BERGAMO GIORNI 22: PRACTICE

ITS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT THE QUICKEST WAY TO CARNEGIE HALL.....IS PRACTICE..PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

                                    CARNEGIE HALL...NYC

ALLEN IVERSON,  THE ICONIC NBA SUPERSTAR,  MADE A MOCKERY OF PRACTICE 4 YEARS AGO IN A NOW FAMOUS PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN HE SAID.."PRACTICE?...WE TALKIN ABOUT PRACTICE?..I AM THE FACE OF THE NBA..A SUPERSTAR PLAYA...WE AIN'T TALKING ABOUT THE GAME I DIE FO..WE IN HERE TALKIN ABOUT PRACTICE..."

IT WAS COMMON IN THE NFL, BACK IN THE DAY, TO SAY..."WE GET PAID TO PRACTICE...BUT WE PLAY FOR FREE.."..IN OTHER WORDS PRACTICE WAS A GRIND BUT THE GAMES WERE A BLAST..

WELL I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT PRACTICE...

I HAVE TOO...ITS THE STORY OF OUR SEASON...

THIS SUNDAY WHEN THE REGGIO EMILIA HOGS COME INTO TOWN WITH THEIR UNIQUE WING-T OFFENSE, OUR FATE IS ON THE LINE..UNDERSTAND THIS...IF WE LOSE WE ARE DONE...IF WE WIN WE ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS..SIMPLE FORMULA..WE WIN WE ARE IN..WE LOSE AND WE PACK UP OUR BAGS AND SAY  CIAO DI BERGAMO

                         WE ARE NOT READY TO PACK OUR BAGS 

FOR THE FIRST 4 MONTHS THIS YEAR PRACTICE WAS MORE SURVIVAL THAN WORK..MOSTLY WE WERE AT THE MERCY OF A STRANGE BLACK CLOUD THAT HOVERED OVER BERGAMO WITH A WEATHER PATTERN THAT NO  ONE IN THE AREA HAD EVER WITNESSED...SOME FORM OF PRECIPITATION FELL...SNOW..SLEET..HAIL..AND LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN...NEARLY EVERY NIGHT

AND WHEN SOME PIOVVI WASN'T DRENCHING US THE TEMPERATURES WERE NEAR FREEZING..

OUR PRACTICE SESSION TAKES PLACE ON ONE ALOTTED FIELD...IL CAMPO HAS BEEN TORTURED THIS SEASON...IT HAS BEEN OUR FEISTIEST OPPONONENT..FOR MOST OF THE YEAR IT WAS A RICE PADDY...JUST HOW MANY PUDDLES WOULD WE HAVE TO DANCE AROUND TO GET THROUGH PRACTICE WAS A COMMON DOMANDE??...D'ERBA WAS RIPPED UP MONTHS AGO...NOW THAT THE RAIN HAS TAKEN A REST FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS, THE FIELD RESEMBLES ASTRO-ROCK...IF WE PRACTICED IN THE PARKING LOT THE ASPHALT MAY BE MORE FORGIVING..

                      GRASS....FOOTING....ARE YOU JOKNG???

I MENTION THIS...I BITCH ABOUT THIS.. ONLY TO RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT "FOOTING' IS TO PRACTICING FOOTBALL...THE SPORT IS A SERIES OF TECHNIQUES AND FUNDAMENTALS THAT WHEN PRACTICED CORRECTLY RESEMBLES A FINELY SOUNDING ORCHESTRA..LOTS OF MOVING PARTS..LOTS OF INSTRUMENTS...BUT WHEN ALL THE NOTES ARE PLAYED CORRECTLY...AND TUNED AND HARMONIZED AND ALL THAT...THEN THE MUUUUUSIC IS MEREVIGLIOSA...

WE HAVE RARELY EXECUTED THIS YEAR TO THE SOUND OF A RECOGNIZEABLE LULLABY...MOSTLY BECASUE OUR PRACTICES HAVE BEEN CHE BRUTTO

SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE BECASUE ALL OF THE ITALIAN PLAYERS HAVE OTHER JOBS..CAREERS..GO TO SCHOOL..HAVE FAMILIES..WE ARE FORCED TO PRACTICE AFTER 9 PM AT NIGHT..WE ARE AMATEURS BUT WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL... VOGLIAMO GIOCARE LIKE PROS, BUT WE AREN'T...WE ARE LIMITED...

BUT PROS PRACTICE..AND THE GOOD ONES PRACTICE WELL..AND  OFTEN..AND WITH PURPOSE..AND THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NFL BETWEEN THE ELITE TEAMS AND THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK WARRIORS IS GOOD COACHING MIXED WITH EXCELLENT PRACTICE HABITS..I HAVE FREQUENTLY SAID THAT IN THE 11 YEARS THAT ANDY REID HAS COACHED THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES THAT NO TEAM IN PRO FOOTBALL PRACTICES AS WELL OR AS HARD AS THE EAGLES..AND THAT HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF THEIR ANNUAL SUCCESS..

RECENTLY WE HAVE BEGUN TO PRACTICE WELL...LA PRIMAVERA HAS FINALAMENTE ARRIVO...IT FEELS FUN..ATTENZIONE IS IMPROVED..OUR LAST 2 OR 3 PRACTICES HAVE BEEN THE BEST ALL YEAR..WE HAVE 2 MORE BEFORE WE PLAY ON SUNDAY..I HOPE WHAT I AM WITNESSING ON THE PRACTICE FIELD IS NOT TOO LATE..AND SHOWS UP AT COMMUNALE STADIA IN OSSIO SOTTO

                   SPRING EVENING...2 MONTHS LATE..FINALAMENTE!!

THE REGGIO EMILIA HOGS RUN THE WING-T...I DON'T EXPECT THAT THIS BLOGS' WORLD WIDE AUDIENCE WILL EVER UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES TO THIS OFFENSIVE STYLE BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO DEFEND...THINK GEORGIA TECH..THINK AIR FORCE ACADEMY..THINK NAVAL ACADEMY AND MAYBE THE MIDDIES OF WEST POINT...4 TEAMS IN THE DEL MONDE THAT RUN THIS OFFENSE..OF THE 100'S OF COLLEGE AND PROFOFESSIONAL TEAMS AND INTERNATIONAL FIELD THAT PLAY FOOTBALL...5 RUN THE WING-T..OH..... THERE MAY BE SOME OBSCURE HIGH SCHOOLS...AND MAYBE A SMATTERING OF NAIA SCHOOLS THAT USE VARIATIONS OF THIS "SCUOLA VECCHIO" OFFENSE...BUT IT IS UNIQUE

THE 5 THAT RUN IT HAVE THE ADVANTAGE.... NO ONE SEES IT..NO ONE IS FAMILIAR WITH HOW TO DEFEND IT...AND WE DON'T GET MUCH OF A CHANCE TO PRACTICE AGAINST IT..AND AT THE CORE OF ITS BRILLIANCE IS DECEPTION...ALL OF THE ACTION GOES LEFT..AND THE RUNNER GOES RIGHT...WHERE IS THE BALL?...WHO HAS THE BALL?...WHO IS GOING TO GET THE BALL?..QUESTIONS THAT EVERYONE HAS ON EACH PLAY AND SOMETIMES NESSUNO  HAS THE ANSWER UNTIL THEY ARE CELEBRATING IN THE ENDZONE.

IL CAPO FOR THE HOGS RUNNING THIS WING -T IS THEIR QB WHO LOOKS TO BE THE LARGEST MAN ON IL CAMPO..AND THE SWIFTEST AND THE MOST AGILE..IF THAT ISN'T RECOGNITION ENOUGH HE ALSO SPORTS A PONY TAIL TANGLING FROM THE BACK OF HIS HELMET THAT RIVALS ANYTHING GERONIMO MIGHT HAVE HAD IN DEFENDING HIS INDIAN LAND

IMAGINE THE FERRARI THAT JUST WON THE GRAND PRIX OF MONACO SUNDAY RACING NORTHBOUND ON THE JERSEY TURNPIKE WHILE IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE..THAT IS WHAT THE HOGS RUNNING THE WING-T RESEMBLE ..

