SCHOOL WARS: Let the games begin

WHEN it comes to school rivalry, there’s nothing fiercer than the battle between archenemies Ateneo and De La Salle. Some alumi from both schools claim that the La Salle-Ateneo basketball game (National Collegiate Athletic Association) in 1939 might have started the rivalry, a game which allegedly prompted La Salle fans to throw fried chickens at the Padre Faura gate of the old Ateneo campus during the Archers’ victory parade.

Since then, from their storied NCAA encounters to the more recent University Athletic Association of the Philippines clashes, league enthusiasts have anticipated every La Salle-Ateneo match. Spectators are fascinated by the fact that both schools cater to students from affluent families (both were former exclusive colleges for boys). Many of us are even guilty of comparing “blue” versus “green.”

Beyond hardcourt antics
The La Salle-Ateneo rivalry goes beyond basketball. Fans outplay each other in the bleachers—debating which side has the larger crowd, louder cheers, more popular alumni and hotter women. Almost every year, these have been the highlight of the UAAP games, save for the finals and cheering competition.

But there may be none of that this year. The UAAP board has suspended De La Salle for allowing two ineligible players, Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian, to play on the basketball team, so the Taft quintet would be sitting out the season.

But the show must go on. Season 69 would just have to live without a La Salle-Ateneo game. Will the UAAP cage wars be as exciting without this fabled rivalry? Or will other rivalries come to the fore? Suffice it to say that scalpers may have to suffer a loss in business.

Luz Sta. Ana, UAAP board representative of the University of the East, which is hosting this year’s festivities, is optimistic about the opening event today at the Big Dome.

“You can expect a beautiful presentation plus the excitement of the game between UE and Adamson,” she assured.

Although the current board is facing issues including the absence of star players like Ateneo’s Japeth Aguilar, they believe the highlight will still be the hardcourt wars, “although other sports like volleyball and football will be promoted.”

There is also the much-awaited cheerdance competition between the University of the Philippines Pep Squad and University of Sto. Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe. Ever since the UAAP cheerdancing competition began, UP and UST have been engaged in an unspoken battle for supremacy of the halftime hardcourt, with UST enjoying a one-win edge over UP at present. That may or may not change on Sept. 9, when the competitions come around. In the NCAA, Perpetual Help has parlayed its hardcourt prowess into halftime excellence. As reigning cheerdancing champs, the Perpetual Pep Squad reigns supreme.

Where has NCAA gone?
One would think that the one that stands to benefit the most from the De La Salle suspension would be the former premier league in the country. As the oldest collegiate league in the country, NCAA has its own set of powerful collegiate teams and charismatic players who could whip up a frenzy among its fans. But without the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry, the league has lost a lot of its glamour. Now, with the absence of DLSU from the UAAP lineup, NCAA stands to regain some measure of status if only it could create a similar matchup between the College of Saint Benilde Blazers (the La Salle franchise’s second team) and the San Beda Lions.

To be sure, NCAA’s opening day registered a record-breaking attendance.

“We intend to give equal exposure and promotion to all the sports, not only basketball but also volleyball, football, swimming, etc.,” says NCAA Season 82 chairman Bernie Atienza of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

True to its promise, this year saw the different volleyball teams joining the traditional parade.

“Volleyball games are also scheduled together with basketball at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. We’d like to put emphasis on other teams.”

Violence or school spirit?

But will NCAA engender as much fanaticism as its younger sister-league? The early signs show otherwise. At least not yet.

“The NCAA doesn’t have the same appeal as UAAP. Maybe NCAA lacks the ‘real’ rivalry among schools. I’ve seen more instances in NCAA where players and fans of competing teams behave violently against each other. It’s nothing like the rivalry in UAAP, where fans cheer their hearts out and await the pep squads’ halftime gimmicks,” says Ferdie Orosa, a Letran fan who would rather have less violence during NCAA games.

Violent student brawls have been part and parcel of the NCAA since the ’70s, when several founding members (including Ateneo, San Beda and La Salle) pulled out of the league. Ateneo moved its franchise to the UAAP, where it was later joined by its rival, De La Salle. San Beda College, on the other hand, has been in and out of the league more times than one cares to remember.

Ateneo broke away from NCAA after a violent match against old rival San Beda in 1978. La Salle, on the other hand, left the league in 1980 to avoid aggressive incidents with Letran. Over the years, organizers and administrators have learned how to handle hot-tempered players and crowds.

Location, location, location

School rivalries also developed based on campus locations. Letran-Mapua games are often called “Battle of Intramuros,” because of the proximity of their campuses to each other within the Walled City.

Diliman campuses Ateneo and UP also fostered an unspoken rivalry which dates back to pre-UAAP days, when UP students and Ateneans would engage in invitational games. This year, UAAP fans may see the renaissance of the “Battle of Diliman,” a matchup that could involve brains and brawn.

In the ’80s and early ’90s, some semblance of a rivalry was fomented between the Letran Knights and the San Sebastian Stags, the two strongest teams in the NCAA at the time. Letran boasted of superlative players like Samboy Lim, while San Sebastian benefited from the migration of Paul Alvarez from the University of Manila Hawks, as well as other spectacular cagers. Their crowd-pleasing antics (which consisted of high-leaping slam dunks and mid-air pirouette shots) “provided several close games in the 1980s” not to mention intense yet highly entertaining finals showdowns.

“Who knows, NCAA might just be lucky this year. It’s time for the league to reclaim its spotlight,” says Orosa.

Whoever wins in the endless battle of strength and wit, school wars are meant to foster team spirit. Students and alumni shouldn’t see leagues as an opportunity to be hostile. As the saying goes, what matters is how you play the game.

>>Adrian Carlo Velasco