I AM LOOKING FOR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT SUNDAYS VICTORY VS THE LAZIO MARINES MEANS...IT WAS BEYOND THRILLING..DOWN 8 WITH UNDER 3 MINUTES TO GO IN THE GAME, WE WOULD SCORE TWICE, A TOTAL OF 9 POINTS, TO SQUEAK OUT A 43-42 VICTORY FOR OUR SEASONS FIRST WIN...WHEN THE 1-MAN BAND OF BRADLEY VAN PELT KICKED THE 25 YARD WINNER THE CLOCKS READ ZERO...THE JOY AND JUBILATION THAT IMMEDIATELY ENSUED RIVALED ANY UPSET WIN YOU HAVE WATCHED IN THE NCAA'S MEN BASKETBALL TOURNEY.
I STRUGGLE WITH PERSPECTIVE TODAY BECAUSE WHAT DOES IT MEAN?..ITS FOOTBALL AMERICANO-ITALIA..MAYBE 400 FANS WERE THERE AT OSSIO SOTTO TO WATCH ON THE FIRST DAY OF LA PRIMAVERA, WHEN THE WEATHER LOOKED LIKE WHAT WOULD BE FORECASTED FOR ARMEGGEDON....THE FIELD WASN'T EXACTLY NFL DIMENSIONS..CHIARA, A REGAZZA, WAS THE LINE JUDGE...BARELY A SPECK OF WRITEUP ABOUT THE GAME IN ANY OF THE LOCAL GIORNALI...IF WE HAD LOST WOULD ANY OF OUR LIVES BE ANY DIFFERENT?...NO, OF COURSE NOT.
CHIARA...OUR LINE JUDGE..THANKS FOR THE HELP
BUT THATS NOT THE ESSENCE OF SPORT..THE ESSENCE OF SPORT IS STRICTLY THIS...TO COMPETE..PERIOD..TO THE BEST OF YOUR CAPABILITY...PERIOD!...REMEBER THE DAYS AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL GROUND WHEN IT WAS PICKUP BALL?..US VS THEM..ME VS YOU..YOU THINK YOU GOT GAME?..THEN BRING IT.. SUCKA!!
RECALL THE DEFEATS... WHEN ALL YOU COULD SAY WAS.." GIMME A REMATCH."..ANYPLACE..ANYWHERE..ANYTIME. AND..NEXT TIME YOU WON'T BE SO LUCKY... SUCKA!!!
THAT WAS YESTERDAY..ANYPLACE..ANYWHERE..ANYTIME..IT WAS ON A LONELY FILED LOST IN SOME LONELY SUBERB OF BERGAMO..WITH A ROAR OF THE LAZIO MARINES MARCHING INTO TOWN...LETS PLAY SOME BALL...JUST FOR THE SAKE OF COMPETITION.
THATS WHERE IT GOT A HELLUVA LOT OF FUN..THE TYPE OF FUN WHERE YOUR MIND AND BODY ARE STRICTLY IN THAT MOMENT...AND THE MOMENTS..AH THE MOMENTS...SOMETIMES THEY LAST A LIFETIME..
AS THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORLD FAMOUS BLOG, ALLOW ME TO TAKE YOU BACK TO HOW IT ALL STARTED ON GAMEDAY..
I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS THE STRIKEUP OF THE BAND THAT I HEARD FIRST...OR...THE RINGING OF THE CHURCHBELLS...OR THE POP OF A GUN..THAT FIRST WOKE ME UP ON THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. BUT WHEN MY EYELIDS CLEARED, THE TICK-TOCK OF THE ALARM CLOCK...IL TEMPO, WAS 7AM...A TAD EARLIER THAN I HOPED TO ARISE..HOWEVER SUNDAY MORNING WAS THE FIRST DAY OF WAKING UP IN MIO NUEVO LA CASA..VILLA MORONI...AND I THOUGHT IN THE SLEEPY VILLAGE OF STEZZANO, ITALIA PERHAPS I COULD SLEEP IN A LITTLE TO BE WELL RESTED FOR GAMEDAY...MAYBE ON MOST DAYS, BUT NOT ON A DAY THAT THERE IS A MASSIVE BIKE RACE STARTING IN FRONT OF THE VILLA; AND WITH NO LESS THAN 1000 PARTICIPANTS...THERE WAS PLENTY OF ACTION GOING ON...
