Philippine PBA Trades, Releases, Sign-ups, Rumours (vol. III)

[Jay P. Mercado]

They should just create a new league. Without tv coverage which mvp provides, the pba is not going to survive.

Don't underestimate RSA's resources. He owns CNN Philippines and can work out a deal with either GMA or ABS to have the PBA coverage shown in any of these three networks.

The relationship will thaw when time comes but don't expect the lopsided deals to go away. Unless the Commissioner is given full authority without being subservient to the Board (which won't happen soon) and the Board won't interfere with his decisions, an ideal league remains a pipe dream.

[live_evil]

Don't underestimate RSA's resources. He owns CNN Philippines and can work out a deal with either GMA or ABS to have the PBA coverage shown in any of these three networks.

The relationship will thaw when time comes but don't expect the lopsided deals to go away. Unless the Commissioner is given full authority without being subservient to the Board (which won't happen soon) and the Board won't interfere with his decisions, an ideal league remains a pipe dream.

While RSA has connections with the major networks, the PBA is now no match for the dumb telenovelas being shown by the networks. Unlike the 80s when the PBA is the talk of the town. At the end of the day, it is money that will talk.

[insulares]

Not conclusively though. The person who replaced Narvasa, even on an interim basis, Willie Marcial, is known to lean more on the SMC Group. Albeit unproven because he hasn't made any decision yet in the capacity of a Commissioner, or even just an acting one, but insiders insist that Marcial's ties are more linked to the Chuas, Nons and Pardos (not to mention Romeros and Alvarezes).

Of course, the MPIC Group had to make some accommodations themselves just to get rid of Narvasa. The SMC Group demanded that Ramoncito Fernandez, Governor of NLEX and supposed-to-be incoming PBA Chairman, does not serve his tenure this year owing to the fractious situation. And since there was no acceptable alternative in the MVP camp (Pato and Panlilio were equally unacceptable), the MPIC Group opted to pluck veteran Ricky Vargas back as Governor of TNT (replacing Pato who lost his mojo with MVP after CS fiasco) out of governorship retirement and made Chairman to be of the league as a concession. Vargas, who is also President of the ABAP (boxing NSA) has long been out of the PBA but he seems the only one that the SMC Group was willing to accept to become Chairman this season.

Which was why many were surprised to see Vargas making the Narvasa resignation announcement as he has long been out of the PBA scene. The press release is that Fernandez will assume the chairmanship position when TNT's time comes but we all know this was part of the politics within the Board. In the PBA Christmas Party a few weeks back, Fernandez attended the affair alongside Ronald Dulatre of NLEX and were the only MPIC officials present. True to form and class (or the lack of it), no one from the SMC Group bothered to acknowledge his presence.

The relationship remains frosty, especially with Narvasa leaving. You can imagine what'll happen in the coming weeks when the search committee starts looking for candidates to replace Narvasa.

If the SMC bloc thinks they got a concession getting MVP’s trusted deputy as PBA chairman, then they can continue deluding themselves. Because:

(1) Vargas knows who his boss is (it sure ain’t SMC). He lost no time showing which side won the optics of the announcement presser.

(2) TnT management was the object of Narvasa’s scorn during his final salvo. Ironic he received the coup-de-grace from a TnT bigwig. A blow to Narvasa is a blow to his benefactors.

An ignominious end for Narvasa. SMC couldn’t even prop up their toadie commissioner on the dais to announce his own departure (note that a scandal-mired Eala still had his voice when he got jettisoned).

As for Willie, well… the late, great Joe Cantada used to make a booming warning prior to each edition of “Marlboro PBA Showdown” (this was back when out-of-town games were more the exception than the rule):

“Hold on to your wallets, people of (insert provincial name here)! Willie Marcial is coming to town!”

I see where where your trepidation lies, Jay. So let’s convert Smokin’ Joe’s clarion call to a bad pun:

“Watch out for more PBA drama… New Year’s Day is the start of Marcial Law!” (groan)

AHAHAHAHA!

[insulares]

Yeah Narvasa is out and i'm sure he got a big bonus and probably a nice corporate job from SMB.

