End of the road for Ateneo

In what was probably the most uninteresting of all the games they played this year, Ateneo lost to La Salle, 65-60, in their fifth and final matchup this season. The Green Archers just clearly played better this time. La Salle will meet idle UE for the championship (best-of-three) starting this Thursday.

Graduating seniors Claiford Arao and Zion Laterre have played their last game for Ateneo. Good luck to both of them in their future endeavors. Ateneo should be back stronger next year with NCAA Juniors MVP Ryan Buenafe (San Sebastian HS) and Tiong Lian MVP Justin Chua (Chang Kai Shek HS) enrolling next school year.

If it's any consolation, Ateneo still wins the season head-to-head series with 3 wins against 2 losses. The two losses though were the once that counted the most.

Talking smack

Of course, leave it to an injured me to create some buzz and excitement during the game. I was playing with a bum ankle and I was about 50% fit. In any case, I was bound for the primetime. Had I been 100% healthy, I would have let my game do the talking. But I'm not and I wasn't so I couldn't. I did let my other 'game' do its talking.

Big mistake for these Allstate cats is to engage me in a jawing match. No one jaws with me. Well, there are some but they all end up on the losing side. I'm a cerebral trash-talker. Chances are, you ain't smart or good enough to withstand my barbs. I'm one heckuva badass on the court. You just don't want me to get in your head. That's suicide for most of y'all.

Hell, I'm so good I wouldn't want to face myself in a jawing match.

LeNoBo is king of IBS Basketball

LeNoBo completed a magnificent season with an exciting 61-60 triumph over a taller, supposedly much-heralded Allstate team to capture the 2007 IBS Basketball Championship earlier at the Meralco Gym.

What initially seemed like a LeNoBo rout took a interesting turn in the latter part of the fourth quarter. It was neck-and-neck as LeNoBo was maintaining a three point lead with about two minutes left. Then came the drama. I gave up a hard, competitive duty foul to prevent an easy Allstate fastbreak opportunity. During the ensuing deadball, the dude I fouled picks up the ball, turns around and throws a fastball towards me. Too bad for him I've outstanding reflexes, not too mention I was a first team soccer goalkeeper most of my life, so I was able to coral the ball. Seeing the asshole trying to man me up, I almost charged him at full speed but cooler heads prevailed. I would've killed the dude's knees as they were wobbling like Pamela Anderson's boobs. All this ruckus almost incited a bench-clearing melee.

Dude was thrown out of the game, but so was I. This was probably to appease the Allstate crowd because they were getting rowdy. Oh yeah, did I mention they have the most annoying fans? Think Erap/FPJ supporters on a picket. It was our pleasure to finally make them shut the fuck up.

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Kudos to JP for a spectacular scoring game with his points coming mostly from his patented floaters (word to Tony Parker). He was subsequently named Finals MVP. Good job, men.

Shoutout to the rest of my LeNoBo teammates. Til our title defense next year....

Ankle check

I played for the first time in four weeks last night. I was trying to see how my ankle will hold up after severely tearing all ligaments last September 1st. It's still swollen around the lateral malleolus and it's still painful as well. Prior to walking on the court, I had to make sure it's heavily taped for support. I don't want to tweak it and damage it any further. I've a big game this Saturday.

Needless to say, I had a really bad outing last night. Had no lift and I was favoring my left foot so much I think it got to my head. That's rare cause injuries don't usually bother me. Save for a gamewinning trey and a few nifty assists, it would've been a forgettable comeback try.

Then again, it was a sweet gamewinner. It should boost my confidence a bit heading into the IBS championship this weekend.

Impatiently queueing at BDO

I went to BDO right after the Ateneo-DLSU game. Since it was about 5:45 pm, I thought I'd breeze through the bank to pay some bills. I got in with two people in front of me as we lined up at the counters.

Lo and behold, there was this IBMer who took forever to pay her bills. I guess it's the first time she's paying via check because she hardly had any idea what to do. Worse, the teller asked her to rewrite her payment slips thrice!!! Oh my golly. All in all, it took the lady about twenty minutes to finish. Judging from how she looked, she must've been in her 30's.

