Note: This is the 2nd part of my blog ‘Atenista Ako. Ikaw?'
Ateneo won the 2002 Men’s Basketball Tourney after fourteen years of drought. It was like Star Wars IV (A New Hope) because they finally defeated the Green Archer Empire which held the title for four straight years.
Green Archers Strike Back
After my memorable freshman year in college, I made a personal vow to watch every Ateneo-La Salle game I could. I was feeling lucky then because my favorite teams won in every basketball game that I watched. I only chose to watch Ateneo-La Salle games because of my hectic school schedule. Anyway, teachers rarely schedule long tests during Ateneo-La Salle games.
2003. Ateneo still has its lineup intact except for the departure of super senior Enrico Villanueva. La Salle was on its rebuilding year because they lost key players like Mike Cortez, BJ Manalo and Willy Wilson. My winning streak continued when Ateneo swept La Salle in the elimination round. The Green Archers were simply our bitches then. I can still remember the disgruntled Joseph Yeo getting pissed off with Wesley Gonzales’ trash talking after DLSU got beaten badly by Ateneo’s Fab Four of Wesley Gonzales, Rich Alvarez, Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio. The die-hard blood is starting to flow through my veins then as I watched those games even if I did not have a companion. My personal winning streak, however, ended in the infamous Tenorio-Gaco altercation match (Game 1 of AdMU-DLSU Final Four encounter). Joseph Yeo found his stroke and he burned the Eagles with his triples. That game would have to be one of the turning points of my fan experience. Aside from experiencing my first loss, it also left a terrible sting because I felt that La Salle had nothing to lose and everything to gain as their rookies experienced what it takes to beat Ateneo. Even if Ateneo went to win the second game, I still got concerned for the future. Little did I know that the future was darker than I expected it to be. When Ateneo went to defend its title against FEU, the Tamaraws crushed the Blue Eagles mercilessly in just two games. Blame it on the fatigue factor but Ateneo barely stood a chance to beat their yellow and green foes. I was frustrated to the point of throwing a pillow at our TV set because the Tamaraw lead grew bigger and bigger. From what I thought was a sure back-to-back season, it became a disastrous ending. It even came to a point when I started to question the ‘heart of a champion’ because the Blue Eagles could not even lessen FEU’s huge lead. Some basketball fans prefer losing on big leads than close game heartbreakers but I am of a different specie – I would rather see my team valiantly putting up a fight and keeping it close before succumbing to defeat than getting dismantled by their opponents. With our powerhouse lineup then, I felt devastated. But the good news was: Larry Fonacier showed that he has the heart – he was doing his best just to keep it close. He made threes and he fished for fouls just to have a chance. In the end, he was found crying but I was proud of him because I knew he gave the best he could. FEU just wanted it more.
2004. Fonacier’s showing in the 2003 Finals kept my spirit alive. I knew we have a chance with our new King Eagle. He has arguably the best leadership aura during those times. Our first game against La Salle exhibited that as Ateneo rallied from a fourteen point halftime deficit to beat the young Green Archers. However, I had one big concern: Ateneo depended so much on their vets in the previous year that the freshman batches from 2002 (Intal, Kramer, Escalona) and 2003 (Tiu, Arao, Nkemakolam) did not get the needed composure. Outside of Fonacier, Tenorio and Bugia, Ateneo was struggling. We encountered our worst fears when Larry Fonacier had an ACL injury during their game against UP. Ateneo went to sweep the first round of that season but they have to pull off the rabbit from the magician’s hat to accomplish it. They had to climb up from a huge Adamson lead to beat them on St. Ignatius Day. I can still remember Tenorio’s game-winning step-back three then because it ended with the blue gallery cheering for Larry. We also beat the Arwind Santos-led FEU team by another Tenorio clutch jumper. If I am not mistaken, the term Sixth Man started to become famous then because of the solid fan cheering which fueled the Blue Eagles to have a never-say-die attitude. Unfortunately, we used up all our luck points in the elimination that there was nothing left for us in the crucial games. (The Empire’s soundtrack starts to play in the background…) The Green Archers massacred the Blue Eagles by winning their next three games by huge margins. Those were the times when I started feeling the cold sting of defeat in my knees. With the huge leads, losing was inevitable. The Blue Eagles could not prolong their series unlike the rookie-laden Green Archers from the previous year. Moreover, my worst fears came when La Salle ended up as champions in that year.
I would like to note though that since 2004, I began to watch other Ateneo games even if we were not up against La Salle. This included games against UST, Adamson and FEU.
