Just Another Game

Fan Favorites

Jun 8, 2008

Okay, okay, the Lakers dropped game 1, but that’s not what this post is about. It’s about Paul Pierce’s lame excuse for an injury the ear to ear smile on David Stern’s face right now. After one of the most boring and low-rating NBA finals the past three years, basketball fans around the world are being rewarded with a rehash of probably the most storied rivalry in professional basketball.

This brings to mind how dependent even our own local leagues are on the performance (or absence) of their most marketable teams.

According to an official from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the television network that doubles as the UAAP’s marketing arm, approximately half of the league’s top advertisers have pulled out this season. The percentage as to how much La Salle’s absence has to do with it is even greater.

“Admittedly, there are less advertisers because the landscape is different,” Jojo Garcia, ABS-CBN’s customer development head for sports, told the Inquirer. “Some clients cited the absence of La Salle, but it’s also more than that.”

July 2006

It just makes you think — will the UAAP be as successful as it is without an Ateneo-Lasalle rivalry? My answer to this question is a flat out no. There’s nothing even remotely close to the excitement a Jvee Casio and Chris Tiu shootout can provide this coming year.

When it comes to the PBA (And I know I’m going to get more flak for even posting this), you don’t need to be commissioner to know that gate receipts and ratings are highly dependent on how far Ginebra goes. Whenever the league’s most popular team makes it to the finals, I’ve gone as far as sneaking in as dancer’s companion just to get into the Araneta.

Don’t believe me? You don’t even Nielsen to tell you that all of the above is true. Just go and find your friendly neighborhood scalper. His word is definitely more believable than “The Truth”’s drama queen act.

*Don’t get me wrong, Boston won game 1 fair and square. I want KG and Allen to get rings. Wag lang sana ngayon

Related posts:

1. What 12 Straight Wins can do for the PBA A fitting way to end their stint on ABC5....
2. Go Barangay GinebraI've been so engrossed about so many things these past...
3. Basketball Overload.The PBA All-Filipino conference started a week ago, and has...
4. The Free Throw Line When I used to play inter school ball in...
5. Quotable Quotes from the 1st Round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs It's only the first round of the NBA Playoffs,...