CHICAGO - Out there in Paris, in the City of Lights where the powerful PBA board is meeting to map out Season 48, the league made a predictable but not so bright announcement.
Willie Marcial will stay as PBA commissioner until 2026.
Which means disgruntled PBA fans are stuck with Marcial uninspiring brand of leadership in the foreseeable future.
READ: PBA board gives Marcial fresh three-year deal
In the statement posted at the official PBA website, Marcial was reported to have been "overwhelmingly extended."
To me, "overwhelmingly" only meant Marcial received way more than the majority of the team governors' votes to secure the fresh mandate.
The word does not necessarily apply to how he performed while sitting in the chair once held by esteemed luminaries.
As many would agree, the words "overwhelmingly underwhelmed" might best describe Kume Marcial's performance since becoming the league's 10th PBA commissioner in 2018.
The PBA's PR machine heralded Marcial for helping the league soldier through the Covid pandemic. And that statement is not completely accurate.
THE INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE (IATF) AND THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA provided the much-needed assistance to install a bubble and keep the games running.
Marcial was also credited for the P200 million-plus income the PBA generated last season while citing the 54,589 fans that attended Game 7 of the Commissioner's Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra and the Bay Area Dragons.
Excuse me, credit for those should go to Ginebra, which consistently contended and kept winning. The Gins Kings' popularity will perpetually put butts in arena seats, eyeballs on the TV/streaming screens, and would make any commissioner look great.
Once you peel the PR cosmetics applied by the PBA on Marcial, it's hard not to see the flaws. Several points can be made that Kume has been sleeping on his cushy, leather chair while supposedly being on the job.
Under his watch, Calvin Abueva was unreasonably suspended indefinitely, causing undue suffering on the player and his family.
Under his watch, top flight stars such as Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks and Robert Bolick fled overseas. The league also missed out on collegiate stars Dwight Ramos, Justin Baltazar and Rhenz Abando, to name a few.
Under his watch. lopsided trades that favor the rich, powerful teams have continued to run rampant.
Under his watch, Blackwater and Terrafirma have made the PBA unwatchable with its egregious lack of parity.
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Under his watch, a vaguely selective, and arguably discriminatory, draft requirement saw talents such as Jason Brickman head to Taiwan instead.
Under his watch, "ligang labas" stints by players continue.
Look, the PBA is a private company that has the right to choose whoever it wants to hire as commissioner.
And that's fine, but in doing so, the hope is that the PBA will not insult the public's intelligence by saying that Marcial is doing a good job.
Because clearly, he is not.
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