Blue Ball
October 13, 2002 | 12:00am
Exactly a couple of hours after the final buzzer signalled the momentous closure to the 65th UAAP basketball season at the Araneta Coliseum, fireworks lit up the sky above the Ateneo Loyola Heights campus.
Some 3,000 jubilant fans had proceeded to assemble at the new Church of Gesu on the knoll overlooking the grassy expanse of Bellarmine Field. Most had come from the Big Dome where their beloved Blue Eagles had finally snatched the crown from a decades-old nemesis. Others trooped in from the dorms and nearby homes to join the celebration.
A 14-year drought had ended, and the first seniors’ championship in a new millennium had come at the expense of the Green Archers. How sweet it was indeed for Ateneans, so that the horde of euphoric high-fivers mingled spontaneously as if another People Power affair had humbled another despot.
Most expected the traditional bonfire, a humongous one to be sure. But either the authorities had not been too optimistic over Ateneo’s chances in the do-or-die game, or deemed it inappropriate to telegraph a party mood by preparing all that wood to go up in flames.
Even the sound system and extra speakers inside the spanking new church had to be hurriedly installed, with attendants scurrying to assemble a working system. The pews quickly filled up, while a less sedate crowd grew by the minute outside, bursting into cheers whenever a convoy of honking cars and vans deposited more arrivals.
At 8:30 p.m., the first flurry of fireworks burst overhead, and soon the team members hove into altitudinous view, led in single file through the pressing crowd by season and finals MVP Enrico Villanueva.
It was only fitting that before that surge of ecstatic humanity, the first hand we shook happened to be that of Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, university president. He was beaming from ear to ear, his beautiful mind perhaps still computing what it took to produce that magical winning combination of 77 to 70.
The mystically minded would quickly disseminate text to the effect that the 14-year wait had climaxed in a win led by No. 14, Villanueva, and that the triumphant score, 77, could be added together to come up with another 14.
Texting had ruled the long-drawn days while the rivals went through the best-of-three series. When Ateneo posted an upset in Game One, 72-70–with Larry Fonacier’s successive blocks on Mac Cardona in the dying seconds etched forever on tape and in memory–the classic jibe sent as SMS was: "Motorist Advisory–Avoid Taft Ave. & surrounding streets until next week due to massive floods caused by non-stop crying at DLSU campus."
But when DLSU came back strong to take Game Two behind Mike Cortez’s pro-bound brilliance, 85-77, the Taft Avenue faithful struck back with their own brand of trash talk via cellphone.
"Ateneo’s UAAP basketball battlecry–2001: We believe; 2002: It’s our time; 2003: Now na talaga; 2004: Sure na ito; 2005: Maawa kayo, kami naman."
Then there was the clincher: "From Jose Velarde aka Erap: Mga kapwa ko Atenista, weather-weather lang yan. Atin na ang Games 4 & 5, kausap na ni Jinggoy mga refs. Sa kanila na ang Game 3."
ADMU supporters could only counter feebly with: "Green Gokongwei loses to Blue MVP (referring to Manny V. Pangilinan) in PLDT/MPC takeover bid! A preview of Game 3?" Or such off-the-wall stingers as: "It ain’t over till Fritz Ynfante sings!"
Meanwhile, the scramble for tickets assumed excruciating proportions. The "elitist" drama seemed to have galvanized the entire town, inclusive of scalpers, such that ticket prices soared to as much as 20 times the printed rates. Students had to camp out overnight to get fair chances at an early-morning queue for the stringent allocations, only to be disgusted by how the long line would be jumped by faculty staff.
Alumni supporters from both camps had their own networking fallbacks to rely on. Fr. Tito Caluag’s twin cellphones must have been inundated by requests from Day One, as were those of the higher-ups in the Araneta empire as well as Malacañang.
