Text By Josiah Israel AlbeldaPhoto from Hoopedia
Burger King point guard Wynne Arboleda has been suspended without pay for the rest of the 2009-10 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season after his attack on a fan during a game Friday at the Araneta Coliseum, a report from Rick Olivares of Bleachers' Brew said.
PBA commissioner Renauld Barrios let the axe fall on Arboleda's head after a meeting with the latter at the league's office in Libis, Quezon City.
“As we pointed out to you, even granting that said fan was foul-mouthed and verbally abusive as confirmed by reports to us, there is a “line” that a PBA player cannot and should not cross: to physically harm a fan," said Barrios.
"Your serious breach of this “line” at this time and in the manner described herein endangers the PBA as being perceived by the public as unwholesome and not deserving of fan support.”
The year-long suspension was the heaviest fine the PBA has meted out in recent memory, with the league showing that it means business when it comes to dealing with assaults on fans, unarguably the lifeblood of Asia's first play-for-pay league.
The six-foot Arboleda, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was thrown out of the game after being involved in a scuffle with Chris Tiu fan Alain Katigbak, who was seated courtside. The suspension will cost him no less than Php 2.73-million in salaries and a fine of Php 20, 000.00
Any repeat of the same or similar act will result in a lifetime ban from the league.
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ReplyDeleteI think the right direction PBA has to take is to 'referee'fan behavior as well. Yes, all PBA players should be professional, and they should be dealt with punishment if they act otherwise, but they are human beings too; they commit mistakes, and they have limit as to what physical or verbal abuse they can take before they snap. If Katigbak was as foul mouthed as reports say, maybe he had it coming to him.
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