By TITO S. TALAO
LAS VEGAS – An annual vote of confidence to keep in place an installed PBA commissioner will be taken three years down the road and henceforth, while the post of board chairman may once again be decided via an election instead of following the order of rotation.
Commissioner Willie Marcial, who took over from Chito Narvasa on a full-fledged basis early this year, had been given a three-year contract to implement the policies set by the PBA board and won’t have to go through the vetting process until 2021.
That is assuming, of course, a 2/3 vote of the board isn’t mustered at any time during the three-year period to unseat him which seems unlikely at present given his cordial relationship with the league governors.
Ricky Vargas, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, on the other hand, could be up for reelection as PBA chairman for the 44th season should the board decide to determine the chairmanship by casting ballots rather than having the sitting vice chairman automatically assume the mantle at season’s end.
Dickie Bachmann of the Alaska’s Aces’ is currently second-in-command in the PBA hierarchy.
These and other pertinent provisions in the PBA constitution and bylaws will be revisited by the board in the next few weeks as agreed upon during a four-hour-long planning session Saturday afternoon at the Venetian Hotel here.
“We’ll review our bylaws since there are maybe 20 items there that have to be changed,” said Vargas, who assumed the chairmanship seven years after he held the reins, swapping places with then NLEX president Ramoncito Fernandez.
Also lined up for an upgrade is the fine system enforced by the PBA for various infractions, with plans to update disproportionate sanctions and penalties.
Racheting up in-venue activities during timeouts, halftime pauses and in-between game breaks will likewise be given top priority to complement the games and help draw in a bigger audience.
“We’re improving our loyalty program and rewarding in-venue fans with more thrilling and fun spectator games and activities,” said Marcial.
Ensuring more balance and parity among ballclubs will also be the goal for new rules to be adopted during the Rookie Draft, details of which have yet to be released.