(From Business Mirror)
YOUNGER basketball fans who watched the dramatic walkout staged by Talk ’N Text (TNT) on Friday in Game Four of their quarterfinals series must have been shocked to bits with what they saw. It is only the third in the Philippine Basketball Association’s 35-year history. And some may have felt like reaching for the bottle of gargle to wash the bad taste in the mouth.
The TNT-Ginebra series had all the makings of a front-page sports story. The protagonists were both high-interest teams. The plot was the stuff of basketball movies. Talk ’N Text, the fair-haired boy of the league and the defending champion of the All-Filipino, had been ahead in the series, 2-0. But the previous Wednesday, Ginebra San Miguel—the team that owns the “do-or-die” phrase to describe its character (as if other teams were not capable of doing or dying)—had beaten their quarterfinal rivals, tipping the scales in the other direction, 2-1. The prospects were good that they could make it 2-2.
It could have been a monster of a show. Basketball fans love it when evenly matched protagonists tussle and tangle and throw caution to the wind. The Araneta cage fans wanted to see if and how the crowd favorite Ginebra would pull off the seemingly impossible and knock off TNT from title contention. TNT fans wanted to see what tricks and ammo their favorite team would throw at the surging, upstart Ginebra Gin Kings.
But no. It was only the first quarter in Game Four when the unimaginable happened. The Gin Kings were ahead, 27-20, one minute left. Tropang Texter Ranidel de Ocampo positioned himself under the basket to defend against Ronald Tubid who was driving to the basket. The two bodies were destined for collision. In a flash, de Ocampo had bumped bodies with the Gin King in midair. Tubid, using all the thespic powers of his basketball body, fell and tumbled. De Ocampo was assessed a Flagrant 2, and the TNT bench raised a howl.
In replay, the moment looked much clearer. De Ocampo, arms raised, heaved his heft to block Tubid who was poised to shoot. In a nanosecond—subtly, but obviously (if there is such a thing)—de Ocampo’s raised right arm went from 90 degrees to 80, hitting Tubid squarely on the face. Tubid grimaced at the moment of impact, but before he went on that movie-like series of thuds and tumbles, he managed to execute a second-motion hack on de Ocampo. De Ocampo kept his arms raised. Then the whistles blew. Yes, that was Flagrant 2.
A few minutes later, I got this text message on my cell phone: PBA Fiasco! D numbers don’t lie. In d other series, after 3 games, rain or shine was given 73 free throws to purefoods 79. In tnt-ginebra series, tnt was given 80 free throws to ginebra’s 126. And ginebra is taking 25 more 3-pt. attempts. In d 1st 10mins of game 4, ginebra was already given 18 free throws to only 5 for tnt, even if gin took 4 more 3-pt shots. In d flagrant 2 on Ranidel resulting in a thrown out, all d guidelines were not present. It was not a hit above the shoulders, not a closed fist nor an elbow, he did not trip or undercut – yet they threw him out. A team can only take so much! Maawa naman kayo..! Please pass.
Legitimate wails. But now it’s history. The Tropang Texters forfeited that game because they failed to return after the prescribed grace period. Ginebra leveled the series, 2-2. And although TNT showed up on Sunday for Game Five, they lost the series to the Gin Kings who appeared to be standing on moral high ground. TNT lost the chance to defend its title. Not to mention that they will be a million bucks poorer. That penalty will hurt their pride and sensibilities more, however, than it will Mr. Pangilinan’s pocket.
But if you want to invoke the Law of Karma, it could just be a case of “what goes around comes around” for Ginebra San Miguel. The Gins—known as Añejo Rum in 1990—also walked out of their championship game against Shell, then their fiercest PBA rivals. Led by basketball legend Sonny Jaworski as playing coach, and featuring Rudy “The Destroyer” Distrito and bruiser Dante Gonzalgo, Añejo made the title series as physical as physical can be. The refs and the PBA were criticized for not being able to control the physicality, with Shell men Ronnie Magsanoc, Bobby Parks and Benjie Paras as common targets of the Añejo punishers. But in Game Six, the referees decided to get strict and blew their whistles all night long. Unused to all that, Añejo walked out with 2:52 left in the game, Shell ahead 62-47. The confetti flew…but it wasn’t the same as winning at the end of the regular period.
Another memorable walkout—this time in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)—was when La Salle walked away from its championship game against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in 1991. The UAAP technical committee found that fouled out La Salle player Tony Boy Espinosa was still playing in the final seconds of the game. FEU protested and the game was halted, FEU up by 7. La Salle, then coached by Derick Pumaren, resented the insinuation that they tried to pull a fast one, and walked away. They did not return to the hard court after the prescribed time and did not show up in the replay either. FEU won the crown, but it didn’t feel as good.
Another walkout that comes to mind was when Red Bull left San Miguel all alone in the hard court in 2006 during a semis game, but returned to play a few minutes after.
Walkouts are weary exercises of the indignant and those who have lost hope. Very unsportsmanlike, to be sure. But they do make impactful statements.
