Fantasy NBA version 2.009

Finally, it is fantasy NBA time again. Actually, most drafts have ended by now but it is never too late to give my analysis on my yearly head-to-head league. This is already quite delayed because I started the league late as I was too pre-occupied with the UAAP Finals which stretched to almost mid-October.

This year, we feature a different twist from that of last year’s. We had some rule changes and the biggest was the keeper rule. We could keep three players from last year provided that we skip the rounds when we these players were picked. We employed this rule so that those on the bottom can have a chance and so that the players are not fixated at their top three.

In this format, there were some huge benefits like Brook Lopez and Russell Westbrook at Round 14 (Wow! It’s like a free Lopez or Westbrook!) but all teams have theirs. Some teams use their Round 1 to keep their marquee players so that even if they ought to pick by Round 1 Pick 8, they still have Chris Paul (very sweet deal). All teams have their ‘keeper steals’ but as we all know, fantasy basketball is not just about having the best players, it’s about having the right mix.

Enough of the explanations. It is time for my analysis on each pick. You may agree or disagree but all are just opinions since at the end of the day, it’s the actual performance that matters.

As most of the best players were kept, you will see an abnormal 1st round where players that normally are taken in 2nd to 3rd rounds were picked in the 1st round. The draft is in snake format where the first pick in the first round was the last placed team last year. Keepers are with the * at the end of their names.

I decided not to post the name of my league mates but for everyone’s information, I am the pick # 1 in the odd rounds and the last pick in even rounds. Yeah, I was the last placed team last year because I stopped handling my team after I found out I was eliminated. I did not know that there were still eliminations happening. As to how I lost to the lower-tier teams, I do not have any idea.

1ST ROUND

1) Amare Stoudamire - Since I was 1st pick, it was logical not to keep my 1st rounder. Amare is the last of the 1st round talent on board so this is a sweet pick
2) Caron Butler* - Not a good keep for most people but Caron can have 1st round value as long as he is not injured.
3) Andre Iguodala – Love this pick. Good year for Iggy
4) Lebron James* - No-brainer
5) David West – Nice percentages but I think he could have been available in the next round.
6) Dirk Nowitzki*- I think it’s a great year for him. Dallas is running.
7) Rajon Rondo – I like this guy’s upside on rebounds and points. Pick was early, but it’s worth the risk.
8) Chris Paul* - Another no-brainer
9) Kevin Garnett – Finally, someone got KG.
10) Dywane Wade* - Another no-brainer as long as he stays healthy
11) Kobe Bryant* - Of the top 7, I think he is last but is still awesome nonetheless. No-brainer again.
12) Chris Bosh*- The best guy available at the start of the round was Amare so keeping Bosh was just right.

2ND ROUND

1) Dwight Howard* - strong keeper but I still hate him for his FT% and TO’s
2) Paul Pierce – I think RayRay is going to explode better.
3) Tim Duncan* - Decent keep.
4) Danny Granger* - More decent keep. That’s an understatement
5) Carlos Boozer – weird situation he is in. Wrong team but is on contract year.
6) Pau Gasol* - Strong keep.
7) Deron Williams* - Another strong keep. This is why we do not have that much choices in the 1st round.
8) Josh Smith – I like Smoove’s chances this year. I think he’ll bounce back.
9) Al Jefferson* - Here’s another good keep but he is currently injured. Uh oh…
10) Troy Murphy – Thank God, he was taken before me. I was having problems of choosing between him and my pick.
11) Steve Nash* - Great keep. Another bounce-back year because they are running again.
12) David Lee – had to choose between him and Jamison (I already knew about the latter’s injury). Looks like I made the right choice as of now.

3RD ROUND

1) Jose Calderon* - assists, threes, turnovers. I am still a Calderon fan.
2) Kevin Martin – love this pick. He is the only option so he will surely produce. There are health issue though.
3) Joe Johnson* - not high on him but it’s still a great keep.
4) Carmelo Anthony* - Points will get better
5) Kevin Durant* - Thievery!
6) Elton Brand – Mixed feelings on him. But it’s the 3rd round so I think this is all good.
7) Mo Williams – Very early. I don’t think he’ll improve with Shaq as a Cav.
8) Vince Carter – see Elton Brand
9) Baron Davis – see Vince Carter
10) Antawn Jamison – Still a solid pick even with the injury. Points, rebounds and threes. Love ‘em.
11) Andris Biedrins – Quite early but people love to get big men early
12) Tony Parker – San Antonio is pretty much loaded with options so fewer nights of being transcendent for Mr. Longoria.

4TH ROUND

1) Brandon Roy* - Thievery again!
2) Jason Kidd*- See Brandon Roy.
3) Andrew Bynum – Mixed feelings on this. Experts say he’ll have a big year but I am pessimistic on it.
4) Mehmet Okur – I think it’s quite early especially with the Millsap-Boozer situation.
5) LaMarcus Aldridge – Bad rebounds last year (7). I don’t see it improving.
6) Gerald Wallace* - I think he’ll have a better year this year.
7) Shawn Marion – possible steal because Dallas is running again.
8) Chauncey Billups* - too many thievery keeps.
9) Rashard Lewis – Good steal even if he is suspended. He will have fewer points but he is still Rashard.
10) Anthony Randolph – Good reach then but he is not going to start now. Uh oh…
11) Emeka Okafor – Another case of quite early pick. Big men are overrated.
12) Hedo Turkoglu – Bad reach by yours truly.

5TH ROUND

1) Jason Richardson – Good reach by yours truly. I think JRich will explode with the Suns’ run and gun game. Remember Golden State?
2) Kevin Love – OK reach then. But now that he is injured, definitely not.
3) Ray Allen – Nice steal. Remember, he is on a contract year.
4) Ben Gordon – he will produce points for sure.
5) Marcus Camby – somebody has to take him
6) Andrea Bargnani – Intriguing pick. I hate his rebounds though.
7) Al Horford – Good example of a good reach. I think he will improve this year.
8) Rudy Gay – Quite risky but the round is just right.
9) Stephen Jackson – Another risky pick. If he gets traded to the Cavs, this pick gets riskier.
10) Michael Redd – Strong pick. I think it’s his time to shine again.
11) Al Harrington – Two words: D’Antoni basketball
12) Eric Gordon – Still does not trust him. There are too many offensive options in slow-ball Dunleavy basketball. They have Baron, Griffin and Kaman there already.

6TH ROUND

1) Charlie Villanueva – I think he can be better as a Piston than when he was under Skiles
2) Jason Terry – Too many offensive options on Dallas but they will run so he will just be fine.
3) Devin Harris* - WOW!!!
4) OJ Mayo – Good steal in my opinion. Memphis loves Mayo and AI has not practiced yet. The only loser in there is the Memphis owner.
5) Boris Diaw – Nice pick. He can slightly improve. Love his assists.
6) TJ Ford – another good sleeper going to this year. Remember, no more Jarett Jack.
7) Jeff Green. He is a Jeff so he must be good. Just kidding! He is good for this pick. OKC is gonna roar this year!
8) Richard Jefferson – Five letters: R-E-A-C-H
9) Greg Oden – Two words: Excellent Reach
10) Manu Ginobili – Injury concerns me. With the addition of RJ, I don’t know if he is still for real.
11) Randy Foye – Three words: Absolutely a Reach
12) Spencer Hawes – Upside reach. This guy already showed that he shines without Brad Miller last year. Guess what, Brad Miller is not anymore in Sac town.

