The Final Score: The lasting impact of Renaldo Balkman’s regrettable moment

It’s not a time to rejoice. Not for Renaldo Balkman’s teammates who are perhaps more confused than we are. Not for other teams who will benefit from Balkman’s abrupt departure. Not for supporters who wanted Balkman to stay. Not even for critics who were eager to see Balkman leave. A man loses all sense of reason and ends up losing his job. It’s depressing to see it unfold. No one brings out champagne for this moment. What we need is scotch, possibly the best kind to help deal with the worst days. Drink moderately. Reflect extensively. Balkman’s banishment creates a tug-of-war between sympathy and scorn. On one hand, he deserved to stay because he apologized to Arwind Santos and Arwind accepted his apology. On the other hand, the scope of his offense goes beyond the relationship between controversial imports and mystified teammates.   The sanctions, however, don’t define who Balkman is as a human being. He wasn’t admonished for being a bad person. The sanctions highlight Balkman’s belligerence in a basketball sequence he’ll never forget. He was admonished because he spearheaded one of the most un-basketball moments we’ve seen in a PBA game. A slap on the wrist isn’t a commensurate penalty for a hand on the neck. Hence, a multi-game suspension, along with a hefty fine, would’ve been acceptable for some. A suspension for one season, along with a hefty fine, would’ve made sense too. Yet here’s the thing: what Balkman did to one of his coaches, how he reacted to teammates, how his hands landed on Arwind’s neck, all for a primetime audience to witness, made no sense at all. Kakaiba. It is, therefore, challenging to make a universally approved, rational ruling to address a widely viewed, irrational episode. Some say commissioner Chito Salud’s decision was harsh. The commissioner will respond by saying it was necessary. His primary concern wasn’t the restored harmony between an import and aggrieved teammates. His objective was to decisively restore a sense of order for the entire league. That for as long as the PBA is under the commissioner’s watch, no player, local or foreign, will ever repeat what Balkman did. Of course, some madman in the future might try. But I’m certain everyone in the present gets the commissioner’s point. Clearly. I was right beside Balkman, close enough to examine the intricate tattoos on his face and arms, when he apologized on television Sunday night. I thought he was sincere. Fate might give him a second chance, in one form or another. Before we went on-air, Balkman seemed forlorn, staring at the table, eyes fixed on a sheet of paper that contained questions he needed to answer. It was strange to see this hulk of a man appear so humbled. Three nights before, Balkman couldn’t be touched. On the eve of his sanctioning, he couldn’t stop sighing. He looked like someone who felt the oncoming rush of loss and regret. Like he was bracing for the severe consequences of his own regrettable decisions.  - AMD, GMA News