Oh, oh.
You could contract conjunctivitis if you continue watching exasperating lopsided wins in the current PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
This is not exactly what basketball fans are expecting from the top four teams battling it out to get a place in the finals.
San Miguel Beer, aiming to resuscitate itself as the best in the league, virtually toyed with Meralco as it led from start to finish without so much exerting its full force with an emphatic 121-97 win over Meralco in the main game of a double header Wednesday.
The truth is that I switched channels in the fourth quarter after witnessing the “harsh” reality.
Marcio Lassiter, CJ Perez. Moe Tatuoa et al were scoring at will although the Bolts employed a crowding double teaming defense against big boy JuneMar Fajardo.
Magnolia and TNT, as the curtain raiser, actually was a sleeper of a match where the Tropang Giga went through the motions of scoring a somewhat effortless triumph, 108-96.
Some apologists yell that both Meralco and Magnolia were fatigued and weary, coming out of hard-earned quarterfinal victories, banging bodies against their respective rivals Barangay Ginebra and NLEX, and enjoying less than two complete days of rest.
If fans continue to watch these results in the next scheduled encounter, it won’t be any wonder if the attendance and interest wane in the on-going semifinal series.
Besides – just curious like the cat – why did the PBA make it a best of seven?
Too long and too tiring for the players, don’t you think so?
The games are competitively fierce and physical. Chances are – and I pray not – key players could get hurt and injured.
If this happens, who will the coaches rely on to win the championship for them?
Ideally, if you ask me and the fans themselves, preference would be for a best of 5 for the semis since the quarters were just a best of 3.
This will protect and prevent the players from getting injured that may likely sideline them for quite a time.
Figure it out, guys.
As you have seen, after the ouster of Ginebra, physical attendance was clearly diminished because the superstars the fans would have loved to watch were not playing.
This is nothing new, though.
Willie Marcial’s predecessors saw the lights dim when Toyota and Crispa folded up one after the other in the 80s.
One more thing, officiating is another concern that several coaches and players have expressed their dissatisfaction on.
Keep an eye on this, Com. Willie. Cheers! (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
