More thoughts on the Jerie Pingoy Rule

Yes, the two-year residency rule has been passed and I am still shaking my head at this. I spoke to a coach of a UAAP school and asked him his thoughts about the two-year residency rule that is now in place.

He said that he is for the rule because of the piracy of the players. He can believe players wanting to move to certain schools he can't believe because it is much better to go to this school because money is certainly involved and not education.

When I asked what about those student-athletes that are not recruited by their own school? “Yun lang,” is the only thing he could say.

I am also going to call out NU here for abstaining from the voting on the poor excuse that they are the “host school”. Excuse me. You were the host school. And even if you are, this is a rule that affects the whole league. And besides, you guys are involved in the recruitment. Stand up for what you believe in. I find it ridiculous that they are split in the ranks on whether the rule is right or wrong. Make a stand.

Before the senate hearing hosted by Sen. Pia Cayetano several weeks ago, I heard that the UAAP Board was all set to “review the rule”. And there was even inside word that they were all set to put it off for further study when one board member insulted another member thereby earning the ire of everyone else. So that is why the majority of the schools have been steadfast in their stand since. I heard this from a team manager of a school team (not Ateneo) who team was in the Final Four last season. This was also one of the things we discussed with some coaches during the presscon for the Filoil Master All-Star Basketball Challenge of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

Whatever it is, it only further underscores the need for the UAAP to run the league more professionally and not by them since they all have their own agendas. Chito Loyzaga is the new commissioner and he will be backed up by former commish, Ato Badolato. Until the league is professionally run  there will be no end to the soap opera stories and the rules that are routinely passed to knock out another school.