Block-a-Bull sale?

Looks like the sale of the Barako Bull PBA franchise to Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is running on, um, fumes.

Bulls for sale

One stumbling block could be the SMC bloc or SMC block. For the rest of this entry, let’s refer to them as the "SMC Block."

The San Miguel Corporation owns 60 percent of Petron, and only an amateur exec would allow a direct competitor to get a share of the PBA exposure and ultimately, the petroleum market.

A P66-million franchise price tag is not the road block for the Davao-based oil company to go north and join the PBA. It could be the SMC Block. The SMC Block owns three teams in the PBA – the B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados ( the artist formerly known as Purefoods), Barangay Ginebra Kings and the banner SMC franchise San Miguel Beermen.

With the SMC Block having three votes in the PBA board, it would be hard for Phoenix to get inside the PBA paint, so to speak. They need seven governors’ votes to get the Barako Bull franchise.

Don’t forget too the fact that MVP has business interests in power, mining and transportation, and on any day, can enter the lucrative petro-business. So his teams’ votes regarding this Phoenix buy of Barako Bull is subject for study by his business deputies. The YES votes from MVP teams are not a sure shot.

The PBA board will convene on Friday (March 18). For the sake of fun, let’s do a mock PBA governors’ voting now!

Let’s assume for a moment that because of the MVP-SMC rivalry, the Manny Pangilinan-owned teams would want to annoy SMC so they’ll vote YES.

Let’s do this…

• San Miguel Beermen –  NO!
• Brgy. Ginebra Kings – NO!
• B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados – NO!
• Talk N Text Tropang Texters – YES!
• Meralco Bolts – YES!
• Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – The “we-don’t-care-vote,” YES!
• Alaska Aces – Tired of SMC and MVP teams, YES!
• Barako Bull – (I do not understand why they have a vote pertaining to a sale of themselves!) YES!
• Powerade Tigers – Because they sell Powerade drinks in Phoenix Gas Stations, YES!

After nine teams, that’s six “YES” votes. And that leaves us with a final deciding vote to determine if the sale of Redbull Franchise to Phoenix pushes through.

(Silence)

Let’s hear it from the AIR21 Express…

Air21 Express –  (Trading partner and BFF franchise of SMC all these years. And, they themselves are in talks of possible sale of the Air21 franchise, SMC as the buyer no less.) NO!

Ladies and gentlemen, the NO vote wins!

As usual, the Air21 Express decision affected the direction of the league.

Remember, while the SMC Bloc could play defense on this possible Phoenix entry, it is also playing offense. There were news reports that while SMC and Air21 were re-drafting the emo trade, to make it more palatable, there were side discussions as well. And those discussions involved the sale of the Air21 Traders, er, Air21 Express, to SMC. And what could be the best SMC product to showcase? Certainly not Baron All-Purpose Flour.

It's Petron!

Even if an SMC takeover of Air21 goes blank, it can easily change one of its teams to beat down a Phoenix entry. What brand to carry? It’s Petron!

There are no rules that prevent competing products, and the SMC Bloc are used to having competitors in the past such as Tanduay-Ginebra, Manila Beer-San Miguel and Swift-Purefoods. But given a choice and having the legal means  and ways to get what they want – and not allow what they do not want – I don’t think SMC will start organizing a “P4P” (Phoenix-for-PBA) movement anytime soon.

So will the Phoenix still rise? Knowing The SMC Bloc, I really doubt it.