PBA 2011-12 Opening Ceremonies - Rate the Muse | SYDRIFIEDBLOG

I started this rank last year and I would have done this a lot earlier for this season had not for the injury to my laptop. With that said, I watched the PBA Opening Ceremonies just like any other rabid PBA fan last October 2. I think the light and sound show is good for the fans inside the arena but it doesn’t register as well on TV.

I also think that it’s about time for us to do without the crappy musicals to the PBA bigwigs are giving us before they introduce the players and the muses. Whoever is choosing the concepts (broadcaster carrier or league office) is not familiar with the fact that MEN HATE HALF-NAKED MEN TWIRLING IN FRONT OF THEM!

So last year, I called for justice. No offense to those who love Vice Ganda but I cannot believe that Powerade can’t find a beautiful woman to represent their squad. I mean, my winners of that staging, the San Miguel Beermen (now called Petron) had three gorgeous women representing their squad. If muses are meant to get people inspired, then it’s fitting that after the former Barako Bull squad, Powerade is last season's lowest-ranked team.

As for the Beermen (or Boosters), they managed to sneak in two finals appearances with one of those battles resulting to the Governor's Cup title.

Dorian Pena is afraid to look.

So let’s check out the teams that selected the best muses and rant at those that checked out the worst.

The reasons behind the selections are as follows:

1 – The upgrade from 2010

2 – The muse-ability of the muse they have chosen

3 – Crowd reaction

With the rules stated...

GAME STARTS NOW!

1 POWERADE TIGERS / MARICAR REYES

I thought this through… a lot. And while Solenn Heussaff garnered the loudest roar from the crowd, I’m giving my vote to Maricar Reyes. The thing is, I am basing this pick because the Powerade bosses finally developed “aesthetic competence”. Why is that? In 2009, the Tigers (then-called Coca-Cola) selected comedian Pokwang as their muse. And as if to spite men everywhere, they chose Vice Ganda as their “muse” in 2010. I have nothing against the two comedians but Pokwang wore something weird then and Vice Ganda is well... a man. If you compare those picks with this pick, the Powerade selection process has vastly improved.

2 BARANGAY GINEBRA KINGS / SOLENN HEUSSAFF

So let’s check in with our Barangay muse that drew the loudest reaction from the crowd. Even if the pocket of her shorts is deeper than her shorts proper (I don’t want to tell people of what they’re wearing because I am not part of the fashion police) her striking face is enough to make the Barangay Big Dome go on a frenzy. You can’t fault this pick.

3 ALASKA ACES / BUBBLES PARAISO

It still surprises me that she couldn’t do meatier roles (she would have had one if this was still the era of action movies) but she was spot on during the festivities. Her model circuit provided the right tools to make people check her out. Also, she brought in the wow factor by being sent first. Actually, in all of the muses, Bubbles was the only one that wonderfully represented her team’s colors.

4 RHIAN RAMOS / B-MEG LLAMADOS

She had the prom look… but really, who gives a damn. Rhian continues the long tradition of Purefoods/B-Meg muses with a good image (unless tainted). The cool thing of having a pleasant popular personality representing your team is nice because people will clap their asses off with or without the celebs’ sight. She looks like a star when she “ramped” the hardcourt as well.

5 BARAKO BULL ENERGY / HELGA KRAPF

I don’t know her... so that doesn’t help. However, you know those pretty people that can command attention just by moving? Well, that... that helps. Checking her Wiki page, I now know that she’s a TV personality. While I doubt her exposure is enough to garner mainstream success, I hope this helps.

6 SHOPINAS.COM CLICKERS / IYA VILLANIA

She’s another pleasant view. Shopinas should have a good start with her representing the team. I felt that the others mentioned before her were just a notch better. I’m just going to stop now.

7 PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS / NICOLETTE HENSON, CHLOE MCCULLY, AND SAMANTHA PURVOR

Quantity doesn’t really result in quality and while the Petron Blaze Boosters scored big last year when they debuted the season with Sam Pinto, Isabelle Daza, and Georgina Wilson, I thought the current trio didn’t garner the same crowd reaction as did the previous trio. Where is Valerie Concepcion anyway?

8 MERALCO BOLTS / DIANNE NECIO AND ISABELLA MANJON

First of all, I’m glad they didn’t wear hard hats. Don’t get me wrong – they are pretty and all but these Binibining Pilipinas titlists never really got over with the crowd as did their popular counterparts. Hmmm... on the contrary, they could have used those hard hats to garner a reaction.

9 RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS / MICHELLE GAVAGAN

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ muse got a lot of wows but imagine if the team was not playing in the date’s lone game? It was hard for me to root for her because I am not following beauty pageants. At least the other teams multiplied their less-known stars. As a consolation, I really like the TV-friendly uniform they have right now.

10 TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS / VENUS RAJ AND NORA AUNOR

You can never go wrong with Venus Raj. She is a major, major beauty (yes I am still saying her catchphrase) and she has a Miss Universe runner-up crown to reinforce this fact. But then you batched her up with Nora Aunor, who looks like a cowboy in her short-sleeved polo, faded jeans, and big boots attire. Come to think of it, all she needs is a jockey cap and a horse and sheeeeeeee’s off! I am not dissing her character she is an icon and all but like I said, muses are there to inspire the players, management, and supporters… and not to spite them. And they are playing the Superstar’s entry by saying she is the epitome of rising up amidst challenges. That’s cool and all but isn’t it Ate Guy who said in one of her movies “Walang Himala”?

So there you go. If there are any violent reactions, you are free to put it here. This is my list though. Go make your own and see if I care.

So far, I think the Powerade Tigers have ended their reign as the worst for doing the obvious and place beauty over risky and unpopular decisions. Replacing them as the worst is the Talk N Text Tropang Texters. If you think about it, they brought in The Superstar for publicity purposes. While it is not a bad thing, it is an unpopular one.

Remember what they did last year when they were plugging their Metro Manila Film Festival entry Rosario?