What is Ogie Menor Really Thinking?

Hello everybody, it has been a while. I’m sorry but things have gotten busier on my end that I have neglected trying to help you be enlightened in the scape of basketball. But, let’s can the theatrics and get to the meat.

Ogie Menor.

This guy was a beast way back in his amateur days. Bulky 6’2″-3″ Small Forward who can mow down anybody in the paint when they block his path.

He was hotly recruited coming out of the San Beda Red Cubs program, a hotbed for superstar high school players. Think of him as Ryan Buenafe with more brawn (no pun intended on RB’s weight) and a more consistent jumpshot. He decided to stay with San Beda and teamed up with Yousif Aljamal and Alex Angeles among others forming what was to be the core of the team before Sam Ekwe and Pong Escobal came aboard. But this is where our hero dwindles down.

Maybe it’s just me but I believe Menor became a star because Ekwe was the bigger star demanding everyone’s attention in the paint. He was able to roam on the perimeter and slash to his heart’s desire since pretty much everyone in the paint was latched unto Ekwe. It’s pretty much the same now for Pong Escobal who seems unable to hold on to the ball for dear life but showing signs of what can be most of the time.

But anyway, it seems Ogie Menor, once the boy scout has evolved into a Calvin Abueva. And the skills as well as I see it. No longer is Menor reliable as a solid contributor. He’s slowly turning to be an instigator of fights. Much like Abueva, his biggest rival in my eyes, he’s resorting to trash-talking and hurting which is not taught in the Ronald Tubid School of How to Make People Hate You on the Court.

He’s just being an ass out there with no will to win, no will to perform to the utmost of his abilities. He’s just there to punch, cheapshot and hurt anyone, anybody, then run under Coach Franz’s skirt to escape the irate players. I think an interv[ention is needed for Ogie Menor.

An intervention to put this guy back in the right track. Make him remember this is basketball and he’s not in the cage squaring off with Anderson Silva. It’s time someone makes him remember how good he is at playing basketball without actually resorting to pulling punches and other antics.

Do us a favor Ogie Menor, we want the old you back.

This is not my PBA

This is not my PBA.

Are you watching PBA lately?

Some would say, “Umm, sometimes when my schedule permits me.”

Some would say, “It depends upon who are playing.”

Some would even dare to say, “Who cares about the PBA now!”

Personally, I lost steam in watching PBA since 2008 especially when, well Mark Caguioa’s struggled a bit due to injuries and another, fed-up with non-stop lop-sided trades.

But what may be the real reason why PBA’s popularity, in my view, is going down? Here are my thoughts:

1. No legit superstars that their respective teams can rely each and every game. Think of Alvin Patrimonio. Dubbed as “Captain Lion Heart”. His nick name speaks for itself that not even the “Flying Tank Noli Locsin]” could stop him in leading his team to the championship way back 1997. Think of Benjie Paras, a full blooded Filipino that went on to win the coveted Rookie of the Year and MVP plums both in the same year. He served as the thorn to Añejo Rhum 65’s throat for many years. Think of Allan Caidic who made 17 3-point shots in a game that he pumped in 79 points. Of course, legends Jaworski and Fernandez, both were regarded as Mr. PBA and The Franchise, during their days.
2. Imports. Gone are the days that Tony Harris would torch a team with 105 points. And he did it against Ginebra! The Blacks, Parks, Chambers, Bates, Hacketts are long gone. With the emergence of the internet and cable channels, the inferiority of the imports compared to the NBA players was exposed. We don’t need imports to electrify the games. There are the likes of Cyrus Baguio, Mac Cardona, JC Intal. And of course, the revitalized Caguioa that can do the honors.
3. Sister teams. Are you thrilled to watch Ginebra versus Petron in the Finals? Or Petron versus B-Meg? Well, I’m not. I’d rather see them play against the other teams. How about TnT versus Meralco? Redbull versus Shopinas? Same argument.

Well, don’t get me wrong here, I still watch the PBA whenever my team is playing, though most often than not, I get frustrated with the way Ginebra is playing [it’s another story for me to write next time]. Right now, I’ll continue to watch the PBA coz I love this game, I like cheering for my team. But at the same time, I will not stop figuring out and digesting what product this PBA is giving me.

POLL: Who will win the PBA Rookie of the Year?

First and second picks JV Casio and Paul Lee top the survey.  Not far behind is Mark Barroca of B-MEG. Barroca is my darkhorse bet (ok not that really that of a darkhorse ‘coz he was picked 5th, still high) to win the Rookie of the Year. Remember that, advancing to the quarters or semis and playing for championships can get you more exposure and stat points. That may happen for Mark Barroca playing for B-MEG and if he gets the lead guard job.

The poll…

Who will win the PBA Rookie of the Year?

