Thoughts on Game Two: Of Referees and Booing

THE REFEREE

I chanced upon these tweets about the referee Lumer Pajarillo:

@gretchenho11h

Controversial calls. Hmmm. Wait for a stronger Ateneo in Game 3. #OBF

‏@UAAP_updates10h

Papa-IMBESTIGADOR ko na talaga si Lumer Pajarillo , hehe! last mo na yan Ref. nag aaway ang both fans ng ADMU and NU dahil sa new rules mo.

@VolleyballDonya10h

Na-Lumer Pajarillo ka! Yun yung nagbibilang ka tapos nalagpasan mo yung #3. Ex: 1... 2... 4...

‏@jesseydeleon4 Apr

“@Benggadora08: "You touched the net @jesseydeleon.." -Lumer Pajarillo #BestLieEver” HAHAHAHA!! :))

@Benggadora0819 Mar

Sana kunin ding Guest Hurado sa Showtime si Lumer Pajarillo. Nang mahasa niya ang kanyang judging skills at di puro bad calls sa UAAP! KLK!

Well, if you type Lumer Pajarillo on your twitter search bars, you'll see how he's being bashed like he's the new Amalayer girl. One lesson, don't make  bad calls on a team who has the most Twitter followers and fans. Second, don't make bad calls AT ALL.

Well, through some quick research, I found out there've been some issues regarding Pajarillo before. Like the one regarding the La Salle Men's Volleyball team. Here's the link: http://thelasallian.com/2012/03/28/green-spikers-ends-season-via-controversial-call-clinches-fourth/

Nobody is perfect. We have to give him that. But when it comes to crucial games and your ONLY job is to make good calls, you HAVE to make good calls. Valdez has to spike. Gumabao has to block. Reyes has to dive. Maraño has to lead. And Pajarillo has to make good calls. That's how it's supposed to be.

When a game is as controversial as the ADMU vs. NU game yesterday, wrong calls (mind the S after the word, as in plural) made by the referee(s) kinda destroy the game. It makes the losers feel like they were cheated. And worse, it makes the winners feel like they did not really win. It takes the meaning out of things. How would any team feel if they won the championship just because the referee made wrong calls against the opponent?

I'm not saying Pajarillo should be fired or something. I guess he, and the entire group of referees and management of the Shakey's V-League should look into this issue and find ways to make it NOT happen again.

ON BOOING

I admit, yesterday I booed at the referee too. I couldn't help it. When you're in the Arena and you see how frustrated the players looked after losing a point for no good reason, you sort of feel for them. 

But when the Ateneo crowd started booing at Aiko Urdas, Myla Pablo, Dindin Santiago and some other NU players while they were serving, I was like, wait, this is not right. These girls are not doing anything worng! Outrageous!

Anyway, I was seated beside an NU fan (in a row full of ADMU fans) and she pointed to Jaja and Dindin Santiago's older sister who was seated with NU Men's Volleyball Team star Peter Torres. I observed how they reacted to the game and was really amazed at how they clapped every time a point was made, no matter WHO made the point. Of course, there was more enthusiasm when someone from the Bulldogs team scored but hey, no booing seen there.

Two words for those who booed: Stop it! First, you're not really helping your team win. Second, you are bullying some players who aren't doing anything aside from playing really well. From our seats yesterday, some Ateneo fans (based on their shirts) were shouting "Go Pablo!" just to neutralize the boos. Maybe they also didn't agree on the booing. But wait, the admin of @ADMU_WVT thinks otherwise. Read his tweets: 

@ADMU_WVT11h

You want to win the 3-peat? Help the girls! Bring a big blue crowd. Boo if you must. #AngryBirdsMode #OBF

@ADMU_WVT12h

Ateneo fans, Be FIERCE on Sunday too. Distract the opponent especially when serving. Bring horns & other noise makers. #AngryBirdsMode #OBF

What can you say about this?