Rate PBA Commissioner Noli Eala’s Performance So Far

[Ada]

What can you say about Commisioner Eala's performance?

[shadow jedi]

1.I think his greatest accomplishment is making the drive for the Philippines to get back to the Olympics and changing the calendar for this aspiration. I just hope this wouldn't be short-lived. Whatever the result, we should always maintain a good basketball program.

2.He did fairly on trying to increase the league's popularity.
(more provincial games, all-star games, legends and greatest game, having the players connect with the fans)

3.His main faults are flip-flopping on the fil-sham issue, his misplaced trust on government agencies that can't make up their minds, allowing SMC to have 2 more franchises, foreign teams that are just here for sight-seeing.

4.Another fault is entering into a deal with a broadcaster that cannot guarantee payments. Astronomical deals that cannot be sustained.

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They must find other means of revenue. Merchandising still needs improvement. Tap the regional format --- how about a Cebuano team? There are a lot of Cebuano companies, products and players.

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Incentives for regional teams. Community work for players. Teams adopting charitable institutions / communities.

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Bands at the coliseum --- i miss those drums and trumpets.

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Unity among teams. Arguments to be settled inside the league as much as possible.

[Fortune]

the gate attendance speaks for his accomplishment

[spongklong]

^^ sige nga patunayan mo nga!! alam mo kahit hindi sya commissioner ngayon, ganun pa din yan attendance na yan! you expect shell to have legions of fans? and you also expect sta lucia to gain some following?? i dont think its that easy.. di naman kasi pwedeng puro ginebra ang champion para dumami ang tao manood!

[KARTOG]

Agree with shadow jedi's points 1 and 3. Although Eala is really limited with what the board gives him, it is his responsibility to be proactive. He has already distinguished himself as a PBA commissioner with the ABC/WBC/Olympics thrust the PBA has been implementing. A little more Solomonic wisdom and impartiality and he may yet be among the league's greatest commissioners.

[ShowMeTheMoney]

His first year was just horrible. But so far he has done very well.

Getting the NT to what "seems like" a long term program is a really good move.

But aside from that, its still the same old PBA. It hasn't made any in-roads in getting the upper AB markets. The PBA still has several image problems and the issues with Half-Pinoy's are still unresolved.

But what I'm waiting for is a Kume (and a board) who has the guts and the vision to take the PBA further. Someone who can realize that the PBA cannot expect to survive further if it fails to take its game regional. Out-of-town games are not enough.

[spongklong]

^^ i agree with you in saying the out of town games are simply not enough.. more teams, more players, more playing dates sana.. but because of a lot of things to consider, this may not be realized in the near future.. not even during eala's tenure or even his successor's..

[bchoter]

These are bad times to be a commissioner. The economic climate hits the entertainment field hardest as one would give them up for the basic necessities. And the choice of entertainment today is far more diverse then before. How many malls have sprouted since the term of Rudy Salud? Gimmick places are everywhere. The internet offers something different and very accessible. Selling the PBA is far more complicated then it was 10 or so years ago. It would be unfair to compare Noli Eala, straight up, with his predecessors.

Personally, I think his "flip-flopping" on the Asi issue is borne out of his lack of legal proof or standing in banning the guy inspite of the fact that he truly believes that the he is fake.

On the four SMB-owned franchises, I don't think he can do anything about this.

He may not have done anything above ordinary but didn't too bad either. Nothing beyond expectation but not, too short of them.

[marjubec]

I think he has done an ok job. He has a lot of flaws and it seems he's not as respected as the previous commissioners but he does have good ideas which I think was why the board got him in the first place.

It's hard to judge attendance because it just depends on timing. Just like any other league, you're dependent on the performance of the more popular teams. When the playoffs come, attendance is good and things are ok. During the eliminations, it's bad and the critics come out of hiding.

No other league has to contend with so many game days kaya mas madaling magsawa. The PBA has about 15 to 20 sellouts a year, more than any other league. The PBL has to offer their tickets for free just so people would watch and the UAAP depends on the Ateneo-LaSalle rivalry.

So average job for Noli since it seems he can do better.

[Super Vegetto]

give him credit... i like his move of committing to have a shot at the olympics

[shadow jedi]

No confidence vote vs Eala set?
PBA IN TURMOIL

By Jon Hernandez III
Saturday, 07 23, 2005
http://www.tribune.net.ph/sports/20050723.spo01.html

The board of governors will set into motion the initial step of changing the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) leadership that may end in a push for a vote of no-confidence against commissioner Noli Eala.

A PBA special board meeting on Aug. 2 to decide on the tenure of Eala, whose controversy-riddled term which started in 2002 was also marked by the drug-testing and Fil-Sham controversy that affected gate attendance, television audience ratings and forced sponsors to shy away.

