Saturday, September 24, 2011

PBA PRESS CORPS AWARDS SET



The PBA Press Corps, the group of sportswriters who regularly cover the PBA games, is all set to stage its annual awards on Sept. 30 at the Topaz Room of the Gateway Suites in Cubao, Quezon City.

The awarding of the Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Trophy to the Coach of the Year and the Danny Floro Trophy to the Executive of the Year highlights the semi-formal affair set to start at 7 p.m.

Also to be feted are Mr. Quality Minutes, William ‘Bogs’ Adornado-Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, All-Rookie Selection, Referee of the Year, and Order of Merit winner.

Members of champion teams Talk n Text and Petron Blaze are tipped to get the lion's share of the awards in the affair presented by Talk ‘N Text, San Miguel Corporation and Powerade.

Coach Chot Reyes, who steered the Tropang Texters to a near grand slam, is the prime candidate for the Coach of the Year award.

Reyes, currently in Wuhan, China serving as assistant to coach Rajko Toroman in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship, previously won the coveted award in 1993, 2002, 2003 and 2009.

A major breakthrough for his team likewise makes Talk n Text team owner Manny V. Pangilinan the leading candidate for the Executive of the Year award.

Dave Floro, son of the late Crispa team owner, is expected to be on hand to personally award the Danny Floro Trophy to the winner.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud, board chairman Mert Mondragon and other PBA officials are also expected to grace the occasion where seasoned sportscasters Sev Sarmenta and Patricia Bermudez-Hizon serve as emcees.

Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio is the current holder of the permanent Dalupan Trophy.

If he fails to retain the Coach of the Year award, Gregorio turns over the permanent trophy to his would-be successor. The Coach of the Year winner also gets a replica of the permanent ware.

The other 2010 awardees were Alaska Milk owner Wilfred Uytengsu as Executive of the Year, Gabe Norwood as Defensive Player of the Year, KG Canaleta as Mr. Quality Minutes, Kelly Williams as Comeback Player of the Year, Manolito Quilinguen Referee of the Year and Rico Maierhofer, Josh Urbiztondo, Jervy Cruz, Ronnie Matias and Ogie Menor making up the All-Rookie Team.(pr)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Aces still a force even without Cone

FROM one ``Triangle’ to another.

While the presence of long-time coach Tim Cone will surely be missed
over at the Alaska bench, the system that has become the team’s bread
and butter the past 22 years – Triangle Offense – stays on as
long-time assistant Joel Banal takes over the coaching reins left
behind by the multi-titled American mentor.

Although Banal had one-time been a head coach in the Philippine
Basketball Association (PBA) himself, his association with Cone as a
trusted lieutenant has been well-known that both are always connected
with each other.

But following the departure of Cone, and his subsequent acceptance of
the B-Meg coaching job, both will now have to go their separate ways.

Banal however, said Cone’s influence within the Aces won’t diminish,
especially in relation with the Triangle Offense, a system that
produced 13 championships for the franchise and tied it with the
legendary Crispa Redmanizers as the second winningest team in the rich
history of Asia’s pioneering professional league.

“My style is a combination of structure and unstructured systems,”
said Banal, who won for Talk `N Text its first ever league
championship during the 2003 All-Filipino conference.

Even without Cone, the coach with the most number of games won in PBA
annals, the Aces still kept the core of the team that won the 2009
Fiesta Cup championship, players like L.A. Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio,
Sonny Thoss, Tony De La Cruz, Mark Borboran, Samigue Eman and Brandon
Cablay.

Only last year, they acquired big man Jay-R Reyes, Paolo Bugia, Wesley
Gonzales and Bonbon Custodio, and now rookie recruits Mac Baracael,
Eric Salamat, Julius Pasculados and Ariel Mepana.

Tenorio, the acknowledged heart and soul of the Aces, said in as much
as the team will miss the company of their former beloved mentor,
Banal is definitely an excellent choice as Cone’s replacement.

“With coach Joel, it’s practically the same system. He’s been coach
Tim’s assistant for many years so adjusting is not hard for us,” said
the former Ateneo star considered by many as among the top three point
guards in the league today.

Tenorio conceded that he’s where at his career right now due to Cone.

“It was he who molded me into the PBA player that I am right now,” he said.

But come the season-opening Philippine Cup which formally kicks off on
Oct. 2 at the Araneta Coliseum, there’s no question as to where and to
who his loyalty will be.

 “We want to get the (All-Filipino) crown. We want to show that we can
do it for coach Joel,” added the cerebral Alaska playmaker.

The Aces open the 37th season by testing outright the mettle of the
Barangay Ginebra Kings on Oct. 9, and then plunge into action against
their former coach and the Llamados in an interesting Oct. 12
encounter. (pr)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Assistant coaches take over Bolts, Tropang Texters

The Smart-PLDT Group is convinced they have able staff that will man
the fort while Talk n Text head coach Chot Reyes and Meralco chief
tactician Ryan Gregorio are with Smart Gilas-Pilipinas campaigning in
the Fiba Asia championship in Wuhan, China.

Reyes and Gregorio will be away for two weeks, and would be reunited
with their PBA teams with only a week to go before the opening of the
PBA Season 37 on Oct. 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Top bosses of the Pangilinan teams, however, insisted everything would
be well covered in the absence of Reyes and Gregorio.

