The Farm

It won't be long until another "sponsor"
 asks for Garcia
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

"Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O
With a moo moo here,
And a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo moo, 
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O"

If the PBA does not act on the matter soon, this problem will turn into a cancer that will ultimately rob the league of all of its hard-earned glory and integrity as Asia's "first" organized professional basketball body.

Rumors have it the Barako Bull Energy Cola, long known in most circles as a conduit team that would rather sell its top players than win a title (and reward what little fanbase it has), is on its way to either be sold to an outside corporation (please let this be the case) or, formally change its name to Air21 with old, notoriously business-minded (read: trade nut) hand Lito Alvarez back calling the shots.

Air21's Farm Team Problems

Tonichi Yturri does not approve.
(Photo courtesy of PBA InterAKTV)

Air21 Express head coach Franz Pumaren is in a bind.

And not only because his team is currently (as always) at the cellar with a sad 1-4 slate with the only silver lining is a looming trade that will reunite him with his college star (Joseph Yeo) who hasn't really been making any waves in the pros the last three years.

Pumaren is in a bind because he only has two players, Mike Cortez (10,3,4) and Nino Canaleta (16,5) who are borderline PBA contender team rotation players. The rest are either too young, too old or just not good enough to win games despite the system.

Lito Alvarez: Hari ng Padala

With Alvarez back on board, no one's safe.
The guy managed to trade all the household names
in this picture for nothing.

Just for the sake of parity and respect, this writer won't even bother with returning Air21 Express team governor Lito Alvarez' non-basketball (read: political) interests and ventures. Let's just stick to how we fans know him: someone who'd trade his own mother if it meant making more money and getting future picks (which in turn will end up being traded, again, for money) all at the cost of his team being remotely decent.