Blue versus Red: A quick look on the NCAA’s most renowned rivalry BY JONASH DANNUG
As Letranites, it is our duty to uphold the core values of our beloved Colegio. According to what is written on our creed, we must continue to live our days as one for God, for the fatherland, and for our beloved Alma Mater. One unwritten rule though, is that as Letranites, we must treat every Letran-San Beda face-off as a championship game. Over the years, the Blue and Red have faced countless great battles on the hardcourt, taking up collegiate rivalries up a notch. From the banging of the drums to the jeers of the crowd; this rivalry has always lived up to the hype. In this article, take a look on one of the fiercest rivalries that set stage on the Philippine basketball hardcourt. WHERE IT ALL STARTED The rivalry kicked off in the early years of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) when the Knights faced the Red Lions in the 1950 championship match for the first time. Letran was spearheaded by Lauro “The Fox” Mumar while San Beda was led by Carlos Loyzaga, the father of Ginebra legend Chito Loyzaga. In the second round of the eliminations, the Intramuros-based squad was at the verge of sweeping the eliminations and winning the crown (the Final 4 format was not yet in effect). However, Loyzaga’s San Beda team had other things in mind and downed the Knights to force a championship game. Mumar led Letran’s famous “Murder Inc.,” as they prevailed over the Red Lions in the finals and won their second NCAA championship during that time. After Mumar and Loyzaga’s excellence, the Knights and the Red Lions became certified powerhouses in the league. However, the Red Lions, after winning back-to-back championships in 1977 and
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1978, fell into oblivion and suffered a 28-year title drought while the Knights continued their dominance that eventually carried on until the millennium age. This circumstance though, may have silenced the Letran-Beda feud for a while, and paved way for the San Beda-Ateneo and Letran-La Salle rivalries. HEADING INTO DIFFERENT PATHS Before bolting to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Ateneo and La Salle were member schools of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Back then, some would say that San Beda’s original rivals were the Blue Eagles while Letran’s antagonists were the Green Archers due to the violent history that hampered these all-boys schools. San Beda and Ateneo’s rivalry had their heated moments in the 1977 finals series which was highlighted by a scuffle between the competing teams’ fans. This fracas forced the officials to hold the third game in closed doors, with the Red Lions enwding up as champions. The tides completely turned in the 1980 season when the Knights and the Archers’ supporters turned the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in complete pandemonium and engaged themselves in a huge brawl. With the adversity at hand, the Basketball Association of the Philippines were forced to halt the rest of the tournament and
