This is a thread for discussion on Blue Eagle alumni and their performance in international amateur (e.g., Olympics, SEA Games), professional sports, and even away from the playing field.

"Where are they now?" questions are also welcome so that there is more scope for discussion

Regulars might want to check out the old ADZU forums thread on the topic here.

An old Atenista.net briefly discussing Ryan Pamintuan can be found here.

Laissez les bons temps roulez!

Basta ako favorite ko pa rin ang dalawang bad-ass ng '87 and '88 Blue Eagles, Sep Canlas and Jett Nieto. These two were not only superior shooters but they were also tough defensive players.

Awa ni bathala si Sep professional chef na ngayon.

Si Jett naman doctor na.

Si Sep may cooking show dati sa Channel 4. Akala ko kamukha lang niya, although kita siempre sa height din, and his mullet was gone, replaced by a receding hairline. And of course when he started saying stuff like "blanch" and "julienne" muntikan akong atakihin sa tawa.

Si Jett naman may famous interview as a doctor at the Rodriguez, Rizal Medical Center, talking about the dangers of dengue. Akala ko na-Twilight Zone ako.

Bad-ass players, one became a chef, a culinary artist, the other into a healer. Figure that...

I wonder how many former Blue Eagles are now coaching in the PBA and/or the UAAP, head coaches and assistants...?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think ex-Ateneans currently playing in the PBA are: (a) Olsen Racela (SMB), ( Rico Villanueva (Red Bull), © Rich Alvarez (Shell), (d) Wesley Gonzales (FedEx), (e) Rainier Sison (FedEx), and (f) as a practice player for Coke, Gec Chia. Seems like there's a quite a generation gap between Olsen and the rest of the currently active pro Eagles.

Forgive my short memory, but the only other Ateneans I can remember making it to the bigs in fairly recent times are Jun Reyes (retired), Jojo Lastimosa (retired; he went to Loyola for a year, right?), Alex Araneta (retired), Richie Ticzon (whom I think is now an assistant coach for SMB?), Eric Reyes (retired), and Vince Hizon (who's still shopping around for a team).

Speaking of Jun Reyes, is he still an assistant coach of the Alaska Archers?

I think you can add Nonoy Chuatico and Jayvee Gayoso to the list. Noy should be a contemporary of Jolas while Jayvee was Jun's sidekick as far back as the high school. Yeah, you're right: ang laki ng agwat between Olsen and the current crop. Come to think of it, before Jolas/Nonoy came around, Eagles on the pro circuit were the likes of Fritz Gaston (U-tex), Joy Carpio (Crispa) and Padim Israel (Crispa). Unlike La Salle which is a "gusher" as far as PBA talent is concerned, Ateneo talent creeps into the PBA in waves. I think the "wave" prevous to Fritz, Joy and Padim's seems to be that coming from Team 69.

Steve Watson (Crispa)
Arnaiz (Toyota/Ginebra)
Cleofas (Tanduay)
Samson (Tanduay ?)

Isn't Gec on Coke's regular roster already?

yes, gec is not a practice player because he has a roster spot at coke. practice players don't suit up for games, they sit at the back of the bench wearing civvies

Nice to see Wes make some progress, he had a career-high 21 points the last game. I think I've said this before, but if he ever learns to play the point in the PBA, at 6'4, he'll be flat-out illegal. I think he's got a great chance to be special even in the pros. He's arguably the most versatile player Ateneo's ever produced in recent times.

Talaga bang nag-iba na ang pangalan ng team ng Alaska?

yup-finally naka 21 points din. too bad they lost the came and based on the standings, baka ma -eliminate sila if they don't find a quick fix.

Saw Gec play for Coke yesterday... and man, i saw him make his trademark jumper (reminiscent of the one he made against UE)... coming off a perfectly placed screen by Ali Peek.

though I only got to see him play for a couple of minutes, seeing that shot made my day!

yes, nagpalit na sila ng pangalan. they're now known as the alaska doors.

