Re: Olympic groups chosen--AP report

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:59 PM 11/9/03 -0500, Kim Malo wrote:

>At 11:20 PM 11/9/2003, Snoopy the Celtics Beagle wrote:
>>At 11:00 PM 11/9/03 -0500, Kim Malo wrote:
>> >...I don't think there are auto bids in Olympics team sports...
>> >
>> >Kim, still wishing I could figure out how to parlay speaking Greek and
>> >traveling there a number of times with my knowledge of basketball into an
>> >automatic berth of my own <g>
>
>>Well, if Pierce makes it to the US team, they'll need a translator who
>>understands basketball.  And on the flight over, you could explain the
>>salary cap to them.
>
>As an alternative to narcotics to help them sleep through the flight <g>?

Well--that too.  Or you could bring copies of posts from the lists and read 
them to him, highlighting the parts that wail about his penchant for 
dribbling into double teams...:>))


>>Seriously, why don't you call the C's and give them your resume???
>
>Well the Greek part does no good unless Pierce goes to Athens and I sent 
>them the regular version long ago.

Not necessarily so--the NBA is courting international players.  Can't lose 
by updating it and mentioning Athens.


>>BTW, the only team that gets an automatic berth is the host
>>country.  That's why, when some countries host the games, the number of
>>sports they compete in rises drastically from other Olympiads.
>
>Uh -DUH. Thanks for the correction to my no automatic berths. You're 
>absolutely right of course.

Had to happen eventually.

>Think nice thoughts of the Greeks, who are obviously a people of 
>discriminating good taste. My first trip over there, back in the mid-80s, 
>they asked where I was from and when I said Boston, more often than not 
>the next words were "Larry Bird!!" Tea Party? Pilgrims? Stranglers?  Pfui. 
>These are a people who understand what's important <g>

My first trip to Ireland as a teenager, I found some fellow kids on a 
basketball court.  I was a missing the C's and walked up hoping to be 
allowed into what was obviously a pickup beginner's game.  Now, I had most 
of my height, and I looked older than I was, to boot.  Plus, these kids 
were pretty short.  At first, when they saw my Celtics sweatshirt, and my 
black sneakers they thought I was in the NBA, playing for the C's!  I 
corrected them quickly, but they were eager to learn the game, and I 
couldn't resist.  I did it just as I'd heard from people like Red, Russell, 
and Cousy: look up when you dribble; run, don't walk, to the hoop; rebound 
TO someone, don't just swat the ball somewhere; make your free throws, pass 
the ball up whenever you could--as many of the basics as I could cram in 
with the limited time we had.

A couple of weeks later, I ran into one of the kids in Dublin.  They'd 
played their first game, against some older kids who thought dunking the 
ball was the be-al and end-all of the game.

My new friends beat the socks off them.  He thanked me, but hey, I was the 
one who got a chance to give a little something back.  But as Kim said, the 
C's are well known--and well thought of--internationally.  It's nice to 
know that when you're travelling.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website