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BBA EXECUTIVES ALDO MANZANERO & BRUCE FLOWERS RULE IN FAVOR OF FRIENDS, RICO AND THE TIGERSHARKS

SportsBBA EXECUTIVES ALDO MANZANERO & BRUCE FLOWERS RULE IN FAVOR OF FRIENDS, RICO AND THE TIGERSHARKS
Using the disguise of Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) and the Belize Basketball Federation (BBF), the Belmopan Basketball Association (BBA) this past week confirmed what has been rumored and demanded by the host of “TV Plus” sports show, Raynard Garbutt, since Monday, January 19. The defending champs of the Belmopan Senior League, the Belize Bank Bulldogs have been slapped with immediate expulsion and, consequently, will not be able to play the final and decisive game of their best of three semifinal round against the San Pedro Tigersharks. Instead, the 2009 finals will be played between the University of Belize Black Jaguars and the San Pedro Tigersharks.
 
The Executive, in a letter dated January 23, quoted FIBA rule 20.3, which basically points out that in a FIBA sanctioned tournament, a team which chooses to forfeit either game one, two or three in a best of three series, forfeits the entire series. The letter also goes on to state that the Bulldogs coach failed to lodge a protest within the prescribed time allocated under the rules of FIBA. That said, we here at Hoops News would like to know when was the Belmopan Senior Tournament elevated to FIBA sanctioned status, since, as far as we are aware, none of the District Associations are “officially” members of the BBF, per se.
 
The incident apparently took place in the final two minutes of game two, when an altercation between Bulldog Paul Swasey and Tigershark Lester Cadle erupted. Both players were ejected from the game. However, immediately following the incident, according to Bulldogs Head Coach Roscoe Rhys, his team was slapped with their fifth technical foul of the game for apparent obscene language directed at the female referee by Rupert Brown and Kevin Domingo. He went on to state that his team felt that they were being targeted specifically by the female referee who, strangely, made all the technical foul calls. Therefore, to contain an escalating situation, he instructed his team to leave the playing area. This they did, but not before one of their players, in disgust, regrettably, kicked the game ball into the bleachers. Nevertheless, Roscoe Rhys left Belmopan with the reassurance that the series would be decided in a third and decisive game.     
 
Now, Roscoe is a young and promising coach; however, his Achilles heel is his inexperience. As a matter of fact, he is much like the two novice referees that have been chartered by the equally inexperienced Belmopan executive, whose poor handling of the situation and inept decision making points to some level of complicity and duplicity by them in the conspiracy against the Bulldogs.
 
In any event, the management of the Bulldogs anticipated that some level of disciplinary measures would be forthcoming; however, they never expected it at this level, where they would be forced to forfeit a semifinal round deciding game.
 
Team Operations Manager Mr. Pilgrim today chronicled to us the events that transpired since the incident unfolded. He told us that the incident took place on Saturday, January 17, and he tried vehemently to maintain constant communication with the BBA executive, in an effort to convene a meeting so that he could give the Bulldogs’ side of the story. Little did he know that the executive had already and unilaterally begun the process of Bulldogs’ expulsion. Coerced by Raynard Garbutt, the host of the sports show “Sport Zone,” which airs weekly on TV Plus, President Aldo Manzanero and Vice President Bruce Flowers, along with the two game officials, made a ruckus on the show, discrediting the Bulldogs and calling for the immediate expulsion of the team from the tournament, and for a couple of its players from basketball in general. Pilgrim said he tried on several occasion to get an audience with the executive.
 
He was finally granted that wish and asked to come to Belmopan in the evening of Wednesday, January 21. He explained that he and Darwin Leslie left for Belmopan understandably optimistic that they would now have the opportunity to explain their side of the story. Optimism soon turned to disappointment because, upon arriving at the location where the meeting was supposed to be held, they found that the building had no electricity and, in addition, there was no one from the disciplinary committee. After about two hours waiting, they were informed that the meeting could not be convened and that they would be informed when such a meeting could be reconvened. That was the final time Mr. Pilgrim said he heard from the Belmopan executive. The next time would be via letter informing them that they have been expelled from the tournament.
 
In weighing in on the matter, and in trying to be as unbiased as possible, Hoops News sees where many things went wrong from the start, and the BBA executive tactics of hiding behind the disguise of FIBA rules only made matters worse. Firstly, we must be clear that we in no way condone the Bulldogs’ act of kicking the game ball into the bleachers, nor their obscenity directed at the game officials. There is no room for that kind of behavior in basketball. What we have issues with, however, is the blunder by Manzanero and Flowers in not ensuring that a game of this magnitude had the best possible officiating team. Bulldogs vs Tigersharks is no longer an amateur matter; it is semipro; this is rivalry at its best. Where were the Andrewins, the Clothers, the Gills, the Trenchs and Pitts? These are our household name referees; these are the individuals that semipro players have become accustomed to see pacing the sidelines.    
 
Basketball is a rhythm game. Just like anything else, over the years, the players have developed a rhythm with the referees mentioned; they know what calls to expect, and how far they can push or be pushed. The Belmopan executive cannot be enticing semipro players to participate in their tournaments, and then not provide semipro referees. This situation will continue to happen until amateur advocates realize this. It is becoming a regular practice these days to see amateur advocates inviting, almost to the point of enticing semipro players to participate in their tournaments. Today it is being practiced in Interoffice basketball; it was done in last year’s Becol Basketball tournament in San Ignacio and will be done this year again; and is being done in the current Belmopan tournament.
 
What we have is a situation where the tournament organizers circumvent their rules to allow semipro players to participate. You ask, why? It is simple, profits. Semipro players bring that added excitement and flair to the game; but, more importantly, to the organizers they increase gate receipts. Conversely, they also bring high intensity and competitiveness, which sometimes, if there is not an experienced official pacing the sidelines, things sometimes go awry. That’s what transpired in Belmopan on Saturday, January 17, 2009.
 
The situation, in our opinion, could have been avoided if the necessary safeguards were in place. Secondly, the BBA not giving Bulldogs management an opportunity to tell their side of the story comes off as being arrogant. This is a prime example of the accused being sentenced before going to trial. Come on, fellows; even an accused murderer is afforded a fair trial. Finally, it is clear that the executive was influenced tremendously in their final decision, and it was made in the heat of the moment, obviously influenced by pressures from the local media in Belmopan. This is apparent, given the bogus reasons outlined in their letter to Bulldogs management. If the series was lost by the Bulldogs for forfeiting game two, no matter how many protests were lodged, it would not have mattered, given the penalty that is outlined in FIBA rules for forfeiting a game in a three-game series.
 
We have been made to understand that the Bulldogs will be appealing the BBA’s decision, and is resolved to take the matter to the highest level, if the need arises. We will keep you posted.     

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