The day before fateful Saturday, October 5, DLSU alumni placed print ads questioning the system of ticket allocation, apart from implying that league insiders were making a killing in the scalper’s market with "lost tickets" worth millions. Nary a reply issued forth from host National University and UAAP officials.
Thankfully for this one-time Atenista, part-time lecturer at Katipunan Avenue, and former (as in of yore) sportswriter, friendship with a former Ateneo team manager tested positively with the issuance of a couple of tickets for each of the last four classic duels against DLSU.
That kept our high-school freshman and PSBL varsity aspirant of a son happy, and ourself waxing nostalgic at a venue we had been intimate with in medieval times–as in having our courtside nosebuds catch the whiff of Oil of Wintergreen on the glistening skin of such mythic icons as the Crispa Redmanizers and Toyota Tamaraws in the 70s. And, oh yes, even earlier, inclusive of that fabled Hail Mary team of Afable, Arnaiz, Cleofas, Morales and Samson that became champs in 1969.
Skipping back to recent years, shipping magus Arben Santos it was who became instrumental in forging a desire to win one anew for the Ateneo college team. The last crown had come way back in 1988, with Jun Reyes, Olsen Racela, Eric Reyes & Co. registering a repeat, at the expense of challenger La Salle. But then the drought had extended to a decade.
In 1999 Arben brought in Joe Lipa, who installed a system and his dubious high-blood antics a la Bobby Knight. Rich Alvarez was another find for the manager, who saw the gangling kid skying and dunking in a Tokyo gym. Arben spoke to Rich’s expat dad, and got permission for the kid to turn into a Santos ward back in Manila. The Eagles made their way back to the Final Four, but still came up short in the last two years, blowing a twice-to-beat advantage over FEU, then taking the Green Archers to the wire last year, only to be turned back as the rivals posted their four-peat.
Exeunt Lipa and Santos. Enter Coach Joel Banal, who acknowledged that he was lucky to inherit a team already primed by his predecessor for one last challenge. With Villanueva, that is. It was the star center’s last chance to follow up on a high school championship.
Came the 2002 UAAP cage wars, soon after a PBL crown as Ateneo-Hapee (without the rookie find L.A. Tenorio but helped along considerably by FEU hotshot James Yap). But the Blue Eagles stumbled to a dismal 4-5 start. Pre-tourney injuries had felled big man Paolo Bugia and sniper Magnum Membrere. The team was being written off, with Tenorio also disabled on the bench for the next few games.
But the storybook climb up the rankings began, improbably, inexorably, and soon the Eagles had a run of four wins to up their record to 8-5, good enough for a slot in the Final Four. September 14 would have marked the 14th straight win for De La Salle, five-peating champs. A clean sweep of the double-round appeared imminent. The team from Taft had depth, championship experience and a fine coach in Franz Pumaren.
And it had Mike Cortez, an evidently veteran playmaker (from Carson, California) dubbed as Mr. Cool Cat for his savvy moves and game-long poise, acrobatic drives and timely jumpers. Such a league standout was Cortez that talk focused on the bidding war for his services in the PBA.
Then there was the frisky, pesky, intractably animated Mac-Mac Cardona, a hate symbol for Loyolans for his antics and goofy baby hooks that always seemed to find the mark. Four big men in Sta. Maria, Sharma, Ramos and Wilson could gang-bang Villanueva and Alvarez in the paint. And B.J. Manalo, former Atenean, could connect from long range.
La Salle’s streak had to be stopped at 13. Tenorio rejoined the Eagles for the spoiler’s bid. But it was heart, indeed, that turned the game around and had Loyolans hoping once again.
Chances remained slim. Now they had to win two more successive games to arrange yet another dream finals. UE lay in wait, needing only a win to dispose of the Eagles. Ateneo took the first game, upping its own win streak to six. And with Jec Chia’s buzzer-beater in the next humdinger, the 2002 Blue Eagles completed its exciting comeback to arrange yet another title showdown with the dreaded Green Archers.
