CHICAGO - As one of the founding fathers of what has now grown into a mammoth sports empire, Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) president Ricky Palou is saddened by the disbandment of the F2 Logistics.
What a twist of fate, a widely popular team known for moving cargo suddenly found itself being packed and shipped out of the league.
READ Here's what will happen to F2 Logistics players after disbandment
A day after the volleyball community was shaken to its core by the sudden, unexpected loss, I called Mr. Palou.
He was kind as usual, exceedingly generous with his time.
In our early morning telephone interview, I did not detect any melancholy in his voice. And that wasn't because he didn't care, I guess he was still processing the news and allowing the grief to settle in.
What I did detect, though, was the strength and resilience of his leadership.
"The league is in good shape," he replied when I asked if the departure of F2 Logistics, which followed the controversy left behind by the now-banished former management of Gerflor, threatened the health of the PVL.
As already reported by SPIN.ph, Palou explained to me that all former F2 players will "automatically become free agents" who can "sign for any team that they wish to join under whatever terms."
Palou also shared a little tinge of regret with what happened at Gelflor and how he and the league could have done a better job vetting the financial stability of the people behind the money difficulties the Defenders faced.
"IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN," PALOU STRESSED.
It's uncommon for a leader of a highly successful organization to admit some fault, but Palou did anyway, because he oversees a regime of transparency and accountability.
Palou's openness is so rare and admirable it makes me wanna wish that his leadership traits can magically rub off on some of the fine people running the other high-profile sports leagues in our country.
Anyway, what happens next now that there are two franchises available?
No sweat. The PVL is so fan-friendly that piles and piles or corporate funds are being thrown at its feet for marketing purposes.
Although he is not "at liberty" to divulge the names, Palou revealed that there are "two entities" interested in joining the league.
THE PVL IS IN GOOD HANDS.
The delight of these corporations to enter the fun and games speaks to the popularity and prosperity of the PVL.
The departure of one team normally damages a sports league, two would likely cause its demise.
Not the PVL.
Other than the occasional bout of reminiscing, the PVL has thrived. You saw all that good vibes spill at the Mall of Asia during Game One of the Finals between Creamline and Choco Mucho.
The several factors that make the PVL so uniquely resistant to adversity are anchored by two words.
Ricky. Palou.
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