Unnecessary consolation

Howdy!

Now that the regional circus of ridicule known as the Southeast Asian Games is finally over, Filipino sports officials are now busy searching for answers, wondering what hit them in what has been the most embarrassing finish the country ever had.

SEA Games deputy chief of mission Julian Camacho admitted that it was a debacle, Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco claimed it was a learning experience while Philippine Sports Commission chairman Ritchie Garcia blamed it on lack of funds.

Whatever it is, one thing is clear: It was a farce – an international gag show at the expense of the helpless, innocent Filipino athletes.

And what made it even funnier was when the government, led by the most favorite nephew of the POC boss, lauded the athletes and the officials for a "job well done." 

Job. Well. Done.

Oh, c'mon.

With a meteor of sarcasm being hurled at them, a junior government official sent us an e-mail, asking whether they erred in their statement or not. She said it was supposed to be a gentle gesture to pull the confidence of the demoralized athletes, but critics lambasted them, saying that the statement shows that they have no idea that there are also other sports aside from professional basketball and professional boxing. 

Another letter-sender, an influential matchmaker, also sought our advice after a conditioning coach accused him of standing in the way of a blockbuster fight between a revered Filipino champ and a noisy American.

Also, we'll tackle the problem of a bulky power forward who wants to make a return in the PBA after reportedly having financial problems in the US. 

All that and more in this week's edition of Dear Brutus.

(And as always; the answers are real, the questions were fabricated)

***

Dear Brutus,

After arresting the former President, fighting tooth and nail with the Supreme Court, losing Hacienda Luisita and eventually earning boo-boo by trying to name EDSA as Cory Aquino Avenue, we tried to bounce back by lauding the Filipino athletes who competed in the Southeast Asian Games.

But it wasn't a brilliant idea.

Not at all.

Instead, we were ridiculed, with sports critics claiming that we are a bunch of amateurs who do not know what we're talking about. 

Brutus, could you please tell me what's wrong with saying that it was a job well done for our athletes? That even though they fell to sixth place, there will always be room for improvement? The Presidency already has too much on its plate and having this kind of criticism wouldn't help in moving the nation forward.

Hoping for a favorable response.

Cheers,

A.V. of Malacanang (via e-mail)

Dear A.V. of Malacanang

Abigail Valte, I appreciate your gentle words to the athletes, but don't get me wrong: Finishing in the cellar with only 36 out of a possible 554 gold medals is not a reason to celebrate. It terrifies me, realizing that the President branded it as a "job well done" because he is already satisfied with the athletes' subpar performance. 

Again, the "pwede na" mentality comes into play.

Yes, sports – especially amateur events – brings pride and honor to a country. It is also a reflection of how the government is being organized. And since tiny Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam fared way, way above us, the message is clear: These countries have a stronger political leadership than what we have.

It's no longer about the athletes, training or funding. 

It's all about the officials.

While other countries were sharpening their knives in some secluded training facilities under the watchful eyes of foreign coaches, our athletes were caught in a bitter crossfire between POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco and his detractors.

Remember how he booted a visionary in Go Teng Kok out of the inner circle of the Olympic movement only because he questioned the electoral process in his erstwhile association, Philippine Karatedo Federation? 

Or how he lambasted the dragon boat paddlers despite winning a gold medal in the world championship because they do not agree to his wish of merging with canoe-kayak, a federation which he controls heavily? 

There are a lot of horror stories about Cojuangco and other officials so it's not a surprise why we fell that low in the SEA Games totem pole. As I've said, the athletes were mere pawns and it was Cojuangco who is pulling the strings from behind the scene. 

The athletes go wherever Cojuangco brings them. And in this comedy of failure, there's nobody to blame but Cojuangco and his POC goons.

Now, Ms. Valte, ask yourself: Do the athletes deserve all the praises? Or is it the officials who deserve all the flakes?

Sincerely Yours,

Brutus

***

Dear Brutus,

Do I deserve a second chance?

Itching to play ball,

R.H. of Detroit, MI (via e-mail)

Dear R.H. of Detroit, MI

Rudy Hatfield, when you left the PBA to retire for the second time, your club, Ginebra, and its horde of followers were shredded to a million pieces. You are an impact player, an energy guy who doesn't mind to come off the bench for as long as the team is winning.

With your retirement, Ginebra tried to replace the energy and hustle they lost by giving quality minutes to Willy Wilson and Ronald Tubid. But to no avail. Wilson seems like a slacker off the bench while Tubid remains in the shadows of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand, making more clumsy plays than conversions.

And now that you are reportedly having financial and marital problems in the States, you want to come back to reclaim your old post. Do you think it would be fair to everyone?

The PBA is not an orphanage, Rudy. There are a lot of young kids with your size and determination who want to make it to the league. They will do whatever they can to land a contract and carve a niche for themselves. 

You were already given a chance, not just once, but twice. But you squandered it. Now, what are the odds that you will take good care of the chance that will be given to you? How if you leave Ginebra again in the cold because you want to be a fireman, a client consultant or God-knows-what in some God-forsaken-country?

If you give Ginebra and its fans an assurance that you're here to stay, then the doors of the league will always be open for you.

Start trimming off that weight,

Brutus

***

Dear Brutus,

Let's admit it; the multi-million bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather seems like a dream, not only because of the millions involved, but because nobody wants to sit down to tackle it.

I've tried so many times.

But I failed.

I'm now wondering why Paquiao's strength and conditioning mentor, Alex Ariza, is accusing me of standing in the way of the mega-buck fight? Doesn't he realize that turning it to reality will be for the good of the sport and for our respective bank accounts as well?

Will somebody knock some senses into this Ariza guy and explain that the accusations he is spreading are all baseless and malicious? 

Smoking with hatred,

B.A. of Las Vegas, Nevada

Dear B.A. of Las Vegas, Nevada

Bob Arum, don't act as if you're an innocent choir boy. 

It's all over the news. It's not only Ariza, but almost everybody from within the boxing circle knows that you do not want the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to push through.

You have a lot of reasons to block it; first, you're mad at your erstwhile protege, Mayweather, because he accused you of cheating on his income. You do not want him to rake millions of dollars at the expense of your gem in Pacquiao. 

Second, you want another chapter in the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy to prosper. Conspiracy theorists even have it that you dictated the outcome of the fight to campaign for a fourth installment and skirt the possibility of pitting Pacquiao against Mayweather. And third, putting Pacquiao in the ring with Mayweather gives him a higher percentage of losing. You don’t not want your golden boy to lose. Not at this point. And not against Mayweather – your most hated fighter.

Ariza has something against you, let's admit it. Since Ariza's chief nemesis, Michael Koncz, inside Team Pacquiao is your fair-haired boy, having him and Freddie Roach out of the way will give you and Koncz bigger room to operate. Right now, Roach and Ariza have Pacquiao's ears. But once they're gone, Pacquiao's attention will be trained on you and Koncz, making both of you the most powerful tandem in professional boxing.

So if I were you, go talk to Ariza and mend some broken fences. Ariza is such a nice guy. He turned Pacquiao from a rag-tag boxer into a well-oiled punching machine. Pacquiao owes half of his success to him. Do not kill the person that helps the goose in laying its golden eggs.

More power,

Brutus