Super Coach (Jan. 23, 1977)

The Philippine Panorama, the Sunday magazine of Bulletin Today, ran a feature of coach Baby Dalupan after steering the Crispa Redmanizers to the 1976 PBA grand slam.

SUPER COACH

By Chelo R. Banal

Philippine Panorama

Published Sunday January 23, 1977

IT was the best of times. Crispa overpowered stubborn Toyota 11 times during the 1976 pro basketball league to sweep to an overwhelming triple victory. Needless to say, it was a grand slam, a sensational season, a mind-blowing performance and, in a very sweet sense, an everlasting Crispa thrill.

After a cold start in the pro (it was the fourth in team standing in the PBA's first conference first round), the Crispa Redmanizers recovered the fire of their MICAA days to become the Toyota Comets' archrivals for the first and second tournament titles. The rivalry would long be cherished. Finally, Crispa dethroned two-time champ Toyota during the 1975 third conference and since then never went down from its Number One post.

The Redmanizers won 39 of their 57 games during the PBA's first year series. Changing names to Crispa Denims (for advertising purposes since the Crispa-Floro factory in Pasig started milling out denim materials), the quintet bagged 46 of its 61 games during the PBA's second year. Four championships out of six conferences in the Philippine Basketball Association so far. The statistics make Virgilio ' Baby' Dalupan the winningest coach in the league.

Team of the Year: Whose else? (Dec. 25-31, 1976)

Legendary announcer Dick Ildefonso broke down Crispa's comeback victory over Toyota in the finals of the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship in a column for Sports World Magazine.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: WHOSE ELSE?

Here's Dick

By Dick Ildefonso

Sports World

Published Dec. 25-31, 1976

The Crispa charisma triumphed over Toyota tenacity in a year-end showdown which turned out to be an anti-climactic letdown after such a classic build-up as both quintets stretch the best-of-five championship series to the limit.

The Redmanizers, in the same fashion that marked their march to three conference titles, again started their bid somewhat doubtfully by dropping two important qualifying round matches to Noritake and Toyota respectively which forced them into a sudden-death play-off with the Porcelain-Makers before their championship confrontation with the Tamaraws.

It appeared to be a short-lived series as the tough Toyotans romped off with back-to-back victories to post an awesome 2-0 advantage which again placed the Crispans with their backs against the wall.

Atoy Co - PBA's MVP (Dec. 23, 1976)

Bulletin Today sports editor Lito Fernandez paid homage to Atoy Co's MVP-like performance in the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship that completed Crispa's grand slam.

Atoy Co – PBA's MVP

THE NEUTRAL CORNER

By Lito Fernandez

Bulletin Today

Published Thursday December 23, 1976

Last year, Fortunato Co, Jr. and girl friend Alona Alegre attended the All-Filipino Sports Awards (AFSA) ceremonies at the Folk Arts Theater, knowing full well that Atoy would not win the basketball award. But they were there, the sweet, lovable duo and Atoy applauded when Toyota's Francis Arnaiz received the award.

This year, Atoy and Alona are expected to be there again and this time, chances are Atoy won't just be a spectator. Judging from his performance this year, especially in the just-concluded All-Philippine championship, Atoy is a cinch for the “Mr. Basketball” title.

In the best-of-five series that ended the other night, Atoy knocked in a total of 159 points for a sizzling average of 31.80 points per game – tops in the series. He was at his best in the decisive fifth game which saw him function like a one-man wrecking crew, shooting a game-high 39 points to break the backs of the Tamaraws.

Game 43: Crispa 110, Toyota 92 (Dec. 21, 1976)

Atoy Co capped off his offensive brilliance with 39 points as Crispa completed its 0-2 comeback against Toyota in the 1976 All-Philippine championship and pull off PBA's first grand slam.

Crispa tops Toyota, wins grand slam

Co unloads 39 to spark Redmanizers' 110-92 win

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday December 22, 1976

Crispa's never-say-die Redmanizers added another first in their glorious history last night as they destroyed Toyota with compelling ease, 110-92, to win the All-Philippine championship and complete a sweep of all Philippine Basketball Association titles this year.