It was a sterling 13-1 record against a so-so 11-5. But on their way to the finals the Eagles had achieved maturity as a team. Graduating player Epok Quimpo had ably taken over Tenorio’s pointguard chores, and stayed a starter. Chia’s late-season heroics, which never saw sunshine under Coach Joe who benched the intramurals star for three years, made Coach Joel look positively wise. As well did Wesley Gonzales seem determined to make up for lost time. Larry Fonacier was getting steadier in the clutch, and racking up a fine percentage as a three-point bomber. Hard-nosed defender Andrew Cruz also sank treys. And Sonny Tadeo had turned into an energetic frontliner.
Against La Salle, it could only be a team game, heart, spunk and guts –the same formula that the underdog UP High had shown in its historic upset of the Blue Eaglets– that would carry the day.
The Eagles displayed it all in Game 1, negating the Cortez-Cardona show and scraping off a cardiac upset. It was DLSU’s turn to show chinks in its champ’s armor. Its big men had turned leaden-footed, and were totally out-rebounded and out-hustled. Ateneo had made it eight in a row. The fairytale ending was within grasp.
The Archers started out strong for Game 2, with all their big men contributing consistently. Despite a dizzying rally that turned into a real scare, La Salle survived by shooting a phenomenal 26 of 28 from the charity stripe. Oh well, pundits proclaimed, such is the drama quotient in this country of perennial rivals–whether elitist or nihilistic– that there just had to be a Game 3. And again the Eagles were installed in their proper place, as underdogs.
Faith provided contrary soothsaying. Someone researched old Guidon and Argus issues and claimed to unearth a pattern of oddments and inklings. The 1958 Blues had spoiled the Kurt Bachman-led Greens’ sweep bid, and gone on with "King Eagle" Ed Ocampo to claim the crown in an overtime win over the rivals. This was repeated in 1988, with Jun Reyes sinking the winning basket and Racela preserving the margin with a steal off Dindo Pumaren. Was it time to execute the improbable once again?
Then there was a reputed Nostradamus of sports, an Ateneo alumnus, who had predicted: "There will be no 14th win (by La Salle) on the 14th (of September), and no fifth championship on the 5th (of October)."
Perhaps underdogs mother inventions of desperate fortune-telling and fantasizing. But a fable of a Fabilioh climax did happen in Game 3.
Spirited defense limited Cortez to uncharacteristically woeful shooting (2 of 13 field goal attempts). And thanks to Villanueva’s renewed dominance in the paint, Gonzales’s gung-ho play, Alvarez’s rediscovery of slashing moves, Chia’s grit, Cruz’s resolve, Tadeo’s spunk and timely 3-pointers by Fonacier, Tenorio and Quimpo, the Blue Eagles dominated the finals‚ finale, and finally became champs once again.
The blockbuster series could well invite a consideration of certain modifications for next year, when Ateneo turns host. A better system for ticket allocations and availability has to be thought up, for one. Teams figuring in the finals should rightfully claim ticket numbers more than the usual double of those going to other member-schools.
Our own gripe has to do with the lack of a stricter policy regarding Upper Box A & B tickets that ensure seats on a first-come-first-served basis. Large groups sent a single individual early to claim entire rows of seats, much to the chagrin of those who arrived in time for the official start of a double-header, only to find out that all the center rows had been cordoned off. League and stadium officials would be well-advised to impose a limit on the number of seats that can be reserved–say, only an extra one for any actual seat-taker, or at most two. But not an entire row. For what’s to stop a lone earlybird from claiming such and deciding by game start who to choose as pretty seatmates?
Our final proposal will never fly (such are the limits to fantasy): Whenever it boils down to an Ateneo-La Salle title series, make everyone happier–the UAAP, the Aranetas, ABS-CBN, the scalpers, the students, the spectating public, whether directly or vicarously involved–by making it a best-of-seven affair.
