Latest fracas deals black eye to PBA

Almost overshadowing the impact of Barangay Ginebra’s crucial victory over TNT-KaTropa Friday night was the fracas between Alfrancis Chua and Nash Racela.

Chua, the Ginebra governor to the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) board, and Racela, the head coach of TNT, had a verbal clash on their way to their dugouts at halftime.

Fouls were obviously the cause, triggered apparently by TNT getting slapped more hit infractions than Ginebra in the game’s first two quarters.

Glaring physical acts between Gin King Kevin Ferrer and KaTropa import Glen Rice Jr. were vividly caught on camera.

Then a foul by TNT’s Kelly Williams on Ginebra’s Man Mountain Greg Slaughter was somehow deemed without merit by Racela, whose on-court rant he had obviously vented on Chua as both headed to the lockers.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, with Olsen Racela, Nash’s older brother, playing a key role to nip the skirmish. Olsen is an assistant coach at Ginebra. It helped that PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa and PBA Information chief Willie Boy Marcial were also in the hallway when the incident was unfolding.

The two gentlemen wasted no time in helping pacify Chua and Racela, a move that immediately drew praise from spectators initially startled—and soon angered—by the commotion.

My friend, Ramon Uy, and I saw it all on TV. He said, “The league ought to have a law requiring all coaches, players and other officials and personnel to extend their highest respects to the PBA Commissioner every time he happens to be nearby. Thus, in accordance to that PBA rule, Racela and Chua should have immediately stopped their quarrel and next issued a quick apology to Commissioner Narvasa.” I totally agree with him. About time, indeed, that acts deemed inimical to the league’s wholesome image have got to end.

Such un-gentlemanly and un-sportsmanlike behavior—coming yet from top officials of a team—has got to totally end 42 years after the league’s birth in 1975 (I was right there covering the PBA’s first organizational meeting held at the Mariwasa offices along Aurora Blvd. in Q.C. not far from the famed Magnolia plant. Ahem!) Do I make sense, Commish? Or did I hear Willie Boy say, “Noted.”