7TH ROUND

1) Mario Chalmers – I reached for this based on team needs. If he delivers just like last year, this is already worth a pick. 4.9 APG, 1.7 3PG, 2 SPG, 2.2 TOPG. Sweet statline.
2) Marc Gasol – Should have been his time to shine but Zach is in Tennessee… D’Oh!
3) Blake Griffin – Sweet pick. This kid will surely produce!
4) Mike Bibby – He is a reach but he always produces anyway.
5) Jamal Crawford – Wow! Back-to-back! Either Bibby or Crawford will shine. Or both will suck.
6) John Salmons – Strong pick here. If he duplicates his Sac assists, this is a steal.
7) Wilson Chandler – Awesome sleeper. Remember: D’Antoni Basketball
8) Allen Iverson – AI stated that he will be a team player this year. That doesn’t bode well fantasy-wise.
9) Andre Miller – He is coming off the bench in a squad with very few possessions. Also, Brandon Roy dominates the ball. Translation: I don’t want Andre Miller in my team.
10) Ron Artest – Decent pick. Whether or not LA wins the championship, I think Phil can put Artest in his place.
11) Thaddeus Young – I am searching for a time machine so that I can tell my past self that I should have picked Young instead of Hedo. Young can rebound, shoot threes, steal, block and Philly has no more Miller. How could have I missed that?
12) DJ Augustin – Love this pick. Strong sleeper especially when he starts.

8TH ROUND

1) Luol Deng – Quite early for an eighth rounder. Deng two years ago is different from Deng now.
2) Zach Randolph* - I just don’t trust this guy in real life. But he is just fine for 8th round.
3) Joakim Noah – Big year ahead.
4) Andrew Bogut – There are injury concerns but if he plays in the crucial stages, this is a steal.
5) Derrick Rose* - Another big year ahead. Expect more points and assists.
6) JR Smith – Last year’s playoffs indicated that JR can explode. Strong year ahead.
7) Michael Beasley – I was devastated after X picked him. I thought I could steal Beasley in the 9th.
8) Raymond Felton – Strong pick here. I love his assists, threes, steals combo.
9) Rasheed Wallace – Prolly the right time to pick him but I am happy I was not the one who picked him.
10) Leandro Barbosa* - nice keeper for 8th round. Expect a great year.
11) Kirk Hinrich – Not high on him this year.
12) Gilbert Arenas* - my own version of thievery. Absolute thievery.

9TH ROUND

1) Trevor Ariza – I think I stole Ariza here. His propensity to steal is just awesome. I will have to suffer the FG% scare though.
2) Nate Robinson – Awesome pick. I hate Nate as a player but fantasy-wise, he is great as long as you did not pick him for assists.
3) Ronnie Brewer – I thought I will get him by the tenth. Wishful thinking, Jeff… “Oh no! There you go! Looked away and missed the show…”
4) Ramon Sessions – Strong sleeper. I just don’t like the idea that Flynn starts over him.
5) Andrei Kirilenko – Great gamble in the 9th. Nothing to lose in this pick.
6) Josh Howard – See Andrei Kirilenko.
7) Rodney Stuckey – Steal if you are not searching for threes.
8) Chris Andersen – Reach but he is still a great block specialist.
9) Chris Kaman – Somebody has to do it.
10) Tyreke Evans – See Ronnie Brewer.
11) Mike Conley – See Chris Kaman.
12) Al Thornton – If I did not like Eric Gordon, what more on Al Thornton?!

10TH ROUND

1) Jermaine O' Neal – Injury prone. No thanks.
2) Grant Hill – Uncertain on this one.
3) Tayshaun Prince – Shouldn’t hurt you anywhere. Detroit won’t under-prioritize him either.
4) Richard Hamilton – Very good steal even if his status is uncertain.
5) Louis Williams – Love his potential but I doubt he will have great assist numbers.
6) Courtney Lee – I think he will still be the role player he was.
7) Monta Ellis* - Somebody call the police. There is thievery in here.
8) Jameer Nelson* - After catching the culprit in #7, proceed to #8.
9) Lamar Odom – The Candyman! Not high on him. He was not great last year and Bynum is expected to deliver this year, therefore don’t expect too much from Mr. Kardashian.
10) Corey Magette – Reports say he will start. Thus, this is a good pick.
11) Luis Scola* - Too many robberies in the tenth round.
12) Shaquille O' Neal – First time for me to draft Shaq. Great steal for me.

11TH ROUND

1) Shane Battier – He can have better numbers as T-Mac is out.
2) Yi Jianlian – Will he, won’t he?
3) Paul Millsap* - Nice keeper.
4) Brandon Jennings – Milwaukee’s scoring is a huge ? except for Redd.
5) Kendrick Perkins – even with the addition of Sheed, this is a good pick if you want blocks
6) Tyson Chandler – Scoring will go down but defensive stats should be the same.
7) Roy Hibbert – Awesome pick! But I think he will battle with consistency.
8) Nene Hilario*- Even with past injury concerns, Nene is still worth the risk.
9) Yao Ming – This was intentional for next year’s keeper purposes
10) Aaron Brooks – Great steal! If only he had great FG%’s, he would have placed better.
11) Anthony Morrow – Is he going to start? It doesn’t matter! I just don’t trust Nellie in fantasy.
12) Anthony Parker – Don’t expect too much from him as a Cav.

12TH ROUND

1) Channing Frye – Loved this pick! I know that he was a disappointment historically but Frye is now on the right team.
2) Delonte West – Any time you can pick someone who brings guns, you just have to do it…NOT!
3) Jonny Flynn – Great pick but I think Sessions will shine fantasy-wise.
4) Tracy McGrady – See Yao Ming.
5) Marvin Williams – Last year, he disappointed. If he doesn’t shine this year, always avoid him.
6) Ryan Gomes. No Kevin Love means that Ryan Gomes will shine…oh wait, did he shine before? Uh oh…
7) Mike Dunleavy – See Yao Ming and Tmac.
8) Chris Duhon – I like this pick. This guy gets tons of assists.
9) Marreese Speights – Great pick but will he have the playing time?
10) Brendan Haywood – D’Oh! I wanted this guy on my squad.
11) Rudy Fernandez - Acting-wise, sure. But I don’t like his chances as a basketball player.
12) Hakim Warrick – Gamble for me since Milwaukee have few options.

13TH ROUND

1) Brandon Rush – Nice steal. Rush is gonna hit from downtown. If you are not down with it, check his stats before the end of last year
2) Brad Miller - No Comment.
3) Luke Ridnour – He can still get the starting gig.
4) James Harden – Great Kleeper (Keeper + Sleeper)
5) Kenyon Martin – Injury issues but it’s the 13th round. I still don’t like him because he has no more upside.
6) Andres Nocioni – Boom or bust pick.
7) Brandon Bass – Magic is loaded so I think this is a bad pick.
8) Julian Wright – Is he for real? He’ll get starting gig, though.
9) Stephen Curry – Intriguing keeper but I do not like him because there are too many wingmen.
10) Samuel Dalembert – Speights is giving him headaches.
11) Peja Stojakovic – I don’t like this pick but as long as he shoots from downtown, he is worth it.
12) Kelenna Azubuike – See Stephen Curry.

