Thoughts on Ivan the Terrible

Photo credit to PBA.Inquirer.net

“The last straw that broke the camel’s back.”

That is all we can say about the polarizing PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa’s decision to fine Tropang TNT import Ivan Johnson Php 250,000 and ban him from the league, for life.

Let us try to figure this one out bit by bit. Johnson was ejected in the first half of yesterday’s match versus sister team Meralco, whose resident enforcers were probably given the greenlight to get chippy with him (Kelly Nabong and Bryan Faundo were involved, go figure) based on his history of being temperamental. He was ejected, and somehow Narvasa got in his way as he exited the premises so he decided to hurl a few expletives at the league commissioner.


Some reporters are also saying that Johnson shoulder bumped/ tackled a cameraman on his way out; which could’ve prompted the commissioner to walk over. This is not yet confirmed, however.

So Johnson was enraged about the ejection, but he also probably felt like he was being short-changed somehow, since he was suspended in TNT’s last game from what he did in a practice game. He posted on Twitter that he was merely protecting himself; that guys were trying to take him out.

And they really were.

One thing led to another, and Narvasa gets involved. Being the micromanaging rookie commissioner that he is (let us face it, most first-timers on the job almost always micro-manage to a fault, it is how they speed up the learning process), he found himself face to face with Johnson. Or at shouting distance. In hindsight, he should have probably not approach Johnson who was already walking off the venue anyway. Or maybe he just wanted to point an index finger again, like he did with Dondon Hontiveros. Lol.

Still. He is the league commissioner. He runs the place. And you just came back from a suspension, and choose to get yourself ejected in the 1st half of a highly competitive match-up.

Erram. Golla. Nabong. Faundo.

Pingris. Arana. Guiao. Quinahan. Lee’s two front teeth.

Skirmishes. Near melees.

Johnson is a world-class talent, there is no doubt about it. But he is also a mean-mugging, unapologetic enforcer who throws an extra elbow here and there to get his message across.

Banning him from the league does not protect the players from him.

It protects Johnson from the rest of the players.

Why do you think Nabong and Faundo played him the way they did? Or Erram and Golla? Because Johnson, by PBA standards, is a dominant, short-tempered big man.

And how do you combat a team with a dominant, short-tempered big man?

Get him out of the game.

Simple math.

Last season, we could very well point to Johnson probably giving then team manager Jimmy Alapag some sort of senior’s respect- since they came from the same school. With Alapag on the other side, Coach Jong Uichico couldn’t keep the monster at bay. Not that Johnson really needed much of it, he kept to himself quite well last season.

This time, well, there was obviously a green light to go after Johnson and provoke the sleeping bear within. Not with a stick, but with a piping hot rod. And that would probably be the same approach should TNT face Rain or Shine (all hell could break loose here), Alaska (Calvin Abueva is going to get in his face for sure), and the newfound San Miguel bangers (Gabby Espinas wants a piece).

Sure, the decision to ban came rather abruptly and from where we stand, appeared to have no “due process” whatsoever. Then PBA commissioner Chito Salud tolerated Johnson’s antics. It appears that Narvasa did not share his predecessor’s view.

Then again, if you were to take Johnson’s entire body of work during his (now short) PBA tenure, the outcome would have been the same. Had he been more humble, or at least appear to look like he gives a shit, then maybe it would have been easier for the Commissioner to reconsider.

The ban was merited.

Tough luck, mga ka-tropa.