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Purefoods 'closing in' on Ginebra as PBA's most popular team; Rain or Shine third


The Manila Clasico rivalry between Ginebra and Purefoods is always a blockbuster. KC Cruz
 
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel still owns the mantle of being the most popular team in the PBA, but the Purefoods Star Hotshots are hot on the Gin Kings' trail.
 
"Purefoods is really closing in on Ginebra in terms of fanbase," bared league commissioner Chito Salud in an interview with online media members on Friday at Country Spice in Quezon City.
 
"The top three most popular teams: Ginebra, Purefoods, Rain or Shine," he added, citing a regular study being conducted by the PBA.
 
Ginebra and Purefoods are the teams involved in the Manila Clasico rivalry, which is consistently the most-attended matchup in the league. Both franchises have featured popular superstar players, from Robert Jaworski and Alvin Patrimonio in the past to Mark Caguioa and James Yap currently.
 
But Rain or Shine, a team that boasts of a "no-superstars" mantra under fiery coach Yeng Guiao, comes as a surprise, with the Elasto Painters besting more seasoned teams such as San Miguel Beer and Alaska.
 
Salud attributed it to the recent success of the Elasto Painters, who have emerged as perennial championship contenders and finished runner-up in two of the past three PBA tournaments.
 
"Because Rain or Shine has been performing," said Salud. "And when you're performing you'll get fans." — JST, GMA News
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