The UAAP Commissioner’s Office has handed a two-game suspension to Ateneo Blue Eagles coach Louie Alas, the league announced on Monday afternoon, November 11.
In an official statement, the UAAP said that Alas “has been handed a two-game suspension following the accumulation of two infractions and his unsportsmanlike conduct after the Ateneo-UP game on November 7 in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament.”
According to the statement, the 63-year-old tactician will serve his suspension on Wednesday, November 11, when Ateneo takes on the Adamson Soaring Falcons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and on Sunday, November 15, against the UST Growling Tigers, also at the same venue.
The league also made it clear that Ateneo can still appeal the suspension.
Why the Two-Game Ban on Louie Alas?
The two-game suspension isn’t Louie Alas’s first in Season 89. Back in the first round, the longtime coach was suspended for one game after incurring three infractions, two of which came in Ateneo’s loss to the La Salle Green Archers on October 7. Per league rules, coaches are automatically handed a one-game suspension after accumulating three technical fouls or infractions.
First Game
According to the official statement, the first game of Alas’s ban is for a technical foul he incurred in the first quarter of Ateneo’s loss to the UP Fighting Maroons on November 7. He was slapped with a technical because he “entered the court to complain about a non-call and remained on the playing court despite being warned by the nearest referee to return to the sideline.”
Prior to that, Alas incurred his first infraction for touching the back of Amiel Acido after he made a triple in the Blue Eagles’ first-round loss to the UST Growling Tigers on October 17. The incident, according to the statement, was missed by the game officials but was subsequently reviewed by the Commissioner’s Office, which then meted out the appropriate disciplinary sanction “under the UAAP House Rules and applicable FIBA regulations.”
Second Game
The second game of Louie Alas’s suspension, meanwhile, “stems from his conduct after the November 7 game against UP,” where he “entered the court, pointed at UP’s Jacob Bayla, and cursed at him following the latter’s dunk. He again pointed at and cursed at the UP player during the post-game handshake.”
“Alas also engaged in an exchange with UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon despite attempts by UP coaches to pacify him. The Commissioner’s Office determined that his actions escalated tensions between the two teams and risked a potential altercation,” the league further said.
Too Many, Too Few, or Just Right?
The question now is this: Is a two-game suspension for Louie Alas too much, too lenient, or just enough?
To be fair, a case can be made for all three. However, given the circumstances, two games seem to err on the side of leniency, especially considering that Louie Alas is a repeat offender. What’s more, according to the statement itself, the coaches “were issued a memorandum reminding them to refrain from engaging in altercations with opposing players and to uphold the values of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play that the UAAP stands for.”
Moreover, since league rules stipulate that infractions are reset to two after the automatic suspension, Alas should have already been suspended for touching Acido, as that would have constituted a third infraction again. Following that logic, his technical foul against UP would constitute a third technical as well, which should warrant another one-game ban.
Finally, Louie Alas’s actions at the end of the UP-Ateneo game blatantly disregarded the memo to coaches sent out by the UAAP Commissioner’s Office. Not only do they violate the spirit of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play, but they also could have resulted in something more serious.
So, what’s your take on this? Is a two-game suspension for Louie Alas too much, too lenient, or just enough?
