Any Given Thursday

The title for this piece would have been straight to the point had the Ateneo Blue Eagles won Game 2 of the UAAP Finals last Sunday. It would have also been easier to make allusions to that movie starring Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx. Instead, the Blue Eagles snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and gave the UE Red Warriors a shot at the winner-take-all rubbermatch tomorrow. 

I can imagine both Norman Black and Lawrence Chongson trying to do their best Tony D'Amato impersonation before the game, in an effort to squeeze every last ounce of motivation from their players for one last time this season. Then again, so as not to confuse anyone, Coach Norman might be better off doing a Herman Boone, while Coach Lawrence can take a page from... Alfrancis Chua?=p    


So this is what it all boils down to: 1 game between 2 outstanding teams for the 3rd time this series to determine, once and for all, the Champions of UAAP Season 72 Basketball. 


It is these type of games that are built for the underdogs (UE), precisely because the pressure is all on the favored team (Ateneo).  I had warned about the possibility of this turning into a dogfight if the Blue Eagles weren't careful, and that's exactly how this series has turned out. In these type of games you throw out all the statistics. It is where every player has a shot at glory, and a chance of being immortalized in their school lore.


Picking the winner in tomorrow's battle is an agonizing one. It's the classic mind versus heart (or more appropriately, gut) debate. I had expounded on that a bit during my previous post, and the very same factors i had pointed out there have played such a big part in this series. Al Hussaini's domination over UE's frontline brought about that Game 1 win, while the determination of UE's veterans spelled the difference in Game 2.  


After much deliberation, I'll stick with my earlier prediction and pick Ateneo to win tomorrow, though now with much less certainty than when i first made it. I still believe that the depth of the Blue Eagle bench will be the key to victory. Also, as seen in Game 2, UE needs to play their "A" game and hope Ateneo has an off night to have a chance at winning. The chances of that happening in back-to-back games are very slim.


Though in the end, Coach D'Amato's revered speech still rings true:


I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.


And if either team follows that to the letter, I'm betting they'll be the ones who will pull off that Championship win.