MARK PINGRIS, retired from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and Gilas Pilipinas, was mostly known for his work ethic and no-nonsense play in his heydays—and sometimes for being a hothead.
He now vows to cool down hotheads as commissioner of the Pilipinas Super League Pro Division-Second Conference Dumper Cup presented by Dumper party-list and Winzer.
“I one runs amok, I won’t fine him right then and there, I’ll dig into the reason why that player lost his cool,” Pingris said. “I’ll review the case and summon the player, get his side and then decide on his case.”
Pingris, 41, said he won’t also condone unsportsmanlike behavior of coaches and even team supporters in the tournament that opens Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I’ll meet the referees before every game, remind them that there should be no cursing, and that any player or coach who curses will be slapped a technical,” he said. “Fans are not excluded.”
“If a coach argues with the referees, he’ll be warned at first, but if the coach curses referees, points a finger at them, he’s thrown out,” he added.
Defending champion Davao Occidental, starring John Wilson and YouTube sensation Kyt Jimenez, is the team to beat along with a star-studded Boracay bannered by former PBA Most Valuable Player Jayjay Helterbrand and actor Gerald Anderson in the meet backed by Wcube Solutions Inc., MDC, Unisol, Don Benitos and Finn Cotton.
Koponan Lakan, Manila Citystars, Bicol Spicy Oragon, Batang Kankaloo, Nueva Ecija Slashers, Cagayan De Oro-PSP, Quezon City Beacons, Sta. Rosa City Lions, ARS Warriors, Muntinlupa, Pampanga Royce, Pampanga Giant Lanterns and Homelab Cabuyao complete the roster of teams.
The Tigers take on the Islanders in the main game at 6 p.m. Sta. Rosa faces Cagayan de Oro at 4 p.m. Admission is free.