PBA coach on way out

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.”