PBA commish is up for grabs

[ankle breaker]

PBA commish position left with no takers


By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:52:00 01/23/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- The position for Philippine Basketball Association commissioner used to be one of the most contested slots in the basketball landscape. The league’s board of governors even had to trim the list of candidates to just two before voting.

But after failing to come up with a winner and then promoting instead a reluctant officer-in-charge, the league has found itself in a quandary as far as the commissioner’s post is concerned: There are suddenly no takers.

First, early favorite Chito Salud withdrew from the race, and his rival, Lambert Ramos, aired his apprehensions about being available by July, when the board said it would make a final decision.

And then, Renauld “Sonny” Barrios, recently promoted from his duties as OIC to full-time commissioner, did not exactly jump at the opportunity that he suddenly found before him. Instead, he has asked to be given the chance to give it serious consideration.

Barrios said he is still evaluating his options on whether or not to accept the post for a long-term basis.

Saying that “family comes first than the PBA,” he said he will only accept the post “if I can find a way so that they (family and PBA) can co-exist without me reneging on my obligation to my family.

“If I accept (the job), then we will go by tradition, and that is that I will serve at the pleasure of the board,” Barrios said. “It’s not a question of liking or disliking, it’s more of a question of availability (for me).”

Barrios said that he will have an answer by Thursday or Friday after he meets with members of the executive committee.

[RetiredJordanStopper]

OIC Barrios already accepted the position as the new commissioner of the PBA

Barrios accepts PBA post
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By WAYLON GALVEZ

FROM NOW on, call him Commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios. This after Barrios formally accepted the position offered him by the PBA Board of Governors to become the seventh commissioner of Asia’s first play-for-pay league.

"I have informed the expanded executive committee (that) I am making myself available (as commissioner)," Barrios said in a press briefing at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

"In other words, there was no fixed term involved in our talks, as long as it’s pleasurable to them (board), I’ll stay in the office as long as I enjoy their trust and confidence."

Barrios held a consultation meeting with members of the exec com headed by board chairman Tony Chua of Red Bull at the Shangri-La Plaza Hotel. Also present during the meeting were vice chairman Joaqui Trillo of Alaska, treasurer Robert Non of Barangay Ginebra and last season’s chairman Ricky Vargas of Talk ’N Text.

"I hope that this clarifies the pending issue regarding the commissionership, and I look forward to working with the PBA in the days ahead, or maybe years ahead," Barrios, who will turn 60 on Mar. 4, said.

"We want to focus on the games," he said. "It’s the quarterfinals (Philippine Cup), then the semifinals and the finals."

Last week, the board, following another impasse on the choice between lawyer Chito Salud and marketing expert and NEXTEL chief Lambert Ramos, offered the position to Barrios, who was the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) at that time.

The board’s offer then was only until the end of the 2007-08 Season or only up to July 25.

It took Barrios nearly a week to come up with a decision because he had to consult his wife Becky, three children and two brothers, Norman and Leo, who are his business partners in the United States.

Barrios and his brothers put up a home care service in Sacramento early last year, but the board recalled him last August when he was appointed OIC following Noli Eala’s resignation due to disbarment.

"The pending element of my decision was basically a personal one on availability (of relatives), and that took sometime because the people I have to talk to are overseas," he said. "Dun sa professional side, a question to which I had no answer influenced my decision. Kung hindi ba tatanggapin ni Sonny B, anong mangyayari sa opisina (Commissioner’s Office)."

"Since I had no answer, I felt it was practically incumbent upon me to accept because I didn’t want to leave the office hanging or in disarray because it will become headless, and I had no option or in terms of a personality to recommend to the board even as an OIC," Barrios added.

The tenure of Barrios, who started working in the league in various capacities from 1984 to 2002 and was among the candidates when the PBA searched for a commissioner six years ago, was like the one his predecessors had during their respective terms.

Barrios joins the group that include Leo Prieto, the late Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, the father of Chito Salud, Rey Marquez, the late Jun Bernardino and Eala.

"Yun naman yung clarification natin, we want to maintain the traditional outlook of the commissioner," he said. "I can go tomorrow if the board wishes so. As long as I want to stay, or the board wants me to stay, I’ll be the commissioner."

"The family really is very supportive, ako naman daw ang nakaka-alam, ang trabaho dito hindi naman bago sa atin. While I’m here, basta hindi sasabog ‘yung project namin dun," Barrios added.

The board will meet on Monday to discuss two important things — the TV coverage and the league’s participation in international tournaments.

The board has invited two resource persons in PLDT official Butch Jimenez to talk about the TV coverage as the contract with ABC 5 will expire at season’s end, as well as SBP executive director Patrick Gregorio, who will present the program for the men’s basketball team.
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[RetiredJordanStopper]

I have reservations about Sonny Barrios as the PBA's newest commissioner. He strikes me as a traditional, old school type who is just sticking in with the tried and tested formula, afraid to get out of the comfort zone and not a thinking-out-of-the-box type of leader. He substantiate this feeling by bringing back the 3 conference format thereby possibly shortening or totally eliminating the NT's prep time. Then again i might be wrong.

[ankle breaker]

is it permanent or just up to a certain period?

[rick_james_beach]

is it permanent or just up to a certain period?

Apart from the womanizing and all those jazz, I supported and appreciated the programs that Nolia Eala put into the PBA. He's not afraid to go out of the norm if he thinks it will help the league... <sigh>

[ros]

What's the purpose with all those voting when they've chosen the OIC as commissioner. They just wasted the time and efforts of Salud and Ramos.

RetiredJordanStopper is right he's a traditional commish who's just sticking to tried and tested formula a far cry from his predecessor (Eala). The PBA would be better off if Eala was still the commissioner coz he was the right commish for this generation of pro basketball.

[ankle breaker]

What's the purpose with all those voting when they've chosen the OIC as commissioner. They just wasted the time and efforts of Salud and Ramos.

RetiredJordanStopper is right he's a traditional commish who's just sticking to tried and tested formula a far cry from his predecessor (Eala). The PBA would be better off if Eala was still the commissioner coz he was the right commish for this generation of pro basketball.

PBA board of governors made a mistake in removing eala as a commish because of that scandal that nobody even took it seriously.