FTT Rants: PBA Postpones Ginebra-Rain or Shine Game 2, But Makes Foolish Move

Talk about an unexpected postponement in the heat of the moment.

Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals between the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was supposed to be played Tuesday night. Instead, severe monsoon rains caused by typhoon Henry forced the league to postpone the game for the sake of safety to the players, staff and spectators.

1/2 Your PBA is cancelling its game today due to floods and the continuing inclement weather. Safety and security of the fans, players and officials are always of utmost importance. #WeArePBA

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

But rather than moving said game to later tonight, the PBA made a seemingly foolish decision. They decided to reschedule Game 2 of Ginebra-Rain or Shine to Thursday night, while keeping Game 3 of the Alaska Aces-San Miguel Beermen series to its original schedule.

2/2 Game 2 of the best-of-5 semifinals series between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Rain or Shine Elastopainters is rescheduled on Thursday, July 19, 7pm at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Maraming salamat po at mag-ingat po tayong lahat.#WeArePBA

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

Considering that the Beermen are up by two games over the Aces and on the verge of a sweep, it puts both Ginebra and Rain or Shine at a distinct disadvantage. Should the latter series go to a Game 5 next Wednesday and assuming San Miguel would in fact sweep Alaska tonight, the Beermen will have the luxury of rest while their opponent will head to the finals weary and exhausted.

Even if the San Miguel-Alaska series goes to a Game 5, the winner of said series will still have a longer break compared to its opponent. Game 5, if necessary, will be played Sunday.

If that is the case, the PBA is dead set on giving the Beermen an easier path to a second straight Commissioner’s Cup title and perhaps another opportunity to earn the elusive Grand Slam. In many ways, that would be bad for the league’s reputation.

Then again, though, Game 3 between Alaska and San Miguel is still in doubt. At the moment, the PBA has yet to make a decision regarding the game as they continue to observe the ongoing weather conditions.

If they postpone tonight’s game as well, it will be a win-win situation to all four teams. Maybe it’s for the best if they suspend Game 3 as well.

Ginebra is currently leading their semifinal series against Rain or Shine 1-0. As previously mentioned, San Miguel is one win away from the finals against Alaska.

In the meantime, here is a public service announcement regarding tickets to the Ginebra-Rain or Shine series.

From TICKETNET:

All tickets for today, July 17, will be valid and honored for Thursday.

On the other hand, for ticket holders of Game 3, we will be issuing online refund. Amount will automatically be reverted to the credit card used upon online purchase. pic.twitter.com/iuHRmF024V

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

UPDATE: Game 3 of the San Miguel-Alaska series is now postponed to Friday, July 20.

📌Announcement

Semis game 3 of Alaska Aces vs San Miguel Beermen today has been postponed due to potential severe weather conditions (Orange warning) as announced by NDRRMC.

Game 3 is set on Friday, July 20, 7pm at Ynares, Antipolo.

Mag-ingat po ang lahat. Maraming salamat.

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 18, 2018

PBA, UAAP to Face Off Starting Sunday

The PBA Philippine Cup begins this Sunday, with the San Miguel Beermen trying to defend the crown. The early games of the tournament will go head-to-head with the ongoing UAAP men’s basketball eliminations. (Photo credit: Businessworld)

The PBA and the UAAP will cross paths on the small screen once more.

For the first time, the opening day of the PBA Philippine Cup will take place while the UAAP men’s basketball eliminations are still ongoing. This was made possible by the latter’s most recent calendar change.

Previously, the UAAP men’s basketball tournament was played from July to October. But with most member schools adjusting their calendar to be at par with other foreign institutions, the UAAP decided to move its season opening to September, and with it rescheduled the basketball season from September to November.

This means that the elimination round of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament will now have to compete with the PBA Philippine Cup once the latter opens in October*. Both leagues primarily play at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena; thus, they need to agree in advance on the availability of both venues.

Sunday’s PBA Philippine Cup opener at the Big Dome will feature the customary opening ceremony, followed by a game between the Star Hotshots and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. On the same day, the UAAP will hold a men’s basketball twinbill at MOA, pitting UE and UP, and La Salle and FEU.

The PBA games will be aired on TV5, AksyonTV and Sports5.PH, with a radio broadcast on Radyo5 stations. The UAAP games are currently seen on ABS-CBN Sports+Action, Balls HD 195, iWanTV and ABS-CBN Sports official website.

* The UAAP men’s basketball games previously took place alongside PBA import-laden tournaments (e.g. Fiesta Conference, Governors’ Cup).