PRACTICE?...WE TALKIN' ABOUT PRACTICE?...IF WE WAIT TIL GAMETIME TO  FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEFEND THIS AWKWARD MACHINA ON GAMEDAY WE WILL SURRENDER 50 POINTS AND LOSE...IF WE CAN KEEP THE HOGS UNDER 30 WE WILL WIN AND ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS...THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIVING UP 30 OR GIVING UP 50 MAY LIE IN HOW WE PRACTICE

IT COMES DOWN TO DEFENSE....AS MUCH AS TELEVISION AND THE LEAGUES TRY TO MANDATE MORE OFFESNE IN EACH SPORT..IT IS ALWAYS THE TEAMS THAT DEFEND THE BEST THAT HAVE THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED..THINK BACK TO THE THE LAST 3 SUPER BOWLS...GIANTS HOLD BRADY AND THE PATS AND THE HIGHEST SCORING OFFENSE IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE TO 14 POINTS...THE DEFESNIVE PLAYER OF THE 2008 SEASON,  JAMES HARRISON, INTERCEPTS A KURT WARNER PASS JUST BEFORE HALFTIME AND RETURNS IT 100 YARDS FOR A TD AND A 14 POINT SWING AND THE STEELERS CLAIM THEIR 6TH SB TROPHY;  AND THEN, JUST THIS PAST FEBRUARY, THE SAINTS COMPLETELY CHANGED THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR DEFENSE TO ANNOY...PESTER..AND HARRASS THE INVINCIBLE PEYTON MANNING TO ALLOW THE SAINTS TO MARCH TO THEIR 1ST SB VICTORY.

THOSE 3 REMARKABLE DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCES WASN'T THE RESULT OF GREAT TALENT..LUCK..OR HAPPENSTANCE..NO NO NO...IT WAS WORK..IT WAS SOUND GAME-PLANNING..AND HOURS OF PRACTICE

ITS PRACTICE WHERE THE FUNDAMENTALS ARE LEARNED...AND EVENTUALLY MASTERED..AND IT IS THE FUNDAMENTALS OF EACH POSITION THAT EACH PLAYER CARRY IN THEIR TOOLBOX...AND CARRY TO EACH GAME

                      DRILLING THE FUNDAMENTALS...OUR TOOLBOX

THESE NEXT 2 PRACTICES HAVE TO BE CRISP...SHARP..LEARNING IS NEVER TOO LATE...

AND THE OFFENSE ISN'T IMMUNE TO OUR NEED TO PRACTICE..ALL OFFENSES ARE BASED ON PRECISION AND TIMING..WE ARE A PASS BASED OFFENSE...ONE NOT TOO DISSIMILIAR TO THE ONE THAT BILL WALSH MADE FAMOUS 30 ANNI FA IN SAN FRANCISCO...DO YOU THINK JERRY RICE AND JOE MONTANA JUST SHOWED UP AND MADE MAGIC?

OUR RHYTHYM AND TIMING HAS BEEN HURT BY OUR BAD FIELD...BAD FOOTING..DEPTHS OF ROUTES THAT AT TIMES ARE PURE GUESSWORK...WHEN THE OFFENSE CLICKED IN SAN FRANCISCO THE BALL NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND..WE NEED EVERY MINUTE OF PRACTICE TIME WE CAN GET UNDER THE CLEAR WARMING CIELO TO IMPROVE OUR PRECISION AND TIMING..

AND TO THE PLAYERS CREDIT...AND THE MEMORY THAT WILL ALWAYS LAST WITH ME ABOUT THIS EXPERIMENT HERE IN BERGAMO,  IS THE PLAYERS HAVE NEVER ONCE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CONDITIONS..OR THE WORK..OR THE PRACTICE SCHEDULE..THEY HAVE TRIED TO DO WAHT IS ASKED...AND IT AIN'T EASY..

LAST NIGHT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT MOST TEAMS ARE UP AGAINST IN THIS LEAGUE..MY RIGHT GUARD...CHRISTIAN LUNGHI HAS A BROKE KNEE....HE TRIED TO PRACTICE BUT COULD NOT BEND HIS GINOCCHIA VECCHIA..HE ALSO CAN'T PLAY SUNDAY BECAUSE OF A WORK CONFLICT..MY GIANT, NUMA,  STEPPED INTO A HOLE IN WARM UP DRILLS SCORSO SERA AND HIS SIZEABLE HOOF ROLLED ON THE ASTRO-ROCK AND MOMENTS LATER A BALLOON THE SIZE OF A LARGE EGG APPEARED ON HIS ANKLE...MY LEFT TACKLE, PIETRO, HAS 3 PASSIONS IN LIFE...1) FOOTBALL...2) ACTING..3) CHICAS...HE IS UNSURE IF HIS PLAY THAT HE IS CURRENTLY STARRING IN IS RUNNING SUNDAY OR NOT...HE GETS PAYED TO ACT..PLAYS FOOTBALL FOR FREE...IN A RECESSION FELT WORLD WIDE..DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHERE HE MAY PLAY ON SUNDAY??..EXACTLY..HE WILL ANSWER TO STAGE RIGHT...VITO, MY IMPROVING PIANO PLAYER, A TERM GIVEN TO PLAYERS THAT CAN PLAY UP AND DOWN THE OFFENSIVE LINE,  MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY IF WE ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS BECAUSE IT CONFLICTS WITH HIS ONE WEEK VACATION THAT HE GETS A YEAR..PEPE, MY INVESTMENT BANKER,  AND OUR MOST EXPERIENCED 0-LINEMAN IS A LMTIED PRACTICE PLAYER BECASUE OF HIS ADVANCED AGE AND AN ASSORTMENT OF INJURIES...AND THATS JUST THE OFFENSIVE LINE...THESE ISSUES ARISE AT NEARLY EVERY POSITION.

                   PEPE...CAN THE BODY UP A LITTLE LONGER??

FORGHETABOUT THE OTHER UTILTIES THAT MAY AID IN DEVELOPMENT...TECHNOLOGY???HA!!...FILM STUDY??..HA!!...EQUIPMENT??...HA!!..BARE BONES BABY....ROLL THE PIGSKIN OUT..STRAP ON THE CHINSTRAP AND BUCKLE THE SHOULDER PADS AD GO TACKLE SOMEONE..BLOCK SOMEONE..CATCH THE DAMN BALL..

HECK OUR FIELD IS TAKEN CARE OF BY US..CHRISTIAN WAS MOWING THE WEEDS LAST NIGHT...OUR EQUIPMENT MAN, GIAMBA,  LINES THE FIELD...NUMA BUILT THE OUTDORR GRILL SO THAT WHEN THE WEATHER COOPERATES WE CAN HAVE A TEAM BAR-B-QUE..

                CHRISTIAN KNOWS...THE MORE YOU CAN DO....

IT IS OFTEN CLICHED IN SPORTS THAT .."YOU PLAY LIKE YOU PRACTICE"...YOU CAN'T JUST FLIP ON A SWITCH..SO TRUE!!..AT TIMES OUR PLAY RESEMBLES THE PRACTICES WE SURVIVED THROUGH..AT TIMES IT IS SURPRISING WE PLAYED AS WELL AS WE DID CONSIDERING HOW POOR OUR PRACTICES WERE.

IF WE CAN CARRY OVER SUNDAY THE WAY WE HAVE PRACTICED RECENTLY AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ALL THE WAY UP TO SUNDAY, I THINK WE HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN SUNDAY...

            IF WE WIN SUNDAY WE CAN ENJOY MORE BAR-B-QUES

AND TO THROW OUT EVEN MORE COACHES CLICHE' SPEAK,  I WON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER THAN SUNDAY..ONE GAME AT A TIME..RIGHT?..HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD THAT?

SO PRACTICE?..WHY WE TALKIN ABOUT PRACTICE??.. THAT MOCKERY ALLEN IVERSON WAS REFERRING TO IS THE REASON HE NEVER WON AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP..MAYBE THATS WHY LEBRON WILL NEVER WIN ONE..AND MAYBE THE REASON WHY KOBE AND THE LAKERS WILL MARCH ON TO ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP IS BEAUSE OF THEIR COMMITTMENT TO THE PRACTICE REGIMEN

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE WAY TO CARNEGIE HALL?

                  HOW ABOUT THE WAY TO STADIA COMMUNALE??

BERGAMO GIORNI 21: ALPINI

THEY CAME!

WOW...DID THEY COME!

"WHO...CHI SONO?"

NOT BY THE HUNDREDS..

"WHO "...YOU ASK?

THEY CAME BY FOOT

"WHO"??

