Alaska owner Wilfred Uytengsu. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—With no normal to go back to amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska owner Wilfred Uytengsu believes shortening the season is the way to go for the PBA.
“The best scenario for the PBA is to play one conference,” said Uytengsu in an interview with ONE Sports after the league suspended its games in March after playing just one match.
The league was preparing to return to practice the past few weeks but faced several road bumps with the delay of the joint administrative order and now with National Capital Region returning to a stricter quarantine restriction until August 16.
Uytengsu said that the league can look at what the other sports organizations in the world had done to return, like the NBA has done with its Bubble inside Walt Disney World Resort wherein players, staff and media are housed in what could be the safest environment in the United States.
In the latest round of tests, the NBA once again recorded zero positive COVID-19 cases in the bubble.
“Let’s learn from some of the best sports franchises and organizations in the world and what they do, what they can do, what works, what doesn’t work, and then let’s see how we can adopt that in our setting with the PBA,” said Uytengsu.
“The issue is we have to be pragmatic. I think together with the players, coaches, and staff, we have to see where it’s going to end. We have to see when it’s going to end.”
The Alaska executive, though, admitted that maintaining a PBA team in the time of the pandemic would be difficult especially if the health crisis drags on for more than a year.
“Imagine, we are going to get one conference of advertising for an entire year of salary. I’m sure Alaska is but I’m sure all the teams are continuing to pay their full salaries. We will see how long that will continue because if it drags on for a second or third year, it will be very difficult.”
“I’m not putting the cart before the horse. I’m just trying to be very practical on a macro basis.”
Uytengsu stressed that what was once considered normal is out of the picture.
“What’s happening is that people want some form of normalcy and there’s been a tremendous push to try and restore that. The challenge is, is it safe?” said Uytengsu. “Everyone wants to return back to normal, but the reality is that we will not go back to normal.”