“Their assistant coaches will be there to take over,” said Smart-PLDT
top executive Ricky Vargas referring to Nash Racela, Josh Reyes and
Jamike Jarin at Talk n Text and Ronnie Magsanoc, Boyet Fernandez,
Patrick Fran and Xavier Nunag at Meralco.

The Bolts have long been in training since they’re among the first
teams to take an early vacation last season.

The Tropang Texters, the team that had the longest 2010-2011 season,
re-open camp tomorrow when coach Reyes is already in Wuhan.
“We practiced four hours a day since I’ll be away for a long period of
time. We worked double time to establish the system we want to
implement,” said Gregorio.

“Ilang araw na lang tournament na pagbalik ko but, of course, we have
to prioritize the country,” Gregorio added.

Gregorio said Magsanoc would be the one in command in his absence.

Reyes should also not have a problem, leaving the rein at Talk n Text
to Racela, a longtime deputy.(pr)

Friday, September 9, 2011

Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 1 ends on a high note


The champions with officials that included Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas regional director Regino "Boy" Cua (3rd from left, standing).

1st runner-up team with Phoenix Petroleum officials led by corporate affairs manager Ben Sur.




Liga Dabaw vice-chairman Atty.Carpio awards the medals to the Mythical Five.


PBA player Peter June Simon (right), who now earns a monthly six-figure income, with  tournament MVP Klyde Batilo.


Liga Dabaw vice-chair Mans Carpio (extreme right) and Davao City asst. administrator Erwin Alparaque, who is also president of the City Hall Employees Sports Club (CHESC) join Phoenix officials.





The Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras Gym) was packed with basketball fanatics as Phoenix Petroleum ended the first season of the Trip Mo Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup last August 28.


Team Cyclomax Titan emerged as champion with only a shot ahead against this season’s 1st runner-up Accelerate Supreme. The score was 78-76. Teams Accelerate Vega and Zoelo Extreme landed on the third and fourth place.


Klyde Batilo of Cyclomax Titan was proclaimed as this season’s Most Valuable Player as his teammate Eric Patrick Dulay II, along with Accelerate Supreme’s Vernon Miguel Boneon and Jeuchrist Binoya, Accelerate Vega’s Rhaffy Torno and Zoelo Extreme’s Ralph San Miguel, were named the basketball cup’s Mythical Five.

The young basketball players received an additional treat when PBA player Peter June Simon of B-Meg Llamados helped award the winners. “I hope someday many DavaeƱos will enter the PBA,” PJ said in his inspirational message. He started his basketball career at the University of Mindanao where he studied. Later, he joined the Metropolitan Basketball Association and played under the Davao Eagles.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is set to bring a better basketball cup with the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 2. This time it will be played by 13 -15 year old players later this year.


The Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup opened on July 2 with six teams.  Each team was composed of 15 players of age 16 and under, and mostly from public schools. It was organized in partnership with the city government of Davao and is sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Region 11.


The basketball cup is part of Phoenix’s advocacy to promote sports. Phoenix Petroleum is a partner of the Philippine Basketball Association. The company also holds the Phoenix Run Series, which has been to Davao City, Compostela Valley, and Tagum City. Phoenix will also bring seven elite runners from Davao City to the Summit CamSur International Marathon on September 25, 2011 at the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC).(pr)

Monday, September 5, 2011

SALUD WARNS SALARY CAP VIOLATORS

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud yesterday declared that he will not
hesitate to throw the book at erring teams if he established proof of
alleged salary cap violations.

“Should I find actionable cases of salary cap breach, I will not waste
time sanctioning the guilty parties. Violators be warned,” Salud
cautioned.

In the same breath, the PBA chieftain also reminded Alaska team owner
Wilfred Uytengsu to be careful with his allegations of salary cap
violations by some teams.

During a press conference last Thursday, the outspoken executive said
his team would leave the PBA if the league can’t control salary cap
violations.

“The matters that he brought up, particularly the alleged violations
of salary cap, are critical issues which must be discussed in
reasonable manner, primarily within the confines of the PBA board
room.

“To be clear, what Mr. Uytengsu advocates -- the upholding of the
rules of the league -- is also my advocacy. I believe that the vast
majority of our players and team officials abide by the rules, so it
is unfair to tar them with sweeping statements,” Salud said.

“Let’s call a spade, a spade. By its very nature, this is one issue
where proof is hard to come by and inuendos easy to make. But it does
not mean it does not happen.”
At present there are 15 players who are being paid the maximum salary
out of the 140 or so players with live contracts in the PBA.

Salud revealed they are being monitored by the Commissioner’s Office
along with other players who are being paid close to the maximum
salary.

He stressed that he has taken a pro-active position on the matter, but
with discretion on the issue by not being vocal about it to prevent a
trial by publicity.

“There are legitimate reasons for a player to move from one team to
another; better chance at a championship, better coach-player
chemistry, more playing time, etc. In short, it’s not just about the
money,” Salud stressed.

Salud stressed that he strictly examines player movement and decides
to look deeper into it if he finds reason to so.

He said it is not true that nothing can be done to address the issue.
“I can bring in external parties, if necessary, to allow for deeper
scrutiny.

“I will consult with all the team owners individually and harness
their collective experience and viewpoint on the matter to resolve
once and for all accusations of salary cap violations,” he said.(pr)