My love for the Ateneo Blue Eagles began 16 years ago. One day, I turned on the TV just in time to see Ryan Buenafe bury the dagger three against FEU Tamaraws in the Season 73 Finals. That moment started it all.
Over the past 16 years, being a fan has given me countless joyful memories, especially the championships and triumphs that made us proud. But along with those highs came moments of heartbreak.
When Ateneo fell short of a historic six-peat and missed the Final Four in Season 76, it hurt.
When they were defeated twice by NU Bulldogs in the Final Four in Season 77, that was painful.
When Mac Belo hit that heartbreaking buzzer-beater in the Final Four of Season 78, I cried.
When Ateneo lost in the Season 79 Finals, I was left wondering what could have been.
And who could ever forget JD Cagulangan’s buzzer-beating three in Season 84? It felt like my world had collapsed in that moment.
When the team failed to defend its title in Season 86, that hurt too.
But finishing in 8th place in Season 87 brought a different kind of pain.
Then came Season 88. We thought it would be a redemption year. The team got off to such a promising start, only for it to end in 6th place. That was heartbreaking.
Yet none of those losses compare to the pain of watching the team you love lose the very players who gave it hope.
Nothing hurts more than that.
It has gotten to the point where the championships I once celebrated feel distant, almost forgotten.
But I will not turn my back on the players. They, too, are victims of all that has happened. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part is seeing their teammates carry not only their grief, but also the blame of others.
Yesterday, Divine began his journey home. Tomorrow, Rene will be laid to rest.
We continue to pray that our voices are heard. May God hear the prayers of their families, their loved ones, their teammates, and everyone grieving this unimaginable loss.
Paalam, D. Paalam, Bobet.
💙
🇯🇵Japonya üst üste iki maç kaybetti ve gelecek hafta zorlu bir fikstürleri var
🇩🇴DOM 3-1 ❌
🇮🇹ITA 3-0 ❌
8/7 🇧🇷BRA ❓
9/7 🇹🇭THA ❓
11/7 🇹🇷TUR ❓
12/7 🇵🇱POL ❓
#VNL2026
People on Facebook are truly something else. What do you mean you’re trying to bait people to hate on Kieffer for allegedly wanting to play for DLSU when he literally played for DLSZ in high school??
People will say anything they want to bash this poor kid. He is a victim too.