A Coach with No Balls

And so Talk ‘n Text finally made it to the finals over the Manong Brigade-led Barako Bull Energy despite the continued bickering on the rough plays that coach Junel Baculi’s wards employed. Congratulations but it would have been sweeter if your coach would have kept all his complaints to himself rather than using media as leverage to get the sympathy of PBA followers.

As a coach, and in the professional level at that, the normal thing would be to strategize and work around the rough plays. With a big mouth and a personality that most people despise, it seems to show that you cannot win without stars on your team. In fact, when has this coach won without certified stars and blabbered so much?

In basketball, physical play is included. Now when it comes to playing elderly, you will expect the rough-housing from any of the more aged players. In fact, don’t be surprised if the coach does have his own “gulang” moves too!

But the thing is, you plan, study and find a way to motivate the boys rather than complain like a baby. In fact, there was even a time that this coach used his dirty tricks when he infused his enforcers in the dying minutes of a lost cause just to purposely hurt the opposing team. So who says this coach is an angel? I think not.

Now in the finals, do not be surprised to see this so-called championship coach from complaining once again. With the opposing team having players who know how to mix it up, he will be using media once again to get sympathy and a psychological advantage. It’s practically a given.

And yet he is the coach of the national team? Makes you wonder how he would handle situations in the international level. Oh wait, yes it serves as an excuse just in case his team falters which may most likely be the case since he was the same person who failed the last time out with an all-pro team.

And to think you graduated from a prestigious school and yet you act like an immature individual who thinks his fancy getup will negate all issues, this is one coach who will never get my admiration because his success is because of his players and not through his supposed masterful skill of coaching.

At some point, something is gonna give and I would bet that all haters of the coach (not the team) will be laughing their ass off.

Ricardo Brown rekindling memories through Facebook | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

Ricardo Brown rekindling memories through Facebook | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

Air21 Express now a PBA Contender after trade?

MANILA, Philippines – The suspense is over and now Air21 and San Miguel Beer (officials, players and fans) can move on.


After finally getting the nod of PBA Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud, the Beermen have finally landed the coveted top young turks of the Express in Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevarra.

The trio are being hailed as the new breed that will infuse new blood into the aging ballclub of San Miguel Beer.

Danny Ildefonso, who is likewise in the twilight years, remains the only remnant from the rebuilding years that SMB had made way back in 1999.

Over at the Air21 Express camp, the PBA trade does make them a sudden force to reckon with. With the addition of Danny Seigle, Dondon Hontiveros, Dorian Pena and Paul Artadi, all the bases seem filled right now.

If you look at it, this is a team that can make it the finals when given the opportunity.

Complimenting their entry are holdovers like Wynne Arboleda, Jay-R Reyes, Leo Avenido, Josh Urbiztondo, Carlo Sharma, Wesley Gonzales and Reed Juntilla. For the record, that is no pushover lineup.

Sure, the new faces are indeed in the twilights of their career but for the time being and barring any injuries (career-threatening or not), Air21 has got what it takes to be a championship contender.

Fans may have not liked the trade between the two teams but the fact remains, Air21 has what it takes to win its first PBA title with the new veterans in tow.

These highlights are of course with the understanding that no further trades will be made for now.

The Express may have lost fresh legs and some height but have however inherited added artillery (with the entry of Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros), power/ruggedness (Dorian Pena) and energy/hussle (Paul Artadi).

If you think San Miguel got the better of that PBA trade guess again. The rookies are indeed promising but they will still be a work in progress.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

Revised SMB-Air21 PBA Trade Approved!

MANILA, Philippines – The San Miguel Beer and Air21 PBA trade drama is now over!

After being turned down the first time around, San Miguel submitted a revised trade offer that retained Danny Seigle in the list. Mick Pennisi and Joseph Yeo were taken out but new marquee PBA veterans were added to sweeten the offer.

