Happy Birthday, Franz Pumaren ( Feb 05 )

For Franz Pumaren, playing as Calma's reliever is just okay" Franz says, "I consider him one of the best guards in the Philippines. In the PBA, he can be classified as one of the finest. In a manner, it's an honor for me to be backing him up. Imagine, there are lots of good guards around but I was chosen to back him up. Franz, the third of four kids born to coach Filomeno Pumaren and former Marieta Santos, has definitely gone a long way. After spending three years with the University of the East Pages, he went to La Salle and donned the Green Archer jersey for one NCAA season the last for DLSU (1980). In 1981, he made it to the national team coached by Ron Jacobs. "I still remember 1981. That was the time when Coach Jacobs was training twelve naturalized Filipinos for the na tional squad. We were taken in when plans to field these players to the 1981 ABC in Calcutta failed to push through. The critics were against my inclusion in the team. Definitely, I got affected by that. But Coach Jacobs and Mr. Cojuang co talked to me and told me that I was included in the team not because of my dad who happens to be a member of the coaching staff. I was in the team because I impressed Jacobs."  Franz was also a member of the national squad that regained the SEAG crown in 1981. He was also part of the team that got bumped off during the Hongkong ABC. Now, he is a regular with Northern Consolidated the guest team in the ongoing 10th PBA season. NC is the national team being honed up for the 1985 ABC At the start of the PBA season, the youthful Franz, who is only 22, was the target of jeers. "I'm really in a no-win si tuation. If I play well, they say I do because I was given special treatment, my father being the assistant coach. If I played bad, they say I wouldn't have been fielded in if it weren't for my father. Where do place myself? I am mentally affected by the animosity of the crowd. The crowd notices everything I do. One error and they shout at me. But if the more established stars commit errors, they are forgiven." But all things pass. Franz wasn't in a hurry to get rid of the boos. He knew that the jeers would fade away in time. All he did was to prove that he did not deserve the boos. "Everytime I play, I always give 100%. I don't relax in a game. I always play with intensity. Lately, I feel that the crowd has already accepted me. Seldom do I get booed."