THOUGHTS | ATHLETES ON MAINSTREAM TV

I just watched the November 1 telecast of Running Man, and there were two things that bugged me.

First of all, they had Lee Hyun Jung as a guest. If you're a Gilas Pilipinas fan, you can't blame me for hating this. The guy is called "The Pride of Korean Basketball," and not only did he suit up for Korea in the 2026 Asian Games, but Lee also scored 27 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to help Korea win its first men's basketball gold medal in 12 years against host nation Japan.

A couple of months ago, Lee tried out for the San Antonio Spurs and played in the NBA Summer League, where he scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, and knocked down four triples in the Spurs' 94-82 victory over the Utah Jazz. While all eyes were focused on second overall pick Darryn Peterson, Lee Hyun Jung pretty much stole the spotlight from him.

Meanwhile, the core of Gilas Pilipinas sat out the Asian Games, and we suffered our worst tournament performance.

Ouch.

The other thing that bugged me was how much importance they gave to their athletes. In the same episode, they also had judoka Kim Min Jong as a guest. Unlike Lee, Kim settled for the bronze medal in the men's +100kg event, but he also got an invitation because he made a good impression during his first appearance on the show.

My point is that, even after the Asian Games, we have yet to see our medalists get much exposure in mainstream media. I mean, the only way we can see them outside a sporting environment is if they share screen time with other athletes in a 30-minute game show segment where they barely get to show their personalities, if they get involved in a controversy, or, unfortunately, if they become victims of a tragic mishap.

This sucks because it shows how shallow our appreciation of athletes can be.

This is why I miss the days when Pinoy reality shows featured sports stars. In Pinoy Big Brother, we had the likes of martial artists Donald Geisler and Gretchen Malalad, volleyball phenoms like Alyssa Valdez and Michele Gumabao, race car driver Gaby dela Merced, and tennis ace Tin Patrimonio.

On the Survivor Philippines side, we had former basketball players Cris Bolado, JC Tioseco, and Ervic Vijandre, and, of course, our Long Jump Queen, Elma Muros.

Even Manny Pacquiao had his chance to join a reality survival competition when he led Team Philippines in Physical: Asia.

This could be the athletes' way of expanding their mainstream reach. Some of these stars even transitioned to acting and modeling gigs. I mean, who can forget Gretchen Malalad's brush with Bong Alvarez when she became a news reporter?

Over the years, the only way for a sports star to gain additional clout is by trying out acting or getting romantically involved with a personality. That said, you can probably count the non-retired sports stars who get to be seen in a different light.

When the Asian Games were being held, shows like Running Man were preempted to make way for the event. Meanwhile, free-to-air TV channels have practically given up on sporting events unless they involve Gilas Pilipinas. Sure, I get it if we're talking about a local basketball game, but when it comes to international competitions, maybe we can give them more importance.

The Olympics, albeit grander, isn't necessarily as big of a ratings draw because it barely features Filipino athletes. We can show the SEA Games, but its prestige doesn't carry the same weight as that of the Asian Games.

This is why, if a big network could make these events must-see television, to the point of preempting its regular programming, then maybe people, and even the athletes themselves, would give a damn. After all, the events would be exposed not only to sports fans but also to viewers who might otherwise never bother tuning in.

I mean, how hard is it for people to just watch a Carlos Yulo, EJ Obiena, or even an Alex Eala match?

But if the networks feel it's too risky to put an event on free-to-air television, then maybe they can at least give a damn about the athletes who won medals. If the big names are busy doing other things elsewhere, then what about guys like Jeus Yape, who won the gold medal in virtual taekwondo? I mean, what the hell is virtual taekwondo in the first place?

Or how about our soft tennis squad? We have a bunch of male and female athletes who might register well in front of the camera. I bet their exposure would give their respective sports a boost.

If a show like Running Man, which has been a staple of Korean Sunday programming for well over a decade, can feature the mischievous sides of Korean athletes, then how about our shows?