So the better team won...

Or should I say ...

the team with the "go to" player?

We went to Araneta today in really high spirits. Why not? It was the first game between archrivals De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University. As expected, as early as 2 hours before the game, the place was already packed with people. The ticket booths had lines as long as God knows what, lots of people trying their luck at grabbing last-minute tickets to this much-awaited head-on game. I first grabbed a drink at Starbucks. I'd been wanting to try the Black Sesame Green Tea Cream Frapuccino and this was my chance

SUPER DUPER YUMMY!!!

I really should've gotten a bigger one

(I'm definitely getting one tomorrow for dessert)

It was purely unintentional, the GREEN drink, I mean

We were both in GREEN, of course

But to complete the GREEN and WHITE look of the day, I wore this too

It's the reminder bracelet I got from The Beads Shop (Shang Mall branch) last Thursday

(I just love the reminder ... )

So yeah ... we lost. That's 2 losses on the Season 74 score card for the Green Archers (the first to FEU). It's always painful losing to the Blue Eagles. I'm no basketball expert but I've learned so much from watching the (DLSU) games live since the mid 80's.

My two cents :

• Where was Simon Atkins? I didn't "feel" the Team Captain at all
• Arnold Van Opstal needs to step up and realize how valuable he can be because of his height. He was trash-talked by Greg Slaughter (the Ateneo rookie giant) and it got to him. It was obvious. He should learn to be more aggressive. Please don't be another Ferdinand!
• Where were Sam Maratas 3-pointers?
• Maui Villanueva is like stagnant water
• Norbert Torres is still inconsistent. But he can shoot, I know it.
• Almond Vosotros hasn't impressed me since the season opened
• Oda Tampus...I have respect for the guy. He's aggressive and determined
• LA Revilla, you are amazing. Despite being under medication for hyperthyroidism, this guy was the only one who played today and I mean it. But he needs help!

I'm still in awe at rookie Kiefer Ravena. He made everyone look like amateurs. This kid will go places and rightfully so. Too bad ... he was a La Sallian. Why he moved to Ateneo is a whole different story.

'Til the next round! ANIMO LA SALLE PA RIN!!!

UAAP Season 71 --- IT'S TIME!

Start your college basketball engines!

I'm not sure if this schedule is accurate but I'm posting it anyways.

July 12 - Araneta Coliseum
12:30 PM - Opening by University of the Philippines
02:00 PM - UP vs NU
04:00 PM - UE vs UST

July 13 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - AdU vs FEU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs ADMU

July 17 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UST vs UP04:00 PM - FEU vs DLSU

July 19 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - ADMU vs AdU
04:00 PM - NU vs UE

July 20 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UP vs FEU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs UST

July 24 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - AdU vs NU04:00 PM - UE vs ADMU

July 26 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - AdU vs UE
04:00 PM - NU vs DLSU

July 27 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - ADMU vs UP
04:00 PM - FEU vs UST

July 31 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UST vs NU
04:00 PM - FEU vs ADMU

August 2 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UP vs DLSU04:00 PM - UE vs FEU

August 3 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UST vs AdU
04:00 PM - NU vs ADMU

August 7 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UE vs UP
04:00 PM - AdU vs DLSU

August 9 - Araneta Coliseum02:00 PM - FEU vs NU
04:00 PM - ADMU vs UST

August 10 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UP vs AdU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs UE

September 14 - Cheerdance Competition

Can you tell I'm looking forward to Season 71 of the UAAP??? Thank God the smaller games are going to be in Philsports. I prefer it over Ninoy Aquino all the way in Manila (the former Rizal Memorial) because it's nearer.

MARK THOSE CALENDARS!!! JULY 13 will be a big big big day!!!

ANIMO LA SALLE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS De La Salle Green Archers!!!

After a year's suspension due to player ineligibility the
DE LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS are so back and have shown
that they STILL have what it takes to bring the crown home to Taft!

I've lost count of the number of championship games I've watched but the one today will certainly be the most unforgettable of them all. Heart-stopping all the way...it was written in the stars! This crown truly belongs to the GREEN ARCHERS!!! We're proud of you guys!!!

JVee --- you are still number one for me!
Rico --- great job, see you next year!
To TY AND CHOLO --- you'll surely be missed...what a fantastic way to end your UAAP experience! This may have been your last game in the UAAP but you'll always be remembered! This championship belongs to the both of you

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT GREAT SEASON!!!

DERECHO, LA SALLE!!!

Game 2 tomorrow!

I'm nervous beyond words...I watched the first game which DH recorded and it's obvious to me that the DLSU Green Archers will have to work doubly hard tomorrow. I'm worried because they're tired. I'm even more worried because the UE Red Warriors are dying to get even for sure.

