Renowned sports barker Rolly Manlapaz passed away on Thursday, after a long battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a disease named after the famed American baseball player who contracted this debilitating sickness that causes the death of neurons that control the voluntary muscles.

I have known Rolly for close to three decades now. I first met him at the old Filbar’s comic book shop along New York Street in Cubao in 1990. I was buying an X-Men comic while he picked up an issue of Thor. And that was what initially bonded us — a mutual love of comic books. At that time, Rolly was also working as a disc jockey at 89 DMZ at Broadcast City.

However, that wasn’t the only thing that initially bonded us. We both went to Ateneo de Manila University although he was older than I was. So we also would go to the UAAP games although separately as we had our respective crowds. But comics-wise, we’d hang out.

In fact, I remember when I got my first ever paycheck from my first job at an advertising agency in Makati in 1991. I left my office in an ad agency in Makati and got down at Robinson’s Galleria where we met up. I told him to accompany me outside where I gave P100 to this woman cradling her baby in the late afternoon heat. Rolly said, “Aw, Rick, mababawasan yung pambili ko ng comics”. Nevertheless, he plunked down a hundred too. We had a laugh, ate at the old A&W restaurant, then went to Filbar’s.

One weekend, he invited me over to Broadcast City where he introduced me to Francis Magalona, who preceded his slot on the air. Now all three of us had this mutual love of comics and music. Plus, Francis’ dad, actor Pancho Magalona, went to Ateneo so we rooted for the Blue Eagles. Then the three of us started working on a comic book project with noted Filipino artist Gerry Alanguilan and singer Michael V. The three of us? We’d also play video games at Virra Mall or then hang out at my place.

You know how we called each other? Manlapaz! Olivares! In true and timeless Ateneo Grade School fashion, we called each other by our surnames.

I recall one time when I was inside the DJs booth, he said there was this called who kept calling and requesting a Phil Collins song. Now Rolly wasn’t a fan of that song and one time, he said he couldn’t find the cartridge of the song. He instead offered to play another song that he promised the caller, she would like. The caller said, “But, Francis just played the song!”

“If Francis just played it, why are you asking for it again? I will play this song and you will love it,” he a shot back in a funny manner. That song? Young MC’s “Bust A Move”.

After that, the caller would pester him to play Young MC.

Natawa na lang si Rolly sa pangyayari.

He and I were drinking buddies as well hanging out at Countryside in Project 4; sometimes just the two of us, at times with Dave Dualan whom we worked with at the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup. We’d yak about sports, comics, Ateneo and UAAP hoops, music, and football. What many people do not know is he too was a massive football fan. He rooted for Chelsea while I cheered for Liverpool. Obviously, grabe kantiyawan namin.

He could have a job in broadcasting but he opted to do the barking at games because it was the closest thing he’d ever get to being on a basketball court. He acknowledged that he loved basketball and it was a dream to play for Ateneo except he didn’t have the skills for it. “I’ll try to leave my mark on the game in another way,” he once reasoned out over some beers.

One time, he was assigned to take over Dualan’s slot as tournament director of the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup. He worked on it but surprisingly let go to continue working on his barking duties. Now that was much higher pay, but he said, “I know it sounds crazy, but I cannot let it go. Maybe when I am older.”

He was ever present during the UAAP, NCAA, and FilOil matches. The PBA at one time too. But come match’s end, he’d vanish quickly. That was Rolly quickly going home to be with his family. As he got older, he skipped the beer and opted to go home.

When he couldn’t do the games this summer FilOil tourney, he told me (I have worked as the competition’s media officer for the past seven years), “Go on and do it without me. But if you want to handle the mike chores, go ahead. Just remember, the Umbrella Man is taken.”

“The Umbrella Man” is the unlikely moniker that he hung on former National University Bulldog Jerome Tungcul who not once, but twice borrowed an umbrella from him, but never returned them.

Ah, the nicknames. Who cannot forget him christening Calvin Abueva as “the Beast”? How about extending the “Ooo” at the end of Pamboy Raymundo’s name? Or even Jeepy Faundo?

Or even announcing former Adamson Falcon’s Don Trollano’s via his full name of “Celedonio Trollano Junior!”

And there is a lot more. Not everything was spice and fun. He also famously once gleefully announced to the Mall of Asia Arena crowd at the end of the Philippines-Korea match during the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships, “And we are going to Spain!”

When my colleagues at the Breakdown Basketball Invitationals were planning the first ever national finals of the tourney, they had Rolly handle the barking chores because they wanted these young kids from the provinces to experience Rolly calling their game and bestowing his nicknames upon them.

However, when he couldn’t work this past summer’s FilOil games, we weren’t too worried. We laughed and we mutually made jokes about his absence.

As the tourney went on, there was something missing; the games were not the same without him. I thought he’d be back come UAAP. A few weeks ago, he called and asked if he could read some of my comics. Sure, I said, call a game first.

Unfortunately, that is not going to happen now.

Rest in Peace, Rolly. You’re the best game barker we’ve had. Am gonna miss ya, my friend. Say hi to Francis for me.

AMDG + OBF plus as our idol Stan Lee of Marvel Comics would exclaim . . . Excelsior!

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