In the not-so-distant past, there was a running joke that also-ran PBA teams will head straight to Boracay, much like the "Cancun joke" in the NBA.
But how about establishing an actual team in Boracay?
“That will be sick. Guys get to go in Boracay and play?” said Sol Mercado in Let It Fly Podcast’s Coast to Coast Session.
The former PBA champion with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel suggested it’s about time the PBA should build provincial teams to address the problem of dwindling fan interest over the past years.
“If they got rid of corporations and built actual provincial teams, kinda like how MPBL does but on a PBA level,” he told Ginebra’s Jared Dillinger and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ Gabe Norwood in the said podcast.
“There’s money out here. They can build state-of-the-art facilities and practice facilities and make these guys feel that they’re actually a part of the province.”
To further help his point, the Sol Train referenced to himself growing up in California and rooting for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
“For me, I grew up watching the Sacramento Kings ‘cause I’m from there. So I root for them no matter who’s on that team, no matter what happens,” he said.
That should be a breeze for a small country like the Philippines, where one can travel from Point A to Point B in only an hour or so via plane.
“It’s like out here, they root for a team based on history and the corporation, like you got all those Ginebra fans,” he said.
“Imagine if you brought a team to Cebu. Whether you’re a Ginebra fan or not and you have a Cebu team and you’re from Cebu? You’re gonna be on Cebu’s side.”
That’s why he doesn’t see logistics to be a problem. Players can still live in Manila or wherever while playing for a provincial team.
“It’s got to be provinces that are at a level to build state-of-the-art arenas that could take care of these guys (and make sure) they’re able to live kind of a city life as well,” he said.
It’s not the first time someone suggested the league make these adjustments. But it will also be prudent for the league to explore this option to keep fans on the hook.
Agree?
Watch the whole episode here:
(CF)