A TALE OF TWO FRANCHISES
RED BULL could lose Yeng Guiao before the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference could unfold. This is after seeing his team decimated continuously and vigorously for three consecutive seasons. It was said that Red Bull is eager to give up their PBA franchise which they have held since 2000.
Meanwhile, AIR21 is keen of changing their name to Burger King, seeing that the fast food chain needs to bolster its popularity (which puzzles me considering that BK is turning out to be the fast food version of the coffee wi-fi shops). Burger King’s PBL stint has produced Ronjay Buenafe, Macky Escalona, and current Air21 stalwarts Doug Kramer and JR Quinahan.
How are these two teams intertwined? Let’s see with this theory.
Teams are checking out whether or not Burger King needs to pay a stiff or measly sum of franchise fee. Sure, it’s true that Bert Lina of Air21, owns Burger King, but it’s doubtful if he is the main stockholder of the franchise. Browse Wikipedia and you’ll see that BK is owned by Lina, Lito Alvarez, Ricky Vargas, and Manny V. Pangilinan.
Vargas is TNT’s board representative while MVP owns TNT.
This explains why Air21 is TNT’s bitch.
BITCH I TELL YOU!
If SMC monopolizes the best players from other teams… then TNT basically takes out all the “fun†in Air21. Sure, one will argue that the Ranidel de Ocampo versus Don Allado trade is not lopsided, since Allado is merely a victim of lack of playing time and ball-hogging backcourt-mates… which de Ocampo at one point of his career will also suffer…
…But try checking out TNT’s major Air21 acquisitions: Yancy de Ocampo (who should have been blossoming if he had more minutes), Renren Ritualo (who should have been blossoming if he had more minutes), Jay Washington (who blossomed when SMB saved his hide), and Macmac Cardona (who is blossoming… period) are amongst the few names that were taken away by the Tropang Texters from the Express that should have been key acquisitions for their drive to the top.
Okay, so MVP is making TNT some kind of a RP Team sanctuary. Great! That means Arwind Santos is the next name to join the Texters! Problem lies… will Patrick Fran be again part of the trade? How ‘bout Gilbert Lao?
Please, do me a favor and trade him for Jec Chia. The guy does not deserve being in the reserved list.
Which reminds me… Red Bull has already dealt Cyrus Baguio and Celino Cruz to the Express in exchange for draft picks.
One would wonder… what the!
Baguio is the only “thing†left in the Red Bull lineup! Add Cruz and Red Bull will have has-beens and never-were cagers. This is like PBL was unearthed in the PBA but instead of signing free agents, all they did was hire Liga stars.
Yes, it is THAT bad.
Sorry Red Bull, but inasmuch as I like Yeng Guiao’s ability to create something from nothing, this season says it all. I think the original lineup… the one that had OGIE GUMATAY and BERNARD TANPUA looks better than this current cast! Why waste your energy molding these players if you’re just going to lose them to… free agency.
I have a theory… and I have to be wrong… but it concerns RB and the rest of the league…
If you hate me now, you’ll hate me more.
Red Bull is a poor PBA team.
Baguio was initially being pushed to Ginebra. However, since the Gins backed down, the Barakos tried this to Air21.
By the way, months before Junthy Valenzuela’s trade, I had a spy telling me that “The Hitman†has been practicing in the Gins roster. This idea puzzled me because Valenzuela was still playing for the Bulls. But in his two games of playing for Red Bull in the 2007-08 Fiesta Cup, we merely made 6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 13 minutes.
A mere conference ago, Junthy averaged 15.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for Red Bull.
The same can be said to why weeks before Red Bull traded Rico Villanueva; they were giving Carlo Sharma more minutes. And when they traded Villanueva for Romel Adducul, they quickly sent Adducul to Purefoods for… Don… freaking… Camaso!
Red Bull gets dividends out of making talents and offering them to big market PBA squads!
Currently…
SMB: Mick Pennisi, Lordy Tugade, Larry Fonacier (before being sent to Alaska)
PUREFOODS: Kerby Raymundo, Enrico Villanueva, Topex Robinson, Rich Alvarez, Paolo Bugia
GIN: Junthy Valenzuela
Except for Raymundo, this was pretty much the core of the Red Bull team that last won a championship! And by the way, remember when Red Bull offered Willie Miller to TNT for nothing? Akala mo nagyayabang sila???
HINDE OY!!!
This could be why Yeng Guiao has been chirping to ease out of RB coaching duties in the near future. With the way his team has been oppressed, decimated, and churned out to different sectors, he should be working for some talent enrichment company!
With the recession “hinting†to take effect in the next year, some ballclubs could be at risk of disbandment. While it is not the case for Air21, Red Bull could be suggesting this otherwise. We are forgetting that the PBA is a commercial league, where franchises are owned by multi-national businesses. This is why SMC has the best players and TNT owns the remainder of the talent.
Alaska’s players are great but that does not mean they are hefty. Sta. Lucia had to endure years of the “Kenneth Duremdes-Brandon Cablay†trade before they finally got quality players. The Realtors are also lucky to have a set of players that are usable but not heavy on the budget, considering that the real estate business doesn’t hold shit to Class C and D Filipinos living by eating SMC products and subscribing to either Smart or TNT.
So what will happen to Red Bull?
Will Air21/Burger King get enough of the bullying?
Only time will tell.
(photo from air21express.com.ph)
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