Naman. Sometimes, there are some dumb folks who get past recruitment. Hopefully, the smart ones outnumber them.

Ateneo 65, La Salle 64 (Final Four Game 1)

For the third time in four games, Ateneo's Chris Tiu delivered in the crunch as the Blue Eagles beat La Salle, 65-64, in their Final Four matchup. Tiu, whose jumpers have been deadly all season long, went unorthodox this time as he drove to the basket and scored on a tough layup with 7 seconds remaining. Bader Malabes' potential gamewinning trey from the corner was offline.

As DLSU holds a twice-to-beat advantage, Ateneo forces a knockout affair (the fifth Blue-Green game this season) this Sunday, September 30.

Winner goes on to meet UE in the finals, while the loser goes home.

IBS Final Four: No PG, no problem

PG could stand for either point guard or my initials as I sat out due to injury. My badly busted ankle is still a bit swollen, though it should be fine for next week's championship game. My team didn't have a natural floor general to run the show and they missed my league best 8.7 assists per game.

Ultimately, I wasn't needed so I had the liberty of sitting this one out.

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LeNoBo held off a seemingly close first quarter with TASC-CCC, then used a strong second quarter run to build an early double-digit lead. The surge was anchored on a relentless swarming defensive stance that forced turnover after turnover. These led to easy baskets on transition. Soon enough, the LeNoBo offense was running on full speed erecting a big 22-point cushion in the third period.

TASC-CCC made a run in the fourth with a barrage of treys, to narrow the gap to 13 points, 60-73. A quick 8-0 LeNoBo retaliation ignited by back-to-back three-pointers quickly extinguished whatever hopes they had of a comeback.

I'm still wondering how the hell on earth could this team think they could beat us. Should anyone of you know the answer, please drop me a line.

Final score: Lenobo 81, TASC-CCC 60.

LeNoBo had four players score in twin digits (Herbert 19, Gian 17, JP 13, Emer 10).

Next game: the Finals, vs. Allstate, September 29, Saturday, at the Meralco Gym.

UAAP Final Four (3rd vs 4th): Ateneo 69, UST 64

The Blue Eagles had a spectacular second half, slicing through UST's supposedly tough defense like a with surgeon-line precision. Ateneo had superb contributions from rookies Mike Baldos and Nonoy Baclao, while holding off UST stalwarts Jervy Cruz and star newcomer Khazim Mirza to subpar performances.

Sorry Pido, your boys aren't tough enough. Obviously, you aren't too, crying like a effin' baby. Next time, shut your mouth and stop talking trash.

Ateneo meets La Salle again, for the fourth time this season, this Thursday. An Archer win will send them to the Finals against UE, while an Ateneo victory will force a rubber match next Sunday.

IBS Final Four

The elimination round officially ended last night as the last game was played at Club 650. TM Power narrowly edged Center IT with a 58-57 win. The Transition Management team (1-2) settles for third place in the Dayshift division, while IT is deadlast with a winless record (0-3).

The Final Four cast is complete. Nightshift-A winner Allstate will meet Dayshift second-placer P&G, while Dayshift champion LeNoBo will square up against Nighshift-B winner TASC-CCC.

LeNoBo and Allstate are early favorites to clash for the championship.

The Final Four matchups will be played this Sunday night, September 23, at Club 650.

ADMU-DLSU Round 3 goes to the Archers

Most Ateneans saw it coming. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Ateneo lost a heartbreaker to rivals De La Salle, 69-70, to fall down to third place in the standings. As a result, the Eagles will face UST in a win-or-go-home showdown, with the winner advancing to meet second-seeded DLSU in the stepladder Final Four format. La Salle will hold a twice-to-beat advantage.

With about 9 seconds to go and the Green Archers leading by three, Ateneo squandered a chance to tie the game with Zion Laterre taking an ill-advised midrange jumper for two points instead of passing it on to an open teammate for a trey. It was an apparent lack of concentration on Zion's part that nullified Ateneo's chance to send the game into overtime.

