KACHING goes whichever cash register accepts the P5,000 fine Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. when they get involved in incidents that warrant an ejection.
It’s one of my inspired suggestions to the Cesafi commish in this column and I admit, I’ve never been too happy when I learned the league raised the then fine from P500 to P5,000.
Of course, other than the fine, there’s the four hours of community service, which the ejected players must serve before they are allowed back in the lineup.
They never learn, do they? Now, Van Savillejo of the University of Cebu and Elijah Singson of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation will be P5,000 poorer for channeling the sleeping boxers in them to let their fists do their talking.
I know footballers have learned not to do that ever since the Cesafi added the community service to the stiff fine.
I hope this is the last incident that we hear of in basketball. I know some Cesafi players are jealous that basketball gets a pre-season event while they don’t.
“You lucky schmucks get two tournaments a year and we only have one and you want to spoil your tournament,” is a train of thought that must have the players of non-basketball events.
To be honest, I was surprised that a player from USPF got involved and I’m sure athletic director Brian Jereza is disappointed.
In an interview two years ago, Jereza, who had just taken over his post, said he was more focused on attitude. He added that discipline was one of the signature traits a USPF athlete would have. Winning and the rest would just be bonuses.
I hope this incident will be a lesson to all players, not just from USPF. Whether you are the aggrieved party or not, whether you started it or not, getting involved in a fracas in sports never pays. Heck, we all know that oftentimes, it is the one who hits back who get punished. It is unfair, yes. But that’s sports.
Get your acts together. Don’t wait for the time the league will get fed up by incidents that they’d double the fine and insist on instigators to serve their community together to further drive the point.
And lastly, this is the Partners Cup, each school has a partner sponsor. So, aside from embarrassing your school, you embarrass the partner too.
So, calm down. Wait for Cesafi boxing if you want to show how good your impersonation of Manny Pacquiao is.