CASA DELLA TRAVELDOG..VILLA MORONI
BUT GAMEDAY IS SPECIAL..THE FOCUS..THE WALK..THE MIND..ITS ALL DIFFERENT...FOR ALL PERFORMERS AND COACHES OF PERFORMERS; WHAT IS MOST DIFFERENT IS THE BODY...ITS BUILT INTO COMPETITORS..I FELT SHARP YESTERDAY..ITS A GOOD FEELING..I WAS READY AND EXCITED..
BUT AS A FIRST TIME COACH IN A LITTLE LEAGUE FAR FAR FROM HOME...IT IS AS IMPORTANT AS ANYTHING I AM DOING..WHY?..BECAUSE A SMALL LEGION OF COACHES AND PLAYERS ARE COUNTING ON ME..ITS A SIMPLE RESPONSIBILITY..TO BE READY..TO BE PREPARED..TO BE SHARP..
THE DRIVE TO THE STADIUM WAS LIKE MOST DRIVES IN ITALY...FULL OF ROUNDABOUTS AND UNCERTAINTY AND FAST RECKLESS DRIVERS EVERYWHERE..THEY SAY THAT TO DRIVE WELL IN ITALY YOU KEEP ONE HAND ON THE WHEEL AND LA OLTRE MANI ON THE HORN....GARMIN HASN'T INVENTED A GPS SYSTEM YET THAT CAN GET YOU FROM A TO B IN ITALY WITHOUT BEING DIVERTED..
EVEN WITH THE DIRECTION PROBLEMS, WE WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO ARRIVE..REMEMBER WE ARE SHARP GUYS..US AMERICAN COACHES...COACH COS WANTED A SPECIAL SESSION WITH THE RB'S TO REVIEW PASS PROTECTION FROM A NEW 2 BACK SET..
ITS AMAZING HOW QUICKLY TIME PASSES HANGING AROUND A STADIUM ON GAMEDAY..WE ARE ALL CHATTY CATHY'S AND WILL TALK TO ANYONE..BROCK OLIVO, IS A FRIEND, WHO IS ALSO THE COACH OF THE LAZIO MARINES...WE SHARED COACHES SPEAK WITH THE ISSUES THEY HAVE THAT ARE SIMILAR TO OUR OWN..PLAYERS PASSED BY..WE EYE-BALLED THEIR STAR DEFENSIVE END...THEIR QB ARRIVED FROM THE STATES ONLY ON MONDAY..HOW READY WOULD HE BE ?..THEIR AMERICAN WIDE RECEIVER PLAYED AT WAKE FOREST, WHERE MY 2 BROTHERS STARRED, AND WAS A FRIEND OF ONE OF THE GREAT WR'S IN OUR NFL WHO ALSO IS A DEAMON DEACON..RICKY PROEHL.
LAZIO MARINES TAKE THE FIELD
BUT ALL THE WHILE ...THE NERVES ARE LIKE A BOX OF COAT HANGERS..WE WERE 0-1...THEY WERE 0--1..WHICH TEAM WOULD LEAVE 0-2?..IN THE NFL TO BE 0-2 IS A DEATH MARCH..WHILE ITS NOT SO LARGE A HOLE THAT YOU CAN'T DIG YOURSELF OUT; THE PROBLEM IS WITH TEAMS CONFIDENCE..WHEN DOES IT SHATTER?..ESPECIALLY WITH A TOTALLY NEW STAFF..WHEN 0-2, A TEAM CAN'T HELP BUT QUESTION THE LEADERSHIP.
BUT WE WARMED UP WELL...WE WERE CRISP..THE OFFENSIVE LINE, MINUS RT GUARD, "GROS".,.HAD GOOD BOUNCE AND FOCUS..NUMA WOULD MAKE HIS FIRST START AT LEFT TACKLE..HE WASN'T AT ALL NERVOUS..
