UAAP versus PBA

It was an enjoyable Sunday afternoon I spent with my children as we watched both the UAAP and the PBA basketball games.

The games were on different channels but both were on HD, making the basketball games so much clearer. And so it was quite noticeable that there was a sharp contrast in the quality of both games.

The UAAP brand of play and officiating was much more exciting because the referees allowed the players to play freely. Players dove for the ball and ended on top of each other without drawing a foul. Minimal contact was allowed.

On the other hand, the PBA games were being halted constantly by the referees for touch fouls, taking the flow out of the games.

It is now a recognized fact that the PBA games, both live in the arenas and on television, have been losing audience.

As I mentioned in a previous column, the brand of refereeing that the new PBA commissioner is advocating—by bringing us back to the touch foul as it were in the 1980s—is proving to be unpopular with the fans, harms the league’s television ratings and, more importantly, goes against the development of the players and the league itself.

Even in international play, as we saw in the Olympics, this style of officiating is nonexistent.

A new cause for concern now is the perception of some teams, coaches, players and even fans that there is bias for certain teams that belong to a conglomerate.

If statistics validate this suspicion, it may certainly put the credibility of the league on the line.

When I sat as the league’s deputy commissioner in the 1980s, we created different scenarios to ensure that the league survived. This is not the case in the PBA today, however. The PBA is actually now considered a thriving entertainment vehicle, with the commissioner’s office just making sure that the games are kept fair and the public is entertained.

I heard that the commissioner called a meeting recently with the different marketing heads of each team and one of the issues taken up was the problem of the dwindling public attendance.

If this is true, the commissioner appears to be missing the point. He is placing the responsibility on the league’s attendance in the hands the teams’ marketing heads.

In my opinion, marketing heads are responsible for the development and marketing of their products and for taking care of their players’ needs. The boosting of public attendance rests in the hands of the commissioner’s office and his staff.

If things continue to go on this way, we may all end up finding more enjoyment in watching the UAAP games, instead of the PBA.

What is sad about this is that it could have a negative impact on the future of the league and that of its players.

As an aside, the scheduling of both the PBA and UAAP games are on identical days and on rival channels. Is this good for everyone concerned?

* * *

My future columns will be dedicated to writing about the coaching strategies in the UAAP, as we now have a lot of high-caliber coaches and consultants.