A Gateway to a UAAP Experience
by Job B. de Leon on July 17, 2010
As the World Cup heat simmers down, a different kind of fever is taking everyone in a frenzy: the 73rd UAAP basketball tournament. While basketball fans are rejoicing at the return of something more familiar, g tells you that it’s never too late to jump on the basketball bandwagon.
Don’t worry if you can’t tell your PnR’s from your FTA’s because school spirit is all you need to have a great time. Now it’s time to build your UAAP game-day knowledge, literally from the ground-up.
Golden tickets
On most days, it’s enough to walk up to the counter and pick up your tickets. For the bigger games – versus La Salle or the Finals series, or versus La Salle in the Finals series! – UAAP action starts even before you reach the Araneta grounds.
Before you feast your eyes on top-flight collegiate basketball, you must learn how to scavenge for tickets. For those without backdoor access or “friends of friends”, this means literally camping outside the Blue Eagle Gym or the MVP Building or even Araneta itself, hoping that your sleeplessness will be rewarded with the golden tickets. Make no mistake – in the hands of scalpers prowling around the coliseum, ticket prices will soar into the thousands.
With your tickets in hand, get ready to press your way with the crowd through the Araneta gates. Where you want to sit depends not only on the tickets you buy, but on what kind of experience you’re looking for.
At first glance
It wouldn’t be a big event without the prominent attendees, and the Patron and Lower Box sections are where they go to take a backseat to the real stars on the floor. Prominent fixtures at the games include Fr. Ben Nebres, Fr. Adolfo Dacanay, and Mrs. Lucia Natividad. Former Blue Eagles are also familiar spectators among the crowds as well.
Being closer to the floor does not only mean closer to the action – you’re closer to the TV cameras and the sports photographers in fabilioh.com too. If you’re lucky enough to score tickets here and caught on camera beaming with school pride, you just might become a minor celebrity online.
Pages: 1 2
