The Long and Winding Road.

by Migs

"After 14 long years, the Eagle is once again King, of the UAAP."

These were the words uttered by then commentator and Ateneo graduate Mico Hallili at the end of Game 3 of the UAAP finals. Ateneo had won its first UAAP crown in 14 seasons at the time, led by former MVPs Rich Alvarez and Enrico Villanueva. The stalwarts for DLSU at the time, were the likes of Mike Cortez and Mark Cardona.

It's funny how history has an odd way of repeating itself. The names and faces may have changed, but the institutions they play for, and what these institutions stand for, have remained the same.

In 2008, Ateneo and La Salle battled in out again. The Archers once again found themselves defending the UAAP title, and Ateneo, again, found itself in the hunter's role. This time, though, the Eagles were the favored team, and the Archers, as with the 2007 incarnation of their squad, found themselves wearing the underdog's colors. The Ateneans were once again portrayed as the "good guys" by the media- clean cut, law-abiding, and type of guys you'd supposedly want to bring home to mom. The Green Archers, again, seem to have been framed as the "villains" in the mis-en-scene- brash, edgy, in your face types mom's warn their kids about. Accuracy of the labels attached to the school's cagers aside, the 2008 stage was set, yet again, for another battle for the ages.

That's one tag that did not fail to come to fruition. Not by any means.

In Game 1 of the finals, fans witnessed the Archers' vaunted press in action, and they too witnessed Ateneo's stellar zone defense in full effect. The Blues' interior offensive game, though, proved to be too much for DLSU to handle. Think 31 points by Rabeh Al Hussaini on a bum ankle. Think solid, all-around, play from Nonoy Baclao. As a bonus, think timely perimeter production from floor general Jai Reyes. Despite only 2 markers from Chris Tiu, the Ateneans managed to jot down a win and move one step off of their first title in 6 years.

In Game 2, DLSU came out firing. Rico Maierhoffer, once again, tried into the heads of the Baclao and Al Hussaini, and JVee Casio, although struggling to find his range against Ateneo all year long, poured on the points early and often. Chris Tiu had once again found his rhythm, scoring 16 points for the match, assisting a still ailing Al Hussaini, who by then, had been named UAAP MVP, and who finished with only 7 points to his name. By the second half, Maierhoffer had been tossed because of apparent taunting directed at Rabeh, and from there, the DLSU monolith crumbled further, with them only managing one field goal (a PJ Walsham stick back) for the entire 4th quarter.

By the last minute or so, with the game in the bag, Eagles Team Captain Chris Tiu couldn't help but shed a few tears. This was, after all, his final game for the university that had given him so much, and that, in turn, he had given so much to. The win represented affirmation for certain Ateneo cagers. It affirmed Rabeh Al Hussaini's status as the opposite of the "fluke" his naysayers said he was years ago, and the status of Norman Black as a master mentor. It affirmed the status of Chris Tiu as the closest the Blue and White has ever gotten- or will ever get- to a Michael Jordan-type player and human being- someone who has the skills, heart, and soul to make a significant impact both in athletic competition and, ultimately, in the game of life. The triumph affirmed Jobe Nkemakolam and Jai Reyes' statuses as bona fide contributors for arguably the country's most popular amateur sports team. Jobe and Jai had always been criticized as underachievers throughout their college careers (especially the latter, who enjoyed MVP-level success as a Blue Eaglet), and this past series, and this past season, is proof that both can do their share in making the Eagles win and the Ateneo community proud (Jobe scored 8 points in the first half of Game 2 when Rabeh was down and out; Jai's reinvigorated his career this season with a steady mix of hot shooting displays and heady point guard play). This champioship serves as affirmation for Eric Salamat who, in the past, had been criticized as a player who had the tools, but didn't have enough control/discipline to harness his skills towards having a positive impact on the team. The kid found his niche as a sixth man this year, and, with highlight play after highlight play, helped in quelling the opposition's attempts at stealing victories, especially during those instances when Ateneo's first stringers would need to rest or be benched due to injury. This title serves as a testament to Yuri Escueta's work ethic, and how effort, courage, and a little bit of luck can go a long, long, way. The former Team B-er, in my view, provided the Blue and White with a steading influence on the floor, especially during the more phrenetic, turnover-plagued, ballgames.

Beyond the players, though, rests a semblance of affirmation for the Ateneo community itself, that, all of the cheering, the words of encouragement, and yes, lining up for tickets from the wee hours of the morning until the afternoon, has paid off. It's all been worth it. To everyone who has supported the Blue Eagles in the name of sportsmanship, of a passion to be the best, while knowing how to win and lose gracefully, the team thanks you. During the thanksgiving mass last Thursday at the Church of the Gesu, certain words from Coach Norman struck me. He mentioned that he and the boys had been inspired each team they'd see the multitudes in Blue at the Big Dome screaming, singing, jumping, pumping fists, laughing, crying, and altogether pouring their hearts and souls out in the name of the Ateneo.

Coach Norman, we in the community have been constantly inspired by the dedication the players and the coaching staff have shown over the past season. Yawping 'til we drop's the least we could do to as "6th Men and Women".

I'm no Mico Hallili, but then, I believe that the essence of what he stated during the waining moments of the 2002 title series, can once again be said with conviction, with pride, and with honor, for this year's proof of the Lord's bountiful blessings,

"After 6 long years, the Blue Eagle is once again King of the UAAP!"

Thank you, guys, for a glorious season! See you all at the bonfire!

-And to a certain fellow who mentioned that success in the UAAP/NCAA isn't tantamount to anything in the big picture, well, perhaps you need to go through a little bit of Basketball 101. Yes, we do need improved grassroots development for other athletic endeavors, but if we confine the discussion to basketball, then, it must be noted that the future national team-ers are born in the college ranks. Where did guys like Ren Ren Ritualo and Alvin Patrimonio first gain prominence anyway? Besides, increased exposure for cagers in the UAAP/NCAA (and other college leagues, for that matter), should make for a rich hoops "gene pool" from which to build on. We're no China, and yes, we should do better at spreading the wealth in terms of which sports we're passionate about, but it would totally ignorant to completely dismiss the value of amateur basketball and hoops development programs in the Philippines. Other Asian nations that have become globally competitive in this vein started from the bottom, and worked their way up the ladder through proper sourcing and enrichment. We may be a long way from the apex of worldwide (or even Asiawide) basketball supremacy, but then, who says that it's a sin to dream? We just need to achieve a sense of balance for our sports programs, and eliminate misfits who seek to pad pockets a the expense of our athletes. We need discipline and competency infused into our government systems as a whole. As cliche as this sounds, it is true- all dreams are achievable, so long as we "want" them enough and allot effort into reaching our goals which go above and beyond the established standards.-

-Congratulations to the De La Salle Green Archers for their 2nd place finish. I really do wish you had come out to receive your trophy and medals as a sign of good sportsmanship, though. It would have been fitting to have accorded the fans, and the officials of the UAAP- if not the Ateneans themselves- some honor by losing with grace and not falling with a ton of sour graping in tow. That's just my ten cents on the matter.-