Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 24 | Page 30

30 SPORTS PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY December 16 - 31, 2018 PBA ‘Grand Slam’ for San Miguel Corp. SPECTATOR By Al Mendoza IT is weird but it keeps of the referees after Game 2 happening. and he got it,” said Victolero in Tagalog. “I’m now also A team defeats a team two attracting the attention of the in-a-row—one win by a ghastly refs…and what I’m just asking rout—only to bow to the same is consistency on calls. What squad in the third game. Not they’d call on the other side, only lose but to end up beaten they should also call the same black and blue. on us.” That’s what’s happening in the Well, it is a given that ongoing title showdown for the referees are key cogs in every PBA Governors’ Cup between championship showdown. One Magnolia and Alaska. bad call by a ref could swing the Magnolia won the first two outcome of a game. games, 100-84 and 77-71, But then, let’s be fair. respectively. Referees may not be perfect, With those results, you would, but they shouldn’t be blamed of course, put your money on for defeats we suffer.What’s Magnolia in Game 3. Piece of happening at times, if not most cake. of the time, is seeing coaches But then, what do you know? point an accusing finger at the Alaska came roaring back refs when setbacks hit them. and proceeded to massacre Will it happen again in tonight’s Magnolia 100-71 to inch to Game 4 between Magnolia and within 1-2 in the best-of-seven Alaska? Finals. But really, this ref-bashing “I think we had a great habit has got to end if we are defensive effort and amazing to continue believing in PBA’s shots,” said Alaska coach Alex reason for existence. Compton. “But the overall story The league has been there of the game was we made a 43 years and it would not have bunch of shots in the first three survived this long if it did not quarters. We didn’t commit have the resilience and staying many turnovers and we played power to weather every storm defense with great intensity.” that came its way, lapses in But Magnolia coach Chito officiating included. Victolero saw the game Let’s just then play ball, differently, was short of accusing please? Compton of baiting the referees Anyway, as I was busy to side with Alaska in Game 3. composing this, Game 4 went to “Compton drew the attention Alaska before Magnolia fought back to make it 3-2 and inch to within a game of clinching the Governors Cup crown. On Wednesday night (PHL time, 19 December), Magnolia, leaning heavily on import Romeo Travis, murdered Alaska 102-86 in Game 6 to pocket the crown in a 4-2 decision witnessed by a jam-packed crowd at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City. Travis, a lefty, was Alaska’s import when the San Miguel Beermen rallied from 0-3 to defeat the Alaska Aces and pocket the PBA title 4-3 in 2014. No team other than San Miguel Beer, down 0-3, has ever rallied to achieve four straight wins in a best-of-seven championship series to pocket a PBA crown. In victory, sophomore coach Victolero of Magnolia thanked San Miguel bosses Ramon S. Ang and Danding Cojuangco “for all the support they extended to me.” He also paid tribute to the all- out backing of Al Francis Chua, San Miguel’s sports director, who, Victolero said, “has supported me starting from my playing days and for believing in me all the way.” Alaska’s import, Mike Harris, was totally outplayed by Travis in the title-clinching Magnolia win in Game 6. In his final PBA game for the season, Travis fired 32 points as against Harris’ 26 points. With his championship-rich performance, Travis seemed to be making a statement: “I should be the rightful best import of the conference instead of Harris.” Complementing Travis’ superlative efforts was Mark Barroca, who was voted Most Valuable Player in the Finals, for his consistency, edging Paul Lee. But Lee had his sterling moments, particularly in Game 5 when he uncorked a buzzer- beating corner jumper for the marginal basket that gave Magnolia a pivotal 3-2 edge in the title showdown. After that game, Lee, covering his face with a towel, burst into tears—tears of joy. “I’ve been struggling all throughout the series as I am still recovering from my injury (foot),” said Lee. “Thank God I made that shot. It erased all doubts about my abilities to deliver the goods when they are needed most.” Magnolia’s victory sort of completed a Grand Slam for San Miguel Corporation’s three PBA teams: San Miguel Beer won the First Conference, Ginebra San Miguel Second Conference and now Magnolia as Governors’ Cup champion. My salutations! History repeats itself in Fil-Am golf HISTORY repeats itself, goes the saying. Some three years ago, a player and his marker were disqualified in the Fil-Am Golf Invitational in Baguio’s Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club. That was a rarity in the annual event for amateurs classified into Seniors and Men’s Regular, each division playing one week apart. The player in question was disqualified for signing a wrong scorecard. His marker was also disqualified for signing a score on one hole that he insisted he knew to be incorrect. That was a serious breach on the rule of honesty, which is the game’s back bone, indeed. The marker said he signed it “under protest,” after which the player dropped his scorecard in the box. Had the marker referred the issue to the Rules Committee before the scorecard was dropped at the box, the marker might have escaped disqualification. Under the rules, a marker must not sign for a score that he “knowingly knew” to be incorrect. Once the scorecard is submitted, the marker is doomed. It happened again in the just- ended 69th Fil-Am Golf. A player insisted he wrote the correct score on a hole, signed the scorecard and dropped it in the box. But the marker knew the player wrote an incorrect score. “I was forced to sign it because the player kept complaining,” he said. When the case was brought by the duo’s two flightmates to Rules Committee, the WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM player’s position as well as the marker’s position had become indefensible. Both were axed. But here’s heroism at work. Jun Saavedra of Davao’s Apo Golf Club knew he had signed for 32 points on Thursday. Then hours later, the internet reflected 33 points for him. An eagle instead of a birdie that he had actually scored on No. 8 of Baguio Country Club was recorded in his scorecard. Jun’s huge 32 points was replaced by the score of his team’s fifth man: 19. That dropped Apo from third overall CONT NEXT PAGE