THEY CAME BY AUTOMACHINA

NOT BY THE THOUSANDS...NO NO NO NO...NOT THIS GRUPO

THEY CAME BY MULE...THEY CAME BY JOHN DEERE TRACTORS...THEY CAME BY VOLO..

"IO DICO...A DOMANDE"...I DEMAND TO KNOW

THEY EVEN CAME BY BICICLETA

                              ALPINI....TRAVELLED BY ANY..AND..ALL MEANS

AND THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH..FROM THE SOUTH...EAST AND WEST...LORO VENGIAMO TUTTI

                            THROUGH THE SMALL TOWNS THEY CAME

DID I MENTION THEY CAME YET?

THEY CAME ..NOT BY HUNDREDS...NOT BY THOUSANDS...NO NO......THEY CAME BY THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS...

BENVENUTI ALPINI!!!!!....WELCOME ALPINI

                              THEY CAME BY JOHN DEERE TRACTOR

THIS WAS AN EVENT

A 3 DAY EVENT

ALPINI...ENGLISH..THE ALPINES...THEY ARE MONTAIN GOATS IN A MILITARY UNIFORM WITH FUNNY SHAPED HATS...THEY ARE ELITE MOUNTAIN WARFARE SOLDIERS OF THE ITALIAN ARMY...THEY ARE THE OLDEST MOUNTAIN INFANTRY IN THE WORLD..THEIR ORIGINAL MISSION WAS TO PROTECT ITALY'S NORTHERN BORDER WITH FRANCE AND AUSTRIA...THEY DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN WW1 WHEN THEY FOUGHT A THREE YEAR WAR WITH THE AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE AND WITH GERMANY..IT IS KNOWN FAMOUSLY HERE AS THE WAR OF SNOW AND ICE

                ALPINI...MOUNTAIN FIGHTERS OF ITALIAN ARMY

PERHAPS THATS WHY THEY WERE UNFAZED BY THE NOT SO KIND RAINY DAMP AND COLD CONDITIONS THAT MET THE HALF MILLION PARTGOERS THIS WEEKEND..IN FACT THESE ARE THE VERY SAME CONDITIONS THAT THEY ARE MOST FAMILIAR WITH..

EACH YEAR THEY PICK A DIFFERENT CITY IN ITALY TO COME AND CELEBRATE THEIR HERITAGE..THIS YEAR IT WAS BERGAMO...IF YOU HAVE BEEN ATTENTIVELY FOLLOWING THIS WORLD FAMOUS BLOG YOU NOW KNOW GEOGRAPHICALLY THAT BERGAMO IS A WEALTHY INDUSTRIAL CITY 40 CLICKS TO THE EAST OF MILAN..MILANO IS KNOWN FOR BANKING AND FASHION..BERGAMO IS KNOWN FOR FACTORIES..BLUE COLLAR DIRT AND GRIT..AND THEIR ESTEEMED CITTA' ALTA..THE CITY AT THE TOP BUILT BY VENETIAN HANDS 500 YEARS AGO AND A POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD..

IT WAS ALSO THE DESTINATION OF THE 500000 PEOPLE THAT DESCENDED UPON BERGAMO THIS WEEKEND TO HONOR THEIR BILLY GOATS...BERGAMO WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE CROWD...SO IN EVERY TONY AND RURAL HAMLET THAT SURROUNDS BERGAMO THE FESTIVE CROWD CAME..AND PARTIED..AND CELEBRATED..AND SHOWED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT THE ALPINI HAVE DONE

                                       ALPINI..A 3 DAY GRANDE FESIVA

IN STEZZANO..IN COLOGNOLO..AND MOZZO....IN PONTE SAN PIETRO..AND TREVIOLO..AND SERIATE.....AND EVERY OTHER SMALL RURAL TOWN IN A 20 CLICK RADIUS TO BERGAMO YOU COULD FIND THE ALPINI AND THE LEGION OF FRIENDS AND  WORSHIPERS

                                  RAGAZZI WITH MIKE BRAD AND TRAVELDOG

WOW!!!...WHAT A CELEBRAZIONE...FANTASTICO..IT WAS A FESTIVAL THAT RIVALED ANYTHING I HAVE BEEN TOO..CARNIVAL IN BRAZIL.MARDI GRAS IN NAWLINS'..SAN FERMIN IN PAMPLONA...CARNEVALE IN VENEZIA...AND ON AND ON.

BEER..AND VINO FLOWED..MAYBE EVEN SOME VODKA AS WELL..MIXED WITH A FEW RED BULLS TO KEEP THE BLEARY EYES OPEN A LITTLE LONGER..BUT JUGS AND JUGS OF VINO FOR SURE..AND MUSIC..AND PARADES..AND COSTUMES AND FLAGS...DECORAZIONE..BIG AND SMALL AND COLORFUL FLAGS EVERYWHERE HONORING THE MOUNTAIN BOYS

                                    ITALIAN  FLAGS    TUTTI

GOT TO THINKING DURING THE CELEBRATION ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN THE STATES TOWARDS OUR MILITARY..WE DO THE PARADES..WE DO THE FLAGS AND THE SALUTES AND THE FLY OVERS..WE HONOR ON HOLIDAYS LIKE VETERANS DAY AND DURING OUR INDEPENCIA ON JULY4TH...BUT WE DON'T HAVE AND EVENT LIKE ALPINI.

                         ALPINI IN WHOOLY MAMOUTH CAMAFLOUGE


WHERE THE SOLDIERS THAT HAVE SACRIFICED FOR OUR FREEDOMS..FOR OUR PROTECTED BORDERS..FOR OUR NATIONAL SECURITY..WE REALLY DON'T GO ALL OUT AND STAGE A CELEBRATION THE WAY BERGAMO DID FOR THEIR ALPINI...JUST A TREMENDOUS NATIONAL OUTPOURING OF APPRECIATION

AND MAYBE WE SHOULD..MAYBE WE SHOULD PICK A CITY EVERY YEAR AND HONOR ALL 4 MAJOR BRANCHES OF OUR SERVICE AND ALL OF THE SPECIALTY FORCES...AND MAKE THEM FEEL SPECIAL..OVER THE TOP SPECIAL..DRINKS ARE ON THE HOUSE KIND OF SPECIAL..AND PHOTOS AND UNIFORMS..AND CRAZINESS...AND LET THE FESTIVAL BE THEIR FESTIVAL....JUST NAME IT..."ARMED FORCES!!!IT COVERS ALL BRANCHES AND SAYS IT ALL..

MAYBE I SAW WHAT I WANTED TO SEE..IT WAS OVER THE TOP..AND DRUNKENNESS WAS ON DISPLAY...LIKE IN THE BOB MARLEY SONG WHERE HE SINGS.."THE COLD GROUND WAS MY BED LAST NIGHT AND A ROCK MY PILLOW."..TRULY THE GROUND WAS MANY A SOLDIERS BED THIS PAST WEEKEND..TENTS AND SLEEPING BAGS AND WINNEBAGOS LINED THE STREETS AND THE SIDEWALKS AND THE PASTURES FOR MILES AROUND

                          ALPINI...... A PARTY TO REMEMBER...

BUT THE FUNNY HATS AND THE MEN THAT WORE THEM WILL BE REMEMBERED..I RATHER ENJOYED THE WEEKEND...PROBABLY CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING BUT THATS WHY WE TAKE THE PHOTOS AND SHOOT THE VIDEOS...SO WE CAN PIECE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER THE MORNING AFTER

LOST IN ALL OF THIS 72 HOURS OF FRENZIED CELEBRATION WAS THE LIONS VICORY OVER THE BOLOGNA WARRIORS BY THE CLOSE SCORE OF 38-33...VICTORY WAS CLOSER TO THE JAWS OF DEFEAT FOR MOST OF POMMERIGIO DOMENICA...IN FACT WE WERE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION ALL DAY AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING..

YOU SEE, WE HAD OUR "ITALIAN MOMENT" THAT SUSPENDED THE ACTION FOR WELL OVER TRENTI MINUTI...FOOTBALL IS A VIOLENT GAME AND THATS WHY AT EVEY NFL GAME THEIR ARE 2 AMBULANCES...ITS A REALITY SHOCKER THAT DEFINES THE BRUTALITY OF THE SPORT..