My graduating year was more terrible than the previous year. The players from batches after Tenorio were still raw. Intal showed flashes of brilliance but it was not on a consistent basis. Tiu left the team for junior term abroad. Japeth Aguilar was a defensive force but was still raw offensively. Barracosso was still a disappointment despite his size and athleticism. Our new hopes rested on his high school teammate - the undersized shooter named Jai Reyes. He may lack height but I was impressed with his guts. This guy has the balls to shoot. He was doing what other high school standouts (Tiu and Barracosso) were hesitant to do during their freshmen years. Nevertheless, 2005 was a carbon copy of the previous year as DLSU continued to build up huge leads at us. What even hurt more was when they added insult to injury as Yeo taunted the Ateneo crowd after every shot he made. The green quintet even had the infamous ‘photograph incident’ when they enacted a photoshoot while an Atenean was taking his freethrows. But what hurt the most was when the Blue Eagles seemed to give up when their Taft-based rivals were padding the lead. Their opponents were already mocking them and they did not seem to have the fighting attitude. I do not want them to brawl their enemies but I was hoping that they show some fire in their eyes. Unfortunately, they lost while I felt helpless at the bleachers. It was a tough year where every AdMU-DLSU game ended up with me losing my voice and LOSING. Yes, I always cheer even if we are down by double digits. Even if the people around me are quietly watching. That was why it pains me to see Ateneo lose without putting up a fight. This was the year when the Blue Babble always shouted “PUSO!” We are usually down so having the heart to believe that the Hail Mary squad could catch up was a necessity. Times like this separate the die-hards from the fans who just watch for the sake of being there. Nevertheless, I, along with the rest of the Ateneo community, waited for the final buzzer for us to sing our Alma Mater. After all, win or lose, it’s the school we choose.
The domination of the Lasallian Empire ended the same as Empire Strikes Back with a shocking revelation as Darth Green Archer muttered, “We fielded ineligible players.” We all know what happened after that.
The Return of the Blue Eagles
Batch 2005 redeemed themselves big time the following year. Too bad, La Salle got suspended so we were deprived of beating their asses. Nevertheless, the raw players finally matured. Intal, Kramer, Escalona and Tiu led the Blue Eagles to steamroll their opponents in the elimination round. They were such a disappointment the previous year that whatever they did in 2006 overachieved my expectations. We ended up with a Finals battle with the UST Growling Tigers. Game 1 was very close but it ended with me celebrating ecstatically in Gen Ad after Kramer hit the 1 second shot. Unfortunately, we lost badly in the next game. In the final game, I was still optimistic of our chances as we were the #1 team in the eliminations. We were also leading remarkably in the last minute of that game. However, I suddenly felt the cold sting in my knees. We were winning but I did not feel the championship moment that I experienced in 2002 during that time. Lo and behold, UST caught up; Intal missed the game-winning layup and we found ourselves losing after overtime. It sucks but with the way we lost, it seemed that we were not meant to win it. I do not know if there was Divine Intervention that took place but all I felt was that it was not the right time yet. After five seconds of shock, I congratulated my UST friend who watched with me and applauded the Blue Eagles even if they choked in the end. I knew they fought their hearts out – it was just not our time. We cannot attain the “return to glory” as soon as possible as it is a process, a journey. I knew that the journey still continues. We have to learn more.
Green Archers returned in 2007 and they were good as hyped. UE might have swept the eliminations then but I was among the people who thought that they would lose the finals due to rustiness. The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, were poised to do what they should have done in the past years – peak at the right time. They were on a wild win streak and I was confident that we have a very good shot of winning it all once we get the second seed. Ateneo swept La Salle in the elimination round because of Tiu’s clutch shooting. All was good until we lost to NU. That was the backbreaker game of the season as momentum was lost prior to the Final Four. Peaking at the right time is very much needed but protecting your momentum is as essential as well. As a result, the Blue Eagles lost two crucial games to the Green Archers who continued to add salt to our wounds by having the THES-QS banner and Pumaren bragging “2>3”. We have to struggle again and learn a valuable lesson before we win a championship, just the same as Luke Skywalker when he struggled against the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. 2007 had failure etched in it but there was progress as we have began winning more games than the Lasallites. And besides, there was a bright future with the rumored recruitment of high school standouts Buenafe, Salva and Chua.
