restart with an insider’s view of this transition. We’ll explore what’s in the mind of the athletes, what’s keeping them driven, how they’re coping, what they’re doing to stay in shape and how they’re staying locked in. We’ll talk to sports officials and discuss the challenges they face in getting back on track. Expect a lot of never-before-heard stories, eye-popping insights, contrasting opinions and for sure, it’ll be lots of fun.
Philippine STAR account supervisor Mike Maneze, backed by executive vice president Lucien Dy Tioco, conceptualized the show and pushed for it. The STAR’s sales and marketing manager Crizza Dealino-Kaw, marketing assistant Jam Cabiles, PhilStar Studios head Ryo Magsino and PhilStar Studio’s Mark Cunanan got together to make the show a reality, too. Philippine STAR president/ CEO Miguel Belmonte and vice president for operations Tammy Mendoza supported it all the way. Of course, the Sports Section, headed by editor Nelson Beltran and assistant editor Abac Cordero, is the backbone of the program. Several show titles were suggested until “Beyond The Game With The Dean” surfaced and became everyone’s choice.
The rationale to create the show is explained in this summary by The STAR: “To say that Filipinos have a love affair with the court of sport is a dire understatement. Filipinos may have a hard time understanding each other due to having more than 170 different languages and dialects, practicing different cultures and living in different islands across an archipelago but there is one language that unifies the nation: sports. However, as the country continues to adjust to life under quarantine, one of the main pillars of being Filipino has been put under chipping. Per government guidelines and protocols in strict quarantines, mass gatherings and playing team sports are disallowed.
“It doesn’t look like the old ways of life will resume any time soon and a new normal will soon take hold. The question is: What’s in it for sports, how will it adjust to the new normal, how will it advance and what ring will the country shoot the ball into? To answer these questions, The Philippine STAR will cross through the sports industry’s court with some of the most recognizable names in the game through a series of webinars. The STAR Sports webinar series will be simultaneously streamed on the Philippine STAR’s Facebook page which has 4.6 million followers. It will be shown live and free on the Philippine STAR’s and Pilipino Star Ngayon’s Facebook pages and will be uploaded in philstar.com.”
The inaugural show is scheduled tomorrow night at 8 and the topic is “The PBA: Season On The Brink” with guests Terrence Romeo of San Miguel Beer, Scottie Thompson of Ginebra, Kiefer Ravena of NLEX, Jeron Teng of Alaska and Beau Belga of Rain or Shine. The program is sponsored by San Miguel Corp. and Smart Communications and will be shown every other Monday night. The reach will be extensive since the show is live on the Philippine STAR’s and Pilipino Star Ngayon’s Facebook pages with a combined 5.9 million followers. Join us “Beyond The Game” and we promise you won’t regret it.