Great Taste Coffee Makers
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| Great Taste Coffee Makers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joined | 1975 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| History | Great Taste Coffee Makers N-Rich Tivoli Ice Cream Presto 1975-1992 |
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| Team colors | navy, white & yellow (Presto/Tivoli) orange & brown (Great Taste) |
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| Company | Universal Robina Corporation | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaches | Tony Genato, Chino Marquinez, Nilo Verona, Baby Dalupan, Jimmy Mariano | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Championships | PBA All-Filipino Cup (1984, 1985, 1987, 1990), PBA Invitational (1984), PBA Open Conference (1985) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Withdrew | 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Great Taste Coffee was one of the Pioneer teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The company was then known as the Consolidated Foods Corporation (CFC) and their chief products included well known brands like Presto Ice Cream, N-Rich Coffee Cream, Jack & Jill Fun Snacks, Great Taste Coffee among others.
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[edit] Profile and history
The company was perhaps one of the biggest food corporations back in the 70s and is still considered one of the biggest today with Universal Robina Corporation (URC) as well as in other diversified industries like Robinson's Land Corporation (RLC) (realty) and Sun Cellular (telecommunications). They were known for their different tag names; the Coffeemakers, the Coffee Creamers, the Discoverers, the Ice Cream Makers, the Tivolis, etc.
While Great Taste was known to be a blockbuster and powerhouse team to those who got to watch the game in the early 1980s, this team was also one of the ragtag and also-ran teams of the 1970s. Not exactly blessed with the biggest names among the present set of players then, they did become competitive owing more on the sheer hearts of their players rather than talents. Notable players who donned the Presto/Great Taste jersey in the 70s included the Guzman brothers Noel and Joel, Manny Paner, Florendo Ritualo (the father of Ren-Ren), Danny Pribhdas (the father of Danilo, Jr of the UST Growling Tigers), Roy Deles, among others. Imports who shared the limelight with the Presto locals during the 70's included Dana Lewis, Niño Samuel, Jim Hearns, Daryl Smith, Jim Collins, Cisco Oliver (returned in 1978) and Lew Brown. Coaches included Tony Genato (Quinito Henson's father in law), Chino Marquinez (who also acted as team manager) and Nilo Verona.
The real big turnaround started when they were able to secure the services of then Filipino-American rookie Ricardo Brown. It is said that Brown was practically stolen by Great Taste team manager Ignacio Gotao from Crispa owner Danny Floro, who has already formalized a commitment from the "Quick Brown Fox" to play for the Redmanizers. But as fate would have it, Brown was secured for the Coffeemakers, along with Bogs Adornado who was pried away from the U-Tex Wranglers, Manny Victorino (then considered one of 3 elite centers in the league, alongside Ramon Fernandez and Abet Guidaben), Joel Banal, Jimmy Manansala, Joy Carpio, Rafael "Cho' Sison (the 1981 Rookie of the Year), and import Norman Black. Of course, the real sweetener was the entry of Coach Baby Dalupan for the team - first as team consultant behind his godson Jimmy Mariano, only to secure the top coaching job when Mariano was "fired" for his ill-advised statement "we didn't intend to win.” This was said after a shocking loss to lowly Galerie Dominique since Presto was already secured of a slot in the next round.
Now a powerful and potent squad, Great Taste became the toast of the PBA, dominating the mid-80s with a strong local lineup coupled by even more potent imports in the likes of Joe Binion, Jeff Collins, and Michael Young. The team even became stronger when the likes of Philip Cezar, Atoy Co, Arnie Tuadles and Abe King joined the Coffee Makers. Add to this the blue chip rookie in the draft in the name of Allan Caidic and this became the team to beat. They were deemed as the second arrival of the disbanded Redmanizers at that time, with such a talent-laden squad to consider, plus a championship coach to boast of.
Presto won its final championship in 1990 featuring the superstar veteran Allan Caidic (named Most Valuable Player of the Year) and rookies Gerald Esplana (named Rookie of the Year) and Apet Jao (the top draft pick). More blue chip players came their way including Vergel Meneses in 1992 and Bong Hawkins until they eventually disbanded at the end of the 1992 season with Sta. Lucia buying the franchise rights including its rights for the first pick of the 1993 draft. It was Jun Limpot who eventually ended up to be the top pick of the said year.
[edit] Team roster
[edit] PBA 25 greatest players
- William "Bogs" Adornado
- Ricardo Brown - "The Quick Brown Fox" named 1985 PBA Most Valuable Player
- Allan Caidic - "The Triggerman" named 1987 PBA Rookie of the Year & 1990 PBA Most Valuable Player
- Philip Cezar - "The Scholar"
- Atoy Co - played his final years in the league with the team.
- Bernie Fabiosa - "The Sultan of Swipe"
- Vergel Meneses - "The Aerial Voyager" was the #1 draft pick of the 1992 draft.
- Manny Paner
[edit] Other notable players
- Dennis Abbatuan- the only PBA player to score 50 pts. in his rookie season.
- Jose "Jing" Aldanese
- Manuel "Noli" Aldanese
- Teddy Alfarero
- Pongkee Alolor
- Woodrow Balani
- Joel Banal
- Rolando Buhay
- Sonny Cabatu
- Joy Carpio
- Harmon Codinera
- Tim Coloso
- Bai Cristobal
- Onchie dela Cruz
- Roy Deles
- Nani Demegillo
- Gerry Esplana - 1990 PBA Rookie of the Year
- Willie Generalao - "The General"
- Noel Guzman
- Joel Guzman
- Bong Hawkins - "The Hawk"
- Padim Israel
- Apet Jao - #1 draft pick of 1990 PBA Draft
- Bambi Kabigting
- Abe King - "The Chairman of the Board"
- Frankie Lim
- Chito Loyzaga - "The Dynamite"
- Jimmy Manansala
- Jimmy Mariano
- Totoy Marquez
- Jose Cadel Mosqueda
- Jun Papa
- Danny Pribhdas (father of Danilo, Jr. of the UST Growling Tigers)
- Zaldy Realubit
- Florendo Ritualo
- Tano Salazar
- Rafael "Cho' Sison
- Aaron Torres
- Arnie Tuadles †
- Redentor Vicente (father of Redentor, Jr. of the San Sebastian Stags)
- Manny Victorino
[edit] Imports
- Terrance Bailey
- Joe Binion
- Norman Black
- Lew Brown
- Jeff Collins
- Winston Crite - "The Human Eraser"
- Jim Hearns
- Michael David Holton
- Lew Jackson
- Dana Lewis
- Dwayne McClain
- Cisco Oliver
- Walker Russell
- Danny Salisbury
- Niño Samuel
- Dawann Scott
- Daryl Smith
- Everett Stephens
- Ennis Whatley
- Tony White
- Michael Young
[edit] Coaches
- Baby Dalupan
- Jimmy Mariano
- Tommy Manotoc
[edit] Team managers
- Ignacio Gotao
- Chino Marquinez
[edit] External links
| Preceded by (start) |
PBA teams genealogies 1975-92 |
Succeeded by Sta. Lucia Realtors |