14TH ROUND

1) Chris Douglas-Roberts – Damn! I wanted him as my last pick but he will most probably come off the bench so I am not sure if he will shine.
2) Carlos Delfino – I do not like this pick at all.
3) Mike Miller – Nice pick at 14th round. Very much worth it despite the time-share.
4) Tyrus Thomas* - Very inconsistent for my taste but hey it’s the 14th round!
5) Anderson Varejao – Shaq will eat his points but he will start so it’s worth the risk.
6) Brook Lopez* - Super WOW! WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!
7) Beno Udrih – Garcia’s injury helps but after that, nevermind.
8) Ronny Turiaf – Strong block specialist so I love this pick.
9) Drew Gooden – Too many options in Dallas. This guy sucks in defending as well
10) Udonis Haslem – Very nice steal. He is solid and should produce a near double-double
11) Zydrunas Ilgauskas – His production strongly depends on Shaq’s minutes.
12) Russell Westbrook* - See Brook Lopez.

15TH ROUND

1) Carl Landry – If Battier and Ariza won’t shine, I hope Landry does. He has great potential.
2) Jamario Moon – Getting strong production from him is like shooting for the moon.
3) Kyle Lowry – Backup PG but he still has upside.
4) Joel Przybilla – If Oden experiment does not work, this is a steal.
5) Hasheem Thabeet – Darko v 2.0
6) Terrence Williams – is most probably worse than Moon even if he might start.
7) DeJuan Blair – If he gets sufficient playing time, then this pick rocks.
8) Andray Blatche – Repeat after me: Jamison is out for 3-5 weeks.
9) Jason Thompson* - Very good steal in the 15th round.
10) Darko Milicic – Hasheem Thabeet beta
11) Matt Barnes – Repeat after me: Magic has too many offensive options.
12) Jarrett Jack – Strong last pick. He has proven that he will produce even if he comes off the bench.

Other Bests in UAAP this Decade

Best Player of the Decade: Arwind Santos (FEU)
Best Coach: Franz Pumaren (DLSU)
Best Crowd: Ateneo crowd
Best Cheerdance School: UST Salinggawi
Best Cheer: Go Ateneo! / Go Uste!
Best Chant: One Big Fight
Best Commentator: Sev Sarmenta
Best Courtside Reporter: Lia Cruz (Ateneo)
Best Crowd Draw: Ateneo vs. De La Salle games / Cheerdance Competition
Most Polarizing Team: DLSU Green Archers
Best Trashtalker: Mac Cardona (DLSU)
Best Clutch Shooter: Chris Tiu (Ateneo)
Best Shooter: James Yap (UE)
Best Slasher: Joseph Yeo (DLSU)
Best Big Man: Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Ateneo)
Best Defensive Player: Arwind Santos (FEU) / Nonoy Baclao (Ateneo)
Best Cinderella Story: Ateneo Blue Eagles’ ascension to the throne in 2002
Best Defensive Scheme: DLSU’s press
Most Hated: the referees
Biggest Concerns: game-fixing and scalping
Biggest Winners: Studio 23 or the scalpers

Mythical Team:
Center Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Ateneo) Sub: Rico Villanueva (Ateneo)
Power Forward Arwind Santos (FEU) Sub: Jervy Cruz (UST)
Small Forward James Yap (UE) Sub: Mac Cardona (DLSU)
Shooting Guard Ren-Ren Ritualo (DLSU) Sub: Larry Fonacier (Ateneo)
Point Guard LA Tenorio (Ateneo) Sub: Mike Cortez (DLSU)

Most Talented Season: Season 65 (2002)

Rankings of the UAAP Basketball Teams this Decade Part 2

5. University of the East Red Warriors

Championships: 0
Finals Appearances: 2 (2007, 2009)
Final Four Appearances: 8 (2002-2009)
Best Coach: Dindo Pumaren
Best Player: James Yap

The Recto-based squad finally appears in my list. The UE Red Warriors are the second most consistent team in reaching the Final Four recently. Unfortunately for them, they failed to win a single championship crown. If there was one crown they got, that would have to be ‘the bridesmaid of the decade’ crown. What worsens things is the fact that they always lose to the eventual champions. The only consolation that we can give to the Red Warriors is their recent achievement of breaking the Final Four jinx.

Nevertheless, UE is highly respected by their opponents in the hardcourt. They boast athletic big men and speedy guards like Ronald Tubid, Paul Artadi, Elmer Espiritu, Paul Lee, KG Canaleta, BonBon Custodio. They have a winning tradition in the elimination round that no matter how weak their lineup on paper is, they still manage to reach the playoffs. In this regard, I would take note of their 2004 season. They were on a rebuilding stage with Marcy Arellano as their premiere freshman but with the blitz system of new head coach Dindo Pumaren, UE managed to crack into the Final Four. From that season onwards, Dindo got my respect as a coach (I used to root for him when he was a PBA player anyway). He may have a similar system to his successful brother, Franz but pulling it off on another team which has a weaker program is remarkable. People love to tag Dindo as the unlucky charm but we must remember that he was consistent in pushing the team to the Final Four for five years. The most remarkable feat that Pumaren accomplished was when UE swept the league in eliminations of 2007. Unfortunately, their choking loss in the finals that year epitomizes what UE was for the decade.

UE produced several hardworking professional players and the best that they had was James Yap. Even in UAAP, he was very much feared because of his sniping and slashing skills. Teams had to designate double teams on James Yap just to limit his outside scoring. He won the MVP award in 2003 but was unable to give the Red Warriors their much-needed crown. The biggest reason was because UAAP was just oozing with talent in that time - Ateneo had a powerhouse squad and FEU had Arwind Santos.

6. Adamson University Soaring Falcons

Championships: 0
Finals Appearances: 0
Final Four Appearances: 1 (2006)
Best Coach: Leo Austria
Best Player: Ken Bono

I can still remember during high school when I commented on my friend’s basketball team. Their team was very weak and a win for them is like a championship win. I told him, “Tinatarget niyo bang maging Adamson?” The Falcons were very weak then. They wound up as the eighth placed team with barely any win. After a decade, well, they are still weak but they are more respected. Even if the Falcons have more than a decade of losing streak against Ateneo, the Soaring Falcons were still tagged as the dark horses in recent seasons (how can a bird become a horse as well? Pegasus, anyone?) . In 2006, they finally took a step forward by reaching the Final Four. They had MVP Ken Bono giving a huge scare to the Blue Eagles by shooting from anywhere before Adamson succumbed yet again to the stronger birds.

There are several reasons why the Soaring Falcons fail year in and year out. Their recruitment program is not that strong. Their losing tradition also hurts the psyche of their players. The only positive thing in their basketball program is their smart head coach, Leo Austria. He was able to bring them to their own version of Promised Land in 2006 and his smarts have helped Adamson finish 2009 with a bang by beating DLSU and UST. Adamson may have fewer wins than UP for the whole decade but at least they reached the Final Four.

7. National University Bulldogs

Championships: 0
Finals Appearances: 0
Final Four Appearances: 1 (2001)
Best Coach: Manny Dandan
Best Player: Jeff Napa/Froilan Baguion

It is such a sight to place NU on 7th and not on 8th in my rankings. They always place last so this is a new thing going for them. The primary reason why they edge out UP is because NU reached the Final Four. Being part of the upper half is huge because you theoretically have a 25% chance to be the champion. However, NU has been known as the consistent cellar dwellers of the decade. In fact, they never placed fifth or higher with the exception of their 2001 campaign.

