THE MORNING after Game 2 of the UAAP 81 men’s basketball finals all the “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” woke up and Rodrigo Duterte is still President much to their dismay.
As expected Ateneo won the UAAP 81 Men’s Basketball Championship sweeping the series, taking both games one and two at the expense of the University of the Philippines.
But that’s not taking anything away from UP except of course the championship trophy. Just to be in the finals is already a significant achievement.
You see the last time UP men’s basketball team made it to the final four was in 1997, 21 years ago, and into the finals was in 1986 and that was 32 years ago.
It’s quite ironic why this finals appearance is such a big deal when compared to football. UP was champion for nine times, including this season of UAAP 81.
Well, you know it’s the Philippines and in these islands where the average height for men is 5 feet and 5 inches, basketball is the premier sport which is stupid considering that in the sport of basketball height is de rigour.
The average height in the NCAA and NBA, the top collegiate and professional basketball leagues in the United States, is 6 feet and 5 inches, almost a foot discrepancy. But that does not stop the “little brown Pinoy” from dreaming of playing above the rim.
The funny thing is that the “little brown Pinoy” can’t even jump.
But then again it’s just a game and it does not really matter if you’re a hobbit or a kapre, just enjoy playing the sport of basketball as what it was intended to be by Dr. James Naismith – a sport nothing more.
There is nothing profound or philosophical, transcendental nor political meaning or symbolism in putting a ball through a hoop.
The UAAP 81 men’s basketball finals between Ateneo and UP is just that – a basketball game and yet some idiots are straining really hard trying to link it to the ouster of Marcos and hopefully connecting it to President Rodrigo Duterte and his downfall.
There were posts in social media at the start of the championship particularly in Game 1 obviously from “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” and the most prominent goes something like this:
The last time UP won and Ateneo lost we ousted a dictator.
There were also posts calling everyone attending the game to wear black as a sign of protest against obviously President Rodrigo Duterte instead of their school colors; maroon for UP and blue for Ateneo.
It was quite hilarious and pathetic that it seems only Sen. Franklin Drilon wore black while the rest wore their school colors.
Former Solicitor General and now wannabe senator Pilo “Flower” Hilbay wore the UP maroon, likewise for the “Barefoot Lady of Naga” a.k.a. Vice President Leni Robredo.
The freeloaders that wanted to ride on the game to push their stupid political agenda lost and basketball won.
Unfortunately for them and fortunately for us nobody’s buying their cheap stunts anymore, so bereft of creativity and just plain common sense.
These “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” most probably got their inspiration using sports to promote their political agenda from Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during the 1939 Berlin Olympics.
The 1939 Berlin Olympics was infamous as the most highly politicized Olympic Games and also probably the most racist of course. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis lost but his ideas live on with the “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon.”
Mixing or using sports for a political agenda is always in bad taste.
The last time UP won a UAAP men’s basketball championships was 32 years ago in 1986 and as I said the “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” have been straining really hard trying to link it to the ouster of then President Marcos and Cory Aquino’s becoming president.
They were dreaming that if UP won as in 1986 President Rodrigo Duterte will be ousted and the “Barefoot Lady from Naga” a.k.a. Leni Robredo installed as President.
Is there anything as stupid and desperate as that?
Since the “devotees to the cult of the yellow ribbon” desperately cling to that dream, then Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras, Eric Altamirano and the rest of the unknowns of the 1986 UP men’s basketball team were responsible for the ouster of Marcos and putting Cory Aquino in Malacañang (although Cory was already president seven months after they won), then they should name the airport after these guys instead of Ninoy Aquino a.k.a. Marcial Bonifacio and put up statues of them in EDSA.
And the members of that Ateneo men’s basketball team that lost to UP should be declared as national martyrs with a corresponding holiday on August 21, so there./PN
