Even Tommy Manotoc had seen through the bluster from Trillo who announced many days back that they intended to match the Mobiline offer sheet and then trade Cariaso. Deep inside, Manotoc knew Trillo's move as a sign of desperation and a bluff so telegraphic even Mobiline's water boy saw through it. "When Trillo announced they intended to use Cariaso as a trade bait, we knew they could not match our offer. Why should you announce your intention to media?" Manotoc said as if saying how stupid can one get. On our part, jaded as we are and inquisitive to the core, we took Alaska's officials word as truth. Well, we learned our lesson. From now, we will consider any word from Alaska officials as a lie unless proven otherwise.

With 12 months still left from its four-year contract with the Philippine Basketball Association, Vintage has already launched a campaign to retain its control over what conceivably is the most lucrative TV contract in the broadcast industry. The multi-barreled campaign had Vintage issuing press releases telling how viewership of PBA games had doubled or tripled over the years and how Vintage had helped made it so.

For its part, the PBA through commissioner Jun Bernardino, said it has no intention of parting ways with Vintage saying the association was happy with the firm's PBA coverage. What the PBA wants, Bernardino said, is to get the full market value of the PBA and that is why the PBA wants to entertain offers from other outfits. If Bobong Velez knows such things as offer sheets, salary caps, player trades, which we're sure he knows by heart, then he also knows he is in for some ``trouble.'' Trouble, not in the sense that the PBA franchise would soon disappear from his grasp, but trouble in the sense that he would soon be paying more, much more, to broadcast the games.

Why? Well, let's pretend the PBA television franchise is a blue chip PBA player like Alvin Patrimonio. When Alvin's contract expires, he will get offers from other teams. Naturally, Alvin will get an astronomical offer. But his team has what people call the right of first refusal. They can match the offer and retain Alvin or let Alvin go if the amount is too high.

The same is true of the PBA franchise. Vintage only has to match any other offer and the franchise is back to Vintage. What the offers will serve is simply to become the measuring stick by which Vintage will have to pay for its next PBA contract. Because from where we sit, we can't see why Vintage should lose the franchise. The PBA simply wants to get more for its blue chip player by entertaining offer sheets which Vintage has no choice but to match.

Vintage is lucky because it has the inside track in any bidding if there would be one. But, unlike before, it will not have control over the price of the franchise. Despite the chummy relationship between the PBA and Vintage, it is now clear the PBA feels it should get more from the broadcast rights. But then, we also wonder. If PBA is inclined to give Vintage a new contract when the old one expires, and if the PBA has announced it was happy with Vintage's coverage, who in his right mind would even think of bidding? -Ding Marcelo