HAS IT always been one for UST?
Before the falling confetti, teary-eyed students, tiger-ear headbands and the over-all euphoria among Thomasians that came with the Growling Tiger’s Season 69 victory lies a dark history that cannot be easily dismissed.
Dubbed by UAAP pundits as the “Dark Ages” of UST basketball, the Tigers’ decade-long lackluster performance in the country’s premiere college league could only illicit a mere shout-out among a handful of black-gold-white die-hards who religiously followed the games regardless of the heartbreaking outcomes and cat-calls from fellow Thomasians.
In 2006, however, a topic at the forums in USTExchange.com, an online community for Thomasians, sparked the yearning among students and alumni alike to remedy their waning love for their athletes and alma mater.
Thus, “Tigerpack” was formed.
A year later, what started as a group of seven became seventy, with 30 to 40 active members beefing up the organization. The Tigerpack has managed to sponsor several events such as the V-league championship party for the Lady Spikers and the appreciation dinners for the Growling Tigers last October and December.
But their most important role yet is to serve as an athlete’s support crew from the stands (similar to La Salle’s “Gang Green” and Ateneo’s “Sixth Man”), infecting even the meekest fans and transforming them into wildly cheering UST aficionados, screaming themselves hoarse for the black-gold-white legion.
Together with the Yellow Jackets, the Tiger Pack also takes pride in handing out yellow balloons to the crowd during games, as well as making colossal black-gold-white banners like the one which bore the message “Kami po ang Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas” that ran across half of the Araneta Coliseum last season.
Pack mentality
Relatively new, the group has not been spared from criticism. Surprisingly, most of them have come from Thomasians.
“Most people would berate us on the grounds that we only extend our support to the volleyball and basketball teams only,” said Paul Sauz, a 1999 education graduate. “But (the problem is) there are only a handful of us, and most of the members have jobs and cannot really commit.”
Sauz said raising awareness about the other sporting events is part of the group’s agenda, but in a basketball-oriented country, the preferences of the majority serve as the deciding factor, making their jobs exceptionally harder.
“What we try to do is to plug any upcoming game in the forums as much as we can to raise awareness,” said Joseph Bautista, a 2004 Journalism graduate.
The Tigerpack stays true to the informal “Go Uste” cheer, reflected by the choice of leaders ― a select few called “The Council of Elders” which steers the direction of the group. The “elders” are Francis Gloria, Enrico Cunanan, Bautista, Sauz, Marlo Rivera, Ejudo de la Vega, and Isa-Teresa Isip.
Joining the pack is also relatively easy, save for one requirement. Applicants must bleed black-gold-white.
“Anyone who is an avid Thomasian supporter may join the group,” said Cunanan, who graduated in 1982 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. “Of course, strong knees are an added advantage,” he added.
Cunanan said the group may also take the initiative of approaching a familiar face in the crowd, deemed fit to join. That person must possess certain qualities of a UST fan, such as “pride with grace.”
“It is not enough to go wild for your team, you must also show respect to other teams and more importantly, know how to lose,” said Bautista.
Although arguments happen occasionally within the group, the elders adapt an athlete’s mindset in coming up with the solution: focusing on the goal at hand.
“Our opinions often clash on decisions regarding the direction of the organization,” said Isip, a 2005 legal management graduate. “But at the end of the day, we remember our original purpose and come into a common resolve, which is whatever is best for the group,” she added.
History of a balloon
But conflicting opinions are the least of the group’s worries.
They often face financial difficulties, like where to get funds to spend on balloons distributed during UST games.
“It’s a hit-or-miss situation. Sometimes we would have funds, but most of the time we are short in cash and have to pay for it using our own salary,” said Sauz who, along with the other members, religiously inflate dozens of balloons themselves. They refer to it as their “labor of love” for the Thomasian community.
Asked how they came up with the name, the group recalled several suggestions such as “Barangay Santo Tomas” and “Yellow Fever”. But after hearing someone refer to them as “that pack” of yellow-clad UST supporters who frequent the games, the name eventually stuck.
“Technically, the group’s name is grammatically incorrect since Tigers do not usually travel in packs,” said Gloria, a 2001 biology graduate. “But considering that one tiger is powerful enough, imagine how ferocious a whole unified bunch would be!”
In time, the group started to call themselves as “Packers”, Though it may sound unpleasant to some, the members are as proud of their name as they are of their school colors.
“The name also represents what we want to achieve, which is one unified Thomasian community supporting not only the athletes but also their alma mater,” said Sauz.
