Ateneo Celebrates UAAP Championship 2008

Minutes after beating De La Salle University in UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals, Ateneans flocked to Ateneo de Manila University campus in Diliman, Quezon City and were treated to free canned Pepsi and packaged snacks. Beers were not free but were sold at factory prices. Pinoy bands led by Sponge Cola performed for free.

Fireworks were not of Beijing Olympics standard but brilliant enough to light up the night sky of Diliman and Katipunan Road—and more importantly to release the Atenean’s joys of victory after years of agony of defeats.

Despite its elite image and having the Philippine first gentleman among its prominent alumni, Ateneo rivals UP Diliman in its fight against the excesses of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime.

This blog extends our congratulations to the Blue Eagles.

Note: YouTube link sent by Andy Gimpaya, Jr.

Ateneo Wins UAAP 2008 Men’s Basketball Championship

The Ateneo Blue Eagles wrap up the best-of-three men’s basketball championship series 2-0 to beat traditional arch-rival De La Salle University Green Archers and win the UAAP Men’s Basketball Championship.

In 2006, quiet and gloom pervaded the Ateneo campus when the Blue Eagles lost narrowly to University of Sto. Tomas.

The University of the Philippines hosted this year’s UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines). In May this year, UP President Emerlinda Roman had talked to us about her dream of getting the UAAP Men’s basketball championship. Reality check tells us that this is a long shot. In the past decade UP has been a consistent cellar-dweller in this category.

Meantime that my favorite university cannot be champion, I rejoice with my youngest son who is a graduating student at AdeMU. He was almost teary-eyed when Ateneo lost in 2006 and he dreams of seeing his Alma Mater a champion before he leaves this year. At the sound of the final buzzer, he called me to let me hear the thunderous jubilation at the Araneta Coliseum. The father in me also rejoiced because my child is happy. All the ghosts of 2006 suddenly vanished and Ateneans feel like floating in the air.

The multi-titled Green Archers were so devastated nobody even claimed the trophy and the medals during the awarding ceremony. Well, someone’s joy is sometimes someone else’s despair.

Who was it who said that winning only gives you confidence and losing builds character?

Incidentally, my two sons are my recent converts to being Obama admirers, so this November, I again look forward to rejoicing—this time with the American people as they proclaim the first black US President. I can foresee though that Rupert Murdoch and his FoxNews and News Corp. will be sore losers. Who cares? Many children in the world will be happy. If you see what I see, you would rather have Murdoch and company in despair than the American people and the rest of the world. Moreover, McCain and Palin still have a lot of character building to do. They are very habitually not truthful and losing will be good for their souls.