It'll be difficult but at least Ateneo isn't out of the running yet. They need to conjure three straight wins (one against UST, then two over DLSU) in order to book themselves a ticket to the Finals against a well-rested UE squad.

Cheerdance Booboo

As an Atenean, I couldn't resist posting this. Though most of the Philippines has probably seen tons of it already.

Enjoy.

WTF?!

I can't believe Ateneo lost to lowly NU. As a result, the Eagles failed to clinch second seed. They didn't seem like they had their hearts in the game. I guess they took the Bulldogs lightly and lost their focus along the way.

Or maybe they just want to face DLSU again, for the third time this season. After all, we own La Salle this year. I foresee another blockbuster game this coming Thursday.

The Craft

I found myself at the wrong end of corporate politics. It's like a neatly executed behind-the-back pass off a fastbreak (word to Steve Nash), it's effin' annoying if you're on defense.

It's difficult when some witches are doin' full-court press (word to DLSU). Gotta keep my head in the game.

UE 92, DLSU 84 OT

I thought no other game could match both Ateneo-DLSU elimination round games in terms of sheer intensity and excitement.

This one almost pulled it off, if not for UE's blowout win in overtime.

As a result, UE sweeps the eliminations, and books a ticket to the finals. La Salle drops to third place.

Psy-War

Someone sent me a message this morning. It went something like (in Filipino), "How's that? You'll be playing us next."

Not sure if it was a threat, a mockery or what not. All I said was, "Good luck."

GUILTY!

As expected by many, deposed president Joseph Estrada was handed down a guilty verdict at the promulgation of his plunder case earlier this morning. He was acquitted on the perjury charge though.

He got a bit of reprieve though when the Sandiganbayan allowed him to serve his reclusion perpetua sentence at his Tanay resthouse, where he has been detained the past six years. It's a far better place than the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, where big crime convicts are sent to rot.

Erap on trial

It has been six long years since former president Joseph Estrada was evicted out of Malacañang. He's been on house arrest ever since. By tomorrow, the country will freeze, everyone will be tuned in, as the Sandiganbayan will hand down its verdict on the Erap's plunder trial.

Most of the educated bunch are hoping for a guilty verdict. I want to see him get sent to Bilibid. It's about time he finally goes home.

DLSU gets owned again; Archer does a Tessie Oreta

Ateneo posted a sweet, comeback victory over archrival La Salle, 89-87. Chris Tiu nailed the gamewinning three, off an Yuri Escueta dish. The Archers had two final cracks at the basket, but JV Casio missed a jumper while douchebag Rico Maierhofer's putback came in after the buzzer.

Replays clearly showed the ball still in his hand as time expired. You know how stupid this guy is? He jumped and danced around foolishly (word to former Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta), acting like he tied the game for La Salle. How embarassing, not to mention plain dumb.

It's official, Rico Maierhofer is the new Allan Evangelista.

Bred is the new Hitch

Don't go driving down the lane like Earl Boykins, when Alonzo is standing by (word to Dikembe). Lakas ng loob lang yan, men. Think Jordan during the flu game. All guts, all heart, no fear.

Glory Road

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The long and winding glory road

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
September 6, 2007

Texas Western won the NCAA basketball championship in 1966, the first team to start five black players in the title game. If you want to know how well that went over, understand no one even bothered to bring out a ladder for the players to climb and cut the nets.

Nevil Shed had to hoist Willie Worsley up on his shoulders to do the honors.

And the traditional trip to appear on the "Ed Sullivan Show?" Yeah, that never happened either. Instead they got hate mail and death threats by the bucketful.

The Miners received a heroes welcome back in El Paso, Texas. They were the stuff of legend in some black communities. And in terms of changing the face of college athletics, they broke down racial barriers, particularly in the South, where teams and leagues were still all-white.

But for the most part, Texas Western's championship went off with little fan fare nationally and soon enough faded in memory. By the late 1970s, players would meet people and have to explain the entire thing.

"Some people knew but nothing like they would today," Shed said.

Which is what made their gathering Thursday for the ultimate of basketball honors, all that more incredible.

The men of Texas Western, the team that was once despised, then nearly forgotten (and certainly long underappreciated), will be enshrined Friday in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Forty-one years after they made history, history now has a place to always remember them.