YOUNGER basketball fans who watched the dramatic walkout staged by Talk ’N Text (TNT) on Friday in Game Four of their quarterfinals series must have been shocked to bits with what they saw. It is only the third in the Philippine Basketball Association’s 35-year history. And some may have felt like reaching for the bottle of gargle to wash the bad taste in the mouth.
The TNT-Ginebra series had all the makings of a front-page sports story. The protagonists were both high-interest teams. The plot was the stuff of basketball movies. Talk ’N Text, the fair-haired boy of the league and the defending champion of the All-Filipino, had been ahead in the series, 2-0. But the previous Wednesday, Ginebra San Miguel—the team that owns the “do-or-die” phrase to describe its character (as if other teams were not capable of doing or dying)—had beaten their quarterfinal rivals, tipping the scales in the other direction, 2-1. The prospects were good that they could make it 2-2.
It could have been a monster of a show. Basketball fans love it when evenly matched protagonists tussle and tangle and throw caution to the wind. The Araneta cage fans wanted to see if and how the crowd favorite Ginebra would pull off the seemingly impossible and knock off TNT from title contention. TNT fans wanted to see what tricks and ammo their favorite team would throw at the surging, upstart Ginebra Gin Kings.
But no. It was only the first quarter in Game Four when the unimaginable happened. The Gin Kings were ahead, 27-20, one minute left. Tropang Texter Ranidel de Ocampo positioned himself under the basket to defend against Ronald Tubid who was driving to the basket. The two bodies were destined for collision. In a flash, de Ocampo had bumped bodies with the Gin King in midair. Tubid, using all the thespic powers of his basketball body, fell and tumbled. De Ocampo was assessed a Flagrant 2, and the TNT bench raised a howl.
In replay, the moment looked much clearer. De Ocampo, arms raised, heaved his heft to block Tubid who was poised to shoot. In a nanosecond—subtly, but obviously (if there is such a thing)—de Ocampo’s raised right arm went from 90 degrees to 80, hitting Tubid squarely on the face. Tubid grimaced at the moment of impact, but before he went on that movie-like series of thuds and tumbles, he managed to execute a second-motion hack on de Ocampo. De Ocampo kept his arms raised. Then the whistles blew. Yes, that was Flagrant 2.
A few minutes later, I got this text message on my cell phone: PBA Fiasco! D numbers don’t lie. In d other series, after 3 games, rain or shine was given 73 free throws to purefoods 79. In tnt-ginebra series, tnt was given 80 free throws to ginebra’s 126. And ginebra is taking 25 more 3-pt. attempts. In d 1st 10mins of game 4, ginebra was already given 18 free throws to only 5 for tnt, even if gin took 4 more 3-pt shots. In d flagrant 2 on Ranidel resulting in a thrown out, all d guidelines were not present. It was not a hit above the shoulders, not a closed fist nor an elbow, he did not trip or undercut – yet they threw him out. A team can only take so much! Maawa naman kayo..! Please pass.
Legitimate wails. But now it’s history. The Tropang Texters forfeited that game because they failed to return after the prescribed grace period. Ginebra leveled the series, 2-2. And although TNT showed up on Sunday for Game Five, they lost the series to the Gin Kings who appeared to be standing on moral high ground. TNT lost the chance to defend its title. Not to mention that they will be a million bucks poorer. That penalty will hurt their pride and sensibilities more, however, than it will Mr. Pangilinan’s pocket.
But if you want to invoke the Law of Karma, it could just be a case of “what goes around comes around” for Ginebra San Miguel. The Gins—known as Añejo Rum in 1990—also walked out of their championship game against Shell, then their fiercest PBA rivals. Led by basketball legend Sonny Jaworski as playing coach, and featuring Rudy “The Destroyer” Distrito and bruiser Dante Gonzalgo, Añejo made the title series as physical as physical can be. The refs and the PBA were criticized for not being able to control the physicality, with Shell men Ronnie Magsanoc, Bobby Parks and Benjie Paras as common targets of the Añejo punishers. But in Game Six, the referees decided to get strict and blew their whistles all night long. Unused to all that, Añejo walked out with 2:52 left in the game, Shell ahead 62-47. The confetti flew…but it wasn’t the same as winning at the end of the regular period.
Another memorable walkout—this time in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)—was when La Salle walked away from its championship game against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in 1991. The UAAP technical committee found that fouled out La Salle player Tony Boy Espinosa was still playing in the final seconds of the game. FEU protested and the game was halted, FEU up by 7. La Salle, then coached by Derick Pumaren, resented the insinuation that they tried to pull a fast one, and walked away. They did not return to the hard court after the prescribed time and did not show up in the replay either. FEU won the crown, but it didn’t feel as good.
Another walkout that comes to mind was when Red Bull left San Miguel all alone in the hard court in 2006 during a semis game, but returned to play a few minutes after.
Walkouts are weary exercises of the indignant and those who have lost hope. Very unsportsmanlike, to be sure. But they do make impactful statements.
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