The cage legend that was Crispa (March 3, 1985)

Crispa's disbandment served as a cover of the March 3, 1985 issue of the Philippine Panorama, with sportswriter Al Mendoza providing an in-depth story of how the Redmanizers decided to end their glorious PBA tenure.

THE CAGE LEGEND THAT WAS CRISPA

By Al S. Mendoza

Philippine Panorama

Published Sunday March 3, 1985

BASKETBALL’S self-styled experts had misread their crystal balls. Even the scalper, the most grizzled cage scientist in the land, didn’t see it coming. Nobody had dared say it was blowin’ in the wind.

So, when it finally came, it came like a thunderbolt. The news sent shock waves all over the land. To millions of cage devotees in this basketball-crazed nation, it was simply unbelievable.

Barber shops and plush coffee shop, talipapa and supermarket, every conceivable public space was abuzz. From Aparri to Jolo, from Marawi to Laoag, people were asking: “How come? What happened? Why?”

A champion for all time (Feb. 5, 1985)

Ding Marcelo shared his thoughts on Crispa’s disbandment during his Sportsfan column for Tempo which was published four days the Redmanizers sold the franchise to Shell.

A champion for all time

SPORTSFAN

By Ding Marcelo

Tempo

Published Tuesday Feb. 5, 1985

IT seems almost unbelievable that a man like Danny Floro would disband his fabled Crispa basketball team. We say so because basketball is practically Danny’s life and to take it away from him is like stopping the flow of oxygen into his body. Meaning, it’s like committing suicide.

But, like in the pop song, all things must pass. Danny has perhaps a thousand and one reason to justify his pullout, rationalize his exit, explain his withdrawal but none of which will ever satisfy the thousands of Crispa fans who have stuck with the team from crisis to triumph.

Crispa disbanded (Feb. 1, 1985)

Crispa’s legendary run in the PBA came to an end before the start of the 1985 season after an agreement was reached to sell its franchise to Shell.

Crispa bows out of PBA

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday Feb. 2, 1985

Crispa’s once mighty Redmanizers, the Philippine Basketball Association’s winningest team with a record 13 championships in 10 years, including two grand slams, are bowing out of the professional cage scene.

Reason: Crispa has sold out lock, stock and barrel, to Shell Chemicals, a 60 percent Filipino-owned company engaged in agricultural development.

Guam: Crispa 108, Toyota 92 (March 5, 1984)

Crispa denied Toyota a chance to bid goodbye on a winning note after salvaging a split of their two-game exhibition series in Guam.

Crispa strikes back against tired Toyota

By Bert Eljera

Tempo

Published Wednesday March 7, 1984

GUAM, March 6 (via Philcom) — Toyota’s bid for a glorious exit turned into a nightmare Monday night as Crispa, playing like it was the one saying goodbye, came through with a devastating fourth quarter to pull off a 108-92 victory over the Corollas here.

The Redmanizers, stung by the humiliating loss in the first game Sunday, spewed fire throughout this time and buried the fast-tiring Corollas with relentless fastbreaks before another sell-out crowd at the University of Guam gym.

Guam: Toyota 109, Crispa 101 (March 4, 1984)

Toyota won the first of their two-game farewell series against Crispa in Guam behind Abe King and Robert Jaworski. The Super Corollas played their sendoff tour without star center Ramon Fernandez.

Toyota bombs Crispa

‘The boys were determined’

By Bert Eljera

Tempo

Published Tuesday March 6, 1984

GUAM, March 5 (via Philcom) — Toyota, trying to leave behind the legacy of a true champion, played with its old fire Sunday to humble Crispa, 109-101 in a game filled with the color of their past encounters before a highly-enthusiastic crowd here.

It was close all the way and the match was decided in the last four minutes — as in most of their past encounters — with the Corollas finishing strong and the Redmanizers turning ice-cold.

Abe King, sizzling from afar, fired a game-high 32 points. Arnulfo Tuadles had 23 and nine rebounds, six of them offensive, but it was Robert Jaworski, playing with a sense of mission, who personally assured the victory.

The Day Toyota Died (March 4, 1984)

Al Mendoza looked back at the stunning decision of the Toyota management to sell its franchise to Beer Hausen prior to the start of the 1984 season in a lengthy feature published by the Philippine Panorama.

