Recap, Sunday, March 5, 2006
Excuse me for being late with this recap. It was snowing pretty much on my drive back home on Sunday night, so it took more than 7 hours to get even close to my computer. When I finally arrived on Monday morning, I just fell on my bed and slept a good but short sleep (had to get the car back on time!).The game was interesting, but nothing as spectacular as on Saturday happened in this one. I had to break up a (verbal) fight between two opposing players, T'ed both of them ... No, I didn't hesitate ;-)
Besides, the most interesting thing was a player who talked to me all the time :-) Incidentally, this guy happened to be American. But he must have played in Europe for a couple of years now or maybe was even born here, because when he started talking to me, he asked politely if I would understand English, otherwise he could talk to me in my native language. Smart guy ... First thing we talked about was that other guy from the visiting team who was "throwing elbows". At this moment we had called 5 or 6 fouls against the other team (playing a good full-court press) and 1 against his (other team not only played more intense defense, but also didn't drive to the basket, instead settled for 3-point shots and made 5 of 6 in the first quarter!). I told him what I had seen so far (nothing like throwing elbows!) and that his team had the advantage in the foul column. His answer was: "I'm not saying it's an advantage for him. I just want you to watch it!" Really, I loved that guy ... and he was a very impressive ballplayer, too, the lonely star on an otherwise weak team. From this point on he dropped by my side every once in a while. When things heated up a bit and the visiting team started to pull away, he came to me after my partner had called a foul on his defender: "Did you call that foul?" "No, it was my partner." "I thought so!" As if I wouldn't give his teams any calls ... Yet, he kept his cool and it didn't bother me all that much. So I left that one unanswered (almost), just smiled and said ok, then walked away. In the final minute of the game he hit a tough floater in the lane (he scored 33, but his team lost by 19), drawing contact. On the way back down the court he was on my side again and quietly talked to me "You don't want to give me no calls. Do you know me?" I replied "No, I don't know you and actually, I like the way you play." His answer: "Ok, I take it as respect that you don't call all those contacts. But I need a whistle here and there, even though I like to play hard." :-) I smiled at him and after the game, which was his last game for that team on their homecourt (the public announcer said something about going back to the States to be with his family when his wife gives birth to his 2nd child), he politely said thank you before giving autographs to some of the children waiting for him. Really a smart guy ... and I'll have his team one more time this season, tomorrow, when he plays his last game on the road for them. I didn't tell him, when we left the court, so I think it will be kind of a surprise. Nonetheless, I still think I'll not give him more calls than on Sunday ;-)
posted by BBallRef @ 3/07/2006 02:23:00 PM
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