Most of us weren’t even born when the Red Lions last wore the crown. In fact, the last two championship wins were against rivals who are no longer part of the league.
Twenty-eight years is definitely a long time, and one might say we Bedans are used to losing – in basketball, that is. But we still remain die-hards, which goes beyond the sport.
A very Bedan trait is seeing things lightheartedly even if the situation seems bleak. That is why even through the nearly three-decade title drought we still found humor and optimism in losing.
Still the question nags: "When will we win again?"
Urban legend had it that years ago a priest from a certain school cast a curse on San Beda so they would never win a championship title again. Either we have broken the curse or the legend was only a myth.
Actually even during the drought, we reached the finals twice. The first time was in 1991 when during the dying seconds of the game Mapua sank the winning shot in the dying seconds. In 1997, we simply didn’t have the heart to win.
This was a reality check: a test of how determined we were to grab this championship and how solid the community could be. The only comic relief came when some of the older alumni shouted, "Sayang yung mga lechon!!!" in typical Bedan humor.
Tickets for Game Three were scarce but we managed to fill up 80 percent of the coliseum. Our cheers seemed to have boosted our players’ spirit and by the end of the third quarter, we were ahead by 20 points.
We were brimming with confidence and energy at the start of the fourth period, and minutes into it our band was already playing our victory song. But our opponents were as stouthearted and managed to whittle down our lead to just a single point with seconds to go.
We kept on shouting, "puso," reminding our players that the will to win is in our hearts. We were all on the verge of a heart attack. We held our breath; it was like the 1991 finals all over again. Would it end up the same way? This thought twisted in our minds as the opposing player pulled the trigger.
The shot missed and our player, Yousef Aljamal, clung to the ball for dear life for the last two seconds.
"We won?" was the only word that came out of my mouth, as people in red shirts rushed to the center of the court.
The win took some time to sink in. Most of us were in a daze and left with hoarse voices from shouting. But we were all gripped with euphoria as we motored back to Mendiola. A Bedan motorcade weaved through traffic, horns blaring. Even the LRT was bedecked with red shirts and the conductor was proffering congratulations over the train’s PA system
The lechon was finally ours for the taking. Never did we think of getting soused on campus, but we did. Players partied with the students and alumni. Victory was a great equalizer.
Looking back, however, I realized our victory would not have been this sweet had we not endured that 28-year title drought. The years of losing, which reminded us also to stay grounded, actually pulled us together and made us appreciate even more the joy of triumph.
We always considered San Beda as a sleeping giant. And now it has wakened. But the journey has just begun, there’s much to be done.
The Bedan’s fighting spirit can best be summed up by the axiom inscribed at the Monastery of Monte Cassino, founded by our patron St. Benedict. "Succisa virescit," it says. "Cut it down and it grows stronger."
Animo San Beda!!!!