The church of public opinion

Manipulators of public opinion have been having a field day in basketball lately, as many pundits, columnists and beat writers have taken shots at public figures for four issues in basketball. As seen in the latest sports pages here and in the US, more and more people are vocally worshipping in the church of public opinion.

One issue that has long been simmering but has also been largely ignored by the public is the possibility that the Philippine Basketall Association will no longer act as big brother to the Philippine basketball team. To be perfectly honest, I don't see why many fans are going ballistic over this. It has never been the PBA's duty to form and maintain a national team. Honestly, they went overboard in shouldering the entire expense for Busan. And what did they get for it? Boos and criticism. They did somebody else's job, and they got nailed to the cross. I found it atrocious that Olsen Racela - who is an even more outstanding human being than a player - risked his career to play for flag and country, then ended up apologizing to the Filipino people for two missed free throws.

Plain and simple, the Basketball Association of the Philippines has to belly up to the table. The BAP has not had a full-time national team since the late 1980's. The fact of the matter is, regardless of the circumstances which are always a convenient excuse, the BAP has been starving in the midst of plenty, not being able to hustle up the resources for a permanent team despite the rabid attention to the sport.

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Two issues revolving around the NBA All-Star Game cropped up in US newspapers and on television while I was there recently. The first involved the right of Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter to not only be in the game but to actually start it. Charles Barkley, himself a many-time All-Star, bluntly said while analyzing a game that Carter did not deserve to be in it. Carter had just come back from an injury and had only played about 18 games when he made those statements.

Barkley's point is the fan voting turns the All-Star Game into a popularity contest. ESPN Magazine columnist Bill Walton added fuel to the fire by creating his own All-Star selection, which did not include Houston Rockets rookie center Yao Ming and some other fan picks.

Unfortunately for the two opinionated media men mentioned, balloting really is a popularity contest, no two ways about it. The only compensating factor is the involvement of the coaches in putting together the rest of the All Stars. It's almost like our own RP team. The coaching staff has carte blanche. Like high priests, they also declare who is worthy and who is not, and not entirely on credible grounds. Until the NBA comes up with some sort of points system to skew the results, popular but not necessarily productive players will always make the All-Star teams.

Speaking of ESPN Magazine, another columnist took a pot shot at Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The bone of contention was the Lakers' inability to consistently win games. The back-to-back champs are teetering around the .500 mark, and it would not make the playoffs altogether if the season ended today.

The attack centered on Jackson's supposed habit of making quick fixes, cures that may win you a championship this year or the next, but would quickly decay and leave you no room to trade. True, the Lakers haven't been playing that well, but what changed since last year? Not much, really. Besides, the Lakers have been playing much more and longer than all the teams in the NBA. They have been beaten up the past couple of years, and have their own internal problems. But the fault is not entirely Jackson's. Despite the presence of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, they have been a bunch of overachievers and retirable veterans, always. So why take a shot at them now? Maybe competition has figured them out.

Lastly, the PBA has been making its own offering on the altar of public opinion. Each team is a conspirator in busy schedule of public appearances, and non-basketball activities designed to win back the affection of the disinterested sector of the market. Fortunately, all the teams are cooperating, from radio and television appearances (and song numbers, mind you) to a traveling photo exhibit and a big fashion show before the season opens. Anything to drum up attention.

The only caution for those who are baptized in the church of public opinion is that sometimes a human sacrifice is needed, not physically, but publicly. And those who claim to know public opinion best may actually not know it at all. We are not sheep.

Don't believe everything you read. What do you think?

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NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady and former NBA Rookie of the year Mike Miller will be special guests on The Basketbal Show on IBC-13 at 4 p.m. today. Join us on a tour of Adidas' new headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and meet David Bond, head of their basketball operations.