THE 2007 NCAA ISSUE ncaa history NCAA Basketball Champion NCAA: An 1924 University of the Philippines 1925 University of the Philippines 1926 University of the Philippines 1927 San Beda College 1928 Ateneo de Manila University 1929 University of the Philippines Endless Saga 1930 University of Santo Tomas 1931 Ateneo de Manila University 1932 Ateneo de Manila University THE NCAA WAS founded in 1924 under the 1933 Ateneo de Manila University leadership of the late Dr. Regino R. Ylanan, then 1934 San Beda College 1935 San Beda College the Physical Director of the University of the Phil- 1936 San Beda College ippines (UP) Diliman. The founding members include 1937 Ateneo de Manila University 1938 Colegio de San Juan de Letran the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), University of Manila 1939 De La Salle University (UM), National University (NU), De La Salle College 1940 San Beda College 1941 Ateneo de Manila University (DLSU), Ateneo de Manila College (ADMU), San Beda Col- 1942 N. A. lege, and UP. 1943 N. A. 1944 N. A. Though from humble begin- After the smoke cleared, the and the inclusion of Mapua, San 1945 N. A. 1946 N. A. nings, the goals of the fledgling league reopened its doors in Sebastian, University of Per- 1947 De La Salle University league was to unify athletes and post-war 1947.However, while petual Help – Rizal, and lately 1948 De La Salle University 1949 Mapua Institute of Technology serve as a launching pad for the Japanese have left and the the College of St. Benilde and 1950 Colegio de San Juan de Letran excellence in athleticism that Philippines was free yet again, the Philippine Christian Univer- 1951 San Beda College could eventually earn berths in the NCAA struggled with an- sity, the league emerged out of 1952 San Beda College th 1953 Ateneo de Manila University the Olympics. other new enemy – inter-school the 20 century stronger and 1954 Ateneo de Manila University The league flourished in the hooliganism. better than ever. 1955 San Beda College pre-World War II era and even Intense rivalries turned into Today, the league has eight 1956 De La Salle University 1957 Ateneo de Manila University with the abdication of UP, NU violent fistfights, while high- member-schools competing 1958 Ateneo de Manila University and UST to their own league, decibel boos and hisses turned fiercely in athletics while help- 1959 San Beda College 1960 Colegio de San Juan de Letran sports athleticism and inter- into halftime bombardment of ing each other in the develop- 1961 Ateneo de Manila University school competition was still at litter and trash. Worse, skir- ment of the league. A total of 16 1962 Suspended its peak. The three aforemen- mishes in parking lots of game schools have been part of the 82 1963 Jose Rizal University 1964 Jose Rizal University tioned teams eventually estab- venues became a regular affair year old NCAA, namely San 1965 Mapua Institute of Technology lished the University Athletics and inter-school vandalism Beda, Ateneo, La Salle, UP, UST, 1966 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1967 Jose Rizal University Association of the Philippines suddenly emerged. It was as if San Vicente de Paul, UM, NU, 1968 Jose Rizal University (UAAP) in 1938. the league was entering its twi- CSJL, Mapua, JRU, Trinity Col- 1969 Ateneo de Manila University From the start and even up light ages for in the years that lege, UPHDS, San Sebastian, 1970 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1971 De La Salle University to now, basketball remains as follow things only got worse PCU, and CSB. 1972 Jose Rizal University the most popular sport in the until eventually in 1962, the From a simple athletics orga- 1973 San Sebastian College-Recoletos NCAA. As such it became the whole NCAA season was sus- nization in 1925, the NCAA has 1974 De La Salle University 1975 Ateneo de Manila University battlefield for supremacy pended. moved mountains and became 1976 Ateneo de Manila University among schools especially in its While glory was still to be the home of great athletes and 1977 San Beda College 1978 San Beda College early years. Such competition won in the hardcourt and prominent people of today. It 1979 Colegio de San Juan de Letran and intense passion was shown athleticism was still of prime has survived two World Wars, 1980 Suspended that eventually, rivalries were importance among the mem- outlasted a dictatorship, de- 1981 Mapua Institute of Technology 1982 Colegio de San Juan de Letran formed among the different ber-schools, the league’s sudden feated hooliganism and bore 1983 Colegio de San Juan de Letran member-schools. Then, it was turn for the worse forced some witness to all the presidents of 1984 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1985 San Sebastian