LAST Tuesday, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) held its Season 89 presscon at Novotel and stimulated the nerve endings of the ‘long-suffering,’ diehard collegiate basketball fanatics.
It’s going to be a very interesting and exciting season.
The opening ceremony on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena is bound to be a blockbuster. The ‘unkabogable’ Vice Ganda and rapper-singer-songwriter Gloc-9 will headline the show that will be remembered for a long time for its uniqueness, core messages and sparkly star appeal.
The basketball tournament itself will be intriguing and irresistible because there are no clear-cut, obvious front runners this time. Transitions and changes in all eight teams have erased old patterns. What was predictable has become unpredictable. The ‘P’ word rules, and it’s called parity.
Some conjectures persevere. The University of the Philippines (UP) and De La Salle University (DLSU) are still considered the teams to beat. But their lock on the championship is no longer automatic.
This time the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers are being touted as a team that can crash the intimate party. The Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws are expected to rampage, making these four the favorites to enter the Final Four.
But nothing’s cast in stone. Ateneo de Manila in its new era is clicking on all cylinders under Coach Louie Alas. Adamson U has lost Cedrick Manzano but will still pull off surprises, thanks to Coach Nash Racela’s wizardry. The National University Bulldogs have lost Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala, but Reinhard Jumamoy will step up and lead this team.
The University of the East (UE) are in ‘building,’ not ‘rebuilding’ mode, says Coach Chris Gavina. So they’re bound to surprise, even shock us. With UE legend Allan Caidic as team consultant, a new culture is surely rising in the East.
As for me, I’m super hyped about being part of the UAAP crowd again. I feel the rest of the sports world is on mute compared to a packed UAAP arena. The electricity produced by school pride can’t be found anywhere else. I love soaking in the energy that rocks me at the cellular level.
Speaking of crowds, I asked AI to characterize the different UAAP crowds per school and this is what it said:
‘When it comes to the sheer volume, noise, and psychological pressure of a live game, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons arguably own the most avid, passionate, and intimidating crowd in the UAAP today. Defending their turf with an almost religious fervor, the UP crowd creates a uniquely overwhelming environment…The UP community completely floods venues in a sea of maroon shirts.. Their signature cheers..create a chilling, echo-chamber effect that heavily pressures opponents.
The DLSU and Ateneo crowds were described as ‘the gold standard rivalry’-‘elite, organized, and hostile in the most traditional sense.’ ‘When the Animo crowd meets the One Big Fight contingent, the atmosphere is electric. (The) intimidation factor stems from decades of pure, unadulterated sports rivalry. The drums are deafening, the school anthems are sung with extreme pride, and a winner-take-all game between these schools routinely smashes gate attendance records.’
‘When UST is winning,’ AI continued, ‘there is arguably no scarier crowd in collegiate sports. The Thomasian community is famously loyal and boasts one of the largest student populations in the country. Known as the ‘Yellow Wall,’ a packed UST crowd is fiercely vocal, bringing an intense, disruptive energy that can rattle even the most seasoned UAAP veterans.’
As for the FEU crowd, ‘it is legendary for its relentless, heavy drum cadences. The rhythm of the FEU Cheering Squad drums is uniquely deep and driving, mimicking the charging stomp of a Tamaraw.
When the crowd coordinates their standard ‘Let’s Go Tamaraws!’ shout to that booming bass line, the acoustic weight inside the stadium creates a heavily pressurized environment for opposing teams.
They also have a massive student baseline that shows out heavily during rivalry matches.’
The Adamson crowd was described as ‘incredibly united, family-oriented, and loud.. It behaves like a tight-knit family that rallies fiercely around its student-athletes. It’s a sleeping giant that explodes into total frenzy when their team goes on a run.
Because they frequently wear the tag of the ‘scrappy underdog’ out to defy the odds, their arena energy is fueled by pure emotion.’
‘NU fans bring a high-morale, tactical noise to the game. They possess one of the most mechanically synchronized pep squadrons in the league. Opposing players frequently note the intimidation value of their signature, synchronized ‘Barking’ chant, which is deafening when thousands of fans do it in unison.
When the Bulldogs are in a championship hunt, this crowd comes out in historic, record-breaking droves.’
UE’s crowd is described as ‘gritty, fiercely loyal, and loud and defined by its raw grassroots energy. UE fans have endured long rebuilding cycles, which has forged a fanbase that is incredibly resilient and vocal.
The UE crowd doesn’t rely on overly polished, heavily orchestrated stadium dynamics; their energy is pure, unfiltered vocal intensity.’ Everyone loses it when they go, ‘Bomba UE, Igma Kadima!’