The soul of our nation

There are, to be blunt, so many issues of greed and corruption in our country that can be solved by greater understanding of the spirit and values of sport. The recent problems of institutions like the PBA, and the current miasma of the POC illustrate both how people try to get away with one-upmanship, and how people in authority let it slip past them, either purposely or out of lack of understanding. Everyone wants to win, but many go out of bounds to do it. Yet, the rules are in the foundation of what we are taught as children, that rewards are not just the temporal: the winning, feeling superior. There are lessons in each experience, lessons that are part of our formation. Skipping or skirting them will continually hamper us.

Of course, we can always blame history and sociology. During Spanish times, we learned – and warped – many values, not fully imbibing their significance. You can cheat, as long as you don’t get caught. If you can get away with it, go for it. Put your best foot forward, for now. But underneath all of that is the question of what it all means, and what we stand for. As time goes by, we forego the niceties and get more brazen about it.

For example, the trade between Kia and San Miguel Beer had two facets to it that upset the fans. First, they felt that Kia was purposely trying to build a mediocre team, for whatever unseen gain, nobody understood and this writer will not speculate on. Second, they were shocked that it was allowed to happen despite the perception that it was lopsided in the first. Hardly anyone blamed San Miguel Beer for their newfound embarrassment of riches. They were allowed to get what they want, which now begs the question, how does the league ensure parity?

Before the PBA instituted the rookie draft, teams with deeper pockets simply paid more for better talent. Crispa, Toyota and later, Great Taste Coffee, loaded for best. Those teams were virtual All-Star collections in themselves. But that was allowed by the rules. If there were some way to mathematically calculate the value of each player, this would not be a problem. But you can’t account for chemistry, teachability, camaraderie, trust and teamwork. A few NBA teams employ an algorithm that determines the value a player brings at different points in a game, even in combination with other players. But the majority go by their instincts.

One way these decisions can be better achieved (or at least perceived) is to have more minds involved. More input provides broader understanding. If, let’s say, the Beermen added a starting guard to the trade, it would have appeared more fair. At any rate, many future trades will now have the aim in mind of overcoming a Junemar Fajardo - Christian Standhardinger duopoly. As they say in the vernacular, the ball is round. But you still can’t teach size.

Now let’s crack our knuckles and try to find value in the POC’s disqualifying Ricky Vargas and Bambol Tolentino.

That was easy. There really wasn’t much. The technicality was one-sided and flawed from the get-go. Vargas may wear many hats, but that doesn’t mean he’s not on top of the ABAP, or unaware of its goings-on. Far from it. And what is the value of running unopposed? Only the scared create that scenario for themselves. Why fear an opponent if he is indeed flawed? How much can you enjoy a race if you’ve rigged it to run alone? How fulfilling is it to be cheered by an empty room?

What are we telling our children, the soul of our nation? Rig elections. Win at all costs. Beat the other guy unfairly. Nobody will care, anyway.

The lessons are akin to the story “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. Philosophically, the characters represent who we think we are, who the world thinks we are, and who we would like to be. Gray possesses a painting of himself that absorbs the evil done to and by him, leaving him seemingly unscathed. He tries to eliminate the other sides of himself which provide balance. That is, until the portrait becomes so disfigured from accumulated wrongdoing, he can no longer bear to look at it. He tries to destroy the damning image, and breaks its enchantment. He is instead found lifeless and disfigured, and the painting restored and pristine.

That is where Philippine sports is headed. The stink and injury done over the years is surfacing, returning the evil done to its source. And there is, at most, only delay, not escape.

The soul of Philippine sports, the soul of the nation, will at last be restored.