GINEBRA assistant coach Allan Caidic was besieged with alarming phone calls this week. One call came from Abe King, who phoned from Seattle, Washington, to say that Big Boy Reynoso had suffered a stroke.

The other call came from Jimmy Mariano, who relayed the sad message that former PBA cager Cristino "Tino" Reynoso had passed away Friday morning at the Medical City in Pasig after a massive stroke.

What Allan found most uncanny is that the brothers Reynoso had been felled by a stroke almost on the same day.

On Saturday, I called Abe to check on the condition of Big Boy.

Abe said he had just arrived in San Francisco and was informed by Big Boy's wife Telly that her husband was pronounced out of danger by the doctors and was recovering.

Although he was still in the intensive care unit, Big Boy was allowed by his doctors to entertain visitors starting today, Sunday.

"Big Boy gave us all a big scare. He bled profusely from the nose and the mouth," Abe related.

Abe did not know that Tino had died. The last he was told, the younger Reynoso was in real bad shape and was not expected to survive.

Tino, who played for Toyota, Seven-Up, Utex and Mariwasa, was 62 while Big Boy, who played for Toyota and Mariwasa, is turning 68 on May 14.

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While there are several bidders for the rights to cover the PBA games on television, word has it that the "fight" is being hotly contested by the two biggest broadcast networks--ABS-CBN and GMA.

That's because only these two giants can offer a total package which include TV and radio coverage, nationwide and international telecast.

ABS-CBN will air the games over Studio 23, GMA over QTV-11.

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With the schoolyear almost over we can expect a lot of sporting activities this summer. On tabs are the annual FilOil Flying V Preseason Invitational Cup and the 7th Flipino-Indian Basketball League Goodwill Cup which, curiously, will both unfold on the same day (April 13) in the same venue, The San Juan Arena.

Perhaps The Arena was reserved by the FIBL for the morning hours while Flying V contracted the venue for the rest of the afternoon.

"This event will serve as a gauge of how prepared the collegiate teams are for next season's NCAA and UAAP wars," said Flying V marketing chief Dave Dualan. "Fifteen teams have confirmed their participation. The commissioners are Ato Badolato, Aric del Rosario and Virgil Villavicencio."

Meanwhile, FIBL commissioner Dilip Budhrani welcomes the entry of new players who will join the league's seasoned veterans. Registration is still ongoing at 7629 Guijo St., Barangay San Antonio, Makati, he said. Interested parties may call 8907853 to 55.

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Although they will still be called the "Barakos," the Red Bull team will most likely carry a new product next conference: The new Barako Energy Coffee Mix.

"It's a new coffee experience that boosts you naturally and physically," said Red Bull marketing chief Rowena Sanchez. "Not only does the drinker get the natural anti-oxidant provided by coffee, he also gets to enjoy the essential vitamins and minerals needed to aid the body perform to its fullest potential."

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Although the Shell franchise has been sold to Welcoat, former Shell governor Bobby Kanapi, in a way, has not left the PBA entirely.

Bobby's daughter Christine "CK" Kanapi works as assistant team manager to Alaska's Joaqui Trillo, doing administrative work more than liaison, which is probably why her presence in the league isn't that felt.

Or maybe she watches the games but Joaqui hasn't bothered to introduce her to us. I only found about CK when I recently talked with Bobby.

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