Norman Black, Chris Gavina on UFA rule
COACHES Norman Black and Chris Gavina say PBA free agency is good for the payers, although the timing isn’t right for the teams.
Having key players move out during a tournament has huge effects on the team, the coaches said.
Meralco was among the first teams affected by the ruling as John Pinto, a key part of the Bolts’ guard rotation, moved to Barangay Ginebra.
“It’s difficult to make that adjustment in the middle of a conference. You lose a player and there may be the possibility of not getting back a player that may help you. So the player’s just gone,” added Black.
Gavina, coach of Rain or Shine, said the league could have perhaps allowed the conference to finish and then begin to apply the UFA rule before the start of the 47th season later in the year.
“Maybe the start of the free agency season may have been kind of delayed until the end of the conference, and let teams and coaches get acclimated to what happened,” he said.
‘Kume’ Pingris to crack down on game-fixing
PLAYERS who are found to have links to game-fixing face huge fines, according to Pilipinas Super League commissioner Marc Pingris.
As a former player, the nine-time PBA champion admitted receiving similar huge offers just to lose a game. Naturally, he declined the proposal.
“Ayaw kong pakainin galing sa masama ang pamilya ko,” said Pingris, adding he was given the talent to play the game, so might as well use it for a good purpose.
“Gumigising ako ng maaga para mag-practice, kasi ini-enjoy ko yun. Yun ang binigay na talent sa akin ni Lord, e.”
The native of Pozzorubio, Pangasinan and member of the PBA 40 Greatest Players said he will have a meeting with top key officials of the league led by president Rocky Chan, who is among the league founders together with Cebuano sportsman Chelito Caro.
Chan and Caro, of course, are the men behind the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup, which got embroiled in a messy point-shaving scandal that led to the expulsion of the Siquijor Mystics and revocation of playing licenses by several players with the Games and Amusement Board (GAB).
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