The new player names added were that of "the Cebuano Hotshot" Dondon Hontiveros, "the Junkyard Dawg" Dorian Pena and Paul "Kid Lightning" Artadi.

Hontiveros rose to fame when he first played in the Metropolitan Basketball League (MBA) for the Cebu Gems. He entered the PBA in 2001, playing for the Tanduay Rhum Masters before being traded to San Miguel in 2003.

Dorian Pena likewise started out his career in the defunct MBA before hooking up quietly with the SMB franchise.

Paul Artadi finds himself on his fourth team after invading the league in 2004.

He initially played for Purefoods (B-Meg), moved to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in 2007 and lastly with the San Miguel Beermen when he was traded by B-Meg for SMB point guard Jonas Villanueva.

PBA Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud has approved the 7-man trade meaning the players concerned will now be donning new colors for their respective team’s next outing.

Salud labeled the trade as a marked improvement and not a one-sided deal.

"I believe that this is a fair trade between the two teams (San Miguel and Air21)", Atty. Salud said.

The revised trade was sent to the PBA Commissioner's office as early as yesterday in a sealed envelope. Unfortunately, Atty. Salud was on leave to attend to personal matters.

The announcement was officially made right after the first game pitting Air21 against B-Meg Derby Ace.

Al-Hussaini, Baclao and Guevarra are expected to suit up in the Beermen's next game this Friday against the Meralco Bolts at the Araneta Coliseum.

Seigle, Hontiveros, Pena and Artadi are expected to play their first game this coming Saturday when the Air21 Express play the Talk 'N Text team in Davao City.

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NOTES: The Manila Bulletin Online Staff would like to thank Danny Seigle for personally thanking the online department on the article published yesterday here.

Danny Seigle went out of his way to personally thank yours truly and narrated how he appreciated the article titled “Seigle and Samboy: A Tale of Two PBA Stars”. He had no idea at that time on the status of the said trade.

Regardless, on behalf of the MB online staff, we wish you good luck Danny. Again, thank you for acknowledging the featured article yesterday!

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

SMB beefs up Defense with entry of Top Rookies

MANILA, Philippines – After taking into account the Air21 franchise, we now move to the other PBA ballclub, the San Miguel Beermen.

Gone are PBA veterans Danny Seigle, Dondon Hontiveros, Dorian Pena and Paul Artadi. New to the fold are top PBA rookies Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra.

The move was cheered (and jeered) by many as the Beermen successfully infused youth in their aging PBA lineup. However, it seems that SMB’s backcourt has suffered from this PBA trade.

If you will notice, the three new rookies play the center, power forward and small forward positions respectively.

They lost two guards in Hontiveros and Artadi and as of this writing, only Al-Hussaini has the potential firepower to compensate somewhat the departure of Seigle and Hontiveros.

Baclao and Guevarra have so far turned in numbers that leave a lot to be desired.

Baclao has turned in manageable numbers through points and rebounds but Guevarra has yet to show what made him a part of the Smart Gilas team before.

Holdovers of the SMB camp include Jay Washington, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Danny Ildefonso, Joseph Yeo, Denok Miranda, Lordy Tugade, Paolo Hubalde, Sunday Salvacion and Mick Pennisi.

Of the mentioned holdovers, Washington, Santos, Cabagnot, Ildefonso, Tugade, Yeo and Salvacion are perhaps the players that can go berserk scoring on any given night.

So does this spell trouble for the SMB camp? Not necessarily.

If you will recall, a sorely missing link to their previous campaigns was defense. This was something that the team had when now B-Meg player Marc Pingris brought when he was still under the ballclub. Ever since his trade, defense was an eye sore.

True enough and knowing Coach Ato Agustin’s philosophy, the Beermen’s intent this time around seems to solidify their defensive needs. And being an import-laden conference, there is Ira Brown to contend with.

The PBA Commissioners Cup may not necessarily be the time to shine for these rookies but the opportunity will be there.

