Japeth to apply for draft

Former Ateneo and Western Kentucky center Japeth Aguilar is filing an application to join the PBA draft on Aug. 2 and that’s final.

Aguilar was supposed to decide whether or not to turn pro after coming home from the Jones Cup in Taipei but a highly placed source revealed the other day he had already made up his mind.

With the issue settled, there’s no doubt Aguilar will be the PBA’s first overall draft this year, following in the footsteps of Gabe Norwood (2008), Joe DeVance (2007), Kelly Williams (2006), Jay Washington (2005), Rich Alvarez (2004), Mike Cortez (2003) and Yancy de Ocampo (2002).

Burger King coach Yeng Guiao has openly admitted his intention of drafting Aguilar with the first overall pick. That would leave Rico Maierhofer as the logical choice for No. 2.

But in a recent twist, a rumor has floated that Talk ‘N’ Text is dead set to enlist Aguilar. To make it happen, the Tropang Texters must acquire Burger King’s drafting rights. Since there are common shareholders between the two franchises, any deal involving Talk ‘N’ Text and Burger King must pass through the Board, meaning it will require consent of the other member teams.

The scuttlebutt is Talk ‘N’ Text hopes to sign up Aguilar both for its PBA team and the Smart-Gilas developmental squad coached by Serbian Rajko Toroman. A PBA approval will be necessary for a regular PBA cager to play for a non-PBA team but since the “outside” team is the developmental squad, it should be no problem to allow Aguilar the best of both worlds.

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Ateneo senior men’s basketball team coach Norman Black said recently UAAP commissioner Joe Lipa’s move to tap PBA and PBL referees is a positive step for the varsity league.

“It really doesn’t matter where the referees come from,” he said. “What’s crucial is how to adjust to calls. We’ve been asking for referees to work our practice games so we can get used to the calls early. So far, PBL referees have been assigned although maybe, the PBA referees will be tapped when the PBA season is over.”

What will be the next chapter in Black’s storybook career?

“To be honest, I have no idea,” said the 51-year-old Black who first came to Manila as a PBA import in 1981. “I’m doing the best I can, earning a living for my family, and I’m fortunate to be coaching Ateneo. The fan support has been extraordinary and I don’t expect it to wane even after we won last year. I think expectations are higher for us this season and there will always be pressure to produce. But knowing the fans, students, alumni and management are behind us is a big factor.”

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An Araneta Coliseum source said last Friday’s WWE Smackdown-ECW show was promoted by a novice independent third party with little experience in publicizing a sporting event. The source claimed the wrestling extravaganza fared poorly in money terms even as over 10,000 fans jammed the Big Dome.

Araneta produced the previous two WWE shows that were huge sellouts.

About a half hour before the show started, scalpers outside the arena sold tickets at a discount. An Araneta insider said the promoter had placed ringside seats on sale at half price over a week earlier.

The lack of a big name made it a difficult sell. If Batista or the Undertaker came, it would’ve been a different story. But as it was, the show’s main attraction was a 175-pound masked man, Rey Mysterio, and he can’t really be considered a superstar in the class of a Batista or Undertaker.

Worse, the main event featured two unexciting performers, CM Punk and Jeff Hardy who duked it out for the world heavyweight title. The match was relatively uneventful. They shook hands, didn’t hit on the break and looked too chummy towards each other. Punk later junked the scientific approach and went after Hardy aggressively as he should’ve from the start. In the climax, Hardy flew off the top rope and attempted to land on a prostrate Punk. While Hardy was air-borne, Punk rolled over. Hardy came down hard on the mat with his target safely a distance away. Punk went on to pin Hardy.

When the show was over, fans were overheard talking more about the surreal giants than Mysterio, Chris Jericho or the divas as they filed out of the arena. The Great Khali and Mark Henry left quite an impression although their matches were ridiculously one-sided. It would’ve been a spectacle if Khali and Henry faced off – that would’ve brought the building down.