Oracle out to continue Harbour’s legacy

MANILA, Philippines – Mikee Romero seemed to have made the right choice when he decided to retire his Harbour Centre team and change its name to Oracle Residences before the start of the 2009 PBL PG Flex Unity Cup. Harbour Centre, the PBL champions since the second conference of the 2005-06 season, was retired by Romero early this year in order to preserve its legacy in the amateur league. Prime Estate Realty, which chose the Oracle Residences Titans as the team’s new name, took over the spot vacated by Harbour Centre. Many observers thought that the franchise’s dominance in the league would finally end when Romero retired Harbour Centre and introduced a new team. Most of the Titans’ players were holdovers of the Batang Pier with Erick Arejola reprising his role as team manager and Glenn Capacio hired as the news coach. Capacio said it took him two weeks before making a decision whether to accept or reject the coaching job. “Honestly, two weeks ko pinag-isipan ito dahil hindi biro mag-coach sa isang champion team. Pressured na ako from the very first day I accepted the job." “Kaya laking pasalamat ko kay Mr. Romero for his trust and confidence in my coaching ability," said Capacio, who also handles Far Eastern University in the UAAP. But winning the franchise’s seventh straight title was not that easy for the Titans, who have to endure two deciding Game 5’s in their semis series against Cobra Energy Drink and the championship contest against Pharex. “This is perhaps the toughest championship we went through, much difficult from our first title, so credit goes to my players and to our team manager Erick Arejola," said Romero. Romero’s franchise thus cemented its status as one of the greatest teams in the 26-year history of the PBL next only to the Stag-Tanduay squads of the 90s. Stag won a total of four titles, including three straight, while Tanduay added three more. The Magnolia franchise, meanwhile, won a total of nine championships since joining the league in 1986. The San Miguel-owned team won seven times carrying the Magnolia brand while claiming a title each as Viva Mineral Water and the Instafood Meal Masters. – GMANews.TV