PBA Quarterfinals Scheduling Quirks

Today will mark the start of the PBA Philippine Cup playoff rounds. As is the case the past two seasons, the playoff games will be played on a daily basis up until the Semifinals. However, there are some scheduling quirks which may baffle some viewers.

Tuesday’s doubleheader will have Petron vs. Barako Bull, and Talk N’ Text vs. San Mig Super Coffee. However, the former will not be shown live on TV as AksyonTV is slated to air weekly United Football League doubleheaders. Instead it will shown on a delayed basis over at TV5 after ‘Reaksyon’. The latter will also not be seen on AksyonTV, but will have a live broadcast on TV5.

For Wednesday’s doubleheader featuring Rain or Shine vs. Globalport, and Barangay Ginebra vs. Alaska, the first game will be a live broadcast on AksyonTV and a delayed broadcast on TV5, while the second game will be aired live on both networks. However, there will be no games on Thursday as TV5 is scheduled to air the pilot episode of the weekly drama series ‘Obsession’.

Friday’s doubleheader featuring the four teams that played on Tuesday will follow the same broadcast pattern as Wednesday’s doubleheader. But should both Wednesday doubleheader brackets extend to a do-or-die match, the first game will be shown live on both AksyonTV and TV5, while the second game will be seen only on AksyonTV. Now here’s the dilemma: TV5 does not air the second game on Saturdays, but because ‘What’s Up Doods?’ is presumably cancelled, they may move both ‘SPINNation’ and ‘Pilipinas News Weekend’ to that timeslot to allow the second PBA quarterfinals game to air.

Finally, the Sunday games will have Game 3 of either one or two series that played on Friday, and will be seen on TV5 and AksyonTV. In short, Sports5 is following virtually the same broadcast script that have been followed since the start of the eliminations.

With that, good luck to all the teams in the playoffs, and good luck to all the viewers trying to watch a PBA game on TV.

Tengs Surprised by Jessy Mendiola at McDonalds

There’s no stopping the sudden popularity of the Teng brothers. After the UAAP men’s basketball finals between the UST Growling Tigers and the De La Salle Green Archers, brothers Jeron and Jeric Teng made guest appearances on various television programs and posed in several magazines. And even as Jeric started a new chapter as a member of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Jeron’s appearances in his brother’s games continued to elicit a loud crowd reaction. But the best was yet to come.

In one of their recent television guestings, the Tengs revealed that their celebrity crush was Jessy Mendiola. Then on this McDonalds promotional click Mendiola made a surprise appearance promoting the McSpicy Chicken Burger while the Tengs prepared for a meal. Check out this hilarious and stunning video below.

While the Tengs have become overnight sensations, let’s not forget that they are still basketball players. Jeric is currently adjusting to life as a PBA player, while Jeron is balancing both academics and basketball in La Salle. Nevertheless, with their expanding amount of endorsements and media appearances, the Tengs have undoubtedly become bankable stars in the entertainment industry.

New PBA TV Setup for the Season

The PBA will have a new broadcast setup, with most games airing live on TV5 and some on AksyonTV and Fox Sports Asia.

The new PBA season got underway Sunday with a three-city slate. The Manila leg pitted the San Mig Coffee Mixers and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the ‘Manila Clasico‘ rivalry, while at the same time sibling rivals Meralco Bolts and Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters faced off in Cebu. And in Davao, the Alaska Aces took on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. All of that was preceded by the customary opening ceremonies that kicked off the new season.

This season a majority of the PBA games will be aired on TV5, with some on AksyonTV and cable network Fox Sports Asia. Under the new arrangement, the second or the ‘marquee’ game will be seen live on TV5 during weekdays and Saturdays, with the first game airing live on both AksyonTV and Fox Sports Asia. On Sundays both games of the doubleheader will be seen live on TV5.

This new arrangement was made so that TV5 can still air their weekday news and entertainment programs in the late afternoon/early evening slot. Most importantly, it enables the network to select the matchups that are more compelling and intense for the viewer-rich 8:00 p.m. slot. As such, the San Miguel franchises, Alaska, Talk N’ Text and Rain or Shine will be featured regularly in the evening game.

As for the first game of the weekday doubleheader, it will air live on AksyonTV (and presumably Fox Sports Asia) to satisfy basketball fans’ demands, with the replay airing on TV5 later in the evening. The new setup is considered a test broadcast for the PBA in hopes of bringing a more versatile television coverage in all platforms. Viewers may not agree on this considering the weaker signals on the UHF band and the expenses of cable subscription, but it should benefit the PBA in the long run.

This is already the third season of the PBA’s television contract with TV5, and expectations should rise a bit after the banner season of 2012-13. And with the new broadcast setup, expect great matchups and high-end basketball action in all platforms.