It was a lazy Sunday afternoon some time in July 2009. I just came back from our team outing and I tuned in the television to check the first Ateneo game that year. I was feeling positive for my team’s chances because we just won the championship the previous year while most of the core players were back (with the very much promising rookies of 2008). I was also excited to find out who was Ateneo’s courtside reporter. I was single again that year so it would be guilt-free to have a crush on someone. And, voila! A cute mestiza named Jessica Mendoza (who was nicknamed “Je”) was shown in the screen. Ateneo always had the best balance of beauty and skill when it comes to courtside reporting but I was never charmed the same way that Jessica did. Little did I know that it was the start of an era.
It was the start of an era indeed. The Ateneo Blue Eagles went on to achieve a bucket list kind of a winning run with Coach Norman Black at the helm. They won the next four seasons to complete a half decade dominance. Even the most confident fans from our archrivals just accepted the fate that Ateneo would rule UAAP for a long time. Watching UAAP games became a breeze for me as the Blue Eagles trounced their opponents easily. If there was ever a golden age of sports in my life, it would easily be this stretch as the Blue Eagles assured me of an annual taste of championship.
