It takes one to know one.
When Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao called out Cliff Hodge of the Meralco Bolts and declared him as the “dirtiest player in the PBA,” it was hard not to chuckle.
Guiao would be an authority in that aspect. He notoriously employs the Extra Rice bros, Beau Belga and JR Quinahan, to play physical against all their opponents. It did help that these players had the bodies to execute that.
So when the outspoken coach calls out Hodge in one of his on-brand colorful post-game interviews, it truly hits a nerve.
Playing Hard vs Playing Dirty
Hodge used the textbook excuse for every dirty player - pull out the “I play hard” card. Coaches love players who dive for the looseball and contend every possession. These are the “defensive specialists” and it is commonly believed that every successful team, especially the champion teams, need to have one.
Draymond Green is known as one of the best defenders in basketball, and his signature move is the kick in the groin. Dennis Rodman doesn’t have a specific move, but he uses every trick in the book. Both have been part of successful dynasties, and both will earn a spot in the Hall of Fame and it has nothing to do with their scoring ability.
Meanwhile, Patrick Beverley is seen as the villain. He will be remembered for his arrogance and antics, and is unlikely to make it to the Naismith Hall of Fame. He is not part of any dynasty, or even a ring.
All three players play in-your-face defense, and are known to agitate their opponents. The successful ones are called geniuses or savants of their craft, the losers are called dirty players. Is success the barometer on whether a player is dirty or not?
In the PBA, it’s not that simple. Most teams have won a championship since they have three chances in a season, and only 12 teams. Meralco has had team success, even if titles are scarce. But Cliff Hodge is still the dirtiest player.
Intent and Recurrence
Through a statement, the Meralco Bolts called out Guiao’s statement as “unfair, unfounded, and unprofessional.” It could be unfair because it’s a superlative statement, and for that, Guiao may be considered “unstatesmanlike” but not necessarily unprofessional.
However, it was not unfounded. Any fan of the PBA, even those of Meralco, would not contest that Hodge crosses the line. Even his former teammate, Jared Dillinger admits this.
The Rain or Shine ElastoPainters rebutted the Meralco statement, and they noted that Hodge’s infractions were recurring. They cited a recent hit on their rookie Deo Cuajao, before enumerating incidents involving players from different teams.
The ElastoPainters brought an important point in focus: while Hodge’s infractions were punished with unsportsmanlike fouls, it has not deterred him from committing further infractions. They eventually concluded that Hodge poses a hazard to his fellow players, and called for stiffer penalties.
If an action is recurring, does that constitute intent? Did Hodge lose his “play hard” privileges with his dirty incidents?
No active player will ever admit to intentionally inflicting injuries to a fellow player, no matter how obvious.
What Should the PBA Do?
The actual incident involving Hodge and emerging prolific star Adrian Nocum was not so glaring when compared to the “RKO” (after a popular wrestler) against Zavier Lucero of Magnolia. Thus, it’s unlikely that the PBA will take further action on that.
But Hodge is now a marked man, and the main beneficiaries of this are the other teams in Group B which the Bolts will face again.
Aside from placing Hodge on the watch list, the PBA should identify specific moves that can directly cause injury, similar to the landing spot rule.
Jumping on a player’s knees or legs to grab a loose ball (something Hodge, and sometimes Calvin Abueva would do) should elicit a harsher penalty, regardless of established intent.
Side note: This move is the cause of the Kean Baclaan injury which had him sidelined from the UAAP second round.
Momentum or hustle should not be acceptable excuses. More discussions on “dirty vs physical” in the coming weeks.