Nevertheless, the Bulldogs get a positive nametag because they have always spawned upsets through the years. They broke Ateneo’s winning streak in 2003. NU defeated Ateneo in a game that mattered more to the latter in 2007. This caused the Eagles to lose their sure footing on the second spot of that sweep year. NU spoiled FEU in the 1st round of 2008 which would eventually be pivotal as FEU was not able to edge out La Salle in the wins to get the twice-to-beat advantage. Finally, NU’s previous benefactors, DLSU Green Archers, were upset in their last shot for a ticket to the Final Four recently. NU may have a weak basketball program but they have the heart to fight for their pride. The decade ends with Henry Sy owning the school. This is a sign of things to come as the basketball program could have a U-Turn by the turn of this decade.

8. University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons

Championships: 0
Finals Appearances: 0
Final Four Appearances: 0
Best Coach: Joe Lipa/Aboy Castro
Best Player: Marvin Cruz

It is a disappointing decade for the basketball of the boys from Diliman. Their Katipunan rivals are in the top while they are in the bottom. The primary reason for this is because they failed to reach the Final Four in any year. They may have a better showing than Adamson and NU in some years but they were all eliminated in any way you look at it. UP also had the infamous 0-14 season in 2007 and with a high caliber university, they could have a stronger basketball program. One may contend that they do not have the enthusiastic alumni support that Ateneo and La Salle boasts of but we must remember that UP used to be competitive in basketball. In fact, they were Ateneo’s first basketball rivals at the infancy years of NCAA. OK, the alumni from then were very old to support but UP won in 1986 (UE’s drought is longer than UP’s).

Actually, the alumni support is somehow seen in some recruiting efforts. UP had high school standouts Jay-R Reyes, Marvin Cruz, Martin Reyes, Mark Juruena and Woody Co. Unfortunately, the cager squad just could not dominate. It is actually sad because UP has one of the most passionate fans when you watch live. They do not come in throngs like that of Ateneo’s and La Salle’s but you can feel their school spirit when they shout “U!” or “UP, Fight!” That sight must have been similar to Ateneo’s “One Big Fight!” in the cellar years of the ‘90s. Will UP emerge in the next decade? Who knows? Maybe you will see those passionate Maroon fans cheering ecstatically in a basketball championship. Outside of the Big Five, UP has the most basketball crowns so the winning tradition can be enkindled.

Conclusion

If one would observe how things transpired this decade, we can say that it is boring in the sense that the same strong teams just stay on top, year in and year out. My take on it is that winning tradition matters. Champion teams and schools know what it takes. You see champion teams peaking in the crucial stages (i.e., DLSU circa 2007). Even champion crowds do the extra step by being very resourceful by lining up for tickets or seats. Norman Black mentioned that it feels like he has homecourt advantage in every Ateneo game as the blue crowd usually bleeds over the other side. This is why you see the teams with the most championship titles continue to stack on their achievements year after year. The Big Five composed of Ateneo, FEU, UST, UE and DLSU have owned the UAAP tourneys this decade and I will not be surprised if the winning tradition continues in the future.

Rankings of the UAAP Basketball Teams this Decade Part 1

As I count the decade by the 200X (some people may have it by 2001-2010 and I think it’s more logical), I shall have the rankings of the UAAP teams this decade just the same as I did with NBA teams in one of my previous blogs. I just hope that no one has done this yet or else I may appear to be a copycat. Although I have to admit that I have gotten this idea from one of John Hollinger’s articles in ESPN.com.

1. Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles

Championships: 3 (2002, 2008, 2009)
Finals Appearances: 6 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009)
Final Four Appearances: 10 (2000-2009)
Best Coach: Norman Black
Best Player: (too many to chose from) Enrico Villanueva, Chris Tiu, Rabeh Al-Hussaini

No biases in here. I have already visualized ranking these teams when they were still in the first round of this recently-concluded season. I was so bored lining up in BPI when I thought of this idea. During that time, there were two schools tied with three crowns but the Blue Eagles, should they win their third, will surely be the first because they never missed the Final Four this decade. It was actually a good storyline in the season as Ateneo and FEU were the top contenders. Whoever wins, becomes the first in my list but if both fail to do so, DLSU will reign as the best team of the decade.

The Loyola-based cagers have totally dusted off their dark ages by consistently being a threat to the title. For more than half of the decade, they have been one of the faces of Studio 23. Even if people pegged them as chokers because they lose when it counted the most, I have to say that a 30% chance in the Final Four is not that bad (the average should be 25% anyway). However, all these praises would not exist if the Hail Mary squad did not win their last two championships. I must say that Ateneo finished with a blast. It is quite ironic because some have named them as the squad which starts excellent and ends mediocre (can’t blame them… Ateneo swept first rounds before only to lose steam in the end).

For the Katipunan-based squad, the success story would have to be the recruitment. Each year showed a strong standout from high school. It was just a matter of giving these kids the exposure they needed. I still think that Joel Banal over-utilized his vets in the 2003 season thus causing Ateneo seasons of regret in the next two years. I can’t blame him though because he produced Ateneo their first championship of the decade. The development concern was solved in the Norman Black era as rookies and sophomores were given some playing time. Furthermore, Black has given a huge emphasis on highly fundamental and disciplined basketball – the best formula for winning. Defense catapulted Ateneo to the top by winning the final two years this decade. Thus, we see Ateneo tying up FEU and UST with the most number of collegiate championships at 19. It was a sweet ending for a university that celebrates its 150th anniversary.

As for the best player, this was pretty tough with all the talent that surrounded the championship teams. Ateneo always had balanced scoring in the years they succeed but it always boiled down to their dominant bigs. However, if I were to pick between the three, I will give it to Tiu because he was the best leader Ateneo had. He was not the normal transcending, high-scoring player but the way he has helped in molding the back-to-back team was critical to the success of Ateneo. Also, leadership pretty much symbolizes what Ateneo is for. Furthermore, Chris gets additional points for invoking a very positive image for the youth.

2. De La Salle University Green Archers

Championships: 3 (2000, 2001, 2007)
Finals Appearances: 7 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004*, 2005*, 2007, 2008)
Final Four Appearances: 8 (2000-2003, 2004*, 2005*, 2007, 2008)
Best Coach: Franz Pumaren
Best Player: Ren Ren Ritualo

These asterisks really put in question La Salle’s dominance in this decade. Nevertheless, they are this decade’s most polarizing squad. They plowed the competition at the early stages and they sported a team with a strong swagger. Amidst the antics and the controversies, Franz is the best tactician of this era. They carried on with their strong recruitment in the ‘90s and it featured a talented crop of players that consist of RenRen Ritualo, Mike Cortez, Mac Cardona, Joseph Yeo, Ryan Arana, TY Tang, JV Casio and Rico Maierhoffer. What fueled their success further was the vaunted Green Archer press which rattled their opposition big time.

La Salle happens to be the most controversial team of the decade as well. Rumors surfaced that Mike Cortez sold his game when they lost to their arch-rivals in Game 3 of 2002. There was the Manny Salgado incident. The PEP Test Scandal has forever tainted the image of the school as they fielded ineligible players. Franz Pumaren got heavily criticized when he left the National Team in the middle of the tourney to coach for DLSU in 2008. Nevertheless, the throng of Lasallians continued their unwavering support to their school making them one of the fiercest squads.

Even if DLSU fielded ineligible players (thus the asterisks), I strongly believe that it is the second best team. Their success is just too consistent that it was very hard to believe that they missed out in this year’s Final Four. They will forever be immortalized as the four-peat team that took the league by storm as their system has intimidated their opponents for the whole decade.

Franz Pumaren is the only coach that La Salle had this decade but his success is unmatched by any existing coach. From overall strategy to discipline to the X’s and O’s, Franz excels. His psy war and the way he boosts his team’s momentum in crucial stages has been outstanding.

