CHICAGO - Thirty-three days since being removed from his post, former Magnolia coach Chito Victolero emerged from the shadows and silence that followed his abrupt exit on July 28.
Given the time he allowed to process the loss of a job he held for nine years, I was pulling for my friend and expected him to be refreshed, clear-minded, and to dispense his words with the wit and wisdom of an elder statesman.
It was a letdown.
READ Victolero on Magnolia exit: 'Nagulat na parang hindi nagulat'
Although Chito did say a few right things, he said very little about personal accountability and instead referenced players' injuries and other factors that led to his removal.
I was especially alarmed by how easily he threw his former player, Rafi Reavis, under the bus following Magnolia's disqualifying loss to TNT in the Philippine Cup.
"It boiled down to one execution, one rebound and one basket," Victolero said.
IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE.
What Victolero conveniently failed to note in his chat with former PBA commissioner Noli Eala at the Power and Play show was the fact that the Hotshots got eliminated at the quarterfinal stage by a banged-up, lower-seeded TNT squad that overcame a twice-to-beat disadvantage.
I beg to disagree, coach, but you got dismissed not because of a singular game sequence but because of a litany of losses, poor import choices and changes, and a series of implosions that resulted in the Magnolia brand being tarnished as "Introvoys."
Equally troubling was his feeling of surprise that Will Navarro eloped to the KBL. That admission reflected a lack of control of his locker room. If I was able to get wind of the versatile forward's flight to Korea from 5,000 miles away, there's no reason he didn't.
THANKS BUT NO THANKS.
Victolero hung his clipboard on 22 conferences that Magnolia made the playoffs while he was there.
Sorry, but that's not an achievement.
Of the 12 PBA teams, Terrafirma, Blackwater and Phoenix almost always never make the playoffs. Which means being in the top eight among nine teams should be automatic. Not making the playoffs if you have Magnolia's talent and budget would be criminal.
The more meaningful stat was Chito's 1-for-22 batting average as it pertains to championships won in conferences played under his watch.
Thanking SMC boss Ramon S, Ang was touching. Thanking his players was nostalgic. But not mentioning SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua was stunning.
Affectionately called "Boss Al" with a mixture of reverence, respect, and in some cases, fear, Chua is the most powerful man in Philippine basketball.
I'm not egging Chito be a kiss-ass, but man, does it really hurt to give the SMB sports director, the man who makes things happen for Magnolia personnel-wise, his flowers?
That burst of red, orange and yellow glow we saw in Saturday's tell-all interview must be the flames from the bridge Chito may have unknowingly burned.
Anyway, good luck, coach. Here's wishing you the best.
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