I GIVE way to reader Orlando Osorio today.
For correctly pointing out a mistake in one of my columns, he earned it.
r “Dear Mr.Mendoza:
“Good day to you, Sir. I’m a regular reader of Sun.Star Cebu and an avid follower of your column ‘All Write.’
“It was in the 4th quarterfinal game between Ginebra San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text where TNT coach Chot Reyes decided to order his team to walk out due to ‘lousy’
officiating.
“The walkout made Ginebra San Miguel the winner, not San Miguel Beer.
“Ginebra San Miguel beat TNT in Game 5 to barge into the semifinal round, but eventually got booted out in their best-of-7 series against Alaska, 4-0.
“San Miguel Beer was eliminated by Purefoods in their own semifinal series, 4-2. [Purefoods blanked Alaska, 4-0, in the best-of-7 showdown for the KFC-PBA Philippine
Cup--ASM].
“I prefer to call it ‘lousy’ officiating because I wouldn’t want to take anything away from Ginebra. The Kings played their hearts out to defeat the Texters.
“While we’re at it, what is your opinion about officiating in the PBA?
“Millions of pesos are being spent by a team just to be in the league. I believe a team has every right to demand not just fair and good officiating but the best officiating as well.
“I hope PBA officials will do their share; they owe it not just to the teams but to the fans as well, who are just as irked and irritated when ‘lousy’ officiating starts hitting a game.
“Thank you and more power to you, Sir.”
Thank you, too, and you are welcome, Mr. Osorio.
Yes, you are absolutely right. Every team has the right to demand that it be given the best officiating all season long.
And PBA officials have two) bosses: the fans and the teams.
They sit on their jobs and turn a blind eye to spotty officiating, they betray their two bosses.
And I give it to them as I’d given it to them since 1975.
Through the years, I’ve seen them work their butts out trying to whip up a roster of efficient, ethical and respectable referees.
But still, there will always be out of tune whistles, or we forget who we truly are.
It is, simply, that we can’t perfect everything or we are God.
(alsol47@yahoo.com)
r