Coaches Tim Cone of Ginebra and Franz Pumaren of GlobalPort were surprised that they got a technical each for trying to pacify LA Tenorio and Terrence Romeo who figured in a scuffle late in the Ginebra-GlobalPort game on Tuesday.
“I got mad because I got the technical for going on the court. I’ve always been on the stands for 27 years and I’ve always felt the head coach only can go on the court to break up a fight or when a tussle breaks out because they can be peacemakers,” Cone said.
“I didn’t see the whole scenario, but I was talking to Tim Cone and we were both shocked we were given a technical,” Pumaren said.
Tempers flared between Romeo and Tenorio when they got tangled while jostling for position for a rebound in the fourth quarter of Ginebra’s 96-85 win. The GlobalPort guard was thrown out of the game after receiving a flagrant two for shoving his Ginebra counterpart.
Tenorio, along with the two coaches, got a technical.
Cone and Pumaren said they thought the league has a rule allowing coaches to enter the court if an altercation happens between their players.
“No one else can go on the court but the head coach. That’s always been the rule as far as I can remember. That’s why I’m shocked when I got a technical. You want to get somebody with authority to break that up. When a coach goes out there and say, ‘Hey, stop!’ and they will stop,” Cone said.
“That’s why I believe the head coach can go on the floor. They changed it. I don’t know the logic for changing that rule.
“Everybody remembers the Marc Pingris-Kelly Nabong fight (in 2013) that I’ve been involved in. I didn’t want to, but I need to go out there and help out. I just wanted to make sure LA won’t do anything silly to get him thrown out of the game or get suspended for the next game.”
Pumaren had the same sentiments: “As far as I know, a head coach is allowed to enter the court because we’re there to pacify the players. Akala yata nila consultant ako eh.”