                            PREGAME....TAPING THE WING DOWN

WHEN A DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE WARRIORS WENT DOWN THERE WAS A HUSH THAT FELL OVER THE SPARSE CROWD...HE MAY HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT...CONCUSSION PERHAPS?..MOMENT OF POSSIBLE PARALYSIS??..ALL CAUTION WOULD BE TAKEN..THE STRETCHER AND AMBULANCE WERE HAILED..A TEAM OF MEDICS AND ADVISORS CAREFULLY LAID THE WARRIOR INSIDE THE AMBULANCE AND MOMENTS LATER THE SIRENS AND FLASHING RED LIGHTS WERE HEADED TO THE OSPEDALE.

THE PROBLEM WAS WE ONLY HAD ONE AMBULANCE...PERHAPS THE OTHER WAS BEING USED TO TAKE CARE OF ALPINI..WHO KNOWS??..BUT WE WERE SHORT AN AMBULANCE..  .PLAY COULD NOT RESUME UNTIL THE AMBULANCE RETURNED..THE TEAMS EMPTIED THE FIELD AND HEADED TO THE LOCKERROOMS..SIDE BY SIDE THE LIONS AND THE WARRIORS MINGLED..NERVOUSLY..WITH ADRENALIN SUSPENDED RIGHT IN THE VERY VEINS THAT HAD THE WARRIORS UP BY 5 POINTS WITH A FULL 4TH QUARTER LEFT TO PLAY

WHAT TO DO??..ASPETI ASPETI..WAIT AND WAIT...NERVOUSLY WAITING..THEN TO DISCOVER AN ITALIAN RULE THAT IS NOT EXECUTED OFTEN,  IF EVER AT ALL..IF THE AMBULANCE WOULD NOT RETURN IN UNDER 30 MINUTES THEN THE GAME WOULD BE CALLED.AS IN ENDED...AS IN FINISHED

                       POSTGAME .....WEREN'T SURE IF WE WOULD FINISH


AND IF THAT LAW WAS INVOKED THE LIONS WOULD HAVE LOST AND WE WOULD BE FINISHED..

DRAMA AND SUSPENSE FELL UPON US...JUST AS THE RAIN THAT HAD THREATENED ALL DAY BEGAN TO FALL UPON US..THIS IS NO WAY TO LOSE..DOVE AND QUANDO WOULD THE DAMN AMBULANCE RETURN??

MEANWHILE PLAYS..NEW PLAYS WERE BEING DRAWN UP IN THE CROWDED LOCKERROMS..ASSIGNMENTS PASSED AROUND..INSTANT REVIEWS CALCULATED TO PREPARE FOR THE ANTICIPATED 4TH QUARTER TO RESUME

AND RESUME IT DID..A MAGICAL CATCH BY T-MAZE GOT US INTO POSITION TO SCORE THE GO AHEAD TD..THE DEFENSE WOULD PREVAIL AND WE SNATCHED A MUCH NEEDED WIN TO STAY IN PLAYOFF CONTENTION..IT ALSO STOPPED THE HEMORRAGING OF A 3 GAME SLIDE

AS FOR T-MAZE..IT WAS HIS FINAL GAME WITH US..HE IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE NOT NAMED VAN PELT..HE IS HEADED TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA OF THE 2ND YEAR UFL WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A GOOD SALARY..HE IS A VERY TALENTED PLAYER AND AN ALL AROUND GOOD GUY..QUIET..UNASSUMING..HUMBLE..HE WAS A DIFFERENCE MAKER EACH TIME HE TOUCHED A BALL,  OR DEFENDED A PASS..HE WAS IN THE TRAINING CAMP OF THE BALTIMORE RAVENS IN 2007..ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T EARN A ROSTER SPOT ON THE TALENTED REX RYAN DEFENSIVE FRONT,  HE DID OCCUPY A LOCKER NEXT TO RAY LEWIS...HE LEARNED MUCH ABOUT PREPARATION AND HOW TO BE A PROFESSIOANL FROM RAY RAY..AND IT SHOWED DURING THE 6 WEEK STINT THAT HE WAS HERE

WE WILL MISS HIM...

                           ANDREA' AND T-MAZE....LAST GOOD-BYES

AS FOR THE ALPINI..THE CELEBRATION IS FINISHED..THE SMALL TOWNS ARE BACK TO BEING SLEEPY HAMLETS...THE ACTIVE ALPINI ARE BACK PATROLLING THE RUGGED MOUNTAIN TOPS OF AFGHANISTAN WHERE THEY ARE PRESENTLY DEPLOYED HUNTING DOWN TALIBAN..THE CELEBRATION GOES TO VERONA NEXT YEAR...THE HISTORICAL ROMANESQUE TOWN POPULARIZED BY SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO AND JULIET...STOP BY..THE MEN IN FUNNY HATS  ARE A FUN AND LIKEABLE BREED..AS ARE THEIR ADMIRING FANS AND FRIENDS..

ALPINI IN FUNNY HAT LEFT THEIR MARK

BERGAMO GIORNI 20: DEFEAT

FINALLY!

I'M BAAAACK...THE BLOG HAS RETURNED...MY WORLD WIDE FAN BASE IS HAPPY

AH..BUT THE BERGAMO LIONS?

LOSERS OF 3 STRAIGHT..THE LATEST THIS PAST SATURDAY NIGHT IN BOLZANO, ITALIA TO THE BOLZANO GIANTS BY THE SCORE OF 43-40..HEARTBREAKER

                               

                              BOLZANO GIANTS..43-40 WINNERS...UGH!!!

THIS IS THE BERGAMO BLUES

NOW I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A ST. LOUIS RAM..A DETROIT LION..AN OAKLAND RAIDER...

THE SAGES THROUGHOUT TIME HAVE STATED EMPHATICALLY, "DEFEAT ISN'T BITTER IF YOU DON'T SWALLOW IT..".

WE TRIED NOT TO SWALLOW..THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE REASON THE 3 HOUR BUSRIDE HOME THROUGH THE DOLOMITI MONTAGNI WAS SO QUIET..QUIET AS A CHURCHMOUSE CAUGHT IN THE CATECOMBS OF AN ANTICA BASILICA ITALIANI..IN FACT OUR COLECTIVE PULSE WAS ON THE VERGE OF NEEDING CARDIAC SHOCK TREATMENT

YES, WE ARE ON LIFE SUPPORT...WE ARE INJURED..WE ARE SPLINTERED...WE ARE IN DOUBT...DISARRAY WOULD NOT BE A POOR DESCRIPTION

THIS NOT WHAT JOHN GRISHAM WROTE ABOUT IN PLAYING FOR PIZZA..THIS IS NOT FUN..THIS IS NOT THE EXPERIENCE ANY OF US SIGNED UP FOR WHEN WE STARTED THE SEASON..NO NO NO!

BUT THIS IS SPORT..THIS IS REALITY...THIS IS LIFE..ONE MIMICKS THE OTHER..

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

WHEN I LEFT YOU A SCORSO MESA..WE HAD WON 4 IN A ROW AND WERE HAVING A JOYOUS TIME..HOW DID THE FORTUNES GET OVERTURNED..

I DIGRESS FOR GOOD REASON..WHILE AWAY I WENT TO WORK FOR THE NFLNETWORK IN PREPARATION FOR THE NFL DRAFT..2 WEEKS OF OVERANALYSIS..OVERHYPE...OF MAKING GOOD TV OUT OF THIN AIR..CREATING NEW STARS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WHAT LIES IN THE HEART OF AY OF THESE POST TEANAGE ATHLETES.

THATS OK..I ENJOY THE PROCESS...WILL SAM BRADFORD BE MORE TROY AIKMAN..OR MORE DREW BLEDSOE, OR WORSE YET..MORE SIMILAR TO DAVID CARR..NO ONE KNOWS..

FOOTBALL IS UNIQUE IN MANY WAYS...THE MOST UNIQUE BEING THAT IT IS THE ONLY SPORT WHERE NOTHING YOU CAN DO OR ASSIMILATE CAN REPLACE THE SKILL OF PLAYING..IN OTHER WORDS, SAM BRADFORD CAN HAVE A PRIVATE WORKOUT AND COMPLETE 57 OF 59 PASSES AND THE MASSES IN ATTENDANCE CAN BE WOWED...WOWED LIKE THEY WERE WHEN JEFF GEORGE THREW ...WOWED WHEN RYAN LEAF THREW...NONE OF IT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE..HOW ACCURATE ARE THEY WHEN JAMES HARRISON IS AT THEIR THROAT AND WHAT KIND OF DECISIONS DO THE MAKE WHEN JARED ALLEN IS CHASING THEM FOR THEIR ADULT LA VITA..PERIOD!!!THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF ANY OF THESE QB'S CAN PLAY..AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLUM QB THAT CAN DO THESE 2 THINGS THEN YOU CANNOT COMPETE!!!AND THAT GOES FOR EVERY OTHER POSITION ON THE FILED INCLUDING KICKING AND PUNTING..THATS WHY JEFF FEAGLES, MY PUNTER IN PHILLY 18 YEARS AGO, JUST RETIRED AT AGE 44.

