Semis to rekindle old rivalries

Just like in the current NBA playoffs, the PBA All-Filipino Cup best-of-five semifinal round, which starts tomorrow, is awash in subplots.

For one, there’s a deep-seated rivalry between Ginebra and Shell and no love lost between San Miguel Beer and Pop Cola.

Remember the Robert Jaworski-led Añejo walkout against Shell in the 1990 PBA First Conference final? How about Rudy Distrito’s classic buzzer-beating basket, capping Ginebra’s historic comeback from a 1-3 series deficit, also versus Shell, in the same conference the following year?

The Ginebra-Shell tug-o’-war for the services of Benjie Paras at one time? And who can forget the Ginebra-Shell brawl that cost several players, including Noli Locsin, Boy Valera, Wilmer Ong and Jay Mendoza, nearly a total of P100,000 in fines two years ago?

The San Miguel-Pop Cola duel could also be fuelled by ill feelings and a bitter past.

There’s Nelson Asaytono waging a personal war versus former coach Ron Jacobs; Boyvits Victoria, Nic Belasco and Dwight Lago trying to upstage their former Pop Cola teammates and RP Centennial team pointguards Johnny Abarrientos and Olsen Racela having a grudge match following their fierce duel in the same conference last year? Coaches Jong Uchico and Chot Reyes have no quarrel, but remember the former is from La Salle and the latter from Ateneo?

"Hindi ko inabot yung mga laban nila, but I’m aware of it and I’m expecting an exciting series. Siguradong bakbakan ito," said Ginebra coach Allan Caidic.

"We’ve been into so many wars. This is but another and I’m sure my team will never back down from it," said Shell coach Perry Ronquillo.

Caidic thinks his team is the underdog but loves the role, saying it makes easier for him to motivate his players.

"The team has long been without a championship. Now we’ve a got a chance to gain a crack at it, so we’ll try our best not to bungle it. Sana hindi makuntento ang mga players na umabot sa semis even without a twice-to-beat advantage vs Purefoods," said Caidic, whose team is in search of a first championship since the 1997 Commissioner’s cup title conquest.

Shell won the 1998 Governors Cup and the 1999 All-Filipino Cup, but it is out to redeem itself from a woeful campaign last year where it failed to make it past the elims in any of the three conferences.

"We wanted to stop from being one of the boys and become one of the men once again," said Ronquillo.

Perhaps, among the men Ronquillo has in mind is the formidable San Miguel squad.

Surely, San Miguel is the odds-on pick over Pop Cola but the Beermen are not undermining the capabilities of the Panthers.

But Uichico, who always tries to downplay his chances, is giving Pop Cola an even chance although the Beermen swept the Panthers in two games by an average margin of more than 10 points in the elims.

"Their spirit is at an all-time high. The intensity level of their game at the moment is more than 100 percent kaya nakakatakot silang kalaban," said Uichico.

Like Ginebra, Pop Cola’s biggest motivation is its hunger for a championship.

"The management deserves a break. We’ve long been on a slump. In fact, this is our very first semis stint since finishing third in the 1998 Centennial Cup. We’ll try to step up our game" said Reyes. "Who knows, we may pull off an upset and go on to stop the franchise’s slump."