New imports debut for SMBeer, Shell

San Miguel is tapping another new import in Shea Seals but the Beermen may still need to dig deep in their bag of tricks to stop Ron Hale and the Coca-Cola Tigers in their match today in the Samsung PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Astrodome.

Shell also introduces a new import in Johnny Jackson as it goes up against Airfreight 2100/FedEx in the other game.

Seals, a product of Tulsa University with a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1997-98 season, is taking over Damon Flint, teaming up with Art Long, who replaced Jermaine Antoine Tate in San Miguel’s last game against RP-Selecta Sunday.

Long had been highly regarded being a former starting player of the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA but appeared to be in poor shape in his debut in the local pro league against the Nationals. He huffed, puffed, suffered cramps and finished with a fat zero as the Beermen were demolished by the Nationals, 62-74.

Actually, FedEx had the first crack at Long but the team decided to sign Frantz Pierre Louis instead after getting reports that the former Sonic is not in top shape.

San Miguel, FedEx and Shell were the first teams to make import replacements, taking the gamble this early as they sensed they would go nowhere with their original reinforcements. The three teams all enter the playing court today, hoping to avoid a third straight loss.

Seeking a third straight win, on the other hand, is Coca-Cola – a team blessed with a gem of an import in Hale.

The Tigers picked up from where they left off in the first conference, starting their Commissioner’s Cup campaign with lopsided wins over the Express and the Turbo Chargers.

Coach Chot Reyes and his boys ended their first-conference stint on a winning note by beating the Beermen in their one-game playoff for third place. Coca-Cola earlier narrowly lost a best-of-five semis playoff with eventual champion Purefoods.