CHICAGO - Done quietly under the shadows and facilitated by third-party reps of school boosters, player poaching in the UAAP men's basketball is usually shrouded in secrecy.
Until the tug-of-war for FEU Tamaraw Veejay Pre came along.
In this particular case, we're not just hearing about two schools allegedly yearning the sweet nectar of a rival's fruit. We are being told about specific details we normally only hear through the grapevine including how his family is "pressuring" him to leave.
READ Pre hearts set on moving on from FEU - but not Veejay himself
"The parents of Veejay, particularly the father of Veejay, have been telling him to leave," FEU athletic director Mark Molina was quoted by reporters in a media blitz.
Molina insists that Veejay, citing his teammates and friends, wants to stay.
VEEJAY WANTS TO STAY.
"I don't know in the past month how many times I've talked to Veejay crying, begging for help," added Molina, alluding to his conversations with the 6-foot-5 guard.
Listening to Molina bare Veejay's soul is awkward, and in some ways, unsettling.
But I don't blame him for doing so. He is merely protecting an asset he believes should not even be put in a position of choice in the first place.
What's your is yours and mine is mine, right?
It isn't that simple anymore in the UAAP where winning is the only thing.
Having said that, you can't blame other schools for trying to lure Veejay to their roster, more so that there is no rule or law prohibiting such moves.
DONE DEAL?
From what I'm told, Veejay's transfer is imminent and when that becomes official, how can we blame his family for switching jerseys in lieu of what is rumored to be a life-altering amount of money?
Countless parents have done harder deeds to achieve a life unburdened by financial strain. Thousands leave their loved ones to work abroad while just as many toil the vast and distant seas to provide a decent education or good food on the table for their children.
Veejay can do all of the above for his family without leaving the Philippines. Heck, he doesn't even have to leave the UAAP.
I am sympathetic to FEU and other schools which have lost star players to other universities with deeper wallets.
But appealing to the emotion and trying to lean on the virtues of loyalty and love won't stem the tide of many more jersey switch.
It sounds so cold and brutal.
But then again, so is cash.
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