Lasalista.com

Black, Pumaren trade barbs on row

Monday, July 30, 2007
Black, of Ateneo, said he finds no merit in the La Salle protest, and that the infraction that took place in the second quarter of last Thursday’s game “had no effect” on the final outcome.

“Is there any merit on their protest? From my point of view there is none because Zai and Kirk did not play together, and it did not have any effect on the game,” the Ateneo coach said.

Pumaren then took his turn talking to the media, and questioning Ateneo’s stand on the issue.

“If we didn’t see anything, we wouldn’t have filed the protest. We want the truth to come out. There are different versions. There’s a pirated version,” he said.

The La Salle coach said it’s a very bad idea to say that the infraction had no effect on the final outcome.

“That’s a very good question whoever raised that. If that’s the case, then I can use my two foreign players in the first half because it does not have any effect on the game. Am I right?” he asked.

“Does it mean I can field both my foreign players at the same time until the third quarter when it does not have any effect on the game? Then let’s just change the rule,” he added.

“I thought I told him (Long) to come in for Zion instead of Jai. That’s what we call Zion – Zai. But immediately when the barker announced the substitution we recalled Kirk back to the bench,” Black said.

“Come on. Laterre is playing the No. 4 position. Does he mean Long will play that position. I’ve been exposed to basketball a long time,” Pumaren countered. – Abac Cordero

From the Lasallians’ corner:

Facts that need to be cleared up: Laterre and Long were both in the game at the same time for 5-6 seconds. Ateneo was not penalized for fielding in 2 foreigners at the same time, contrary to some beliefs; they were penalized with the technical foul for substituting Jai Reyes for Kirk Long while the game was running (substitution only allowed on dead-ball occasions). Black had realized that he fielded in two foreigners in the game at the same time so he asked Jai Reyes to quickly sneak in the game for Kirk Long.

The De La Salle community could care less about the win on the court, give it to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, they deserve it; we are not sour grapes. The protest is about the integrity of the UAAP Board. For over 15 years, we have been on the raw end of the paddle, from the 1991 forfeiture of the Finals to the eventual *champions FEU, skipping to the Cardona eligibility investigation which turned out to be squat, towards the two games which have been forfeited and replayed in the past few years to UE, and finally regarding the one year suspension and forfeiture of the 2004 title to the eventual *champions FEU (again) which the whole Lasallian community had to bear.

This is not revenge, this is to see whether the UAAP Board will remain consistent and adhere to the rules and penalties that are required to be implemented; or will we be on the raw end of the swinging paddle once again. Coach Norman Black justifies that the fielding in of two foreigners did not affect the outcome of the game at all so the protest is unnecessary and erroneous, but that is beside the point; that is absolutely nowhere near the point. The point is that the rule was broken, no matter how trivial it may be, and the rules have corresponding consequences. Otherwise, why should rules still exist?

Black is indirectly sponsoring the idea that breaking the rules is acceptable, as long as it does not have any effect on the game. Committing a sin is absolutely acceptable and nonpunishable, as long as no one gets hurt. Throw the basketball game out of context, the Blue Eagles had won the hard-fought game; what remains now is the infraction and the rules that follow. The infraction was absolute, and pictures and videos prove the truth. The only thing that is left to be served is justice, should it come or not. We protest not for victory, but for the integrity of the rules at hand. Go ahead, give us the loss, but give us the peace of mind that justice is served as well.

Should the UAAP Board decide to slit the throat of rules and integrity all at once, then we congratulate Ateneo for not only winning the game on the court, but for getting away with bloody murder as well. Coach Franz Pumaren should then blatantly mock the UAAP Board by fielding in Ferdinand and Batricevic (on crutches) for 10 seconds and then pulling them out at once; we would be breaking the hard-coded rule, but it wouldn’t matter since it did not affect the outcome of the game.

Love it or hate it, the rules are the rules. Either you follow it, you die, or you sell your soul to the devil.

Animo La Salle!

dlsu, admu, forfeit, protest, foreigner, long, laterre, la salle, uaap