Despite the misplaced charges of elitism, storied rivalries are what make sports an endearing spectacle. So let’s prolong such class wars and keep everyone fascinated, well into the sem, trime, or nationwide holiday break.
Some 3,000 jubilant fans had proceeded to assemble at the new Church of Gesu on the knoll overlooking the grassy expanse of Bellarmine Field. Most had come from the Big Dome where their beloved Blue Eagles had finally snatched the crown from a decades-old nemesis. Others trooped in from the dorms and nearby homes to join the celebration.
A 14-year drought had ended, and the first seniors’ championship in a new millennium had come at the expense of the Green Archers. How sweet it was indeed for Ateneans, so that the horde of euphoric high-fivers mingled spontaneously as if another People Power affair had humbled another despot.
Most expected the traditional bonfire, a humongous one to be sure. But either the authorities had not been too optimistic over Ateneo’s chances in the do-or-die game, or deemed it inappropriate to telegraph a party mood by preparing all that wood to go up in flames.
Even the sound system and extra speakers inside the spanking new church had to be hurriedly installed, with attendants scurrying to assemble a working system. The pews quickly filled up, while a less sedate crowd grew by the minute outside, bursting into cheers whenever a convoy of honking cars and vans deposited more arrivals.
At 8:30 p.m., the first flurry of fireworks burst overhead, and soon the team members hove into altitudinous view, led in single file through the pressing crowd by season and finals MVP Enrico Villanueva.
It was only fitting that before that surge of ecstatic humanity, the first hand we shook happened to be that of Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, university president. He was beaming from ear to ear, his beautiful mind perhaps still computing what it took to produce that magical winning combination of 77 to 70.
The mystically minded would quickly disseminate text to the effect that the 14-year wait had climaxed in a win led by No. 14, Villanueva, and that the triumphant score, 77, could be added together to come up with another 14.
Texting had ruled the long-drawn days while the rivals went through the best-of-three series. When Ateneo posted an upset in Game One, 72-70–with Larry Fonacier’s successive blocks on Mac Cardona in the dying seconds etched forever on tape and in memory–the classic jibe sent as SMS was: "Motorist Advisory–Avoid Taft Ave. & surrounding streets until next week due to massive floods caused by non-stop crying at DLSU campus."
But when DLSU came back strong to take Game Two behind Mike Cortez’s pro-bound brilliance, 85-77, the Taft Avenue faithful struck back with their own brand of trash talk via cellphone.
"Ateneo’s UAAP basketball battlecry–2001: We believe; 2002: It’s our time; 2003: Now na talaga; 2004: Sure na ito; 2005: Maawa kayo, kami naman."
Then there was the clincher: "From Jose Velarde aka Erap: Mga kapwa ko Atenista, weather-weather lang yan. Atin na ang Games 4 & 5, kausap na ni Jinggoy mga refs. Sa kanila na ang Game 3."
ADMU supporters could only counter feebly with: "Green Gokongwei loses to Blue MVP (referring to Manny V. Pangilinan) in PLDT/MPC takeover bid! A preview of Game 3?" Or such off-the-wall stingers as: "It ain’t over till Fritz Ynfante sings!"
Meanwhile, the scramble for tickets assumed excruciating proportions. The "elitist" drama seemed to have galvanized the entire town, inclusive of scalpers, such that ticket prices soared to as much as 20 times the printed rates. Students had to camp out overnight to get fair chances at an early-morning queue for the stringent allocations, only to be disgusted by how the long line would be jumped by faculty staff.
Alumni supporters from both camps had their own networking fallbacks to rely on. Fr. Tito Caluag’s twin cellphones must have been inundated by requests from Day One, as were those of the higher-ups in the Araneta empire as well as Malacañang.
The day before fateful Saturday, October 5, DLSU alumni placed print ads questioning the system of ticket allocation, apart from implying that league insiders were making a killing in the scalper’s market with "lost tickets" worth millions. Nary a reply issued forth from host National University and UAAP officials.
