In Huddle
Will Mikee get board’s nod?
By Beth CelisPhilippine Daily Inquirer
PETRON Blaze head coach Ato Agustin must have been at a crossroads at the end of the last PBA season, undecided on whether to stay in coaching or move back to politics.
Well at least he didn’t have to make the decision himself since SMC management made the decision for him.
For the moment, Ato is stepping aside to give way to a new head coach. Initial reports had it that management was choosing between national youth coach Olsen Racela, a former San Miguel Beerman, and former Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman, although up to yesterday, there was no definite word.
SMC management said the official announcement would be made this week.
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“Ato is going with the flow,” said Danny Espiritu, Ato’s manager and adviser. “Ato has plans to run for San Fernando vice mayor next election and not having a head coaching commitment will give him time to campaign. If they ask him to stay on as assistant coach, he believes he can handle both jobs.”
Even while he was Petron head coach, the 1992 PBA Most Valuable Player held a council seat in San Fernando, Pampanga.
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With only five days to go, Mikee Romero is still hesitant to prepare his dark grey Armani business suit for this Sunday’s PBA rookie draft at Robinsons Manila.
Mikee and his staff, his coaches and players will have to be at Robinsons Manila 2 p.m. Sunday if the board approves the sale of the Powerade franchise to his company, Sultan 900.
He said he was not going to move an inch until he gets the approval. He said he was going to submit the required deed of assignment Wednesday. The PBA board had called a special meeting on Friday to decide if Mikee’s company, Sultan 900, will be the 10th franchise in the league.
During the PBA board’s planning session held in Macau last weekend, PBA commissioner Chito Salud made the pronouncement that the league’s 38th season will not open with only nine teams. Mikee should take this as a positive.
According to PBA media bureau head Willie Marcial, a final decision will be made by the board on Friday, whether positive or negative.
If Mikee is at this Sunday’s draft, his team gets the 10th and 16th picks.
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My colleague was horrified when I repeated to him a question Kris Aquino asked world boxing champ Nonito Donaire Jr. in her morning television show “Kris TV.”
Nonito and wife Rachel were one of the two couples featured in the show yesterday. The other was PBA cager Doug Kramer and wife.
Without warning and without batting an eyelash, Kris blurted out: “How often do you do it?” The query was directed at Nonito.
If Nonito got red in the face, uncomfortable or restless, nobody noticed, although Kris’ co-host Senator Chiz Escudero appeared like he was a bit scandalized.
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Let’s put it this way. Like Senator Chiz, we too might have been a bit scandalized when Kris popped that question.
No matter how curious you are, you probably won’t have the nerve to ask that question which, I suppose, every curious boxing fan would like to ask but is just too shy to do so.
Nonito and Rachel are just always too lovey-dovey you can’t help but wonder.
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Not surprisingly, Nonito remained cool and composed. He estimated his “normal performance” to be “90 percent above” what he considers to be the average.
He left the viewers to quantify the 90 percent.
“We do it every chance we get,” Nonito said, in an effort to make the viewers understand the equation better. Perhaps he was joking.
But he did mention once during a press conference that Rachel, to him, was like a goddess.
Kris’ comment: “Ganun ba ang ang mga boxer?”
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Tags: Ato Agustin , Basketball , PBA