The decision to oust Eala, according to a source, is built around 12 complaints and only a simple majority plus one out of the eight voting members of the league are needed to put it to fruition.

Eala's backing reportedly comes from the four-team San Miguel Corporation bloc which only consists of two votes.

Talk 'n Text governor Ricky Vargas kept mum about the issue when first asked about it by the Tribune but the Manny Pangilinan franchise have always been the known critic of Eala.

On the side of Talk 'n Text is Red Bull while FedEx, Sta. Lucia Realty and Shell may also consider the ouster move once it crops up.

SLR governor Buddy Encarnado, who might miss the Aug. 2 meeting as he will return from the US on Aug. 13, is said to have a falling out of relations with Eala. He is expected to instruct alternate governor Ariel Magno on how to vote on the issue.

The main point of discord between Talk 'n Text and Eala is the handling of the Asi Taulava controversy that sidelined the Pals center for close to a year.

This was before a favorable court order and lack of objections from the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration forced the PBA's hand to lift the indefinite suspension and allow Taulava to play in the recent Fiesta championships won by San Miguel.

Taulava's lawyer Eduardo Francisco revealed the Court of Appeals 13th branch ruling last July 20 junked the PBA's challenge to an order issued by a Quezon City court last January, which directed the PBA to restore Taulava's playing rights.

With the CA ruling, the damage and contempt complaints, depending on Taulava's wish, may be pursued against Eala the sala of Judge Rogelio Pizarro of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

“Everything will depend on Mr. Taulava. However, we should not forget that commissioner Eala deprived Asi and his family of his source of income for nine long months,” Francisco said.

Eala refused to honor Pizarro's order last January to set aside the PBA suspension against Taulava and also forfeited a won game by the Pals in the Philippine Cup due to the use of a “suspended player.”

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Whoa! Pati ba naman PBA may impeachment? I think Eala had some areas of bad judgment but overall I think he guided the league well.

He was the only one that changed the PBA calendar and go all out to help the National Team. Hope he remains as Commissioner.

[nastrans]

Medyo naeexpect ko rin to kahit hindi pa confirmed, it seems that marami na ring naiinis kay Eala sa board especially Talk N Text.

[camerlengo]

other issues by TNT vs eala, the sponsorship of touch mobile of the anniversary game

the old issues include the fil shams, drug testing controversy, so so guest teams and his smc connection

this contributed to lower attendance and ratings despite kaboom's defense here that it improved

but am sure the nail in the coffin was when eala moved the draft from sta lucia to market market
sobrang nagalit si buddy e doon
siguro pati si excy robles
so buddy exerted all efforts to return it to sta lucia

now the die is cast
we can have a new commissioner
new ideas
fresh start for the league

and for the record
eala is the worst commissioner the league ever had

[galactus28]

why not bring back rudy salud??? when he was the comissioner the PBA was a blockbuster hit among everyone

[shadow jedi]

I think Noli Eala did a nice enough job. It is to be hoped that we will see the last of the Fil-sham issue and court cases.

As was already said, we cannot compare Eala with past commissioners on the part of viewership and live attendance. In earlier years there weren't that much competition for the PBA as entertainment. Now there are so many choices and issues that it really is getting harder and harder to get people's attention and continued interest.

I hope the board and its members will seek what is good for the entire league and not simply be vengeful for whatever slights their franchise has experienced.

And whatever happens, it is imperative that they continue the program for our national basketball team.

[Kaboom!]

Obviously, only Fortune voted that the PBA is doomed. Again, it doesn't take a lot to actually check the nielsen's and/or agb philippines ratings to find out that the PBA ratings are better in 2004-2005 compared to 2002-2003. My claim is based on facts. I'm also sure that if someone went to the PBA office and requested for the attendance numbers the last 5 years, it might be given and you'll see that 2004-2005 was not a bad year. Just this past year, Araneta thanked the PBA for raking in a record number of people during the Philippine cup semis and finals.

The TM sponsorship of the 30th anniversary game also needs clarificiation. The PBA took the high ground and didn't go to the press regarding this issue. The people who wrote about it... beth celis and ronnie nathalielsz didn't practice good journalism and of course only got the side of the complainant which is pretty much the case in all their articles... all self serving. A response letter was sent to TNT which included documented faxed transmissions, minutes of meetings, and emails where the sponsorship was offered at least 4 times to Talk 'N Text. After the explanation letter, the matter was not pursued anymore when the evidence was there. All the board members were copy furnished on the report.

I do think for the most part the public perception of Eala is about where this survey is... average performance.

I am thankful that I got to serve the PBA. Whatever happens to the situation, I guess Noli just made too many enemies that every negative aspect got highlighted bigtime. I continue to defend the league because I still have a sincere desire to help it nomatter who is running it. Noli just didn't have enough sectors supporting him especially in the press which is why the situation is always perceived worse than actual.

