Not in a long, long time has a rivalry so fired up the imagination of people, not just those in Metro Manila, or alumni and alumnae of both schools. At the National Sport Grill in Makati, where I am stationed for the duration of the Asian Games coverage, there was literally a line extending from the third floor of Greenbelt almost to the ground level. Crowds were being turned away.
"We had to rent a hundred chairs and many tables just to accommodate all those who made reservations," says NSG marketing manager Ponch Zamora. "And we had to bring in our whole staff, practicum students and even former staff to help out today. That’s how big this is."
The noisy, partisan, overflow crowd was not silent about its affiliation. Some brought drums, painted their faces, and wore school shirts, uniforms and other signs that they were from one school or the other. It was the same in other venues, who feasted on the frenzy generated by the event.
"I think Filipinos are starting to learn how to go out for sports events," notices Tony Atayde, a consultant for National Sports Grill. "It’s very similar to the tailgate parties Americans have whenever there’s a baseball, football or basketball game."
But it seems to be more than that. On one level, ABS-CBN astutely recognized the value of a television property like the UAAP - and, similarly, the NCAA - that it has a five-year contract with the league. How many sports properties have stoked the passions of people everywhere, particularly in the metropolis?
La Salle-Ateneo is the last remaining intercollegiate rivalry of its kind. But what has brought communities together is the sense of history that has been missing, and sorely lacking in the parity that exists in other basketball leagues like the PBA and the PBL. This season, the Green Archers, the Blue Eagles and, - for a while - the upstart University of the East Red Warriors of UAAP Coach of the Year Boycie Zamar, were far and away above the rest of the field.
And the game itself went far beyond the power of players like Enrico Villanueva and raw muscle of a Carlo Sharma, the chilling brilliance of Mike Cortez or jaw-dropping ability of an LA Tenorio, the overachieving heart of a Jek Chia and return to prominence of a BJ Manalo. It was a challenge of equals, to push themselves beyond what others have reached. And there was an urgency on both sides. Ateneo knew that it may not come close to another shot at La Salle, what with Villanueva graduating. And fourteen years was simply too long.
But more than the brilliant sytem of Franz Pumaren and the efforts of Joel Banal to implement his own strategies, the game made people care. And that is something Filipino sports fans, sometimes abused and often disappointed, have been thirsting for.
When was the last time a sports hero consistently got people to sit up and say "He’s the best, and he’s a Filipino?" Perhaps the last time it swept across demographic boundaries was when Efren Reyes won the first World 9-Ball Championships in 1999, and revived days ago when bowlers Paeng Nepomuceno and RJ Bautista snatched our first gold medal in men’s doubles at the Asian Games. But no rivalry has filled our anticipation, held our breath for weeks at a time like Ateneo-La Salle.
It was all picture-perfect, as fairy tale. La Salle swept through the field with laser precision, amassing a 13-0 record, until finally, only Ateneo stood in its way. The Blue Eagles denied the Green Archers a sweep, but it appeared at the time to be a mere thorn in the side, easily extracted, a bump on the road for the kings of the UAAP.
La Salle easily dispatched UST, while Ateneo had to take the longer route, and needed the shot of a lifetime from Jek Chia to step up to the finals. After Game 1, I was shocked to see the Blue Eagles celebrating wildly after merely winning the first game. True enough, this fed the Green Archers’ passion in Game 2. Some of Ateneo’s players reportedly came in late for the game, and had trouble finding parking. It cost them dearly.
In Game 3, Joel Banal had instilled the sense of urgency that they needed to take the lead. Two huge streamers stared down at the Eagles as they practiced in Moro Lorenzo Sports Center: "Finish The Job!" No more needed to be said.
So let us thank Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle for giving us a great battle worthy of every warrior who has stepped onto the hardwood before them. Let us thank ABS-CBN for restoring the passion and caring for sport, which we may now channel into a rallying cry around our athletes in Busan. This was the same caring that caused a massive traffic jam around Ateneo’s Church of the Gesu at close to midnight Saturday, as the Ateneans remembered to thank their Creator for this latest blessing.
Let us thank the UAAP for its management of its affairs. And let us thank the other television and radio stations and newspapers for seeing beyond the ownership of the league’s franchises and giving the UAAP finals the respect it deserves as a newsworthy sports event, regardless of who’s covering it for television. That’s the way it should be.
And congratulations to the Ateneo Blue Eagles. And congratulations of the De La Salle Green Archers. You are worthy of every accolade history will grant you.
I salute you, gentlemen.