The Final Score: For Don Allado, sorry is not enough

It’s easy to guess. Who needs proof? Hindi ba obvious? Pundits can speculate. Critics can mock. Some prefer to ask. Others race to conclude. Don Allado opted to tweet. “In my opinion, this league has little credibility left.” Several people approached me yesterday. They asked about Allado and the comments he made. Some of them watch the PBA. Some of them don’t. Some of them use social media. Some of them don’t even know what Twitter is. They wanted to know. Is the institution crooked? Is someone exposing the truth? “They control who is in & who is out.” Is an opinion the same as an accusation? We are rarely asked to prove the veracity of our opinions. He’s a bum. She’s overrated. We rule. You suck. Hence, we debate over the estimation of people. What I think goes against what you think. Often, these arguments never end. “#PBA games are fixed.” As soon as a finger points to a culprit, however, an opinion morphs into something else. As soon as insight gives way to an insinuation, the need to prove our claims may outweigh the freedom to express our views. If one is willing to state that the PBA is fixed, that individual must have facts. If one is willing to say what others can’t, that individual must present proof. “As a professional I should’ve known better.” I believe in the power of social media. In this case, social media wasn’t the problem. Don’s correct. He should’ve known better. The realization must be humbling; to bang on the gates one day, then, say you’re sorry hours later. We have a stronger term for that: tanggal-yabang. Don is not alone. It happens to all of us. The PBA is a competitive enterprise. Surely fair play is always tested. Of course gamesmanship exists. I hear the stories you hear. I share some of the anxieties you have. In the end, games are still played and championships are still won. The process is imperfect. It always has been. “It was an error in judgement…” Allado wasn’t sanctioned because he initially expressed an opinion. He was sanctioned because he initially made an accusation. His penalty: five hundred thousand pesos and one conference away from the game. It could’ve been more. It could’ve been less. I see a problem. It’s hard to quantify the cost of repair. How much will it take to alter the perception of some fans? How costly will it be to differentiate truth from tweets? Some people are quick to judge the PBA even if they don’t know Rain or Shine leads the league at 8-1. That’s priceless. “…my sincerest apologies…” I know the controversy will fade. I know Allado will play again. I know the league is worth more than a series of tweets.   Yet someone will ask anew, “What did that guy say?” We’re supposed to remember Allado for doing the “Tebow” during games. He is sorry. I’m sorry too. He’ll now be remembered for doing something else. -- GMA News