I know, I know he won’t get to read this but then again, even if there’s a really small possibility that he will ever set his eyes in my blog, let me still express my appreciation for his boundless “magic”.

To Mr. Joseph Henry Yeo,

I remember when UAAP Season 64 started and you paraded in with your teammates, I noticed the chinito guy who seemed to be very quiet but had this aura of confidence in him. Together with your best friend and fellow rookie, Mac Cardona and the other rookies in the Green Archers, I sensed your excitement being with the champion. I said to myself, I look out for this bunch of fresh “greenies” because I know one of them will make UAAP exciting. I was mistaken. Not one of you made a big impact in the league, but TWO of you did it. You and Mac Cardona. We all know where Mac is right now and what he did for the team, while you take the back seat. But now this Season 68 you’re the one at front line and you never disappointed us, your fans and supporters.

With every dribble of the ball, every sprint on the court, every steal, every acrobatic lay-up and every three pointer is a sight to behold. We hold our breaths when you go for a drive either to finish or to dish out at the last minute to a teammate. You’re a photographer’s delight with the different ways you float in the air. How do you do that? It seems it’s the most natural thing for you to do. It’s as easy as breathing, as natural as living.

Girls have a crush on you for your looks; guys idolize you for your talent on the hard court. But this has a price to pay. Many times you were called “maangas” and “mayabang”. Many times you were cited for your trash talking. As many people look up to you, there are also those who tried to bring you down. Those people who see nothing but your mistakes. Yet, you never let these trouble you. Instead, you continued to hone your craft. You improved and worked on areas you need to enhance. You learned how to pass and earned the respect of those who used to criticize you. You made your detractors your fans, and you made your fans love you more. Only a few players can do this.

This UAAP Season, the De La Salle Green Archers have been hounded with controversies and with the departure of your partner to the pros, you were given the burden of being in the front line when people throw insults and bash the team. So what? They’re not that important. What’s important is you deliver on the court. People doubted the capability of the Archers to make it to the Finals but you proved them wrong. You and your comrades brought the Archers to where they should belong, at the top with the top teams. You even brought the team close to keeping the trophy. Nobody thought that La Salle could go into a winning streak with huge margins, defeat Ateneo twice and even prove that you can defeat UE twice even when faced with a protest.

There are a lot of things you did for the team on and off the court. And for that I want to say thank you. Sure, you weren’t able to win the championship but you never gave up. You kept on fighting until the final buzzer. You never gave up. You believed in the team more than anyone else. Thank you for the exciting games you brought into the league. Thank you for giving us the reason to watch your every game. Thank you for making us proud to be La Salle supporters. Thank you for being Joseph Yeo.

In the other news:

I’ve heard and read this news that La Salle found out that one of its third year players is ineligible. Because of this, they are returning the trophies that they earned since this player joined the team. This is very sad news. This means that they would have to return the trophy they won for the 2004 championship. I don’t know much of the news but it is still under investigation. Some people say that La Salle might be suspended for a year. But even so, I am still proud of what La Salle did. Not the fielding in of ineligible player but for coming out despite of the circumstances that they may face. They did not hide the fact that they have an ineligible player and are even willing to give up their trophies. Whatever comes out of this let this be a lesson to other schools and I hope the board gives a fair judgment. And whatever happens I will still support the De La Salle Green Archers.