College-Recoletos Letran against De La Salle, of its members to leave the post-Commonwealth Phil- 1986 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Ateneo against San Beda and indefinetly. After a bitter loss ippine government. All in all, 1987 Colegio de San Juan de Letran lastly, Ateneo against everyone to San Beda in the 1972 NCAA the NCAA has experienced 1988 San Sebastian College-Recoletos 1989 San Sebastian College-Recoletos else. championships, Ateneo left for much but has still to experience 1990 Mapua Institute of Technology These sporting years gave the UAAP. Three years later, La more. Generation by genera- 1991 Mapua Institute of Technology birth to the likes of the Chito Salle exited the NCAA after a tion, the NCAA will always be 1992 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1993 San Sebastian College-Recoletos Loyzaga and Frankie Rabat, ri- violence-marred championship remembered as the pioneer in 1994 San Sebastian College-Recoletos vals in the NCAA hardcourt but series against Letran. Even San collegiate athleticism, as one of 1995 San Sebastian College-Recoletos 1996 San Sebastian College-Recoletos teammates in the only Philip- Beda took a leave of absence in the premier basketball organi- 1997 San Sebastian College-Recoletos pine team to ever reach the top ____. zations in the country, the home 1998 Colegio de San Juan de Letran three of the Olympics. The dark ages of the NCAA of heroes, the league of the 1999 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 2000 College of Saint Benilde The advent of World War II may have tainted the glorious brave. 2001 San Sebastian College-Recoletos forced the league to postpone past but the league eventually 2002 San Sebastian College-Recoletos SSOURCE:OURCE: 2003 Colegio de San Juan de Letran its 17-year existence with a five- rebounded years later. With the 2004 Philippine Christian University year break from 1942 to 1946. re-entry of San Beda in _____ The Bedan, vol.63 2005 Colegio de San Juan de Letran 2006 San Beda College 2 NCAA 2007 Issue opinion IT IS ALL ABOUT SPORTS. Nothing more, noth- ing less. This NCAA season think of nothing but sports. It is the aim, it is the priority, it is the purpose. Just like the years before and the years that would follow, it is all about sports. It is all about sports when coaches are suddenly axed in order to appease the whim of the few. Contracts are forgotten, words of honor are forsaken. The vision of a handful is given precedence over the sentiments of the many. Performance after all, is not an issue. But apparently, so are championships. It is all about sports when athletes are devoid of the glory they fought for and very much deserve. Although years are spent in building dynasties and countless hours are exhausted in perfecting their respective game, it is all about sports when these same ath- Editorial letes suffer from the great financial burden that they are suddenly faced. Compensation, scholarships and even training fees are ne- glected; but on their performance, nothing seems to suffice every- one but perfection. Yes, it is all about sports. Or to be more precise, maybe in this instance, it is all about basketball. Yes Bedans, it is all about sports; this year more than any other. While pressing issues are at our doorsteps and our basic rights as students are challenged, in the end, it is all about sports. It is all It is all about sports when the identity established by our for- bearers is suddenly and irrevocably changed without the student’s consent and approval. When our culture is left for nothing, our heritage given no importance – think only of sports. Because at least there in the football fields, in the basketball courts and at other sporting grounds, our players are wearing red. Well, at least for now. Soon enough they may force them to wear yellow. about It is all about sports when student rights are trampled and the Magna Carta completely ignored. After all, it is but a simple docu- ment ratified by the whole student population and approved by the administrators themselves to protect the student rights. In- stead, it is wiser to watch our athletes in their respective sports. Athletic competitions at least makes sense; arguing with certain sports prominent individuals regarding the validity of the Magna Carta, however, does not. It is all about sports when competence is based on affiliation rather than qualification and when principled administrators are bullied, bribed and/or coerced to go along unprincipled actions. More, let us understand that all this is but a sport even if scores of complaints are already lodged against individuals who are bla- tantly unsuitable for their jobs. Politics is a sport, and if it is played in the NCAA, year after year, we will bring home the trophy.