NUMA.. A QUICK "STICK" PREGAME TO CALM THE NERVES
PIETRO WOULD START AT RIGHT GUARD...SHOULD I WORRY WHEN HE SHOWED UP BARELY AN HOUR BEFORE KICKOFF??..A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR, HE IS MADE FOR THE STAGE..I WASN'T WORRIED
VAN PELT AND PIETRO...PARLO ON WALK TO LOCKERROOM
WHAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IS OUR FIELD GOAL OPERATION..VAN PELT IS THE KICKER; BUT MIRKO IS THE SNAPPER AND YOUNG CARLO IS THE HOLDER...HOW CRISP WOULD THAT OPERATION BE..I MADE SURE WE GOT PLENTY OF REPS BEFORE WE STARTED..OH WHAT A PRESCIENT COACHING MOVE THAT WOULD BE.
CARLO HOLDS..VAN PELT KICKS..PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
CARLO HOLDS..VAN PELT KICKS..PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
WE JUMPED ON THE MARINES FAST..THE DEFENSE, NONEXISTANT LAST WEEK, AND REVAMPED UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF RICH BROWN, WAS EXCELLENT..THEY MADE STOPS AND WE SCORED FAST..VAN PELT WAS SHARP AND QUICKLY WE WERE UP 14-0
BUT BY THE END OF THE 2ND QUARTER, THE MARINES HAD SURVIVED OUR ASSAULT AND THEY RESPONDED..BY HALFTIME WE WERE UP ONLY27-21..
WE HIT A FLAT SPOT IN THE 3RD QUARTER..OUR PROTECTION OF OUR QB BROKE DOWN REPEATEDLY..AND OUR DEFENSE STOPPED TACKLING, AND INTO THE 4TH QUARTER WE WERE DOWN BY AS MUCH AS 13 POINTS..QUESTIONS AND BLANK STARES WERE FAR TO OFTEN
COS WAS IN CONTROL, HOWEVER..THERE IS GREAT FUN ON THE SIDELINE MAKING CALLS, SHOUTING INSTRUCTIONS..PLEADING FOR REMINDERS, DIALOGUE WITH QB VAN PELT..WHAT IS WORKING..WHAT NEEDS TO BE KILLED..DECISIONS MADE IN MILLISECONDS THAT WOULD EFFECT THE OUTCOME..ITS SUCH A BUZZ..WHEN THE DEFENSE IS ON THE FIELD.....AND I AM FREE....HOW CAN I HELP THE OFFENSE..WHAT CAN I SAY?...OR SHOW?..OR DEMONSTRATE TO MY OFFENSIVE LINE THAT WILL HELP FOR OUR NEXT SERIES?..TEACHING..PATIENCE..MAINTAINING HOPE ALL THE WHILE..
BUT THE CLOCK WAS TICKING AND WE NEEDED THE BALL..AND PLAYS..AND SOME HELP....AIUTO...AIUTO...WE FOUND OURSELVES DOWN BY 8 WITH 3 MINUTES TO GO..VAN PELT WAS DOING IT ALL..WHAT DID HE HAVE LEFT?..HE WOULD SCORE ON AN IMPROVISED RUN/PASS OPTION WITH JUST OVER 2 MINUTES LEFT IN THE GAME..THE CROWD WAS CHEERING..FANS???..I WAS SO FOCUSED ON THE FIELD THAT I DON'T THINK I EVER LOKED UP TO SEE IF WE HAD ANY..WE WENT FOR 2, AND OUR PASS FAILED.
DOWN 2 WITH UNDER 2 MINUTES, BUT WITH A POCKETFUL OF TIMEOUTS, THE DEFENSE NEEDED A STOP..QUICKLY...AN INCOMPLETION!..WHAT WERE THEY THINKING...WHY NOT A RUN TO KEEP THE CLOCK TICKING???...CLOCK STOPPED...2ND DOWN..A CATCH BUT A GOOD TACKLE....AND ON 3RD AND 5..CLOCK RUNNING..AND THEN A SACK..TIMEOUT...4TH DOWN..PUNT..YES YES YES...27 SECONDS AND A TIMEOUT SAVED..WE WERE ROCKSTARS WITH OUR CLOCK MANAGEMENT..IF ONLY NFL COACHES COULD BE SO SHARP ON SUNDAYS IN THE NFL..HELLO ANDY REID??
