On Coach Bo Perasol being suspended a second time

On Coach Bo Perasol being suspended a second time

by rick olivares

So there will be no forfeiture of Ateneo’s win over UE but Bo Perasol will be suspended for the match between the Blue Eagles and the UST Growling Tigers next Tuesday.

Let’s go back to the facts of the case. Perasol is suspended for the match due to the events after the La Salle game. But it turns out that he was at the Ateneo dugout of the Mall of Asia Arena and tried to join the team post-game.

On the other side, suspended UE Red Warrior Ralf Olivares who was out for his infractions during a loss to NU was seated behind the bench also violating a rule.

Ateneo was said to have asked the permission of the host school (Adamson) and the assistant commissioner (Ato Badolato) for Perasol to be at the dugout of which it was supposedly approved.

As for Olivares, the rules stipulate that a suspended player cannot be in the vicinity of the bench or some such.

This is my beef with the UAAP’s Rules and Regulations.

Through the years, there has been so much gray matter that is open to interpretation by the member schools. I asked one board member about these confusing rules and he said that they are getting their acts together. The question is, why only now?

The league has so many rules from ID cards to uniforms to eligibility to suspensions that everyone needs a rulebook to serve as a scorecard. There is this person banned from the league but he’s been seen at the games on a few occasions.

If there were players who were previously suspended but were in the venue, I find it hard to believe that there was a slip in the enforcement of the rules. But granted that there were slip-ups. So that lapse also falls unto the respective schools and the commissioner’s office.

If I may borrow a quote from a former league commissioner who shall not be named but weighed in his thoughts about the matter, “Reprimand Ateneo and UE and also send a warning to the other schools also guilty of having suspended players at the venue. But there should be no forfeiture.”

I am in total agreement. Now, why suspend Bo for this? Is Olivares going to be suspended. What for and why? No need for that. If you are going to suspend them then suspend every one else since it’s a technicality.

But then again, I think that Ateneo was wrong in asking if he could be there regardless if he was granted permission or not. You see, there’s an existing rule that stipulates that a suspended member of the team cannot be there. Even if other schools were doing it that doesn’t mean we should do it. When Joe Lipa was suspended for throwing that chair on the court, he watched the next Ateneo game from a restaurant. He only met up with the team afterwards.

And I figure the suspension was levied was because Perasol may have had contact with the players and he could have issued instructions etc. The UAAP Board may have felt that Perasol didn't properly serve out his suspension. As for the other players, they have no influence on the outcome of the match hence, merely a slap on the wrist.

At least that is how I interpret it.

Now, we should never give opposing schools bullets to take shots at us. Furthermore, I honestly felt that it was something that could possibly distract the players.

In a season that has been filled with white noise this is something that could have been avoided. It’s like a useless foul, you know. We do not need this shit. Let the focus be on the games.

But as a wise man once said, “what is done is did” so we have no choice but to comply. No use crying over spilled milk. Time to do all the talking on the basketball court (and I don't mean trash talking).

Now can the next few games be all about basketball?