For a moment, there was a glimmer of hope for the Terrafirma Dyip. 

The Dyip were ahead by as many as 10 points against the Blackwater Bossing and held onto a 65-60 lead with 4:17 left in the third quarter. It wasn’t an insurmountable lead, but Terrafirma were in a good position as long as they come up with a couple of defensive stops heading to the final quarter. 

In the end, though, it seems that the only constant things in life are death, taxes, and a Dyip loss. 

The Bossing would close out the third quarter with eight straight points and would extend it to a 17-1 run in the fourth quarter. Birthday boy George King, Justin Chua, and Mike Ayonayon were instrumental in denying Terrafirma a breakthrough win in 10 games. 

This was easily the Dyip’s best chance at getting a victory in the 2024-2025 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Hong Kong Eastern and the TNT Tropang Giga are currently in the hunt for the top seed so neither team will give Terrafirma an ounce of hope. A winless conference for the Dyip is now the likely outcome, but at the same time, it’s not surprising. 

Terrafirma has more often than not lost more than half of their games, with their sole above .500 campaign having taken place a decade ago, which was when the franchise was still known as the Mahindra Enforcer. 

The Dyip’s down years should have been somewhat more palatable with the stars they brought in with the high draft picks, but these players eventually ended up with the PBA’s marquee teams. Seeing these players flourish with other teams doesn’t just invite what-ifs; it rubs salt on the wounds that never seemed to heal. Given their current trajectory, a first overall selection is in the cards, but it would be difficult to be optimistic given that whoever they select will be a rental. 

Terrafirma’s cycle of incompetence makes it hard to root for them, and in turn, the PBA. Predictability is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it gets too repetitive and blatant at that, the product suffers. To be fair, the Dyip can be a scrappy team willing to fight and put some points on the board, but the outcome is always a loss when the buzzer sounds. 

Change needs to come, but that’s the easy part. Even when Terrafirma cycles through players, the culture remains. Would the players staying add more wins? It’s unlikely to be more than a drop in the bucket because change will start at the top. 

The PBA has been letting the idea of new entrants linger, but nothing has materialized as of late. More teams could come in, but others can opt to buy current franchises such as the Terrafirma Dyip. After all, a committed and passionate ownership group could breathe new life into the Dyip, who as of now look like they’ve been given the Dementor’s Kiss.