BERGAMO GIORNI 24: PIETRO

WHEN THE COLTS WERE DEFEATED BY THE SAINTS IN THE SUPER BOWL IN FEBRUARY, PRESIDENT AND GM OF THE COLTS, BILL POLIAN, HAD THIS TO OFFER FOR THEIR CRUSHING DEFEAT..."OUR OFFENSIVE LINE   BY OUR STANDARDS DID NOT  HAVE A GOOD GAME. THEY WERE OUTPLAYED BY THE SAINTS DEFENSIVE LINE. WHEN YOU CAN'T GAIN A YARD WHEN YOU HAVE TO GAIN A YARD IN ORDER TO GO INTO THE LOCKERROOM 10-3 WITH ALL OF THE MOMENTUM ON YOUR SIDE..."

BILL POLIAN IS THE SHARPEST GM IN THE LEAGUE..HE HAS NO PEERS..HE WAS THE ARCHICTECT OF THE BILLS 4 TRIPS TO THE SUPER BOWL...HE TOOK THE EXPANSION CAROLINA PANTHERS TO THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 2 SHORT YEARS...HE HAS BEEN IN IDIANAPOLIS WHERE HE SELECTED PEYTON MANNING WITH THE FIRST PICK AND TOOK A FIRED TONY DUNGY FROM THE GUTTER AND MADE HIM HIS COACH

BILL POLIAN DOESN'T MAKE MANY MISTAKES..HE ALSO DOESN'T MAKE MANY EXCUSES..THE IRISHMAN FROM THE STREETS OF BROOKLYN HAS A TEMPER THAT CAN'T BE MEASURED AND ABOVE ALL HE DOESN'T MAKE EXCUSES..HE STATES FACTS..THE COLTS OL WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY..PERIOD!

I MENTION THIS ONLY TO REAFFIRM THE MOST FREQUENT AXIOM IN ALL OF FOOTBALL..FOOTBALL AT ALL LEVELS.

A TEAMS SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PLAY OF ITS OFFESNIVE LINE..WHEN THAT SPUTTERS, IT IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE FROM THERE...I CAN SIGHT YOU CHAPTER AND VERSE THE HORROR STORIES OF NIGHTMARE SEASONS IN THE NFL WHOSE TEAMS REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE THE INFERIOR GROUP ON ITS OFFENSIVE LINE

AND IN OUR PLAYOFF GAME VS THE CATANIA ELEPHANTS QUESTA DOMENICA, THE STORY WILL BE NO DIFFERENT...CATANIA'S ONLY BLEMISH THIS SEASON WAS TO US..AND IN THAT GAME WE RAN THE BALL DOWN THEIR THROATS IN THE SECUNDA MESA AND PLAYED KEEP AWAY FROM A DANGEROUS OFFENSE..AN OFFENSE THAT SCORED 75 POINTS IN THEIR SEASON FINALE.

WE WILL LEAVE FOR ISOLA SICILIA WITHOUT OUR BEST OFFENSIVE LINEMAN..PIETRO...PIETRO IS OUR STARTING LEFT TACKLE..YES HE PROTECTS BRADLEE VAN PELT'S BLINDSIDE..AND HE DOES IT BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WE HAVE..HE ALSO IS OUR BEST GUARD...AND IF HE HAD TO HE IS OUR BEST CENTER..I HAVE MILDLY SUGGESTED THAT HE BE OUR MIDDLE LINEBACKER AS WELL

                                PIETRO..PROTECTS VAN VELT'S BLINDSIDE

PIETRO IS AN ATHLETE..IN SPORTS THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ATHLETES..THERE ARE WAISTBENDERS AND THEIR ARE KNEE BENDERS..PIETRO IS A NATURAL KNEE BENDER, WHICH MEANS HE CAN GET UNDERNEATH PEOPLE..HE HAS LEVERAGE WHICH IS EVERYTHING IN A CONTACT SPORT LIKE FOOTBALL. OH YEAH..HE IS COACHABLE AS WELL..HE DOESN'T PRETEND TO HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS...AND BY FOOTBALL STANDARDS HE IS STILL YOUNG..26 OR MAYBE 28..IN THIS LEAGE HE HAS GOOD YEARS IN FRONT OF HIM

