PBA opening at Philippine Arena?

To make up for his absence in last week’s PBA Press Corps Awards Night, new PBA chair Patrick “Pato” Gregorio invited the group to dinner and drinks at Max’s Restaurant in Robinsons Place after the Rookie Draft last Sunday.

The venue was not as fancy or classy as the restaurants reserved by the other teams that night, but the chair said he had chosen Max’s because it was a major sponsor of Gilas Pilipinas.

The turnover of the PBA chairmanship from Ramon Segismundo of Meralco to Talk ‘N Text’s Pato became effective during the Aug. 24 draft.

Although Kia player-coach Manny Pacquiao was a no-show in the PBA’s biggest event since he was on a press tour to promote his November fight with Chris Algieri, the new league chair was pleased with the outcome of the draft.

Of 87 applicants, a total of 41 were drafted, 13 picked by Kia and eight by Blackwater.

Kia team manager Eric Pineda said players who will not be signed by the Kamao team will play for Kia’s squad in the D-League. From 14, the number of players in a PBA lineup has been cut down to 12.

With 13 draftees, the entire Kia entourage had to make multiple trips to the makeshift stage which would shake every time the 15-man platoon climbed aboard.

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According to chair Pato, the PBA is seriously considering staging next season’s opening at the brand-new P9 billion Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“We will know for sure by the third week of September if we can hold the opening there after the court and the board of the Philippine Arena are installed and they pass the required specifications of the league. Commissioner Chito (Salud) and I have checked out the place and everything else seems OK.

The chair and the commissioner had been assured by the owners (INC) that they would be able to fill the Arena, which can seat a crowd of 55,000.

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Boracay Rum coach Lawrence Chongson, better known these days as Paul Lee’s manager, has denied all accusations of tampering hurled against whichever team he and/or Paul have allegedly been negotiating with.

Paul’s contract with Rain or Shine will expire at the end of August and according to Lawrence, lawyer Mert Mondragon, ROS governor, offered a new one last Aug. 4, which he refuses to sign until Paul returns from his tour of duty with Gilas.

Last Sunday at the draft, however, one of Lawrence’s agent-partners pointed to one particular team which they have allegedly been negotiating with.

ROS coach Yeng Guiao said he does not believe what Chongson’s co-agent said.

“This guy is just misleading us. It’s not the style of this team to do something like that. Almost everybody wants Lee. I just want to know who’s tampering with his contract,” Yeng said.

Chair Pato will be in Seville, Spain, this week to join the Gilas Pilipinas support group headed by TV5 chair and SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, Pato’s boss Ricky Vargas, Maynilad President/CEO; MVP Sports Foundation President and Meralco governor Al Panlilio and TV5’s Bong Sta. Maria.