Breakthrough in the PBA

Loud-mouthed critics, who had derided the PBA as a league on its death throes only a few months ago, ate their words like humble pie as a banner crowd of over 18,000 paying a record P2.5 million trooped to the Big Dome for Game 6 of the Fiesta Conference Finals last Sunday.

Never in its 33-year history has the pro league collected more than P2 million in ticket sales on a single playing day. Even if you consider factors like inflation and a larger population, last Sunday’s turnstile gross had to be a strong vindication for the PBA.

To be sure, there were attempts from various quarters to kill the PBA in the recent past. Even supposedly respected members of media got involved in the conspiracy. The most alarming attempt came when a giant TV network pooled its mammoth resources together and created a rival pro league to challenge the PBA’s dominant position as the country’s No. 1 continuing sports entertainment vehicle.

In 1998, the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) raided the PBA’s ranks and tried to lure away some of its biggest stars with astronomical salaries in a determined bid to shake it down. Vince Hizon, then one of the PBA’s hottest stars with Barangay Ginebra, was the prize catch, jumping to the MBA on the promise of a huge contract that included a spot as a TV talk show co-host.

Eventually, the MBA folded up, unable to keep up with skyrocketing bills. The stars who bolted to the MBA found their way back to the PBA where salaries were lower but at least guaranteed. Besides, it became increasingly clear that the PBA Board of Governors was grounded on a long-term direction – not a vision of destruction – to enhance sports entertainment.

It’s a fact that when the MBA reared its gigantic head, the PBA reacted with some knee-jerk decisions that it later regretted. One of the decisions led to a lenient policy allowing so-called Fil-foreigners to play in the league as locals. Relaxing eligibility rules paved the way for Fil-shams to sneak into the ranks. Rob Parker, Sonny Alvarado and Al Segova were among those later exposed for turning in counterfeit papers to “prove” their Filipino lineage.

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The Fil-sham controversy turned off a lot of fans and with more entertainment alternatives in the market, the PBA saw a decline in attendance, ticket sales and overall popularity.

Slowly, the PBA worked on regaining lost footing. Fil-shams were weeded out and eligibility policies were rationalized. Now, the PBA has become even stricter than the government itself in recognizing Fil-foreign citizens. The Gabe Norwood case comes to mind. Norwood has represented the country twice in international competitions with a Philippine passport yet the PBA still wants more proof of his eligibility as a dual Fil-Am citizen.

Specifically, the PBA requires Fil-foreign applicants to submit a Bureau of Immigration recognition and a Department of Justice confirmation. Without the two documents, the PBA is constrained by policy to process a Fil-foreigner’s application for the draft.

Through the years, teams have come and gone in the PBA and that sense of volatility has caused floating loyalties among fans. In the past, the PBA enjoyed tremendous fan following with franchises like Crispa and Toyota. Now, only San Miguel Corp. has remained from the pioneer group in 1975.

It has taken some time since the MBA invasion to rebuild the PBA’s fan base but today, the league is once more in firm control of its destiny. The fans are back in droves. The franchises are as solid as ever. The PBA Board has instituted policies that serve primarily the interest of the fans with the view of a long-lasting relationship.

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While it’s true that Barangay Ginebra’s phenomenal ascendancy as the undisputed crowd darling has contributed heavily to the league’s resurgence, it can’t be denied that the other teams – Air21, Sta. Lucia Realty, Alaska, Purefoods, Coca-Cola, Welcoat, Red Bull, Talk n Text and Magnolia – have done more than their fair share to return the PBA to its position of dominance as a major crowd drawer.

Doomsday soothsayers, who’d made it a habit to castigate the league for falling short of their unreasonable expectations, are suddenly silent. They’ve even shamelessly reclaimed their choice seats near Commissioner’s row in the coliseum as if to insinuate they had something to do with the revival of interest in the PBA.

But the PBA isn’t about to close its doors on anyone – past, present and future detractors. The league is for everyone to enjoy and after surviving difficult times, tests and trials, it’s back with a bang. The challenge of the future is not to lose focus on its avowed mission of providing the fans a source of exciting sports entertainment at an affordable price.

Credit goes to the players for giving the fans what they want – unadulterated action from start to finish. Last Sunday’s Game 6, for instance, was a perfect example of what the “new” PBA is all about. With a depleted lineup, Ginebra ran on pure heart to defy the odds and upset Air21, 80-75, to force a Game 7 tomorrow.

Although the Express lost, coach Bo Perasol couldn’t complain. His consolation was the fans were treated to a heckuva contest, something that will be talked about for a long, long time. Besides, Air21 still has a chance to clinch in Game 7 which Kings coach Joseph Uichico promised to be a “free-for-all.”

For the last three games in the Finals, Uichico has masterfully turned the series into a low-scoring, defense-oriented war. He realizes Ginebra will never win in a shootout against Air21 because of the Kings’ crippled cast so his strategy has been to stretch the points and try to steal the verdict in the end with his Walking Wounded.

Ginebra has managed to win two of the last three games with its defensive orientation, holding Air21 to an average of 75 points – a far cry from the Express’ clip of 97 to rank second in the league in scoring.

But as history beckons, Air21 appears destined to win its first-ever PBA championship. Never-say-die Ginebra, however, is in the way of the Express’ road to victory. Expect another huge crowd to pack the Big Dome for the winner-take-all showdown tomorrow.