IT’S not just for dogs. It’s not just for jeepney or bus rides either.
Barking is not just the sound dogs make or seals honk out by force of nature. Barking, or better yet, barkers, are the modern umalohokans (town criers) and rabble rousers of yore. In fact, barkers have become an integral part of every basketball or volleyball game, at least in the Philippines. Filipinos who are such auditory and visual creatures love listening to sounds and being dazzled by color and design (think ornately designed and decorated jeepneys). So most events—sports first and foremost—are loud, upbeat and entertaining, as well.
If you’re a habitué of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA), the professional volleyball leagues or even international sports tournaments, you most definitely know how a game barker ups the energy in the house while keeping the crowd informed about what’s going on, who scored what, who fumbled where and what’s coming next in a sporting event.
Barkers are a relatively later addition to the sports scene, if you’re going to count the very early days of basketball. One of the earliest barkers—at least in my memory—was Vince de Guzman, known as Vince St. Price, who called out PBA games in the 1980s. He certainly made the games rock and the audience roll with his high-energy voice and basketball savvy.
I’m making the differentiation here between game barkers and sports commentators though. The late Joe Cantada was a sports commentator, not a barker. He with the deep, dark chocolate voice took the art of commentating to a whole new different level. He was the first to give monickers to players, calling Atoy Co “Fortune Cookie,” for instance, or Samboy Lim “The Skywalker” and Jerry Codiñera “The Defense Minister” back in the day. He left quite a void in the sport when he passed on, as Vince St. Price did too when he migrated to the US. But eventually, others took up the torch and kept the art form alive.
Barkers, on the other hand, are those who provide the on-court annotation of key points of the game. They speak through a mike that is for the game venue audience’s benefit, primarily, vis-à-vis commentators who speak directly to TV audiences, not necessarily to the live audience. Some of those who livened up the games as barkers in recent times are Boyet Sison (now with ANC), Sgt. Mark Luzon, Rob Evangelista, Noel Zarate, Rick Stryker, Noel Villar and the late, great Rolly Manlapaz.
Rolly Manlapaz is considered to be the gold standard in the art of barking (barkmanship? barkerhood?) Such that when he passed on just before the start of UAAP Season 81, the sound of the games—UAAP basketball in the first semester, and now volleyball—were never the same. There is talk that there were plans in the past to have Rolly begin a Barkers Academy to identify and train future would-be barkers to continue the gold standard. Sadly, he passed away before that could happen.
Now the UAAP has paraded a series of barkers, some of them—like Rick Stryker—a good fit for the energy and requirements of the job. Others are young and green, but show potential nonetheless. Basically, a barker’s basic job is to do the team roll-call, announce the starting five, call out the fouls and the substitutions.
What distinguishes a barker’s quality from the rest is not what he does or doesn’t do, but more of how he does it.
If his/her fundamentals are good : a loud voice, proper enunciation of words, level of alertness and familiarity with the game and the players, he/she’s going to make it. If he/she adds flourish and wit to his/her work, adds to the drama and excitement of what’s going on, he/she becomes an added attraction himself. The late Rolly Manlapaz had a fanhood, for instance. And people enjoyed listening to him give the game its additional dimension. That’s how a barker makes some noise.
Usually baritones have an edge when it comes to the job. If he or she has wit, a little bit of theater and presence of mind in the midst of baffling circumstances in the game, then there’s showmanship besides and the job is elevated into a veritable art form.
The UAAP is at the moment testing out new Rolly Manlapazes to be in the ongoing volleyball season. Some of the tryouts are students or graduates from some of the member universities, which I think is a fresh idea. But “barkering” is an art that grows with experience and acquired knowledge. It’s a skill that gets perfected with more trials and increased confidence.
Soon I hope the UAAP can find someone like Rolly Manlapaz again who will provide a consistent, go-to sound for every game experience. Part of the charm of watching sports is having a familiar voice that makes you want to “come home” to the games over and over again. It’s like having a favorite waiter or maitre d’ in a restaurant or a favorite barber in a barber shop. Familiarity is important. Continuity is key. In the final analysis, it all boils down to branding. Who will be the new “voice of the league?” That’s going to be its brand. So hope they find him or her soon.