It’s not often that PBA commissioner Willie Marcial blows his top over anything.
The man has remarkable patience when dealing with critics and an inquisitive media, and has mastered the art of letting even the harshest comments slide off his back.
Which is why the incident last Wednesday at the South Gate entrance of the Smart Araneta Coliseum came as a surprise.
I heard Marcial was briefly denied entry unless he signed his name on an accreditation list. The man on track to become the PBA’s longest-serving commissioner couldn’t enter the Big Dome on a game day based on face recognition alone.
Naturally, he exploded in anger.
An emergency meeting between Marcial and Smart Araneta Coliseum management was convened soon after.
From sources, the explanation that emerged from the closed-door meeting was this: the Big Dome had tightened security protocols for all events following an earlier incident – during a cockfighting event weeks ago, I was told – where thousands allegedly gained entry without tickets, resulting in significant revenue losses.
Hence the new personnel at the entrance and the heightened security measures throughout the venue that Wednesday.
No problem with that. But apparently, the PBA had not been fully apprised of the new policy, resulting in the mix-up. Marcial assured though that everything was resolved during the meeting.
“Okay naman na, mula team officials at players; pati na rin sa media,” he said. “Me magba-vouch lang for them. Tapos, diretso pasok na. Maayos ang naging usapan namin. Very accommodating at understanding sila.”
We’ll know if that would be the case Sunday, when the Big Dome hosts the second playdate of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Who’s on schedule that day? TNT Tropang 5G versus Macau Giant Pandas at 5:15 p.m.; and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel against Phoenix Super LPG at 7:30 pm.
Hoping everything’s good, for everybody’s sake.
After all, one can only imagine the scene should TNT governor and PBA chairman Ricky Vargas pull in at the gate, and Brgy. Ginebra governor and league vice chairman Alfrancis Chua arrive, and both are told to produce IDs and leave their signatures before entering.
Even Commissioner Willie would shudder at the thought.
