It's that Time of the Season

(This will be coming out in next week's Transit newspaper.)

My officemate left the office around noon and said he had a meeting outside. Coincidentally, I did too.

What was even more ironic was both our meetings were at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum… where the Ateneo Blue Eagles had a game versus the UE Red Warriors (this was in 2002).

Fearing that with the sparse game day crowd that I’d be seen on television, I sat close to the cameraman’s prime piece of real estate. My officemate on the other hand, sat beside the usual gaggle of alumni boosters. For his being too rabid a fan, he was shown on TV cheering his heart out. Imagine our boss’ surprise when he saw my officemate whooping it up on TV.

The following morning, my friend escaped any punitive sanctions as he was instead chewed out for breakfast by our boss. Were the boss not a fellow alum, God knows where my officemate would be working now? Now I didn’t see the TV broadcast so I sweated bullets all day long waiting for anyone to report confirmed sightings of myself at the game. Mercifully, I was never found out and the next time, I filed for a leave instead.

Ah, the things you do when you’re a fan.

It’s like there are two phases to your yearly life if you’re a sports and basketball nut. There’s the NBA from November to June, and then there’s the UAAP basketball from July to October. So fans – usually the alumni – save their vacation leaves for this time of the year or even bargain with their better halves about going out and making it up after the season.

The boyfriend of another friend comes from the rival school and she has to listen to him milk the Blue Eagles getting knocked out by the Green Archers in the last couple of seasons for all its worth. To get even, she makes him watch – actually “forces” is the correct word, -- the UAAP football games where the blues own the greens. “Trade off,” she says. “They rule the sport we once did while we’ve taken over their once pride and joy.”

Arnel, went to La Salle although his kids are enrolled in Ateneo. “I have to sit with them on the blue side of the gallery and it takes every ounce of self-control not to say anything,” he laughs. “If my team wins, I can’t kid them about it, right? But when La Salle is playing another team, they sit with me. Sila naman ang tahimik.”

One bank executive who refused to be identified says that aside from watching the games live, he makes it a point to catch the televisions replays at night with his wife. “Die hard,” he jokes. “But you want to see the replays and hear the commentary. But mind you, if my team losses, I call it a night.”

Alex, a student from San Beda College admits that watching the Red Lions win a game makes things easier for her. “I find it easier to study at night,” she relates with a tinge of embarrassment. “Pero kung talo… naku, mahirap maging fan. Mas mahirap mag-aral pero pipilitin.” She can rest easy though, her Red Lions are back-to-back champs and are undefeated of late. “

College purists would like to point out how the college game packs the arenas as compared to the pro game that hardly captures the public’s imagination today. You’re more likely to see people in the malls and public places wearing their school colors than seeing jerseys of the pro teams. Come on, is the pro league really that relevant anymore? They even once resorted to giving away free tickets and free rides to the venue just to entice people.

Tickets.

“My budget takes a beating during this time of the year because of the scarcity of tickets,” says Robert a student from La Salle who laments the distribution system for tickets. “Sometimes, I have to purchase from scalpers. But if you go to the games, it’s the same faces again and again – alumni. How do they have access to these tickets? Yet they’re the ones who sit on their fat asses and who hardly cheer. Paano naman yung mga estudyante?”

Ah, Robert, you might want to try a tactic I once used before I got those Media Passes which are virtually gold. During the few times I purchased from a scalper, I made sure to dress up rather simply and pass myself off as a non-Atenean. I spoke in Pilipino and said I was from another school. They let me have it with only a Php 50 mark-up! Now I don’t guarantee that will work with everyone because some speak with a coño or sosy accent so no way are they going to pass off as a student or alumnus of another school.

One scalper at the Philsports Arena says that supporters from Ateneo or La Salle can pony up the cash no matter what. “May pera kasi, eh,” he explains. “Walang kahirap hirap bumunot ng pera.”

Rey, a student from NU is a little more ingenious if not practical. He says that he will join his school’s cheering squad or band next year, “Libre ticket, eh. Pero mas maganda yun kung mananalo team namin.”