Basketball: It's More Fun In Xavier

This article was supposed to be published in the main issue of our school paper, Stallion, but due to some circumstances, we didn't come up with a main issue this year. So here is my article for the main issue. The theme for the issue is what are the things More Fun in Xavier. Hope you like it... Forgive the structure of this article. I just copy-pasted it from my computer. #TeamPetiks

          There’s a myth that says that the Filipinos are the most passionate and die-hard fans of the game of basketball and that’s been proven by international acclaimed sports writer Rafe Bartholomew in his novel, Pacific Rims, which talks about the Filipinos deep connection with the game. Here in Xavier, it’s no different.

           As early as Grade 1, one could see the tiny and energetic elementary students strut their stuff in our very own Rafael Cortina Sports Center, then it was the Quadrangle; even purposely skipping their lunch breaks just to ‘reserve’ a court. You see them dribbling with two hands, double dribbling amidst constant double, triple, or even quadruple teams, and even making their own rules such as the infamous ‘double’, wherein one cannot grab his own missed shot if it didn’t hit the rim. They didn’t mind anything. They paid no attention to their sweaty uniforms, leather shoes, the slippery floor, or even playing a game of 10-on-15. They played the game because they loved it. It was a way for them to engage with their fellow classmates- a bonding activity.

            There were even certain strategies on ‘reserving’ a court for break times. You could ask the fastest runner in your class to sprint down to the Sports Center. Another could be that you’d ask your friends whose teacher dismissed them earlier to do it for you in exchange for him a chance to play in the game. Others were just that desperate that they would run once the bell rang and give no particular regard for whatever sanction they would receive from the teacher. To the point of desperation, we even used plastic bags as marker for our court.

          Playing basketball during lunch breaks often completed one’s day. You could talk about it forever and ever how you masterfully snuck in the paint for a reverse lay-up or laugh about someone’s dumb blunder. Basketball was a medium used to unite Xavereans. You could never say that you truly are a Xaverean if you haven’t played a single game of basketball; or you would be missing out on so much.

            Improvement never stops. As one grew older, Xavier would provide its students an opportunity to try-out for the school’s varsity team- the Golden Stallions. During the try-outs, literally hundreds of aspiring students would go to the gym and patiently wait for their turn- their chance to become the next Eric Yao, Joseph Yeo, TY Tang, and Chris Tiu.

         During these try-outs, most of the students just go for the fun of it and with the hope that they would luckily make the cut.  Only a select few really want to become the next King Stallion, a basketball term often associated with the school’s best basketball player.

            Being a varsity player in Xavier is a much more different experience compared to the other schools. Xavier prides itself in creating and producing student-athletes- players who excel both on and off the court. 

          In Xavier, the players and the students pride itself in tradition. The long history of talented players will forever be remembered. Who will forget the original King Stallion Eric Yao who still to this date holds the Tiong Lian record with a 45.8 point per game average highlighted with a career-high 64 point performance during Game 2 of the Tiong Lian Finals, The Ninja Joseph Yeo, the first Xaverean in the PBA, TY Tang, or the multi-talented Chris Tiu? In Xavier, you will always be and forever be remembered for your accomplishments on the court. Unlike any other schools, Xavier has a deep tradition of homegrown talents who have succeeded and that paves the way for a bright future with many of our current players looking up to their ahias.

              One thing to be proud of Xavier is that it has continuously produced talented players who have succeeded in the next level. It has never relied on recruitment or bending the rules for their athletes. Its athletes are no different from their regular students. They take the same exams in the same time. No exceptions.

               Other schools resort to recruitment to keep pace with the different top schools in the country. They continuously look for talented players in the provinces and bring them to Manila for a chance to play basketball and receive a better education. Xavier has always relied on what is has. They have never gone out of their way to recruit a player to make the team better. Consistent development, practice, and improvement are the key ingredients that make Xavier a competitive team year in and year out. They believe that the talent to win is here- in Xavier!

               Xavier does not provide any extra perks or scholarships to its athletes. Talented as they are or may seem, they still pay their tuition fees and go to school by 7:30 in the morning the following day even if practice ended at eight the night before. In a basketball team, there is a star player and a bunch of reserves. These benchwarmers or bangko, a Filipino word which literally means bench or stool, show up to practice day in a day out with the hope that one-day their time will come; their chance to shine. Oftentimes, it doesn’t come and instead of ranting about it or quitting, they continue to persevere and remain patient. They do it for the love of the game.

