La Sallians are humble and dignified in defeat

A true Archer knows how to put his arrow down when he sees a young eagle eager and determined to fly. He is humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

I received this text message many times after the fateful event at the Araneta Coliseum last Saturday. Ironically, those who sent it to me were not even La Sallians. The first time I read it, I got goose bumps. Maybe because it was very true, maybe because I found comfort in the belief and reverence other people had in the Green Archers and in the La Sallian system, I was proud to be a part of this community.

The afternoon of Game 3, the last game for the 65th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball season, I was called for this assignment. I was thrilled! I was nervous that the Archers would lose, I was excited to write this piece, I was confident in what I had to write about, and I felt passionate about it. I did not have to get myself in the mood or psyche myself into delivering the article. I did not need to look for a motivation or do something up to inspire me. I knew it would just come to me. And yes, I was nervous, afraid of what our team’s fate would be. Knowing Ateneo was a deft team as well, it was anyone’s ball game.

The duel of two titans, a hungry and angry attempt at ending a 14-year drought, and a defending champion’s dream of extending a dynasty to a five-year championship streak. Two prestigious Catholic universities were to battle on the court as archrivals, trying to outdo, outwit and outplay one another. It was a certified newsmaker, from the season’s start to its very end. People talked about nothing but the upcoming, ongoing or past game La Salle had versus Ateneo. Everywhere you went bars and restaurants had banners that said "big screen, ATENEO vs. LA SALLE game," executives and professionals missed work and students skipped class. Even the common folk on the streets knew King Archer Cortez and Blue Eagle Villanueva. The whole world just seems to freeze when DLSU meets ADMU for the UAAP championship. And so, after four games, including Game 1 and 2 of the finals, the Blue Eagles walked away with the crown for season 65’s men’s basketball. And the Archers put their arrows down, giving way to the hungrier team, Ateneo.

"Kulang sa oras. Naku, sayang naman ang La Salle." When I heard this from the man behind me, just as Chris Quimpo threw the three pointer, sealing Ateneos lead at 73-62, I was devastated. The sea of green at the big dome was suddenly motionless, silent and passive. I sank into my chair. I chose not to look; mainly because I couldn’t, the tension was killing me. And as the silver confetti sprinkled on the court and the Ateneo crowd grew wild, I thought I would burst into tears. Joseph, my brother, beside me who was cheering until the poignant end, hopeful of a fabled comeback from the Archers, suddenly fell quiet. I had wished I had his vivacity and spirit in cheering during the last quarter, something I wasn’t able to do, but at that minute, I knew, we were at the same wavelength. A dark cloud hung heavily over our heads. I never pictured the silver confetti and blue balloons in my mind, so it was nothing short of unbelievable.

From the looks of our players, I could almost bet my life they were thinking the same way.

I began to get the notion that I had little to write about. I started to think this article would be an ugly one. I initially thought I had nothing to write, dreading the time I had to type. My mind was occupied with thoughts of sadness and distraught. And I lost my energy to think and write. The atmosphere at the Big Dome among the La Sallians was mournful, bereavement over a dynasty, a demise of a dream. Seeing the players’ faces was even more painful, knowing they had gone through all the hardships for a lost crown.

On our way to the DLSU campus in Taft, I dared to reflect. The Ateneans were right, it was their time. I looked for more reasons and wished they’d come to me right away. After 14 years of waiting, trying and being beaten over and over again, it should be their time. As their coach, Joel Banal said, "We had nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Ateneo played as if they had never played before. Ateneo fought as if there were no tomorrow. Their best defensive player was against our best offensive player. Nobody thought that the season would end the way it did, Ateneo did a splendid job of overcoming its fear of La Salle. Finally, my congratulations to the Blue Eagles.

When we had reached Taft for the traditional dinner after the game, I, surprisingly, was in a better mood. There was no bitterness, no anger. How could there be any room for those, seeing 1,000 people at the Yuchengco lobby waiting for the Archers. How could one be sad? How could one be unaffected by the overwhelming communion this family had? That was La Salle.

I discovered much more than what I expected to find. It may have been the end of the 65th season of men’s basketball for the UAAP, but not of La Salle’s championship.

The players, coaching staff entered and applauded one after the other. My mom said Mike (Cortez) didn’t even think there would be people at the dinner. And what do you know, the guy wasn’t even able to eat because of the countless supporters who wanted his autograph and pictures taken with him. One guy even had his cap, shirt, jeans down to his socks and shoes signed. La Sallians really did know how to party, and party they did! There were many reasons to celebrate. Brother Rolly Dizon took the occasion to thank the men’s and women’s chess and swimming teams which captured UAAP titles. The men’s chess is aiming for a so-called five-peat next year, while the women’s basketball team, which still has to face Adamson in a third game of a best-of-three series, is eyeing a fourth straight title. In addition, the DLSU team in the Financial Executives of the Philippines (FINEX) sponsored National Collegiate Finance contest captured first spot, besting other college students from Ateneo, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, among others, last Friday. The party was not a wake. As team manager, Terry Capistrano put it, "it was some sort of a despedida." The atmosphere was celebratory, even festive, ironically. There was no finger pointing, no one was blamed, no insecurity, anger or bitterness was felt by players, students, alumni and supporters. None. As Brother Rolando Dizon, FSC, president of the La Salle system beautifully put it, "I am very, very proud of this team, I am very, very proud of De La Salle because honestly, we really know how to lose graciously." I could not have agreed more. In defeat, we are humble and dignified.

