During the Meralco vs Air21 game last night, Air21's Ogie Menor was ejected for whacking Meralco import Mario West from behind. A Blindside Transition Defense Karate Chop. Flagrant Foul Penalty 2. Menor did it again. Although, replays showed that the foul wasn't pure thuggery. Well at least, it wasn't as bad as previous flagrant fouls we've seen. But it was a hard foul nonetheless.
Immediately after the final buzzer, West rushed off the court and searched for the Air21 dugout. Presumably, he was looking for Menor. Question: Makikilala ba ni West si Menor if he saw him?
Naturally, Meralco and Air21 players scampered to avert a post-game disaster. Cramped doorway. Huge players. Tambakan game. This could've gotten ugly. Air21 players kept West from entering their locker room. Meralco players, on the other hand, succeeded in dragging West away from Air21 territory. We were all relieved.
During a live phone-patch interview on AKTV Center last night, West said that he was simply looking for Menor to shake his hand and say everything was cool. He insisted that it was all blown out of proportion. I saw how West sprinted off the court right after the final buzzer. All I can say is: I have never seen anyone that excited to shake a rugged opponent's hand.
We likewise interviewed Menor on AKTV Center to get his side. Apparently, Menor wasn't even in the locker room. He left their dugout minutes before to get coffee. Buti na lang. As soon as he saw West charging to the Air21 dugout, Menor wisely -- or wais-ly -- drifted away from the scene.
Normally, bad timing si Menor when giving up hard fouls. But last night, when a post-game-royal-rumble could have easily erupted, Menor played it perfectly. Perfect coffee. Perfect timing. MH
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