Sports Weekly Magazine took a close look at the war of words between Robert Jaworski and Fort Acuna, who was fired as Toyota coach during Game 3 of the 1980 PBA All-Filipino title series against Crispa for benching his long-time teammate.
End of a friendship
Sports Weekly Magazine
Dec. 19-26, 1980
Their friendship daed back to their MICAA days when both were members of the Meralco ballclub.
When. the Reddy Kilowattmen were disbanded, Sonny Jaworski and Fort Acuna remained together as both were signed up by the Komatsu Komets, the first team fielded by the Delta group of companies in bigtime competition.
The last time they were together in action — Jaworski as Toyota’s first string guard and Acuna as his back-up man — was in the 1978 PBA season. The following year, a knee injury sent Acuna to the sidelines, where he played the role of assistant coach to Dante Silverio.
Last year, during the third conference, he took over the Toyota coaching position when Dante Silverio resigned following the Delta management’s reinstatement of three players he had earlier suspended for not playing their best.
He received his appointment as full-time coach this season, while his old pal from his Meralco days, Jaworski, remained as the team’s big gun and one of the more authentic superstars of the PBA.
They had different roles to play now, but the friendship remained, and it looked like it could go for all time until last week’s bitter exchange of words between the two following Acuna’s ouster for not fielding Jaworski in Game 3 of the title playoffs between Toyota and Crispa.
It all began when in an interview, Acuna described Jaworski as “immature and insincere” and who could not accept the fact that he had come into his own as Toyota coach. He also accused thje Big J of not playing his best under him, pointing out Toyota played best against Crispa when Jaworski was not playing.
For a man to whom image has gained considerable importance over the past three years, that is a serious charge and Jaworski was quick to retort.
“Me, insecure and immature? He must be talking of a different person. He must be talking to himself.
“You know me, I’ve been in this game for so long to feel that way.”
After which Jaworski really let go of both barrels against Acuna, whom he described as a young man who could hardly cope with the demands of his job.
Of Acuna’s approach to coaching, Jaworski said: “His system is wrong. He does not give players a chance to belong. He could not give instructions that would not hurt a player. There are things that could be said in a nice way and have the same effect as if you are scolding a player.”
Replying to Acuna’s charge that he played below par and that this was the reason the Toyota team’s morale dipped, he said, bristling: “How can I ever play my best when he never gave me the opportunity? I will not speak for myself but for the other players who complain that they are taken out of the game right after an error or those who, after missing their first shot, are also taken out.”
And what can he say to the inference that he was after Acuna’s job?
“It’s not my ambition to coach the team,” he said. “It’s a beautiful job but it’s not my cup of tea.”
About the charge that there had been repeated instances when he had gone against instructions from the bench to the detriment of the team, Jaworski smiled.
“The truth,” he said. “is we’ve been following him (Acuna) that’s why we have been performing this way.”
He declared that he had not interfered in any way, nor Mr. Carlos, in so far as coaching was concerned.
“Members of the team give out suggestions,” he said. “but he (Acuna) gives the final instructions.”
If there had been instances when it seemed the game had not been followed to the letter, he said this had been “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Now that his old pal from his amateur days is gone, how does he feel?
“I don’t feel it (Acuna’s ouster) was a relief at all,” he saId. “but I feel the team is again ready to work together. Our biggest concern before was to be united and this, I think we’ll be able to achieve.”
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