I'm praying for a win tomorrow. Losing will mean giving the other team a huge advantage.

KEEP THE FAITH!
ANIMO LA SALLE!

14-0 ENDS NOW

I take it back. I didn't think I would be as excited about the DLSU Green Archers going up against the UE Red Warriors today, after that win over Ateneo last Sunday. WELL, I WAS SO WRONG. I was okay in the first 2 quarters, cheered with all my heart as always, but I still didn't care much about who would win. In the 3rd quarter, I began to feel a bit of excitement because by then, everyone could tell that our boys were not going to let this game go to UE. The final quarter was even worse for my heart hahaha! In the final seconds, I had to hide behind DH, too scared to see if UE would make that basket that would give them the win.

A lot of people thought it was impossible to achieve. Beating the Red Warriors seemed more like a wish than an objective. After we eliminated Ateneo last Sunday, nothing else seemed to matter. But seeing how the boys played today made me change my mind altogether. I admit that winning over Ateneo was TOTAL BLISS. However, I was so impressed with the boys today (except for a few errors here and there) that I can't bear to continue not to care about who gets to bring the championship trophy home.

A couple of hopefuls

A sea of green


Our boys!


I could stare at this photo all night =)


In a state of shock


Hail to De La Salle!


14-0 ENDS NOW!


Going home happy

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DE LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS!!!

LET'S TAKE IT ALL THE WAY ON SUNDAY!!!

ANIMO LA SALLE!!!

Game 1 tomorrow!

The DLSU Green Archers are going up agains the UE Warriors in Game 1 of the finals. I can't believe it's the finals na. I always feel a bit sad everytime the season's about to end because that would mean waiting another 9 months for the next one to commence.

DH and I are all set to watch tomorrow's game. I'm looking forward to having lunch in the Araneta area again hahaha! We don't normally go to this area so we try, as much as we can, to explore all the good dining places while we have the chance. The last 2 DLSU games, we ate in this Italian place called VOLARE. It's highly-recommended! Sorry, I don't have pics to share because I never bring my camera to the games, lest it be confiscated at the gate. And I don't really like taking food shots with my cellphone cam because the quality isn't the same.

Anyhoo...it's Game 1 tomorrow!!! Can the Archers beat the Warriors? Can we break their 14-game winning streak??? Honestly? I don't have an answer. It's not because I don't have enough faith in the boys. I guess it's more because I'm just going with the flow. I don't really care that much anymore.

Last Sunday's win is still fresh in my mind and I'm still too happy to
dwell on how the succeeding games might turn out.

A N I M O L A S A L L E ! ! !

Off to the finals! ANIMO LA SALLE!

My throat was sore and I felt exhausted from all the jumping and screaming, but it was all worth it because my beloved DLSU GREEN ARCHERS brought the house down last Sunday with a 5 point win against biggest archrival
Ateneo de Manila University.

This was the final score

A do or die game is always exciting! But it's also nerve-wracking when longtime "enemies" come face to face the way these two schools did last weekend. Let me just say that I don't remember the last time I saw Araneta Coliseum that packed. Since the season started, this was the first time I failed to feel any air-conditioning at all. According to reliable sources, there were 23,000 people in the venue, more than the crowd drawn by Thrilla in Manila, the Ali-Frazier boxing match in 1975. I can believe that! I didn't even get to use the restroom because the lines were ridiculously long!

Both teams were hungry to win, for the chance to go up against UE in the finals. I don't know how my friends on the other side of the fence feel but I think the La Sallites wanted this win just a little bit more than they did. After a whole year of absence from the entire UAAP league, the Green Archers along with the entire La Sallian community are out to prove something, most especially to those Ateneans who very kindly reminded us again about last year's suspension. The suspension is a thing of the past, something the entire community is not proud of and would like to forget. All we want is to move forward and prove ourselves worthy again!

Fortunately for us loyal La Salle fans, the boys really outdid themselves! Awesome defenses, amazing plays!!! Sure there were errors and misses here and there but they were forgivable. I have to admit, I've been slightly disappointed with their performance lately. I've been wanting to see the likes of Ren Ren Ritualo, Mac Mac Cardona, Mike Cortez and Joseph Yeo and the recent games have only made me miss these guys on the court even more. But I'm still recovering from the high of last Sunday's win. The boys played with so much heart and that's the kind of thing I've been waiting for!

TY, Jvee, Cholo, Rico, PJ, Bader, Simon and the rest of the gang...thank you for making us proud!!! If we beat UE and become this season's champions, that will be just the icing on my cake.

