A DECADE or so ago, when MCB was still with the other paper covering the Cesafi beat, during every season launch, we’d tease commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy what he thought would be the controversy for basketball in the season.
You see, it seems it won’t be a complete season without having a controversy. I don’t remember what the commissioner answered but we sure did get a good laugh. Then, late in the season, when a controversy did erupt, he’d say that maybe this is it.
For this season, I hope “it” would be the incident involving the University of Southern Philippines Foundation and University of San Carlos with 2.5 seconds left in their second round match.
We already know what the offending players need to do before they see action again. One game suspension, a P5,000 fine and a four-hour community service. (The last one, I’m proud to say, is my idea.)
As luck would have it, the student crew that covers the basketball games were not on duty during the games as they were all taking their exams. These are student volunteers and Cesafi has deemed it necessary that these student volunteers concetrate on their academics first.
It would have been a different story had the crew been there. More cameras on scene means more angles to check on who did what. That is if the two teams will question the decision of the officials.
But how to avoid these incidents though? With only 2.5 seconds left in a game that was already decided, why did tempers have to fly?
Incidents like these in football have lessened over the years since the Cesafi also imposed the P5,000 fine and four-hour community service penalty for players.
“Kinsa gud ganahan mamisbis sa field for four hours?” one coach told me.
Other players had to become gofer boys during tournaments. Then there’s the P5,000 fine, which sometimes comes from the player’s own pockets. One time, I think the whole team chipped in to pay for an ejected player’s fine and he was on good behavior for the rest of the season.
“Imo teammates nagbayad para nimo, and magbinuang pa ka? Baga na lang gyud ka’g nawong,” he said.
I hope the basketball players will get their act together. Don’t wait for the penalty to double because if you keep misbehaving, the league might just give you that special treatment.
If it’s working in football, why not in basketball?