|
When
coach Franz Pumaren warned that De La Salle would be
back this year in Season 70 of the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines (UAAP), it was not a
threat. It was a vow. The outcome of the UAAP
championship on Sunday was not really surprising; it was
amazing.
De La
Salle defied all odds, took a crazy, roundabout way to
land in the finals, absorbed strange defeats and escaped
by the skin of its teeth, then masterfully conducted a
clinic, as it were, on “how to win UAAP championships”
for the Red Warriors.
Again
the leitmotif of the 70th season—which was irony—showed
itself in bold colors. The Red Warriors, unbreakable and
invincible throughout the long stretch of the
elimination round and which blasted the Archers’ arrows
to smithereens in both of their meetings, looked
unpoised and wet behind the ears against the experienced
Archers.
It
really did not look like the elimination-round Warriors
who were playing out there. Their confidence, grit and
will power were missing. They were taking hurried shots,
making wrong decisions and actually appeared nervous.
Could it have been because it was their first time on
center court after 22 years? Could their long rest
period have cooled the fire in their bellies? Were they
short on adrenaline? Did they blink and think
subconsciously that they couldn’t do it?
Whatever
it was, the Green Archers sure smelled the fear or the
uncertainty. And then, they just did what they usually
do, and played it cool. The pieces all fit together,
Lady Luck smiled and Al Gore is in his heaven. The UAAP
this year is Green. Experience does look like a better
ace than strength.
I’d like
to share with you some reactions from my Journalism 196
Sportswriting class at the UP
College of Mass Comm about this climactic moment in the UAAP:
Marjorie
Anne F. Garces:
“It was very tragic for the UE Red Warriors to have been
swept off by the DLSU Green Archers in the best-of-three
series in UAAP Season 70 men’s basketball finals.
Apparently, history somehow only repeated itself. DLSU’s
championship run this year somehow resembles UAAP Season
53 Finals in 1990 when the Green Archers also beat the
Red Warriors. But in that case, DLSU was the leading
team after the eliminations, so UE first had to beat the
Ateneo Blue Eagles before they got defeated by the
Archers, unlike this season when it was the DLSU which
first beat AdMU before they got into the best-of-three
series.
“I am
not so sure if we may call the Red Warriors
overconfident with their 14-game sweep because really,
having that kind of sweep could take anyone’s breath
away. What they only failed to see was that a 14-game
sweep can become absolutely nothing when it is crushed
by a two-game sweep.
“This
teaches everyone to be wary of every single game no
matter what kind of record each team has in its past
games. What is always important in big matches is to
never slack off and not to underestimate every opponent,
even if it’s an underdog. No one knows what’s going to
happen. But keep the faith and go for the game always!”
Weisa
Orejola:
“The UAAP basketball finals sure was an anticlimax for
UE and its fans. And surely, it sent La Sallians jumping
off their seats. Their redemption came only a year after
their huge disgrace [a.k.a. suspension]. Akala ko ma-sweep
ng UE ang finals. Oh well, what’s done is
done.”
Ivy Jean
Vibar:
“Kung pwede lang maging automatic champion
kapag maka-sweep ng 14-0… hay, sayang
UE.”
Last
Sunday was really a sports-crazy Sunday for me. I was
watching the last rounds of Manny Pacquiao roughing it
up with Barrera on GMA and getting pieces of Red and
Green action from Studio 23 at the same time. I should
have been at the Ateneo Gym watching the judo
championship matches there too.
But I
wasn’t, so I’ll let one more sportswriter in the making
write her “blog” on the action:
Jessica
Hermosa:
“After watching the UAAP judo event on Sunday, October
6, I have revised my life plan to include this new goal:
must learn judo or any martial art. And because I am not
a stickler for detail when it comes to life goals, I
will settle for two backups: (1) Make my future kids
learn judo or (2) Make babies with a judoka.
“Don’t
laugh, I’m serious. If the world were filled with people
who had the same discipline, sportsmanship, camaraderie
and hot abs like those in the judo teams that day, the
world would definitely be a better place.
“I can’t
help to admire how the men and women athletes that day
could still muster a respectful bow, and even more, a
friendly hug with their opponents after they beat up and
sometimes injure each other. The look on the UP lady
judokas’ face, for instance, when she accidentally
sprained her opponent’s shoulder was pure sadness and
concern—regardless that she had automatically won that
round because of her good ippon throw. In less injurious
matches on the other hand, the judokas would always tap
each other on the back after the win was proclaimed, as
if forgetting that they were pinning each other down
just a second ago.
“To top
it all off, the surprisingly touching experience was
ended with a sweet victory from both the UP men’s and
women’s Judo teams. They won the overall championships
for both divisions, yehey! Hindi lang gwapo at
magaganda, champions pa.
“On
hindsight though, it is probably not good news for me
that they won—mas-hard to reach na sila ngayon.
Time to get cracking on my life goals!”
Thanks
kids, and congratulations PacMan,
La Salle and UE and the UP judokas! You all rock! |
