Olsen Racela retires at 40

In a fitting tribute to one of the better PBA stories, one-time back-up Olsen Racela, 40, was acknowledged by just about every single Talk N Text personnel who was interviewed during their Philippine Cup coronation despite playing for the opposing (and losing) San Miguel team.

While I was too young to remember how Racela was when he first stormed into the league as a scrawny speedster out of Ateneo as the 10th overall pick in the 1994 draft, I saw glimpses of his game around '96-'97-- the height of legendary Robert Jaworski, Sr.'s Ginebra's popularity. This, if only because Racela struck me as a Bal David clone-- same speed, same "rah-rah" approach (pardon the pun) but with glimpses of knowing when to hit the breaks.