Let me share with you some words of Lito Tanjuatco, president of the De La Salle Alumni Association. "God works in strange or mysterious ways. Maybe he wanted La Salle to be a shining example, humble and magnanimous in victory. Maybe this was God’s way of testing us in our willing ways that we are unified. We may have lost our crown but we will keep our heads high because we are humble and dignified in defeat, we are united and will remain so."

In Game 3, four flags were being waved, four of the many flags under the De La Salle system, Benilde’s pep squad was present to cheer the Archers on together with La Salle Taft’s pep squad. Students from Lipa, Bacolod, Cavite, Zobel and Green Hills were there. We were one. We did not have flashy gimmicks during cheers, the only fuel that kept us going was our fellowship.

Ateneo may have won. But we are also victors. We may have yielded the crown to our archrival, but we still have the heart of a champion. Amid the loss, we remain united.

When Brother Rolly congratulated the Blue Eagles for playing a good game during the dinner, the La Sallians followed in a good eight seconds of applause. There wasn’t any badmouthing. The Ateneo was not "that school along Katipunan" but Ateneo.

The championship did not happen on the court. This is the real championship, our defeat was our very own championship. As in Tuesdays with Morrie, "in order to live, one must know how to die." And this was how it felt to lose the crown and still feel like royalty — to realize our blessings because of defeat. It is so easy to stand behind a king when he has his crown, but to serve, love and know a king when he has lost his crown, that is victory.

I know the La Sallians will not hear the end of this, but in true La Sallian spirit, I urge the La Sallians to show how we are every inch and every ounce a champion. We need not stoop down to the level of trivial badmouthing and foul humor. We are so much more than that.

While taking a night cap after the dinner, I hear the waiter in the hotel saying "Talo, ma’am" in a comforting tone. I did not get irritated at this. We learned from defeat, and it is not something you acquire in a championship after 14 years. I am afraid I may not be able to do justice as to how this victory really feels.

"It’s painful but life must go on, we’ll emerge stronger after this experience," La Sallian BJ Manalo said. We held our morale and we kept our heads high, like a true champion. Although I’ve already extended my congratulations to him during the dinner, congratulations again for playing with all your heart, BJ and thank you. Another thank you goes out to Adonis Sta. Maria who kept his knuckles intact, as Mr. Teddy Benigno put it. We have definitely counted our blessings, including your recovery for that elbow thrust to your throat. Thank you to the people’s MVP, La Salle’s MVP, Mr. cool cat Mike Cortez for the season and the past years. You have been such an asset to us and to our team, we hope to see you still with us next year. To the other players, we look forward to next year. Let the animo live on. Thank you most of all to coach Franz Pumaren who has been the paragon of sportsmanship, a mentor to the team and the La Sallian community. You are our coach of the years.

It is but after this season that I have come to learn that this rivalry is nothing to belittle. It goes beyond the epic battle of basketball. It separates the winners from the victors, the champions from the heroes, the triumphant medal winner from the epitome of a victorious hero.

While typing this my mom gives me a call, sharing her two (thousand) cents on the said championship, which made me ponder deeply. Ateneo played a better game because they knew they were up against La Salle. La Salle, accepting and "unbitter" held fire, put his arrow down while the eagle finally spread its wings in flight. La Salle gave it to the Ateneans and they deserved the win. She also told me that maybe God knew who would be more equipped to take the loss. The La Sallians, having four years reached the pinnacle of success, may have had enough for now. Maybe it was really the Eagles’ turn to soar.

As Mr. Capistrano said, "We had a good run over the years. It was difficult to defend a championship, year in and year out." And it was good while it lasted. After all, one loss does not define us. And we have taken the loss in stride.

Congratulations to La Salle for knowing how to lose with grace and poise. I have heard one of my uncles say, "Let them win four championships in a row first, that’s when they’ll know how great La Salle is. That’s when they should really celebrate."

In fairness to Ateneo, after 14 long years, I think they very much deserve to celebrate now. And as Brother Rolly said, they deserved to win that night. Knowing La Salle would not wait 14 years to regain the crown, they should really go all out with the merriment. On a lighter and more naughty note: In case the Ateneans need advice on how to celebrate their victory to the fullest, ask a La Sallian, we’ve been at it for the last four years anyway. Animo La Salle!