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Monday, September 19, 2005
Sayson: Rival to the rescue
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – There are days when he feels older than The Freeman newspaper logo, days when he gets easily cantankerous. But after 17 years on the job, churning stories big and small, sportswriter Gabby Malagar still has a lot of good ink left in his distinguished pen.
Now deep into his 40s, some of the vigor and vitality may have left, but beneath that tired body, a young child still dwells. Deemed as a jewel among his peers, Gabby refuses to turn into an indolent goat who just sits around the office waiting for the news to come flying through the double doors.
Gabby continues to passionately relish his craft, his eyes still on the prize. As his former editor at The Freeman in the early 90s, I’m familiar with Gabby’s work. His articles are light and breezy, simple but detailed, and therefore, always an impeccable read.
Gabby frowns at embellished words and ornamented adjectives. He doesn’t fancy himself as a Pulitzer prize material, but as far as reporting goes, he is extremely thorough and amazingly intuitive.
When the USC versus UC brawl erupted last Sept. 11, Gabby was the only sportswriter present, which explains why the series of columns I wrote about the nasty game contained quotes from the stories Gabby filed for The Freeman.
When I decided to dig deeper into the Cesafi mess, I called Gabby for help. And help he did, which is rare in our business.
Reporters, you see, constantly try to one-up each other. They smile at day, wield a knife at night. The only thing reporters like to share, and giddily so, are the dark secrets of their peers.
Journalism is a deep pool poisoned with the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy: Ego, vanity, greed, narcissism, triumph, and the ultimate kill: betrayal. The print media can be real messy, and I’m sure it’s not all because of the ink.
Anyway, Gabby has none of all that. When his story broke, he wasn’t interested in sitting on his “scoop” and wallowing in the glow of an exclusive. Admirably, and perhaps, inexplicably to his editors, he chose to aide me – a writer from a competing paper, a former colleague, and most importantly, a good friend.
Gabby is married to his fantastically beautiful bride Ging-Ging. They are blessed with two adorable angels – Matt, 11, and Nicole, 10, both of whom attend the exclusive University of San Carlos schools. Gabby has received three loyalty awards from The Freeman. He is quiet and dedicated, never disgruntled.
Gabby has more contacts than a drug lord. His cellular phone has more info than a PLDT directory assistance operator. And he generously lent me all those precious resources.
I am grateful beyond words.
Being the only mediaman allowed in Cesafi’s investigation last Friday, Gabby gave me a heads-up on what transpired behind the closed doors. He also guided me where and when to find Cesafi officials so I can interview them.
Cesafi president Jose R. “Dodong” Gullas is set to mete the sanctions on those who triggered the embarrassing mishap two Sundays ago. Even if sir Dodong hands out a decision that would be embraced by all parties involved, the Cesafi will always be at a loss, it’s purity forever stained by the barbarity of handful thugs.
But if there’s a silver lining to this dark cloud, it’s Gabby’s acts of rushing to my side when I was desperate for ammunition about an explosive story to tell. These days, one sportswriter helping a rival is rare as a pale blue moon.
Whether sportswritng or in any other workplace, people don’t go far without ego and greed, and some of the things that make us human.
Gabby has some measure of ego and greed in himself when it comes to chasing the goods necessary for success, but he always leaves some on the table, allowing others to flourish. And that’s what makes him a respected writer, and a wonderful human being.
LAST WORDS. After I introduced him to the spectacular world Zen, my best pal Leo Lastimosa, morning talk show king and host of dyAB’s crazy popular Arangkada, occasionally sends me Zen e-cards.
The last one he sent contained the wisdom of Bertrand Russell. It would be criminal not to share it: “If there were in the world today, any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we would have paradise in a few years.”
(e-mail: homsay@hotmail.com)
(September 19, 2005 issue)
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