SAN MIGUEL: "IT'S MORE THAN PRIDE"
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Mar 2018
No. It?s more than pride that carried San Miguel Beer to a 92-77 win over sister team Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok last Sunday to level up their best-of-seven series, 1-all for the PBA?s 43rd Season kick-off Philippine Cup Conference.
?It?s there, yeah. We are the defending champion, kami ang kasalukuyang nakaupo sa trono, so natural lamang na siguruhin naming hindi maagaw yun ng ganun-ganun lamang. Pride namin yun eh,? Beermen?s team captain Arwind Santos told the Manila Times in an interview Tuesday in agreement to coach Leo Austria?s post-game statement.
?For me kasi, hindi lamang kami ang nagtatanggol na kampeon at four-peat seeking. Ang San Miguel Beer din ang flagship ng tatlong team na paga-ari ng kumpanya at kailangan ding pangalagaan namin ang reputasyong iyon,? Santos added. ?Kami ang panganay na anak, kumbaga ng amaing tatay, ang SMC.?
?Besides, Sa Miguel na lamang ang naiiwang original member of the nine teams na naghubad ng kanilang amateur status para magtatag ng kauna-unahang liga propesyonal hindi lamang dito sa bansa kundi maging sa Asya man,? the SMB skipper further asserted.
Santos, a former league MVP was referring to Crispa, Toyota, Mariwasa, Yco, Universal Textiles, Great Taste, Seven-Up and Concepcion Industries, the pioneering teams that founded started the play-for-pay league in 1975.
?We owe it, therefore, do our forefathers that we try our best. Play as hard as we could, without violating the tenet off professional play to defend the title, preserve our reputation and that of the company we represent, ? he stressed.
?At ang pinaka-importante, utang namin sa lahat ng PBA fans, sa PBA mismo, na maipagtanggol namin ang korona, mapanatili ang ang mataas na pagkakilala sa amin at sa kumpanya at sa lahat ng taong nagbigay buhay sa PBA,? he said.
Santos, likewise, reminded everybody that basketball is very physical game where practitioners cannot help but hurt each other even players from sister teams.
?Hindi talaga maiiwsan ang magkasakitan a sport ng basketball. Okay lang naman yun, kasama sa laro. Huwag lang sinasadya na manakit ng grabe, Natatandaan noon. Sinabi ni Sen. (Robert) Jaworski, kung ayaw mong masaktan, maglaro ka na lang ng chess,? the favorite son of Lubao town in Pampanga cautioned.
?Ako, kung nakakasakit man, hindi ko sinasadya. Humihingi ako ng patawad, in the spirit of the Holy Week. Sabi nga ni coach Leo, kahit na magkakapatid, nagkakasakitan,? he pleaded.
?Pasenya na rin dahil I sound like a makata. Kapampangan kasi ako at malapit kami a Bulacan,? he said jokingly.
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