"I’m sorry, coach" - Eugene

THIS IS AN EXCERPT from the column of Quinito Henson in the Philippine Star dated May 16, 2006 referring to the injury of Eugene Tejada:

"It is indeed a very unfortunate incident," said Gregorio. "In times like that, winning or losing does not matter anymore. My primordial concern is the health of Eugene. I was touched when I approached him. He looked at me and said, while he was lying on the floor, ‘I’m sorry, coach." Great heart. I told him not to say sorry. I whispered to him, ‘stay strong and we love him." When he left the court, I huddled my players to say a prayer for Eugene. We kept on praying ‘til the end of the game."

In the game of basketball, if a player goes down hard on the floor, experienced an eventual mix of pain and numbness, the only thing you’ll hear is a cry of agony.

Right?

Yes, but not all the time. Sometimes there’s an unexpectedly more heart-wrenching cry:

“I am sorry, coach.”

I was wondering, what was there for Tejada to say sorry for? Was it because he failed to cash in on a putback that could’ve narrowed the Giants deficit? Was it because he didn’t follow Ryan Gregorio’s previous instruction?

I think not.

Tejada sought for forgiveness for having himself hurt. It was, perhaps, an apology for his over eagerness to play hard even though he wasn’t feeling really well while the game was lopsided, anyway.

What a guy. If that wasn’t a showcase of dedication, then I don’t know what is.

Tell you, in the NBA, when a team is being drubbed by a wide margin, some players would refuse to be fielded in for another second. It is some sort of an embarrassment. You could even ask Steve Francis about it. Mind you, they couldn’t care less about the fine for as long as they keep their egos intact.

But I have a different concept of embarrassment especially in the context of a basketball game.

What is embarrassing is the refusal of any player to give his all, sacrifice his body for every possession or to take the lead just when he is needed the most. But what’s more embarrassing is to see a guy who’s stronger than a water buffalo play ineffectual and unmindful of the upset fans so long as they get a fat paycheck at the end of the month.

What a waste.

Ah, at least Eugene has done something really good. He exemplified what a real “astig” player is: selfless, hardworking, gung-ho and dedicated.
This has now become a rarity.

Shame goes to those who lack the same character and love for the game. Come to think of it, they have more ugly tricks to be sorry for. Isn’t about time we hear them say:

“I’m sorry coach for coming late for practice.”
“I’m sorry coach for playing dirty and for hurting this guy.”
“I’m sorry coach for not obeying you.”
“I’m sorry coach for not doing my job.”

Perhaps, it is. But I doubt if they have the nerves to do so. Hmm… probably some other time.

Meanwhile, if you happen to talk to Eugene tell him he shouldn’t say sorry anymore. What we need to know is that he’ll be safe and okay. And by the time he's able to feel and walk again, we will be there to see him grab rebounds and shoot the ball again. He'll come back like nothing happened.

We will be there.


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