Xpress Train Watch 03

After the gold rush

Two seconds, two songs and the same author: Neil Young . On Sunday, seconds before the end of the final of EuroBasket '09, came to my mind the title of one of the most popular songs of the Canadian giant: 'Heart of Gold' , written in 1972 for legendary album 'Harvest' . Three words can illustrate the way round the mood of almost any fan of the English team at the end of this strange September, lived with the nerves to the surface on the eve of the tournament and tranquility in a stunning final stage, the fruit of that style Bipolar game deployed our own in the championship.

Now, in the sweet hangover of a unique moment in our basketball, with the image of Juan Carlos Navarro joking to lift the heavy continental champions trophy still in the retina, I can not help thinking of another song by the same author: 'After the Gold Rush' , the self-titled LP released in 1970. After the Gold Rush, and cold, looking out the windows of English basketball trophies produces a pleasant sensation of vertigo. Not only the gold medal Poland, the first senior class in a EuroBasket absolute and the culmination of a unique summer who has broken the deck, surpassing any optimistic forecast with a total balance of the medal 8 (4 Gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze). In the end, global guilty of this "high" are 32 medals won in five years, holding a EuroBasket in our country, the designation as host of 2014 World and many other actions that have less notoriety media.

Each system has supporters and detractors. You can not please everyone, as it is impossible not to make mistakes, but the results should not leave room for doubt as to the actual performance of English basketball, why more than enough to feel a sense pride for a job well done. If less than a month ago we appealed to the confidence and perseverance, now long since we've caught cruising speed is a good time to stop a second, take a breath, enjoy the Americans call it 'momentum ' , and follow the same path.

1970 Minnesota Fats Pool Table

is still too early to take stock of game English team, but after a comfortable game against Cuba in Las Palmas, and then measured at the largest bank rivals as Lithuania and Slovenia in Sevilla, I think it is possible to evaluate some positive aspects that should cause us to be optimistic, not only with regard to the appointment of '09 EuroBasket in Poland next September, but for competitions to be held in future years.

usual setbacks If plans fall into any process of preparation, this summer the lesions are more virulent primer on a template that has not stopped to complain to bad luck, proving once again have unlimited travel or at least unknown.

fans to speculate on the future of the selection, either by having a proactive profile or enjoy apocalyptic theories developed, the tournament marks City Sevilla should have been the perfect setting for, at a stroke, erase their fears about what might hold the next championships in Spain. The Pavilion

San Pablo could see a Marc Gasol ubiquitous in ongoing activity required by the circumstances, having his brother on the sidelines and not allowed Felipe Reyes be a hundred percent in the three matches were played. The middle of the saga of Sant Boi has managed to conjugate his name next to the word 'style', something that seemed improbable a few years ago. In his tremendous physical strength has joined a speed of movement for a truly enviable '5 ' of its size, an explosive mixture when combined with good vision, especially in the movement of ball from the low post to the perimeter players.

With Victor Claver Has something similar. After the injury Mumbrú Alex has been observed that Valencian definitely left behind his knee problems to return to face the hoop with the ball as high eaves few are capable. As witnessed in Seville, where his progress was remarkable, his leap allows him to be a major threat in the offensive rebound and a warranty on the defensive.

Lo Ricky is a special case. Immersed in a complex situation, the base has become a surprise: we knew his maturity, but we never imagined such intense response in times of great uncertainty. Many veterans in his situation would have liked to have the mental toughness of which have displayed the genius of El Masnou over the four games this Tour Eñemanía '09 , where he has been able to take the field and perform at a high level, with that lively and creative game always add positive in all the areas related to statistical production.

If more young people feel as comfortable in the selection is because there is no generational divide. Non- keep walking in terrain and busy, good chemistry is a fact evident in the group, which conforms to the needs of the team and not themselves, showing a real sense of commitment, the meaning has taken shape this year's figure of Pau . After the longest season of his life and the satisfaction of having won an NBA ring, the Lakers guard has not allowed an untimely injury to a finger of his left hand he is deprived of further training to achieve its objective, hang the gold medal Sept. 20 in Katowice .

