Gregorio’s ideas bold but PBA  ain’t ready

BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Patrick “Pato” Gregorio is no longer a candidate as next PBA commissioner but could well be the man in the future.

PBA board chairman Tony Chua said Gregorio has great ideas which could really be good for the league down the road.

“Personally, I like Pato’s ideas. The board was impressed. He had a grand vision for the league but  the board wanted to tackle its present problems first,” said Chua. “But he’s really good. It’s a matter of timing. I’m pretty sure he would become a PBA commissioner in the future.”

After two and a half hours of deliberation and three rounds of voting, the PBA board on Monday narrowed the number of nominees down to  Atty. Chito Salud and Lambert Ramos. It will have its final deliberation on Jan. 10.

“I was after branding and positioning. I wanted the PBA to become an Asian super brand where bigger money can come in,” said Gregorio. “If the US is Olympic caliber. I wanted the PBA, after 32 years, to be Asian caliber. It’s time to elevate to the next level – be Asia’s most exciting league.”

“I proposed that the PBA re-brand. Just like Kentucky Fried Chicken which is now only KFC, my proposal is for the Philippine Basketball Association to be just the PBA. For how can you attract super brands like Hewlett Packard, Visa, Samsung and others when the PBA is concentrated only on local market?” Gregorio added.

Basically, Gregorio, 40, a former Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee, wanted to penetrate the Asian market.

“If you want bigger money to come in, international coverage like ESPN to come in, let’s make the PBA the Asian super league. For example you want Samsung to come in, then get top five players from Korea,” Gregorio said.

The UP alumnus saw the PBA selection process as “the perfect venue to explain his vision of synergy between the PBA and SBP.”

Not chosen to take over from officer-in-charge Sonny Barrios, Gregorio will concentrate instead in pursuing his programs at SBP.

He has a whole-day meeting with TAO Corp. top bossman Jun Sy, RP Youth coach Franz Pumaren and national training center director Eric Altamirano today to talk about their programs.