Lina's favorite number

There’s something about the number 21 that is special for businessman Bert Lina who is involved with the Barako Bull (formerly Air 21) and Shopinas franchises in the PBA. If you notice, Lina’s companies revolve around 21. There’s Air Freight 2100 which bought the Barako Bull franchise from George Chua and renamed it Shopinas, an e-commerce or internet trading outfit. There’s Air 21. There’s GO21, a bike messengerial service. There’s DOS-1, or 21, the acronym for Dynamic Outsource Solutions, Inc.

No doubt, whoever wears No. 21 for any of Lina’s basketball teams has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. It’s not surprising that today, nobody wears that number in any Lina squad – not even his son-in-law Wynne Arboleda who sports No. 19.

Incidentally, Air 21 will be known as Barako Bull in the PBA starting next season. Lina recently bought into Chua’s Barako Bull business to the extent of 49 percent. The team’s policy-making body will be a committee of four, two from the Lina group (Bert Lina himself and Manny Alvarez) and two from the Chua group (George and Renato Chua). Junel Baculi was signed as Barako head coach yesterday with Bong Ramos sliding to assistant coach. Raffy Casiao is the team manager. Former Air 21 team manager Allan Gregorio is now sports marketing manager of the Lina group of companies. Alvarez, a Lina group executive assigned to the company Waste and Resource Management (WARM), is team governor.

Lina’s daughter Sheila, 29, will oversee the Shopinas team as governor. Jovy Saddul has been appointed as the Clickers manager with Franz Pumaren as head coach.

Lina explained why 21 is his favorite number. “That’s because I was fired on June 21, 1979,” he said. “I was working for a multinational company involved in freight forwarding and I belonged to the minority in the Board. My contract was not renewed so in effect, I was terminated. At the time, I lived a comfortable life. I was travelling a lot for the company and I had three cars. But I was only an employee. That led me to do things on my own. If I didn’t get fired, I wouldn’t have created my group of companies. I saw the opportunity in freight and I built my businesses around it. I’ll never forget 21 because that was the day when I opened a new chapter in my life.”

Lina said he will provide the necessary support for Barako and Shopinas to be competitive in the PBA.

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The PBA draft won’t be restricted to two rounds this Sunday. According to PBA operations and technical director Rickie Santos, the selection process will continue until all 10 teams signify a pass.

It was in 2005 when the PBA decided to open the draft to only two rounds, similar to the NBA. That left the door open for a lot of undrafted players to test the waters as free agents. At the time, the PBA had to pay a “developmental” fee to the PBL for any PBL cager who was drafted. Now that the PBL is inactive, the PBA no longer has to fork out a fee particularly as it controls the D-League as a farm system.

 “We go back to the previous practice where the draft ends only after all teams pass,” said Santos. “The third round is the natural drafting order – Powerade, Air 21 (or Barako), Meralco, Rain Or Shine, B-Meg, Alaska, Shopinas, Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Talk ‘N’ Text.”

In the PBA Board meeting the other day, Shopinas was awarded the first pick of the second round as a concession to a reactivating franchise. The first round order, taking into consideration previous trades, is Powerade, Rain Or Shine, Barako, Powerade, Shopinas, Alaska, Talk’N’ Text, Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Barako.

It was reported that during the Board meeting, B-Meg questioned Shopinas’ fifth overall pick. “According to B-Meg, they had an arrangement or a trade was consummated with the former Barako team but apparently, neither the PBA office nor commissioner Chito Salud is aware of it,” said a Shopinas official. The issue will be reportedly resolved at a meeting today.

The second round order is Shopinas, Talk ‘N’ Text, Alaska, Alaska, Alaska, B-Meg, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra, Barako, Barako and Talk ‘N’ Text.

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Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline for the submission of entries to our contest. The first prize package consists of a Nike runner’s cap with an authentic Manny Pacquiao autograph (personally signed), a genuine NBA pen (sent by the NBA itself), a Molten basketball, an Everlast large-sized gym bag, a pair of Thorlo Made in USA basketball socks, a Beverly Hills Polo Club collared shirt, an NBA 3-on-3 jersey, a green Sprite messenger bag, a Michelin collared shirt, an NBA Fit T-shirt and a La Salle Centennial celebration umbrella. Prize packages will be given to nine others – so 10 winners will be picked. Our thanks to Ramesh Mirpuri, Tessa Jazmines of Larc and Asset, Anil Buxani of Sonia Trading and the Philippine Sports Commission for the prizes.

It’s easy to join. Just send in your entries with the correct answers to five questions to “A Sporting Chance,” Sports Section, The Philippine Star, R. Oca Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila.

The questions are: 1. What US school did Billy Ray Bates and Jay-Jay Helterbrand play varsity basketball for? 2. Whom did Nonito Donaire, Jr. dethrone for the WBC/WBO bantamweight titles last February? 3. Who were the top two picks in the 2006 PBA draft, in order please – they played in the just-concluded Governors Cup finals? 4. Who were the male and female champions in the professional category of the recent Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 in Camarines Sur? (Hint: They’re both Australians.) 5. What is the first name of recent Manila visitor and NBA veteran Horace Grant’s twin brother? (Hint: He’s a 6-9 forward nicknamed the General who played at the University of Oklahoma and suited up for Washington, Portland and Philadelphia in 11 NBA seasons).

Write your answers on a slip of paper with your name, address, age, occupation (if student, your grade or year or course and school), telephone number (this is necessary for contact purposes) and in a sentence, why you read The Philippine Star. Winners will be announced in this column tomorrow and prizes may be claimed starting Aug. 31, Wednesday, in Intramuros at tel. No. 527-6007 (care of Babes Angat).