The Contreversial PBA Draft Lottery and Rain or Shine's season

Was it a magic trick gone bad?

Looking at the video it is very that your franchise's future is in the hands of the PBA Commissioner with a 3 balls and a cartoon.  This year's lottery draft got a lot of flack because it was done in a very crude manner.  It was like a town mayor drawing lots on who will take the top pick in the Town Fiesta Basketball Tournament.

Here are two mistakes of the recent draft:
1.  The materials used - How much is a PBA franchise now? P100 Million pesos??? Yet the draft materials used cost around 300 pesos. For a league supposedly making lots of money, that's pretty Jurassic. A ringside ticket price could even cost more than the materials used.

2. The Commissioner putting his hands in and not letting it out to show that he is not holding a ball. A magician knows how to pretend he is not holding a coin.  Commissioner Salud should have showed his empty hands before drawing a ball.

The defense of Salud is good faith and I do not think he is being bribed by Globalport.  Globalpart has 2 balls while Rain or Shine who holds Meralco's right has only one.  Why would the one with 66.67% chance would want to cheat.  Unless, they would want 100% chance.

Rain or Shine's year of 2nds

After losing the draft and getting the No.2 pick, the Rain or Shine franchise lost to Grand Slam Champs San Mig Coffee Mixers in the finals a few days later. It was a good year for Rain or Shine for a team that did not have the star power compared to Talk 'N Text, Ginebra, and San Miguel Beermen.  It was full of second place finishes.  If you are the owner would you be happy?  Finishing second is probably is one of toughest positions in life.  Nobody usually remembers the second placers and we live a world that celebrate champions and winners.  Second placers are not considered winners.  Being second is quite painful.  Ask Lebron? It is a very emotional time.  I do not know the mental make up of the Raiin or Shine people but finishing second could also be a good thing.  It is a good thing especially when nobody is expecting you to be there in the last game of the season.  I am sure that many pundits and trying hard experts never put that team up there in their preseason rankings.  I am sure that there are very few die hard Rain or Shine fans in the country.

How can you expect a team with forwards looking more like American Football Offensive linemen, a coach with temper hotter than El Nino, guards named like Chinese actions stars, and a rookie center looking like someone who is in a no rice diet and to think he is with the Extra Rice tandem of the PBA. But sometimes in life, the weirdest combinations work out.  The underdogs could be in the championship but they just cannot break another team who is in a historic run.

I don't know if Rain or Shine would want 2015 be a repeat of 2014. It is really hard to emulate but it has left some bitter taste in the mouth as well.  They have the No.2 pick this year and probably they would improve but other teams are strengthening as well.  It will surely pay attention how their season will go.....

posted from Bloggeroid

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Filipinos and the World Cup

Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The 2014 World Cup is being held in Brazil.  It is now in its knockout phase. When I say World Cup, I am not talking about that World Cup that the Smart Gilas will be participating this August.  That basketball World Cup is just trying to copy the blueprint of the original World Cup which is in the sport of football or soccer (for Americans).

The World Cup is held every four years and players would wish to participate in it at least once in their lives. For Filipinos, it will probably be just a fantasy.  Our country did not even qualify for the Asian Cup. 

The Philippines only started to have a decent team in 2010.  There is a spike in local interest for the sport but being practically a newbie, we are not expected to contend in major international competitions for a couple years, decades, and hopefully, not centuries.  Maybe in 2030 or 2034, we will get a shot.  How old would I be then? 

Will we ever have a team in the World Cup???

While we would not expect the Azkals to be in World Cup soon,  two players with Filipino blood  know how it feels to be in Brazil 2014.  At least, this two somehow proves that there will always be a Filipino in any big event. The two players are Jonathan de Guzman of The Netherlands and Team USA's Nick Rimando.

Jonathan de Guzman is a midfielder and he has a Filipino dad and a Jamaican mom.  De Guzman acquired Dutch citizenship in 2008. Nick Rimando is the back-up goalkeeper for the Team USA and he has a Filipino dad and a Mexican mom.

It is funny that other countries are willing to give their citizenship to excellent athletes or professionals.  In the case of the Philippines, we always complain when a mix blood or a foreigner comes to our place and take away a job of a Filipino.  It is hard for someone with no Filipino blood to become Filipino especially the high profile ones. 

I read many times how coaches complain about foreign coaches and other imports.  We forget that our best is actually playing for other flags. We see many "Filipino" Olympians winning medals for other countries. Our best doctors are working in the hospitals of other countries serving other nationalities.  So, why can't we "steal" talent from other countries.  I am sure there are too many basketball "centers" in Nigeria, football "strikers" in England, Olympic-level swimmers in Australia,  Taekwondo jins in Korea or badminton stars in Indonesia.  So, why can't we give those extra talent of other countries a chance to play in the biggest stage of their chosen sport. I am sure there is an excess of players for a country where the sport originated. 

