“There will always lurk, around a corner in a pocket of our knowledge of the odds, an indefensible hope, and this was one of the times, which you now and then find in sports, when a density of expectation hangs in the air and plucks an event out of the future.”

- John Updike

One morning, Facebook became a time-machine after a friend posted an interesting photo on his account. I was “tagged” on a group photo of the 1994-1995 Ateneo Blue Babble Band. I couldn’t believe it. I stared at a snapshot of 1994. It was a time when Boyz II Men were still boyz, the film Reality Bites helped define 90’s soul-searching, cellphones were still an optional accessory and Ateneo’s forgettable men’s basketball team pulled-off an unforgettable UAAP upset.

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The unthinkable happened. China, a 14-time FIBA-Asia Men’s Basketball champion bannered by three NBA stars playing before a packed house on their home floor, was spanked silly by the new superpower of Asian hoops. Like most fans inside the Tianjin Gymnasium who watched the title game between defending champion Iran and the winningest team in the history of FIBA-Asia, I was in disbelief.

It wasn’t so much how well Iran played. It was really more about how easy it was for Iran to dominate China in the title game. Led by the New Jersey Nets’ 7-footer Yi Janilan, former Dallas Maverick Wang Zhi Zhi and former Los Angeles Laker Sun Yue, China entered the championship contest ready to reclaim its throne in Asia. Read the rest of this entry »

After Ateneo de Manila’s victory over rivals De La Salle University last Sunday, rumors of their immediate 2nd round face-off circulated barely 24 hours later. Why so soon, many wondered. Well, the UAAP has always based the schedule of the two teams’ 2nd round match up on their rank at the end of the first round. As it turned out, their team standing dictated they meet up pronto. Last Sunday’s historic game lived up to its billing. Just when people assumed the heavily favored Ateneo would easily run over the young DLSU squad, the Archers jumped on their rivals early, but faded in overtime. I expect another exciting game from both squads, one that’s less dramatic but more action-packed than their August 9 bout. Here’s what to expect: Read the rest of this entry »

She entered the arena with little fanfare. The former Commander-in-Chief arrived without an army of bodyguards. The former Time Magazine Person of the Year walked to her lower-box seat without pageantry. The former President of the Republic watched a UAAP high school basketball game without attracting attention. In customary Cory Aquino fashion, she preferred to conduct her activities quietly, gracefully. In the basketball season of 2004, the Ateneo Blue Eaglets’ most distinguished cheerleader was an icon of democracy.

Cory always occupied her lower-box seat at the Araneta Coliseum Read the rest of this entry »

Wednesday night at the PBA Annual Leo Awards, Robin became his own man, while Batman watched from the sidelines. Once a sidekick to Mark “The Spark” Caguioa, JJ Helterband lit up his own marquee after winning the Most Valuable Player award for the 2008-2009 PBA Season. Read the rest of this entry »