The Day Toyota Died

By Al S. Mendoza

Philippine Panorama

Published Sunday March 4, 1984

THE ANNOUNCEMENT came minutes before noon of February 15.

“Management has been grateful to all you guys,” Jack Rodriguez started. Ten men of all sizes didn’t know it was coming. They were all in a happy mood. They have no inkling that anybody, least of all Jack, would be so nasty as to break their hearts. Just the day before they had celebrated Valentine’s Day. One of the boys didn’t make it to Jack’s office because he had overslept.

“Your achievements brought honor to the company,” Jack continued. “The feats that made Toyota one of the great basketball teams in the land made us all very happy and proud of you all.” Pause. The boys started to sense something eerie.

“Hey, what’s this?” one of them asked.

Guam: Crispa, Toyota prevail (March 3, 1984)

Crispa and Toyota handily beat their local counterparts in a prelude to their two-game exhibition series in Guam.

Crispa, Toyota win in Guam

By Joe Quirino

Tempo

Published Monday March 5, 1984

GUAM, March 4 (via Philcom) — Crispa showed too much class in routing the Varsity selection, 134-109, Saturday night in a warm-up for its duel with arch-rival Toyota here.

It was a real treat for the thousands of Filipino fans who jammed the University of Guam gym as the multi-titled Redmanizers virtually toyed with the Americans.

Guam: Crispa, Toyota play local teams (March 3, 1984)

Crispa and Toyota arrived in Guam for a two-game exhibition series to cap off their storied rivalry. The series came almost a month after the stunning sale of the Toyota franchise to Beer Hausen.

Crispa, Toyota play today

By Bert Eljera

Tempo

Published Sunday March 4, 1984

GUAM, March 3 (via Philcom) — The series they have been calling here as a dream-come-true but actually is the curtain call of the storied Crispa-Toyota rivalry gets going tomorrow at the 4,000-seat University of Guam gym.

Crispa takes on the varsity selection, the stronger of two local sides the pros will be playing against, at 8 p.m. while Toyota meets the Guam All-Stars, a team powered by players from the University of Guam at 6:15 p.m.

Jaworski, Arnaiz blast sale (Feb. 16, 1984)

Toyota’s stunning sale to Beer Hausen left hurt feelings among its players, particularly the backcourt tandem of Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz.

JAWORSKI, ARNAIZ BLAST SALE

‘Unfair and immoral’

By Al Mendoza

Tempo

Published Friday Feb. 17, 1984

Robert Jaworski yesterday threatened to quit basketball while Francis Arnaiz branded as “highly immoral” his sale to Beer Hausen.

“I was hurt,” said Jaworski. “Most of us were not consulted about the sale. The management made a totally unfair decision when they sold out to Beer Hausen.”

Jaworski and Arnaiz, together with nine other Toyota players, were sold to Beer Hausen Tuesday in a management decision that shocked millions of basketball fans.

Toyota disbanded (Feb. 15, 1984)

Toyota team manager Jack Rodriguez announced the sale of its PBA franchise to Beer Hausen, a day after rumors of the Super Corollas' demise came out in the Valentine's Day issue of Tempo.

Corollas to Hausen

By Rey Bancod

Tempo

Published Thursday Feb. 16, 1984

Toyota, winner of nine PBA titles, formally announced yesterday the disbandment of its team.

Toyota players, led by 1982 Most Valuable Player Ramon Fernandez, have all been sold to a new league member, Shareholding Incorporated of the Lucio Tan group. The team will carry the name Beer Hausen and will be coached by veteran Bonnie Carbonell.

Toyota, however, retained its franchise and coach Ed Ocampo, who has been instructed to form another team that will participate in amateur tournaments.

Goodbye Toyota (Feb. 14, 1984)

Valentine's Day turned out to be a sour one for Toyota fans after Tempo columnist Beth Celis first reported the team's decision to disband before the start of the 1984 PBA season despite a denial from team manager Jack Rodriguez.

Goodbye Toyota

By Beth Celis

Tempo

Published Tuesday Feb. 14, 1984

Toyota is out of the All-Filipino conference of the Philippine Basketball Association. And, for all intents and purposes, Toyota won’t be around the rest of the pro season.

A confidential source, who requested anonymity, yesterday, confirmed a Tempo report that Toyota is disbanding this year due to the hard times.

“It is definite. Management has made the decision to disband the team,” the source said. “It is irrevocable.”