From the looks of it, defense will be the key. Al-Hussaini and Baclao showed that during their stint with the Ateneo Blue Eagles and now they have to show that prowess once again.

The Beermen are still expected to be among the top contenders but the road will not be as easy as before.

All teams know for a fact that defense wins games and with the entry of the youthful big three, a new foundation seems to be in the works.

And to see if that is indeed the motif of the Beermen, we only have to wait until tomorrow to see how the entry of Al-Hussaini, Baclao and Guevarra works for the multi-titled PBA franchise.

Of course, this is discounting the possibility of more trades in the offing.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

Seigle and Samboy: A Tale of Two PBA Stars

MANILA, Philippines – While Danny “the Dynamite” Seigle may be sitting on pins and needles these days, he has had a wonderful PBA career.

Whatever happens on the supposed PBA trade being drawn up between by San Miguel Beer and Air21, every Filipino will agree that Seigle is without a doubt one of the greatest players to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Looking back to history, Seigle can be compared to the plight of another San Miguel legend. He goes by the name of Avelino “Samboy” Lim otherwise known as the “Skywalker”.

Just like Lim, Seigle’s career had been hampered by a spate of injuries.

Perhaps the most serious one that has made “the Dynamite” injury-prone in the latter years was the one he suffered when he joined the RP National Training Pool for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, North Korea.

It was in this year that Seigle suffered a serious torn right Achilles tendon after making a shot during one of the team’s pre-Asian Games against team Qatar.

He was unable to play for the team and sat out most of the 2003 season due to the injury.

Both Seigle and Samboy were never named the PBA’s season MVP.

However, Seigle does have PBA Best Player of the Conference Awards (2005-2006) and 3 PBA Finals MVP Awards (1999-2000). He has never played for any other team other than San Miguel Beer and has helped the ballclub win 6 PBA championships.

As for Samboy Lim, he holds the distinction of being one of the 25 PBA Greatest Players, a member of the 1989 Grand Slam team and being the first ever recipient of the PBA Sportsmanship award.

Lim has savored the PBA gold for 7 times, 6 with San Miguel Beer and one with Northern Consolidated back in 1985 under coach Ron Jacobs.

The farthest both players have gone was to be named to PBA Mythical Teams during their tenure. They haven’t relished winning an MVP.


However, with PBA championship rings to their credit, no one can take away the fact that both players did serve the San Miguel Franchise.

Lim now acts as the team manager for PBA crowd darling Barangay Ginebra while Seigle is obviously at the twilight of his career.

On whether the impending trade does materialize, the fact is that Danny Seigle will be always identified as a San Miguel Beerman.

Seigle will forever be known as someone who had helped the SMB franchise win 6 PBA crowns.

Such a feat is an achievement coveted by any professional basketball player, something many perceive is a fulfillment in its own right.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

SMB-Air21 Trade Update: "No Deal!"

MANILA, Philippines – NO DEAL!

This is what best sums up the PBA Commissioner's decision with regards to the PBA trade deal involving key players from San Miguel Beer and the Air21 Express.

The official papers were handed to the PBA Office last Friday and was officially disapproved today by PBA Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud.

Atty. Salud deemed the transaction as “very lopsided” but it seems that this is not the last we have heard of the deal.

Sources reveal that San Miguel will be revising their offer and will exhaust all means to get the three rookie draft picks into the San Miguel team fold.

Once done, the revised trade offer will be re-studied by the PBA Commissioner.

The original deal involves Air21’s top rookies (Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevarra) being sent to SMB for veterans’ Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi and Joseph Yeo.

Additionally, two first round draft picks will be going Air21’s way.

Related to the potential trade deal is the fact that it may just be a footnote of a bigger deal where San Miguel may eventually purchase the Air21 franchise.

This story was reported on Manila Bulletin earlier today.

As of now, the beer and food giant owns three teams in the PBA – San Miguel, B-Meg and Barangay Ginebra.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online