April 2, 2014
12 nn,
Waling-Waling Room,
2nd floor,
Orchid Garden Suites,
Vito Cruz,
Manila
Based on experiences I had recently, an April Fool’s Day joke do not usually begin and end on April 1. It could linger on for days.
I went to visit the press conference which introduced former Procter and Gamble CEO James Lafferty as the coach of long jumper Marestella Torres.
I entered Waling Waling room and settled in the back of the room, since I only wanted to find out what’s going, and quickly leave the venue(This is because somebody else is doing the story for the paper) soon after.
Somebody greeted me(at a time when I wanted to by anonymous). It was Go Archers photographer Joseph Nebrida. He said he is a follower of Lafferty as a coach of corporate runners.
(The La Salle Green Archers while singing the school anthem. photo sourced from Go Archers.com, Joseph Nebrida).
We struck a conversation, and he told me not to touch a story which I was planning to do a follow-up on, and write that day.
– La Salle Green Archers are not going to Turkey
On the Go Archers.com website, Nebrida informed me that they have posted an April’s Fool’s joke on the La Salle Green Archers’ men’s basketball team.
He implored me not to go further into the story which states that the Green Archers are going to skip pre-season tournaments this summer and will train in Turkey.( http://www.goarchers.com/12142/green-archers-to-skip-preseason-tourney-to-train-in-turkey).
“It’s an April Fool’s joke. Don’t believe that. The last time we had one, it was about a Japanese player suiting up for the Green Archers. That was many years ago,” said Nebrida.
Ok, I said. I will just ignore the line which says that “the team’s sudden withdrawal from the annual summer tournament which is slated to begin late this month. Instead, they are scheduled to fly off to Turkey to attend a special basketball training camp and play several tune-up matches against local squads, including their national Under-21 team.”
And so I comply.
During the course of the press conference, I then bump into Spin.ph’s Reuben Terrado, who also warn me not to touch the story either.
– Is Louie Alas or Dindo Pumaren among choices as UE Warriors coach?
So, the case of the La Salle Green Archers pre-season sorties has been a topic of April Fool’s jokes.
But that may not the only one that I was able stumble into that day.
I am still waiting for the status of Louie Alas and Dindo Pumaren after I learned something later that afternoon.
I was doing some follow up when I came across a story which Spin.ph came out on April 1, 2014 by Reuben Terrado.(http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/choice-for-next-ue-coach-down-to-louie-alas-and-dindo-pumaren-says-source).
(The UE Red Warriors during happier times. photo sourced from PBA online.com).
This after I returned to the media center at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, and made a call to one of my sources at the UE Warriors camp.
I asked about the status of Louie Alas and Dindo Pumaren as being in the short list of coaches.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Kasi, sabi ng management, they want someone who is committed eh,” said the top UE sports official I had a word.
Up to this day, those words have stuck to my head as the UE Warriors are still without a head coach.
And only time will tell, if the case of Dindo Pumaren and Louie Alas are really part of an April Fool’s joke.
Wherever I go over the past week, people within the collegiate basketball community seem to think the Pumaren and Alas are indeed among the choices.
The last time I checked with my source, this is what he had to say.
“Wala na kaming pinagpipilian,” he says.
And so we wait for the official announcement…
Pektus Corner 