THIS GETS ME BACK TO THE BERGAMO LIONS...HOW ARE WE SUCKING THE BERGAMO BLUES??

IT STARTS WITH OUR QB, BRAD VAN PELT..HE HYPEREXTENDED HIS LEFT KNEE AND ROLLED HIS LEFT ANKLE OVER 3 WEEKS AGO..HE IS OUR BEST PLAYER...HE IS ALSO OUR KICKER AND OUR PUNTER AND WITHOUT HIM WE ARE LIKE THE RAMS AND THE RAIDERS..A TRY HARD GROUP WITHOUT THE KEY INGREDIENT.

                              VAN PELT...INJURED....STILL PLAYED

WE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH CARLO PLAYING QB..ALL OF 20 YEARS OLD AND AN ICREDIBLE ATHLETE HE PLAYED WELL..HE WOULD THROW THE GAMES FIRST TD PASS...MORE ATHLETE THAN QB, LIKE MANY CHOSEN IN THE NFL DRAFT, HE WAS ONCE A NEAR 7 FOOT HIGH JUMPER WHILE ONLY 14 YEARS OLD..ONE OF THE BEST IN ALL OF ITALY WHILE NARY A TEENAGER.

                              CARLO....WOULD THROW GAMES 1ST TD PASS

WE WOULD SUBSTITUTE THE QB WITH THE WILDCAT, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE MIAMI DOLPHINS HAVE DONE WITH GREAT SUCCESS THE LAST TWO SEASON..BRADLEY ROBINSON WOULD PLAY THE ROLE...B-ROB HAS MAD SKILLS..AND WOULD CREATE MANY GOOD PLAYS...UNTIL HE TWEAKED HIS HAMMY IN THE 2ND QUARTER.

VAN PELT WOULD ENTER AND LEAD...ON ONE LEG..WITH A LIMP AND SOME SALTY DETERMINATION  HE HAD A PRETTY GOOD DAY..WE MISSED HIS IMPROVISATION AND EVEN MORE..WE MISSED HIS GAMBA  A DESTRA

WE WOULD OUTSCORE BOLAZANO 6 TD'S AND A FG TO THEIR 6 TD'S..BUT WOULD LOSE 43-40..THE REASON IS WE WOULD CONVERT ONLY 1 MEASELY XTRA POINT TRY ON OUR 6 TD'S..

NO EXCUSES!

BOLAZANO HAS A REPUTATION AS A TEAM TO MIX IN A FEW POWERFUL VITAMINS IN THEIR CIBO...LETS JUST SAY THAT WHILE WE LINEUP TO GET OUR PASSPORTS CHECKED BEFORE THE GAME, WE DO NOT LINE UP AFTERWARDS TO HOLD A CUP IN OUR HAND IN FRONT OF THE URINAL....THE SAME VITAMINS THAT OUR CONGRESS INVESTIGATED WITH THE NAMES OF MARK McGUIRE, RAFAEL PALMEIRO AND ROGER CLEMMONS..NOT TO MENTION THE OVERGROWN FOREHEAD OF BARRY BONDS OR THE POPEYE FOREARMS OF SAMMY SOSA...YOU DO KNOW WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS..SI SI???

              
                            WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

YET WITH THE ARTIFICIAL STIMULANTS SWALLOWED BY BOLZANO OUR OFFENSIVE LINE PLAYED THEIR BEST GAME..I PENALTY WOULD MAR ALMOST A VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE...ASSIGNMENTS WERE EXCELLENT..EFFORT WAS EVERYWHERE...ADJUTMENTS WERE HANDLED WITH ALACRITY...AND POISE WAS ON DISPLAY..AS THEIR COACH I WAS PROUD..

                        PEPE...AND THE O-LINE...A NEAR VIRTUOSO

ON DEFENSE WE HAD OUR ASSORTMENT OF ERRORS...WE DRESSED OUR AGED BRIGADE..A PROUD UNIT OF VETERANS WHO MOSTLY ACT AS COACHES NOW DONED THE UNIFORM..FOR ROBERTO AND DAVIDE' AND LUCCA..ALL IN TO THEIR 40'S..THIS IS A PROUD ADN GRITTY UNIT...THEY ONCE WERE THE MIDDLE OF THE LINEUP TAT WON 12 STRAIGHT FOOTBALL AMERICANO LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND A TRIFECTA OF EURO BOWLS..

                      DAVIDE'...PREGAME..WHEN PRIDE STILL MATTERED

ROBERTO IS AMAZING..NOW AT 42 ANNI, AND A WORKER IN A STEEL MILL FOR 8-10 HOURS A DAY..HE IS MADE OF IRON..HIS DAY IS SIMILAR TO THE TROJANS THAT BUILT PITTSBURGH 50 YEARS AGO..HE HAS THE WOUNDS AND THE SCARS AND THE BATTLEFIELD MEMORIES OF THE ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN IN A HOT STEEL ZONE...WHEN NOT SAWING RIBBONS OF METAL ALL DAY IS A DOTING FATHER OF TWIN  OTTO ANNI RAGAZZI...FOOTBALL IS HIS RELEASE AND HE WAS OUR BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER ON SATURDAY NIGHT..

                               ROBERTO..42 ANNI...STILL GOTTA A 1ST STEP

NOT LOST ON THE ARTIFICIAL SURFACE OF BOLZANO STADIUM WAS THE INJURY BUG THAT HIT US HARD..BROKEN LEGS AND ROLLED ANKLES AND THIGH BRUISES TOOK THEIR TOLL ALONG WITH OUR PUNCTURED PSYCHE..WE UNLOADED FROM THE BUS AT 3AM LOOKING LIKE A BATTERED FOOTBALL TEAM

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

"HE WHO HAS HEALTH HAS HOPE, AND HE WHO HAS HOPE HAS EVERYTHING."

VAN PELT AT 80 % GIVES US HOPE...T-MAZE AND B-ROB CAN INFLICT INSTANT WOUNDS ON ANY OPPONENT..ROBERTO AND LUCCA AND DAVIDE' WILL PATCH P AND PERFORM AND PLAY WITH ANGER AND PURPOSE

                   B-ROB AND T-MAZE....PLAYMAKERS

THAT IS A START

ALREADY IN THAT PARAGRAGH THEIR IS OPTIMISM..WHEN WE WIN OUR FINAL 4 CONTEST WE WILL LEAVE BELL'ITALIA CHAMPIONS..THAT WAS OUR GOAL WHEN WE ARRIVED OVER 3 MONTHS AGO..IT IS STILL IN OUR GRASP....WE MAY HAVE TO PLAY LIKE SUPERMAN...THE EFFORT HAS TO LIKE THAT OF WILL..HE DRVES 2 HOURS EACH WAY EACH DAY FROM TORINO JUST TO BE A PART OF THE TEAM..AND WHEN HE IS THERE HE IS A DIFFERENCE MAKER

                WILL DA TORINO....GREAT EFFORT AND COMMITTMENT

WHEN WE DO WIN IT ALL, ALL OF THIS LOSING...AND ALL OF THE BLUES..AND ALL OF THE SPLINTERING WILL BE FORGOTTEN...WINNING IS A WONDERFUL DEODORANT

FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN CHECKING IN ON THIS AMAZING BLOG, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE..I ENJOY WRITING THIS..FOR YOU...WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE IT WOULD FEEL A LITTLE EMPTY..BETTER DAYS ARE COMING..BE PREPARED FOR A MAGIC CARPET RIDE OF A FINISH

BERGAMO GIORNI 19: GIARGI

GIARGI IS AN ETHNIC SLUR USED BY ITALIANS TOWARDS ALL ALBANIANS..TRANSLATED,  I CAN'T PRINT WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH..ITS NOT NICE..ITALIANS DON'T LIKE ALBANIANS...THEY ARE STEREOTYPED AS CONNIVING THIEVES WHO CAN'T BE TRUSTED....GIARGI IS A MUCH WORSE SLUR THAN 'WETBACK"..A DEROGATORY TERM AMERICANS USED, AND SOME MAY STILL USE, TOWARDS ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS WHO CROSSED BORDERS INTO THE UNITED STATES.

