San Miguel, Ginebra, TNT favored in Philippine Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Three teams emerged from yesterday’s press conference as the teams to beat in the forthcoming PBA Philippine Cup.

They are San Miguel Beer, Ginebra and TNT KaTropa – not necessarily in that order.

It was a unanimous decision made by members of the board before mediamen that filled half of Okada Manila’s Golden Ballroom.

Robert Non of SMB was first to pick, saying it’s TNT because it has an intact lineup, then Ginebra because seven-footer Greg Slaughter is back, and then his own team.

Atty. Mert Mondragon of Rain or Shine said, “Of course, it’s San Miguel, then Ginebra, then TNT.”

“Mahusay sila lahat (They’re all good),” he said. 

Dickie Bachmann held the same teams high in his batting order while Ramoncito Fernandez of NLEX picked Ginebra on top followed by TNT.

It sounded like a broken record as the rest of the board members bared their respective choices.

There’s no assurance, however, that anyone among the three rated teams will win the crown.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that,” said Atty. Raymond Zorilla of Phoenix.

“For Phoenix we are determined to win. We are all in agreement (on the favorites) but we are not sitting idle and sitting there to lose but to win,” he said.

NLEX could be the tournament’s darkhorse.

The all-Filipino conference fires off this Sunday at the Big Dome with a lone game pitting San Miguel Beer against Phoenix at 6:30 p.m.

All eyes will be on San Miguel.