1991 Diet Sarsi Sizzlers season

1991   Diet Sarsi Sizzlers season
Head coach	Yeng Guiao
Owner(s)	Cosmos Bottling Corporation (A subsidiary of RFM Corporation)
First Conference results
Record	12–10 (54.5%)
Place	3rd
Playoff finish	Semifinals
All-Filipino Conference results
Record	15–10 (60%)
Place	2nd
Playoff finish	Finals
Third Conference results
Record	4–7 (36.4%)
Place	7th
Playoff finish	Eliminated
Diet Sarsi Sizzlers seasons
←  1990 1992  →

The 1991 Diet Sarsi Sizzlers season was the second season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The team was known as Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs in the Third Conference.

Draft pick

Round	Pick	Player	Details
2		Django Rivera	Unsigned

Occurrences

Sizzlers' former import Lewis Lloyd replaces Kenny Sanders after Diet Sarsi lost their first game, 83-98 to Presto Tivoli. Lloyd led his team to one victory before getting injured and was replaced by Bernard Thompson.

On April 14, the Sizzlers signed up Purefoods' back-up center Jack Tanuan, whose contract with the Hotdogs expired a week before.

The PBA office fined the RFM franchise P50,000 and Purefoods forward Alvin Patrimonio P10,000 for tampering a contract.

Beginning the Third Conference, Diet Sarsi change its team name to Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs, a brand the RFM Company has been carrying during their amateur days.

Notable dates

March 7: Diet Sarsi snapped a four-game winning run of erstwhile unbeaten Purefoods in a 103-96 win. Al Solis, a former hotdogs who played a big role in their last year's title-conquest, hit a jumper off a foul by Elmer Reyes and completed a three-point play to give Sarsi a six-point cushion with 2:39 left in the game. ^[1]

July 4: The Sizzlers raise their won-loss record to six wins and one defeat and on top of the standings in the All-Filipino Conference, dealing Purefoods its first loss in five games by winning over the Tender Juicy Hotdogs, 102-98. ^[2]

July 14: Al Solis pumped-in a running shot that banked off the board and went in to lift Diet Sarsi to a 105-104 triumph over San Miguel Beermen. Solis had taken possession at midcourt from Yoyoy Villamin who was hounded by Romy Lopez at the baseline. Then the Sarsi guard, who was still 25 meters from the goal, dribbled past Renato Agustin and heaved that shot from about 23 feet, erasing a 102-104 deficit and giving them their seventh win in nine games. Solis' last-second three-pointer spoiled a career-high 44-point production by Beermen' Ato Agustin. San Miguel put the game under protest as coach Norman Black contested that the clock didn't move when Solis received the inbound pass, but the Beermen later decided not to file a protest and accepted their second loss from the Sizzlers. ^[3]

Runner-up finish

In only their fifth conference so far, Diet Sarsi makes it to the finals for the first time. The Sizzlers defeated San Miguel Beermen, 100-95, in a playoff game on August 20 as they'll face corporate rival Purefoods for the All-Filipino crown.

The Sizzlers took a 2-1 series lead and a win away from winning their first title, the Tender Juicy Hotdogs came back to win the last two games to finally ended their frustrations on winning the elusive All-Filipino championship.

Main article: 1991 PBA All-Filipino Conference Finals

Roster

Diet Sarsi roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. C 5 Cabatu, Sonny 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) PSBA G/F 6 Cui, Ricardo 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Lyceum G/F 7 Macaraya, Edgar 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Sebastian G 8 Solis, Al 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Visayas F/C 13 Villamin, Elpidio 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) G 14 Loyzaga, Joey 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) San Beda F 17 Saldaña, Terry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Letran G 23 Marata, Ric-Ric 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Southwestern-U G 25 Jarencio, Pido 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) UST F 26 De Guzman, Andy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Far Eastern C 41 Tanuan, Jack 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Far Eastern G 51 Fabiosa, Bernie 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) UE	Head coach Yeng Guiao Assistant coach(es) Roehl Nadurata Team manager Elmer Yanga Legend (C) Team captain Injured

Transactions

Trades

Off-season	To Alaska Milkmen Elmer Reyes	To Diet Sarsi Elpidio Villamin

Off season	To Alaska Milkmen Nap Hatton	To Diet Sarsi Ricardo Marata

Additions

Name	Deal Information	Former team
Al Solis	Offered a two-year package worth 2.8 million contract which Purefoods didn't match	Purefoods
Edgar Macaraya	Rookie Free Agent	N/A
Jack Tanuan	Signed upon his end of contract with Purefoods on April 1991	Purefoods
Bernie Fabiosa	Signed in the All-Filipino Conference

Subtractions

NAME	#	POS	HT	COLLEGE	REASON
Joseph Pelaez	11	C	6"5'	University of Manila	Release by Sarsi upon signing Jack Tanuan

Recruited imports

Name	Conference	No.	Pos.	Ht.	College	Duration
Kenny Sanders	First Conference	33	Center-Forward	6"4'	George Mason University	February 19 (one game)
Lewis Lloyd		32	Center-Forward	6"4'	Drake University	February 24 (one game)
Bernard Thompson		34	Center-Forward	6"4'	Fresno State University	March 3 to May 9
Kelvin Upshaw	Third Conference	77	Guard	6"1'	University of Utah	September 15 to October 29

References

1. "Sarsi strikes down Purefoods". Manila Standard.
2. "Soaring Sarsi socks Purefoods". Manila Standard.
3. "Shell, Sarsi hurdles foes". Manila Standard.