TO ELTON LUTO HE COULD CARE LESS..HE IS OUR ALBANIAN...AND HIS TEAMMATES CALL HIM GIARGI..GIRAGI WITH ABSOLUTE AFFECTION..HE IS POPULAR WITH HIS FELLOW LIONS...IN FACT I WOULD BET NOT MANY EVEN KNOW HIS NAME IS ELTON LUTO...WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO CALL ELTON LUTO HE WILL GREET YOU WITH A SMILE AND A JOKE..EASYGOING MAY BE A WORD TO DESCRIBE

                                  GIARGI....THE KID LOVES THE SPORT

THIS IS HIS STORY, FROM WHAT I HAVE GATHERED OF IT THUS FAR..HE IS INTERESTING TO ME LIKE MANY OF THE LIONS

GIARGI DOESN'T LIKE MUCH..DIDN'T LIKE SCHOOL...HE QUIT BEFORE HE FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL....DOESN'T LIKE GONG TO THE PAELESTRA AND PUMPING IRON...IN FACT THE ONLY APPARENT MUSCLE THAT HE HAS IS HIS PROTRUDING STOMACH MUSCLE..THEN AGAIN WHEN HE DID WORK HE WAS A CHEFF..AN ACCOMPLISHED ONE AT THAT...HAVE YOU SEEN MANY IN SHAPE CHEFFS??.MOST ENJOY SAMPLING THEIR WORK..HE QUIT THAT JOB SO HE COULD CONCENTRATE ON BALL.. .DOESN'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND..DOESN'T LIKE HIS MIDDLE BROTHER..SAYS HE STEALS HIS CIGARETTES FROM HIM, ALTHOUGH HE DOES LIKE HIS YOUNGER BABY BROTHER.MOM AND DAD ARE HARD WORKERS AND THEY ARE PROVIDING FOR HIM NOW.

WHAT HE DOES LOVE IS FOOTBALL...IT GRIPPED HIM AS A YOUNG TEANAGER...NOW ALL OF 21 HIS LIFE IS FOOTBALL..HIS TEAMMATES KNOW HE IS CRAZY..WILL HIT ANYTHING THAT MOVES..TAKES PRIDE IN BEING THE WEDGEBUSTER ON KICKOFFS..HE CAN BE SEEN RECKLESSLY THROWING HIS BODY INTO AS MANY GUYS WITH DIFFERENT COLOR SHIRTS AS HE CAN..A SUICIDE BOMBER..MY DAD USED TO REFER TO THE GUYS LIKE GIARGI AS "NUTSQUADERS"..THAT FITS ELTON.

      
                           GIARGI...OUR NUTSQUADER....WEDGEBUSTER

HE IS A LINEBACKER FOR US..WEARS #34...IF YOU GO ONTO HIS FACEBOOK PAGE YOU WILL SEE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOOTBALL PICS..VIDEOS..AND FOOTBALL CONNECTIONS...I SMIRKED WHEN A SAW HE WAS IN DICK BUTKUS' FANCLUB AND SENDS HIM MESSAGES NOW AND THEN..HIS PREGAME INSPIRATION  COMES FROM A SONG CALLED "FIRST BREATH AFTER COMA" SUNG BY THAT POPULAR GLOBALLY KNOWN GROUP.."EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY"..I HIT THE VIDEO LINK AND THE FIRST SHOT IS BRIAN DAWKINS AS AN EAGLE GIVING ONE OF HIS TRANSFORMATIONAL PEP TALKS IN A PREGAME HUDDLE..GOT ME JACKED UP THE WAY RAY LEWIS DOES A RUNNING BACK ...WHICH HAPPENED TO BE THE NEXT SHOT IN THE VIDEO

                           ELTON WEARS #34..BIG FAN OF WALTER PAYTON

THE KID LIKES THE SPORT..WE ALL NEED SOMETHING TO SINK OUR PASSIONS INTO AND THIS KID HAS FOUND OUR AMERICAN GAME..FUNNY HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN TO AN IMMIGRANT KID FROM A COUNTRY MOST COULDN'T LOCATE ON A MAP EVEN WITH SOME HELP FROM WIKIPEDIA.

BY THE WAY IF YOU TRAVEL TO THE BOOT OF ITALY..PICK A TOWN..BARI..BRINDISI..AND LEAVE FROM ANY OF THEIR ROCKY BEACHES AND SWIM DUE EAST ACROSS THE ADRIATIC SEA YOU WILL LAND ON ALBANIAN SHORES..A PLACE CALLED TIRANA IS THE CAPITAL... ALBANIA IS ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND..HAS A POPULATION SOMEWHERE NEAR 4 MILLION PEOPLE..

IT ALSO IS POOR..VERY POOR..THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS UNDER $4000 DOLLARS A YEAR..UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH..IN FACT THERE ISN'T EVER MUCH WORK THERE..GIARGI SAYS THAT MEN IN ALBANIA WITHOUT JOBS WAKE UP AND BEGIN DRINKING GRAPPA THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY.

THATS WHY THE ALBANIANS COME TO ITALY..THEY ARE LOOKING FOR WORK..THEY ARE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY..THEY ARE IN SEARCH OF A LIFE..JUST LIKE MOST IMMIGRANTS ANYWHERE..THEY COME TO ITALY WITH REPUTATIONS OF THIEVES..UNTRUSTWORTHY..CRAZY..WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT..A REPUTATION THAT MANY IMMIGRANTS CARRY  ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD

THUS, THE UNFLATTERING NAME OF GIARGI.

BUT ELTON HAS FOUND HIS WAY..I MENTIONED HE IS A CHEFF..BEEN COOKING IN FINE RESTRAUNTS SINCE HE WAS 14..SCHOOL WASN'T HIS CALLING

I STARTED A COOKING CLUB..COOKING WITH GIARGI..HE WAS HERE AT VILLA MORONI LAST WEEK AND WENT TO WORK..THERE WAS THE TUNA MARINARA SAUCE OVER PASTA RIGATONI..THE RISOTTO WAS PERFECT..THE LEFTOVERS WERE EVEN BETTER.

                                GOOD LBer.....BETTER CHEFF

LIKE AL CHEFFS, HE HOVERED OVER THE STOVE LIKE A PARENT PROTECTS HER 9 MONTH OLD THAT IS JUST GETTING MOBILE...CRAWLING EVERYWHERE ... CANNOT TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE BAMBINI NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND..SO IT WAS WITH GIARGI OVER THE STOVE..ADDING BROTH TO THE MIX..ADDING A VARIETY OF SPICES..NO RECIPES..JUST THE TASTE TEST.

THEN CAME THE FINAL TEST..AT THE TABLE HIS EYES WERE  GLUED TO MYSELF.VAN PELT AND HIS GIRLFRIEND..NOT EVEN A BLINK..JST A STARE AT ALL 3 AT THE SAME TIME..WHAT WOULD THE FIRST TASTE BE LIKE???

                             COOKING WITH GIARGI.....MAKES IT LOOK EASY

HIS EYES WERE BLANK..RESULTS..FLAVOR..TEXTURE..""DO YOU FREAKING LIKE MY WORK OF ART??""..THE ANSWER OVERWHELMINGLY WAS YES  YES  YES..DELICIOUS..MANGIA MANGIA..ITALIAN COOKING IS REALLY SO SIMPLE..THE KEY ARE THE FRESH INGREDIENTS WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN ALMOST EVERY ALIMENTARI IN ITALIA..THEN ITS JUST UNDERSTANDING THE TASTE AND HOW HOW TO MIX INGREDIENTS TO WAKE UP ALL OF YOUR TASTE BUDS

DURING THE CLASSE IL CUCINO THERE WERE THE STORIES..THE HISTORY..WHY FOOTBALL?..WHEN DID HE SART PLAYING?..FOR WHAT REASONS?...WHY WHY?? ..WHY HE QUITS WORK DURING THE FOOTBALL SEASON TO CONCENTRATE ON THE GAME..THE CRAZINESS CAN POP AT ANY TIME..HE CAN OPEN BEER BOTTLES WITH HIS TEETH EASIER THAN IF YOU HAD TO ONLY TWIST OFF THE CAP...LIKE ALL ITALIANS THERE IS ALWAYS A TIME FOR A CIGARETTE BREAK...USUALLY FOR ELTON IT IS BETWEEN NAPS..POSTGAME AND POSTPRACTICE..HE SAYS SOMEDAYS HE  SMOKES A PACK A DAY, WHILE ON OTHER DAYS HE MAY NOT SMOKE AT ALL..HE HAD A STICK GOING SOON AFTER OUR WIN VS CATANIA A FEW WEEKS AGO..GIARGI MADE IT KNOWN THAT HE HAD 2 SACKS THAT DAY.

