In the 1980s, followers of the Philippine Basketball Association television coverage would wonder whenever the late Joe Cantada would tease statistician Willie Marcial about a supposed mistake in the numbers. Cantada’s slight slips would be cues to dub Marcial a variety of names, anything from the official “shoe” of the league or the man “with the worst penmanship in history.”
Images of the unseen Marcial ranged from an old PBA worker that was perhaps Cantada’s contemporary to a young upstart that was trying to earn a few extra pesos as a panel scorer. No one did see him on the air in spite of being within Cantada’s left arm during the coverage.
This of course has changed since Marcial moved on to the PBA to become the league’s media bureau chief. He was present in the press room, at the annual press corps awards night and the provincial games which he supervised. Very often he would be seen seated along dignitaries and VIPs that would visit the game, not because he wanted the TV time but because he had to be the kind host.
And now the approachable Marcial has accepted the task of being the new PBA commissioner after his brief 30-day dry run as officer-in-charge.
Marcial will bring his many years of experience being part of almost every facet of the league’s operations. He will also bring an approach that projects him as not a know-it-all but rather as a leader-manager who knows when to ask for advice and suggestions. There will be more than enough experts who can support his term in officiating, marketing, public relations and management and he will know who to ask for guidance.
Having worked with Marcial when we were both at Vintage Sports, I have no doubt that he will know how to use his people skills to get the job done and meet the challenges of a 21st century PBA.
He has the confidence of a Board of Governors that wants to see the PBA grow in different directions and not merely replicate past glories in terms of attendance, fan interest and sponsors’ support.
They will get leadership from Marcial because he has been a good follower and soldier through the years but knows when to take charge when given the responsibility.
So who in the world is Willie Marcial? The rest of the sports world will get to know more about him in the days ahead and the diligence with which he will perform his job as the new commissioner.