I didn't actually write a blog entry for or about Chris Tiu but I just copied and pasted these stuff I have read in the internet and I just want to share it with you guys. :)
Riding the Tiu-Tiu train By Bianca Consunji
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 21:45:00 09/07/2008
(INQUIRER.net apologizes to the Ateneo Sports Shooters for a photo that appeared on this page that INQUIRER.net had not known to be its property. INQUIRER.net received the photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer without any instructions or note that it was owned by the group or any of its member photographers. The way the photo appeared only conformed to the specifications of this page’s print version on page D1, 2bU! section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last September 6. We have removed the photo to respect the group and the member photographers’ copyright of the image. Again, our apologies)
MANILA, Philippines—Right now, one of the most frequently photographed spots in the Ateneo de Manila University is probably in Gate 1, right by the Blue Eagle Gym. There, larger-than-life standees of the entire Ateneo seniors basketball team hover over pedestrians and motorists, orange basketballs perched on their fingers.
However, more often than not, people stop to pose with only one standee: Chris Tiu’s, to be specific. The 23-year-old cager single-handedly raised female basketball fandom to strange heights, and advertisers know it. After all, it’s his chinito mug that’s selling thousands of Adidas jerseys (plus shampoo and skincare, among others) across the country. And don’t forget the TV shows.
While basketball has always been a popular sport in the Philippines, even the most prolific players in the past couple of decades will be hard-pressed to match Tiu’s popularity. It’s partly because Tiu has become the epitome of the so-called “perfect guy.” Ask any bubbly teenager what she likes about Chris Tiu, and chances are she’ll gush, “He’s good-looking! And smart! And nice! And wealthy!”
The more cynical will remark, “He’s too perfect, so there’s probably a catch somewhere.” However, aside him from already being in a relationship (much to the dismay of thousands of girls), it’s hard for fans and detractors alike to pinpoint any visible faults. He isn’t gay, he doesn’t have a secret violent streak, and he doesn’t spend his off-court hours dealing with shady characters. So, what’s the flaw?
From the way I see it, he was born with a flaw that was magnified the moment he stepped on the court and achieved superstar status. It’s his name. Every single shrieking female Chris Tiu fan has, at one time or another, used his name as a pun. It’s an epidemic that no one case escape—a religion, almost. Some call it the “Iglesia Ni Chris Tiu.” Others choose to call themselves Christiuans, followers of “Christiuanity.”
Some girls even have an anthem, sung to the tune of “You and Me” by Lifehouse. It goes, “Chris Tiu and me, and all other people…” It probably won’t make it to the Top 10 hits, but teenage girls are singing it, anyway (and consequently driving their boyfriends nuts). In Ateneo, shirts with “Today is Tiu’s day” emblazoned across the front sell like hotcakes.
Scary
The scary thing is that it isn’t just the fans who effortlessly come up with corny puns. When I first wrote about the Chris Tiu phenomenon on my blog, dozens of people just had to put in their own bits of wordplay. My own boyfriend, for instance, said that Chris Tiu probably sinks all those great three-pointers because he wears great “rubber Tius.”
The madness isn’t limited to Ateneo, either. After watching UP experience a crushing defeat at the hands of Ateneo, some friends said, “Tiu-gi na ‘yung chances natin para makabawi sa UAAP, nadaan sa Tiu-nami.” Others pretended to be better, saying, “Tiu-mamba lang ‘yung Ateneo.” Rabid fans think that he’s a Tiu-perman of some sort, egging him to “Tiu-t that ball!”
It’s an epidemic that almost makes me want to hide under a rock until the end of the UAAP season; who knew that Filipinos could be so corny? Personally, I think it’s time to “es-Tiu” this madness.
Corniness aside, Chris Tiu has become a god of some sort not just in Ateneo, but all around the country. It’s been a while since women have had a good-looking basketball player to fawn over (half of them look like they’ve been beaten with a heavy wooden club), so the levels of adulation are getting quite crazy, especially since Ateneo looks like it’s headed for the UAAP crown. Online forum threads are dedicated to him, and whenever he posts an entry on his blog, hundreds of people leave comments in a matter of hours.
It’s quite amusing to step back and watch the hordes of women go nuts about a single basketball player. Maybe it’s because his sister is a good friend, and it would be weird to gush about her baby brother. Maybe it’s because I never really understood the UAAP hype, since I studied in UP, where our “UP Frightened Maroons” have consistently placed in the lower ranks. But in any case, it’s fun to play around, thinking of puns for Tiu’s name.
Food for thought. Tiu on that for the meantime.
Napakapogi ni Chris Tiu sa poster ng Adidas kung saan naka-uniporme si Chris ng #17 ng Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball team.Malapit nang matapos ang UAAP at number 1 pa rin ang Ateneo Blue Eagles.Nagte-taping pa rin si Chris para sa Ripley’s Believe It Or Not (Lunes nang gabi, GMA 7) at Pinoy Records (Sabado, pagkatapos ng Wish Ko Lang sa GMA 7).Kahit late na umeere sa telebisyon ang Ripley’s ay mataas pa rin ang ratings nito at pinapanood dahil very educational.Kahit alam ng marami na may girlfriend na si Chris Tiu ay marami pa rin itong female fans.Paanong hindi ka raw mai-in love dito ay guwapo ito, mabait, matalino at wealthy.Hindi siya nabalitaang nasa grupo ng crooks or addicts. Very conservative at down to earth si Chris. Hindi mayabang.‘Yun Na !Talaga palang inalok siyang tumakbong Vice Mayor sa QC under Congresswoman Susano pero tinanggihan niya. Hindi niya inaambisyong pasukin ang pulitika. Tama na raw ‘yung ginagawa niya ngayon.Samantala, ang pambansang kamao ay magte-taping ng ilang episodes ng Pinoy Records bago siya umalis papuntang Amerika bilang preparasyon sa laban nila ni Oscar de la Hoya sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Hotel sa Las Vegas, Nevada.Bibigyan siya ng send-off ng SOP sa Linggo kung saan isa siya sa guest co-hosts sa araw na iyon.***-abante-tonite.com
Anyway, in addition to Consunji's article, here are some words/phrases/sentences I have read that involves the name of Tiu:
1. We're proud to be aTIUnistas!
2. Win or lose it's the school we TIUs!
3. TIUperman saves the day!
4. chemTIUn na kami!
5. We love seventeen, don't TIU?
