Emo trade

Danny Seigle – 13 years. Finals MVP many times over. That's basically saying they won championships because of him! Doing Sheen... Duh! Winning?!

Dondon Hontiveros – 10 years. Tons of games – hardly missed a game, made clutch shots, guarded the best opposing guards, a team guy, and gave SMB more fans in the south. And heck, he put Valerie on the SMB side. For that alone, SMB shouldn't have traded him.

Paul Artadi – 544 scoop shots and 123 announcement tweets that they'll have practice at The Arena! He was an emotional leader and injected instant energy off the bench.

Dorian Pena – 10 years of hardcore inside banging. Besides, he's been known to be the only PBA player to adore Pops Fernandez! So Pops' fans are basically SMB fans!

From L-R: Dondon Hontiveros, Dorian Pena, Danny Siegle and Paul Artadi (Photo courtesy of Paul Artadi)

All four had their parts in the championships and helped maintain SMB's winning tradition. But in just one trade, pfffft, Seigle's and Hontiveros' SMB legacy went down the drain, flushed not with water, but with super ice-cold SMB.  Fan-fave Artadi and Pena are no longer Batang San Miguel too.

Then came their tweets:

Dondon Hontiveros: "wud like to thank you guys for the love and support the past 10 yrs wid smb.maraming salamt"

Paul Artadi: "I have a new team again... Bye smb....thanks sa isang conference..... :)"

Dorian Pena: "Can't believe it"

Danny Seigle: "Kahit ako na si Danny seigle?" (Im kiddin', he didn’t tweet that. It is a homage to Eala's "Ikaw na ang maging Danny Seigle!")

San Miguel Beer, parang walang pinagsamahan.

I always thought that Seigle and Hontiveros will retire as San Mig Legends, just like Racela. I even envisioned Dondon moving up as SMC executive, an assistant coach, a shooting coach, or special assistant on how to get the hottest chick. Dunno, any role, but within the SMC block for sure. Who knows, after Hontiveros’ playing days are over, he can be back in the SMC world. These teams have been known to get players back, knowing they wronged them the first time.

A side note, only two days after the trade, incoming player Baclao wore Hontiveros' jersey number (7). Not even the slightest respect for Hontiveros. SMB could have said to Baclao, “we'll think it over first, just wear another number first, like 1, 2, 3, or 69!” Can’t they see what a player did for them for 10 years and value it by just holding on to a number 'til they got things sorted out. Usually, a franchise thinks over time if a player deserves jersey number retirement. SMB allowed the use of number "7" that fast. Kaunti lang ba ang nagawa ni Dondon Hontiveros for SMB?

They are all pros and I am sure they will all move on (as we will do so too) but there's a big bad bitter taste in these kinds of trades/moves. Tastes like drinking San Miguel Beer na matagal nakabukas, di malamig, sinamahan pa ng undercooked pulutan na isaw. That bitter.

I've been watching the PBA long enough that I can accept trades as part of the game. Bitter as it may be, we'll just continue to roll with the ball, watch the PBA, and write about games, rumors and trades – lopsided or not.

Back then, when Alaska was almost done MILKING their stars for rings, Alaska Milk did it to aging Johnny Abarrientos et al. They let go of the Flying A, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins and Poch Juino. It took some time, if not years, before Alaska rose back to elite status. Some Alaska fans I know turned their backs on Alaska.

I wasn't fond of the Ginebra management when they shipped these guys, Ampalayo (for Bobby Jose, I think), Noli Locsin (for Vergel Meseses) and Marlou Aquino (for Jun Limpot). Shocked and angered when SMC bypassed Robert Jaworski with the hiring of Allan Caidic. That Caidic hiring is an SMC trade in my book.

SMB to Siegle, et al: We got your backs! As targets?!

But to SMB, winning isn’t everything. There are fans to win and joys to get in building players/team from ground up.  So dear SMB, please be careful with your fans' hearts. The recent trade sending SMB legends (Seigle & Hontiveros) plus emotional leader Artadi and workhorse Pena could lead to fan backslash – not only SMB fans but us PBA fans as well. We crave for awesome games in a fair league, not one team blasting away all other teams because you got all the prime stars.

We know you got a team to run and a winning tradition to preserve. But if you say to us "drink moderately" when we consume our alcohol, I beg you too should "trade moderately." And always remember, quoting Mandela, "Karma is a b_tch, gets you every time."  Wait, that's not from Mandela, it is just a LeBron tweet!