Bayno leaving Talk N Text?

After Red Bull beat Talk ‘N Text in Game 7 to clinch the Samsung Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup title at the Araneta Coliseum last Friday, Phone Pals coach Bill Bayno couldn’t be sure if he’ll be back for another conference.

The word is Talk ‘N Text management signed Bayno to a two-year contract. But it appears there’s an out-clause allowing Bayno to walk out if he wants to. Bayno left a low-paying job as the Phoenix Eclipse coach in the fledgling minor league American Basketball Association (ABA) to join the Pals, reportedly for three times the salary, last January.

In the wake of Red Bull’s victory, the mood was somber in the Pals’ lockerroom. A team insider said Bayno applauded his players for going all the way to the Finals and taking the Thunder to the limit.

"It’s something we should be proud of," the insider quoted Bayno as saying. Then, Bayno dropped the bomb. With tears in his eyes, Bayno told his players he’s not sure of coming back for the Third Conference. He’ll think it over for a week then make a decision.

The PBA’s Third Conference, the All-Filipino Cup, will start Oct. 20. Bayno is expected to fly to the US to lick his wounds of battle then either plane back to reassume his post at Talk ‘N Text or forever hold his peace if he decides to end his contract.

Talk ‘N Text assistant coach Ariel Vanguardia told The STAR last Friday the experience of playing in the Finals will go a long way in building up the Pals for the future. Team manager Frankie Lim and Vanguardia were Bayno’s chief pacifiers on the Pals bench. When they could, Lim and Vanguardia would restrain Bayno from jawing at referees.

If Talk ‘N Text is TNT for dynamite, there is no more explosive weapon in the Pals’ arsenal than the volatile and extremely emotional Bayno.

Before the start of the Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals, Bayno was slapped a P200,000 fine for badmouthing the PBA. Then, he was assessed a P20,000 fine for an outburst during a semifinals game against Alaska. Last Wednesday, Bayno stormed PBA technical director Ricky Palou and accused the referees of "f***ing" his team after Red Bull won Game 6. For his highly objectionable behavior, Bayno was tagged a fine of P50,000.

"We have always cautioned you on your behavior because we don’t want youto earn a reputation of being a recidivist who refuses to follow rules and subject himself to persons of authority," the PBA told Bayno in a reprimand issued last Thursday. "This not only hurts your image as a coach and as a sportsman but this could also have a negative effect on your team and the entire league as well."

In Game 7 last Friday, Bayno again blew his top on an officiating lapse and charged into the court to protest to referee Ernie de Leon. As Bayno ran up, de Leon motioned a technical and his hand grazed the coach’s face, dislodging his glasses.

While there was clearly a lapse, it was no justification for Bayno to take the law into his hands and charge into the court to accost a referee.

On the court, Bayno was a firebrand. Off the court, he was like a regular guy. He was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personified.

Bayno, 40, was hired by Talk ‘N Text over another American candidate, four-time International Basketball Association Coach of the Year Duane Ticknor. He apprenticed as a recruiter, scout, and assistant coach for P. J. Carlesimo at Seton Hall, Larry Brown at Kansas, and John Calipari at Massachusetts before taking the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) job in 1995. Among the players Bayno recruited and trained were Lamar Odom, Danny Manning, Mark Bryant, Marcus Camby, Tyrone Nesby, Shawn Marion, former PBA import John Morton and Keon Clark.

After two years at UNLV, Bayno’s contract was extended until the 2002-03 season. He took the Runnin’ Rebels to three 20-win seasons–22-10 in 1997, 20-13 in 1998, and 23-8 in 2000. But seven games into the 2000-01 season, Bayno was fired in the wake of NCAA sanctions on UNLV for recruiting violations. Bayno, however, was not accused of any wrongdoing and pleaded innocent to charges stemming from illegal payments to Odom while being recruited to join the varsity. Bayno threatened to sue UNLV management for terminating his contract which had 2 years left before expiring.

UNLV president Carol Hatter justified the decision to fire Bayno by saying: "The issue here is who is responsible for the basketball program (and) it’s the head basketball coach."

A few years ago, Sports Illustrated reported that "Bayno’s name surfaced in connection with a racketeering case being brought in federal district court in Atlanta against Steve Kaplan, the owner of the Gold Club, an Atlanta strip joint." The report added: "According to court documents related to the case, Kaplan enlisted Gold Cup strippers to have sex with Bayno at Las Vegas’ Mirage Hotel in June 1998. Bayno confirmed to Sports Illustrated that he met Kaplan several times but says, ‘I had no idea Steve Kaplan was involved in any wrongdoing.’ Adds Bayno, who’s single: ‘I’m not saying I haven’t had sex with girls at the Mirage but if it was arranged by Steve Kaplan, it was unbeknownst to me.’ Bayno says he has cleaned up his act. ‘I’ve changed,’ he says. ‘In the last two years, I’ve stopped socializing in nightclubs. It was hurting my image.’"

Sports Illustrated said Bayno "seems destined to look bad in the court of public opinion."

Sports Illustrated writer and college basketball expert Alexander Wolff described Bayno as "a dodgy character." Wolff said Bayno is "ethically on the edge" and without divulging details, called him Calipari’s "bagman" at Massachusetts. "Bayno had a reputation of recruiting bandit players–never mind, if they don’t go to classes or do drugs or whatever," said Wolff. "His main interest was just to recruit players who could play the game."

Wolff added that Bayno liked to surround himself with beautiful girls, mostly blacks, during his colorful UNLV career.

Whether Wolff’s description is accurate or not, one thing is sure–Bayno cuts a unique figure in the coaching landscape. He’s controversial, colorful, and charismatic. If he decides to leave the PBA, it’s not certain if he’ll be missed or not. Bayno is indeed an enigma.