THE problem with the game-fixing scandal that has gripped the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League), with the Bacolod MassKaras at the center of the latest controversy, is that the culprits have never been unmasked.
As in previous game-fixing accusations that have dogged the league, not one — whether player, coach, owner, or fixer — has ever been arrested, jailed, or even simply identified.
Yet teams banished, such as Iloilo, Socksargen and, now, Bacolod, have never denied they were expelled from the league for game-fixing.
READ MPBL kicks out Bacolod after its scoreless last eight minutes
They accepted the MPBL punishment like it were a minor reprimand, like nothing that could harm the reputation of owners, players, or coaches.
They accepted their fate without even a token denial, further adding fuel to the accusation that these teams were guilty as charged.
The lack of a lasting rebuke or a stiff punishment, such as arrest or jail time, has, from the looks of it, made game-fixing in the MPBL a worthy risk, one that, if carried off successfully, could mean millions of pesos for the perpetrators.
Players and coaches, who allegedly were paid handsomely by syndicates, seem to embrace the risk to make up for the measly pay they receive, if these come on time at all, and for the uncertainty around their contracts.
The MPBL, it should be known, is not the PBA with its high salaries, bonuses, perks, and guaranteed contracts, not to mention luxurious training facilities and a staff attentive to the players’ mental and physical needs.
With a few exceptions, MPBL player salaries average P30,000-P150,000 a month whereas PBA teams routinely pay players P300,000-P1.5 million a month.
Now, how the fix works comes in many ways, although Bacolod may have shown that the most obvious path is not scoring over a long stretch of time while leaving the other team to do as it wishes.
In the MassKaras game against the Bulacan Kuyas, serious watchers noted that the Bacolod players somehow made it a point not to make a point, which, the record revealed, lasted nearly eight minutes.
'Oh my gosh'
The sight so infuriated TV commentators that one cajoled the players, even knowing the players could not hear him, to shoot more and score more.
“Oh my gosh, I got to stop covering Bacolod games ‘cause tataas ang aking blood pressure!” one TV analyst said.
“It’s tough to watch because there were so many opportunities to score. Scoreless in the last eight minutes. Come on! Come on guys!” he went on.
At the end of the game, Bulacan won, 100-64.
But if the MPBL had been more observant, or was at least following Bacolod’s recent games, it could have smelled something fishy much earlier.
The team lost by 84 points against Abra, was defeated 113-61 by Quezon, and lost three more times by no less than 36 points.
Maybe that’s how things work in the MPBL?
As it is in the PBA, there is no such thing as parity in the league. Teams with large financial backing and, therefore, better players — like Abra, Quezon, and San Juan, and Pampanga in previouse seasons, which are supported by politicians — routinely wallop their weak opponents by big margins.
It would be a pity if the MPBL, currently with 28 teams in its fold, continues to exist under the chatter that its games can be fixed. This was, by the way, voiced out by Rep. Franz Pumaren, a former college and PBA player, who said he can identify the erring teams, making many wonder why he hasn’t done so.
But, the MPBL, owned, organized and established in 2017 by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, should survive.
It is the poor man’s PBA. It plays in various provincial communities where it has gathered a huge following and become a must-watch event for many who can identify with players who actually grew up as their neighbors.
Fans can watch the games for free, and many can get better access courtesy of local bigwigs and politicians.
But it needs to be more professional, needs more upgrade in player abilities and, yes, needs to completely eliminate game-fixing. If the league manages to do these, the PBA may really need to start worrying about its own product.
Remember the Metropolitan Basketball Association that was formed to compete against the PBA in the late 1990s? At its height, it played to wild, sellout crowds, sending shivers down the PBA’s spine.
If the MBA had not become too aggressive and instead had patiently nurtured the league to mature and develop, there probably would be no PBA celebrating its 50th anniversary today.
The MBA concept is behind the establishment of the MPBL in 2017: Out-of-town sorties, home-and-away games, provincial and city franchises instead of commercial teams. That is a formula for success, ala NBA.
That it has survived nearly 10 years is testimony to its worth and place. And as long as it exists, the PBA has something to keep it on the straight and narrow in this basketball-mad country.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
