“Ending 28 at 82″
Will it finally happen this year? Will the San Beda Red Lions end the shameful 28-year NCAA title drought?
Earlier this week, the Lions barged into the National Collegiate Athletic Association Finals by escaping from the Mapua Cardinals. This year would be their first Finals appearance in the New Millennium. Their last stab at the Championship was nine years ago. Previous to that was in 1991 when the Cardinals dashed all Red Shirts’ hopes by a mere point made at the dying seconds of a pulsating game.
That was a heartbreak I have not forgotten. I was a senior then, the editor of the student paper and we were ready to come out with a special issue of The Bedan. It did not happen.
The last Red Lion Championship was in 1978. It had been so long. So long in fact that the team was bannered then by Chito Loyzaga, JB Yango and Frankie Lim. Even judging by their Philippine Basketball Association careers, Chito and Frankie are already generations removed from the current pro hoops stars.
All the current players weren’t even born then.
Since that year, Letran has overtaken San Beda in the number of titles won. San Sebastian has won Grand Slams with players that my school has foolishly rejected. We watched outstanding San Beda Red Cubs hoopsters play for other schools thinking that they will never get to taste a Championship wearing the Red and the White. (Okey, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons of 1986, the University Athletic Association Champs that year, were recruited en masse. And those who played for the De La Salle Green Archers were promised sums, cars and apartments.) Our only consolations are that the Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers are suffering an even longer drought and that we never stooped to the level of the other schools who bribed our high school stars into changing jerseys.
I still remember the first NCAA game I saw. A couple of days previous to that, we have been masterfully brainwashed to give all out support to our team with a pep rally and a bonfire. Girls from St. Scho were even bussed to Mendiola to make the event more raving and, uh, moving. I even memorized all of the songs and cheers that were as old as the retired monks they had tucked somewhere in the Abbey. We won that game against the Perpetual Help Altas. It turned out that during the 1988 season, the Altas were the only worse team than ours in a field of seven. Well, what do you expect from a team made up of models, singers and playboys?
But I went home that night so flushed with joy I took on the color of terra cotta flower pots. And I regaled my dorm mate Ate Lani with incredible stories which she listened to with amusement.
For four straight years, I kept coming to the games. This, despite the fact that we lost more games than we won.
To salvage an iota of pride, we just tried to be the best at alaskahan. But other schools even get the better of us by their incessant chanting of “Beda tulo laway!” In retort, we shout that all the other schools’ coeds are “pokpok” claiming that Bedans have bedded girls from each. It was a foul and pikon reply, one that the Benedictines really frowned upon. (Selos kasi si Dom at si Father sa mga girls, hehehe!)
As for myself, I became really good at alaskahan. Not a few rivals would hurl open fistfight challenges outside the coliseum after the games because I so got into them. It never happened though, the fistfights. (Buti na lang or I would have been creamed like our team.) I was told it wasn’t so in the 1970s when games had to be played without spectators who almost always end up rioting. (Bedans then had to wear shirts and ties!) In fact, for seven years, San Beda pulled out of the NCAA because the league was making boxers out of its students.
One could expect I’d stop going to the games after the 1991 heartbreaker and after I’ve (finally) earned my degree in 1993. But, no. Time and finances allowing, I still went. Not regularly but every time there was a glimmer of hope that a Championship is about to be won. I even asked Pom to come to a couple of games with me. In the past few years though, whenever I read stories about the Lions’ campaigns, I wondered whether I get to see the day when I will wear a red shirt saying we are hoop champions once again. (I had a collection of Red Lions shirts then.)
This year, the Lions have the best record among all collegiate teams in all collegiate leagues at 13-1. (Of course, De La Salle has been suspended from the UAAP this year for cheating.) What makes it even more exciting is that the King Cats are going against the only team that gave team a taste of defeat this season, the Philippine Christian Dolphins.
I will be there to see the game when the Lions may finally cop it. It would be interesting to cheer the team along with Lionesses. (San Beda’s College Department has turned coed three years ago, more than a decade late in my opinion.) But I am sure I can not be pa-cute already with them. Chances are they might call me “Tito” already. Tang-na if I would allow that to happen! Besides, I don’t think I can suck in my gut the entire game.
I have talked to fellow Bedans on how to get tickets. But they are saying it might have been sold out already, even when they hold the games at the Araneta Coliseum. But I will break down their doors if need be. I will be there!
I have one simple message to the team: C’mon, guys! Have pity on us. (Have pity on me! I have this bet with my wife.) It’s been such a long time already.
