For the past 12 months, we brought you stories of triumph, despair, hope and jest. As we close the year 2010, we rounded up the top 10 most popular and most influential blog posts for the year.
10. Lady Spikers lost steam towards the end – February
Everybody expected the Women’s Volleyball team to run away with the title especially after being a win away from an elimination round sweep. Alas, they lost their last elimination game and perhaps losing their confidence as well. The Lady Spikers were never the same from thereon as they were swept in the championship series by UST. As they say, it’s not how you start but it’s how you finish.
9. Chicago Curse? – June
When the Green Archers were thrashed by a perennial NCAA cellar-dweller upon their return from a training session abroad, many became a bit superstitious on whether this trip is doing the team more harm than good. Perhaps dreading another post-Chicago confidence downfall like what happened in 2009, we wonder if there really is a jinx.
8. ProLONG the Agony – August
The lopsided loss exposed everything wrong about the Green Archers and everything right about the Blue Eagles. La Salle showed their lack of experience, mental toughness and depth. Led by Kirk Long, Ateneo was a well-oiled unit who executed perfectly on both ends. The game may have been an eyesore, but it is definitely an eye-opener for those concerned to do the necessary steps to make this team better in the coming years.
7. Post-Suspension Chain-Reaction – June
The suspension year of 2006 may have caused some long-term damage to the Green Archers. That one year of not playing in the UAAP affected player development and also recruitment.
6. The Preseason Slammer – April
It may be just the preseason, but as long as it is a La Salle-Ateneo match, expect it to be just as intense. Parading a predominantly neophyte cast, the Green Archers defeated the Blue Eagles 77-74. Trailing for most of the game, the Archers made key stops when it mattered late in the fourth quarter to get the win.
5. The Roar is over – November
San Beda probably thought that they would have a dandy of a time against the short-handed La Salle team during their PCCL match-up. Boy, were they in for a surprise. The Green Archers inflicted the Red Lions their first official loss of this year’s college basketball season. Major Major Upset!
4. Goodbye Football Field – October
A plug for a grand event to commemorate the DLSU football field generated a lot of sentimental responses by avid students and alumni. Just by checking the page views, comments as well as the number of times this article was shared in social media, this one definitely deserves to be in the list.
3. April Fools! – April of course (Link no longer available)
Our “bogus” story on the Lady Spikers rejoining the v-league and enlisting the services of a top-notch Japanese national player and an African caused widespread pandemonium among volleyball groupies. We didn’t expect people would buy this story but surprisingly they did. The news spread like wildfire across the internet the moment it was published and became a hot item in social networking sites and online forums. And to top it all off, it even reached the daily tabloids and other news portals. We have since deleted this post and issued a retraction saying that it was just a hoax. Again, our apologies to those who were all hoping to see their idols play again in this tournament.
2. We finally beaten them – July
Getting a win over the Blue Eagles is hard to come by these days. So when the Green Archers finally snapped a 6-game, 2-year UAAP losing streak to their rivals, it was definitely a cause for a celebration. Winning the game is one thing, but how they bucked the odds and overcame a late-game deficit was truly remarkable.
1. Bravo Green Archers! Thanks for a great season! – September
La Salle may have lost their final four match-up against FEU, but they have certainly gained the adulation and confidence from the entire school community. Nobody expected them to make it to the final 4 this season and for them to reach the semis and almost forcing a rubber-match for a finals berth, it’s amazing. The experience they got this season will hopefully help them to go one step further next year.
Here’s looking forward to an exciting and fruitful 2011 for De La Salle sports.
Happy New Year everyone! Cheers!