The PBA Hall of Fame has been dormant for nearly 12 years, and The Triggerman wants to change that.
For PBA legend Allan Caidic, resurrecting the PBA Hall of Fame should be a slam dunk.
It’s been 12 years since the Hall accepted its last batch of inductees, namely Lim Eng Beng, Benjie Paras, Ed Ocampo, and Ronnie Magsanoc. Prior to that, the PBA held an induction ceremony every two years beginning with the inaugural batch who were enshrined in 2005.
For various reasons, the momentum stalled and no other induction ceremony has been held since 2013. Now, Allan Caidic wants to change that, if only to give proper recognition to other former players, coaches, and team executives.
“I’m pushing for…mabalik ang Hall of Fame,” Caidic told a group of reporters after the launch of the PBA’s 50th anniversary logo. “Dapat yun ang maging constant, eh. Kasi yung whoever ang hindi nasama before, sa top 25 na sa tingin natin, kinapos because of the criteria, doon natin ilagay hanggang sa maging yearly event na ang Hall of Fame award kasi doon unlimited yan.”
“Ito yung isa sa i-pupush ko sana kung mabibigyan ng chance na mapansin nila yung Hall of Fame. Dapat maging regular, dapat yearly kasi 2013 ang huli, 2025 na tayo so 12 years na yan. So we’ve had five or six batches pa lang (five to be precise).”
Allan Caidic, himself an inductee in 2009, was referring to an ever-evolving list of 25, 40, and 50 greatest PBA players, to which obviously not everyone can be named. Enter the PBA Hall of Fame, which has so far welcomed exactly 50 individuals who were once connected to the league either as a player, coach, team manager, commissioner, or media member.
“Kasi pag sinabi mo kasing PBA 50 greatest, greatest players, so ano ba ang ibig sabihin? Yung cream of the crop, the greatest players na naglaro sa PBA. Pag sinabi mo nang Hall of Fame, kasama na ang iba diyan. So may big difference yan.
This year would be a good time to revive the PBA Hall of Fame, given that the league is celebrating its golden anniversary. And it would dovetail perfectly with the unveiling of the 10 additional players who will comprise the 50 greatest list, of which Allan Caidic is a member of the selection committee.
The committee, comprised of 10 members from various sectors of the PBA’s vast ecosystem and chaired by former commissioner Sonny Barrios, has the unenviable task of choosing the next 10 members of the exclusive fraternity of PBA legends.
It’s a responsibility that every committee member takes seriously, especially in light of perceived omissions from the 40 greatest list that was revealed 10 years ago.
“Lahat kaming sampu, isa lang ang goal namin,” Caidic said. “To make sure na iyong pipiliin namin, talagang karapat-dapat na makasama sa 50 greatest.
“Malaking pressure in a way dahil siyempre lahat in-expect may mga kanya-kanyang padrino, may mga kanya-kanyang paborito. But end of the day talagang we’ll make sure na ang sampu, with the help of the commissioner, ay talagang aayusin namin.”
The committee realizes that once again, there will be some tough omissions this time around, and Caidic said it’s important for the committee to be on the same page when it comes to basic guidelines for choosing a player.
“You cannot please everyone,” he admitted. “Pero one of the things na nabanggit ko doon, kasi hindi naman natin mapagsasama-sama everyone kahit na bet niyo o bet nino man. May mga kanya-kanya pa rin yan sa 50.
“Pero I give emphasis, dahil greatest players, kaya I give emphasis sa achievements at statistics para sakin. Kasi sa ngayon yan ang nakikita ko, personal kong opinion yan na hindi ko ma-guarantee na ganoon ang gagawin but I will recommend it sa group. Sa 10 na hinahanap natin, ano ang main considerations apart from the accolades? Ito shoo-in, ito hindi, ito ganito.
“But at the end of the day rest assured na we’ll do our best na maging maayos itong proseso. Kaya very careful kami na magbanggit this early ang guidelines.”
Banner Images courtesy of PBA Media Bureau.