As for 2008, I will just cut the story short: After years of struggling, the Ateneo Blue Eagles finally arrived at the Promised Land by plowing through the rest of the league with a dominating 16-1 record. Yup, just like the Jedis, we celebrated in the end. We also got the help from Ewoks (refs… yeah, thanks for buzzkilling Game 2 last year. We did not need Maierhoffer to get thrown out then). Nevertheless, there was no more cold sting in my knees when I gave one big shout of joy in Gen Ad when watching Game 2 of last year’s Finals. The Blue Eagles have finally learned and prevailed from their six-year struggle. Adversity makes champions.
It took us that long. But if I were given a choice, I would still pick the path that we had. For what it was worth, the struggles developed character not just on the players but for us, fans as well. Tears were shed and lessons were learned. That was why victory was very sweet. Years of outright domination will not teach you that.
We sang A Song For Mary at the Gesu in the Holy Mass after the game. It was there when I finally got my wish of hearing the solemn singing of the lines “win or lose, it’s the school we choose.” There is no over-emphasis that could be mistaken as insecurity when those lines were sung that way. Win or lose, it’s the school we choose. I can still remember my ex-girlfriend’s remark on those lines, “even in your (referring to me) Alma Mater’s song, competitiveness is exhibited.” True, we are competitive but for me, the meaning behind “win or lose, it’s the school we choose” is about having that school spirit that we uphold whatever happens. The term ‘lose’ in there is the key. We know we cannot win always so in instances when others deserve to win more than we do, we advocate sportsmanship by acknowledging the winner and losing gracefully. After all, it is not winning that matters. Winning is just an icing to the cake. The important thing is to learn from failures and to do the appropriate thing after every outcome. Six years of defeat taught me that I should be glad of my school’s effort to have the heart to battle it out and still uphold the morals that UAAP teaches us. Learning does not end in school – it is also found in venues such as sports. This is why I still support the Blue Eagles up to now. We learn every year.
Win or lose, it’s the school we choose. This is not done to piss off other schools. The line is a statement that shows that we are simply proud of being Ateneans no matter what happens. Ang sarap talagang maging Atenista.
We are back again to the UAAP Finals. I just hope that the players have fully learned from the past that no matter how dominant the team was, the Finals is never ‘a walk in the park.’ No Yabang. Eyes on the prize. As for spectators like me, remember that win or lose, it’s the school we choose. One Big Fight!
P.S. To Lasallians: sorry for using your team as The Empire. This writeup is from an Ateneo fan’s perspective so expect me to view the Green Archers as The Empire to the Jedi Blue Eagles. That’s just how the rivalry goes. Peace!
Ateneo won the 2002 Men’s Basketball Tourney after fourteen years of drought. It was like Star Wars IV (A New Hope) because they finally defeated the Green Archer Empire which held the title for four straight years.
Green Archers Strike Back
After my memorable freshman year in college, I made a personal vow to watch every Ateneo-La Salle game I could. I was feeling lucky then because my favorite teams won in every basketball game that I watched. I only chose to watch Ateneo-La Salle games because of my hectic school schedule. Anyway, teachers rarely schedule long tests during Ateneo-La Salle games.
2003. Ateneo still has its lineup intact except for the departure of super senior Enrico Villanueva. La Salle was on its rebuilding year because they lost key players like Mike Cortez, BJ Manalo and Willy Wilson. My winning streak continued when Ateneo swept La Salle in the elimination round. The Green Archers were simply our bitches then. I can still remember the disgruntled Joseph Yeo getting pissed off with Wesley Gonzales’ trash talking after DLSU got beaten badly by Ateneo’s Fab Four of Wesley Gonzales, Rich Alvarez, Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio. The die-hard blood is starting to flow through my veins then as I watched those games even if I did not have a companion. My personal winning streak, however, ended in the infamous Tenorio-Gaco altercation match (Game 1 of AdMU-DLSU Final Four encounter). Joseph Yeo found his stroke and he burned the Eagles with his triples. That game would have to be one of the turning points of my fan experience. Aside from experiencing my first loss, it also left a terrible sting because I felt that La Salle had nothing to lose and everything to gain as their rookies experienced what it takes to beat Ateneo. Even if Ateneo went to win the second game, I still got concerned for the future. Little did I know that the future was darker than I expected it to be. When Ateneo went to defend its title against FEU, the Tamaraws crushed the Blue Eagles mercilessly in just two games. Blame it on the fatigue factor but Ateneo barely stood a chance to beat their yellow and green foes. I was frustrated to the point of throwing a pillow at our TV set because the Tamaraw lead grew bigger and bigger. From what I thought was a sure back-to-back season, it became a disastrous ending. It even came to a point when I started to question the ‘heart of a champion’ because the Blue Eagles could not even lessen FEU’s huge lead. Some basketball fans prefer losing on big leads than close game heartbreakers but I am of a different specie – I would rather see my team valiantly putting up a fight and keeping it close before succumbing to defeat than getting dismantled by their opponents. With our powerhouse lineup then, I felt devastated. But the good news was: Larry Fonacier showed that he has the heart – he was doing his best just to keep it close. He made threes and he fished for fouls just to have a chance. In the end, he was found crying but I was proud of him because I knew he gave the best he could. FEU just wanted it more.