                          
                           NATURAL BOTTLE OPENER..HE GOT SKILLS

AND SO FOR THE LIONS GIARGI IS AN IMPORTANT PART TO THE DEFENSE THAT HAS BETTERED ITSSELF EACH WEEK..A MONTH AGO WE SURRENDERED 49 POINTS TO THE PARMA PANTHERS..LAST SATURDAY IN OUR WIN VS VALENCIA DI SPAGNA WE HELD THEM TO 21 POINTS.WE ARE GETTING BETTER.

OUR FRIENDLY, FUN, ALBANIAN IMMIGRANT IS ENJOYING HIMSELF..HE IS DOING WHAT HE LOVES...THE GAME IS IMPORTANT TO HIM..HE SHOWS UP TO EVERY PRACTICE READY TO WORK..WILL DO WHATEVER THE COACHES ASK OF HIM..VERY GOOD ATTITUDE.WE ARE CULTIVATING YOUNGER PLAYERS TO CARRY ON A 27 YEAR TRADITION OF WINNING LION FOOTBALL..I THINK GIARGI IS A PART OF THAT FUTURE

                      BERGAMO LIONS BANER..A WINNING TRADITION

BERGAMO GIORNI 18: BUONA PASQUA

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE..I HOPE THE EASTER BUNNY FOUND HIS WAY TO YOUR HOME...I HOPE ALL THE EGGS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED AND THAT NO ONE OVERDOSES ON THE ELABORATE CHOCOLATE BUNNIES THAT I SEE WRAPPED AND DISPLAYED IN EVERY NEGOZI AROUND TOWN..

IN ITALY IT IS BUONA PASQUA..HAPPY EASTER..AND IT IS A FAR MORE ELABORATE FESTIVAL THAN THE EASTER BUNNY...OR EASTER BASKETS..OR COLORING EGGS..OR A RARE CHURCH VISIT.

NO NO..IT IS THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY..IT EXTENDS BEYOND SUNDAY...IT IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY ON MONDAY AS WELL..A LONG WEEKEND..THE LARGE GROCERY FOOD CHAINS AS WELL AS THE PICOLINO ALIMENTARI AND MACELLERIA WERE BUSY ALL DAY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY....ITALY WAS CLEANING OUT THERE FOOD SHELVES THE WAY WE DO IN THE US of A DOES WHEN THE WEATHER REPORTS THAT THE STORM OF THE CENTURY IS IMMINENET...YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?..BREAD..EGGS..MILK..CASES OF BEER...THE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS WE CAN HORD INTO THE AFTERLIFE WHEN ALL 4 INCHES OF SNOW ENDS UP FALLING

THE SHELVES WERE CLEANED IN BELL'ITALIA TO CLELBRATE..EVERY GREETING COMING AND GOING IN THIS PAESE WAS MET WITH BUONA PASQUA..THEY LET THE VISITORS LIKE ME KNOW THAT THIS WEEKEND WAS SPECIAL

ITALY IS THE HOME TO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH...CITTA' VATICANO, WHILE SMALL IN SIZE, IS A SEPARATE PROVINCE FROM ROME..FROM ITALY..IL PAPA RESIDES THERE.. THE CAPELLA SISTINA HAS THE FAMOUS FRESCOED CEILING MAGNIFICENTLY CREATED BY MICHAELANGELO OVER A 3 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME IN THE TWILIGHT OF HIS ARTISITC LIFE..MUSEUMS AND THE HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS TUCKED INTO EVERY CREVICE OF VATICAN CITY...PIAZZA SAN PIETRO, ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE BASILLICAS IN THE WORLD, WAS FULL TODAY AS IL PAPA DELIVERED TODAYS SERVICE TO THE MASSES OF PEOPLE WHO FLOCK TO THIS EVENT..I SAW POPE JOHN PAUL DELIVER A SERVICE ONE TIME IN THAT PIAZZA IN 6 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES OVER A 2 1/2 HOUR PERIOD OF TIME..POLISH..ITALIAN..FRENCH..PORTUGUESE..GERMAN..SPANISH WERE FLUENTLY AND SEEMLESLY WERE EXCHANGED EASILY TO STATE HIS MESSAGE..

                                      PIAZZA SAN PIETRO...ROMA

HERE IN BERGAMO THE CELEBRATION WAS AS FERVENT AS ANY REGION IN ITALY...IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE AMAZING HOW MANY CHURCHES, CATHOLIC CHURCHES, THERE HERE IN COMMUNE DI BERGAMO..REPORTS VARY ON THE NUMBER, BUT 68 IS THE NUMBER I HEAR MOST..68 CHURCHES IN A POPULATION OF 120000 PEOPLE..MY ARITHMETIC IS A LITTLE ABOVE THAT OF A 5TH GRADER, BUT CALCULATIONS SAY THAT THERE IS 1 CHURCH FOR EVERY 1750 PEOPLE...

                         LARGE SELECTION OF CHURCHES TO PRAY IN

FROM ANY VIEWPOINT IN BERGAMO YOU CAN SEE A STEEPLE STRETCHING TO THE CIELI  FROM ONE OF THESE STRUCTURES..ALL DIFFERENT...FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT ERAS..ALL WITH A UNIQUE HISTORY..IN MANY INSTANCES THERE ARE CHURCHES BUILT ACCONTO ANOTHER CHURCH...HERE IN MY TRANQUILLO NEIGHBORHOOD OF STEZZANO I COUNT NO LESS THAN 4 CHURCHES..COULD BE MORE..

                                    BASILICA SAN GIOVANNI....STEZZANO

HERE ON BUONA  PASQUA IT MUST BE A DIFFICULT DECISION WHICH ONE TO ATTEND..I WONDER IF THESE  CHURCHES COMPETE FOR AUDIENCE AND FOR MEMBERS..JUST CURIOUS...LIKE AUTO MAKERS DO AT AN AUTOMALL

BERGAMO IS A SPLIT CITY..CITTA' ALTA SITS HIGH ON A HILL WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS SUPPORTED BY VENETIAN WALLS BUILT OVER 500 YEARS AGO..SOME SAY IT IS THE LARGEST MUSEUM IN THE WORLD..THE NAME BERGAMO HAS A GERMAN ROOT..BERG IS DEUTSCH FOR MOUNTAIN..TRANSLATED, BERGAMO MEANS SOUL OF THE MOUNTAIN..
  

                        VENETIAN WALLS...ATOP CITTA' ALTA

THE SOUL TAKES MANY FORMS...ONE FORM  IS THE MULTITUDE OF CHURCHES...LARGE, SMALL, ATTACHED TO PALAZZI....DIFFERENT MATERIALS..SEMINARIES ATTACHED..ETC....I COUNTED 9 DIFFERENT CHURCHES IN A RELATIVE SMALL AREA. IN THE CITTA' ALTA...FROM THE PANORAMA THERE ARE CHURCHES EVERYWHERE..STEEPLE AND COMPANILE SIDE BY SIDE..BELL TOWERS WITH CLOCKS AND CHIMES AND VIEWS THAT GO ON IN EVERY DIRECTION.

