Clubs to oppose costly 2-import format in ‘02

The PBA Commissioner’s Office proposed battleplan for the Asian Games-bound RP squad may find some opposition in the league board due to the economic crisis, according to one board member.

The same board member also said there would be questions raised if San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra consultant Ron Jacobs is appointed to call the shots for the team.

The PBA board of governors sits down in a meeting to tackle these ticklish issues at 5 p.m. today at the Manila Golf Club in Makati.

Commissioner Jun Bernardino will lay down his proposed calendar of activities for the league next year, drawn in consonance with the buildup of the RP team for the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, Korea.

Bernardino has bared to the media that the league plans to veer away from their regular calendar, holding the import-laced Commissioner’s and Governors Cups ahead of the All-Filipino this time with the participation of the RP team.

Under the proposed scheme, any regular PBA ballclub which loans two or more players to the RP team will be required to recruit two imports with a combined height ceiling of 13 feet. Teams which lose one or none to the RP squad will have one import with no height restriction.

The Star source said the complaint of some of the team owners is the two-import format in two conferences which will require them to double their hefty budget for import in times of crisis.

PBA teams are spending an average of $15,000 for monthly pays to their imports. Outside of this, imports also get won-game bonuses and other perks.

But PBA team owners maintain their willingness to help the country’s Asiad bid, feeling the RP squad will have its best chance of winning the gold medal for the first time in ages in the 2002 games.

The Commissioner’s Office is holding a tryout open to anybody the whole month of January.

It is widely believe that the PBA is opening the door even to non-PBA players because the would-be coach has a Fil-Am prospect who’s joining the league only next year. — Nelson Beltran