WATCH: In good or bad times, Kiefer Ravena gets roasted online

MANILA, Philippines – We often see the athletes we watch on TV as more than human. 

Some view them as superheroes, whose athletic abilities transcend what’s common and make them look extraordinary. 

Others, for better or worse, classify them as similar to robots – machines that put a ball in a hoop, go home, eat, sleep, and then do the same thing again another day.

But these athletes, whether at the peak of their powers or riding the end of the bench, are human as well. They like to check social media and interact with people, like millions of others in the world. 

But due to the nature of what they do, that leaves them more open to backlash from other social media accounts – particularly those who remain anonymous behind a keyboard.

“With social media, with all the critics, or so-called ‘egg heads’ na wala naman silang (they don’t even have a) picture but they say everything thinking like they’ve been playing 5 or 10 years, like they’ve been coaching for 10 or 15 years, so to speak, but we go to the cliche where you can’t please everybody.”

In this next part of Rappler’s exclusive talk with Kiefer Ravena, he discusses how big a role social media plays in his life. Does he ever get tempted to respond to critics? Does he keep tabs on what they say for fuel and motivation? Does he like to open Twitter after a game?

Watch the video above for more. – Rappler.com

(Check out the first part of the interview where Ravena discloses some invites to play overseas and the second part where the former Ateneo standout talks about his relationship with volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.)