I chose Ritualo as the King Archer because he was part of the whole four-peat experience. His clutch shooting was simply remarkable. It makes him a legend comparable to how Jordan did it for the Bulls in the sense that he will not let his team lose a championship match.

3. Far Eastern University Tamaraws

Championships: 3 (2003, 2004*, 2005)
Finals Appearances: 4 (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Final Four Appearances: 7 (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009)
Best Coach: Koy Banal
Best Player: Arwind Santos

FEU gets the short end of the stick of the teams that won three championships this decade. The primary reason why they ended up as third in my rankings is that their 2004, no matter how legitimate a championship it was, remains as an asterisk championship as it was not won in the basketball court. Of course, La Salle gets the blame but they paid for it by missing 2006. Furthermore, FEU had fewer finals and final four appearances than DLSU. The recent controversies in game-fixing do not help the team image as well.

Nevertheless, FEU still stands tall and proud as they had the strongest dynasty of the decade (which has the only three-peat in the decade – DLSU’s 4 is cut into two). Arwind Santos anchored the green and gold squad to this grand slam by being a defensive monster as they defeated the two most popular universities – Ateneo and La Salle. FEU was just loaded in both offense and defense; inside and outside in those years as they had amazing talent with Dennis Miranda, Mark Isip, RJ Rizada and Jonas Villanueva. Up to the present date, the Morayta-based university continues to have one of the strongest basketball programs as they never fell further than fifth place. We must also note that they are tied with both Ateneo and UST as the teams with the most basketball collegiate titles. That is dominance.

4. University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers

Championships: 1 (2006)
Finals Appearance: 1 (2006)
Final Four Appearances: 5 (2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009)
Best Coach: Pido Jarencio
Best Player: Jervy Cruz

Champions are remembered. Losers are forgotten. That is the case as to why I ranked UST on top of UE. Despite UE’s consistency since 2002, they never won a title unlike UST which pulled off a Cinderella story to defeat the top-notch Ateneo Blue Eagles. After I experienced three championships this decade, I can fully attest that I would rather have the school eliminated for years but win a championship than see my team fail each year in the playoffs. UST restored the glory that they enjoyed in the ‘90s back to Espana. It made the UST gallery believers again. I can still remember their crowd out-cheering the Ateneans in the Game 3 of the 2006 Finals. A potential dynasty was born then as it featured the dominating and skilled Jervy Cruz, the prolific general Japs Cuan, the hot shooting Jojo Duncil and the crafty wingman Dylan Ababou. After being in the bottom for years, people start to realize that the Growling Tigers circa 2006 were indeed a talented batch. They may have failed the expectations in the years that followed but they have made UST the threat that it was back in the ‘90s.

In my previous articles, I stated that I do not like Pido, the tactician. True. He is not that skilled in the X’s and O’s but the fact that he weaved the magic to put his Alma Mater to the history books is sufficient to crown him as the team’s best coach. Heck, some of the UST players in 2006 played in past years but failed to even reach the Final Four. Pido may not be able to repeat that year’s performance again but he was still able to spark the necessary passion that gave the Goldies the basketball glory again. They currently are tied with Ateneo and FEU for the most collegiate championships at 19.

To be continued…

The Sesquicentennial Season

The UAAP Finals

I took a hiatus from writing and analyzing about the UAAP Finals when it was ongoing. This was because I was too superstitious (er, this is actually abnormally superstitious already) that I might jinx Ateneo. In 2006, I wrote a blog entry during the Finals that was why I prompted not to do everything I did in that upset year. Sorry to disappoint you. I just wanted Ateneo to win the crown badly this year for it is the sesquicentennial year of the university. It did not stop me from sharing my analysis on the games though. Thank God for Twitter.

Nevertheless, I am going to provide my analysis on how the Finals went. This year’s grand event had two teams of opposing characters dueling. On the red corner, the UE Red Warriors was a squad which thrives heavily on momentum. This is best punctuated by Paul Lee’s cries of glory after he shot the lights out when the Recto quintet buried their Morayta counterparts. They had a system of no system – it was a free-wheeling style which entails players to take the shot as soon as they get open even if the shot clock had just restarted. This strategy was a perfect fit for the team as anyone knows how to shoot from long distance. When they get hot, nobody is stopping them on the offensive side. Their 24-year drought and their ‘bridesmaid of the decade’ tag further reinforced their hunger. UAAP has always been about Cinderella stories through the years so having a team style like this would make us conclude that UE has a shot to win it all.

On the blue corner, the boys from Katipunan pride themselves with a smartass system that uses defense as the main foundation. They employ an old-school fundamental type of play that centers on dishing the ball to the big guy to get the easy points. This was pretty much the same version as last year’s champion squad with the difference that they are more confident and are more offensively-equipped this year. As this team lives on a system, one can compare them to a professional team that wins championships year in and year out. After all, defense wins championships. As much as the red corner is ripe to pick the crown, the blue corner is also well-suited to achieve it.

In the games the two teams won, they have exhibited their strengths at the fullest. In Game 1, Ateneo played hard-nosed defense. They clogged the lanes and they forced UE to take the low-percentage shots. Even if UE was able to muscle its way from a 17-point deficit, I felt that Ateneo could take the game because the Blue Eagles were playing the right way and UE just had a momentary spurt. It’s the kind of thing that you cannot do much about if you are defending them, but they cannot fully rely on it for the whole game as well. Ateneo combined their defensive mastery with their hot shooting and they took Game 1 by seven points.

If there was one thing I was concerned about Ateneo then, it was the fact that they are playing a fast-paced offense. My analysis as to why UE defeated FEU is that the latter fed the Red Warriors with high-octane offense in the first half. UE maybe down in the first half of their match against the Tamaraws but the fact that the score was quite high, the red shirted players have already gained some momentum and shooting touch for the second half. I believed that the Blue Eagles should play a slow-paced game to limit the number of possessions so as not to add fuel to UE’s fire in the early ongoing.

In Game 2, my concern became a reality. Ateneo, even if they led by the half, had already given UE the ‘warm up’ that they needed. The Red Warriors scored 38 freaking points by halftime! It was no surprise when the Recto Boys blazed in the second half. The Blue Eagles actually tried to play defense but with the way UE was waxing hot on offense, there was no chance for the Blue and White to win that game. Their attempt of breaking the zone by shooting gazillions of threes was also terrible. Ateneo got their dose of their own medicine when they forced themselves to shoot the low probability shots.

Coach Chongson also got my respect in Game 2. I never trusted his freewheeling offense in the elimination round because the Red Warriors were jacking up ill-advised shots. But his strategy of going small in Game 2 made the difference. It forced Rabeh and Nonoy to move outside the paint and made the Red Warrior defense scary as they could easily deny the pass to Rabeh in the inside because of their quick rotating guards. Chongson definitely outcoached Black in that game.

Game 2 strengthened a lot of people’s beliefs that UE could win. The huge deficit was a huge indicator. However, I still believed that the Hail Mary squad can prevail (after all, I said ‘Always Believe’ before). Ateneo is too talented and heavily relies on defense which is the best formula to win championships. Nevertheless, it did not stop many from predicting a UE win. The volume of crowd in Araneta also reflects it. We were outnumbered by the red crowd then.

Game 3 was the way the Blue Eagles should have done it in the first two games. Their defensive fort has limited the Recto-based quad to a measly 25 points in the first half. Ateneo kept on pounding the ball inside which is the fundamental way to do. Paul Lee and Elmer Espiritu had valiant efforts but it was all too late as the boys from Loyola have already built a secure lead. Blue corner wins and they got to protect the crown.