I am not saying that our national will have to look like an International Colours of Benetton commercial but it is actually looking like one but we are not winning.  We need better talent. We need to make it easier for others to be Filipino.  I am sure there are only very few who would want to be Filipino but we should not make it too hard especially for the talented ones. Getting Andre Batche to be Filipino is like our little way of getting back at America for getting players like Rimando, Tim Lincecum, Brian Viloria, Natalie Coughlin, Tiffany Roberts, and more. 

If we want to fast track our participation in a World Cup or getting an Olympic gold then our leaders should start to think differently.  Let's send our scouts to other countries to look for players willing to play for the Philippine flag.  Many Filipinos are resilient and they would respond positively to added competition by stepping their game although more would just like to complain.  The best NBA team is a multinational mix and the Americans are not complaining that NBA's best has just a few Americans.

Time to make our fantasy a reality! Let's do to them, what they do to us!!!!

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What if JVee Casio did not slip???

Starting next week the finals of the PLDT Home Telpad Governors’ Cup will commence. It will be between the grand slam-seeking San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. The Mixers are actually looking for their 4th straight Philippine Basketball Association title while the Painters have made it to the finals in 4 of the last 7 conferences. But before we talk about the finals, let's talk about how they got there.

San Mig Coffee had a gritty series against the similarly star-studded Talk N' Text Tropang Texters.  The Texters fought back from being down 0-2 to force a deciding Game 5.  The Mixers survived and their chance to give Tim Cone another grand slam is alive.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters had a harder route.  Their series against the Alaska Aces has been very physically and full of drama. The turning point of the series was in Game 4 when "The Slip" happened. 

Kia appoints Manny Pacquiao as Head Coach and what should KIA's nickname in the PBA

Wow! The pambansang kamao has really transformed himself from a one dimensional brawler he became a world champion then became an all-time great then he became a governor then a congressman and now a PBA coach.  The KIA franchise of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has just named him as their inaugural coach. Manny Pacquiao will be the coach of a team composed of discards and rookies next season. 

A lot of fans are not happy with the decision.  Many felt that they are more suitable than him as the head coach of Team KIA. What does KIA have to lose in hiring Pacquiao? Nothing, I guess, because next season the new teams in the PBA like KIA, Blackwater and possibly, NLEX will be getting scraps as players.  They are not expected to contend for a championship as the old PBA teams would not allow them to directly hire rookies. Not even one. Unlike when Tanduay, Red Bull or Rain or Shine joined the league, they were allowed to bring in the top non-professional basketball players. Don't expect these teams to reach the final 4 unless some freak trades happen. 

KIA who happens to have no nickname yet has everything to gain with this stunt. Pacquiao has several assistants anyway.  Who is the head coach of San Miguel Beer? Isn't the Beermen ran by a coaching consultant instead of a head coach?  Head Coach in the PBA can just be title just like a Chairman of the Board of some companies.  Pacquiao will probably look cute wearing a coat and tie or barony while shouting or cheering his KIA boys to score.  I hope he develops a temper like Yeng Guiao and start shouting some Visayan invectives to players or challenge opponents and referees to a fistfight.  I am sure no referee will try to mess around when KIA is playing. 

So if you were to name the KIA team, what should be the perfect nickname? Kings are taken by Ginebra already.  Kamao is the nickname that the Pacman is pushing for. They could be Kidlat but Meralco are the Bolts. Maybe Kangkong for they will probably spend most of the season at the cellar of kangkongan. Kalabasa? They can name it after of their brands like KIA Carnival because their team and season will be like a carnival so many interesting sites to see. They can name it after car parts like Pistons -- although they will be like that militant jeepney drivers association, Turbo -- Shell used it before, Tambutso, Radiator, Alternator or Side Mirror? If you have thought of a nice name, KIA has actually a contest to name their name.  The person behind the best 5 names will win a trip to NBA game.  Nice prize! It could attract many Filipinos who wants to be TNT to try to name the KIA team. Go, go, go before your unique name will be entered by someone else. 

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What is Barako Bull up to?

Barako Bull has a notorious reputation among die hard PBA fans. Some fans brand them as a farm team of the rich clubs like Petron and Talk 'n Text. They seem to hate their first round picks that they usually trade it to other teams even months before the draft. Gone are the days when the club was known for its fighting spirit and toughness.

I was a big fan back when Yeng Guiao was at the helm. I enjoyed the spunk of Jimwell Torion and Junthy Valenzuela. So much has changed after the franchise was taken over by the Lina Group. From being contenders, they are now pretenders. They pretend to be a PBA team. I don't what they are up to.

Before the 2013 draft, the team had a good thing going. They reached the quarterfinal round in the recent Governor's Xup, they have a good coach in Rajko Toroman, and they had three picks in the first round of the draft. What happened next would have even the most faithful fans shaking their heads. The coach was fired and all three picks were traded. Are they effing serious?

