The shocking, bench-clearing brawl between the Philippines and Australia at last night’s FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier drew mixed reactions from netizens, athletes, and celebrities.
Emotions ranged from embarrassment for Gilas Pilipinas and anger at the Aussies.
One of the first to weigh in (in fact almost right after the brawl) is Gilas’ guard Terrence Romeo, who remained unapologetic about what occurred at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
He posted in Filipino on Twitter: “To those other [basketball] players who said we are embarassing (sic), we don’t care about you. We are teammates, we should be helping each other. We cannot choose not to help each other. If we are embarassing (sic), why don’t you convert [your citizenship to] Australian?
Dun sa mga kapwa namin players na nag sasabing embarassing kami wala kaming paki alam sa inyo . Kami mag kaka teammate sa loob kailangan namin mag tulungan. Hindi namin pwede pabayaan yung isat isa. Kung embarassing kami sa mata niyo bat di kayo mag convert ng australian.
— Terrence Romeo (@tbvromeo) July 2, 2018
He was called out by a Twitter user who used the handle @feminismstans who wrote: “What you did was not right. You’re making it appear that you just fought back. But a lot of things happened in the simple things that [your teammate] RR Pogoy gave. What do you think, that people should support you just because you’re all Filipino? If people don’t want to support you, that means we want to convert [our citizenship]?!.”
Hindi rin naman tama yung ginawa niyo. Pinapalabas mo kasi lumaban lang kayo. Eh andami din na nagsimula dahil sa mga pasimpleng bigay ni RR Pogoy. Ano sa tingin mo, dapat kunsentihin na yung ginawa niyo kasi Pilipino tayong lahat? Pag di kampi sa inyo magpaconvert na?!
— Opinionated Female (@feminismstans) July 2, 2018
One of the people who used the word “embarassing (sic)” to describe the event was none other than former Gilas captain and now basketball coach Jimmy Alapag.
Embarassing…
— Jimmy Alapag (@JAlapag3) July 2, 2018
Yeng Guiao, a former head coach of the Philippine basketball team, agreed with Alapag’s tweet but also wrote: “The only good thing is next time opposing teams will think twice before they try to bully and taunt the PH basketball team.”
For both teams this is very embarrassing indeed.
The only good thing is next time opposing teams will think twice before they try to bully and taunt the PH basketball team— Coach Yeng (@ROSCoachYeng) July 2, 2018
Reacting to Alapag’s tweet as well is Gilas player Andray Blatche, who wrote: “Jimmy are u serious u have no idea of the disrespect u don’t kno wat we been they [sic] b4 the [sic] even happened I seen a brother get hit by a player am I not supposed to have his back [?]”
Jimmy are u serious u have no idea of the disrespect u don’t kno wat we been they b4 the even happened I seen a brother get hit by a player am I not supposed to have his back
— andray blatche (@drayblatche) July 2, 2018
Alapag’s subsequent tweets, however, said he still supports Gilas but emphasized that “[A]s NATIONAL athletes we also have an obligation to represent our country in the best way possible. Playing on the World Stage, in front of thousands at home and millions around the world, provides us an opportunity to showcase our competitive spirit and #PUSO [heart] through our talents/skills on the court. Learn and Be Better from this.”
I’ll ALWAYS support my Gilas brothers, and I commend them for sticking up for one another 2nyt. And as NATIONAL athletes we also have an obligation to represent our country in the best way possible. Playing on the World Stage, in front of thousands at home…cont..
— Jimmy Alapag (@JAlapag3) July 2, 2018
and millions around the world, provides us an opportunity to showcase our competitive spirit and #PUSO through our talents/skills on the court. Learn and Be Better from this… #GilasPilipinas 🇵🇭❤️
— Jimmy Alapag (@JAlapag3) July 2, 2018
Former Gilas player L.A. Tenorio’s reaction tweet was short: “Wow! SMH (shaking my head).”
Wow! SMH
— L.A Tenorio (@LA_Tenorio) July 2, 2018
Comedian Ramon Bautista was more concerned about the disagreement among Filipinos online. He wrote in a mix of Filipino and English: “The conflict on Twitter is wilder compared to what happened at the Philippine Arena.”
Yung bangayan sa twitter ng parang mas wild pa dun sa naganap sa philippine arena
— Ramon Bautista (@ramonbautista) July 2, 2018
A fan tweeted back to Bautista who wrote: “Do you know that the Australian fans were just right in front of us but they didn’t get involved in the conflict or something?”
Trueeeee. Uyyyyy pare, alam niyo ba na nasa harapan lang namin ang mga Australian fans and yet walang nangyaring bangayan or something? Gago, you know the greatest threat for Filipino people existence? Simple. Their fellowmen. Period!
— Ants 🐜🐜🐜 (@HENERALuis) July 2, 2018
Some of the Filipino audiences openly jeered the Australian team, with some fans throwing objects at the athletes. One spectator reportedly threw a chair at Australia’s Nathan Sobey.
One netizen described the Gilas as “trash” for taking a selfie right after the fight.
So after fighting the Australians in a disgraceful brawl, down 31, Gilas takes a team selfie.
Trash. pic.twitter.com/X5buMNIF6i
— Galvez (@_AngeloGalvez) July 2, 2018
Activist and theater performer Carlos Celdran, however, thinks that Filipinos have better things to talk about. He wrote on Facebook: “Dear Philippines: Focus. Nine of your local leaders have been killed and your seas have been sold to China. Fuck basketball and get off the internet.”
One of the more interesting takes on the melee came from playwright Floy Quintos, who was working out at the gym when the brawl occurred.
In his Facebook post, he wrote that a group of men crowded around the television right near his treadmill to discuss the brawl, to his annoyance.
Wrote Quintos: “On the other hand, I also felt like Cher in the ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ MTV.”
What got Quintos’ attention, however, was when one of the men in the group who was discussing the conflict said: “That’s the Duterte effect. Everyone becomes rude. We have no sense of shame as long as we get ahead. We don’t think about the consequences.”
Referring to the man as Kuya (Filipino word to signify respect), Quintos wrote in a mix of Filipino ang English: “I bit my lip. I controlled myself. But what Cher really wanted to say was, ‘I love you, Kuya.'”
The fight between the two teams has been widely covered in the international press as well, such as USA Today, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and even the NBA website.
