WHOEVER said that the Shanghai Sharks were here in Manila to spread goodwill and play a couple of friendly games with local teams, didn’t know what he was talking about.
According to those who have crossed paths with the Sharks, the last word you can use to describe them is friendly.
Hostile is more appropriate, they said.
According to local cage fans, the visitors from Shanghai seldom smiled, and they shunned anyone who wanted to take their photos.
Even the westernized Yao Ming, who owns the Sharks, was not given to socializing and hobnobbing with the fans.
He, too, shied away from cameras and kept his head bowed low on the bench so the lenses could not focus on his face. Maybe.
Some of my colleagues could not understand why he still couldn’t speak English when he played in the NBA for so many years.
Maybe he is just not given to granting interviews.
The friendly games between the Shanghai Sharks and Smart Gilas, and later a PBA selection, were arranged by the Philippine Sports Commission.
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For a while there, woodpushers from all over the nation were up in arms over a statement made by Petron cager Arwind Santos in a television talk show.
I suppose the talk show host must have asked Arwind what traits are necessary for one to become a good cager because he replied (in Filipino) that he must be gutsy and have heart.
“Kailangan matapang siya, if not, mag-chess na lang siya (He must be brave. Otherwise, he can just play chess),” Arwind said.
When chess players reacted strongly to the statement on social media, Arwind was most surprised, because the Living Legend himself, Robert Jaworski, was always telling players that if they didn’t want to get hurt, they might as well just play chess.
Knowing Arwind, he really didn’t mean to insult chess players. It was just an innocent remark.
Anyway, through the help of Grandmaster Joey Antonio, the misunderstanding between Arwind and the chess players has been solved, but not before the parties agreed to an MOA. Arwind would teach the woodpushers to play basketball while the woodpushers, in turn, would teach Arwind to play chess.
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Dave Coros of the PBA D-League media bureau called to report that head coach Alvin Pua of the Cagayan Rising Suns is back on the bench.
“Alvin just took time out to help his wife and father-in-law campaign for (tomorrow’s) elections, although both are running unopposed,” Dave explained.
Alvin’s wife is running for mayor while his father-in-law is running for reelection as Cagayan governor, Dave said.
To clear the issues on PBA legend Vergel Meneses, who is back in active duty as EA Regens head coach, Dave said he resigned when he lost two games in a row, but the resignation was rejected.
Vergel now sits where the coaching staff should and seems to be back calling the shots for the team from Pampanga.