New PBA record

The PBA set a new average game attendance record in the just concluded Philippine Cup conference.

Game 6 of the finals brought in a crowd of 17,975 paying customers at the Araneta Coliseum last Feb. 23. That raised the conference average to 7,763 – eclipsing the mark of 7,709 set in 1996. In terms of gross attendance, the conference established a new all-time high – what with crowds of over 10,000 regularly patronizing the playoffs.

The largest attendance was 18,377 for Games 6 of the Barangay Ginebra-Talk ‘N’ Text and San Miguel Beer-Red Bull semifinal series at the Big Dome last Feb. 4.

If Ginebra and San Miguel played a Game 7, it would’ve easily drawn an audience of over 18,000 and the average attendance would’ve jumped to at least 8,000.

The turnaway crowds put a permanent smile on PBA commissioner Noli Eala’s face throughout the finals. But PBA media bureau chief and Eala’s executive assistant Willie Marcial, who takes care of VIP passes, didn’t know whether to celebrate or cry – he was bombarded by ticket requests from Game 1.

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PBA legend Jerry Codiñera is hoping to work his way to Congress via the party list system in the May elections.

Codiñera, 40, is the second nominee of Pwersa Ng Bayaning Atleta. The first nominee is Cavite City vice mayor Dino Chua, a La Salle graduate.

Codiñera’s wife Jean explained that a percentage of the total voter turnout determines how many party list candidates will enter Congress. A rough rule of thumb is 300,000 votes will qualify Pwersa’s first candidate and another 300,000 will vote in the second.

The party will hold a lunch press conference at the Century Park Hotel on Saturday then the candidates will be proclaimed at the Aguinaldo shrine in Kawit, Cavite, in the afternoon with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao expected to attend.

Codiñera said Pacquiao and Alvin Patrimonio were invited to join the party as candidates.

Codiñera, a 17-year PBA veteran now an Air21 assistant coach, said his priorities, if elected, are to make sure national athletes are provided benefits and incentives in full and on time from the PSC, to provide livelihood opportunities for current and retired athletes with free training and seed money, to register athletes as SSS or GSIS members and to explore the possibility of a health insurance package for national athletes.

Postscript. World-renowned Kabbalah instructor David Ghiyam spoke on the universal understanding of astrology at AIM in Makati last Monday. Ghiyam reviewed the game of life and explained how to make the impossible possible. Ex-La Salle cager Dominic Uy, a Kabbalah mentor, says astrology unlocks the mysteries that help a person to understand how to transform into a creator in life. Ginebra star Eric Menk is a Kabbalah believer ... Summer is about to begin and Emerald Headway, the leading distributor of nearly 1,000 book and magazine titles including PSM Play Station Magazine, Sound and Vision, Tips and Tricks, In Style and Star, welcomes the season with its Subs Price Cut Off promo. Get an additional 15% discount for every 1-year subscription to any weekly/monthly magazine title, 7.5% discount for a 6-month subscription to any weekly/monthly magazine title and 5% for a 3-month subscription to any weekly title. To further heat things up, you get as many as five complimentary magazines for every paid subscription. For details, call 647-4744 or visit the Emerald showroom at 218 Katipunan Ave., Blue Ridge, Quezon City.