Bitter pill

La Salle men’s seniors basketball assistant team manager and former Games and Amusements Board (GAB) commissioner Manny Salgado will be watching the Archers play on TV the rest of his life.

No more sitting on the bench. No more cheering in the stands.

For whacking Far Eastern University (FEU) star Arwind Santos on the back of the head at the end of Game 1 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Finals last Thursday, Salgado was meted a lifetime ban by the league from ever watching a game in the stadium.

Salgado probably expected it. He knew the penalty would be severe. What he did was unthinkable. It was caught by the TV camera and millions of viewers were shocked at how a grown man took a vicious swipe at a college athlete whose back was turned.

Was Salgado provoked? Did Santos bait Salgado into doing something he now regrets? It doesn’t really matter. Salgado, owing to the responsibility inherent in his position, should never have allowed himself to be dragged into a compromising situation by a college athlete. There is no excuse, no justification for his behavior which was uncalled for.

Salgado has gone on TV to make a public apology. At least, that showed remorse. Before the UAAP Board of Trustees slapped the lifetime ban, he voluntarily relinquished his position in the Archers team. He also apologized to the La Salle community.

Was Salgado’s punch a knee-jerk reaction to some kind of taunting? Was it premeditated or a spur of the moment thing? You could try to investigate the circumstances or probe into Salgado’s mind but that wouldn’t diminish the gravity of the offense.

And Salgado is man enough to realize what he did shouldn’t go unpunished. He’ll take his licks.

Apparently, it wasn’t the first time that a varsity partisan has been banned for life by the UAAP Board. An Ateneo alumnus was declared a persona non grata by the UAAP some years ago. And in the National Basketball Association, the fan who triggered the Detroit-Indiana brawl last season was also penalized by a lifetime ban.

So Salgado’s case isn’t unprecedented.

The La Salle community has issued a statement regretting the incident.

"The behavior cannot be condoned and is not reflective of the La Sallian’s Christian values," said La Salle’s representative in the UAAP Board Lito Tanjuatco. "The community will cooperate with the UAAP Board and abide by whatever is its decision in dealing with Mr. Salgado. We hope this does not in any way dampen the competitive spirit of the players in the Finals. And we hope the healthy competition between the two schools will continue to bring out the best in the players."

I’ve known Salgado for years, from when he was still a GAB commissioner during the late chairman Jose Macachor’s administration. He’s never struck me as temperamental although I was told he was once suspended by the UAAP for involvement in an incident that could’ve erupted into a free-for-all.

Salgado is fiercely loyal to his school and passionate in his volunteer job as assistant team manager. He’ll learn from this lesson. Perhaps, someday, we can all learn to forgive him. But it will be difficult to ever forget what he did that fateful day.

* * *

Bukidnon superbantamweight boxer Ayon Naranjo will never fight again. He suffered a concussion after losing a six-round decision to unbeaten Venezuelan prospect Jorge Linares in Yokohama last Sunday and was a candidate for brain surgery until doctors decided it was unnecessary.

Naranjo was floored once during the fight and didn’t win a single round in the blowout. He complained of dizziness an hour after the bout and was rushed to the hospital where several tests were conducted to check on possible brain damage. Naranjo was in the intensive care unit for a few days before he was transferred to a ward.

Naranjo and his manager Leonel Lazarito are expected back home in a week. Doctors will not release Naranjo until they are sure he is recovered.

Naranjo entered the fight with a 14-5 record, including five KOs, according to the Games and Amusements Board (GAB). There is suspicion that some of his fights were "manufactured," meaning they never took place but were concocted to pad his record. It’s sometimes difficult to verify results from places like Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and Misamis Oriental. GAB officials in Manila rely on their contacts in the provinces to check the veracity of the results. But how reliable are the contacts?

Incidentally, Naranjo was ranked No. 1 superbantamweight by the GAB in its August ratings.

Naranjo supposedly weighed in at 126 1/4 pounds for the fight–the most he has tipped the scales in his three-year career. He turned pro as a superflyweight. Linares weighed 128, two over the featherweight limit. A ringside witness said Naranjo couldn’t have weighed more than 122, the superbantamweight limit, especially as in his previous outing a month before, he fought at 120.

The disparity in weight clearly made a difference. Linares was much bigger and a heavier hitter than Naranjo. It was like a heavyweight fighting a middleweight. Because of the weight difference, the fight was an accident waiting to happen. Japan Boxing Commission officials should never have allowed the bout to take place.

Naranjo has never lost by knockout, not even to World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Rattanachai Sor Vorapin whom he fought to the distance last April. He’s got a lot of heart, perhaps too much heart.

Against Linares, Naranjo refused to retreat and plugged away until the final bell. Maybe, he should’ve quit to avoid taking more punishment than necessary.

The other day, World Boxing Council lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria said a major reason for ring tragedies is the fighter’s stubbornness in continuing a box to his detriment. More than the referee, the fighter should know when it’s time to surrender. But that’s easier said than done. Fighters are proud warriors who will never admit they’ve had enough.

In Naranjo’s case, he was overmatched and fed to Linares as fodder. Linares has a 17-0 record, with 10 KOs, and his Japanese backers are convinced he’s a future world champion. Naranjo was brought in as prey and paid $800 for the trouble. He’ll probably go home with about $300 after paying off his manager and broker.

The GAB should investigate this case and throw the book at the guilty party if there is evidence of wrong-doing.