Because both teams are bankrolled by Manny Pangilinan, sports fans assumed that it would not be an issue for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters to lend its players to the Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team, which is scheduled to represent the country in the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship. Talk N Text team captain Jimmy Alapag and power forward Kelly Williams had been eyed by Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman to reinforce the national squad, along with Meralco’s Asi Taulava and Air 21’s Dondon Hontiveros.

The idea was that lending the players to Smart Gilas would allow the professionals to become familiar with their teammates and with Toroman’s system. But it would also mean that these players would not play for their club teams for the PBA’s season-ending Governor’s Cup.

Continue reading "Smart Gilas, Talk N Text, and Alaska ‘98"

Manny Pangilinan and his Talk N Text Tropang Texters really would have wanted to close out its best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’out last Friday. The problem with winning last night was that Manny Pacquiao was fighting earlier in the day, which meant that news of Talk N Text’s second straight title would be buried under the headlines of the pound-for-pound king’s victory.

Continue reading "Talk N Text survives Ginebra in game 6 epic to win 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup"

In the latest episode of the From the Stands podcast, Chuck Araneta, Polo Bustamante and Carlo Pamintuan look back at the last three games of the ongoing PBA Commissioner's Cup finals between Talk N Text and Ginebra. They also look ahead to the All-Star Game, and discuss ways to fix the annual classic. In this week's old school/new school, they take a look at the maddening careers of two of the most gifted PBA big men ever, Jun Limpot and Jay Washington.

Continue reading "From the Stands: PBA finals talk, All-Star game, Jun Limpot vs Jay Washington"

Chuck Araneta, Polo Bustamante and Carlo Pamintuan were in the house for game 1 of the Commissioners Cup Finals last night between Talk N Text and Ginebra. After taking in the action, literally, from the stands, they caught up with winning coach Chot Reyes and import Paul Harris after the game. The boys take on a different tack in this week’s old school and new school, comparing the powerhouse Texters squad to two different dynasties: the legendary Crispa Redmanizers and the winning machine that was the ’90s Alaska Milkmen.

Continue reading "From the Stands: PBA Finals talk with Chot Reyes & Paul Harris, TNT vs Alaska/Crispa"

Here’s what’s going to happen: Talk N Text will win this series handily. Ginebra will be able to steal one or two games, probably through sheer force of will by Nate Brumfield or Mark Caguioa aided by the tactical brilliance of Jong Uichico. But while I will be rooting for the underdogs here in the finals, I can’t imagine this series ending without Manny Pangilinan and his Tropang Texters holding up their second straight championship trophy.

Continue reading "Talk N Text versus Ginebra: 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals forecast"

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"

Here’s some news that should be of interest to all local sports fans: Last week, MediaQuest, the PLDT subsidiary that controls TV5, signed a deal with IBC-13 to air sports programs in the government-controlled network. A new primetime block called AKTV featuring sporting events will soon air on the channel.

In exchange for block time, Media Quest will improve the signal of the channel and upgrade network facilities nationwide.

The move comes as the latest part of MediaQuest’s aggressive expansion strategy, which saw the company pouring in P7 billion into TV5 in 2010 alone. In October, the network launched an all-news FM radio station, while its 24-hour news channel Aksyon TV went on air on UHF television last February.

Continue reading "TV5 signs block time agreement to air sports programming over IBC 13"

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"