Even a flea-bitten lapdog has to get a bone, right?

AHAHAHAHA!

[Jay P. Mercado]

If the SMC bloc thinks they got a concession getting MVP’s trusted deputy as PBA chairman, then they can continue deluding themselves. Because:

(1) Vargas knows who his boss is (it sure ain’t SMC). He lost no time showing which side won the optics of the announcement presser.

(2) TnT management was the object of Narvasa’s scorn during his final salvo. Ironic he received the coup-de-grace from a TnT bigwig. A blow to Narvasa is a blow to his benefactors.

An ignominious end for Narvasa. SMC couldn’t even prop up their toadie commissioner on the dais to announce his own departure (note that a scandal-mired Eala still had his voice when he got jettisoned).

As for Willie, well… the late, great Joe Cantada used to make a booming warning prior to each edition of “Marlboro PBA Showdown” (this was back when out-of-town games were more the exception than the rule):

“Hold on to your wallets, people of (insert provincial name here)! Willie Marcial is coming to town!”

I see where where your trepidation lies, Jay. So let’s convert Smokin’ Joe’s clarion call to a bad pun:

“Watch out for more PBA drama… New Year’s Day is the start of Marcial Law!” (groan)

AHAHAHAHA!

Yup, Vargas is closest to MVP and is also the most experienced. His recent success was when the Pasig courts ordered for a new elections for the POC where Vargas was supposed to have gone up against Peping Cojuangco, but technicalities (a Peping creation) prevented him from doing so.

The good thing is that Marcial has informed the Board that he will only be interim Commissioner for one month - meaning, from the period of January 1-31, 2018 only. That means the search committee would need to cram themselves in finding a suitable replacement within that period, otherwise, Vargas has his work cut out for himself and will spread himself thin by February. The Pasig courts ruled that the POC elections be held on the same month - so he'll be preoccupied, especially with the kind of politics involved with the NSA's courtesy of Peping himself.

Narvasa's biggest mistake was to earn the ire of the MVP camp, especially when he tried to justify his actions. He revealed TNT's interest in acquiring Standhardinger's services before joining the rookie draft and the approval of the Rosario / Tautuaa trades as his primary reasons for his approval of the SMB-KIA deal. Stupid really, and totally unbecoming of a professional - but I guess when a man of murky reputation is put on the wall, he ends up saying things that reveal his true personality.

He also looked like a real trying hard when he sought for more concessions from SMB to give to KIA - "kung kailangan niyo ng shooter, dapat si Tubid, isama niyo, pag wala si Tubid, the deal is off..." Commissioners don't do the bargaining, it's the teams that make the representations. Narvasa's job was to wait for the agreement, review it and either approve or reject this. If he rejected it, then that's up to the two parties to work out a better deal, without the Kume's interference. He ended up brokering the deal instead.

It's hard to find a credible Commissioner at this stage. For me, there are five important criterion that have to be considered in getting a Kume - and all these are just as equally important as the other:

1. Someone who can put his foot down and withstand the pressure and politics within the Board.

2. Someone who's highly-regarded and genuinely recognized in the business world that the Board members will think twice of stamping their influence on him.

3. Someone with a strong leadership background - as President, COO, Managing Director of his company. While the PBA needs a person with strong marketing acumen, the Commissioner can hire someone with that background and give him full support. Ditto with someone who has a strong legal background - as the Kume can turn to him for legal matters.

4. Someone capable of handling the various egos at the Board.

5. Someone knowledgeable with the game itself.

Not an easy candidate to look for, really. They got someone before - Lambert Ramos, former Nextel President, who was nominated by Alaska, and figured in a deadlock for the position with Chito Narvasa, forcing the Board to re-appoint Sonny Barrios, back in 2008. Thing was, Ramos could've won that position since Salud withdrew his candidacy after the deadlock but the Board didn't give Ramos the position.

I'm guessing Ramos wasn't selected because he was too independent for comfort.

[Jay P. Mercado]

Narvasa may have the embroidered complexion of a Manuel Noriega, but he still gets some face-saving measures. Including the consuelo-de-bobo 'honour' of serving out a ceremonial transition until 2017's end.

Found the analogy incredibly hilarious! Props to you again, Insulares!

[Jay P. Mercado]

Raymond Yu just suggested the name of Yeng Guiao to be the next Commissioner.

An excellent choice really. He won't back down against either parties; he knows the game extremely well; even if he's now employed with the MVP Group - I doubt if he'll favour them more than anyone else; Chua won't try to influence him being a good friend of his; Yeng's a politician and can easily handle the egos of the Board members; he has strong leadership skills and has a proven track record as Commissioner of the PBL in the mid-90's.

As for his business acumen, Yeng has his own business in Pampanga and is one of the most affluent and influential personalities in his province. He definitely has what it takes to run the league.

The question is: would ECJ / RSA want him there? Well at least, SMB's Gee Abanilla thinks he's absolutely qualified...

http://www.interaksyon.com/yeng-guiao-an-ideal-pba-commissioner-he-has-a-great-mind/

[greenarcher]

Raymond Yu just suggested the name of Yeng Guiao to be the next Commissioner.

An excellent choice really. He won't back down against either parties; he knows the game extremely well; even if he's now employed with the MVP Group - I doubt if he'll favour them more than anyone else; Chua won't try to influence him being a good friend of his; Yeng's a politician and can easily handle the egos of the Board members; he has strong leadership skills and has a proven track record as Commissioner of the PBL in the mid-90's.

As for his business acumen, Yeng has his own business in Pampanga and is one of the most affluent and influential personalities in his province. He definitely has what it takes to run the league.

The question is: would ECJ / RSA want him there?

Yeng would be the perfect commish in my opinion but since SMC won't be able to control someone like him, I doubt they will approve of it. And the second question will be, who will coach NLEX now?

[Jay P. Mercado]

Yeng would be the perfect commish in my opinion but since SMC won't be able to control someone like him, I doubt they will approve of it. And the second question will be, who will coach NLEX now?

The MVP Group will obviously have second thoughts of releasing Yeng. Plus, Yeng himself said he prefers coaching than the Commissioner role, that is, until he retires. Replacing Yeng at NLEX won't be easy but they have a stable of coaches who can replace him - Jong for one, Jimmy, Ronnie, even Luigi are there to take over. But Yeng is special as a coach - for one, I think he's the only coach in the PBA today who has that level of charisma that can bring fans to the team that he's coaching for. Note how past Red Bull fans gravitated towards ROS and later on, NLEX, when Yeng moved to these teams. He's the only coach in the PBA today who can do that. Just like the Big J before...

[greenarcher]

Instead of a lawyer maybe they need to get someone from the corporate world to bring the PBA out of the Jurassic Era and NBA-wannabe style of entertainment.

How much does a commissioner make?

[Jay P. Mercado]

How much does a commissioner make?

Around P250k minimum...

[amamangloy]

Excited for TNT Katropa's season debut especially the debut of Mark Tallo!

He will form a dreaded Cebuano Troika with Pogoy and Arong in the near future!

[mangangalakal]

Instead of a lawyer maybe they need to get someone from the corporate world to bring the PBA out of the Jurassic Era and NBA-wannabe style of entertainment.

How much does a commissioner make?

The commissioner post mainly entails the enforcement of league rules regarding games and teams, so ideally it should be filled by someone who is good at interpreting and applying rules, most likely a lawyer or an expert in basketball, maybe a retired coach. Look at MLB, after the Black Sox Scandal they hired retired US judge Kenesaw M. Landis to restore the integrity of baseball.

[insulares]

Yup, Vargas is closest to MVP and is also the most experienced. His recent success was when the Pasig courts ordered for a new elections for the POC where Vargas was supposed to have gone up against Peping Cojuangco, but technicalities (a Peping creation) prevented him from doing so.