The Hall of Fame is always about waiting. There is five year minimum after a playing career ends, and even then only the most select talents make it on the first ballot. Even great players have to sit and wonder if a new crop of voters will deem them worthy. Coaches meanwhile, continue to pad their resumes in an effort to gain entry, a lifetime's worth of work.

But maybe no one has waited like this team. In a basketball sense, they haven't done a single thing since March 19, 1966, when they upset Kentucky 72-66 to win the title.

And as profound as their historic and social impact was – "(they) literally got thousands and thousands of black kids scholarships to college," said Nolan Richardson, the former Arkansas coach – that was mostly accomplished by the mid-1970s.

Since then, nothing changed; except, of course, America.

What was once met with disdain, if not outright hostility, is now almost universally celebrated. What was once seen as an aberration is now understood.

Back then the coach, Don Haskins, was blackballed by the establishment for starting five blacks – imagine someone winning a NCAA title at age 36 and not receiving a single major conference job offer? Today he is hailed as a courageous icon.

Back then the players were hit with rumors and untrue news accounts about how they weren't real students or had criminal backgrounds. Today they are fathers and grandfathers, college graduates, each one having enjoyed an honest and successful life.

Back then the media attacked, most famously Sports Illustrated which claimed Haskins exploited the black players (it even ran an illustration of him stuffing a black kid into his shirt). Now the team is the toast of the country, treated to glowing accounts in newspapers, magazines and televisions specials.

Back then the NCAA immediately dispatched an investigator down to El Paso (he found no broken rules). In 2006, the same organization honored the team at halftime of its national championship game, exactly four decades after no one bothered with the ladder.

"Life moves on," said Shed. "Things change."

Even at the turn of this century, the story was painfully undertold. In 1998, I was working as a writer and editor for Basketball Times magazine when I first heard the story in detail. It was such a fascinating tale that I couldn't believe I hadn't heard it countless times before.
Intrigued, I went to El Paso and wrote about it and the Miners coach, Don Haskins. A few years later the two of us wrote the book "Glory Road," part of a wave of attention and recognition that grew so big it has stunned everyone on the team.

There was the Disney movie of the same name, two Wheaties boxes and an actual naming of a "Glory Road" in El Paso. The players have been hit up for media interviews ranging from local papers to national television.

President Bush hosted the team and their families at the White House for a screening of the film. The NCAA did its part. The team went to Europe to visit U.S. troops. Players, especially Shed, began making speeches around the country.

"It's strange, especially after all those years of not getting any notice or press for doing what we did," said Jerry Armstrong, a player who went on to become a championship high school coach in Missouri. "The momentum just grew and grew."

Even so, no one ever dared dream of the Hall of Fame. Haskins, who won 719 career games at Texas Western/UTEP had been enshrined in 1997. That seemed like it.

Then one night last year, Steve Tredennick, who played for Texas Western from 1962-65 and had become a representative for the 1966 team, was scanning the Hall's website. He noticed some entire teams had been enshrined, most recently the Harlem Globetrotters.

"I thought, 'well, what the heck?'" Tredennick said.

Tredennick is a bulldog of a Texas attorney, a man adept at making things happen. He immediately wrote an email to Hall president John Doleva, asking about the nomination process. Doleva wrote back the next day. Less than a year later the team was in, technically a first ballot choice after all.

"The players have deserved this for decades, I'm just thrilled," said Haskins, who won't attend the event in part beacuse of health and in part because he wants the focus to be on his players. "I've always gotten too much credit. I'm more excited about this than when I got in."

The question almost everyone asks is how did this team fly mostly under the national radar for nearly 40 years?

First, the immediate negative media attention was crushing. This was not treated as a great moment for America. The team dealt with articles that ranged from thinly veiled rips to out and out attacks, lies that stuck. "We were pariahs," Haskins said, who even at 77 wishes he could get his hands around the neck of a Sports Illustrated editor and "drag him through the weeds a little bit."

Then there was the sheer remoteness of El Paso, the West Texas town seven hours from any major media market. Even as the story stayed alive there, it only received sporadic national attention.