VAN PELT WOULD HIT 3 STRAIGHT COMPLETIONS...9 SECONDS LEFT..A CHANCE FOR MAYBE ONE SHOT AT THE END ZONE AND THEN MARCH FIELD GOAL UNIT OUT..NO PLAY TO BE MADE..A THROWAWAY...SMART...OK FIELD GOAL UNIT..YOUR TIME TO SHINE...WE PRACTICED PREGAME MOLTI VOLTE
3 SECONDS LEFT..VAN PELT IS OUR FIELD GOAL KICKER..NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXTRA POINT TO WIN..SO EASY...SO AUTOMATIC..THATS WHAT WE ALWAYS SAY..BUT IS IT WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE?..LAZIO WOULD BURN THEIR FINAL TIMEOUTS TRYING TO PUT VAN PELT AND OUR WHOLE OPERATION IN THE DEEP FREEZE..THEY DON'T KNOW VAN PELT..HE WAS MADE FOR THESE MOMENTS
VAN PELT/PIETRO..GAME CAPTAINS...BOTH PLAYED GREAT
ON THE SIDELINES WE HAD EACH OTHERS HANDS..HOLDING TIGHTLY IN UNISON..WE WOULD WIN TOGETHER...WE WOULD LOSE TOGETHER..THE DRAMA..THE SUSPENSE..ON A FIELD SOMEPLACE FROM NOWHERE IN A LEAGUE THAT NO ONE FOLLOWS...ON A DAY WHERE THE SUN SLEPT ALL AFTERNOON UNDER A DARK CLOUD..WHAT COULD MAKE THIS KICK SEEM SO VASTLY IMPORTANT?
THIS IS THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I STRUGGLE WITH..EMOTIONS ARE SOO DELICATO..COULD THIS ONE KICK FROM VAN PELT, WHO HAD MISSED 2 ON THE DAY..ONE WAS BLOCKED AND ONE WAS SHANKED..WHAT LIE IN THE BALANCE?
THE KICK WENT PERFECTLY THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS IN A BLINK..AND IN THE NEXT BLINK THERE WAS A RELEASE OF UNPARRALLED EMOTIONS..THE TEAM STORMED THE FIELD..VAN PELT WAS THE HERO..HE WAS HIT HARDER BY THE TIDAL WAVE OF PLAYERS CHARGING, HARDER THAN HE WAS HIT ALL DAY..
THE THRILL OF VICTORY...THE AGONY OF DEFEAT..WORDS WERE NEVER MORE TRUE..LAZIO EXHALED AND WAS 0-2..WE SHOUTED AT THE HEAVENS TO BE 1-1..BUT MORE THAN THE RECORD..WE WERE CHAMPIONS OF THAT MOMENT
THE PERSPECTIVE IS SIMPLY THIS...ITS WHY WE PLAY THE GAME..ITS WHY WE ARE HERE..IN THAT BLINK OF A SECOND WE BECAME UNITED..WE BECAME A TEAM..AND THAT IS A SPECIAL FEELING..
THE CELEBRATION WOULD CARRY OVER TO THE VILLA MORONI..COACHES..PLAYERS..WIVES...GIRLFRIENDS...AS MANY AS 40-50..MAYBE MORE CAME TO CELEBRATE THE CREATION OF A TEAM....SI SI SI..THE BERGAMO LIONS WERE BORN TODAY; IN A PLACE...IN A TIME...ABOUT A GAME..THAT NO ONE MUCH CARES ABOUT...EXCEPT US..THANKS FOR READING AND FOLLOWING ALONG..ITS NOT EVERYDAY THAT A TEAM IS BORN
POST GAME PARTY AT VILLA
ALWAYS BETTER AFTER A WIN..OUR 1ST WIN
ALWAYS BETTER AFTER A WIN..OUR 1ST WIN
AND SOME THINK WINNING ISN'T IMPORTANT!!!!NONVERO..NONVERO IN BERGAMO
No comments:
Post a Comment