Protest in poor taste

As we went to press, there was still no certainty if the College of St. Benilde would push through with its protest against San Beda College in a bid to reverse the outcome of their NCAA senior men’s basketball game at the Cuneta Astrodome last Friday.

For the record, San Beda crushed St. Benilde, 74-51, in a lopsided contest that was settled as early as the first quarter. The Red Lions led, 17-8, at the end of the first period, 34-25 at the half and 55-40 to close the third quarter.

There was no debate as to which was the better squad on the floor. The defending back-to-back champion was clearly several cuts above the Blazers in class, talent and maturity.

But after the game, St. Benilde skipper Jacob Manlapaz signed a protest sheet because Lions center Sam Ekwe wore the wrong uniform. St. Benilde had up to yesterday to file a formal protest before the NCAA Board. If the formal protest was filed, the NCAA Board will decide whether or not to strip San Beda of the victory and award it instead to St. Benilde.

The scuttlebutt was Ekwe’s light uniform was stolen and the Nigerian only realized it was missing the morning of the game. Apparently, the Lions don’t keep spare jerseys.

With no uniform to wear, Ekwe brought out a jersey from the previous season. The uniforms are almost identical except one has a Talk ‘N’ Text (the school’s sponsor) badge stitched in the center and the other on the side. There are a few more tell-tale signs but you have to be eagle-eyed to notice the difference. If you’re not a stickler for details, you wouldn’t think Ekwe wore a uniform different from his teammates.

Manlapaz signed the protest sheet with the intention of snatching the victory from San Beda by forfeit. He certainly didn’t sign the sheet for posterity.

If you ask me, the protest was in poor taste. Whatever happened to the spirit of competition? Is St. Benilde so desperate for a win over San Beda that it will resort to extraneous measures beyond the playing court? How meritorious is a win proclaimed in the boardroom when on the floor, it was obvious St. Benilde couldn’t hold a candle to San Beda?

Because there is an existing NCAA rule requiring players to use the same uniforms, will the league itself go after San Beda if St. Benilde decides to withdraw its protest?

Surely, using the wrong uniform was not a deliberate act on Ekwe’s part. And it certainly didn’t make him more formidable as a player. In other words, it had nothing to do with deciding the outcome – and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for forfeiture because that’s not what basketball’s about.

The spirit behind the uniform rule is to distinguish the players of one team from the players of the other. In Ekwe’s case, the “wrong” uniform was nearly identical to the stolen jersey and wearing it did not cause an advantage or disadvantage to either team.

The problem is Filipino crab mentality. Each team in the NCAA has its sights set on bringing San Beda down. If the teams can’t do it on the court, they’ll find some other way. That’s how crab mentality works. It’s always lonely for a team at the top because there’s room for only one champion. The teams below are left conspiring for an upheaval.

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It’s the same situation in the UAAP where each team is looking to embarrass habitual champion La Salle at every turn. A few years ago, things got so bad in the UAAP that former La Salle star MacMac Cardona was accused of forging his high school diploma even after his graduation from the varsity. Cardona, however, produced the necessary documents to silence his detractors.

St. Benilde, which is part of the La Salle system, should know what the Green Archers are enduring in the UAAP. Surely, the Blazers can empathize with San Beda because they are aware of what La Salle goes through year after year.

St. Benilde should know better than to pursue this insignificant case against San Beda. No Blazer can be proud of beating the Lions on a forfeiture due to a meaningless rule when on the court, St. Benilde was severely mauled by San Beda in a contest that wasn’t even close.

St. Benilde coach Gee Abanilla, who is one of Yeng Guiao’s assistants at Red Bull, and chief lieutenant Richard del Rosario used to play for La Salle. They know what the spirit of competition is all about. And the spirit is certainly not looking for a loophole to turn a shameful defeat to an even more shameful victory because of a technicality that has no bearing on how the game is played.

This year’s NCAA theme is “To The Fore at 84,” signifying the league’s 84th season hosted by Mapua. St. Benilde has a golden opportunity to rise above crab mentality, advance “to the fore” and show the NCAA it can accept defeat with dignity. The petty bickering has to stop and St. Benilde is in a position to set an example of rising above parochial interests for the love of the game.

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