2004. Fonacier’s showing in the 2003 Finals kept my spirit alive. I knew we have a chance with our new King Eagle. He has arguably the best leadership aura during those times. Our first game against La Salle exhibited that as Ateneo rallied from a fourteen point halftime deficit to beat the young Green Archers. However, I had one big concern: Ateneo depended so much on their vets in the previous year that the freshman batches from 2002 (Intal, Kramer, Escalona) and 2003 (Tiu, Arao, Nkemakolam) did not get the needed composure. Outside of Fonacier, Tenorio and Bugia, Ateneo was struggling. We encountered our worst fears when Larry Fonacier had an ACL injury during their game against UP. Ateneo went to sweep the first round of that season but they have to pull off the rabbit from the magician’s hat to accomplish it. They had to climb up from a huge Adamson lead to beat them on St. Ignatius Day. I can still remember Tenorio’s game-winning step-back three then because it ended with the blue gallery cheering for Larry. We also beat the Arwind Santos-led FEU team by another Tenorio clutch jumper. If I am not mistaken, the term Sixth Man started to become famous then because of the solid fan cheering which fueled the Blue Eagles to have a never-say-die attitude. Unfortunately, we used up all our luck points in the elimination that there was nothing left for us in the crucial games. (The Empire’s soundtrack starts to play in the background…) The Green Archers massacred the Blue Eagles by winning their next three games by huge margins. Those were the times when I started feeling the cold sting of defeat in my knees. With the huge leads, losing was inevitable. The Blue Eagles could not prolong their series unlike the rookie-laden Green Archers from the previous year. Moreover, my worst fears came when La Salle ended up as champions in that year.
I would like to note though that since 2004, I began to watch other Ateneo games even if we were not up against La Salle. This included games against UST, Adamson and FEU.
My graduating year was more terrible than the previous year. The players from batches after Tenorio were still raw. Intal showed flashes of brilliance but it was not on a consistent basis. Tiu left the team for junior term abroad. Japeth Aguilar was a defensive force but was still raw offensively. Barracosso was still a disappointment despite his size and athleticism. Our new hopes rested on his high school teammate - the undersized shooter named Jai Reyes. He may lack height but I was impressed with his guts. This guy has the balls to shoot. He was doing what other high school standouts (Tiu and Barracosso) were hesitant to do during their freshmen years. Nevertheless, 2005 was a carbon copy of the previous year as DLSU continued to build up huge leads at us. What even hurt more was when they added insult to injury as Yeo taunted the Ateneo crowd after every shot he made. The green quintet even had the infamous ‘photograph incident’ when they enacted a photoshoot while an Atenean was taking his freethrows. But what hurt the most was when the Blue Eagles seemed to give up when their Taft-based rivals were padding the lead. Their opponents were already mocking them and they did not seem to have the fighting attitude. I do not want them to brawl their enemies but I was hoping that they show some fire in their eyes. Unfortunately, they lost while I felt helpless at the bleachers. It was a tough year where every AdMU-DLSU game ended up with me losing my voice and LOSING. Yes, I always cheer even if we are down by double digits. Even if the people around me are quietly watching. That was why it pains me to see Ateneo lose without putting up a fight. This was the year when the Blue Babble always shouted “PUSO!” We are usually down so having the heart to believe that the Hail Mary squad could catch up was a necessity. Times like this separate the die-hards from the fans who just watch for the sake of being there. Nevertheless, I, along with the rest of the Ateneo community, waited for the final buzzer for us to sing our Alma Mater. After all, win or lose, it’s the school we choose.
The domination of the Lasallian Empire ended the same as Empire Strikes Back with a shocking revelation as Darth Green Archer muttered, “We fielded ineligible players.” We all know what happened after that.