            As Xavier celebrates its 55^th year, it is only a reminder of how much basketball has been played. It has made friendships deeper than one could ever imagine. It also has produced talented players who still to this very day make the entire Xavier community proud. Basketball is a sport that has shaped and revolutionized the student life in school. Nothing still beats putting the ball on the floor and flinging the ball up high in the air and hearing the peaceful swish of the ball. The sounds, the ambiance, and the company are what makes basketball more fun in Xavier.

Tebowmania and Linsanity in New York

New York. The city with the bright lights, the big market, and the center of attention. It is probably every person's dream to succeed and conquer the Big Apple. New York, the city of dreams, a place wherein you can make every fantasy a reality or a place where greed, power, and money takes over? Oh the dilemma. 

Sports is at the center of the Big Apple. Arguably the most passionate fans, they have a wide variety of professional teams to rout for. The Yankees used to headline sports page with their fantastic play, major signings, or October collapses but suddenly the Knicks made waves through a bandwagon called, Linsanity. 

The rise of Linsanity has been well documented. People riding on the popularity of a Harvard graduate who seemed to flourish under the bright lights and the huge expectations. When your in New York, everyone's eyes are on you. Every night will be a battle not only against your opponent but also against the passionate and very harsh fans. When your in the Big Apple, you were brought there to succeed and not to fail. Jeremy Lin indeed has done that in leading the struggling Knicks into playoff contention despite the inconsistent play of All-Stars Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. It is not very often where you see someone, especially a young player, do to handle the spotlight day in and day out and to succeed doing it. 

Once Linsanity erupted, everyone jumped in. T-shirts, jerseys, caps, among many other souvenirs and memorabilia skyrocketed. Its value up 100, 200, even 300% because of its popularity. Never did you see a Jeremy Lin jersey or poster before Linsanity. 

On the other hand, there's one man trying to share that same spotlight as Jeremy Lin. Something probably even larger than life and that's Tebowmania. 

Tim Tebow, arguably the most successful collegiate American Football player in history, created a phenomenon even greater than that of Linsanity with his passionate play with the struggling NFL franchise, the Denver Broncos. After graduating the University of Florida with a Heismann Trophy (the first true sophomore to win it), two National Championships, and a ton of records, Tebow was dubbed as a great football player, not a quarterback. Amidst all his success in both the high school and collegiate level, he just didn't cut it out for Pro Scouts. His style unsuited from the Pro Game. Something he's gotten use to. 

Tebow was placed as a second, third, even fourth round selection for the NFL Draft. That probably isn't the way to treat the greatest collegiate player in history. Someone whose impact off the field is as great as what he does every game. When the Broncos decided to take that risk, they selected Tebow with the 25th pick in the 1st round of the draft. 

After the selection was made, critics and fans continued to express their disbelief with him. They continued to judge him for what he was instead of what he could do. Tebow was strapped on the sidelines in his rookie year and the first several games of his sophomore year and only appeared during blowouts and running situations. As the performance of Kyle Orton slid, fans of the Tebow pressured the Broncos to start the kid, and they did. 

Tebow often started the game sluggishly with his team falling into huge deficits but that was the start of Tebowmania. A national phenomenon that would sweep the nation. By the fourth quarter, he would instigate a comeback and most often that not, they won. We wouldn't know if it was by pure luck, divine intervention, or just his skill that got the job done. It didn't matter as long as he continued to win games. Games that would ultimately lead them to capture the AFC West division title. 

Despite his success, Tebow was disregarded. The Broncos signed Peyton Manning to a lucrative deal and left their Savior in the trade block. They ultimately decided to trade him to the New York Jets. 

And here we are, two of the biggest phenomenons in all of sports in one city. A city ready for championships aside from the Yankees. A city ready to harshly judge every mistake and celebrate after every win. Both dubbed as Saviors of struggling franchises share the spotlight on the grandest city of them all, New York a concrete jungle where dreams are made off. I know both are up for the challenge to lead their respective teams to a championship but we will just have to wait and see on how they'll flourish under the bright lights or shy away from the spotlight  but one thing is certain, they do things for the glory of God. They don't do it for all the fame, success, and recognition but to be an instrument of his love. 

