A bitter aftertaste

By Ed Picson - Manila Bulletin - September 27, 2008

Basketball fans have never had it so good. In the current break between seasons of the Philippine Basketball Association, there is no dearth of thrilling hoops action as the UAAP and the NCAA has been providing more than ample excitement.

As of this writing, Game 2 of the NCAA Finals between the San Beda Red Lions and the Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers was yet to be played but I will surely make it a point to watch, even if my alma mater, Colegio de San Juan de Letran and its knights were unhorsed in the Final Four.

But let’s not get morose here. That’s how the ball games, as they say.

You win some, you lose some.

While the Red lions may be favored after their win in Game 1, I have admired the way JRU has played under the able mentorship of Ariel Vanguardia. He deserves a lot of the credit for turning things around for this team. It pains me that it was his cunning and his boys’ determination that caused Letran’s fall, but we all need to accept defeat no matter how bitter it tastes.

Which brings me to the classic UAAP championship battle between Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University the other night.

It was as expected, another spectacle of a game between the two bitter rivals and naturally, emotions ran high. In the end, Ateneo wrapped it up in two games, sweeping the Archers with their 62-51 win in Game 2.

I thought all along that Coach Norman Black and his boys had the more formidable line-up and were able to hold up under extreme pressure, but La Salle was also talent-laden and was just as motivated. So I held off making predictions when asked by friends on what my take was on that series. It would always be fool-hardy to second guess a game that was to be decided not only by talent, skill and preparation. Too many intangibles also figure in the equation.

It turned out to be as closely-fought and contested as expected and I thought Ateneo won it fair and square. There may have been lapses in the officiating as La Salle Coach Franz Pumaren decried, but those looked more a result of human frailty and did not really dictate the end result.

Of course, Pumaren had all the right to complain and we have also observed the need to professionalize officiating in such high-profile games, even in the collegiate ranks. We have cited before the efforts made by the NCAA in hiring PBL referees thus putting a premium on officiating.

But what provided a bitter after taste to an otherwise exhilarating evening was the failure (refusal?) of La Salle to claim the 2nd place trophy during the closing ceremonies. I can understand the disappointment, dejection and all-around grief that muddles a juvenile’s decision-making in the aftermath of such a loss. But I’m sure there were more mature personalities in their organization that could have provided the voice of reason.

Basketball is a sporting event and the object of an inter-school competition is to promote well-being and give all those involved, especially the studentry, the thrill of competition and absorb the effects thereof. These are valuable lessons that are to fortify them for the greater battles ahead in the game called life. And that includes accepting a loss with dignity and honor.

Sadly, this was not the case during the awarding ceremonies and many were sorely disappointed at the display of unsportsmanlike behavior. At the very least, it sent the wrong message to the legion of young minds that were glued to the event.

I hope Coach Pumaren and La Salle officials have a good explanation for the unfortunate incident. They owe it to the public, especially to the young.