Powerade rookie out of RP Cup

Who says lightning does not strike in the same place twice? Sometimes it does.

Take the case  of Powerade’s Filipino-Canadian rookie Sean Anthony, who was accidentally struck in the nose by a teammate during a scrimmage. That was about three months ago, according to Sean, while he was playing for the PBL’s Ascof team.

The cager’s manager, Charlie Dy, described the condition of Sean’s nose after the accident as “practically shattered and disfigured.”

Sean said the nose was extremely crooked, like that of a boxer.

Sean went under the knife immediately to put the broken pieces together again.

Consequently, he missed the rest of the PBL conference. He wore a protective mask during the last PBA rookie camp, and it took sometime before he could dispense with the mask.
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During the postgame interview with Powerade head coach Bo Perasol at the Araneta press room last Sunday, somebody asked why Sean did not report for duty in the match that night against Barako Bull.
Bo said the cager was recuperating from a nasal operation early in the week to repair his nose bridge.

Sean’s nose, according to Bo, was accidentally hit again by a teammate’s elbow during a tuneup game. When it happened, Sean didn’t feel pain.

Later, however, he started feeling funny. “I had it X-rayed, but the result turned out negative,” he said.

But when he continued to feel strange, Sean decided to see his doctor again for a CT scan. This time, the test showed that the left side of his nose had collapsed.

“To correct the condition, I was given an anaesthetic for what I thought would be a minor procedure,” Sean said. 

“However, when I woke up, I was told that I had just undergone a major operation  and would be sidelined for several weeks.

“The doctors also told me that I needed complete rest for the first week following the surgery. I was told to return to my normal routine slowly. I was so disappointed that I would not be able to play for a long time.”

Sean said he’s resigned to having a crooked nose for the rest of the season. He had originally scheduled an aesthetic operation in the offseason.

A graduate of McGille University in  Montreal, Canada, Sean was picked sixth overall by Air21, before he was traded to Powerade.
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Earlier last Sunday, as I was getting settled in my seat at the commissioner’s section, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

It was JB Baylon, the Powerade (formerly Coca-Cola) governor, who had been absent from the PBA games for as long as I can remember.

“I’m back. I’m watching,” he said.

Thinking that his physical presence brought bad luck to his team, JB kept away from the venue. He inhibited himself from watching Powerade games live, believing that this will reverse the fortune of his team.

JB said he missed all the games last season.

“There was one game versus Ginebra at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium where I stayed outside all throughout and only went in when we had already won,” JB said.

To make up for lost time, he intends to watch all the Powerade games, “for as long as I’m in town.”

He said he will miss the match in Panabo since he is leaving for Bangkok.

If I’m not mistaken, Powerade finished with the same record the last two seasons.