UAAP: Is the prize worth the price?
WATCHING the UAAP game last Saturday brought back a lot of memories of the famous rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle back in the mid-1960s. I was a participant in that rivalry.
La Salle was then under the late coach Tito Eduque. I still vividly recall one of the games we played against a powerful Ateneo squad in which we made a vow to shave our heads if we lost.
Fortunately, we were able to keep our hair. Today, having already lost almost all of my hair, I see totally different La Salle and Ateneo squads emerging.
Unlike today, each player at that time only got two complimentary tickets and had to pay for additional ones. We also paid for our own tuition and contributed to the victory party as well.
In contrast, both teams now have more than adequate funding and boast the highest budgets in the UAAP.
This was brought about by the existing rivalry between two big conglomerates that own the top PBA teams and incidentally support these two schools.
It will be interesting to take a look at how other aspects have also changed.
Sitting on the Ateneo bench is Tab Baldwin, the head coach of the national basketball team. Suffice it to say that this is unprecedented in college ball.
Baldwin’s style of coaching brings back memories of the late great Ron Jacobs, where team play and strict adherence to rules and patterns were favored over allowing the player to use his creativity and genius in his own way.
This style was evident in Baldwin’s selection of players this year for Gilas Pilipinas during the Olympic qualifying tournament. He did not select the multitalented Calvin Abueva, which came as a complete surprise to many basketball aficionados, myself included.
Abueva is a wild talent with a big fighting heart who sometimes does not follow patterns properly.
Several top players of Ateneo could not make the roster this year due to academic requirements. Thus, it doesn’t seem to be a promising season for the Blue Eagles.
On the other hand, La Salle’s coach Aldin Ayo was picked from the NCAA after winning the crown for Letran.
He has modernized the team’s brand of play from last season. He is also blessed with naturally talented homegrown players and a fantastic import in Ben Mbala.
Ayo and the Green Archers could end up sweeping the league.
With its popularity, quality of play, coaching and officiating, the UAAP games continue to bring excitement and can only soar higher.
However, the league may want to take a look at the present situation from a wider perspective.
Is the manner in which these two rival teams conduct their affairs healthy for the entire league? It seems that the strengthening of these teams may end up creating an imbalance in the entire league. For now, we will just have to see if the other schools in the league will be able to keep up.
Looking forward to the Ateneo-La Salle match up this Sunday!
