Game-fixing and point-shaving

College of St. Benilde (CSB) authorities are dead serious in getting into the bottom of a point-shaving scandal that allegedly involves one of its basketball squad mainstays in the National Collegiate Association (NCAA). CSB administration rued the fact that the scandal broke out in media Thursday evening and was helpless to do much about it the next day, Friday, which was declared a holiday to enable student-voters to register for the forthcoming Sangguniang Kabaaan (SK) elections.

Yesterday was therefore the first work day that allowed CSB authorities to summon parties who might have some information on the incident. Br. Victor Franco, FSC, President of CSB said over the weekend that the school is investigating the matter thoroughly and will take action on parties who are found guilty of wrongdoing after due process has been served.

As of now, apparently in reaction to media reports and the participation of the National Bureau of Investigation in the so-called entrapment operations that had been in turn triggered by the complaint of a non-CSB student, Paolo Orbeta, the player said to be involved, has been indefinitely suspended from playing by CSB.

Rumors of game-fixing, point-shaving and other forms of illegal gambling in sports have been doing the rounds for as long as anyone can remember. While one would think that such unwholesome practices are limited to professional or semi-professional basketball leagues, the collegiate leagues have not been spared.

But back to the most natural targets of gamblers and gambling syndicates. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) itself was rocked in the past by well-publicized reports of point-shaving and game-fixing. High-profile wholesale revamps of teams in the 70’s and 80’s were triggered by the involvement of practically the entire team in game-fixing and point-shaving. Even the quiet non-renewal of star player’s contracts by certain teams had also been precipitated by reports of such practices.

In one trip I made to Los Angeles in the early ‘80’s, I remember being invited to after dinner drinks with Filipinos including a former PBA player who had migrated to the US. The former pro was very popular  during his heyday, first in the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) in the late ‘60’s to the early ‘70’s, and later in the PBA, up to the late ‘70’s and early ’80’s.

The retired player had become some sort of a ladies man at the height of his popularity having been involved with actresses and, later on, in the United States, with a former singer who had chosen to relocate to America. At some point in his career, the ex-cager encountered weight problems that forced him to take medication that, according to him, later affected his heart.

After a few rounds of drinks, the former pro spoke of his and other teammates’ exploits in point-shaving and game-fixing and “still had fun.” His narrative, made before four or five of us gathered around a table with pulutan and drinks, included what should have been a simple case of point-shaving but went out of control and deteriorated into game-fixing.

The retired player first got wind of the scheme accidentally, so he says, in the provincial hotel where the PBA teams were billeted. He claimed that he just happened to take the call of a teammate. The latter was then one of the country’s most outstanding forwards, having been a veteran of many international contests. The calling party was looking for his roommate who was then taking a shower. Immediately the LA based former pro sensed something wrong and warned his roommate not to try anything funny since “the boss is very nice to us, short of putting the vitamins into our mouths when we have meals in the quarters.”

It seemed however that previous arrangements had been made by other team members. The team of the ex-pro, which was heavily favored to win the game, lost the contest by the proverbial mile.

The team owner, not to take the whole matter sitting down, did his own sleuthing and hired professional detectives and within days the whole plot was uncovered. The retired pro remembers that fateful night at the Araneta Coliseum minutes before the on-court pre-game warm up. The team owner asked every non-player to leave the dressing room and forthwith proceeded to castigate the team and say that he had the goods on the people involved in the game-fixing done in the provincial game.

During the game, the retired pro was fielded by the coach of the team. After making five successful attempts, he was called back to the bench by the coach. As he walked toward the bench, the coach squeezed his nape and indignantly told him, “I know you sold those games. You can play, if you want to play. I know what you did” and expletives followed.

The account is not meant to condone game-fixing or point-shaving. What it points out is that these activities have been going on for some time and that for point-shaving or game-fixing to succeed, several players and/or team officials have to be involved and conspire.