think rainbows

I've always talked about basketball when the UAAP starts, but now I think it's time to talk about something else regarding the UAAP as well. I think the UST Volleyball Team and the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe deserve a post here in my blog as well, even if volleyball is still at the 2nd half of the UAAP, and the cheerdance competition is not until September.

For the UST Volleyball Team, both men's and women's, I know they're both going to be missing important players on their rosters. Not sure who among the men's team, but for the women's team, it's goodbye for Rhea Dimaculangan, the awesome setter of the UST women's volleyball team. Her replacement though, Loren Lantin, has shown that she can also work wonders for the team during the finals against the Ateneo Lady Eagles in the Shakey's V-League. She may not be as good as Rhea yet, but I'm pretty sure she'll still improve in the coming days. I just hope they're all ready when the volleyball season starts, and I hope that UST will be able to make it to the finals still, and possibly, another championship for these volleyball players and the school. :)

Together with the basketball team, Salinggawi's season practically starts as well since they'd be doing halftime during basketball games. One shocking news before the UAAP season starts is that Ryan Silva, the awesome choreographer/coach of the UST-SDT since 2002, and the 5-peat architect as what they call him, won't be calling the shots anymore for the multi-titled dance squad. It is saddening since we've been used to Silva's ways, but maybe also a blessing in disguise since we'll be able to see something new and fresh from the Salinggawi Dance Troupe. I'm sure this wouldn't change their fighting spirit or the will to bring back the crown to Espana. Whoever will be calling the shots for Salinggawi now will have a hard time filling in those big shoes as the team's choreographer, but I know and I really do hope that they will still do their best. What I think SDT has to work on for the cheerdance competition are their tosses and lifts and all that kind of stuff. The UP Pep Squad can do it and make it look so effortless(yes, I can see that even if I'm a loyal UST-SDT fan), so why can't the Salinggawi do it like that? I know they can bring the crown back to UST. I'm sure it has been missing the Salinggawi too.

So right now, that's all for volleyball and cheerdance. I hope to see the Salinggawi perform on Saturday and give a good performance. And I hope that all the teams from UST do well in their respective competitions. Go USTe! =D

Time for another very biased post! Which just means, time to talk about UST and the Tigers according to Dindin! :))

UAAP season's starting on Saturday, and UST's UAAP campaign also starts on Saturday! But before all that, I would like to share my thoughts on how I think and I wish UST would fare this season. Not just in basketball, but in volleyball and cheerdance as well.

All in all, I would like UST to do really well this season. Not just bag another General Championship at the end of the season but to be able to do it with flying colors. Meaning, that our athletes perform really well for this 75th season of the UAAP. Other schools have been wanting to win that General Championship too, and this year's host school NU would surely be at the top of UST's to-watch-out-for list when it comes to the General Championship this year.

As I've mentioned, this Saturday, UST would also be starting their UAAP basketball campaign as they will be facing the FEU Tamaraws in the second game of the opening day double-header. First game would be the host school, the NU Bulldogs, against the UE Red Warriors. Now comes the basketball talk. =D

It's that time of the year once again! The 75th season of the UAAP is set to start this Saturday, July 14, at its new home at the Mall of Asia Arena. As this year's hosts, NU is expected to give an awesome show during the opening rites. Together with the other 7 participating schools, Adamson, Ateneo, De La Salle, FEU, UE, UP and UST, every UAAP fan, myself included, is excited once again to see what unfolds in the UAAP this year.

It's not just the new season of the UAAP we're all excited for, but also the new venue that the UAAP will be in. The newly-built world class MOA Arena which is just like other NBA arenas in the US is ready for the UAAP wars. Most of the basketball games, and most probably the cheerdance competition will be held here, giving UAAP fans some fresh experience, and giving the athletes some inspiration to do even better as well. Of course, the host school is expected to go all out and perform well, but given the intense amount of competition over the years in the UAAP, expect the other participating schools to go all out as well.

As early as today, tickets are almost sold out in all sections. According to the SM Tickets website, the only available section is the General Admission area. Luckily I was able to secure lower box tickets for the opening on Saturday, so to every UAAP fan out there, see ya! :)

P.S. Other UAAP-related posts after this! :) (mostly UST-related probably =P)

Since it's all over the news, I just want to say a few personal opinions about this Azkals-Cristina Ramos issue.

As we all know, it's not the first time that the Azkals have been in this kind of situation. I do not know them personally or whatever personal activities they do so I am in no place to judge the kind of personality that they have. All I know is that they play football for the Philippines even though most of them are not purely Filipino, and everything else is based on what I see and hear on the telly, and what I read when they tweet.

