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RENAULD “Sonny” Barrios calls himself the
’Bagong Luma [The new old],’ luma [old] for he
had served the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
for 18 years as a trusted soldier of commissioners Rudy
Salud and the late Jun Bernardino.
And bago
[new] as he is back with the league he loved most, every
aspect of the league right now is new to him. But this
time, the man known to his friends as Sonny B. is now
calling the shots for the 33-year-old institution.
Even in
interim basis. Six months to be exact.
“Right
now, we’re preparing for the opening because I just got
briefed about the status of the league,” said Barrios in
an interview with BusinessMirror at the league’s office
in Libis,
Quezon City.
“I’m
feeling my way because I’m not been aware of what’s
happening in the PBA since I retired from December 2002
up to August 13, 2007. Come August 14, I’m a working
guy again,” Barrios added with a big smile.
The
amiable officer-in-charge (OIC) sees no problem working
with the team that resigned commissioner Noli Eala left
early August as Barrios knew most of them during his
time with the league.
“When
chairman [Ricky] Vargas appointed me as OIC, I assured
these people that all their jobs are safe, even those
people who have sensitive positions. I can work with
anybody.”
When
Eala left the league because of personal reasons, the
board opted for the safest solution by hiring Sonny B.
But the
path of reuniting with the PBA never came so simple for
the 59-year-old Barrios. In fact, the process he went
through brought back a disheartening experience in his
career.
“Bagong
Luma” shares the journey back and his goals in the PBA,
the league he called home for almost two decades.
Silver
lining of
losing
SONNY
B. admits that when Bernardino stepped down from his
post in 2002 because of health reasons, he would be the
next in line for the commissionership.
But the
coveted job went to the young Eala.
“I was
really sad when I wasn’t picked as commissioner,”
Barrios recalled as what many thought he would be a
shoo-in for the position with the experience and
credentials he had.
“But I
think there was a silver lining of not getting the
commissionership in 2002. Little that I knew, I became
closer to my family especially to my three children whom
I got the chance to know better when I retired,” Barrios
added.
For four
years and seven and a half months, Barrios detached
himself from the PBA and became a family man.
“Mrs. B
said, at least we have now time to take care of our
project in the States. It’s hard to be a peso earner and
yet be a dollar spender. We need to have a dollar-earner
project.”
The
Barrioses were now ready to leave the country after
getting a license for their “care home project” in
America, which took them two years to complete.
“We’re
very happy that time we got our license. At least we can
now operate legally for our clients,” Barrios explained.
“We went back just to wrap up and spend my son’s
birthday [September 3], then we’re off to the US for
good.”
But it
did not happen. Eala resigned and the league immediately
searched for a replacement and Barrios’s name was
included on the short list. Barrios did not take that
news item seriously.
“I
really thought my name was just added,” he said.
“Because I thought I was already part of the permanent
past of the PBA. The truth is I made the PBA part of my
permanent past.”
“But my
name never disappeared from the news. I thought there
must be something to it,” he added.
Webbed
by Webb
BARRIOS’S interest for the job took a dip a bit when
news broke out that former basketball legend and
Olympian Freddie Webb was a strong bet for the job. It
came out on the eve of the board meeting in August 13.
“I
thought about it. Others even gave the numbers, 7-2 in
favor of Webb. Then my daughter called me and asked me
what about our home care project, I said don’t worry my
name was just dragged into it,” he said.
On the
day of announcement, Barrios thought he lost another
fight, like in 2002. He slept through it and turned his
cell phone off.
“I
didn’t want to answer any reporter who might call asking
for my reaction on having lost for the second time.”
Mrs. B.
woke him up as Bobong Velez, a close friend, had been
searching for him to relay the message that he got the
nod of the PBA board.
“Then
Mr. Vargas called and he told me that the board is
seriously considering me only as OIC. ’That’s what came
out in reports and they clarified that to me,” he noted.
And as
they say, the rest is history. But for Barrios, it is
just a beginning of a long-delayed dream.
Trusted
man
NOT
known to many, former commissioner Rudy Salud played a
big part in convincing Barrios to reconsider the offer.
“Unfortunately, Jun B. is no longer around. And the next
best person to talk to was commissioner Salud. We’re
going to be together. We talked it over lunch,” said
Barrios.
“He told
me ‘Sonny, I’m saying this without trying to impose on
you, maybe you can adjust your schedule and look at
serving the association for a conference.’”
“I said
I can adjust. Mrs. B. can go ahead first but I need
help,” Barrios explained.
The name
of Atty. Chito Salud, son of the former commissioner,
came out as Barrios requested him to the board to be
part of his team, as legal counsel to be exact.
“It’s
important to have a legal mind that you know. This is
not something I’m inventing or whimsical. It has been
done by the forefathers in the PBA.”
Barrios
narrated that when the league was being formed, founding
commissioner Leo Prieto told the team owners like Danny
Floro and—Ricardo Silverio that he can work with anybody
as the PBA had its administrative staff from the old
MICAA.
Prieto
brought in Rudy Salud as the league top legal man. When
Salud became commissioner, he picked Atty. Butch Cleofe
to be in on his side. Cleofe stayed for a while when
Eala took the post, then Atty. Melvin Mendoza came in.
Challenges and challenges
“I’M
just a transitional officer here. But I’m looking at
this by not saying I don’t care for the next conference.
In fact, I do care. We want to place things in order for
the next commissioner,” said Barrios.
“I’m not
thinking long term. I want to make sure I don’t drop the
ball. As chairman Tony Chua said, what is important is
now.”
Officiating would be the centerpiece of his program as
team owners were unanimous in telling Barrios as their
main concern right now.
“Being
fair and objective is not enough. I told my referees, we
have to be perceived by the fans as objective and fair.
Perception, when it becomes out of touch with reality,
becomes reality,” said Barrios.
‘Chito
Salud has been given the task of taking care of the
physical conditioning of the referees. According to
Barrios, Salud, 45, runs five kilometers each morning.
Competitive balance is another concern for him though
Barrios admitted that “when I came in, it’s already
there. But the rules of the PBA are well [grounded]
that’s why I don’t see any problem with that.”
Barrios
is also looking at the expanded competitiveness of the
PBA because he feels that the old PBA is very much
different compared to the new PBA as far as its
competitive nature is concerned.
“Before,
the PBA was No. 1 sports entertainment in the country;
there weren’t any malls then. We competed maybe against
movies and beerhouses,” said Barrios. “But now, there
are a lot of competition—malls, Internet, cable
television, video games and others.”
The
league’s participation in international competition is
also something new for Barrios as during his time, the
league would only lend its players to Asian Games.
“We
resisted that before because it wasn’t in the mandate of
the PBA to represent the country, that was BAP
jurisdiction. Commissioner Salud then made a compromise
to do it for the Asian Games because the public might
think the PBA is selfish,” he said.
Barrios
knows that this is no longer the situation as the league
has a mandate from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas
to spearhead the country’s participation in
international competitions.
“We have
different parameters now. We are adjusting to the
Bagong Luma [New Old]. But the actual game, it’s
still the same and we should take care of it because
that is our product. |