Again, the loud minority will throw all the accusations. I just wish you guys sometimes look at the actual facts and numbers instead of generalized statements. Nobody who has claimed that the attendance is dwindling or the ratings are lower has backed it up with the actual attendance and ratings. Both can be improved but certainly were not to the levels the enemies of the league claim they are. It seems if someone is pissed at the PBA, that was the first statement that had to be put out.

There is still a lot of work to be done and improvements to be made but all the forces against the PBA has been full force n making sure the league fails. The league has become a microcosm of our country... no cooperation, everyone with their own agenda.

Good luck to the PBA.

Peace.

[Kaboom!]

Originally Posted by galactus28

why not bring back rudy salud??? when he was the comissioner the PBA was a blockbuster hit among everyone

I dont' think it's that simple. He was also replaced for a reason. Times change and the PBA has to constantly adjust.

Like many have said, never in the history of the league has it had so many "entertainment" competitors. Cable is at its highest penetration in history, movies are so high tech and available with surround sound digital music and picture. International sports are much more available now on tv, etc. etc.

It's really like comparing apples and oranges.

Peace.

[bchoter]

Most of Eala's known detractors (Beth Celis, Ronnie Nathanielz, Recah Trinidad, etc.) are those who were around since the early parts of the PBA and they think they deserve preferential treatment from the commissioner. They think, being old timers, the Commisioner should kowtow to them.

Most writers get better with age. But some rot as they age.

[eprot]

Originally Posted by bchoter

Most of Eala's known detractors (Beth Celis, Ronnie Nathanielz, Recah Trinidad, etc.) are those who were around since the early parts of the PBA and they think they deserve preferential treatment from the commissioner. They think, being old timers, the Commisioner should kowtow to them.

Agree ako diyan.

Reading Celis and Trinidad columns on the Inquirer makes me want to ****. The "little Indian" Nathanielz also seems to have an axe to grind against Noli.

My feeling is that Chino Trinidad is being groomed to replace Noli Eala. Whether Chino is an active participant in this undertaking is still in question. Take a look at Inquirer online 07/25/2005 issue (4 teams eye same man to take over Noli by Musong Castillio) regarding the ouster of Noli and you will see the poison that has entered the system.

Whatever happens to Noli Eala, the PBA will survive. It will just serve notice that just like the Philippines in general, that tsimis holds sway over the truth.

Commissioner Noli Eala walk straight and head held up high, you did Philippine basketball proud.

[shadow jedi]

Oust-Eala move may not come to a vote
BY NOLI CORTEZ
THE MOVE to oust Noli Eala as PBA commissioner may not even boil down to a vote.

Malaya sources yesterday said the mere weight of the league governors’ collective complaints against Eala should be enough to expel him without the PBA board going through a vote of confidence.

"There are some 20 complaints compiled against him, most of them very grave indeed," confided a league insider.

"Kapag nakita ng mga governors ang buong list (of complaints) and their seriousness, malamang na hindi na umabot pa sa botohan. Administrative na ang labas," the source added.

Among the complaints are mismanagement or mishandling of the issues and controversies that plagued the league since Eala took over just before the 2003 season, mostly dealing on illegal drugs use among players and the Fil-Shams and indiscretion.

Malaya’s sources said Eala’s various decisions caused a dip in both television ratings and live gate attendances and affected the league’s financial state of affairs.

The sources added there are other "more grave" issues against Eala but added they will only be bared during the board meeting on Aug. 2.

"Mahirap kasing ibulgar lahat at baka makapaghanda pa ang kampo niya. Suffice it to say na kahit kakampi niya mahihirapang i-touch siya with a 10-foot pole once everything is laid on the table," said a source.

Eala reportedly left for Taipei yesterday to support the RP Team competing in the Jones Cup tournament.

Another source said should Eala’s backers push for a vote of confidence, his opponents are certain they can muster the needed number of votes.

There are 10 PBA board members but only eight have voting powers. Newly-installed PBA chairman Ely Capacio of San Miguel Beer can only vote in case of ties and this is considered a very remote possibility in this instance, according to Malaya’s sources.

"We’ve been doing our own head count and we are positive we can muster the required three-fourths vote," said another source.

The known critics of Eala are Talk N Text and Red Bull, but sources said teams like FedEx, Sta. Lucia Realty, Shell and Alaska are also inclined to support the move to oust him.

One source said representatives of these teams will be sure of their votes once the full list of complaints is laid down against Eala.

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Ano pa kaya ang complaints ng ibang teams? Nandyan na naman yata ang mentality na "the PBA is an SMC league" ah? Let's hope they assess the situation, decide on Eala's overall performance and achievements, and not just focus on rulings that didn't go their way.

Haaay... as if being banned by FIBA wasn't enough....