The good thing is that Marcial has informed the Board that he will only be interim Commissioner for one month - meaning, from the period of January 1-31, 2018 only. That means the search committee would need to cram themselves in finding a suitable replacement within that period, otherwise, Vargas has his work cut out for himself and will spread himself thin by February. The Pasig courts ruled that the POC elections be held on the same month - so he'll be preoccupied, especially with the kind of politics involved with the NSA's courtesy of Peping himself.

Narvasa's biggest mistake was to earn the ire of the MVP camp, especially when he tried to justify his actions. He revealed TNT's interest in acquiring Standhardinger's services before joining the rookie draft and the approval of the Rosario / Tautuaa trades as his primary reasons for his approval of the SMB-KIA deal. Stupid really, and totally unbecoming of a professional - but I guess when a man of murky reputation is put on the wall, he ends up saying things that reveal his true personality.

He also looked like a real trying hard when he sought for more concessions from SMB to give to KIA - "kung kailangan niyo ng shooter, dapat si Tubid, isama niyo, pag wala si Tubid, the deal is off..." Commissioners don't do the bargaining, it's the teams that make the representations. Narvasa's job was to wait for the agreement, review it and either approve or reject this. If he rejected it, then that's up to the two parties to work out a better deal, without the Kume's interference. He ended up brokering the deal instead.

It's hard to find a credible Commissioner at this stage. For me, there are five important criterion that have to be considered in getting a Kume - and all these are just as equally important as the other:

1. Someone who can put his foot down and withstand the pressure and politics within the Board.

2. Someone who's highly-regarded and genuinely recognized in the business world that the Board members will think twice of stamping their influence on him.

3. Someone with a strong leadership background - as President, COO, Managing Director of his company. While the PBA needs a person with strong marketing acumen, the Commissioner can hire someone with that background and give him full support. Ditto with someone who has a strong legal background - as the Kume can turn to him for legal matters.

4. Someone capable of handling the various egos at the Board.

5. Someone knowledgeable with the game itself.

Not an easy candidate to look for, really. They got someone before - Lambert Ramos, former Nextel President, who was nominated by Alaska, and figured in a deadlock for the position with Chito Narvasa, forcing the Board to re-appoint Sonny Barrios, back in 2008. Thing was, Ramos could've won that position since Salud withdrew his candidacy after the deadlock but the Board didn't give Ramos the position.

I'm guessing Ramos wasn't selected because he was too independent for comfort.

Yeah, definitely murky. Narvasa’s been airing out his dirty laundry in public for some time now. And it’s quite a laundry list:

Ivan Johnson, Dondon Hontiveros, Rhose Montreal, Snow Badua, et al. Actions and behaviour kept stepping out of bounds. He was overdue for his comeuppance. As you alluded to, it came when he overplayed his hand against the MVP side.

Unlike the other Chito before him, Narvasa showed no manifestation of being his own man. Salud already had the cards stacked against him upon his PBA entry: his father Rudy cast a long illustrious shadow that was hard to live up to, and the younger Salud’s SMC board-related commitments didn’t endear him to his detractors. But he didn’t disappoint in the Renaldo Balkman case. It was to me his finest moment. I saw a lot of Rudy in Chito Salud that day.

Sorry. I don’t recall any principled stand during Narvasa’s PBA commissionership.

That Narvasa lasted this long is not due to cunning (dude’s crude, not shrewd). A powerful bloc simply found it useful to pull his puppet strings. The end came when the umbilical was cut.

Latest word is that a “special” committee composed of PBA board members (surprise! surprise!) will determine the next PBA commissioner. “Special” means “predictable” in this case. The PBA is currently a two-horse race, so the only thing to reckon with is the entity to act as tie-breaker.

I agree. Despite Lambert Ramos’ business pedigree, his independent-mindedness gave PBA Board members cold feet.

Independent thinkers are typically equated to volatility, and the PBA Board is still stuck in its stock exchange mentality. Don’t like to deal with volatility and the unknown.

Too bad.

[insulares]

Found the analogy incredibly hilarious! Props to you again, Insulares!

Hawaiian pizza's great, especially the pineapple.

Pineapple-face, however? No thanks, I'll pass.

AHAHAHAHA!