Ryan denies bottle-throwing incident

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said the other day that from what he knows, Chunkee Giants import Marquin Chandler and his girlfriend Abby are still playing beautiful music together.

Gregorio denied a persistent rumor that Abby threw a tantrum and a bottle at Chandler during a lovers’ spat here before they left for the US last month.

"I don’t think it’s true that Abby threw a bottle at Marquin," said Gregorio. "For what? Abby arrived in Manila a few days after Marquin last September and they’ve been together here until they went home for the holidays last Dec. 21. Abby stayed in the US because she’s still in school while Marquin came back last Jan. 5."

Chandler and Abby even traveled together to Laoag City for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Star Weekend last November. Gregorio, who coached in the All-Star Game, invited them to enjoy Mayor Mike Farinas’ hospitality. The couple was inseparable.

What about reports that Chandler is often seen with good-looking Filipina girls at the Metrowalk, now that Abby is far away?

"I’m not aware of it," said Gregorio. "All I know is Marquin is an exceptional player. Of all the imports who came here to play this conference, he’s the standout. We wouldn’t be where we are without him."

Chandler and Air21’s Shawn Daniels are the only imports who weren’t replaced in the PBA San Mig Coffee Fiesta Conference. For good reason. Both led their teams to the semifinals but since Purefoods and Air21 faced off, only one will advance to play in the Finals.

By the way, Gregorio said a major reason why Purefoods is back in the title hunt is the contribution of team manager Alvin Patrimonio and assistant coach Ronnie Magsanoc.

"Cap and Ronnie have been in pressure situations before," said Gregorio. ’They know what it’s like to be in tight spots. Sometimes, it’s no longer about Xs and Os. It’s how you approach the game from a mental standpoint. That’s what they contribute to the team–their experience and their mental toughness."

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Mangaldan Vice Mayor Bernie Abalos was at the St. Thomas Aquinas Church in his Pangasinan hometown to stand as a principal sponsor in the Palmos-Amansec nuptials last Jan. 22.

The wedding was scheduled at 2:30 p.m. but alas, none of the three priests was available to celebrate the nuptial Mass. Frs. Polinar, Fernandez and Posadas were glued to the TV set watching the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales fight. So were millions of other Filipinos as the entire nation stood still during those 10 rounds of fury.

After Pacquiao disposed of Morales, the wedding got underway and the merry-making couldn’t have been more festive. The guests didn’t only toast the beautiful bride and the handsome groom but also Pacquiao’s sensational victory.

Abalos, known as Berex, is a long-time distributor of San Miguel Beer and Northern Cement in the Pangasinan fourth district towns of Mangaldan, San Fabian and Sta. Barbara. His product line includes Coca-Cola, Cosmos, Pop Cola and Ginebra San Miguel. He says the latest jewel in his product line–the Australian-made Koala Gold red wine (Merlot and Shiraz)–is a huge hit. Koala Gold, which has passed taste tests involving Filipino wine connoisseurs with flying colors, is available in the market at P295 a bottle.

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It’s final. Two giant sports footwear and apparel brands are now one. Adidas chief executive officer Herbert Hainer announced the other day the merger of Adidas and Reebok with Adidas as the surviving entity.

Hainer said: "By combining two of the most respected and well-known brands in the worldwide sporting goods industry, we have a footprint of around $11.8 Billion in the global athletic footwear, apparel and hardware markets with well-defined and complementary brand identities, an enhanced portfolio of global brands including Adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, Rockport, Greg Norman Collection, Maxfli, CCM, Jofa and Koho, a more competitive platform worldwide, an even stronger presence across teams, athletes, events and leagues including endorsement contracts for the upcoming 2006 FIFA World Cup and the Beijing 2008 Olympics and enhanced R&D capabilities and cutting-edge technology."

With the merger, Houston Rockets teammates Tracy McGrady (who wears Adidas) and Yao Ming (who wears Reebok) are now more than just comrades-in-arms. They’re brothers-in-shoes, too.