Two great Christians being great role models on how to succeed not only with skill but also through faith. 

The Art of Flopping

I'm not much of a flopper. I just love the physicality and the contact the game Basketball has to offer. Absorbing or initiating contact has that indescribable feeling of satisfaction; joy that a basket cannot bring. You feel the sense of dominance and power when you are able to inflict pain to your opponent. Unless of course your the one who got hurt.  

To those who don't know what flopping is, flopping is the art of acting in the hopes of selling a call towards the referees. You make something small a bit more obvious. Example, when someone nudges you on your way to the basket, you try to make it appear more obvious by going out of control and landing hard to the ground. By doing so, your making sure that the referee has no choice to call the foul unless of course he wants to be shouted and cursed upon by displeased onlookers. 

Flopping literally is something that gets on people's nerves. If you softly bump a player and he goes out of control and the referee calls a foul, you'd be going out of control. You'd be complaining and in a state of disbelief on how a simple nudge can make a player tumble around the court. 

Some of the more famous actors in the industry would be Manu Ginobili, Derek Fisher, among many others. There are many notable floppers  acting their way to winning the Oscar for Best Actor aside from extra opportunities at the foul line or getting the calls they want. Players lierally roll on the floor, twist, tumble, and turn. I even had a teammate who once punched himself just to get a call. Guess what, IT WORKED! As surprised as we may seem, flopping does work. It gets the attention of the referees and puts them in no other position but to blow their whistles. I guess we all have to go to acting school and work out on our basic theatrical skills. 

The Art of Flopping has a sense of timing into it. You must accurately and precisely time when your going to fall or cover your face to get the referee's attention. You can't just flop for the sake of flopping. Seriously, you'd look like a retard. 

I guess the video speaks for itself. UGLY FLOP. Gotta have that Dual Core of his upgraded. Note, it's QUAD CORE NOW. 

Bracket Busters: The Reality of March Madness

Note: My bracket has been completely and utterly busted. I had Duke in the Finals against North Carolina but they couldn't seem to defeat Lehigh. Yup, their opponents were clearly HIGH. Darn, just got to love the upsets. 

You just got to love the surprises March Madness has to offer. You literally start with a clean slate. Five straight wins before you can crown yourselves National Champions. Sounds easy? It isn't. Entering the tournament, everybody has high hopes and expectations for their respective teams only to find out two hours later that they've lost to a relatively unknown school. (That has to be the case. Who in the world has heard of the school Lehigh? I think the word 'high' is more known and associated with drugs. Probably all the players took or injected some before the Duke game. You'll never know.) That's what people love about March Madness--- its unpredictability and feel good Cinderella stories.

I'm never been a big fan of upsets and cinderella stories for the sole purpose that it looks ugly come the next game and in some instances the National Championship game. (Note: Butler - UConn. Seriously?) Underdogs only do it one game---not multiple. Why punish the stronger team for one off-game? Come to think about it, the organizers will earn more if they had stronger teams in the Final Four but they'll rather ride on the Cinderella story bandwagon.

Amidst all the excitement and unpredictability March Madness brings, I haven't really bought into the fact that 'weak' teams could actually contend for a National Championship. Instead of hearing North Carolina, Duke, UK, or Ohio State, you would be hearing Butler, Michigan, Lehigh, among many others.

You have to be kidding me...

If we are to relate March Madness to life, it'd be pretty much the same. In life, the stronger always get ranked higher and they enjoy certain privileges but that doesn't guarantee a great run in life. Come to think about it, the higher ranked teams in the tournament feel immense pressure to deliver a beating on these low-ranked teams. Why? Because they are unheard off and in the eyes of millions of people, they don't deserve it. In the minds of many, why can't the NCAA Board just come up with a strong field of 16 teams, similar to that of the NBA Playoffs, to contend for the National Championship in a best-of-seven series? (They should look into this... Seriously) 

Simple.

Life isn't about getting numerous chances to succeed. It's about making the most out of these opportunities and living in the moment. If you played poorly, you will just have to find a way to get that W. If you were tired, you would have to find a way to channel your second wind---adrenaline. Live life with no excuses.

