Ted Herbosa, executive vice president of the University of the Philippines (Photo from his Facebook account)
“A stupid idea.”
That’s how Ted Herbosa, executive vice president of the University of the Philippines, described the call for fans to wear black for the first game of the UAAP men’s basketball finals.
Aired this sentiment on Saturday following the call of the student councils of UP and Ateneo de Manila Univeristy for fans to wear black to protest the violence happening in the country.
READ: ADMU, UP student councils: Black is color of UAAP 81 – not blue, not maroon
Herbosa pointed out that if Fighting Maroons would lose Game 1 of the finals to the Blue Eagles, Ateneo supporters might taunt UP.
“Wearing black or a black shirt is a STUPID idea! Pag natalo tayo eh di sasabihin ng Ateneans ‘kaya pala naka black …. naka luksa!! Talo!’,” Herbosa said in a Facebook post.
He then said supporters of both schools should wear their university colors during the game.
He added that those supporters of UP who would not wear maroon “does not have a UP Spirit.”
Herbosa further slammed the black shirt call as it asserted that the game should focus on the players and not on “freeloaders.”
“I’m wearing maroon. This is not the place and time. This is Basketball. Bakit nakikisali ang agenda ng iba? Such disrespect for the UPMBT [UP Men’s Basketball Team] who fought tooth and nail to get here! This is their Show not you freeloaders!” he said.
“UP MBT this is your Spotlight! Let noone take that stage away from you! Sports teaches us life lessons,” he added.
In another post, Herbosa reiterated that those who would wear black in the game would show disrespect to the basketball team who fought strong during the entire season.
He also used the hashtag #notoblack as his expression of condemning the call.