Just a quick update: posting will be light this week because I’m in Palawan for most of the week for the day job. Meanwhile, if you missed it, check out this classic from our favorite writer:

WBO women’s superbantamweight champion Ana (Hurricane) Julaton declined the other day to reveal the secrets of her love life but manager Angelo Reyes admitted while not insinuating a romantic relationship, she’s “good friends” with Miami Heat’s Fil-Am head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Taenang Quinito yan, ginawan ng issue sina Erik Spoelstra at si Ana Julaton. Uso na rin pala sa sports yung pag-gawa ng gimmick para i-hype ang event. Parang Piolo-KC lang eh.

Continue reading "Quick advisory, and Quinito the chismoso"

I swung by the PBA office last Wednesday for a chat with Commissioner Chito Salud. I had wanted to talk to him about the plans for the PBA’s developmental league, which I’ll be writing about for the March issue of Baller magazine. I’d introduced myself by name as a Baller writer when I booked the interview, so I was a bit surprised when the commissioner’s executive secretary, Ms. Coy, asked me, “Are you Fire Quinito?”

Apparently, my reputation preceded me.

Continue reading "One-on-one with Commissioner Chito Salud: Barako, Gilas, salary cap and other issues"

I was having dinner last night with the boys from the excellent Patay ang Butiki blog, and we invited GMANews.TV’s intrepid sports reporter Rey Joble to join us, since he just worked next door. As soon as he walked in to the restaurant, his phone started buzzing with all kinds of calls and text messages from PBA insiders telling him the details of a big trade by Rain or Shine, Air 21, and Meralco.

Here are the details of the blockbuster deal:

Air 21 gets: Jay-R Reyes (Rain or Shine), Reed Juntilla (Meralco)

UPDATE: Fidel Mangonon III reports on Twitter that Air 21 will also be getting two first round picks from Meralco (2011 and 2013).

Meralco gets: Sol Mercado (Rain or Shine), Paolo Bugia (Rain or Shine), Erick Rodriguez (Air 21)

Rain or Shine gets: Ronjay Buenafe (Air 21), Ronnie Matias (Air 21), Beau Belga (Meralco), 2011 first round pick (Air 21), 2013 first round pick (Air 21)

Continue reading "Breaking down the blockbuster: Mercado to Meralco, Reyes to Air 21, Buenafe to RoS"

This landed in my inbox last night, an email ostensibly forwarded from writer (and former Azkals media officer) Rick Olivares:

Continue reading "The Azkals are having a fans’ day party (and you’re not invited)"

In his column yesterday, Quinito Henson wrote about the flap caused by a tweet by Sol Mercado criticizing him. If you’re not on Twitter (and if you’re a PBA fan in this day and age, you really need to be on it), here’s what happened: Mercado was watching the broadcast of the Talk N Text-Derby Ace matchup which Quinito was announcing. After a stepback move by James Yap, Quinito compared the reigning MVP to Michael Jordan, which pissed off Mercado; he swore he wouldn’t watch another minute of the game until the PBA hired an announcer who actually knew what he was talking about.

Continue reading "Quinito Henson vs. irreverent Twitter users"

Yesterday, Ronnie Nathanielsz reported that the referees who worked Sunday’s game between Derby Ace and Talk N Text were suspended by the PBA for calls that affected the outcome of the match.

Later that night, however, the Inquirer published a story correcting the earlier item. Salud said that only one of three suspended refs were actually part of the crew that worked the Derby Ace-TNT game, and the reasons for their suspension was totally different from what the original story said. So the initial report was, well, wrong. It is unclear who wrote the follow-up, Nathanielsz himself corrected the details on Twitter too.

Continue reading "Is Talk N Text being screwed by the refs?"

Despite leading the Philippine men’s national football team to its best ever finish in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup last December, English coach Simon McMenemy found himself out of a job this weekend as the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) decided not to renew his contract, which expired at the end of last year. Deciding to go in another direction, the Azkals’ team manager Dan Palami announced that the team would be handled by German coach Hans Michael Weiss upon the recommendation of the German Football Association (DFB).



Former Azkals coach Simon McMenemy during happier times.

Continue reading "Simon McMenemy out as Azkals coach as PFF signs deal with German football group"

I’ve got two stories in the latest issue of Baller, the Official Lifestyle Magazine of the PBA, featuring Barangay Ginebra’s Three Kings on the cover. I’m not even a Ginebra fan, but damn, that is a fine-looking cover – in my opinion, better than the James Yap photo that graced the maiden issue. My idol Patricia Hizon wrote the cover story, as well as about 1,549 other features in the magazine. Inside are a few more photos of Willie Miller, Mark Caguioa, and Jayjay Helterbrand goofing around. Wille Thriller looks like he had so much fun at the pictorials.

Continue reading "Baller 2nd issue out now"

It was a little late, but Santa’s gift for me this past Holiday season was simply perfect, as two of my least favorite sportswriters, Ronnie Nathanielsz and Quinito Henson, took passive-aggressive shots at each other in a series of columns about the comparative television ratings of the Philippine football team matches and PBA games.

Nathanielsz kicked off stupidities with his report that the first Azkal semifinals game broadcast by Studio 23 (with him as the lead anchor, something he fails to mention in his story) rated better than the previous day’s PBA game, an elimination round game featuring Meralco vs. Rain or Shine. In a follow-up, Nathanielsz wrote that the second Azkals game on Studio 23 brought in higher ratings than the Air 21-San Miguel quarterfinals game that aired that same evening, although the football match still failed to garner as many viewers as that week’s quarterfinals match between Alaska and Barangay Ginebra.

Continue reading "Ronnie Nathanielsz and Quinito Henson have a holiday bitchfight over TV ratings"