Can we do anything to change the system? No. Can we change the teams? No. We have no control over what happens in that tournament. (I bet no one has a perfect bracket now.) All we have to do is sit back and enjoy what ever happens. We would just have to accept whatever happens and live with it.

I think the concept of March Madness was patterned similarly to life--- it's not fair! You would just have to seize that opportunity and pray that everything goes your way. In our journey towards perfection, we understand it isn't possible, but as we continue to work hard, we'd be touching greatness and excellence and that's where we want to be.

Expect an 'ugly' and 'atrocious' tournament with all the upsets but through these upsets, we come to realize that life isn't always about being the person, or team in that matter, who starts out the strongest but who finishes the strongest.

I still got North Carolina for the Championship... Book It! 


Why won't they do it similar to how they do the NCAA Football Championships with different 'championship' games? Fair enough...

Bracket Busted

Well, same scenario every year... MY BRACKET IS BUSTED ON THE FIRST DAY!!!

Good Bye $5,000,000 from Yahoo! Sports.

All thanks to VCU, for the second year in a row.

Maybe I gotta get this shirt once and for all!

March Madness Bracket

My March Madness Bracket. We'll tackle it once the season goes along...

Moneyball: Playing The Game of Life

First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to all of the people who continually support this blog. It's not very often that a person can willingly express his thoughts and opinions on certain universal situations and have people read and understand his opinions. Though I created this blog for the primary purpose of archiving my Stallion articles, it's turn to something bigger--- a place wherein I can express different things and how they resonate with me. Hoping for the continued support. I don't think that's too much to ask for. 

Instead of going factual about the latest happenings around the basketball world, let's just go deeper in tackling about life... It's always been about living the life. 

I just finished watching the movie Moneyball, about ten minutes ago. Indeed it was a great motion picture. I loved how they brought a first-person perspective on how dirty the sporting business is. How teams use money as a leverage to create a 'better' team. A team that will, actually should, win a World Series. Life isn't like that. It's never a fair game. 

I don't believe in the very basis of equality. I completely understand and accept the fact that God created us equally in His image and likeness but in the world we live in today, that's logically, figuratively, and mathematically impossible. People don't receive the same impressions because of numerous reasons---race, color, habit, or even just the way they look or act. Binaries, as what I have learned in my elective class. 

People are never going to be treated equally, given the same opportunities, or even be given recognition for something because it is in the world we live in. Let's say in Basketball, everyone only cares about who scores the most points, who hit the game-winner, or even who made that emphatic slam dunk but they never really appreciate the people who work hard to let these 'superstars' an opportunity to those things. If the center didn't box out and grab the rebound, would you think the alpha dogs even have a shot of going down on offense? What about the guy who sets the screen and constantly gets abused, does he get the credit for slowing down his teammate's defense? NEVER. 

That is how life is lived as portrayed in the movie Moneyball. It's not easy. People are never going to be credited for the dirty work. Heck, they are even not going to be given their own opportunity to shine because of how they act. They might play differently, act strangely, or even look out of the ordinary but the bottom line is does he get the job done. It doesn't matter HOW they do it as long as it's DONE! PERIOD. 

We live in a world full of critics and haters and that's a fact. We don't live in a world where people are given credit for doing the smallest things. In fact, it's supposed to be that way. Let's say a building, everyone knows the architect, designer, contractor, and developer of the building. They are known as the ones  who envisioned that project but do the people who actually do it get credit for executing their plans? NO! As my favorite Vincent Van Gough quotes, "Greatness is not done by an impulse but a series of small things brought together", these people tirelessly and collectively worked on it and it wouldn't be achieved without them and their efforts! We should give credit where credit is due. 

Enough lambasting about the people in the upper class. There's only one thing true about life, if you want something, go get it. Don't allow people to step on you and say you can't. Your better than that! Also, we need to start being more grateful for the people that help us go to the top. Never forget the people who've helped you along the way because as my Dad will always tell me, what goes up must come down. Success and greatness is short lived. No matter what happens, you'll get washed up--- pretty badly. When all is said and done, your going back to the same people. The same people who edged you on in times of struggle. Be humble. Remain humble. As Proverbs 27:2 goes, Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips. 

Just remember, what goes up must come down. In life, you can't have it all but as you take your own journey on life and greatness, thank the guy from above whose constantly showered upon you blessings,  guidance, and most especially His Love.