A matter of pride

Miller: too good not
to play for a title

The Barako Bull Energy continue to win behind its veteran superstar cast bannered by National team standouts Willie Miller, Mick Pennisi, Danny Seigle and Wyne Arboleda. There are also other stellar names such as Ronald Tubid, Dorian Pena and Don Allado who are putting in the work all for the same cause.

To win.

But we've seen this movie before. Different title but with the same script, cast and major players. We know where this is going, and chances are, it will never end with a title for any of the players currently making strides in the PBA. One (or two) will be traded back to a powerhouse squad where he rightfully belongs. The rest would be milked until they are able to reach that same level, and sent off to the highest bidder.

Same old shit.

But in games like today's, wherein the young Meralco Bolts' guards Mac Cardona, Chris Ross and Sol Mercado where taking turns trying to one-up their veteran counterparts, the Energy found themselves trusting the very thing that has made them the stars that they are today: trusting, and turning to their primal selves.

The veteran pride. The will to win. The competitive fire.

Ronald Tubid got entangled with Ross during a loose ball sequence in the 4th when the Energy was making their run (Energy won 89-82 in come-from-behind fashion). A few minutes later, and he was on the receiving end of a cheap fastbreak sahod from Mercado. Nothing along the borders of a Rudy Distrito on Jeffrey Cariaso, but dangerous nonetheless.

In the second half, Ross was also getting in the face of Arboleda-- you have to give the kid some credit for that one, but it just irked the bruising vet a lot more which resulted in his stellar 5/9 3 pt shooting most of which came in the 2nd half. Arboleda was drilling threes and looking at his hand in a more "conservative" Gary David fashion.

It's games like these that reminds us all of just how good these guys were, nay, are. And how pitiful it is to see them wailing away, wasting their greatness on a team that is run not to win a title but to simply sell an imaginary product on national television.

For their sake, pray that the Energy's management is in it to win it (or at the very least, make the Finals) before making any deals or breaking up this rag tag core of superstar vets. They deserve as much.