Classical is great - but I'll celebrate with rock'n'roll!
A mistake-filled loss on the road to RheinEnergie and a disappointing, winnable game at home against Tau in the last two weeks have really put our team in a must-win situation this week in Bologna. Combine that with the fact that my minutes are disappearing so quickly you would think my coach was David Copperfield and you shouldn't be surprised that I don't really feel like talking about basketball too much in this week's blog. Fortunately for Euroleague fans, Signore Tranquillo does a tremendous job providing insight on the recent Euroleague action in his blog. The Euroleague.net staff does a fine job reporting the on-court results as well. So, forgive me if basketball takes a back seat in my blog this week.
I am a pretty positive, glass-half-full dude, but I needed a little cheering up after the Tau loss. There is one thing that has always put me in a good mood. No, I'm not talking about beer - although a nice cold Hoegaarden or Leffe always puts a smile on my face. Who am I kidding? Pretty much any beer can put a smile on my face - except the overrated skunky Heineken. The thing I'm really talking about that puts me in a good mood is football - American football. I know most of the people who read this blog are European and their football is "The Beautiful Game" played by those multi-millionares who fake fouls and injuries every time a guy slides near them. But in reference to my blog, when I say football, I am referring to America's favorite sport, and my first love. Actually, growing up in small-town western Minnesota, the son of a college football and basketball player, I could never choose my favorite sport. I played quarterback (QB - the guy who passes the ball) in high school with aspirations of a college career (and possibly beyond). As it turned out, basketball has been where I have earned my living - and I love it! But, I really miss playing football and look forward to any opportunity to throw the pill (slang word for the oblong ball used in FB) around.
So to cheer myself up, I took my wife and kids to the gym to toss the football around. My boys aren't old enough to play catch yet, but fortunately my wife has a golden arm and some nice hands. OK, she's no Joe Montana, but she was a college basketball player at Butler University and played professional hoops in Italy back in 1997, so she has the athleticism to keep up with me. It was a fun day and a great way to get my mind off of basketball for a bit. I wish I could do it more often, but at least I get my football fix watching NFL games on Sky Sports every Sunday night (which is usually the time I type up my blog). Now, if only my Minnesota Vikings could win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, all the heart-breaking seasons would be worthwhile.
I recently found something else to help me get through the post-loss blues: classical music. Obviously, classical music has been around a long time, and I have had it on a playlist in my ipod at certain times -like when I want to have a glass of wine with my wife or subconsciously "educate" my kids via Beethoven and Mozart - but I had never listened to it in relation to basketball before. You see, I am a rock-'n'-roll guy. I don't listen to much hip hop, R&B, country or techno - although, I have found that there is a time and place where I can enjoy each of those styles of music. I like the sounds of Guns N Roses (who I feel could have been the next Led Zeppelin if Axl wasn't such a prima donna and broke up the group), Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, and - two of my most recent favorites - Coldplay and the Killers. These are the artists that usually fill my ipod's earphones when I'm preparing for a game or celebrating a victory (or Coldplay's mellow sound after a loss). However, on a recent road trip I decided to listen to some classical music on the bus while trying to solve Sudoku puzzles. I found that Bach, Brahms, and Bizet have a way of clearing my mind a bit better than The Beatles, Bon Jovi and The Boss. And Vivaldi, Wagner, and Chopin can really mellow me out after a loss. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to ditch my rock roots and "bang" classical cuts all the time, but there is no doubt I will broaden my musical horizons a bit now that this music has had an effect on me. That being said, I don't expect to be celebrating to the sounds of violins, cellos and harpsichords - give me drums, bass and electric guitar after victories!
I hope we have reason to celebrate after our game in "Basket City". Any trip to Italy gets me excited - because of the food. And there are few places in the world that can compare to the cuisine in Bologna. As a published food critic (I did a restaurant review for a monthly English-language social/culture guide in Warsaw called The Warsaw Express), I pride myself as a bit of a food connoisseur. That sounds so pretentious...I like to chow down on some good grub. Fill me up on prosciutto, risotto, pasta and gelato and I will be un uomo felice. Ok, Jeff, focus on the game, man!!! Sorry. As I said before, we have gotten ourselves into a position where this game is a must-win for us. Despite Climamio's unexpected record, we realize their mix of young talent and veteran leadership can translate into victory over any team in Europe. We don't want to be the team that contributes to their turnaround...and our own demise.
POSTED BY
JEFF NORDGAARD - SOPOT, POLAND
DATE:
Tuesday, December 05, 2006