Thankfully for this one-time Atenista, part-time lecturer at Katipunan Avenue, and former (as in of yore) sportswriter, friendship with a former Ateneo team manager tested positively with the issuance of a couple of tickets for each of the last four classic duels against DLSU.
That kept our high-school freshman and PSBL varsity aspirant of a son happy, and ourself waxing nostalgic at a venue we had been intimate with in medieval times–as in having our courtside nosebuds catch the whiff of Oil of Wintergreen on the glistening skin of such mythic icons as the Crispa Redmanizers and Toyota Tamaraws in the 70s. And, oh yes, even earlier, inclusive of that fabled Hail Mary team of Afable, Arnaiz, Cleofas, Morales and Samson that became champs in 1969.
Skipping back to recent years, shipping magus Arben Santos it was who became instrumental in forging a desire to win one anew for the Ateneo college team. The last crown had come way back in 1988, with Jun Reyes, Olsen Racela, Eric Reyes & Co. registering a repeat, at the expense of challenger La Salle. But then the drought had extended to a decade.
In 1999 Arben brought in Joe Lipa, who installed a system and his dubious high-blood antics a la Bobby Knight. Rich Alvarez was another find for the manager, who saw the gangling kid skying and dunking in a Tokyo gym. Arben spoke to Rich’s expat dad, and got permission for the kid to turn into a Santos ward back in Manila. The Eagles made their way back to the Final Four, but still came up short in the last two years, blowing a twice-to-beat advantage over FEU, then taking the Green Archers to the wire last year, only to be turned back as the rivals posted their four-peat.
Exeunt Lipa and Santos. Enter Coach Joel Banal, who acknowledged that he was lucky to inherit a team already primed by his predecessor for one last challenge. With Villanueva, that is. It was the star center’s last chance to follow up on a high school championship.
Came the 2002 UAAP cage wars, soon after a PBL crown as Ateneo-Hapee (without the rookie find L.A. Tenorio but helped along considerably by FEU hotshot James Yap). But the Blue Eagles stumbled to a dismal 4-5 start. Pre-tourney injuries had felled big man Paolo Bugia and sniper Magnum Membrere. The team was being written off, with Tenorio also disabled on the bench for the next few games.
But the storybook climb up the rankings began, improbably, inexorably, and soon the Eagles had a run of four wins to up their record to 8-5, good enough for a slot in the Final Four. September 14 would have marked the 14th straight win for De La Salle, five-peating champs. A clean sweep of the double-round appeared imminent. The team from Taft had depth, championship experience and a fine coach in Franz Pumaren.
And it had Mike Cortez, an evidently veteran playmaker (from Carson, California) dubbed as Mr. Cool Cat for his savvy moves and game-long poise, acrobatic drives and timely jumpers. Such a league standout was Cortez that talk focused on the bidding war for his services in the PBA.
Then there was the frisky, pesky, intractably animated Mac-Mac Cardona, a hate symbol for Loyolans for his antics and goofy baby hooks that always seemed to find the mark. Four big men in Sta. Maria, Sharma, Ramos and Wilson could gang-bang Villanueva and Alvarez in the paint. And B.J. Manalo, former Atenean, could connect from long range.
La Salle’s streak had to be stopped at 13. Tenorio rejoined the Eagles for the spoiler’s bid. But it was heart, indeed, that turned the game around and had Loyolans hoping once again.
Chances remained slim. Now they had to win two more successive games to arrange yet another dream finals. UE lay in wait, needing only a win to dispose of the Eagles. Ateneo took the first game, upping its own win streak to six. And with Jec Chia’s buzzer-beater in the next humdinger, the 2002 Blue Eagles completed its exciting comeback to arrange yet another title showdown with the dreaded Green Archers.
