PBA Opening 1985

"THIS is the threshold of our second decade." That's the spirit, PBA! On this reaffirming note has the world's only other, veritable play-for-pay league stanced itself against a mid-'80s lurking in ambush. The death toll so far - Crispa Redmanizers, Country fair of the Sanyu franchise, Araneta Coliseum (and the Cindy's hamburger monopoly inside the big dome), and Cubao's three-times-a-week boom in business courtesy of the PBA's 10,000-a-night average patronage, Add to this some fifteen or so PBA players sidelined for the lack of teams to play with. Who's gonna be next, the PBA itself? But how do you explain a financially discredited franchise still knocking at the PBA doors for a "a place in the inn?" Or the working man shoving and packing the bleachers tight just for a taste of live action? Why disappoint these guys when they can be given the thrill of their lives? It's really nothing much as continuing the good, old Pinoy basketball tradition...so let the games go only something to look forward to. A little foresight, though, told us it was going to be packed like Jap sardines and we'd have to come extra early or get dunked right in the entrance. Voila!, were we early, indeed, at least a couple of hours before opening time. Even had to forego the promised Vintage treat on TV featuring "10 years of the PBA" just to beat the expected Pasig- Crossing rush. Says one scribe, the jeepney criers at EDSA-Shaw were bellowing  "PBA, ULTRA, PBA!" as they hauled in passengers by the throngs some hours later. Neat, contemporary "effect" the forum-type coliseum had. Bet it was nearly like the places those NBA guys played on, because it looked this sort of way on TV (jetset staff senior Butch M. attested to this finding).

SOME OF THE MUSES: Dusky and pretty Desiree Verdadero (Bb. Pilipinas- Universe) who was third runner-up in the Miss Universe beauty pageant in Miami, Florida last year; Miss Universe was Miss Sweden, followed by Miss South Africa and Miss Venezuela and then our own Desiree (whose dark-brown complexion looked every bit as good as any fair-com- plexioned beauty) who came in with the Magnolia Ice Cream squad led by Manny Paner. On the former Gilbey's Gin team, lovely Katherine Sta. Maria became the cynosure of eyes of those who saw her; (Santamaria came to the US with Pitoy Moreno, the couturier-designer); Lani Mercado walked in together with the team of Beer Hausen (now Manila Beer) with Ramon Fernandez and the rest of the basketball quint; "Sugar" Benedicto the littlest of the muses  also did her share in trying to add glamour to the hoopla; plus the others.
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