Blue Eagle the King

After enjoying at the Bon Fire last Saturday, I guess it is time for me to take a look at the season that recently concluded.

Game of the Year: Ateneo loses to UP. I tweeted this and I will state it again: Thank you, UP! The biggest turning point of the season for the Blue Eagles would have to be their fourth regular season game. UP proved the doubters wrong by beating the invincible defending champs. Whether this game be fluke or not, it was a win-win for both teams. UP had its temporary bragging rights while Ateneo became a trending topic on Twitter. OK, I was just kidding on the latter. Ateneo maybe humiliated after this loss but it set the thinking that any team can beat the Blue Eagles. Thus, some of their arrogance was removed in the process. It also unleashed the monster in the Blue and White team. But the biggest effect of this game was that, it took away the pressure of maintaining a flawless win-loss card. I always believe that losing in the early stages of the competition is necessary. Losing makes a team adjust.
Runner-up: Ateneo beats FEU in the 2nd round. Huge comeback victory. But more importantly, it produced the Mark Barroca issue which, if it did not occur, should have FEU battling Ateneo in the Finals.

Nonoy, Rabeh and Jai

I would like to say thanks to the graduating seniors for the back-to-back championships. The Four Horsemen of Ateneo’s championships have all finished their UAAP stints now.

Hey, they are just three. Why four? Here is why…

Chris Tiu is the first horseman. He is the leader of the pack. He may not be part of the 2009 team but his influence was still pretty much felt up to now. The reason why he is my favorite Blue Eagle is not because he was a transcendent scorer who wins games for his team. It was because he empowered his teammates to be better. Thus, the 2009 Blue Eagles fulfilled Tiu’s promise from last year’s Thanksgiving Mass that they will win it this year. Nonoy Baclao is the defensive guy. He defended the paint viciously which made it highly impenetrable for the past two years. Without him, I doubt that we are enjoying a second bonfire this year. Jai Reyes is the momentum guy. Some of my friends doubted his ability last year and this year when he had shooting slumps but I think he was integral in both championship runs. This was because he delivered when it counted the most. He proved that he is a Reyes (not only because he had the vocal prowess and the yabang ng Atenista) because Jainamite exploded at the right circumstance just like his tito, Jun Reyes in the 1987-88 championships. Lastly, Rabeh is still Ateneo’s MVP. He might be a hot-tempered guy but he has proved his critics wrong when he delivered when it counted the most. Amazing stats in last year’s Game 1 and this year’s Games 1 and 3 just showed that Rabeh is one of the immortal centers in Ateneo history. When Rabeh is focused, he is simply unstoppable.

The Four Horsemen may be gone but The Architect is still with Ateneo. Coach Norman, let’s go for the three-peat next year.

To Jessica Mendoza: Thanks for being our lucky charm. Good luck on your future career/s.

Story of the Year: The Ateneo Blue Eagles
Much has been said about the Blue Eagles on how they won the championship. But for me, the biggest plot they showed after another 16 win season is the fact that they are the prototype team. In almost two decades of watching basketball, I have observed various stories of champions. Some have the ‘peaking at the right time story’ while some have the ‘never-say-die’ plot. For the Hail Mary squad, it has got to be their strong foundation of a team. Normally, you see teams which have flaws but if you observe the Blue Eagles of 2009, you can notice that this team is special because it had the correct ingredients of a champion team.

Ateneo is a very fundamental squad. Others use the term old school basketball. Ateneo employs a big man strategy by dishing it to the dominant big guy for the easy points. Scoring from the paint is usually on a high percentage. Ateneo settles with a controlled number of rainbow shots because it is lowly probable to convert such. What made Ateneo even more deadly this year is the fact that they rotate the ball with such discipline thus optimizing all their attempts. The Blue Eagles also have strong threats from all over the court whether it be on three point territory, slashing and fastbreaks. There are just too many offensive options that the bench mob can be a legitimate starting lineup on some teams. Last but not the least, the emphasis on defense further improved as the paint and the perimeter are well-covered.

The Katipunan-based quintet is also one of the finest disciplined teams. They may pale in comparison with other basketball champions’ talent and skill but the Blue Eagles’ discipline was so existent. From defense to offensive execution, you have to admire how they use their minds to control the situations. Furthermore, discipline was so much exemplified when they hit the short end of the stick. There were several occasions when the players were fouled hardly which could have caused altercations. But in most cases, they prevent it and just played on. There are exceptions but the general mood was to prevent things from worsening. Like what Jai Reyes mentioned in his Thanksgiving speech, “they try as much as possible to be role models for the kids even if they are not perfect individuals.” That, my friends, is sportsmanship at its best.

If there is mind, there is also heart. That is what I like in this year’s team. They have the fighting will. They may be disciplined but they also have the swagger. This was not very much existent on previous Ateneo teams but for this year, I have to give a huge salute to Salamat for his intimidations. Let’s accept it, it is part of sports. I can still remember the Little Giants movie where the protagonist kids used the medicine for acid indigestion to intimidate their opponents. One can psych out his opponents without resulting to physical harm or overboard taunting and the Blue Eagles have done this quite well on certain occasions. Basketball is not just an athletic sport – it is also a mind and emotion game. With the proper gulang techniques and the appropriate emotional outbursts after crucial shots, the Blue Eagles of 2009 have affected their fans in unbelievable ways. With a supporting crowd that makes Norman Black feel that all their games are played in the home court, the swagger factor has gave the team the morale boost and their opponents the chill at the same time.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you win a back-to-back.

The Atenean Fanalyst's Introduction

I have been blogging for years, but it is just recently when I decided to have my own blog site. For those who already knew me, you must have read my write-ups in my Multiply site. There was already quite some time when I realized to create a Blogspot account but it never came into fruition. As most people know, Multiply is not meant for blogs. I started to become conscious of this when I had issues in inserting pictures. There was also a time when my cousin, Jomic, mentioned that he was having a difficulty reading the white text in the dark background. I thought of having a remedy on it by improving the Multiply site layout by my 100th journal entry.

However, I realized something when I was conceptualizing on my 100th write-up…

My writing evolved through the years. When I started blogging, it was just for my personal account on random stuff. I actually used journal writing for my daily rants then. It was intended for my friends only. However, I love analyzing sports so I began written dozens of UAAP and NBA stuff in the past two years. I always inject my personal experience in these but the themes have become more public-friendly. I have tackled topics like sports, music, TV shows and some excerpts on books (although I have not read that much lately). As a blog site would cater to a probable bigger audience and I would get the chance to have a new layout (for readers who get their eyes strained from reading my Multiply blogs), I decided to create a site dedicated to my blogging.

First step was to think of a blog website name. I tell you, it was definitely hard. Why did I feel the necessity to have one? As a sports fan, I grew up watching people give certain monickers to sports athletes. Reading the articles of Bill Simmons a.k.a. “The Sports Guy” just added to the cause – it motivated me to think of a monicker for myself. I asked the help from a handful of my friends in brainstorming for titles. I wanted the blog title to have a certain relevance or meaning to what I am going to write on. Several names were brought up like The J Spot, Awesome Bluesome, Pradohood, and Die Hard Blue. All of these left me dissatisfied until I came up with the term ‘fanalyst’. I am a fan of several sports teams, authors, artists and TV shows. My friends always remark that I am too analytical as well (from speculating, predicting or analyzing stuff mathematically) so combining the terms ‘fan’ and ‘analyst’ suit quite well with what I will be putting up in this blog site. Unfortunately, the term ‘fanalyst’ was already used in a blog and a TV show when I searched it via Google. I was already tired of thinking of blog titles for a week so I just thought of adding something to the term ‘fanalyst.’ I first thought of using ‘The Sports Fanalyst’ but I will just be primarily discussing on basketball and baseball. The scope was just too broad for me. This prompted me to have it ‘The Atenean Fanalyst.’ ‘Atenean’ refers to a person who studied in the Ateneo and that is pretty much who I am. The Ateneo Blue Eagles is my favorite sports team so that pretty much seals the deal.