THIS IS NO KNOCK TO MY STARTING RIGHTSIDE OF THE LINE ANCHORED BY
 PEPE E' CHRISTIAN...THEY HAVE BEEN PLAYING A LONG LONG TIME..DOG YEARS ALMOST..COMBINED THEY HAVE PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR 48 YEARS; CHRISTIAN FOR 25 AND PEPE FOR 23..THEIR BODIES ARE BANGED UP,  ALTHOUGH THEIR ESPIRITU IS FUOCA FORZA..THEY HAVE TEAMED TOGETHER FOR MANY OF BERGAMO'S RUN OF 12 STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT WAS ENDED LAST SEASON.

                     PEPE E' CHRISTIAN...48 YRS OF EXPERIENCE

ALSO MISSING SUNDAY WILL BE MY RESERVA NUMERO UNO, VITO...HE LOOKS SICK TO ME..NOT BECAUSE HE IS SICK, ITS BECAUSE HE BOOKED A VACATION WITH HIS FAMILY MONTHS AGO AND WITH HIS WORK, ITS THE ONLY WEEK HE CAN GO..HE DOESN'T WANT TO...HE WOULD RATHER EAT THE MONEY AND COME PLAY..HE IS MY MOST IMPROVED PLAYER..I DID A HORRIBLE JOB IN EVALUATING HIS PLAY EARLY ON..HE CAN PLAY 4 OF THE 5 OL POSITIONS WITH NO LOSS OF LEVEL OF PLAY..WE WILL REALLY MISS HIM

MY RIGHT GUARD, MARIO "SUNSHINE" ALBA WENT DOWN IN PRACTICE ON MONDAY NIGHT..I THOUGHT HE DIED...AT LEAST SEVERELY WOUNDED..HIS FIRST NECK STINGER DROPPED HIM LIKE A CARABINIERII TAZER SHOT...HE HAS A CHANCE TO RETURN FROM THE DEAD AND HELP US

IN CASE HE RETURNS TO THE STATUS OF IL MORTO, TIGHT END CHRISTIAN PRANDELLI HAS MOVED INTO TACKLE FOR US AND PEPE HAS MOVED INSIDE TO GUARD

WE ARE PLAYING MUSICAL CHAIRS...IT GETS LKE THIS SOMETIMES AT THE END OF THE SEASON...IN 1984 AS A DALLAS COWBOY I FINISHED THE SEASON AT RIGHT TACKLE..WE FINISHED THE SEASON PLAYING 5 GUARDS THAT YEAR..IT ALSO WAS THE FIRST TIME THE COWBOYS DID NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IN 16 YEARS..DAMN OFFENSVE LINE AGAIN!!!

PIETRO ISN'T PLAYING  SUNDAY BECAUSE HIS PLAY IS PLAYING..OK..OK..OK..WHAT IS THE PLAY ON WORDS HERE?,  BECAUSE I KNOW IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT.

PIETRO  BAILO IS AN ACTOR..HE IS ONE OF 8 PEOPLE WHO RUN A THEATRE GROUP...WHEN THEY CAN SELL ENOUGH TICKETS THEY GO AND PERFORM..HE DRIVES THE VAN TO WHEREVER THE PLAY IS TAKING PLACE...THEY ARE WILLING TO GO JUST ABOUT ANYWERE TO DO SO..IT IS HIS PAYING JOB..PLAYS FOOTBALL FOR FUN....BY ALL ACCOUNTS HE IS VERY GOOD..I WISH I COULD TELL YOU MORE BUT WHEN HE IS PERFORMING ON STAGE, WE ARE EITHER PRACTICING OR PLAYING A GAME.

