CHICAGO -- Dr. Jose Rizal must be twisting and turning in his grave.
A university named after the beloved martyr has been stained by a hooligan disguised as a student-athlete who has an extremely bad temper and a penchant to use his fists to settle a score.
For the second time in four months, John Amores has wickedly lived up to his team's moniker as a heavy bomber. In so doing, he gave his school --- whose team colors are blue and yellow --- a giant black eye in both the basketball and academic communities.
With 3:22 left to play and Jose Rizal University trailing, 71-51, Amores charged toward the College of Saint Benilde bench and threw haymakers that struck Jimboy Pasturan and Taine Davis.
Pasturan sustained a black eye while Davis is under observation for a concussion. Both "will be taken to a hospital," CSB coach Charles Tiu told me on the phone.
"I was shocked. All I saw was Amores kicking my player, bumping and charging at the referees. He ended up punching quite a few of our players, some of whom were just standing there.
"It's unfortunate and I am disappointed to see it happen, especially when we were up 20 and the game was practically over. We don't want fights, we want to win games and try to make the Final Four.
“We teach our players values and respect. I pray for Amores. May God give him guidance," coach Tiu added.
THIS ISN'T JOHN AMORES' FIRST RODEO.
Last July, he was meted with an indefinite ban after punching UP Maroons player Mark Gil Belmonte in a preseason encounter. Belmonte suffered "severe injuries" from the blow.
This time the NCAA Mancom needs to assess a more definite ban.
As a father of an 18-year-old teenage son, I can understand the bravado and raging testosterone that Amores wields, and that is why I am ambivalent towards completely pulling the rug off this 23-year-old player's career.
But while compassion must be considered while rendering justice, it cannot lose its bite of retribution.
Exile Amores for the remainder of the season. Let him work on his anger issues, and most importantly, let him pay for the medical expenses of those he harmed.
The message that needs to be conveyed cannot be clear enough. Violence has no place in non-combat sports.
Decency demands that JRU immediately ices the menace in its midst while waiting for the hammer to drop from the NCAA.
And some blame goes to the JRU coaching staff headed by Louie Gonzalez. Well aware of his history of violence, once they saw Amores mouthing off on the sidelines, his rage demonstrably boiling, Gonzalez should have put more bodies to restrain the trouble-maker in his roster.
Escorting him to the locker room, and subsequently to the team bus after the mayhem was pitifully lame and disastrously too late.
THIS RECENT INFRACTION IS AN EGREGIOUS OFFENSE THAT HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A POSSIBLE CRIME OF FELONY ASSAULT.
Motive: The fury of being down 20 and shooting just 1-of-12 from the field.
Means: Easy access to his victims.
Opportunity: A timeout was called and everyone's guard was down.
CSB shouldn't just file a protest. It must contemplate filing a police report.
Multiple sources told me that Amores, who once earned a Sportsmanship Award (you can't make this sh..t up) is a borderline PBA player who might wind up in the MPBL.
But he is a star now.
A viral video star with the greatest lowlights we won't forget anytime soon.
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