Nevertheless, the blog title should not confuse you. You may see several Ateneo fan experiences in my recent blogs but this site is primarily intended for everything that I am a fan of. I will be writing about sports, music, books, TV shows, movies and games.

I was about to formally introduce this blog site to my friends two weeks ago. However, the Ondoy incident pretty much killed the timing. I felt that it was not appropriate to start something at the time of a disaster. I am a superstitious person so I decided to defer the official start. Fortunately, the Ateneo Blue Eagles recently won the UAAP 72nd Season Men’s Basketball Crown. This set up the perfect time for me to officially begin being The Atenean Fanalyst.

So there, I hope you would enjoy the content in this blog site. I will have to note that it will be biased to a certain extent because that is what being a fan is for. Nevertheless, I will try my best to inject my insights and analysis on every blog I write.

Superstitions

Ever since I was a child, I have been accustomed to having superstitious beliefs. My parents always forbid me to walk over someone who is sleeping or lying along my path because the person ‘might not grow anymore.’ Either way, it is rude to do that. Whenever I drink liquor, I spill a shot full of liquor to the ground. “For the gods” as they say. The same superstitious attitude is also reflected when I watch sports events. If you back track on my previous journal entries, you will observe that I perform some irrational rituals or acts to bring luck to the team I root for. I even had a Final Four/Championship Beard (no shaving until the last game of Ateneo) this year. In the recently concluded UAAP Finals, believing in such superstitions and signs was very much prevalent not just to me, but for many fans as well.

There were telling signs. Everyone was comparing this season’s finals to the miraculous 2006 title run of UST. There were just too many similarities. These have been stated in various forums or articles so I will just name a few:

• Both UST ‘06 and UE ‘09 placed third in the elimination round and they defeated their Final Four foes after both of those had controversial players accused of selling out their games.
• Ateneo ’06 and ’09 both placed first and have pretty much plowed through the opposition.
• Both UST ’06 and UE ’09 had rookie coaches. Norman Black apparently has a bad record against newbies.
• The Philippines was hit by massive storms (Milenyo and Ondoy) in both years. Consequently, the UAAP Finals were postponed.
• Both UST ’06 and UE ’09 won by huge margins on their Game 2 bout.
  

Other than which, both UST ’06 and UE ’09 were very hungry teams as their schools were deprived of years without a championship. And as I mentioned in my previous writeup “The Outliers”, Cinderella teams tend to always win the UAAP Finals since 2002. By the way, the two first seeded teams that were able to win it all then (FEU ’05 and Ateneo ’08) battled the defending champions so the Cinderella story can be on their side as well. Trouble is on the way for the mighty Blue Eagles.

On a personal note, there were also some parallelisms of unfortunate endings to this year’s experience. I cheated my way to Upper B in both Game 2’s of the 2006 and 2009 Finals. Ateneo never wins if I cheated my way to get my seat. This was purely karma on me. OK, there was one exception when I watched in the DLSU side with some of my officemates. I had to ‘cheat my way’ so that my friend who was afraid to do it could watch the game. And besides, Ateneo always wins if I have to sacrifice for the sake of friendship when I have to sit with my Lasallian friends in the green side. When I was watching Game 2 last Sunday, I bought an Ateneo basketball jersey. The only other time I bought such was during 2003 when Ateneo lost to FEU thus depriving the former of a back-to-back. After watching Game 2, Dad and I decided to eat at KFC for a quick meal as I need to go as soon as possible so that I will not miss the Holy Mass in Ateneo. When I was waiting for my Zinger meal, I realized that I also ate at KFC during the Game 2 of 2006. Yikes! To beat the superstitions, I decided to take out my food and eat it in the car instead. Besides, several minutes already passed and I am late for the Mass.

Signs were all over the place. Are we headed for another disaster ending?

I did miss the Mass last Sunday (it was held 6 PM at the College Covered Courts). I decided to pray alone in Gesu saying thanks to God for a wonderful year it has been. After all, Ateneo is still defending the crown valiantly. I prayed that Ateneo wins this year’s basketball title as it is only once for a school to celebrate its 150th year anniversary. It was the fitting ending for us if ever.

After Game 2, I went home defeated but not sad. I knew that Ateneo did not have a shot of winning that game because UE’s shots were all over the place. It was a terrible way to lose but by no means was it more frustrating than Ateneo’s humbling losses to DLSU in 2005. I know that even if the players got relaxed and overconfident, they still tried to fight back. UE was just clicking in all cylinders and you cannot do much about it anymore. There’s still a Game 3 after all.

October 8, 2009. 10/08. The two numbers on that date happen to be part of my favorite numbers. 10 is Chipper Jones’ jersey number. If you do not know him, he is the Atlanta Braves’ franchise slugger. I also used the number 10 in my HP basketball jersey last 2006. The number eight is my favorite number. 2008 was such a memorable year for me that I decided to use 8 as my new favorite number. Will numerology do me a favor? When I was lining up for tickets for the Juniors game, I still do not know. All I knew then was I was a bit unfortunate – the lower box and patron tickets sold out before I got to buy. I bought an Upper A ticket only to realize that the ticket lady gave me an Upper B ticket. It was too late when I found out about it. This time, I was ‘cheated’ for my place. If that was karma for past instances, I accept it. After all, what matters is Ateneo wins the game. After struggling the season by ending third in the eliminations, the Blue Eaglets defeated the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers. I rejoiced with the crowd but I suddenly remembered that the Blue Eaglets also won in 2006. The foreshadowing is quite scary. Nevertheless, I left the stadium and hurried to line up for seats for the next game.

As usual, the line for seats was terribly long. I was just fortunate that there were seats available in the upper middle part of the Upper B section. I always want to watch the game in an angle similar to that on TV so it was a treat to me. My only concern is if Ateneo loses the game. Ateneo won their 2002 and 2008 championships when I was in the Gen Ad section. This time around, I am on Upper B. The last time I witnessed a championship game in Upper B was in 2006. Of course, you know that it was not a good ending for me. This foreshadowing is killing me…

The UE crowd was really hyped up for Game 3. For the first time in a very long while, the Ateneo crowd was outnumbered by the opposition. The red crowd bled over the usual boundaries in the Upper B and General Admission sections. When they threw their initial cheers, I knew that they were feeling it. It was reminiscent of the 2006 UST crowd which was overwhelming our usually dominating cheers. On the other hand, the blue crowd was not that pumped up. The Blue Babble Band has not yet set up their equipment either.

The tides turned when the Blue Babble started distributing my favorite flyer – the Fight/Wala sign. It was then when I remembered that it was my lucky flyer of the year. I was holding it while I cheered when we beat La Salle twice this year. It was also the same flyer that I had when Ateneo won last year. The UE crowd maybe loud then but once the Ateneo gallery started flashing the ‘Wala’ signs on them, nasupalpal na sila. It was like Nonoy Baclao emphatically blocking a driving red Warrior. The Sixth Man was back on their relentless cheering as we waited for the start of Game Three.