Topless Denise Milani

A promising future

few months ago, in the first 'post' posted on this blog , it seemed appropriate to start this blog by pointing and flashing, parked permanently since my playing career in 2006 to start a new path in FEB , I have been fortunate to live so close and intense two times as important as the historic conquest of the gold medal in the World Japan that summer and the celebration of EuroBasket 2007 in Spain, a challenge, despite not settle with the result we all wished we had in sports, consolidated as an organizational success at all levels.

We entered the key week of our bid to host the World 2014 and I can not help thinking that, if confirmed our expectations, in five years could reissue these two moments with the added baggage of having the experience of stepping on a land recently passed, which covers the organization of an event of great magnitude. An ambitious project that, in this case, and according to plan carefully woven into the FEB, would begin five years prior to the sports event itself and be characterized by its zeal to bring basketball to the last corner of every continent.

Of course I recognize my own selfishness for wanting to re-engage in something so special, but I doubt that, if finally achieve our goal on Saturday in Geneva, the organizational quality guarantees our bid project, coupled with the excellent health of English basketball, which surely will last-will ensure a successful call to make the 2014 World a phenomenon unforgettable in our country.

Oil Rubbed Bronze Refinish

M2014

At 68, Bobby Knight continues war. After declaring a few months ago would not rule out coaching again if given an interesting project and likely to work freely, 'The General' happened a few days for Bilbao to explain in crystal clear the keys in his opinion, make a team win games, a series of concepts, seemingly simple, that helped him win a whopping 902 games in 42 seasons in the NCAA .

may Knight is one of the coaches most controversial of all time for his fans to star in such histrionic rages with punishing players, referees and journalists, but it is undeniable that of Ohio , consciously or unconsciously, has managed to draw the portrait of an irreverent character capable of captivating the general public and the media for decades with its fickle nature, among the nobility and madness, and a strict military discipline, acquired at the Academy of West Point, where he reached the bench with just 24 years, a vast majority of their players did not hesitate to praise after passing through the University of Indiana.

In September 2000, Knight was walking through the campus of Indiana when Kent Harvey a freshman or freshman, I blurted out a "What's up Knight? "(" What's up, Knight? "), Interpreted the coach lacked respect for his position because gave him, so Harvey decided to hold the arm to explain the proper way to greet would be referring to him as Coach Knight or Mr. Knight. The student said he was attacked by Knight and the incident caused Myles Brand, president of the university and the NCAA itself, run the ultimatum of 'zero tolerance' which gave the coach days, weeks ago, demanding the resignation something that Knight flatly refused to be stopped then.

It is absurd to think that a situation like that would end the career of Knight at Indiana, having achieved three national championships and have trained there since 1971, but over time, giving prominence to the player over the coach, and repeated incidents in which he was involved, precipitated its demise at the helm of the 'Hoosiers'.

Suffice it to say that 6000 students were present at the farewell speech of Bobby Knight on campus and that the police advised Harvey to leave the city could not guarantee his safety following the spate of death threats that the young student would receive after learning of the dismissal of the legendary coach to understand its depth among the students at the school.

Knight sought refuge in the arid city of Lubbock (Texas), taking the reins of the basketball team of Texas Tech , a project in the 90 punished by the strict rules of the NCAA after detecting irregularities in the process of 'recruiting' . But in 2008, coach pleaded " tired and decided to make way for his son, junior in the coaching staff, leaving his post.