                            PIETRO...ARRIVING TO STADIUM...GAMEDAY

GIOCA E' ATTORE..FOOTBALL AND ACTING..ITS HIS 2 PASSIONS..AND HE IS GIVING THEM EVERYTHING HE HAS...SUNDAY IS A CONFLICT

DUE SETTIMANA FA WAS A CONFLICT FOR PIETRO AS WELL..BUT HE DEMONSTARTED HIS UNDYING LOVE FOR BOTH PROFESSIONS..ON SATURDAY NIGHT HIS THEATRE COMPANY GAVE A PERFORMANCE AT A LOCATION 2 HOURS SOUTH OF ROMA...AFTERWARDS HE WOULD DRIVE TO ROMA..NOD OFF FOR A FEW HOURS AND THEN DRIVE 5 HOURS TO BERGAMO TO PLAY ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON..FINALE ARRIVO,  HE SUITED UP AND WAS READY TO PLAY..PERHAPS NOT TO HIS NORMAL STANDARDS, BUT SLEEP DEPRIVED HE NEVER COMPLAINED.

                    CARLO..PIETRO...CHRISTIAN.....STADIA COMMUNALE

MOST PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO FIND ONE PASSION..AND IF THEY CAN FIND IT,  THEY CAN'T FIND A WAY TO FINANCE IT...PIETRO IS NO DIFFERENT..HE IS BROKE..LIVES WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND..SHE HELPS TO SUPPORT..BUT AT LEAST EACH DAY ALZARSI  LA VITA THAT HE LIKES..HE ENJOYS...HE HAS FUN DOING....DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO ANYONE ELSE BUT HIMSELF..HOW MANY OF US CAN SAY THE SAME THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE WAKE UP TO??..CREDITO PIETRO

                            PIETRO....PRACTICING ...1 OF 2 PASSIONS

THE GREATEST NFL PLAYER TO EVER LACE UP A UNIFORM WAS JIM BROWN..AT AGE 30 HE QUIT THE CLEVELAND BROWNS AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS DOMINANCE TO TAKE UP HIS OTHER PASSION...ACTING..IT WAS THE SUMMER OF THE FILMING OF THE  DIRTY DOZEN..A WW2 FLICK THAT LIVES ON ....IT INTERFERED WITH THE BROWNS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE..THE OWNER OF THE BROWNS, PAUL BROWN, GAVE JIM BROWN AN ULTIMATUM...COME TO CAMP OR ELSE??..JIM BROWN WAS ONE OF THE DIRTY DOZEN..TREMENDOUS MOVIE..STILL WATCH IT WHEN IT COMES ON..JIM BROWN'S... HOLLYWOOD CARRER DIDN'T GO VERY FAR AFTER THAT..BUT TO THIS DAY JIM BROWN IS HIS OWN MAN..DOING IT HIS WAY

AND IN SOME WAYS WE ARE MUCH LIKE THE DIRTY DOZEN..WE FLY TO CATANIA DOMENICA MATTINA...WILL BUS THROUGH THE CHOKED STREETS OF CATANIA FOR MANGIARE..DRIVE BACK THROGUH THE CHOKED TRAFFIC TO OUR LITTLE STADIUM NESTLED BETWEEN THE FOOTHILLS OF IMPOSING MOUNT ETNA AND THE CALM MEDITERRANEAN WATERS...WITHOUT PIETRO..WITHOUT VITO...WITH A DEFENSIVE LINE WHO AVERAGES OVER 40 YEARS OLD

BUT LIKE BILL POLIAN, I OFFER NO EXCUSES..THESE ARE THE FACTS..NUMA GOES IN FOR PIETRO..HE WAS SAD AT PRACTICE ON MONDAY WHEN HE FOUND OUT PIETRO COULDN'T PLAY...NUMA AND THE OTHERS WILL HAVE TO GO THE WHOLE WAY..IN TEMPERATURES THAT COULD SOAR IN TO THE 90"S..WHOEVER FINISHES THE GAME HAS TO GET THE JOB DONE OR ELSE

                                    NUMA....TIME TO STEP UP AND PLAY LARGE

OR ELSE WE WILL BE LIKE THE COLTS THIS YEAR..I HAPPEN TO BE A FAN OF BILL POLIAN..AND LIKE HIM I ALSO AGREE THAT WE WILL GO AS FAR AS OUR OFFENSIVE LINE CAN TAKE US..WE HAVE PRACTICED WELL THIS WEEK..I THINK WE ARE READY...LETS GO FIND OUT

                         LINEA...HOW WELL WE PLAY...DETERMINES OUTCOME

GAME ON..THESE ARE THE F*#*ING PLAYOFFS