CHICAGO - Is it still fair to say that a La Salle versus Ateneo game is a rivalry?
I'm asking because the friction has been one-sided of late and maybe it's a crime against language to throw around the word "rivalry."
Hear me out.
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For a sports encounter to be labeled a rivalry, a fierce, competitive battle among equals must occur. That's not the case here.
What's happened, instead, is a dominance on the part of Ateneo.
Dating back to 2017, the Blue Eagles have neutralized the Green Archers in nine of their last 10 encounters. That 90 percent success rate is burnished further by a 4-0 edge in titles won during the same span.
Still, La Salle head coach Topex Robinson insists that these annual, and mostly epic, wars between the Taft and Katipunan sides continue to be a rivalry.
"The rivalry didn't start in 2017. It's more than the numbers and the stats. It's way deeper than the sport. The rivalry is not even about basketball but it's a way of life," Robinson told me via text message.
ATENEO'S TAB BALDWIN AGREES.
"Definitely. Eras and results don't decide rivalries, fan bases do. The Ateneo-La Salle rivalry is a time-honored tradition. We've had a good run for a few years but there have been eras in which La Salle was more in control of the results.
"But as the La Salle faithful continue to do, in those days, the Ateneo faithful never abandoned their team.
"Because of the passion of these two fan bases, the rivalry will always be a feature of the UAAP season and the teams, irrespective of their strength, will always be the reflection of this rivalry rather than the source of it," Baldwin told me.
Both coaches are right. Who are we to disagree? They're both out there in the mosh pit, in the crucible of that fabled conflict.
Regardless of affiliation and applied terminology, yesterday's game at the MOA was another instant classic.
Despite being dealt with 77-72 heartache, the Green Archers showed why they are a legit title chaser.
Kevin Quiambao is devastatingly versatile. Evan Nelle is gutsy, fearless. And those Phillips boys, Michael and Ben, are as serviceable as nuts and bolts.
REIGNING AND DEFENDING
Ateneo, meanwhile, proved to be a force to be reckoned with despite losing three key pieces from Season 85 - BJ Andrade, Ange Kouame and Fortsky Padrigao.
Chris Koon casually dropped 19 points. Kai Ballungay produced a workmanlike 18 points and 16 rebounds while Joseph Obasa came out of nowhere for 11 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.
"They just wanted it more. Ateneo was the better team last night. No excuses," Robinson conceded.
You betcha.
"It's a big win because it keeps us moving in the right direction and begins to affirm all the work we've done in the offseason," says Baldwin.
Now that the label on this Ateneo versus La Salle face-off has been settled, can the UAAP do its part and make these two heavyweights fight more often?
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