Les Tan/Red Sports
For the first time in a long while, I saw red. No, not Red Sports red, but angry red.
When your team loses to a better team, it’s ok. But when the winning team takes cheap shots, that’s another matter.
Last night, Mark Caguioa punched* Kyle Jeffers of the Singapore Slingers. As Kyle tried to get past Eric Menk, Caguioa came down with a clenched fist.
But hey, don’t take my word for it. You can see it in the sequence of pictures below.
The Ginebra Kings are a good team and they play good, entertaining ball. But ballers like Mark Caguioa should learn to do it with some class.
After all, this is basketball, not boxing.
What a thug.
Mark Caguioa jumps high, anticipating a jump by Kyle Jeffers of the Slingers (red). (Photo 1 © Francis Espeleta)
As he falls back to the court, Caguioa clenches his fist… (Photo 2 © Francis Espeleta)
… and follows through with a punch on Jeffers head. Jeffers winces from the challenge but the umpire missed that foul. What a thug. (Photo 3 © Francis Espeleta)
* I mistakenly wrote that he got away with the punch. Reader Gohan correctly pointed out that he was called for a hacking foul. My mistake.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZavNb8d1aM
it is unfair for singaporeans to brand filipinos as dirty, first of all we respect you people and your comments but you cant talk as if you guys are better than us as a whole…yeah sure you guys are richer than us due to politico-economic reasons but that doesnt give you the right to brand us as inferior…just check the history of asean basketball to give you an idea how inferior filipinos are…now im not starting a race war here but i just cant accept singaporeans taking low blows via racial slurs…and not all filipinos are slaves and househelpers…and let the game speak for it self rather than some singaporeans branding us as inferior..we are inferior in soccer though hehehe peace guys…i love singapore it is a beautiful country
Singapore’s basketball rocks!!!! Go Pathman, Wei Jian, Wai Sian, Wei Long, Desmond, Steven!!! Come on guys! you really make us (all Singaporean bballers) proud!
First of all please stop saying Jeffers was punched coz he was not. He was hacked very hard with a clenched fist. And Jeffers wasn’t hit on the head. He was hit below the neck. What Mark did is definitely a flagrant foul. Even in the PBA he would most likely be whistled a flagrant foul. I think what he did was intentional as after the foul was called he was talking to the other players on the bench and was kind of mouthing that he was elbowed by Jeffers. As to slapping the ball with clenched fist, this happens in any league play even in the NBA. If you guys remember, a few years back, Shaq was hacked regularly everytime he gets the ball under the hoop. And those hack was really hard and sometimes with clenched fist too. I think that the Slingers would benefit eventually when they get used to physical play. It would definitely toughen them up in the ABL.
Singapore can be a good basketball playing country. But unless the sport gets more popular here and gets more support, it would take quite some time before the country will get there. But having the Slingers is definitely a step in the right direction.
Btw, the referees need more training/experience. Near the end they were starting to lose control of the game.
what mark did was not acceptable…but there are instances in this forum where some forumers result to racial undertones…singapore is a good basketball country but it has not yet developed their skills that can only be developed through constant competition unlike the filipinos but i dislike the way the filos play they always think their americans and start showboating…i do hope that they (filipinos) could learn to play international brand of basketball…
You might as well ask the NBA to play chess then. They suspend players like Zack Randolph who clench their fit and hit others before. Regardless of how good this player is, what he did was disgraceful.
hey, this is SINGAPORE indoor stadium and they already wants to play this kind of dirty move, i wonder if it is their home place, wat morething will they do
Quasi-criminal Violence – Assaultive behavior that violates both the informal code of player conduct and the formal rules of the sport.
Let’s say in the BPL, a football player punches another, but all four referees didn’t see it. Thanks to technology it was caught on film (video and photos), what do you think the FA would do to the player? It clearly violates the rules so that player will probably be slapped with a 2 match ban maybe?
In that case, will you tell the player or the team that got punched to “go play chess” just because they pointed out that he actually got punched?? It is obviously outside the rules isn’t it?
Relate it to the match. It is obviously a flagrant foul, wouldn’t you say so? Theres the video and photos to prove it.
The question shouldn’t be “why are you guys crying foul?” the question should be “should more action be taken?” Is that the kind of behaviour you want your sportsmen to have? Can you actually be proud of such a player?
@Stock – Of all people you talk about Jaworski, who is very well known in teaching his players to hurt the other players. I remember when he punched Jojo Lastimosa in the stomach during an inbound play. Then Lastimosa got back by under cutting Jaworski.
I never liked Jaworski as a player, because of him being a dirty player.
If you say that guys do it for every winning shot, then that is cheap shot. Also, you get the ball with open hands, not with clenched fist. How can you grab a ball with a clenched fist. C’mon.
That’s why Singapore Basketball is small-time, they can’t cope with the roughness of the sport. Man, just play chess.
Cheap shot with a swagger, nuff said. Good job allowing thugs to get away with shoulder punches.
