THOUGHTS | CANCELED FIBA ASIA GAMES

COURTESY | JAPAN FORWARD

So Earth is in the pits right now because Donald Trump wants to dominate the world by controlling gas because of what he's doing to Iran.

Yes, I know we are led to believe that Israel is that smart and that Trump is too dumb to realize he is getting played. But the guy knows strategy. He surrounds himself with oddballs to elevate him, he rambles to veer away from serious conversations, he acts like a man-baby to irritate the hell out of his opponents, and then, when he's on the brink of catastrophe, he starts a war.

Yes, my analogy for America's ties with Israel is like a drunk jock tormenting the enemy of his snobby cheerleader girlfriend. That said, you can't really say that Trump doesn't know what he's doing. In the same analogy, he just came in and conquered a bunch of chicks for their resources, one of which is named Venezuela.

Anyway, why the hell am I writing about this? Because of how this affects the world of sports, particularly the 2027 FIBA World Cup. You see, Iraq was supposed to face Syria last March 2, and Iran was supposed to battle Jordan last March 3. Obviously, the events that are transpiring right now are messing up the FIBA calendar.

And it's not like we can blame these countries.

Yeah, sure. Iran has been a thorn for Gilas Pilipinas for quite some time now—especially when they were still anchored by Hamed Haddadi. That said, they fought with pride, and I saw their candid interactions with the teams they faced. Yes, they fight tooth and nail on the court, but the aggression stays on the court.

It's also the same with the other countries. Yes, there are going to be unfair calls and rivalries created by errant elbows and punches to the gut, but these players understand that it's just the way basketball works.

Personally, I think war sucks, and looking back, I am really bothered that the world gave the United States this amount of power. I mean, what the hell, right? How can one country become this huge in just 150 years? And what's insane about America is that, unlike in ancient times, they don't need foot soldiers to conquer lands.

So if gas prices are going to skyrocket, then the biggest non-Middle Eastern suppliers out there are the US, via Venezuela, Canada, Greenland, and Russia.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Okay, I'll stop talking about politics now.

The worst thing to happen here is that the top three teams from Group A, unless the war reaches their territory, will automatically advance to the FIBA World Cup, with the fourth team, Guam, playing for the last spot against the fourth-place team from the merged Group B and Group D. As it stands, Japan is on top of Group B, with South Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei battling for the last two spots. Meanwhile, it feels like India is the eliminated team in Group D, which also includes Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

So with Groups C and D affected by the war, it's evident that it might come down to the teams in Groups A and B.

However, the problem is that the 2027 FIBA World Cup is going to be held in Qatar, just like a bunch of sporting events in 2026, because the country aimed to bring sports to the region.

Again, war sucks, and so does anyone who wants this to happen. However, it's even crazier to have leaders with little regard for the innocent civilians who just want to live their lives. I have seen how ravaged Iran is, as well as the other countries that have felt the wrath of errant missiles passing through them.

With the way Earth is at the moment, maybe it's time for everyone to rethink the way they vote.

Maybe instead of focusing on who represents the party of your choice, it's time to vote according to the results of their psychiatric exam.

And oh yeah, maybe they also need to have age limits as well.

These grandpas over 70 are either deranged or no longer as lucid. I mean, really? Can't we find any middle-aged person without bloodlust?