Bwa ha ha ha

Kaya tuloy tinatawag kang Tito Gas, Tgas for short.

Cackler,

Huwag mo ng tawaging T-Gas si Gas. Bininyagan na siyang muli ni Bro. Don, at akmong-akmo sa kanya ang bago niyang turing: BABE MAGNET. Ewan ko ba diyan kay Gas, biglang bumalik sa pag-jogging, pag-stationary bike, pa-stretching pa. Parang may pinaghahandaang laban, wala namang kaaway... Hmm...

just wanted to share, speaking of career highs (napanuod ko kasi sa gamebol kahapon). Enrico has had a career high of 30 points in RBB's games against Coca cola and Talk and Text. Rich had a career high of 27 points in their last game; althoughI dont know who they played against.

Hey, Rain Sison's not doing too bad in his PBA "comeback" with Fedex. I think he's scored in double figures in two or three games so far this season, including one where he topscored for the team with 19 points. That's pretty impressive, especially when you consider that Fedex is one of the deeper teams in the PBA, and that Rain's playing behind the best young shooter in the country right now, Ren-ren Ritualo.

I guess Joe Lipa got it right to bring him to Fedex. I remember Rain as a guy who hardly needed time to heat up, so he'd be great for offense on tap. Hopefully he plays even better as he gains experience.

by the way, enrico just got a three year extension of his contract with red bull which was reported to be worth a WHOPPING 14.7 million pesos... talk about getting a great xmas present

Well, he's been playing unbelievable basketball since Harp and Pennisi left. I guess management's really gonna look to him as the future of the franchise. Seriously, he's posting monster stats at a rate unsurpassed even by his UAAP stint. I don't think Rico ever really registered those kinds of numbers consistently in his five-year stay with the Eagles.

rico's value to the red bull franchise goes beyond the monster stats he's been posting of late. his court demeanor and playing attitude is coach yeng guiao's very idea of how a player should approach his attack-based system. it's a system so bloody simple yet effective in its thoroughness--very much like jerry sloan's updated version of the UCLA offense. red bull players understand it well--those who don't or refuse to abide it are benched and/or shipped out. which explains why jimwell torion continues to be a vital cog in the team.

the thing with rico is that for a supposedly undersized center, he plays even bigger than asi taulava in a front court that included both mick pennisi and davonn harp. he's not afraid to mix it up inside and is not loathe to make the statement fouls. it would have been a treat seeing rico play head to head against benjie paras in his prime. bodies would have scattered all over the floor

in the offseason of the PBA, i hope he can spend some time with the big guys of our basketball team - teaching them how to play the 5 the way it should be...with a lot of heart, passion, and a certain level of angas and physicality.

come to think of it, even rich and wes should "come home" during the offseason..

Great idea. It'd be kinda like Duke alumni (G-Hill, Laettner, etc.) coming to Durham in the offseason and working out, all the while asking "Hey, where's your banner?"

It was great seeing Rico and Rich in the RP Pool practice, talagang iba ng lumaki sa Moro. But what really got me was their development as players. Rich's jumpshot is practically automatic now, while Rico has improved a lot on his footwork in the post. Si Wesley na lang ang kulang nanadun na sana ulit ang buong starting frontline natin nung '02 championship. Seeing those two Blue Eagles hanging tough against veteran pros was a joy to behold, especially when Rich was making life miserable for opposing perimeter players who foolishly thought he didn't know how to get past staggered screens.

I bumped into Gabby Cui in Greenbelt I last night.

He was clad in a dress shirt and tie...

... and he had a very contempo, corporate haircut...

...freaky...

We're talking about GABBY CUI here!

can paul tan-chi get past the halfcourt line now?

just kidding.

Kayang-kaya na.

Sa ABL.

from the feel-good department, wesley has just been chosen as PBA Press Corps Player of the Week.