And the person who said clenching your fists to punch the ball away from the defender is more effective is clearly a XXXXX.
n.b. comments edited
That was a very crisp video from courtside!
Jeffers was hit on the shoulders, not the head, though. If he was hit on the head, I don’t think he would have just walked away. He would have reacted differently to make a statement that he’s no wimp and won’t tolerate such an act. No flagrant foul here.
Hi Les,
No intent to keep you on the defensive or hurl any potshots against the national team. You’ve seen my other posts especially being concerned on how the ABL (Slingers) would thrive or the referees not really being biased.
I’m just using some facts to answer back Slingerrocks. I enjoyed commenting on his posts.
To avoid any bad blood. I’ll stop posting or reading comments in this site anymore. I’ll just read the news report. Job well done and more power to the reporters.
@Mart: HI Mart. I think your comments are fair and if provocative, that’s the nature of conversations, yes? I think both sets of supporters can have a good discussion. I usually delete horrible stuff from the comments section just to keep it civil. I don’t mind people making fun of me (what an ass I was with that naming error) as long as I’m allowed to poke back in return in good fun.
I welcome comments from folks like you who love the game too because you guys bring a different perspective and I think we can all appreciate it. Very boring to be in an echo chamber where everybody agrees with you. Might as well just talk to yourself in the toilet.
While other players were taught to use a clenched fist to swipe the ball away, others have “graduated” to using the side of the hands (like a karate chop). It’s also “soundless”. And reader francis: These are not meant to hurt the players, but to get the ball. Jaworski did this all the time during his playing years and coached his players to do the same.
A clenched fist is not always a sign to hurt a player. Guys do it for every winning shot, eh.
@mart – from what I understand from Slingers’ GM Michael Johnson about the game between Singapore and the Philippines at SEABA, the Singapore boys kept it close but fell apart towards the end.
But they were competitive for long enough to make everyone notice.
The Singapore national team went to that SEABA tournament without any pre-tournament competitive games.
The Singapore national team does not play at competitive competitions on a regular basis. By the time they figure out how to play together, the event is over and the cycle repeats itself.
The benefit of having a regular league like the PBA for the Filipinos cannot be underestimated, I’m sure.
The Slingers kept it close against Ginebra and even led but obviously the increased physicality of the play when Ginebra stepped it up in the final quarter was something some of the local boys were trying to get used to.
The travelling pros like Jeffers, LeBlanc, Marcus and Vergara are probably used to that already.
With the ABL and the pride of the PBA players, we can hope to see our local players improving quickly. Like Mr Michael Johnson said, we can reach the standard of Philippines in a few years time. It is not an impossible task given that Philippines isn’t a very good basketball nation. It is just a small mountain to climb With coach Arsego’s expertise, give the Slingers a few years time. We will beat the Philippines in basketball.
Hi! Is it possible to see photos of Eric Menk being hit just before this happened? I didn’t quite catch it also.
I’m not here to argue whether the photos above are intentional or not. People will continue to defend their opinions.
So, if it really was intentional, perhaps we can show what triggered it? I’m not saying it justifies the act, if this is true. But, just to show both sides of the story.
Thank you and I hope more people will support basketball in Singapore.
I took these shots and I am Filipino. I am also coaching basketball and I never tell my players to clench their fist if they need to tap the ball (as one reader commented here). A clenched fist is a sign of trying to harm somebody. Problem with Filipino basketball, is that, it is really rough. Basketball is about skills, not hurting someone to win. If Jeffers was trash talking, then do the same and not get back by hurting the player. I still have a photo of Caguioa hitting Wei Jian with a clenched fist in his arm and far away from the ball. I have a photo of Kerby Raymundo (from last year) punching John Fitzgerald in the head because he can’t steal the ball.
I am always in favor of a clean game. Skills and not dirty tactics. I would say that Coca Cola lost because they played clean basketball, Smart Gilas won because they played using their skills, but Ginebra? Just watch the game. I am not against the team, I am just against dirty basketball.
Sorry, my bad…
It should be “I don’t think the referees are biased.”
instead of
“I don’t think the referees are not really biased.”
I don’t think the referees are not really biased. They just need more training.
With the constant complaints of the Ginebra players and fans (well, some have have merit and somemay not), I wonder if they’re having second thoughs on their judgement.
C’mon basketball players always sidplay the innocent, shocked “foul, who me?” face.
Singerrocks,
Did I say “it’s just an accident and nothing else”..?????
That’s why I’ve put a, b , c, OR d…
and “only the players know”….
option d is “something that was triggered by trashtalking.” – Les says there were verbal exchanges. Not surprised with this since both grew up playing basketball in the US (well at least Mark is, I assume Kyle also did).
“Intention to hurt” also falls under option d or even option b.
I just don’t want to conclude things right away. I don’t want to be sued for Libel.
Review all my posts. See my encouraging remarks for the SLingers. I’m one of the more neutral/subjective guys here.
And by the way, kindly check the game results between the Philippines and Singapore National teams for the last 20 years. Last SEABA, the difference is at least 40 points. CLose game, huh?