Rajko Toroman doesn't look terribly happy to see me.

A couple of weeks ago, after his team won against Alaska, Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman name-checked this blog in his postgame interview. So when I went to The Arena last Saturday to watch the nationals against the retooled San Miguel Beermen, I made sure to have a quick chat with him before the game with the help of Gilas Insider.

Continue reading "Courtside with Rajko Toroman"

JP Manahan of armchairsportsblogger.blogspot.com joins Chuck Araneta, Polo Bustamante, and Carlo Pamintuan in the latest episode of From the Stands. In this podcast, the boys discuss the big trade between Air 21 and San Miguel. They also take a look at the first couple of weeks of the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup.



Click on the player to listen, or download the file, or subscribe to it on iTunes or on RSS. And leave a comment, the From the Stands boys just might discuss them in the next episode, or even invite you to come along.

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"

Rey Joble of GMA News today confirms that PBA commissioner Chito Salud has shot down the proposed trade for Air 21’s marquee rookies Nonoy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, and Rey Guevarra in exchange for San Miguel’s Joseph Yeo, Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, a first round pick from the Beermen, a case of San Mig Light, and 3 years’ supply of Skelan for the senior citizens in the deal. Salud called the deal lopsided, and virtually confirmed reports that there has been a trade despite vehement denials of Air 21 officials.

Continue reading "Air 21--the whole team--for sale to SMC?"

GMA News is reporting that the Air 21 Express is on the verge of trading Nonoy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, and Rey Guevarra, the top three picks in the 2011 PBA draft, to San Miguel in exchange for the Beermen’s 2011 first round draft pick, Joseph Yeo, and the corpses of Danny Seigle and Mick Pennisi in yet another lopsided deal. Baclao led the PBA in shotblocks in the recently-concluded Philippine Cup, while Al-Hussaini led the Express in scoring and rebounding in the tournament.

Continue reading "Air 21 to send Baclao, Al-Hussaini, Guevarra to San Miguel, continues to ruin the PBA"

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"

I am proud to welcome the From the Stands podcast, which beginning today will be appearing regularly of Fire Quinito. I’ve been a fan of the podcast by Chuck Araneta, Polo Bustamante, and Carlo Pamintuan for a while now, and I believe this blog’s readers would enjoy listening to it as well.

I joined the trio alongside Niko and Mikkel Bolante of Patay Ang Butiki for its debut podcast on Fire Quinito, an episode which was recorded shortly after our drinking session with Coach Chot Reyes. It was basically us getting drunk and talking into an iPad, and with six of us, it was a bit of a clusterfuck. A clusterfuck of a podcast – a clusterpod!

Oh, but you really ought to listen to it if you’re a PBA fan. We recapped the Philippine Cup finals, discussed Jason Castro, Ryan Reyes, Kelly Williams, my favorite Jay Washington, the structural problems of San Miguel, and Ato Agustin’s coaching. I should apologize in advance though for hogging the mic (hey, I’d been drinking) and for having an irritating nasal voice.



Click on the player to listen, or download the file, or subscribe to it on iTunes or on RSS. And leave a comment, the From the Stands boys just might discuss them in the next episode, or even invite you to come along.

For the second straight year, I had the privilege of speaking with the coach of the Philippine Cup champions shortly after winning the title. Over dinner and beer last Tuesday night, Coach Chot Reyes joined me and bloggers from Patay Ang Butiki and From the Stands to shoot the breeze and talk hoops. Because we were all basketball nerds, we ended up talking about everything from the series against San Miguel to his MBA stint to what happened between him and Jun Limpot.

But most of our conversation focused on Talk N Text, Smart Gilas, and the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Here’s the stuff (I think) I can publish:

Continue reading "A dinner with Talk N Text coach Chot Reyes"

If you’ve been reading this blog, then tonight’s result shouldn’t have come as any surprise to you: As expected, Talk N Text finished off the San Miguel Beermen in 6 games to win its second PBA Philippine Cup title in three years. Point guards Jimmy Alapag and Jason Castro shared Finals Most Valuable Player honors, while Ryan Reyes provided the team an emotional lift with an amazing performance that came on the heels of the tragic death of his younger brother.

Continue reading "The Talk N Text Tropang Texters are the 2011 PBA Philippine Cup champions"