JV Casio (24%)
Paul Lee (17%)
Mark Barroca (16%)
Mac Baracael (14%)
Chris Lutz (11%)
Reil Cervantes (9%)
Marcio Lassiter (4%)
Dylan Ababou (2%)
Allein Maliksi (2%)
Jason Ballesteros (1%)

Total Votes: 219

Alaska inks Julius Pasculado

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POLL: “NO-MVP” players, who’s the most deserving to have one?

 

Last month we posted one piece at UNBLOGGED, Great PBA players without an MVP award that got pretty good hits, responses and FB recommendations. The past weeks, we conducted a poll about this topic too and here’s the result.

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Tim Cone calls it quits

While the NBA lockout continues to show no signs of ceasing up, the local basketball scene has continued to capture the attention of Filipino basketball fans. After some Draft Day surprises with major shake ups in some PBA teams’ rosters and the entry of the highly-touted Smart-Gilas stars, the coaching staffs followed the lead. Rumors about major changes in the coaching staffs of some squads spread like wildfire, causing some guessing games on social networking sites and forums.  It turned out the rumors packed a lot of credibility.

Barako Bull (former Air21) acquired the services of multi-titled amateur coach Junel Baculi; Ginebra announced they promoted Siot Tanquincen to the head-coaching position, sharing the post with coach Jong Uichico (which I really don’t think will last); and then B-Meg replaced coach Jorge Gallent with former assistant coach Richard Del Rosario. But anyone privy to the Philippine basketball circles, knew there was a bigger news waiting to be revealed. And the Alaska Aces management didn’t want to prolong the guessing game.

After 22 years of tenure in the Alaska franchise, leading the Fred Uytengsu team to 13 titles including the precious Grand Slam feat in the 90’s, the decorated coach who introduced the beauty of triangle offense into the league realized he wasn’t really going to end his career with the team – at least for the moment.

Coach Time Cone decided he “needed a new challenge.”

While I believe there is more than just looking for “new challenge” behind Cone’s departure from a team that has been the catalyst of his metamorphosis into the coaching great he is right now, I think he has more than earned the right of coming up with this decision.

Cone has proved his loyalty and affection for the team.  If two decades of sticking it up with a single team through the ups and downs isn’t loyalty, then I don’t know what it is. Maybe it wouldn’t be too much of a luxury for the Alaska franchise to fittingly hand a deserving man an opportunity to explore new horizons now that he is nearing the twilight of his illustrious career. And team owner Fred Uytengsu’s acceptance of Cone’s resignation despite a live contract until 2013 is a testament of Tim Cone’s true worth on their franchise and of the solid bond they have developed throughout the years.

It will be a difficult pill to swallow for the Alaska fans, coaching staff, management, and especially the players. Alaska has seen great players in the likes of Johnny Abbarientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins, and Willie Miller flourish on their team only to get traded along the way. But none of those compares to this parting.  Cone has been the face and the main pillar of the franchise. Perhaps everybody expected to see Cone retire with the team. But I guess not all love story really ends on a happy ending.

But who knows, this change might have been the spark Alaska needed to start bringing back their glory days. Maybe Cone knew it all along that he didn’t have the same urge to take this team to the top anymore. As what Steve Jobs said, it’s impossible to connect the dots looking forward. When we look back to this moment in the future, we’ll most probably have a better understanding of it all.

For now, ironic as it may seem to me (I’m a Ginebra fan btw), let me dedicate my first post here in paying tribute to one great coach and to the greatest story of loyalty and excellence in Philippine basketball.

Good luck Alaska Aces and coach Tim Cone!

Alaska Presscon Mystery?

About 2 hours away from PBA’s own version of “The Decision”. BTW, I’m wondering why ABC5/AKTV didn’t get the rights to televise this Alaska press conference.

Make it a 30 minute show out of it, make a video montage of Tim Cone raising his arms for every Willie Miller’s questionable shots thrown. Then, Joaqui Trillo interviewed by Mico Halili, proceeds going to the Alaska foundation.

Anyways, Ms. Beth Celis already spilled the milk, er, the beans. Something like Tim Cone doing something else, like a TV job perhaps (or coach another PBA team?) and Banal being the head Milkman.

But in this off-season with lots of things happening, highs (like the much talked about draft) & lows (like the backstage scandal), anything can happen. As they say, the ball is round. So with 2 hours to go before the Alaska presscon, other than the Beth Celis scoop, here are some of the things that can happen later:

• Will Alaska announce that they’ll drop coaches’ long sleeves game day attire with polo shirt a la BGK?
• Will Alaska announce that they put something on Ding Panganiban’s drinks while negotiating for for the Boy Cabahug – Jojo Lastimosa trade?
• Will Alaska announce that they’ll take their talents to the ABL?
• Or, will Alaska finally reveal that the white boy in the classic alaska commercial is none other than Dickie Bachman!

What do you think?

Is there a chance for us to get NBA imports?

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Philippine Basketball Association TV Commercial (Tuloy Ang Laban)

SMC Killer Crossover

This is just a tweet-ish thought that’s too long for twitter. Let’s call this, a tweet on steroids!

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