I take issue with the NCAA ManCom ruling that denied Letran’s appeal to lift the game suspension imposed on Fran Yu.
The spirit and soul of the 3-peat seeking Knights, Yu, the captain ball, was called by the refs for a disqualifying foul in Game 2 where College of St. Benilde edged Letran, 76-71, to force a winner take all decider on Sunday.
By getting disqualified at the 5:29 mark of the second quarter, his ejection was already enough punishment for the foul the refs called against Yu.
Sangco, the aggrieved player, lay on the floor but rose up without nary a scratch in the head, face or elsewhere. He continued to play as energetically as he was before.
(I hope I am not digressing as I have noticed with regularity that NCAA players tend to do some “movie-acting” and flopping when their bodies bang against their opponent’s physicality. They stay for seconds on the floor, trying to impress the public that they received a hard foul from the offender.)
This meant, Yu’s foul was not as crippling (or seriously meant to harm the opponent) as others would picture it to be. But it being called an unsportsmanlike infraction, the refs threw the book at him.
(In the UAAP, officiating appears to be more rational and efficient.)
Game 3 being a do-or-die duel, suspending Yu TECHNICALLY tilted the momentum grossly in the Blazers’ favor.
This is not fair.
I find the NCAA ruling immoral because it denies Letran to be completely armed with its personnel as the team goes to war against an opponent that is fully equipped and prepared.
Would CSB, the number one seeded squad, be happy to be crowned champions, beating an underhanded Letran team with its players having one arm tied behind their backs?
Would CSB and its coaching staff be fully credited if they take Game 3 and bring home the trophy without being sneered at because the NCAA ManCom technically “aided” them in their quest for the championship?
I hope the NCAA policymakers reconsider.
They are not in a win-win situation.
Supposing, even with Yu sitting out Game 3, the Knights surprisingly (and miraculously) emerge victorious, would the NCAA ManCom be not crucified?
Assuming the rules state so, did the disqualifying foul render the offended party physically unable to continue playing or not?
From what we have all seen, the offended party lay motionless for a few seconds then rose up as if nothing happened.
That is why there is room for an appeal.
Basketball is a contact sport. There is no hoopster I know who has not suffered from hard fouls, intentional or not.
There are harder and harmful fouls inflicted in the pro leagues, that much we can all agree on.
But their rules and punishment are more rational and rendered accordingly.
Yu’s foul did not maim the aggrieved party. It may be nasty but it does not deserve a suspension on a championship game day.
This is nothing less than a double jeopardy.
At any rate, I am not cheering for Letran nor for CSB.
I have been an NCAA fan since the 60s. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