NOTHING COULD BE SWEETER THAN BEATING ATENEO

Animoism

I first saw these shirts during the UAAP opening last month. I wondered who made them because I didn't see a selling booth outside the gates of Araneta Coliseum. I also didn't get to go up to those kids who were wearing them to ask where they could be bought because the place was too crowded then. They are so different from the usual shirts (which I've honestly grown tired of, that's why I haven't been wearing mine lately). I especially love the very original statements =)

Thank God for Multiply (and for tons of free time to surf!), I finally found the sellers of these funky De La Salle shirts. I actually placed an order for a shirt each for myself and DH. I'm getting the lime green (Revive the Animo High) and DH is getting the black shirt (Push the Limit, Animo Spirit). If I like the material and the fit, then I'm definitely going to order more hee hee!

I can't wait for their new styles to come out...



Visit ANIMOISM if you want to grab these shirts. Get yours before the next DLSU-ADMU game haha! =p

Photo credit : www.animoism.multiply.com

We could've won...argh!

We've been excited about the UAAP for months before it opened this year. DLSU was ending a one-year absence so you can just imagine how fellow-Archers and Archer fans have been feeling. When the UAAP opened a few weeks ago, we immediately began to source tickets for the first DLSU-ADMU game. Every year it just gets more and more difficult to find tickets to the games, moreso when these two schools are playing against each other. So as early as 3 weeks ago when we knew what the first round schedule was, Neal immediately made reservations for our tickets.

Fast forward to today...well, do I really need to say it? Yes I'm disappointed. Slightly angry. We went to Araneta in extremely high spirits. After all, we were playing against our biggest rival and any game played against ADMU is always intense. We were so sure our boys were psyched, especially after that disastrous loss to UE last Sunday!

The game tonight was much more than intense. To say that it was highly-charged seems to be an understatement. My throat is scratchy from all the screaming (mostly at those dumbass referees who either made the wrong calls or didn't call the very obvious fouls at all). From where we were seated (Patron section, behind the goal near the DLSU bench), we saw a lot of unfair calls from the refs. It was really frustrating! Uh take note...I understand basketball and so does Neal. We're not like other people we know who think all fouls called on their team are unjust.

Anyhoo...we lost to Ateneo. How sad. But there is nothing unfair about losing tonight's game. I just have to say, the Blue Eagles played really hard. Jai Reyes made 21 points --- 21 points! But I'm not here to write about the Blue Eagles (of course not!). The thing I'm so disappointed about is the fact that we could have won that game. The score was tied at 67, there were 13 seconds left and THE BALL WAS IN OUR POSSESSION. Spells victory, don't you think? NOT!!! The boys didn't take advantage enough of the time and the opportunity. Neal and I wanted to jump into the court and tell JV Casio to either throw the ball NOW or pass it to someone else. Before we knew it, there went the buzzer and we were going into overtime. Major opportunity thrown out the window! Just like that!

As soon as the overtime period started, I immediately knew we had very little chance to redeem ourselves. True enough, Ateneo beat La Salle. I'm too disappointed to even remember what the final score was. I'm not sure whom to blame, all I know is that game could have been ours.

Jai Reyes and Chris Tiu of ADMU have their futures in the PBA all carved out. These boys really know how to play basketball. The Archers better be ready for the second round and they better be watching out for Jai and Chris. I hope they learned their lesson tonight. If it's painful for us mere spectators, imagine what the players are going through at this exact moment.

Nevermind, guys! LEARN from it and move forward. The season has just begun! My heart still screams

ANIMO LA SALLE!!!

P.S.
To my friends from Ateneo...congratulations from my broken heart. It was truly a well-deserved win. Your boys worked really hard to win this for you. But enough of this crap --- I hope we beat the hell out of you in round 2 HAHAHAHAHA!

UAAP Season 70

We went to Araneta as planned, with much anticipation and excitement. De La Salle is finally ending its 12-month suspension from the UAAP and everyone who loves this school and its players has been waiting (im)patiently for this day to come.

We encountered a minor bump when halfway to the venue, I realized to my utter dismay that I had accidently worn DH's Havaianas! So with a really heavy heart (and soon, a temper tantrum due to the heavy traffic), DH made a detour so we could go back home and I could change flip flops --- argh! Got to Araneta at exactly 1pm and by then we were starving so we decided to grab a quickie lunch @ Cafe Bola. I've been missing my favorite Sirloin Tapa with Egg =)

We got in just a couple of minutes before the match between DLSU and UP started. I managed to take good photos because we got Patron tickets.

Looking forward to the next exciting game!

A sea of green

The Gang Green

THE coach

Timeout!

In action

And La Salle wins!

Hail to De La Salle...

Winner smiles