CHICAGO -- Blackwater was so in a hurry to reshuffle the coaching deck that it neglected practiced norms of protocol and decorum when they fired former head coach Nash Racela.
Racela, who found out about his fate in a news article, told SPIN.ph last September that he was "taken aback" by his dismissal which came without the benefit of a courtesy dialogue.
Nash is now in a happier, better place called Adamson University.
Blackwater, meanwhile, is mired in the same black hole of losing.
They are 0-4 in this conference, their historic losing streak perched at 23.
So far, the Bossing have lost to Phoenix by 11, to Rain or Shine by 13, to San Miguel by 19 and to Meralco by 21. Outscored 407-343, they're losing by an average of 16.
Per the official PBA website, Bossing shoots only 17.6 percent from the field and 6.7 percent from 3. They grab only 27.7 rebounds an outing and dish just 10 assists per.
They're amateurs running around disguised in pro jerseys.
Naturally, losing births grievances.
"The fashion we lose games in is frustrating. We're giving up. We're not fighting for the ball. It's really frustrating just watching there and you can't do anything," elder statesman Kelly Nabong told my colleague Gerry Ramos.
IN FAIRNESS TO THE BOSSING, THEY'VE BEEN BANGED UP.
Joshua Torralba is out with a partial MCL and ACL tear. Mike Ayonayon hasn't played due to a fractured left hand. Jvee Casio dealt with a bum ankle and Andre Paras sustained "jumpers knees."
But injuries are a part of the equation. Heck, I'm writing this column while nursing a headache.
While big teams such as San Miguel and TNT pay up to $70,000 a month for their import, a source told me that Blackwater's Jaylen Bond pulls in just $15,000 a month.
Teams get what they pay for and that's why Bond is not dominating and you can't pick him out in a police line-up.
"He is a screener, rebounder and defender," I am told.
In case you didn't notice, there was no mention of being a scorer.
Blaming the head coach is easy and convenient, but I'm holding a bucket of water here for Ariel Vanguardia to wash his hands clean.
You can't blame him in this mess the same way you can't blame a child for the sins of his father.
Blackwater used to have good players --- Mac Bello, Don Trollano, Roi Sumang, Maurice Shaw and Simon Enciso --- but management gave them all away in a series of unfortunate trades.
BLACKWATER NEEDS A FRESH SET OF EYES TO UNTANGLE THEIR WEB OF DEFEAT AND IF THEY DIAL 1-800-HELP, CHRIS DALEO IS ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE.
I know, the local coaches' group is a tad insecure and is prone to box out foreigners, but Daleo, who has won everywhere he went, can come in as a consultant, evaluate talent and find the right import through his connections around the globe.
Daleo, the former head coach of the Thailand National team, isn't hard to find and easy to access on social media. The line of star players backing him up is as long as the line of people getting Covid tests in New York.
NorthPort and Terrafirma, similarly awful at a combined 1-7, can also use some smart consult and maybe find relief in Daleo's wisdom.
Call the guy.
Thank me later.
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