Thanks to all these media interviews, we now know Cristina Ramos's side of the story. How she felt disrespected with what two particular Azkals players did. I'm all about respect for women because it's something that's so important in this world, really. And I understand that what the Azkals did was really disrespectful in a way to think that she is the match commissioner, and that she's a girl. But then, can it really be considered as something as grave as sexual harassment? I would expect men's locker rooms to be in that kind of an atmosphere in that kind of situation, but I am still not sure if the things that those guys did are enough for it to be considered as such. I think sexual harassment may be a bit too much.

She's even got James Younghusband involved, the captain of the Azkals during that match, because he didn't do anything about it; and now even the whole team, because they were all laughing at it. I get the point that the Azkals have to make up for what they did, or simply be punished. After all, what they did is still wrong and higher officials can't just let this pass, because what message would it relay if that happened? And they're going against the daughter of a former President. And there would definitely be more issues to arise. (The rape issue was totally different. I personally thought that girl involved there was kinda weird.)

Anyway, she's mentioned too that she was with two other guys when they entered the locker room. I was just thinking, didn't any of those guys she was with do something to prevent this from happenning? Didn't the first guy to enter the locker room to check and see if they were ready saw that Angel was still only wearing his briefs and not called his attention and reminded him that a girl was to enter? Didn't they at least talk to the players about the way that they're behaving right then and there? Also, why didn't they call to attention the coach and the manager or the other team officials, didn't they have to be there when the inspection happens? They knew the schedule, yes, but what if some other thing came up or they weren't aware of the time? And why didn't she tell/inform the coach or the manager first about what happened before she filed any complaints or told the media about it? That part is kinda unfair for the Azkals.

These are just my thoughts. Of course I haven't been in the kind of situation Cristina Ramos was in, so I wouldn't know how it felt or how I would react. We still have yet to hear the Azkals' side too. Although just earlier Angel Guirado tweeted something about what happened. Wherever this goes, I hope it will be fair to both sides, and that this will be the last. And why does it always happen whenever the Azkals' are in the middle of important competitions? Just when they're showing good improvement. I just hope that they still do good in the AFC Challenge Cup despite of all these issues. Good thing too that they've already left before everything went out.

Good luck Azkals!

P.S.
Not being judgemental or racist or anything, but I think the attitude of Filipino men are still different than that of the foreigners. Foreigners are more open-minded, or liberated, compared to Pinoys. 

PH Azkals: 0 Golds, 0 trophies, 5 TV ads, 20%
Pinoy PH Dragonboat team (2011) : 5 Golds, 0 commercials, 90% Pinoy

A lot of people have been posting the statement above in different social networking sites after the Philippine Dragonboat team's success, and after they've aired their sentiments. I am not saying that I don't agree with that statement, but what I do not get is why do we even have to compare these two teams in such a way? Isn't representing your country more important than calculating how much Filipino blood you've got?

So the dragonboat team's more Pinoy than the Azkals, but still, they're both Filipinos in their own right, right?

We're lucky that the dragonboat team continues to bring honor to our country by winning competitions abroad even if they have a lot of issues going on and even if ngayon lang talaga sila napansin. Isn't that what the Azkals are doing as well? And what Smart Gilas Pilipinas is doing as well? Who also happens to have a number of fil-foreigners on their team, just so you know. (Kaso basketball 'yun e, and matagal-tagal na rin silang kilala.)

Consider it lucky as well that these Azkals still choose to play here for the Philippines even if they certainly could get better offers abroad.

The dragonboat team wasn't supported all the way, it's a shame. But so were the Azkals. I believe they only got their major sponsors after they've won against Vietnam and after businesses saw that their popularity's starting to go higher, good for business.

All I'm saying is, both squads have their issues, but aside from that, they still have their own success, so let's just all be happy and thankful with it. It's a huge step for Philippine sports. Yes it would have been great if all these athletes are 100% pinoy, but we've got to do with what we have. E baka 'yung iba, mamaya 100% pinoy nga pero kung away-awayin naman kasi hindi nananalo. Besides, all these athletes are happy playing for the PHilippines. They're both Philippine teams; both squads represent the country. So what difference does it really make?

Parang "Don't hate the player; hate the game." lang 'yan. Chill.

P.S.
Parang sa UAAP/NCAA lang 'yan, pagdating ng college, nagbabago ng kulay; or kahit hindi ka sa UAAP/NCAA school nag-aaral, cheer ka pa rin; or kahit sa ibang school ka nag-aaral, cheer ka pa rin sa ibang team. Kanya-kanya lang daw 'yan. =)) 


Hopefully, volleyball na ang next dito. :))

Just because gusto ko lang talaga sabihin 'yung reaction ko dito. =))