MANILA, Philippines - The UAAP hype may be about to subside, the champions crowned and the acclaim already immortalized in the papers — but we still have something to rave about. Seasons in recent years have witnessed the gradual emphasis on not only the players, but also the people on the side: those who join in on their huddles, share coaches’ insights, and give us a slice of the off-court pie. As the last ball has been shot in Araneta (for this year, at least), there’s no longer a need for these girls to share in the spotlight — it’s irrevocably theirs.
Courtside reporting alums Jessica Mendoza and Riki Flores sure know how to talk the talk — from basketball to dogs to their post-CSR plans — piling on the pressure on their successors. Because if there’s anything their team spirits have proven, it’s that they’re two tough acts to follow.
The two girls talk about their two seasons of UAAP:
RIKI FLORES: So how does it feel to be the courtside reporter who won back-to-back championships?
JESSICA MENDOZA: Great. Um, extremely lucky. I mean di ba, you never think that, okay, maybe in two years one championship, but two… it’s unbelievable. I just feel really lucky. Well, your UAAP experience is also different because you were dating a basketball player. How did that work out? Any issues?
RIKI: None at all, actually. In fact it made the experience more enjoyable.
JESSICA: How so?
RIKI: Well, I got to watch all his games.
JESSICA: That’s true. From the best vantage point ever!
RIKI: Exactly. And I got to listen in on the huddles and at the same time, we were listening to the anchors and the analysts. That’s the best. So did you ever think that from the first day of auditions, that you would actually be this successful in what you do?
JESSICA: It’s bigger than anything I ever thought it could possibly be. It was exposure. I mean, that was part of the reason any of us went into it, but I guess it has something to do with the team, they won back to back. Three, but I was able to hit two of those three, and I think that made such a big difference in how crazy it’s been since the end of this last season. But I think the best part of it all, really, was not just winning it, but just getting the chance to be there — to sit on the court.
RIKI: Yeah, even though at the start we didn’t really like basketball that much. So, anyway, what’s the best thing that anyone’s ever told you in the past two years as courtside reporter?
JESSICA: I mean it’s great to hear your parents say that you’re doing well, and it’s great when you hear it from the directors, too. But when it’s coach Norman Black who says that you did something good, like at the end of the bonfire, he told me, “Thank you for doing a great job,” and to me, that was just like, “Oh God, I know I did great” because it’s them that you’re trying to make look good.
RIKI: When it comes from family, coaches and players, it feels good. But when it comes from a random stranger, it feels a lot better because you don’t even know the guy but he just comes up to you and says you’re doing a really good job and that he’s proud that they have such a talented reporter representing their school. Even after your worst reporting day, even after saying the weirdest things on air. It was the best experience. I kind of don’t want it to end.
JESSICA: But at the same time, I feel like someone else needs to feel what I got to feel.
RIKI: That’s true. So JeMe, what don’t people know about you? Do you have a dog?
JESSICA: I used to have pets, but I get really sad when they die, and I really don’t wanna build up all my loving for an animal, then have it someday get run over by some random stranger. To me, the investment’s not worth it. It’ll just break my heart.
What about you, do you like pets?
RIKI: Yeah, I actually like animals a lot. Even the insects on the field, I like to pick them up, even the earthworms. I think it’s part of being a softball player. You have to love the dirt and everything else that goes with it.
JESSICA: Does the softball season coincide with basketball season? As a softball player, how do you manage the training?
RIKI: Well, I think if it’s something that you really like to do, then you’ll find time for it. You learn to balance everything that you like to do.
JESSICA: Do you feel like, being an athlete yourself, you get a better insight of what the players think and feel?
RIKI: It helps a lot because athletes, they’re a special kind of breed. They balance academics and sports at the same time. And yeah, I guess I can say that I know what they’re feeling on the court — pressured, and everything, so it makes it a lot easier. So, what do you plan to do after college? I think I’m ready to get into media.
JESSICA: You mean broadcasting?
RIKI: Yeah, I really love to talk. You like to talk, I like to talk.
JESSICA: I work in radio, so it’s a must.
RIKI: So how’s that working out? Did courtside change radio? Do you get more listeners now?
JESSICA: It adds a little dimension to your personality — that you do other things. It definitely gave me more confidence as a reporter. I mean, that camera, we were not friends at first!
RIKI: Yes! I think he was no one’s friend at first.
YOUNG STAR: Do people tweet you?
BOTH: Yes.
JESSICA: But (most of them), they say “good job,” if we did a good job.
RIKI: Or “You’re so pretty!”
JESSICA: Well that’s something you have to deal with — the good, the bad, what people are saying about you. I visited a forum once, at the end of last season, and then I never wanted to do it again. I don’t like it!
RIKI: Yeah, I did it also once last year because my boyfriend wanted to show me something, but yeah. You know, they murder people there.
JESSICA: That’s what they do, they’re very mean. They can be nice, but they can be very mean too. Just people, I guess.