On a personal note, 14 years ago, I had just graduated from my BS course in Ateneo and was a bumbling Ateneo law school freshman while my wife was an incoming freshman in La Salle. Back then "text" referred to those little cards that kids made pitik in the air and the words "Smart" and "Globe" had no special relevance to us other than their dictionary meaning.
That should give you some idea of just how long it’s been for all of us wearing the blue and white. It’s practically 1/5 of an average lifespan! The last time I cheered for our basketball team and victoriously waved the Ateneo flag with pride was when the players were the likes of Jun Reyes, Danny Francisco, Eric Reyes, Olsen Racela, Gayvee Gayoso. Man, those guys are PBA vets now. In fact, a lot of them have already retired from basketball! Talk about a drought, huh? But all that is now water under the bridge. The fact that it took so long for us to win it again makes it all the more sweet. And all is well now for all of us "standing on a hill, between the earth and sky (and between PSBA and Miriam)."
Needless to say, Ateneo’s victory was so full of drama that I’d bet not even the writers of the now defunct Pangako Sa Iyo telenovela would have been able to come up with the kind of a twisting and turning storyline that Ateneo went through. The team literally came back from the grave – as they were written off by many sports analysts when they went down 4-5 in the season after winning the PBL championship. And, you know what – a lot of those that wrote them off were – yes, Ateneans themselves. But to a certain extent, the Atenean team was like the Pangako sa Iyo character of Eula Valdez–Amor Powers. Just like Amor, our team had its ups and downs, highs and lows, defeats and victories. We were tormented year in, year out by our nemesis La Salle – the Madame Claudia in our lives (guys, I only know this Pangako Sa Iyo characters because of my La Sallite wife who kept me abreast, OK?). We always felt that they (La Sallites) were created for the sole purpose of making life miserable for us. But in the end, the perennial underdogs prevailed! We have slain the Dragon! David finally slays Goliath, Onyok Velasco knocks out Mike Tyson, Amor Powers kills the hateful Madame Claudia!
Indeed, I think winning this year was destiny for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, though I’m not saying our players were just there at the right place and at the right time. Guys, you did a splendid job. And to Jeck Chia – dude, I will contribute the first bag of cement for the construction of a statue in your honor. Your shot during the UE semis opened up this opportunity for us. Thanks also to your parents for feeling romantic that night that you were conceived.
But my view is this – apart from all the effort, the hard work, and the breaks – there were other reasons it was imperative for us to win Game 3.
So here are my own top 14 reasons (because it took us 14 years) why we deserved to win the championship:
14. Some people were beginning to think that ADMU stood for "A Door Mat University!"
13. You can only really use the slogan "It’s Our Time" once.
12. UP has been dominating Ateneo in the bar exams lately, heck, we had to vent out our vengeance on someone, right?
11. The Ateneo alumni are starting to forget to spell "Blue Eagles" during the cheerleading chants.
10. It was getting a bit embarrassing for the Ateneo seniors team to be known as the "practice team" for the Ateneo juniors team.
9. If we didn’t win Game 3, Erap might have really called his gambling lord friends to rig Games 4 and 5.
8. Every year, it was getting tougher and tougher to sing the line from our school hymn, "Win or lose, it’s the school we choose" – especially when it came to the "or lose" part.
7. Manny Pangilinan, Ateneo’s biggest supporter, is on a roll! (And to think that a building in Ateneo was named after his biggest business competitor – hmmmm.)
6. All things being equal, I think the Ateneo players’ hairstyles and sports socks looked much better than the La Sallites’ – and even my La Sallite wife thinks so!
5. The Ateneo school board had issued a resolution that if the Blue Eagles lost, during the post-game mass, each player is required to sing one song recorded by any former Kundirana member word for word (just a thought – can you imagine LA Tenorio singing Gary V’s Jump For Joy?)
4. The leftover San Miguel beer purchased by the Ateneo cafeteria during the 1988 celebration was going to expire in the next couple of days.
3. The dean announced that if the Blue Eagles had lost, all of them would have to take ROTC – in the La Salle campus!
2. Fr. Caluag’s chain letter/e-mail prayer imploring for an Ateneo victory was beginning to clog up computer systems worldwide.
1. Hey, when you’ve got a coach named "Banal", you know who the "good guys" are, right?
But it’s our turn now, guys – and since you’ve been on top for so long, maybe you should give us this chance to be merry, maybe even allow us to be crazy just a bit. And hey, join us in our celebration! After all, our victory is doubly sweeter because it’s against you guys! So thanks, La Salle!
So, go Blue Eagles, fly, fly to Mary. For in the end, this is all for her – and ultimately, God’s glory!
So how about it, my fellow Ateneans? ONE BIG FIGHT! Ah, it’s so great to say that again!