The usual suspects Polo Bustamante, and Carlo Pamintuan were unavailable last night, so I stepped in for a one-on-one podcast with Chuck Araneta in the latest episode of the From the Stands podcast. After briefly eulogizing the B-MEG Derby Ace campaign in the Commissioner's Cup and talking about the controversial Alaska-Air 21 match-up, we broke down the quarterfinals matchups: Air 21 vs Alaska and Ginebra vs Rain or Shine, and how the teams stack up against top seeds Talk N Text and Smart Gilas.

For this week's Old School vs New School, we compare two of the PBA's greatest shooting guards: Jojo Lastimosa and Mark Caguioa, whose fans argue that each guy is the greatest player never to win the MVP award.

Continue reading "From the Stands: Handicapping the PBA quarters, Jojo Lastimosa vs Mark Caguioa"

In 2007, after Noli Eala was forced to resign by the Philippine Basketball Association as commissioner due to his disbarment, two candidates were up for the position: former telecommunications executive Lambert Ramos and lawyer Chito Salud. Neither man had enough votes to be appointed commissioner; San Miguel, Ginebra, Coke, Welcoat, and Red Bull – the SMC bloc – voted for Salud, while Air 21, Alaska, Sta. Lucia, and Talk N Text – the MVP bloc – voted for Ramos.

However, each man needed six out of the nine votes (voting rights haven’t been restored to Purefoods at the time) to be appointed commissioner. Unable to break the deadlock, the board decided to appoint Renauld “Sonny” Barrios, who at the time was OIC of the PBA, to the commissionership full time.

Continue reading "The curious politics of Sonny Barrios’ appointment as SBP executive director"

Patricia Hizon broke the news on Twitter that the three San Miguel Corporation teams in the PBA – San Miguel Beer, Ginebra, and B-MEG Derby Ace – have voted against allowing the sale of the Barako Bull franchise to Phoenix Petroleum. With Air 21 voting alongside the conglomerate, it effectively prevents the sale from happening, as league rules dictate that a franchise sale needs the approval of 2/3rds of the board, or 7 out of 10 votes. The board ended up voting in favor of the sale, 6-4, which was not enough to approve it.

Continue reading "SMC, Air 21 block Barako sale to Phoenix"

The latest issue of Baller, the PBA’s lifestyle magazine, is out now, featuring the Meralco Bolts’ coach Ryan Gregorio (known around these parts as “The Genius”) and spitfire guard Mac Cardona on the cover.

Continue reading "Issue 3 of Baller out now!"

The last time a team coached by Yeng Guiao played Smart Gilas in a PBA tournament, back in the 2009-2010 Philippine Cup, Air 21 point guard Wynne Arboleda ended up assaulting a Gilas fan at courtside in a very ugly incident in a rough-and-tumble game. So when Guiao’s new team, Rain or Shine, faced off against the Gilas squad last Sunday, many fans were also expecting fireworks.

Continue reading "So what’s a Yeng Guiao game against Smart Gilas without a little controversy?"

I went to the Araneta box office yesterday to get tickets. The man in front of me got an Upper Box A ticket with his senior citizen discount. The man behind me was in line with his kid, also going to watch the PBA games. When I got to the booth, I asked the lady at the counter if there were still lower level (lower box, patron) tickets available. She said there were none left, but I asked her to check again. Turns out there were still six courtside tickets available for sale. So that’s how I ended up with courtside seats for the game tonight.

Multiple outlets this morning are reporting that Phoenix Petroleum is in talks to acquire the Barako Bull franchise. If and when the transaction pushes through, it will finally put an end to one of the most pathetic episodes in PBA history, which saw the once-proud Red Bull franchise crippled by financial problems and forced to sell its key players to barely make payroll from month to month. Finally, the nightmare is over.

But while talk of Phoenix’s entry over the next few months will revolve around basketball-related matters – Will they be able to become competitive? How will they rehabilitate a team whose lineup has been ransacked? – let’s take a look at the most important part of this transaction: Will they be able to afford supporting a PBA team?

Continue reading "Phoenix Petroleum in talks to buy Barako and what it means to the PBA’s future"

If plans don’t miscarry, Noli Eala will soon be out of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. The ouster of the executive director, according to multiple sources, stems from several issues of mismanagement under his reign, particularly of the Smart Gilas program. One issue involves the failure to liquidate funds supposedly for the team, which resulted in the delay of salaries of the Smart Gilas players.

Continue reading "Noli Eala out of the SBP, into San Miguel?"

Listed below are ten statements about the PBA Commissioner's Cup, which kicks off tonight with the Ginebra-Meralco game in Laoag City. In the comments, leave a post on whether you think each statement is true or false, and a short explanation why this is so.

Continue reading "True or False: 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup"