‘The Hustle Man’ unveiled

Over a week ago, Gatorade got in touch and asked if we could run a contest in social media to generate possible monickers for Barangay Ginebra star Scottie Thompson. It isn’t easy to land a monicker that’s catchy, relevant, appropriate and creative with a widespread stamp of public approval. You can’t please every fan out there and someone is bound to dissent because that’s the nature of free expression. 

We’ve been lucky with some monickers that stuck like The Spark for Mark Caguioa, The Spiderman for Arwind Santos, The Crunchman for Alex Cabagnot, The Daredevil for Jared Dillinger, Captain Lionheart for Alvin Patrimonio, The Fireball for Josh Urbiztondo, The Skyscraper for Marlou Aquino, The Flying A for Johnny Abarrientos, The Slasher for Rodney Santos, The Fireman for Pido Jarencio, Kid Lightning for Paul Artadi, The Golden Boy for Noy Castillo, Mr. President for Gabe Norwood, The Snatcher for Wynne Arboleda, Mr. Swat for Noy Baclao and more. Former PBA commissioner Noli Eala gave Danny Seigle his nickname Dynamite while Mico Halili produced a string of hits like Skyrus for Cyrus Baguio, The Kraken for JuneMar Fajardo, The Boss for Sonny Thoss and Gregzilla for Greg Slaughter.

When we invited readers and netizens to suggest a monicker for Thompson, over 1,000 entries came in. We picked five finalists from which Gatorade chose the winner. The five finalists were The Hustle Man, Tomcat, Thunderbolt, Ang Pambansang Agila and The Escalator. I bumped into Ginebra coach Tim Cone the other day and he suggested The Piper, a takeoff from Scottie Pippen but more a tribute to how Thompson rallies the team forward.

Gatorade eventually picked The Hustle Man, submitted by Edelyn Dagnalan, 32, a professional teacher at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She’s a graduate of AB English and a Master’s degree holder in English Language Teaching. Edelyn is currently taking up her doctorate in Education Management at PUP. She teaches minor and major English subjects to AB English, open university and MBA students. Edelyn started teaching in 2007 after she earned her Bachelor’s degree.

Edelyn’s father is a retired police officer while her mother used to be a dressmaker. She’s the second oldest of six. “I grew up watching Ginebra games as my father was a big fan of Sen. Jaworski,” she said. “We’re a bunch of Ginebra fans. Personally, I love Jayjay Helterbrand and his game. I’m also a fan of the Fast and the Furious tandem, of course. However, I honestly believe that Scottie is the new face of the Ginebra franchise because of his charm and resilience.”

In the NBA, Edelyn said she’s a LeBron James fan. “Before LeBron entered the NBA, I used to cheer for the San Antonio Spurs because of the Big Fundamental Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili,” she said. “I still like them but now, I’m excited to see where The King will sign for the new season.” With James agreeing to a new deal to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, Edelyn will now likely root for the Tinseltown team.

For her winning entry, Edelyn received a case of Gatorade White Lightning, a Gatorade pair of socks, a Gatorade towel and a limited edition Gatorade jacket. Additionally, she received a Ginebra San Miguel cap and poster.

Thompson, who turns 25 on July 12, was recently named Gatorade’s newest ambassador and joins Ginebra teammate L. A. Tenorio and volleyball superstar Alyssa Valdez in the roster. “Since the beginning of his pro basketball career, Scottie has shown remarkable skill and exemplified grit and passion,” said Pepsico Philippines Marketing Manager for Hydration I. C. Sta. Maria. “As a global brand that has fuelled the world’s best athletes, Gatorade has always been at the forefront of supporting up-and-coming talents like Scottie who are ready to take their game to the next level.”

Thompson, the NCAA’s Most Improved Player in 2012 and MVP in 2014 with Perpetual, was Ginebra’s fifth overall pick in the 2015 PBA draft. In Game 3 of the 2016 Governors Cup Finals, Thompson posted a rare triple double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, the first rookie to accomplish the feat since Johnny Abarrientos 23 years ago. “Scottie was named after his father’s basketball idol, Scottie Pippen whose star shone brightest while playing with legendary teammate Michael Jordan, perhaps the most iconic of all Gatorade ambassadors,” said Sta. Maria. “With incomparable skills, fabled competitiveness and superior sports regimen, the NBA icon dominated the sporting world with Gatorade fueling him to reach the greatest of athletic heights.”