In Huddle
PBA coach on way out
By Beth CelisPhilippine Daily Inquirer
IT WAS so difficult getting this column started.
The potential for two big stories was there, but up to presstime yesterday, I could not complete either of my two pieces, with the most important blanks left unfilled.
Like who is this PBA coach that is about to be replaced “very, very soon,” to quote my source?
How soon?
Well technically he has been replaced because at this point, it is just a matter of making the announcement.
The formal announcement, according to my source, will be made this coming week, Monday at the earliest and Friday at the latest.
***
Actually I think I know which PBA coach will be stepping down soon. All I did was look at the current team standings this conference and focus on the bottom three squads.
What is more interesting to find out is who would fill the shoes of this coach.
But even before I could provide a satisfactory answer to my own questions, another intriguing information came up through a text message from an unimpeachable source.
“There may be some team ownership realignments in the PBA in the next few months,” the message read.
Now this new input really got my mind working double time and I completely forgot about the coach who was about to be replaced—temporarily at least.
***
As expected, my first thought was that Powerade, which had been the subject of controversy the past month or so, had found a buyer—perhaps the PLDT group and not San Miguel, to even the equation more or less between the two giant business conglomerates.
I believed that was logical thinking until I was informed from inside the PBA that Coke’s head office in Atlanta was reconsidering its previous decision to disband the team and sell its PBA franchise.
If Coke is left untouched, which PBA team is the second most likely to be put up for sale?
Alaska is the next possibility one, because it has a new majority owner and two, Fred Uytengsu has been very vocal about wanting to get involved in other sports.
I tried to call several people who might know, but I got nowhere. I even texted Mikee Romero, who was in London, working on the lead that Harbour Centre may soon be making an entry into the PBA, but he hasn’t answered. Perhaps he is playing polo with Prince William.
I shelved the matter of team ownership aside and went back to trying to figure out who would replace the coach that was going to be changed next week.
Told that his replacement would come from within the team, I wondered if Topex Robinson would be taking over the reins of Alaska.
My source said no, but it is only Topex among the understudies of the bottom three teams who has been hands on in coaching and perhaps ripe to mentor in the PBA.
At any rate, I refuse to further wrack my brain. I will just wait for the announcement which is forthcoming.
***
I also got an e-mail from a PBA team official asking if the “No Harm, No Foul” rule is back.
“The PBA has become as rough as rugby football,” the letter read. “First it was Talk ‘N Text’s Kelly Williams, who got injured by Barako enforcer Ronald Tubid, then import Donnell Harvey became the next victim. I think Commissioner Chito Salud should do something about this rough play.”
In closing, the official said “someone should tell Salud how brutal and barbaric the games with Barako Bull had been and what he intends to do about it.”
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Tags: Basketball , PBA Coach , Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
