December 29, 2008, Longview.
Off-school day. Not that it matters, no, not basketball.
Workout at 8 am. As has become customary, I headed to the "coliseum" half an hour before, just enough time to go to coach Scotter (trainer Ed.) and adjust the two or three things that the body of a skinny white 5'10 have never applied, let alone when you only play with him (almost exclusively) people by the color rather dark.
training runs but enough with all that the first training session back from Christmas holidays can bring.
Do not worry, the interesting part is yet to come.
Hours 12. According to the program, the Italian-American (Mr. Filippazzo), Italian (I) and German (Andy, already discussed somewhere) are setting out to Waco, home of Baylor University, a private university with 80 thousand bucks a year, how to take down a glass of water in short. The three hours on the motorway to your destination is, as always, if you're in Texas, 2 hours 50 in the middle of nowhere and 10 minutes (maybe) a city in the background (in this case, Dallas), but no consolation even more much. To animate the day, however, there are three in Gascony blue Volvo that during these three hours of leisure activities in the most varied topics: NBA (false and corrupt) College Basketball (slow and with a time-out every 3 minutes), health American (unacceptable for reasons that we all know), the American economy (in the dish slightly downward). And when The three arrive at their destination, given the background and animated discussions, Italian and German are asking the following question: "But we in America, we're doing here?". However, answers will come with time, rest assured.
Oh yes, then at 7 is the game of College Basketball: Portland State @ Baylor U.. And while this would be an answer, but it gets better. Yes, because after photos with a sign "Baylor University" and the rest of the 4 we head to Starbucks to Farrell Center arena with 10,000 seats and an adjoining sports center all to be revealed. And if the friend of high school Italian-American named David Wesley (Current student-coach at Baylor with 14 years NBA behind), then, this sports center, under recommendation, you also see him leave. Round of calls and we are in with a guy, coach Perkins ago by Virgil in a new structure of two years in which they were invested (or spent?) 11 million went Presidents (cited). That 11 million to look around you wonder: "Only 11?".
Coach Perkins, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, just presented himself tells us that the first time I came to Waco, the declaration of origin, everyone looked at him aghast as saying: "St. Louis? We have a St. Louis, Texas? " that to Coach P. immediately added: "Missouri", reminding all Texans that their nation consists of well 49 other states in addition to them. But some people around here still find it hard to be a knowledge-slash-accept the geopolitical situation (but that's another story). After the small anecdote, which really says a lot about Texas and Texans, we pass the inspection of the structure. You enter by a back door accepted, as stated by Mr. Perkins that shows us as we pass from the lobby the various offices. Systematically lying on the desks of these and a notebook or a desktop with an apple smangiucchiata on the back, the ones that when you go to buy them on the box, the good old Steve writes: "Designed by Apple in California," to not make mistakes and do not be misunderstood. We ask, curious, is it a coincidence that on every desk there is one or if it is desired. With great care we are told that the basketball program has been completely renovated (11 million is not that Pochini h) after the sanctions that were assigned to the program of the Baylor University Basketball dall'Ncaa following the scandal of 2003, among which events are found: the murder of a player by a teammate (!), the concealment by the coaching staff of medical tests that showed the use of prohibited substances of one of the players, the payment of fees university by the same coaching staff and other minor misconduct. In short, the credibility of the program and college basketball was all gone by the wayside and a new foundation after the close of the same program for two years, was the least we could do to not fall into a decline from which one would hardly raised.
were saying, how do you turn around you see the fruit of the mind candy of Steve Jobs, who, as we are told, it also provides (in charge of the university) to each player one of his MacBook Pro, 2000 other Presidents to head, and never will be. Continue the tour and enter through a door with access through palm print (not a finger eh, the whole hand!), To the ground floor, where among other things are: a training ground, a room weights, locker rooms and the wing of the women's basketball, not visited for a time limit. Yes, because among other things, at 7 there would also be a match to see. Oh, and of course from the front row. Game that does not raise a lot of emotions sunk if not for two in a row the number 23 in white jersey (home of the Baylor Bears uniform) on behalf of Kevin Rogers, one of which is to defend deployed in alley-oop on the bottom line from an assist by Curtis Jerrels (this name on some floors will see him again, make no mistake), Biman violent and result in delirium. The other action in the following counter-attack, on a riser too pretentious for most human beings, but not for Kevin, who gets up, picks up the ball at least two feet behind his head and crushes while his eyes look at the bottom of the retina. Seeing the level of the flooring then, even more impressive. Public standing and almost unbearable volume despite being 29 December and the entire student body is to visit relatives.
after the game Coach Perkins gives us one last gift, taking us inside the locker room, where each player has their own wood cabinet in which, on request, can send one of PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Wii, of course, with attached LCD screen of about twenty inches. In 'corner towers and a free Samsung 60''LCD with an adjacent Wii, for "games". It's not over because in the bathroom (yes in the bathroom) in front of the toilet and the corridor to the showers, there are two flat TV, not to miss a minute of your favorite shows. Annexed to the changing rooms are two rooms: one with all the pictures of past players from Baylor and then to the NBA, the other (other) 4 lcd connected to various consoles, which are in front of 80 thousand 4-massage chairs bucks. Each. How to Coach P. said, that's all, and as we say we just left the arena - just as well because ordinary mortals have other things to do.
Yes, because the most anonymous of the Roadhouse on the highway waiting for the Italian, German and Italian-American is Mr. David Wesley, who came from Houston in disguise (to avoid engagement with BU, having regard to the departure the next day to Charlotte) for a greeting and nothing more. 30 minutes to eat from Texas to bring the memories and not acceptable even for groceries. The anecdote of the evening comes from our own veteran (a native of Longview, already) and concerns the religion, many who are present at BU. In fact, as good Christians before and after each workout, all in a circle is called the prayer to Our Father, and thus far nothing unusual. Except that just after the prayer, the current player presses the button and the iPod connected to speakers, the volume of the rapper unsustainable turn resonates in the gym: "Hey you motherf *** er ...". And David, although it is not just devoted to the Lord, being a good teacher who can not write down: "But really guys, we still have not finished the prayer."
Unfortunately, at this point it's already 11pm and 3 hours of Interstate 20 separate us from home. Greetings and in the car between the laughs. Our answers, I do this in German, even today, we have found. I see nods his head: "Yes we have found.."
