PBA extends Vargas term for another year

MANILA, Philippines — PBA chairman Ricky Vargas was given a unanimous vote the other day to serve another year in recognition of his unifying leadership that nipped in the bud a brewing crisis that could’ve fragmented the Board of Governors. Vargas, concurrently the POC president, would’ve ended his one-year term at the end of the season but the Board decided to extend it. Two former PBA chairmen Robert Non and Buddy Encarnado were the only others to receive extensions from the Board.

The crisis involved a controversial trade that previous commissioner Chito Narvasa approved. It led to Narvasa’s departure and Vargas played a key role in keeping the Board together in the spirit of a common love for the game. Willie Marcial was then designated the new commissioner.

Marcial said the Board agreed to reconvene for a special meeting on Nov. 6 to finalize the league policies on draft eligibility and players unwilling to stay with teams that hold their rights. Proposals were discussed at the Board meeting last Thursday and Marcial was mandated to restudy the options for a final submission on Nov. 6.

One proposal was to set a three-year grace period within which a player may apply for the draft once he is declared eligible. The period may be reduced to two years. The specific case of Bobby Ray Parks, who became eligible for the draft three years ago but has still to apply, will be taken up in the special Board meeting. It was also proposed to impose a one-year grace period for a player to return to the PBA after moving to another league.

The Board deferred making a decision on a proposal to allow a team a six or seven-year period to hold on to the rights of a rookie. In the event a veteran refuses to play for his team, the proposal is to observe a “no-touch” policy, meaning no other team may attempt a trade or any kind of deal unless approved by the player’s team.

What was decided by the Board last Thursday was the retention of the import ceilings for the Commissioner’s and Governors Cup next season. It will remain 6-10 for the second conference and 6-5 for the third. Marcial said the Board decided to preserve a team’s right to do with its first overall draft pick as it wants but any trade will need clearance from the PBA Technical Committee. He said at least 15 trade proposals have been revised or rejected by the Committee since the start of the season.

Excite Events CEO Gelo Serrano presented to the Board last Thursday plans to engage fans even more during games. One plan is to launch a free throw shooting contest where the winner has the option of claiming a prize or returning for the chance to win a bigger prize in the next playdate. Another plan is for fans to accumulate points when they buy tickets with the chance to redeem certain levels of points for prizes. The plans will be for implementation next season.

Marcial said coach Yeng Guiao will be invited to discuss his program for the national team during the special Board meeting. It’s possible that Guiao will have submitted his pool of 18 to 20 players before then. “Kahit sino, pwedeng pumili si coach Yeng for the pool,” said Marcial. “The PBA has an open policy with the national team. Coach Yeng can choose anyone from our roster of about 180 players for as long as they’re eligible for the national team.”