Black: TV League an option
Meralco Bolts coach says first step could be to resume practice
Meralco Bolts head coach Norman Black already has a name for it: TV League. It’s a concept that would allow the Philippine Basketball Association to continue entertaining fans without having them physically present in the venues.
“It’s a personal opinion, this TV League. You don’t really have a crowd except for the people who are involved in the game — the players, coaches, PBA personnel, cameramen that cover the games, producers… but you’re coming out on TV,” Black explains.
“And considering that most people are at home right now like us, then you would have pretty much a captive audience.”
Black chuckles at the reference to “captive audience” but he knows getting to where the PBA can restart its stalled 45th season as a TV League is no laughing matter.
“I think maybe the first step would be ‘how do we get back to practice?’ That’s gotta be step No. 1 for everybody concerned. We have to limit the number of players on the court, of course. So next perhaps is ‘when do we eventually start to have all 15 players on the court and have a full practice?’” says Black.
“After that, perhaps you have to start to plan ‘how do we get back to playing games? Do we play with the crowd because we know it’s almost impossible to social distance during a basketball game? Or do we play without the crowd and just have it shown on TV?’ I mean, those type of decisions would have to be made.”
Black and his PBA counterparts will have their chance to provide similar suggestions the week after next, says PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, when he meets with them after his consultation with the players tomorrow.
“I’ll be consulting with the coaches and team managers, as well,” Marcial tells the Bulletin.
Closed-door games may ultimately be inevitable under the prevailing health crisis, says Black.
“Filipinos love basketball. Everybody can’t make it to the games anyway, so a lot of people watch the games on TV. At the very least [with a TV League], the PBA will be able to entertain the fans on TV. It’s better than what’s happening now where there’s no games.
“Obviously it’s nicer to watch the games live. But our circumstances right now, our situation is different. It’s something new, something we have to adjust to. It’s a new normal, as everybody says.”
Once the PBA gets the green light from the government to resume practice — and “all the players and staff are tested” — Black envisions some kind of “controlled practice” being employed where three to four players will be on the court “at the same time” on a rotation basis.
“They’ve been off more than 14 weeks now, they can’t come back and go full speed right away. They need to stay healthy while slowly getting in shape.”
Complying with one major safety protocol, after everybody has been tested negative, would be the next requisite, according to the 1989 Grand Slam coach with San Miguel Beer.
“Its possible to do social distancing in practice, there’s no question about that,” Black says. “Like at Meralco where we control the gym, we can actually decide who comes in or how many people are gonna be on the court at the same time. And more importantly, we can have them tested on a regular basis to make sure they’re all okay.”
Quarantine procedures, adds Black, would be immediately implemented if anyone tests positive.
“A system of periodic testing is really the key for the players until a vaccine to solve the problem of the coronavirus is found,” he says, given the nature of the job.
“Maybe a regular person can be tested once as long as he’s in the same environment, a bubble where he doesn’t come into contact with a lot people. But in the case of basketball players where they are constantly bumping bodies and coming into contact with people, then more testing has to be done.”
The 1994 Asian Games coach and five-peat UAAP champion with the Ateneo Blue Eagles makes it clear that he’s not looking to preempt anything or anybody by what he has shared.
“I’m talking freely with you but I have no decision-making power,” he says, laughing. “This is just my opinion, that’s just what it is. The decision-making will be made by the PBA board.”