Amidst all the signs and terrible foreshadowing that we had, I knew deep inside that Ateneo can win. After all, it is not the superstitions and the signs that win games. It is the players. They have worked hard for this and they have learned several valuable lessons in the past. By the time the Blue Eagles erupted with a huge lead, we never looked back and collegiate basketball title number 19 was on the way. The Blue Eagles literally and figuratively defended the crown. Their hard-nosed defense forced the Warriors to try their luck from downtown. They were fortunate to shoot the lights out in Game 2 but I knew that it is difficult for them to replicate it again. Luck does not win championships. When UE scored a measly 25 points by the break, I was pretty confident that we are going to take this game. The reason why UE wins games is if they get a lot of shots early on the game. This is because they thrive heavily on momentum. Game 2 was a testament to that.

The Red Warriors tried to climb back in the second half but unfortunately for them, we have the Reyes magic. In the 1980’s Ateneo had a Jun Reyes who performed well in crunch times. He was part of the Blue Eagle team which climbed from a 20-point deficit. Two decades later, his nephew – Jai Reyes – proved that he is really part of the family of clutch shooters. Jainamite exploded and we saw another Reyes beating a team that fielded a Zamar. In the end, Ateneo was victorious and the much-awaited back-to-back was at hand. Lightning does not strike the same place twice.

I went to Gesu after the game to attend the mass and it was a great sight as we finished strong. I thanked God for listening to my prayers. He made our 150th anniversary extra special. Yes, the superstitions and signs were against our way prior to the game but all those beliefs are disregarded when we talk about the only important Being to believe to. Thank God for the special season that we had.

After this season, I will still probably believe in karma and superstitious acts and beliefs. This is not because these are the ultimate truths but rather as a sports spectator, we like to find ways of ‘contributing to our team’s wins’ even if these are irrational. We minutely affect the games as fans that is why we have the tendency to think of such. But still at the end of the day, sports teams win it and only God can intervene.

One Big Fight! See you all in the bonfire later.

For more pictures, please check my Multiply site.

When It Rains

Saturday, September 26, 2009. I woke up lazily as the rains poured hard outside of the house. After all the past days of struggling to wake up (because of the tempting rains), I was glad because I slept soundly. It was your typical hard raining September morning. I went downstairs and ate breakfast. I woke up late (around 10:30 AM) but it did not feel that late because there was no sun and I was expecting a boring day ahead. I went online and chatted with some of my friends as I killed time to wait for the afternoon UAAP game that featured the Ateneo Blue Eaglets against De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers. The rain continued to pour hard…

Nevertheless, I could not care that much because I expected it to stop some time soon. The only problem was the potential brownout. I heard news that the much-awaited basketball game was postponed. It was just right. With the rate these rains continued to pour, it was at least similar to the typhoons that get classes suspended. By 3 PM, electricity went out but since the weather was cold, I just went to bed and slept. Anyway, it was just another boring day. The rains still poured non-stop but since I could not hear strong winds in the background, I thought that the rains will eventually stop. I woke up by 5 PM noticing that the electricity was restored. The heavy rains are still heard from the background. This is already alarming because I never heard it stop. My parents were tuning to a local TV station which featured people asking for help. I was shocked that celebrities like Cristine Reyes and Jenica Garcia were in big trouble. They showed footages of severe flooding in the streets. I have driven in flooded roads before but since the downpour was still terrible, it is now a huge concern. Before 6 PM, we experienced another brownout. It was still raining but it was not as heavy as it was. It elicited me to curse because we experienced electricity stoppage at a time when the showers have started to lessen. But still, it did not stop. We spent the whole night without electricity and with only a radio (however, it was FM only because it cannot access AM stations) to keep me connected to the rest of the world, it was a complete struggle.

Eventually, the rainfall became a drizzle and it soon stopped by midnight. Electricity was still inexistent so I was still pissed off. I had to stroll at our Silent Hill-looking village so that I could feel the cool weather as my body was sweating badly.

The next day continued to be boring. However, it was because I was still disconnected from the world. In this age, having no Internet connection sucks. I am so dependent on it that my day would easily be ruined without it. When electricity came back, we were set to go to my cousin Kae’s debut. Unfortunately, the huge volume of traffic and flood prevented us from going further. We instead attended the Holy Mass to which Mom was the commentator and we arrived home by 8 PM. Internet connection via DSL was not available then and my only way to connect was via Dad’s WeRoam which was not functioning properly. I still had to connect to do some work but it was too unstable. But when I had some free time, I tried to access Facebook and Twitter. That was when I found out how severe the typhoon really was. There were several videos showing how terrible the situation was. I also found out that some of my friends struggled for their lives as their houses were flooded 9-10 feet deep! There were several messages about donations and volunteering because there were still various people stranded in their houses a day after the storm.

Suddenly, I felt bad. I was getting pissed off that we lost electricity and Internet whereas other people were losing their prized possessions and even their lives. I was just sweating and getting bitten by mosquitoes the previous night while some were sweating for their dear lives by climbing up their rooftops despite getting drenched with the heavy rain. I was too busy worrying about myself while others were already suffering from misfortunes that were more than a hundred times worse than mine. Damn, Jeff you were such an idiot! My conscience got the better of me and I started taking out the clothes that I have in my cabinet to donate. It was time to put some purpose for being an impulsive t-shirt buyer before. I wanted to help further if not for some pending work. I felt sad for that. I ended my night with a prayer hoping that things would get better for the rest of the typhoon victims from then on.

Last weekend was simply the worst weekend of the year. Typhoon Ondoy was simply the worst typhoon of the decade. Our electricity was restored faster than it did during Typhoon Milenyo but it is not anymore a matter of personal experience. After all, I am a Filipino and I ought to care for my countrymen. With the various initiatives around the city, I am proud of the cooperation of the Filipinos. We have set aside all the conflicts to unite as a nation to solve this huge problem. To be honest, I have not done that much to help so I do not deserve any praise at all. But to all those who have spent their precious time to help solve the typhoon problem, kudos to you. All of you are modern-day Filipino heroes.

Calamity has hit this country and it might again in the future. Such cooperative acts are very good but I hope that such scenarios won’t require us to have volunteering in the future as typhoon damage is significantly lessened. I hope that Filipinos would be more proactive than reactive. If the problem can be prevented, then there is no need to resolve it as it did not occur in the first place. I know that this is a tall order and is too idealistic. But, this typhoon serves as a lesson to us from Mother Nature. This is a call to us to be more responsible. As all of this is too much to ask for, I am just praying and hoping that we be:

• More aware of our environment. Global warming is a growing issue and it has become more evident in recent times. We should avoid using things that could worsen global warming.
• More disciplined in disposing our trash. One of the possible reasons of the floods is our garbage problem. If we just throw our trash in the proper way, we could alleviate the concern in our little way. This prayer even goes to the ones who receive relief goods as most of them would be disposing a handful of trash after consuming food.

I am stopping there. Two things to pray for the moment but I think it could be a huge change if we are more disciplined in doing these. I’ll add in another: I pray that the Government fixes possible drainage and flood-aggravating issues.

But at the end, if a storm is really that heavy, everything is in God’s hands. Thus, we pray. But with what little control that we have on our future, I hope that we maximize it by doing what we ought to do.

It has been said over and over again: in our little ways, we can collectively change our world for the better. Stay safe, everyone.