By Tony Samson
BY this time, the hoopla and excitement from the finals series of two games in the men’s college basketball contest must have already faded just a bit. Even at its peak, the emotional high was limited to no more than a million students, alumni, family, significant others, friends, photo bombers, and, let’s not forget, yet unborn babies. The last group was represented by mothers with baby bumps under tightly stretched maroon T-shirts declaring the hashtag, roughly translated as “this is ours” — yes, ma’am, that one’s all yours.
The illusion of a college sporting event occupying the national psyche if only for a few days, because of the surprise pairing of two schools sharing one avenue, has only to be tested by this thought experiment — do you care what’s going on at the Horological Association of the Philippines? What if one of its new directors posted a note on social media that three timepieces in the museum need to be wound? Who will man up for this task? The unexpected negative reaction may be over the top. He protests that the word “wound” is the past participle form of the verb “wind.” There was no intent to imply inflicting physical harm to anyone. Still, he was ousted and asked to watch his language. Everybody just got wound up.
Here are five questions that a Man from Mars might ask about all the curious hullabaloo over Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). There have been contests between traditional rivals before, which did not attract these kinds of emotions, and ticket shortages. Here are some narratives not yet covered by the media attention on this heretofore low-key event.
Which of the four venues in the 17 games you watched was the worst? Easily, it was the one game in an Antipolo stadium, no need to mention its name. The parking lot intended for visitors featured instead a pop-up flea market so that cars needed to park three blocks away — Sir, you can take a tricycle to get to your seat behind the goal. That contest also featured two schools with the same color coding, so the boundaries for the cheering were fluid — Ma’am, that’s Ahanmisi you’re jumping about. (Well, he’s on my side.)
What’s the meaning of all this post-shot prancing around and posturing? This is a tradition in a shoot-and-run back format of basketball. It’s intended to pump up the crowd. The movements include the following: front-shirt pulling and airing of outer garment, revealing a black undershirt; raising of both arms at shoulder level to show muscle formation; raising both arms above the head at the crowd to cheer louder; and a new one — flapping the arms rhythmically like a bird in flight after a dunk shot — this one believes he can fly like Mike or is he auditioning for the corps de ballet of Swan Lake? Can they please provide a blue tutu?
Why is the top team that became back-to-back champion not represented in the Mythical Five selection? Well, it’s a mathematical formula that has no bearing on the placement of the team and its chances of winning the trophy. Winning as a team doesn’t count. Next question please.
In the last game of the finals, how did you get to the toilet? With the crowd at 20% over seating capacity, the SRO ticket holders clogged up the back-passage area of the sections. This required the leaky ones to squeeze through and press close to the wall in an act of intimacy that had gone beyond first-name calling and three meetings over coffee. If walls could sue, this would be a clear case of harassment. Facing forward with the back to the wall might have resulted in a slap on the face. (Ma’am, that’s my cellphone in my pocket.)
What happened to the indifference and ennui previously accorded to this puerile pursuit? Aren’t there more pressing concerns like the West Philippine Sea and the budget deficit? Did other more momentous things like board meetings and legislative agendas really stop that Wednesday before the buzzer sounded and the confetti fell to the floor full of photographers, with the score frozen at 99-81? Well, it is what it is.
Anyway, there is a difference between wearing blue and feeling blue. No problem, all my shirts are blue.
A.R. Samson is chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda.
ar.samson@yahoo.com
