The Return of the Redmanizers in 1986

Sports Event : The Return of the Redmanizers in 1986

Source : Sports Weekly Magazine March 21, 1986

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"Boss, kailan ba tayo babalik?
From the back streets of Tondo the paved avenues of Makati, from as far away as Daly City near San Francisco to the Crispa backyard in Barrrio Caniugan, Pasig, from that frantic Crispanatic, Joe Quirino, to that avid Crispa rooter in Iloilo, businessman Joe Chua, this was a question that Danny Floro used to encounter from just about everybody and just about everywhere since the fabled Redmanizers' exit from the Philippine Basketball Association early last year, before the pro league went into its 11th season. "Soon," was all that Floro, who managed the PBA's winningest ballclub from as far back as its amateur years, could answer. "Soon," however, looked like it would be a long time coming because when the Crispa ballclub broke up in 1985, it not only cut loose all its players, from its renowned starting five consisting of Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Abet Guidaben, Freddie Hubalde and Bernie Fabiosa to its acquisitions from APCOR, but it also sold its franchise to Shell. Of course, being an original founding member, Crispa could buy its way. into the pro league again. But without a crackerjack line-up that would do it proud, it seemed Crispa would have a hard time going back. But deep down, or because as he put it, "basketball will always remain my first love," Danny never lost hope that one day, Crispa would return to the hardcourt. For a start, he used to tell sportswriter-friends, "maybe we'll go back in the amateur leagues." Crispa nearly did that in last year's Challenge to Champions series of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League when it considered a tie-up with gallery favorite Mama's Love of Cebu. This, however, didn't pan out, Still, Floro continued to hold out hope on a comeback. But first, he said, they'll need a good coach, somebody who has got the authority to handle boys as Baby Dalupan and Tommy Manotoc used to, even if the team, unlike in the past, is amateur. "After we get a good coach, we'll see if we could get good amateur players," he said. Last week, Floro appeared to have gotten that kind of a combination in Arturo Valenzona and the players put together by Valenzona when, with just two days left before the opening of the National Seniors tournament sponsored by the Basketball Association of the Philippines, he let the word go out to Crispanatics everywhere that this is it, Crispa is going back to the hardcourt. No really big stars in the team which again raised the Crispa colors over Hoopdom, but it appears to have all the makings of being a crackerjack combination one day, and besides, in Valenzona, Floro appears to have tapped a coach who knows his business.

Valenzona should, Last season in the PBA, he handled Tanduay, and before that, he called the shots for the Gilbey's Gin (now the Ginebra San Miguel team coach by Sonny Jaworski). In amateur basketball, the former FEU stalwart had the distinction of coaching the APCOR team owned by businessman Herminio T. Disini to a string of notable triumphs. All eyes were on the reborn Crispa team when it took the floor against National Seniors defending champion Masagana 99 at the Rizal Coliseum. And the amateur Redmanizers made a lot of eyes pop when they lowered the boom. on the Rice Growers, 82-69, for their first win in the tournament. As sportswriter Manny Angeles was later to write, "The old Crispa juggernaut is back. And with a flourish," adding that although there were no Guidabens, Cos and Adornados this time, the Redmanizers "flashed a grim reminder that the old Crispa which dominated the basketball scene for two decades prior to its disbandment is very much aliye." Renato Agustin, a onetime Lyceum star, led scoring for the new Redmanizers, pumping in a game-high 27 points. Agustin may well be the Adornado of the new Crispa in the future.