                           1 OF 68 CHURCHES AROUND BERGAMO

BERGAMO HAS TURNED OUT MANY FAMOUS SONS...BUT NONE MORE FAMOUS AND CELEBRATED THAN THAT OF DI PAPA GIOVANNI XX111...YES, THE 261ST CATHOLIC POPE WAS BORN ANGELO GIUSEPPE RONCALLI IN SOTTO IL MONTE..A SUBERB IN BERGAMO..1 OF 14 CHILDREN, HIS FATHER, GIOVANNI RONCALLI, WAS A TENNANT FARMER...HERE IN ITALY, ANGELO GIUSEPPE RONCALLI LIVED THE AMERICAN DREAM...I OF 14 KIDS GROWING UP ON A FARM TO BECOME THE ESTEEMED AND POWERFUL LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.HE WAS ALSO QUITE ACCOMPLISHED

                       BRONZE STATUE OF POPE GIOVANNI XX111

DURING WORLD WAR 11 HE HELPED THOUSANDS OF JEWISH REFUGESS ESCAPE AND FIND SHELTER..HE WORE THE RED HAT OF A CARDINAL WHILE SERVING AS THE PATRIARCH OF VENICE...WHEN THE POPE PRIOR TO HIM PASSED AWAY IN 1958, HE MADE HIS WAY TO ENCLAVE IN VATICAN CITY AT THE ADVANCED AGE OF 77..HE PURCHASED A ROUNDTRIP TICKET BACK TO VENCE THINKIG HE WOULD ONLY BE PART OF THE VOTE TO ELECT THE NEW IL PAPA..NEVER IN HIS WILDEST DREAMS DID HE THINK HE WOULD BE ELECTED..BUT ONCE CROWNED THE NEW POPE, HE WAS MERELY SUPPOSED TO BE A STOPGAP TO A YOUNGER CLERGYMAN..HE WOULD SERVE ALMOST 5 YEARS BEFORE HIS PASSING AT AGE 82.

HE IS MEMORIALIZED EVERYWHERE IN BERGAMO..STREET SIGNS AND PIAZZI AND STAUES COMMEMORATE HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS...ONE MEMBER OF THE LIONS, EZIO MARRONE, HAS POPE GIOVANNI XX11 TATOOED ON THE INSIDE OF HIS FOREARM..HE ALSO IS THE ONLY LIONS PLAYER I TALKED TO THAT WAS GOING TO GO TO SERVICE ON THIS HOLY DAY..THE OTHERS KIND OF SHRUG AT RELIGION..AT THE CHURCH...AT THE MEANING OF THE DAY..FOR MOST IT IS A DAY SPENT WITH DI FAMIGLIA..TO ENJOY A FEAST..TO TRAVEL ONE MORE TIME TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR SKIING...TO VISIT THEIR WINTER CABIN...TO LABOR DOWN TO TOSCANA TO PREPARE THEIR SUMMER HOUSE..A LONG GETAWAY..

PERHAPS THE MOST IMPOSING OF THESE CHIESI IS THAT OF BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE..IT ANCHORS THE PIAZZA VECCHIA...IT IS THE OLD SQUARE THAT SITS ATOP THE CITTA' ALTA..LIKE MANY CHURCHES IT HAS ENORMOUS HISTORY..HISTORY OF THE CHURCH..ART HISTORY..HISTORY OF AN ERA..AND A HISTORY TO THE PEOPLE...AND LIKE THE NAME PIAZZA VECCHIA IMPLIES IT IS ANCIENT HISTORY

                            BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE

THE FIRST STONES  IMBEDDED THAT BECAME THE FOUNDATION TO BASILICA SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE WERE LAID IN 1137 BC BY MASTER BUILDER FREDO..IT HAS AN IMPRESSIVE FACE OF ALTERNATING RED, WHITE AND BLACK MARBLE..NEXT TO IT LIES THE IMPRESSIVE CAMPANONE (THE BIG BELL)..A TORRE THAT STRETCHES 54 METERS IN THE AIR...IN 1407 A CLOCK WAS ADDED THAT STILL TELLS PERFECT TIME TODAY..

               TORRE COMPANONE....BASILICA SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE      

THE TOWERS WERE AS IMPORTANT AS THE BASILICAS THAT THEY STOOD NEXT TO..THE TOWERS GAVE THE TOWN A VOICE..THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE TO THE TOWER WAS FOR THE BELLS THAT SWUNG INSIDE THE TOWER TO TELL THE PEOPLE OF CURFEW..TIME TO COME INSIDE BEFORE THE TOWN GATES WOULD CLOSE...AT 10 PM SHARP THE BELLS WOULD CHIME 180 TIMES IN RHYTHMIC SINCOPATION TO GIVE THE PEOPLE TIME TO GET INSIDE THE GATES..THE BELLS WOULD CHIME AT MEZZOGIORNO 6O TIMES TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IT WAS HIGH NOON..IN SOME CASES THE TOWERS WERE USED AS PRISON CELLS.

                      BASIILICA E' TORRE....COMPONOGLO

ONCE YOU BEGIN THE HISTORY LESSONS OF THESE MASSIVE STRUCTURES YOU BEGIN TO LEARN HOW COMPLICATED IT ALL IS...THE ITALIAN WORD FOR CHURCH IS CHIESA..BUT ALONG WITH THAT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE AND SUCH A VARIETY..WHY ARE SOME A BASILICA...SOME AN ABBEY..A CATHEDRAL..SOME ARE SIMPLY A DUOMO...SMALLER CHURCHES ARE CHAPELS..THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM WAS PERFORMED IN THE BAPTISTRY..PRIEST LIVED IN THE CLOISTERS..THE CUPOLA IS THE TOP TO MANY OF THE CATHEDRALS..WHERE HEAVEN AND EARTH WERE THOUGHT TO MEET..ATTACHED TO A CHIESA COULD BE THE SACRISTY OR A TEMPIETTA OR THE CAMPIONE.

I HAVE YET TO SEE A CHURCH HERE IN BERGAMO THAT ISN'T CARED FOR..THAT ISN'T MAINTAINED..THAT HASN'T HAD OR ISN'T UNDERGOING A FACELIFT..FOR THESE BASILICAS ARE A STANDING HISTORY TO THE PEOPLE..TO THE CITY..TO A TIME GONE BY..A CONSTANT REMINDER OF HOW RELIGION..FAITH..ART..POLITICS..COMMERCE ALL COME TOGETHER AT THESE NUMEROUS SHRINES..

                                                   DUOMO...MILANO

AS I SCOOTER AROUND THE AREA OF BERGAMO FROM COMPAGNOLO..TO STEZZANO..TO AZZANO SAN PAOLO..TO PONTE SAN PIETRO TO SERIATE I AM GREETED BY AN IMPRESSIVE STEEPLE OF A CHURCH AND THE BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS OF BELLS RINGING HIGH ATOP A CAMPANONE

I AM NOT SURE WHY 68 CHURCHES HAVE BEEN BUILT HERE IN BERGAMO...I SURMISE THAT THE ROMANS AND VENETIANS AND ALL THE OTHER CONQUERING TRIBES DID A LOT OF VERY BAD THINGS AND CONSTRUCTING CHURCHES WERE LIKE ASKING FOR FOREGIVENESS... PERHAPS IT WAS THEIR WAY TO DEALING WITH GUILT THAT COMES WITH DOING BAD DEEDS..I SEE A LOT OF REALLY SHORT OLDER LADIES GRIPPING THEIR ROSARY BEEDS HARD EACH MORNING AS THEY RECITE THEIR RITUALS OF PRAYERS..IT LOOKS PAINFUL SOMETIMES HOW HARD THEY PRAY..I NEED TO GET THEIR ATTENTION ONE OF THESE DAYS TO SEE IF MY SOUL CAN BE INCLUDED IN THEIR INTENTIONS..CAN'T HURT

MAYBE SOME OF OUR INTENTIONS ARE BEING HEARD DURING DAILY MASS HERE IN BERGAMO AS THE LIONS WON OUR THIRD STRAIGHT GAME YESTERDAY..VALENCIA DI SPAGNA CAME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH AN UNDERMANNED ROSTER OF 23 PLAYERS AND NEARLY BOUNCED US OUT OF THE EURO CUP OF FOOTBALL AMERICANO..IT TOOK A LAST DRIVE GROUP EFFORT OF HEROICS TO WIN A NAILBITER 27-22..

                              LIONS TAKE FIELD VS VALENCIA.....

IT ALLOWS US TIME NOW TO ENJOY BUONA PASQUA. IF WE DIDN'T WIN IT WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED THE CLEBRATION, IT JUST WOULDN'T BE AS FERVENT...

                           VALENCIA FIREBATS..POSTGAME HANDSHAKE

I REALIZE I WENT SHORT ON FOOTBALL AND HEAVY ON HISTORY TODAY, BUT WE PLAYED UGLY FOOTBALL YESTERDAY..IT TOOK THE COLLECTIVE PRAYERS FROM 68 CHURCHES...THE GRACE OF GOD..AND MAYBE EVEN SOME HELP FROM THE EASTER BUNNY TO WIN..

BUONA PASQUA EVERYONE..ALLOW THE CELEBRATION TO CONTINUE..