Personally, I witnessed the irresistible appeal of Knight on his followers in 1993, when my college was part of the pre-season tournament 'Maui Invitational' , held in Hawaii . She wore a few months in the U.S. and was still alien to all the paraphernalia of the prestigious NCAA tournament, which counted on the bill with the presence of universities as Indiana , Maryland, Michigan or Utah and the presence of players like Juwan Howard , Keith Van Horn , Joe Smith Sarunas Jasikevicius or , whom I had encountered in European training had played our respective teams, and chatted with me in the hotel above all that circus in which we were immersed.

The night before a dinner party was held massive opening for teams and fans posted there each university in one of the largest hotel rooms. Coaches presided at a podium with a large table and a lectern on which would give a short speech, punctuated by jokes or were really bad, or I do not even understand. I favor the former. Among all the technicians had an empty chair. Moments before the start of the opening ceremony, opened two doors to one side of the room and agreed by it a group of about six or seven people who wore bright red jerseys. In a few seconds, fans in Indiana, mostly ladies and gentlemen of middle age, rose from their chairs and began to organize a riot tremendous applause and cheers. I do not understand anything until I recognized, after the first three members of the group, the characteristic hair Knight, as a dish of eels, and a semblance of a few friends who made it clear that he had no desire to attend the banquet. No other coach this generated a similar reaction.

Although that side has always exhibited unfriendly, Knight has been able to monetize their tough image with incontestable knowledge of basketball, whether trivial occurrences in an advertisement for Volkswagen in which the shot with an old 'Beetle' to throw a chair, just as his chair-throwing parquet-prisoner of Wrath ( can see it here), or other basis as spaces NCAA analyst for ESPN chain.

With its detractors, Knight always wanted to be as clear as possible, such as made it clear in one of his famous quotes: "When my time on earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down, and my critics can kiss my ass." (Cuando mi tiempo en la tierra se haya acabado y mis actividades aquí pertenezcan al pasado, quiero ser enterrado boca abajo para que así mis críticos puedan besarme el culo).

Bad Skin Broken Capilleries

Cool Hand Luke "Texan by birth, Aggie by the Grace of God"

Ha comenzado la locura. Los engranajes de la compleja maquinaria de la ‘March Madness’ de la NCAA , que tantos ríos de tinta hace correr cada año por estas fechas, se mueven imparables e implacables dejando un rastro de cadavres exquis , universidades ilustres incapaces de avanzar por el cada vez narrow hallway of a 'bracket' this year has enjoyed more media presence than any other season after the vaunted-and accurate-prediction anything President Obama .

Personally, after an unforgettable past as 'Aggie' for almost five years I spent at the University of Texas A & M , this year I followed more intensely the outcome of 'Selection Sunday' , that special Sunday meeting of a committee of scholars that includes the presidents of the conferences, former coaches and analysts of prestige, which will determine the pairings which starts with "El Gran Baile" .

While we do not have (and will be long until you will) the sill of other fallen as UCLA , Maryland, Michigan or Texas-our historic rival, all common denizens of the past boxes of 'bracket' , I am inspired when I see mine in this situation, unthinkable years ago. This year we have awakened from the dream in the second round, beaten by UConn (92-66) after disposal of us Brigham Young in the first phase (1966-1979). If my

college tour, back in the 90's, the university suffered to maintain a dignified position in the middle of a table with more than 300 teams, which make up the Division I NCAA , always carrying the label of eternal project to rise, the construction of Reed Arena, numerous changes in the coaching staff and an efficient work 'recruiting' brought to an end to big-name players, who laid the solid foundations of an ambitious program to finally begin to consolidate in the 2004 season -05 with the arrival of Billy Gillespie , who led the team to earn an invitation to the NIT of that year, a sweet prelude to what would happen a year after the first incursion of 'Aggies' in 'March Madness' since 1987, despite a promising entry to be truncated in the second round.