It was a sterling 13-1 record against a so-so 11-5. But on their way to the finals the Eagles had achieved maturity as a team. Graduating player Epok Quimpo had ably taken over Tenorio’s pointguard chores, and stayed a starter. Chia’s late-season heroics, which never saw sunshine under Coach Joe who benched the intramurals star for three years, made Coach Joel look positively wise. As well did Wesley Gonzales seem determined to make up for lost time. Larry Fonacier was getting steadier in the clutch, and racking up a fine percentage as a three-point bomber. Hard-nosed defender Andrew Cruz also sank treys. And Sonny Tadeo had turned into an energetic frontliner.
Against La Salle, it could only be a team game, heart, spunk and guts –the same formula that the underdog UP High had shown in its historic upset of the Blue Eaglets– that would carry the day.
The Eagles displayed it all in Game 1, negating the Cortez-Cardona show and scraping off a cardiac upset. It was DLSU’s turn to show chinks in its champ’s armor. Its big men had turned leaden-footed, and were totally out-rebounded and out-hustled. Ateneo had made it eight in a row. The fairytale ending was within grasp.
The Archers started out strong for Game 2, with all their big men contributing consistently. Despite a dizzying rally that turned into a real scare, La Salle survived by shooting a phenomenal 26 of 28 from the charity stripe. Oh well, pundits proclaimed, such is the drama quotient in this country of perennial rivals–whether elitist or nihilistic– that there just had to be a Game 3. And again the Eagles were installed in their proper place, as underdogs.
Faith provided contrary soothsaying. Someone researched old Guidon and Argus issues and claimed to unearth a pattern of oddments and inklings. The 1958 Blues had spoiled the Kurt Bachman-led Greens’ sweep bid, and gone on with "King Eagle" Ed Ocampo to claim the crown in an overtime win over the rivals. This was repeated in 1988, with Jun Reyes sinking the winning basket and Racela preserving the margin with a steal off Dindo Pumaren. Was it time to execute the improbable once again?
Then there was a reputed Nostradamus of sports, an Ateneo alumnus, who had predicted: "There will be no 14th win (by La Salle) on the 14th (of September), and no fifth championship on the 5th (of October)."
Perhaps underdogs mother inventions of desperate fortune-telling and fantasizing. But a fable of a Fabilioh climax did happen in Game 3.
Spirited defense limited Cortez to uncharacteristically woeful shooting (2 of 13 field goal attempts). And thanks to Villanueva’s renewed dominance in the paint, Gonzales’s gung-ho play, Alvarez’s rediscovery of slashing moves, Chia’s grit, Cruz’s resolve, Tadeo’s spunk and timely 3-pointers by Fonacier, Tenorio and Quimpo, the Blue Eagles dominated the finals‚ finale, and finally became champs once again.
The blockbuster series could well invite a consideration of certain modifications for next year, when Ateneo turns host. A better system for ticket allocations and availability has to be thought up, for one. Teams figuring in the finals should rightfully claim ticket numbers more than the usual double of those going to other member-schools.
Our own gripe has to do with the lack of a stricter policy regarding Upper Box A & B tickets that ensure seats on a first-come-first-served basis. Large groups sent a single individual early to claim entire rows of seats, much to the chagrin of those who arrived in time for the official start of a double-header, only to find out that all the center rows had been cordoned off. League and stadium officials would be well-advised to impose a limit on the number of seats that can be reserved–say, only an extra one for any actual seat-taker, or at most two. But not an entire row. For what’s to stop a lone earlybird from claiming such and deciding by game start who to choose as pretty seatmates?
Our final proposal will never fly (such are the limits to fantasy): Whenever it boils down to an Ateneo-La Salle title series, make everyone happier–the UAAP, the Aranetas, ABS-CBN, the scalpers, the students, the spectating public, whether directly or vicarously involved–by making it a best-of-seven affair.
Despite the misplaced charges of elitism, storied rivalries are what make sports an endearing spectacle. So let’s prolong such class wars and keep everyone fascinated, well into the sem, trime, or nationwide holiday break.
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