EDDIE G. ALINEA
And that might force Narvasa to ceased relations with the league he had served for two years, many PBA followers argued. “Hindi naman siguro itataya ni commissioner ang pride n’ya bilang isang iginagalang na miyembro ng legal profession para kumapit tuko sa kanyang kasalukuyang posisyon,” one such fan said. “May delikadesa naman siya, ‘ no? He doesn’t need that job, in the first place.”
To those who’ve been asking yours truly why the PBA has been holding its annual gathering in foreign countries lately, the practice actually started during former commissioner Noli Eala’s watch in 2005. Meaning this is the 12th straight year that the annual gathering will be held abroad. Countries the PBA had previously visited for the purpose were Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Spain during the 2014 FIBA World Cup participated in by the Philippines.
The questions being asked now are: Will the seven governors continue to press for his removal? And will there be compromises as to avoid rocking the boat further and save the league, which for the past 43 straight years has been providing inexpensive sports and entertainment shows to many of the Filipinos, from further damage?
In case those concerned do not realize it, the present situation is causing serious apprehension among the league’s millions of followers. The feeling among them is sadness because the feud within the Board has been made public, causing grave disenchantment among the PBA’s multitude of fans. The disunity has put the in jeopardy the future of the PBA, which is a source of livelihood for thousands of players, team staffers and even league employees.
The future of the PBA hangs in the air in LA depending on how the governors will respond in resolving issues at the Board level. It won’t be easy to agree on a compromise or settlement, everybody knows that. A lot of pride needs to be swallowed and sacrificed all in the preservation of an institution that has been part of the family lives of Filipino families for more than four decades. All is not lost yet. Several options are there to be tapped. Hopefully they will.