Here are some moves that could help them salvage their season:

1. Hire a fresh grad to be their team manager. Even casual fans could probably make a better team than the current management who probably have MBAs from prestigious universities.

2. Make a mini tourney over the weekend with the team playing against dleague teams and DLSU. They should show fans that they can beat those teams.

3. Just get UP alums like Woody Co, Mike Silungan, Alvin Padilla, Mark Lopez and Magi Sison. Get Ricky Dandan as coach. At least they are used to having 0 to 2 wins per season.

4. Offer a 5 million peso bonus to all players if they reach the final 4 in any conference. That could make players think about winning.

5. So that PBA will not be mad, the team will only get its revenue share if they win the game. By doing this, they can earn some credibility.

Links:

Barako Trades Draft Picks

2013 PBA Draft Results

Kraken did very well in his first PBA Finals appearance

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UAAP say hello to protectionism with the Jerie Pingoy rule

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines has approved a new rule of making players who transferred from one UAAP high school team to a rival UAAP team sit out for 2 years before playing in his new team.  The rule was rumored to be triggered by the apparent interest of two-time UAAP Juniors MVP Jerie Pingoy of FEU to play for the 6-peat seeking Ateneo de Manila University.

The UAAP created the new rule to protect the treasured basketball programs of many of its member schools.  Hello protectionism and goodbye choice! What is next? The PBA only allowing teams to draft players from their D-league affiliates?  The rivalries in the college-level is now so stiff that players as early as 13 should decide what college should they play for. Wow. It's amazing.

It is now like UAAP is making players sign an unwritten contract that makes players as properties of schools. Maybe next year, they will allow schools to trade rights of certain players in exchange for other players. This is the problem with the Philippine school system.  The college game is so unregulated that we do not know what are these players are getting in exchange for their services.  The UAAP is in away bigger than the PBA as teams could sign as many as 30 players in a given year. The rivalries are more heated and the team owners and sponsors rival that of PBA team owners. SM has team in the UAAP. So does the MVP group. There were even talks that there are betting in UAAP games. It is understandable the schools will protect their interests and their prized possessions. 

The rich schools can recruit as many student-athletes as they can afford.  There are players languishing in Team B's who could have starred in other UAAP schools like UP. Why can't UAAP limit the number of players that schools can protect? It's like in the NFL, teams cannot franchise all of its free agents. The new rule now also applies to lesser known players who aren't even in the college plans of their UAAP schools. Not all schools can wait for 2 years and not all players can sit for 2 years and continue to develop.

I guess the NCAA is so happy with the new rule and they could probably see an influx of UAAP Jr. talents to their ranks in the coming years. Call it karma as the UAAP has been poaching the talents of many NCAA schools (especially San Beda) for years.  If I have a son who can be the next Michael Jordan, I will probably enroll him in an NCAA or a CESAFI school so that when the time comes, he will have many options and not be hindered by the Jerie Pingoy rule. ;)

Links:

UAAP approves Jerie Pingoy Rule

Petronovela: Renaldo Balkman out of the PBA

One of the main stars of this conference's Petronovela Renaldo Balkman is "banned for life" in the PBA. His sentence was handed Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud.  Salud not only banished him from the league but he was also fined 250,000 pesos. Wow, that's a over year's salary for an average Juan de la Cruz.

The drama at Peron continues as many die-hard fans felt that PBB's (Petron Blaze Boosters) "telenovela" is hindering the ascent of the team. Last conference, they had a coaching drama leading them to almost at the bottom of the standings after being touted to be one of the strongest teams on paper. This conference after a great start, one of their leading men chocked a fellow leading man causing the producer (commish) to implement a harsh punishment.  The show was supposed to be rated PG but what Balkman and company did rivaled the unknown stars of "face to face" or "personalan".  After seeing the video of what happened last friday, many sarcastic fans were reminded of Claudine Barretto vs. Mon  Tulfo. 

Slowly but surely the PBA is evolving into a mini-teleserye.  TV5 even interviewed Balkman a few days after the incident which was handled like Boy Abunda or Lolit Solis interviewing a movie star.  By the rate they are going, the PBA could soon dislodge Ina, Anak, Kapatid as the top telenovela in the country. 

The PBA could use the incident to evolve into like WWE.  They could probably add chairs and blood to increase the ratings further. Next would come costumes since they already have nicknames like Kracken, Ninja, Spark, Lieutenant, Captain Hook, and Extra Rice Inc.  With the incident garnering over a million hits already , the PBA somehow became viral.  Bad publicity is still publicity.  

As for Petron, they are now looking for a new leading man.  If you want to audition the requirements would be you must be over 6-8 in height, choir boy looks and manners, no tattoos, and the type who would hug teammates instead of pushing them away.  If you qualify or if you know someone you can act as his manager and make tons of money.

Links:

Balkman gets banned for life