High-flying Gonzales is newest FedEx gem

Well, you got that right. I've been itching to mention this for so long now, I just never had the chance. He had his career high with 21 points the first time Fed ex went up against talk and text. I haven't been taking note of the scores, but lately, he's been consistently scoring and he has been getting more playing time. Also, a lot has been said about how he and Ren-ren make a very potent combination. Tawag nga nila, Ateneo-La Salle Connection. From what I can see, Wesley's star is finally rising; something long overdue. Right now, this fan girl couldn't be happier; novenas do get answered after all andnow I'm sure my Mom's hard earned dough is not going to waste with all the ticket buying I've been doing since he got drafted. Sana tuloy tuloy na 'to. I want him to be for Fed ex what Enrico is for Red Bull; I want to see him emerge as the main man ( or atleast to consistently be included in the starting 5, he usually comes in from the bench). I just hope also na mature na siya (read: No more trash talking and smart aleck-y antics forever).

Wes is back to his old self, scoring 2 points against Ginebra...

Scoring just two points doesn't mean he's back to his old self. So his game was off, so what. Hindi pumapasok yung tira. That's all. Even Ren-Ren had a hard time the game after he set his record.Bakit nag trash talk ba? May inaway ba? I watched the game in araneta and I was just two rows away from the bench and I did'nt see him doing anything like that. Everyone has a bad day in the office once in a while. Don't get me wrong, but I'm not making excuses here. I think his consistent performance this conference can prove that. So with that, I'll let the record speak for itself.
April 8 (vs. talk and text)- 21 pts., 6 rebounds,4 assists
April 15(vs. San Miguel)- 15 pts., 5 rebounds, 2 assists
April 20(vs. Coca Cola)- 3pts., 2 assists
April 29(vs. red Bull)- 5pts, 3 rebounds
May 5( vs. Sta Lucia)- 8 pts, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
may 8 (vs. Shell)-4pts.2 assists
May 14(vs. alaska)-19 pts. 4 rebounds, 2 assists
May 19(vs. Purefoods)-8 pts, 1 rebound
May 22 (vs. Coca cola)-23 pts,4 rebounds, 2 assists.

I rest my case.

Source: www.pba.com

hmm... doesnt seem to be consistent to me. however, i'm still happy that he is able to scroe in double digits in some of their games, considering that he's just the third scoring option behind miller and ritualo.

Enrico cracked the RP team lineup ...

How about Blue Eagles who had a crack at, but opted not to, join the big leagues?

Case in point, deadeye shooter, now medical doctor, Joseph Nieto of our '87-'88 back-to-back champion teams? Afficionados will recall how Manong Derek Pumaren was irked by his refusal to join national team try-outs during the former's term as national coach. Jet was tough as they come and had brains to boot. No wonder he had the gumption not to play for Manong Derek

Would anyone know how Jet's practice is doing?

Sal, how about Ogie Narvasa? If I'm not mistaken, he was part of the RP Youth Team in the early 80s. Don't remember though if he played amateur ball while in college. After graduating BMH, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his erpats and read law at UP.

Hi Jaco.

Nag-UP law ba siya? I thought he went to UST for law school, as Justice Narvasa is one of their renowned alumni. Pero tigas pala talaga ang Ogie- RP Youth player, tapos lawyer ang career...Hay...mga Atenista nga naman...

Etong si Rico Villanueva, may kinaladkad daw na kalaban sa game nila against Lebanon kagabi. What's up with that?

Nag haiskul at college ako sa ateneo, pero di ko ata matandaan na tinuruan tayo mag-kaladkad ng tao.

Check this out...

http://img217.echo.cx/img217/5346/enrico9ub.gif

I remember Rico figured in another fight in an international tournament.
Anyway, here's more about his "childish" behavior...

RP bows to Lebanon, faces Jordan
By Joey Villar
The Philippine Star 06/03/2005

Defending champion Segasse-Lebanon outmuscled San Miguel Beer-RP in a fight-marred 100-90 victory yesterday to seal the No. 2 spot in Group A in the 16th FedEx FIBA-Asia Champions Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Ren Ren Ritualo and Willie Miller whipped up a fourth quarter storm in a spirited fight back that fizzled out amidst crucial shooting by former NBA player Kenny Saterfield and Fadi Khatib.

