Good start for Salud-Pardo tandem

WHILE IT is certainly too early to tell, it seems to us that the PBA has gotten off on the right track under new commissioner Chito Salud and the PBA board of governors headed by a truly fine gentleman in Rene Pardo. You see, the board’s support and that of the fans is essential for the success of both the commissioner and the league.
The opening ceremony last Sunday was refreshing and well presented. It had all the elements required of an opening ceremony and didn’t drag at any point.
Chito Salud has always impressed us. The young man obviously assumed the commissionership at a challenging time in the history of the pro league.
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For all the numbers and the self-praise, it is clear to those of us—whose everyday lives have somehow been intertwined with the PBA from Day One in 1975—that all is not well with the PBA.
We feel that strong, decisive but fair and just leadership is the essential first step in the road back to where the PBA should belong in the lives of our people.
Time and circumstances have forced new and somewhat daunting challenges. These are not insurmountable, though, when good men with vision and a plan—not a personal agenda—take charge and chart the course of the PBA as they would any of the large corporations that make up its membership.
Rather than resort to platitudes and motherhood statements, the youthful Salud bared his innermost feelings about what the messages being sent by the public, and even the teams, to the PBA were.
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Indeed, even before opening day, Salud had interceded with a fair but firm disposition on a trade involving Asi Taulava which he assessed as imbalanced.
He made his thoughts known and, to the credit of the management of the teams involved, they made acceptable modifications without questioning the commissioner’s position or his prerogative on the trade.
That is how it should be. It provides the confidence some of the other teams need, which is to feel secure in the competitive arena against the richer and more influential team owners and companies.
The initial thrust of Salud, in terms of a new officiating philosophy, is the commitment to eradicate ticky-tacky calls by referees that can decide the result of a game.
It involves the fundamental principle of whether contact affects the player or the play itself, which is a most discerning difference.
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In its very first game, the point was proven. The game was between Ginebra and the energetic Meralco team whose lovely muses—all employees—provided a charming dimension to what one reporter described as an electrifying performance.
The game lasted only 2 hours and 1 minute, when such games in the past dragged on for at least 2:30 hours. This means that fans can go home earlier to grapple with the horrendous traffic.
Beyond that, there were only a total of 29 fouls called with 18 awards —which was a relief since interruptions were minimized and the rhythm and flow of the game didn’t suffer.
The teams played hard but not rough or dirty, and there were no complaints or protests by coaches and players which were rather common in the past.
It simply means that they have faith not just in the new philosophy but realize that it is anchored on integrity and fairness.
That is the bottom line, along with care and concern for the fans, about 15,000 of whom turned up last Sunday. If that wasn’t a good start, we don’t know what is.