ADMU vs DLSU (Round 1)

It's already 1:30 am and I'm still not sleepy despite that hard fought game! Must be the adrenaline! So i guess I'll just write my 3rd straight entry.

I think the game was definitely worth the hype! I heard one lower box ticket was going for around P6,000. Yes I also have problems searching for tickets for my family and some friends. In fact, I was still worrying and stressing about the tickets the night before the game because we players only receive 2 patron and 2 upper box A tickets EACH, which we still have to pay for. In other words, we're all on the same boat searching for desperate means to get tickets. But definitely, I won't spend P6,000 for a lower box ticket or even Patron for that matter. Haha!


But come to think of it, P6,000 might just be worth it in this particular duel! Not only was it a nerve-wrecking game, but the ticket price included a glimpse of two international superstars namely Gilbert Arenas (a.k.a. Agent Zero) and Manny Pacquiao (a.k.a. Pacman). Hmm, until now, I wonder what IS my monicker!?

Just before the game began, Agent Zero went inside our locker room to take photos with us. I was surprised that he was only about 2 or 3 inches taller than myself but his shoulders were extremely broad! Soon, our locker room was packed with photographers, media people, Adidas staff, security as well as kids who wanted to get photos and autographs of Arenas. He also gave us a very meaningful pep-talk about teamwork... "It's the individual player that sells to the people, but it's the team that wins championships..." He also spoke about Kevin Garnett and how he moved to a team which was able to support him and eventually grab a NBA title. I was actually worried after Arenas left the dugout because everyone just got so excited and might have lost focus on our game. I was excited myself because I was able to get an authentic Arenas autograph on one of my Arenas t-shirts.

Just before entering the court, i bumped into my partner Pacquiao and his sizable entourage! He wished me good luck, together with Jinkee and some others before i was pushed away by his huge body guards. Among the hundreds of "good lucks" i receive before an ADMU-DLSU game, this one just seemed like it did have a special impact to me! It was probably just a little different because it came from the world's #1 Pound for Pound boxer and someone who came out in the same TV Commercial as Kobe, Sharapova, Tiger Woods and Federer among others. So i rush out into the hard court with the usual sea of green and blue filled all the way to the bleachers. It wasn't too difficult to get warmed up!


At the start of the game, the analysts on TV mentioned that Ateneo got like 2 bonus points because of the technical foul that was given to the DLSU Coaching staff for not wearing their IDs. But guess what, those two shots were, for me, probably the most difficult free throw shots i've taken in my career so far! I felt more pressure while walking to the line to take those two shots in front of 22,000 people including Manny Pacquiao and Gilbert Arenas. The score was 0-0, time hasn't ticked, nobody else on the line. So many things were going through my head. What will Arenas think of the UAAP if i miss two wide open free throws? Or what will Pacquiao (a world class athelte) think of his co-host, some incapable guy who can't even dominate the college leagues? Sometimes i just think too much! I found myself literally shaking before those two free throws!! Thank God I was able to clear my mind right before shooting. Thank you Lord, for guiding them in! What a relief! But seriously, I think Pacquiao's presence really motivated me and pushed me to be extra aggressive today because I didn't want to disappoint Him! haha sounds cheesy? I guess that explains the 19 free throws I attempted, partly because the calls of the refs were extremely 'thin' today! Most calls made us just scratch our heads like the technical foul at the start of the game against the DLSU coaches for not wearing IDs and the one at the beginning of the 4th quarter against Coach Norman whom they thought was complaining and making hand gestures to the referees when APPARENTLY he was screaming and pointing at Ryan Buenafe who was not in proper formation. Hahaha!!


"A win is a win" as Coach Norman would put it, no matter how close. I'm proud of the rookies as well as the veterans who stepped up. It's not easy to play your first UAAP game in a DLSU-ADMU atmosphere. I remember my first DLSU ADMU game, I only stepped on the court for the last 17 seconds of the first half, in which i didn't even touch the ball. At least Coach Joel Banal still made an effort to put me in no matter how short. RYan Buenafe impressed a lot of spectators with his composure despite the pressing defense of DLSU and his ability to create his own shots. Vince Burke showed some shooting touch as well. Nico Salva showed his athleticism but I'm still waiting for the guy to have his breakout game! Nonoy, as usual, was picked on by the referees but came back much stronger in the 4th quarter. Rabeh also picked up some cheap fouls from the refs in the first few minutes but kept his cool and hit big shots down the stretch. He is slowly learning to make good decisions on the post, knowing when to shoot and when to pass out. Jobe played tough today and showed that he CAN be a bad boy which we need in the team because we're all too nice on the court. Eric, my buddy, started a big run that gave us some breathing space. And of course, my co-captain Yuri showed his defensive skills and his ability to organize the offense especially during end game situations. Great game plan by the coaching staff as well. At the end of it all, I want to thank the Lord for giving this victory to us! Still a long way to go... I just pray for fair calls this year and an injury-free roster, may the best team win!

Thanks for all your support! See you at the games!

Chris

NSL Championship

Hey everyone! I know this entry is one week late since we won the Nike Summer League Championship. I haven't really had time to update my blog because i'm preoccupied with school, business, training and not to mention my injuries. Yes, i have a couple of injuries that have been bothering me, from my back to my adductors, to my knees and ankles. And i frequently have to deal with that scenario because for some reason my body parts are 'made in China' as my trainers would put it, that's why i've been spending a lot of time in the Moro Lorenzo clinic lately trying to nurse my injuries. But luckily, they haven't been serious enough (knock on wood) to prevent me from training as the UAAP season is fast approaching. We play DLSU again in two weeks, July 6 if i am not mistaken! Training sessions have been really tough, with twice a day sessions during the week! I think it's paying off and I feel that I can be in my best conditioning shape in my entire life when the season begins, but we have to manage our conditioning in a way for us to maintain it throughout the season and not peak too soon.


Going back to the NSL Championship, you all know that ADIDAS has been my personal sponsor since 2003 and so with all due respect, i try not to use the word 'Nike' as much, although everyone associates our last championship with it! Despite having to undergo stretches of adversity because of losses in the FIl-Oil tournament and various injuries, we managed to stage a come-from-behind victory in the final seconds of the game. Overall, our defense tightened up and they finally started missing their shots after shooting red hot almost throughout the game. But we hung in there, kept our composure and luckily we ended up victorious. Many have congratulated me for making the final shot, but i certainly have to give credit to Coach Norman for the improvised drawn up play during the time-out (that was UE's play btw) and to my teammates who executed it perfectly despite the pressure. It was a great feeling and somehow someway during the game, i felt that the game would turn to our favor! I couldn't help but smile after the shot went through the net. I'd like to thank all the Saints and my saint relatives who guided that basketball through the net! So far my favorite Pink MiAdidas hasn't failed me yet! I only use them on selected games :) At least we ended our summer program with an exclamation point!! It was pre-examination of our team's character and the main exam will be in two weeks time. Again, thank you all for cheering and believing in the Blue Eagles :)