Salud cites PBA resurgence

MANILA, Philippines - With the PBA enjoying a resurgence of fan interest, league commissioner Chito Salud said yesterday the crowds wouldn’t be back in the stands if not for the competitive balance that has made each encounter a virtual toss-up and the players’ commitment to give 100 percent in every game.

Salud said in the single-round eliminations, the Commissioner’s Cup averaged about 6,800 fans, slightly higher than the 6,600 norm for three conferences last season. The figure is bound to increase with the quarterfinals reeling off today. A crowd of 9,178 packed the Cuneta Astrodome for two knockout games last Friday, setting a positive tone for the playoffs.

In the recent Philippine Cup, the average attendance was 6,400. The arrival of imports for the Commissioner’s Cup has made a clear impact at the turnstiles. PBA media bureau chief and special assistant to the commissioner Willie Marcial said he expects the average attendance to go over 7,500 by the end of the second conference finals.

The last two games of the recent Philippine Cup finals between Talk ‘N’ Text and Powerade registered an attendance of over 12,000 even as the league’s most popular teams Barangay Ginebra and B-Meg were not involved. Game 4 brought in 12,382 fans and the Game 5 clincher, 13,831.

So far in the Commissioner’s Cup, five playdates posted crowds of over 10,000. The first was on Feb. 12 when 12,145 fans watched a twinbill featuring Rain Or Shine against Alaska and Ginebra against Petron at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The second was on March 4 with 10,037 on hand for Ginebra against Powerade and Petron against Rain Or Shine. The third was on March 11 as 16,442 jammed the Big Dome for Rain Or Shine against Meralco and Ginebra against B-Meg. The fourth was on March 18 with 13,515 fans witnessing Powerade against Air21 and Ginebra against Talk ‘N’ Text. The fifth was on March 25 as 13,872 watched B-Meg against Powerade and Ginebra against Barako Bull. Each of the five playdates featured Ginebra in one of two games.

No doubt, over 10,000 would’ve shown up for the playoff twinbill if Araneta hosted last Friday. But with the Big Dome booked for a Hanson concert, the knockout games were moved to Cuneta whose seating capacity isn’t as large.

Salud cited six reasons for the PBA’s renaissance – competitive balance, new faces, improved officiating, AKTV’s marketing efforts, the players leaving it all on the court and the three-conference format. While Talk ‘N’ Text finished the Commissioner’s Cup alone at the top with a 7-2 mark, the other teams were neck-to-neck in the standings that required playoffs to break a two-way logjam for second and a three-way tie for fifth. Imports had a lot to do with balancing the competition. In the Philippine Cup, Powerade’s emergence as a title contender was a major shot in the arm and the Tigers’ rookies Marcio Lassiter and Jvee Casio made a big difference.

Lassiter and Casio weren’t the only new kids on the block to make a splash in their pro debuts. Rain Or Shine’s Paul Lee, Ginebra’s Dylan Ababou, B-Meg’s Mark Barroca, Alaska’s Mac Baracael and Petron’s Chris Lutz were other newcomers who turned heads.

The officiating philosophy of letting the players go without unnecessary interruption was another contributing factor. Nobody ever said basketball wasn’t a contact sport and referees blowing their whistles only on consequential contact are creating an atmosphere of fierce and physical confrontation. What it does is allow the games to flow. At the same time, the quality of the games isn’t compromised.

Then, there is AKTV’s media campaign. Salud said the TV coverage has improved tremendously and the ratings indicate a widespread public recognition. “We’re not just talking about how well-produced are the games on TV but also the exposure through billboards, cross-channel mileage, radio, newspapers and internet,” said Salud. “You can sense the build-up of drama for each game, the high anticipation and the excitement level. The preparation for each game on TV, radio and other forms of media is extensive and fans appreciate it.”

Salud also paid tribute to the players for pushing themselves to the limit. “Every game is like a knockout game,” he said. “The players are doing their best out there, diving for loose balls, performing to their potentials. Nobody is holding back.” Finally, Salud said the three-conference format is proving to be a successful formula. It’s a case of more finals, more crowds.

Marcial said the players’ flair for the dramatic is another factor. “The fans are being entertained and that’s why they pay good money for tickets,” he said. “Alex Crisano blowing kisses to the crowd after making a three-point shot, Gary David looking at his hot hands, Rudy Hatfield exploding like a bomb, Mick Pennisi going down from a ball thrown to his head – it’s all drama and the fans love it,” he said. “Of course, this resurgence wouldn’t be possible without the Board of Governors giving its full support and confidence to commissioner Salud.”