The Return of the Blue Eagles
Batch 2005 redeemed themselves big time the following year. Too bad, La Salle got suspended so we were deprived of beating their asses. Nevertheless, the raw players finally matured. Intal, Kramer, Escalona and Tiu led the Blue Eagles to steamroll their opponents in the elimination round. They were such a disappointment the previous year that whatever they did in 2006 overachieved my expectations. We ended up with a Finals battle with the UST Growling Tigers. Game 1 was very close but it ended with me celebrating ecstatically in Gen Ad after Kramer hit the 1 second shot. Unfortunately, we lost badly in the next game. In the final game, I was still optimistic of our chances as we were the #1 team in the eliminations. We were also leading remarkably in the last minute of that game. However, I suddenly felt the cold sting in my knees. We were winning but I did not feel the championship moment that I experienced in 2002 during that time. Lo and behold, UST caught up; Intal missed the game-winning layup and we found ourselves losing after overtime. It sucks but with the way we lost, it seemed that we were not meant to win it. I do not know if there was Divine Intervention that took place but all I felt was that it was not the right time yet. After five seconds of shock, I congratulated my UST friend who watched with me and applauded the Blue Eagles even if they choked in the end. I knew they fought their hearts out – it was just not our time. We cannot attain the “return to glory” as soon as possible as it is a process, a journey. I knew that the journey still continues. We have to learn more.
Green Archers returned in 2007 and they were good as hyped. UE might have swept the eliminations then but I was among the people who thought that they would lose the finals due to rustiness. The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, were poised to do what they should have done in the past years – peak at the right time. They were on a wild win streak and I was confident that we have a very good shot of winning it all once we get the second seed. Ateneo swept La Salle in the elimination round because of Tiu’s clutch shooting. All was good until we lost to NU. That was the backbreaker game of the season as momentum was lost prior to the Final Four. Peaking at the right time is very much needed but protecting your momentum is as essential as well. As a result, the Blue Eagles lost two crucial games to the Green Archers who continued to add salt to our wounds by having the THES-QS banner and Pumaren bragging “2>3”. We have to struggle again and learn a valuable lesson before we win a championship, just the same as Luke Skywalker when he struggled against the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. 2007 had failure etched in it but there was progress as we have began winning more games than the Lasallites. And besides, there was a bright future with the rumored recruitment of high school standouts Buenafe, Salva and Chua.
As for 2008, I will just cut the story short: After years of struggling, the Ateneo Blue Eagles finally arrived at the Promised Land by plowing through the rest of the league with a dominating 16-1 record. Yup, just like the Jedis, we celebrated in the end. We also got the help from Ewoks (refs… yeah, thanks for buzzkilling Game 2 last year. We did not need Maierhoffer to get thrown out then). Nevertheless, there was no more cold sting in my knees when I gave one big shout of joy in Gen Ad when watching Game 2 of last year’s Finals. The Blue Eagles have finally learned and prevailed from their six-year struggle. Adversity makes champions.
It took us that long. But if I were given a choice, I would still pick the path that we had. For what it was worth, the struggles developed character not just on the players but for us, fans as well. Tears were shed and lessons were learned. That was why victory was very sweet. Years of outright domination will not teach you that.
We sang A Song For Mary at the Gesu in the Holy Mass after the game. It was there when I finally got my wish of hearing the solemn singing of the lines “win or lose, it’s the school we choose.” There is no over-emphasis that could be mistaken as insecurity when those lines were sung that way. Win or lose, it’s the school we choose. I can still remember my ex-girlfriend’s remark on those lines, “even in your (referring to me) Alma Mater’s song, competitiveness is exhibited.” True, we are competitive but for me, the meaning behind “win or lose, it’s the school we choose” is about having that school spirit that we uphold whatever happens. The term ‘lose’ in there is the key. We know we cannot win always so in instances when others deserve to win more than we do, we advocate sportsmanship by acknowledging the winner and losing gracefully. After all, it is not winning that matters. Winning is just an icing to the cake. The important thing is to learn from failures and to do the appropriate thing after every outcome. Six years of defeat taught me that I should be glad of my school’s effort to have the heart to battle it out and still uphold the morals that UAAP teaches us. Learning does not end in school – it is also found in venues such as sports. This is why I still support the Blue Eagles up to now. We learn every year.
Win or lose, it’s the school we choose. This is not done to piss off other schools. The line is a statement that shows that we are simply proud of being Ateneans no matter what happens. Ang sarap talagang maging Atenista.
We are back again to the UAAP Finals. I just hope that the players have fully learned from the past that no matter how dominant the team was, the Finals is never ‘a walk in the park.’ No Yabang. Eyes on the prize. As for spectators like me, remember that win or lose, it’s the school we choose. One Big Fight!
P.S. To Lasallians: sorry for using your team as The Empire. This writeup is from an Ateneo fan’s perspective so expect me to view the Green Archers as The Empire to the Jedi Blue Eagles. That’s just how the rivalry goes. Peace!
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