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Losing sucks, let’s get that out in the open.

As a self-proclaimed die-hard La Sallian, I was obviously gutted when my beloved alma mater got their asses kicked by Far Eastern University (FEU) on opening day. Admittedly, I was starting to worry about the Green Archers. Yes, they’re the defending champions and they’re obviously good, but are they good enough? They were leading all throughout the first half, only to have it slip through their fingers. Did they even try? Is there no escape from the curse that is their terrible free throw shooting?

Knowing that their next game was against Ateneo made it worse. The Eagles pretty much toyed with and destroyed Adamson in their opener. They really clamped down on defense that it was a miracle that the Falcons were able to score at all.

In recent UAAP seasons, the Green Archers were pretty much on the receiving end of losses from the Blue Eagles in the elimination round. That’s a given considering the latter dominated UAAP men’s basketball for five straight years. Sure, Blue Eagles didn’t even make the final four last year, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t a force to be reckoned with.

After we were soundly beaten during the Filoil tournament last year, I was nervous for the season. I was pleasantly surprised (to the point of screaming) when we swept them in the elimination round in two close games. It’s been a while since we won against them so it felt so good to finally get it over with. The Championship was the icing on an awesome kickass cake.

However, I’d be lying if I said that I’m not nervous about tomorrow. When these two teams are pitted against each other, you never know how the game will go. There’s so much more than a win-loss record at stake. It’s not just a game. It’s years of rivalry, bragging rights, and one-upping that tends to get completely crazy but I’m sure we wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps things interesting.

But I believe in my team. They’ve worked their asses off to get to where they are now and while a 0-2 record is a possibility, it is not an option. Yes, they struggled and they lost the first game, but I see no reason why this should determine the outcome for the upcoming games or the rest of the season.

I’ve always thought of La Salle as Team Diesel. It just takes them a while to warm up. There’s so much more that the DLSU team has to offer and I can’t wait to see it. I believe in our players, coaching staff, die-hard fans, and alumni.

At this point, all I can do is show up, cheer my heart out, believe, keep the faith, and hope for the best. You should never underestimate the heart of a champion

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