In 2007, supporters of Texas A & M unbelievers rubbed their eyes when they read that the predictions situated to the team, led by Acie Law , a specialist wing scorer and scoring the winning basket (hence the nickname : 'Captain Clutch' ), among the top ten universities in the nation. To give you an idea, Wikipedia defines period between 1988 and 2005, which includes, of course, my time at university, as 'The dark ages' (something like 'dark period'), while from 2005 coined a new term : 'Modern resurgence' (the modern revival '). I guess that's what has to be part of living history, or, as many think, dead and buried, of any project. The case is that the team not only participated in the dance, but that slipped between 'Sweet Sixteen' , sealing the season as the ninth university in the country according to analysts, the best position Texas institution's history. Three

'Aggies' in the NBA ( Antoine Wright, Dallas Mavericks; Acie Law, Atlanta Hawks, and DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers), Texas A & M seems to have shaken, at last, his eternal role of college applicant and "soccer" to, little by little, by its own merits and frequent "attacks of madness", earning the respect of the, admittedly we are doing well now, envied Longhorns University of Texas . Because for the students of our center, which stuck in their cars bumper stickers with slogans such as "Texan by birth, Aggie by the Grace of God" , it is hard to see how, again and again, is a neighbor and not himself who always competes with the band to be the best basketball team state.

How To Order Drugs To Keep Me Awake

Tuesday and 12 +1 free throw

on the radio I hear an interesting conversation with respect to that fateful coincidence that so many believe and that has brought us, in January, the first Tuesday and thirteen of the year. I emphasize that this is the first because in October-superstitious-alert will be repeated again this phenomenon. As explained by a psychologist in the program, phobia or irrational fear of number 13 and the link leads to dire consequences that this figure has come to be described in clinical psychology books as a rare disease called "triskaidekafobia" .

Apparently this superstition, strongly rooted in Western countries, owes its origin to religious reasons and has acquired a sediment as deep in these cultures we no longer surprised to see that some hotels have chosen to remove "that plant" the building or to hear that some people prefer not to travel or make important steps on that day.

However, in basketball, a sport that, like almost all disciplines or gambling, is invaded by superstition, the apprehension of the number 13 does not seem have consolidated power and many players who choose to wear that number on his race without giving the bad luck that so many others to assume. A Wilt Chamberlain, of course, does not seem to care take that back, the same dress for the whole of his long career, when he scored 100 points against the Knicks in 1962.

Or perhaps the reason that basketball has given the slip to this belief is because James Naismith, the famous inventor of the sport, decided to address this issue from the beginning by fixing in 13 fundamental rules to play this sport. Presumably, the Canadian, does other work, did not appreciate at all this premise when designing standards, does it?. The truth is that, given the healthy state of a basket of sport, Professor Naismith cut off the roots of the association of this figure and the basketball to bad luck. Psychology attributed

using superstition to a need for individuals to have things under control, to provide causality to chance, to believe that following a particular ritual, we will avoid that fate plays a trick on us. In short, the ability to alter the outcome of things by reaching acts of any kind. Put before left sock before the right to go out and play hard little work and can serve as reinforcement, but refuse to give shooting hand to your colleagues, or simply keep you touch it (the hand, that is), hours before the game begins to scratch the obsessive.

As a player I never had a superstition that still accompany me throughout my career, but during long periods of time itself that I stuck to certain habits that could well be described as superstitious (shower before you play) or rituals that clearly illustrate crystal clear the concept on which I write (scribble something concrete on the bandage from one of my ankles before practices and games).

is hard not to fall into routines that give us a sense of security and confidence is something that happens all aspects of our lives, hence the that "man is a creature of habit" . However, psychiatry believes that superstitious behavior may become exaggerated in a disease or disorder that seriously affect the quality of life of the sufferer, as is the case of patients afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) , a disease about which he wrote Lucio Angulo, humorous and brilliant way, a few months ago in his blog.

* Many years ago, Mark Twain ironically referred to the relationship between superstitious up early and be rewarded by God's help with following words: "Do not be fooled by this nonsense said. I knew a guy who did it. He rose at dawn and a horse took a bite. "