Chris Tiu as Clear Men Future League Host

It was roughly a year ago when a friend (Enteng) posted this entry on his blog. Little did he (we) know that i will get to rub elbows with this certain famous celebrity because of work (Yeah, still, fuck work but these are the "little" [exaggerated] things that make you survive this stressed-induced workaday world that we live [work] in.)

Here are a few honest Tiu-related realizations:

1) At first, i was very hesitant of (well, adamantly disagreeing with) the management's (actually, client's) decision to hire Chris Tiu as the main host (think Sylvester Stallone in The Contender, or Ryan Seacrest in American Idol) of the Clear Men Future League because of his "rehistro" on tv (particularly, GMA shows)--- sim-ply because, in my opinion, he was "trying too hard" or maybe "just too robotic" to be the host of the rather challenging task of carrying a sports reality show.

i was wrong. i was dead wrong. You give the guy the leeway, the freedom (a little bit of it) of attacking the script his own way--- his own style--- and you'll get a host who's effective in connecting with the participants and the (TV) audience, one way and/or the other. And you get an honest host who just tries to do his thing. And it works.
2) Chris Tiu is thisclose to perfection. Successful basketball player (UAAP hero, National Team star leader), good looks, and intelligent/smart? Now, now, don't get me wrong... As Enteng wrote on his blog--- simply, if you are a Filipino that's practically what you want to be, what you want your sons to be and some... Basketball fanaddicts? He is the personification of what we all wantED to be when we were kids, when we were growing up watching the Samboy Lims or Allan Caidics.

(If you want more details you have to email me and ask me about the Production Manager's, Creative Director's and Make-up Artist's reaction when they first met Mr. Tiu.) ... Before i get burned being DTNL and some, please refer to the Enteng's Kidding Aside post because he pretty much has summarized what i am trying to say here.

3) And if you think the buck stops there... This person is actually very un-Atenista like... (i would know even if i am from de Naga, and they are from de Manila)... No Atenista-yabang air at all, which is weird because that is what i expected from the start. Down-to-earth and very, very humble. As the headwriter for the show, that was one less potential to worry about. So yeah, it was very, very easy working with Mr. Tiu.

4) And finally, thanks to a Smart Gilas jersey he gave me (i don't usually ask for freebies and all, but i mustered enough courage to ask for it!) plus this priceless picture below:

So there. As Chris said, hope that our show would rate well. i hope so too. Because honest, humble, good guys deserve nothing less. Karma, please take over now.