With the loss, the Nationals will have to sweat it out against the taller, heftier Jordanians, Group B’s No. 2, in today’s quarterfinal round while the Lebanese face the lowly Kuwaitis.

Play was interrupted when former San Miguel import Stephen Howard kicked Enrico Villanueva, who retaliated by dragging the former’s foot from the key hole to near midcourt.

Howard, who was fouled hard by Mark Caguioa, was assessed only a unsportsmanlike foul while Villanueva was ejected from the game for the infraction.

Lebanon was playing it physical against RP Team in the first half.

During the half time break, Coach Chot told his boys to play it physical also.

Caguioa gives a hard foul on Howard.

Howard goes after Yancy De Ocampo.

Rico steps in the middle to stop fight and pushes back Howard.

Howard flops down and ends up kicking Rico.

Rico catches Howards foot and drags Howard away.

Team is inspired and mounts spirited rally.

The way I saw it, Rico was just protecting his team mate. Rico would not back down. In other words, papalag si Rico. Remember, Rico did not punch Howard.

Indeed, that's the way I saw it also.

Stephen Howard was charging towards Yancy de Ocampo, Rico steps in between and shoves Howard away.

Unfortunately, to exacerbate the situation, Howard flops while attempting to kick Enrico. Enrico catches the foot and drags Howard away from Yancy de Ocampo.

Gotta love the guy who sticks up for his teammates. Yancy, Thoss, Reavis were all playing scared of Howard and Khoury. Only Adducul and Rico were giving as much as they were receiving.

Based on that performance, I believe Enrico has gained additional respect from his teammates and the coaching staff.

Ghost:

Medyo rough naman talaga ang Lebanese Team last night. The number 15 guy was really gving the elbows to the rib cage, kidney punches, punch down on the thighs, tsk, tsk, tsk.

The number 5 guy even tripped (using knee) to stop fast breaking Hontiveros and the number 4 guy even clotheslined Alapag. Ang lalaki na nga nila, malalaki katawan, at matatangkad pa. Coach Chot explained that the Lebanese Team was employing a lot of hand check fouls that are allowed under FIBA rules but not in PBA. In other words, our boy Rico had the go signal to play physical. And to think he did not even start it. It was Caguioa who started with a hard foul on Howard.

Kasama talaga 'yan sa international competition. If you are a PBA player too scared of an injury, how do you expect to be competitive for Team Pilipinas? That is why, after the Rico incident, our Team started taking it strong to the middle (Miller) and gang rebounding (De La Cruz, et al) to give Renren confidence to take the three.

Oh well, lessons learned.

Kaya nga wala si Marlou "the basketball mercenary" Aquino.

Notice how only the homegrown filipino bigmen were battling underneath?

I don't want to cast asperations on Thoss and Reavis, since Eric Menk, Nic Belasco, Rudy Hatfield, Jimmy Alapag and even Asi Taulava have played well while carrying the Philippine colors but Thoss, Reavis and De Ocampo should really toughen up!

Takot masaktan!

Whatever happens from now on, I think the National Team will reserve a slot for Rico . . . as official . . . MOP MAN!

Di ba the "Floor Manager"?

granted the lebanese played dirty (baka howard has always been that kind of a player) & rico was hurt when he was kicked but remember that a mistake can never be corrected by another mistake (which rico did) - siguro if it were torion or players na kung saan lang pinupulot sa corner of the philippines but enrico villanueva ! an atenean from grade school to college - people will always associate him with the ateneo - pagkatapos his contemparies in the other school did not feature in that kind of incident - it is disgusting!!! what would the kids who idolize enrico think - that it is okay to do that?

although at the height of intense emotion, we may (instinctively resort to "violent reaction") but it took several seconds (the dragging was quite long - based on the video). that mark caguiao is one dirty & rowdy player in the first place. siguro nahawa na si enrico sa kanyang mga teammates at coach from redbull (who are acting like barumbado). anybody who knows enrico or his kin - iparating that he needs to process his feelings & thoughts (with the help of someone) - baka he has this tendency to easily lose his cool. it is not late pa naman - these things can be sort out with compassion. however, if his thoughts and feelings are not proceesed baka there might be more incident like these and it is in international event - malaking kahihiyan not only to the country but to the ateneo as well. remember he has done this twice na.

