The PBA has started it's new season last month.With new faces and a new rules,they are hoping to have a banner year.I've seen the games and for sure you can say the best players in basketball in RP is in the PBA. Quality wise no question about it.

So the question is,where are the fans? Aside from the opening day game,you don't have to be there physically to observe that PBA games tend to have less people watching it.So what's really happening?I've got a few theories.

1.PBA has become boring. When a league try's to be a family entertainment,it loses it's edge. I know we shouldn't condone violence,but basketball is a physical game. When there is a physical altercation for instance,majority of the action is not shown or discussed in the TV coverage. No replays whatsoever. What happens is,the perpetrator goes scott- free. Without this coverage,there's a resemblance of the games being boring. So stop being a Sesame street program ,people want to see physicallity and realness. Blood sweat and tears without becoming a hooligan,that's what makes it a true sport.

2.Ungrateful to fans.When did you hear PBA,saying thank you to loyal fans of every other team.Is there any program,specifically made for fans.I mean real fans.Fans that stay with the clubs win or lose.Do they actually get commended?Fans need this affirmation from the commercial clubs that they support in order for them to keep on rooting for them.It's a known fact that the PBA is a big time advertisement thing.But at the end of the day,it's still a sport.And sports needs fans to survive.Do players play for the fans or company?For me,it's always for the fans.

3.I think everyone remembers the defunct basketball league MBA,have you seen how their fans responded to their teams.It was so passionate and ecstatic.It's like the support you see on La Salle/Ateneo basketball games,but on a larger scale.PBA's problem is Commercial teams don't really have the affinity with fans,meaning it's quite hard to root for a team named after a company. It showed,MBA didn't have the marquee players the PBA had,yet people/fans came to watch MBA games with passion.The reason,fans can feel automatic affinity to teams.If I was a cebuano,I rooted for Cebu Gems,or a kapampangan rooting for their Pampanga dragons etc.etc.So,if the PBA wants to see genuine fan loyalty to teams ,PBA has got to adopt Philippine cities to enhance fan support again.They could even start with cities in Metro Manila to save money.For example by drawing lots,PBA teams can be named like,GinebraManila,Purefoods Makati or Sta. Lucia Pasig.

Affinity that's the key.If not,good as well,if interest in basketball wanes.Football might be able to stage a comeback.The sport that we filipinos should be playing anyway.