Crispa's victory, their third straight in the best-of-five series, climaxed a long, excruciating climb by the Redmanizers who, aside from scoring the PBA's first grand slam, also became the first team in the two-year-old league to win a title coming from two games down.

A dazzling offensive complemented by a crippling, swarming defense gave the Redmanizers the edge all evening as both teams were initially hampered by the tremendous pressure of the match, missing easy shots and committing ghastly errors in alarming succession to the surprise of some 25,000 spectators at the Araneta Coliseum.

Game 42: Crispa 104, Toyota 103 (Dec. 19, 1976)

Cyrus Mann's jumper late allowed Crispa to repeat over Toyota and force their 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship title series to a rubber match.

Crispa squares series

Wranglers place third

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Monday, December 20, 1976

Crispa, still seething with vengeance, took the measure of Toyota anew last night, pounding out a close 104-103 win in a bruising, tempestous encounter that sent their championship series to a fifth and deciding game tomorrow for the All-Philippine crown of the Philippine Basketball Association at the Araneta Coliseum.

A jumper by Cyrus Mann with 30 seconds left provided the Redmanizers the difference in the pulse-pounding contest after the Tamaraws had uncorked a desperate rally in the last two minutes that saw them outshot the victors, 12-2, from 102-91 down to narrow the gap at what it was at end.

Elbows and at times, even fists, flew in wild abandon and tempers were hard to contain in this fourth meeting between the two clubs. But the Tamaraws appeared more on the verge of losing their cool.

Game 41: Crispa 115, Toyota 105 (Dec. 16, 1976)

Crispa leaned on Atoy Co and Cyrus Mann to prevent Toyota from sweeping the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship finals while keeping its slim grand slam hopes alive with a Game 3 victory.

Crispa clips Toyota, stays alive

Score: 115-105; U-Tex nips N'take

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Friday, December 17, 1976

Crispa derailed the Toyota juggernaut last night as the Redmanizers pounded out a convincing 115-105 victory over the Tamaraws to extend their best-of-five series for the All-Philippine championship to a fourth game Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Their pride pricked by two consecutive losses, the Redmanizers played with the vigor and vitality of a true champion as they outclassed the bewildered Tamaraws who found themselves crippled by fouls and almost demoralized by their own offensive weakness.

Byron “Snake” Jones fouled out with more than six minutes left while Howard Smith, the other half of the mighty American tandem of Toyota, found himself saddled with five fouls with still nine minutes left.

Fortunato Co, Jr., averaging more than 30 points in the last two playoffs, sizzled with 34 as he combined with the inspired Cyrus Mann who hauled rebounds with impunity, blocked shots with regularity and was so agitated by his own performance, that he even ventured to suggest that his team would win against odds of “10-to-1.”

Tamaraws on the go (Dec. 16, 1976)

There seems to be no way Crispa can stop Toyota after two games of the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship finals, as suggested by Bulletin Today sports editor Lito Fernandez.

Tamaraws on the go

THE NEUTRAL CORNER
By Lito Fernandez

Bulletin Today

Published Thursday December 16, 1976

A Crispa fan who was watching the Crispa-Toyota game on TV Tuesday night stood up early in the fourth quarter after the Redmanizers committed another passing error. “Wala. Talo nang talaga. Mananalo ba 'yan e tapon nang tapon (Crispa is finished. How can the Redmanizers win when they always blunder away points?),” he blurted as he steamed out of the room.

Indeed the Redmanizers contributed to their own downfall by playing a highly erratic game. All told Baby Dalupan's boys committed 22 errors, including three straight wild passes by Cyrus Mann in the third quarter, as against 17 for the Tamaraws. In addition, the Redmanizers had 27 turnovers against 22 for the Tamaraws.

Crispa's final two errors in the overtime drove the last nails into the Redmanizers' coffin leading by only one point, they committed another passing error which Francis Arnaiz, playing his usual top-caliber game, parlayed into Toyota's go-ahead basket. In the ensuing play, Fortunato Co tarnished his game-high 41 points when he stepped on the endline, an error which led to Arnaiz's insurance basket.