Finally there was America's appreciation for what had happened. That a team of blacks, whites and a Hispanic, led by a ferociously stubborn coach and playing for a diverse, progressive school, turned the sports world upside down with one single game.

"History is made when you don't know it's being made," Armstrong said.

For their part, the players, now all in their 60s, are anything but bitter at the delay. They are embracing it, proud they are all going in together and making the most of the time that has passed.

"What's truly amazing is my kids and grandkids are around to appreciate everything the team did," said Armstrong, who like everyone else brought his entire extended family.

So they've gathered one more time, this time in Springfield. Old men full of youthful wonder, still a bit stunned they are joining the legends of the game. And, of course, they've brought along some bottles of old Scotch because after all these years no one is going to blame them for acting like college kids.

"It's like old times," Shed said. "The personalities haven't changed. But instead of talking about girls we say, 'Those knees look terrible.' Or, 'I take this medication. What pills do you take?'"

The only disappointment is the one missing player, Bobby Joe Hill, the team's star guard who passed away in 2002. It all came too late for him. His wife Tina (their romance was featured in the movie) and other family members, however, will be there, as proud as ever.

And so too will be a big, framed picture of him. His teammates have taken the picture of Bobby Joe everywhere during these past few years. It attended the Hollywood premiere. It traveled to Europe. It met President Bush. It got propped up at a mob-scene book signing in El Paso. It was held on center court of the RCA Dome, cheered by 60,000 fans.

"Our team is not a team without Bobby Joe's spirit," Shed said. "The closest I can get to having him with us is by carrying his picture."

And so Friday, he'll carry it, carry it right into the Hall of Fame, the most glorious and eternal of all the stops on this winding glory road.

Shed even promised to hoist it up high, just like he did with another teammate 41 years ago, back when not everyone was celebrating what these kids from Texas Western had just done.

Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Thursday, Sep 6, 2007 11:06 pm, EDT

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I just watched the film, "Glory Road", last night over at HBO. Powerful stuff. It's the kind legends are made of.

Relocating again

I just moved workstations again, for the nth time.

To sum it up, I've had 7 workstations, in 5 floors, of 2 buildings. All in 18 months. That's an average of 9 weeks per desk.

Hassle, eh?

Grade 2 sprain

I went to the Medical City to pick up my x-ray plates and have my ankle checked as well. I set up an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. Like what I mentioned previously, no fractured bones but my doctor says that with the amount of bruising and swelling of my ankle, I probably tore all three major ankle ligaments. He only sees a Grade 2 sprain though, which would sideline me for about 3-4 weeks. With proper healing, I can get back sooner though.

I'm trying to determine if I can return by September 22, which is the semifinal round of the IBS Sportsfest. I'm not convinced I'll make it in time, but who knows... I normally recover beyond expectations.

Negative for fracture

I went to the Medical City's ER a few hours ago to get my ankle checked. The findings were negative for any fracture, which is good. However, I think I'm looking at a Grade 2 or 3 sprain. Sometimes, fractures (stress or non-displaced) are better because bones heal in as quick as four weeks and it's as good as new. While major sprains, on the other hand, can take 4-8 weeks to heal and they tend to be prone to reaggravation.

I'll find out the extent of the damage by Tuesday or Wednesday when I visit my orthopedic surgeon. I've a big game on the 22nd, I'm crossing my fingers hoping I can return just in time.

Don't tell me I'm injured again

I might have fractured my left ankle earlier today. I was playing ball at Moro this afternoon when I landed awkwardly on someone else's foot after a rebound play. I heard my ankle crack, about three times I think, reminiscent of the time I broke my right ankle about two years ago. I swear I've heard those cracking sounds before.

It got swollen immediately, but the swelling wasn't as severe as it was the first time. I have inflammation the size of a pingpong ball. Believe me it was much worse when I snapped my right ankle before. This gives me a bit of hope that there's no fracture. I'll find out by tomorrow. I would've gone to the emergency room tonight but the strong rains are preventing me from going to Medical City.

I'm hoping for good news tomorrow. Crossing my fingers here.