Philippine Cup Finals: Battle of Former Expansion Teams
Now, the former Pop Cola/Diet Sarsi Sizzlers quintet is now the Powerade Tigers team while its soft drink rival Pepsi Hotshots five now bears the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters name, the protagonists for the highly coveted All-Filipino Conference title in the 2011-12 campaign.
As the Pop Cola Sizzlers, the expansion team mentored by current Rain or Shine bench tactician Yeng Guiao won only two of 10 outings in the Open Conference good for 7th place, then ended up last in the All-Filipino with a 1-9 win-loss finish and had a 7-11 record in the Reinforced Conference with Lewis Lloyd and Michael Anderson as imports to end up fifth.
The team had players like UST mentor Pido Jarencio, Joey Loyzaga, Elmer Reyes, Andy De Guzman, Nandy Garcia, Marte Saldana, Ricky Cui, Sonny Cabatu, Nap Hatton, Joseph Pelaez, Anthony Poblador, Cayetano Salazar and Leoncio Tan in the team’s fold on its maiden season.
In contrast, the Hotshots had a miserable first season under comebacking coach Ed Ocampo (Open Conference & All-Filipino: 2-18 record) and Derick Pumaren (Reinforced Conference record: 0-10), in winning the team’s debut versus the import-less Pop Cola Panthers, 149-130, to begin the season in the Open Conference as well as another triumph against Guaio’s wards in the All-Filipino tourney won by Presto.
Pepsi then had Dennis Abbatuan, Alejo Alolor, Jeffrey Graves, Carlito Mejos, Cadel Mosqueda, Salvador Ramos, Ricky Relosa, Gilbert Reyes, Negrense Vernie Villarias, Rey Yncierto, Tonichi Yturri, Tim Coloso and eventually, Abet Guidaben who was traded by Alaska for Harmon Codinera during the Reinforced Conference.
As it is, for Pop Cola, which was likewise renamed Swift and Sunkist from 1990 to 2001, the franchise won a total of four PBA championships with Guiao, Pumaren, Turo Valenzona, Norman Black and Chot Reyes serving as mentors one after the other before the Cosmos Bottling Corporation franchise was sold to San Miguel Corporation in 2002 and was renamed as the Coca Cola Tigers.
Reyes, the current TNT mentor, guided Coke to two PBA titles in 2002 (All-Filipino) and in 2003 (Reinforced) before the ballclub plunged into oblivion in the last eight seasons under a slew of coaches in Biboy Ravanes, Eric Altamirano, Binky Favis, Kenneth Duremdes and now, Bo Perasol.
On the other hand, Pepsi never won a PBA crown from 1990 to 1996 until the Hotshots were renamed as Mobiline Cellulars after owner Luis “Moro” Lorenzo, a Piltel stockholder, passed the reigns of the franchise to the telecommunications firm. The team is now known as the TNT Tropang Texters with four PBA titles won so far and a record fourth straight finals appearance.
The two teams met once in a PBA Finals series when Pop Cola (now Powerade) swept the then 7-Up Uncolas (TNT) and this would be the second time that the two former expansion ballclubs will be seeing each other in a titular showdown since the early 90s. For the reigning champions TNT, revenge will be the name of the game! As the No. 2 seeded quintet in the Philippine Cup, TNT nipped Barako Bull in the quarters before scoring a rare come-from-behind series victory over arch rival Petron in their semis duel after being down, 1-3, while the Tigers (#8) became the lowest rated team to advance to a PBA Finals after a quarterfinals upset of top seed B-Meg and another 4-3 series win over No. 5 Rain or Shine in the Final Four.
Game 1 was played yesterday in Digos, Davao Del Sur with TNT’s Jimmy Alapag (reigning MVP), spitfirish Jayson Castro and former Most Valuable Player winner Kelly Williams leading Coach Chot’s charges against the Tigers’ “Big 3” of scoring leader Gary David, top rookie pick Jayvee Casio and No. 4 freshman selection Marcio Lassiter tasked to carry the load for Powerade in this epic title match.
So fasten your seatbelts, dear readers! And expect a blockbuster championship experience as TNT and Powerade battle each other for All-Filipino supremacy in the next two weeks of PBA action...*
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