Granted it was a lapse in judgment.

However, in his defense, if you play basketball or any other competitive contact sport for that matter, you understand that things of this nature happen.

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Further, it's okay for a Torion, Cardona, Gaco, Jeff Martin to engage in this type of "incidents" but not an Atenean from grade school to college. Parang medyo "holier than thou" ata.

in my opinion no matter how "physical" a game gets, a real player should never resort to physical violence. this is not the first time that a team representing Philippines faced a very tough and physical team. nung siniko si dennis espino noon at nabalian ng panga while playing for the RP team, i don't recall hearing about a violent incident instigated by him or his teammates afterwards.

tamang kasama sa laro ang pagiging pisikal kaya dapat eh nasasanay na ang mga players natin dun. parang kasi ang dating ok lang ang ginawa nya eh. but it's not. they're playing basketball, not some bloodsport.

at the risk of sounding like somewhat of a traitor, are some of us justifying what he did just because he is in fact one of ours? kung iba kaya ang gumawa nyan eh would the feelings be the same, or would they be different?

Any player representing the Philippines?

The same.

The way I look at it, Rico's "unbecoming" actions during the game were nothing more than sabre-rattling: a way to put the opposition (and our boys as well) in their proper places. I think Cack (or somebody else) mentioned earlier in this thread (or some other thread. Sorry, antok na ako!) that after the incident the refs started calling fouls the way they should be, and our boys started playing as if they were possessed by God knows what.

This reminded me of a scene from Remember the Titans. Denzel Washington's team was being harassed on the field by the opposition. In the huddle prior to the next play, Denzel's scrawny replacement quarterback tells his offensive linemen to let the other team's safety go through the defenses and take a shot at him (the QB). Just when the safety is about to give the QB a tooth-rattling tackle, the QB deftly deflects the safety's momentum that makes the latter fall on his back. After that, no more mind-games. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, when Canada seemed to be on the ropes early in the men's hockey tournament, Team Canada Executive Director Wayne Gretzky went on an "unbecoming" rant that made the media think that Team Canada's main man was caving in to the pressure. However, that incident only fired up the boys and rattled the opposition with the message: We Mean Business!

I think the complexion of the RP Team's next games, not only in this tournament but in the games after this tournament, will change for the very reason that all parties involved (the refs, the opposition, our boys) know that we mean business. Basketball is one hell of a contact sport. If you can weave mind games effectively through the physical fibre of the game, I think you have won half of the battle even before it has started.

ano ba inaangal ng iba dito?

masarap naman yung nakahiga ka sa malinis at madulas na sahig tapos hinihila yung binti mo. i would know - - gawain namin yan nung mga bata pa kami

physical violence? bloodsport?

may tinamaan ba ng siko?
may sinuntok ba or pinatid?
may sinahod ba o sinuntok sa tagiliran?
may sinakal ba?
may dugo ba?
may binato ba ng mineral water, ng piso, or ng silya?

tanong muna natin sa import kung nasaktan siya. di naman yata eh. if ever, the worst thing that happened was his uniform got dirty.

and he got humiliated in public

eh malayong mas masakit pa yung foul ni caguioa ah.

i've seen much worse acts of violence on the basketball court. di lang tayo sanay na may hinihilang nakahiga hehe

hindi issue ito.

sa tingin ko, hinila lang siya ni enrico para hindi siya maapakan ng mga naglalakihang mama.

Alvarez leads PBA rookie derby