University of Richmond Athletics
Dan Geriot's Blog
08/10/2008 | Men's Basketball
SpiderTV: HIGHLIGHTS
| INTERVIEWS
GAME 3: FORD BURGOS 103, RICHMOND 79
SpiderTV: HIGHLIGHTS
| INTERVIEWS
GAME 2: CAJA RIOJA 95, RICHMOND 94 (OT)
SpiderTV: HIGHLIGHTS
| INTERVIEWS
GAME 1: RICHMOND 101, USA TOULOGUES PERPIGNAN 78
SpiderTV: HIGHLIGHTS
| INTERVIEWS
TRIP PHOTOS 
TRIP VIDEOS: PART I
| PART II
| PART III
El viaje perfecto
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 - 9 p.m.
Well, this is it, my last blog. I know Mrs. Butler will be upset to hear that. I told you I would get you in there. And I'm sorry for the delay but I had surgery last Friday and have been kind of out of it for the week.
This trip was really unbelievable. I don't think any of us realize it yet. The things we did and the events we attended truly cannot be appreciated this quickly. The basketball side of the trip was also great because we were able to get a head start and see what players are going to be fitting into their roles. The trip was simply perfect. It was run very well by the tour group we hired and with the coaches, having their input into the itinerary.
First, I will start with the basketball side of the trip. The team finished very well and showed, what I believe, will be the way we play throughout the year. KA was simply unbelievable. Gonzo, and Butler shined when they needed to in spots when we needed a lift, whether it be defensively or offensively. Smitty was a different kind of great throughout the trip as he really just has "it." It's hard to explain but the way he plays and with the emotion he has it just gets me very excited to come back and play with these guys. Hovde was playing with a lot of confidence throughout the trip and it was great to see him do this because that's all he needs to be a great player.
The "bigs" as we are called, played well during the trip. Jarhon was great in the last game and really helped us to victory. A lot is on his shoulders because being the anchor of our defense is tough to play and you have to be able to communicate unbelievably on the court. We are glad that if anybody has to do it, that it is Roc because he is usual the voice we need. Josh showed that he could be a good player if he keeps up his hard work and continues to learn. He showed great improvements on the trip and we are extremely confident he is going to fit in great here. Harper was great in the beginning but obviously he was hurt the last couple games and was unable to play. Since we've been back he has been doing well in rehab and should be ready for individual workouts on Monday.
Now as for the other point of the trip, we were able to go to a lot of cities throughout Spain and we took numerous pictures and videos throughout the trip. I mean it's hard to recognize all the fun we had, but we are all answering "it was unbelievable, I can't even describe it," when people ask us how the trip was. Some of the highlights that stick out would be the FC Barcelona game, the nightlife in Barcelona, the touring around Madrid on our own mostly, our last game and that night. The best of part of the non-basketball side of the trip were the nights we spent in Barcelona. That place is great and we all took full advantage of the opportunity in front of us. We all wished we could have maybe spent a couple more nights in Madrid, but it is what it is.
The trip was perfect how we had our fun and one practice and one game in the beginning of the 10 days and then played 3 games in the last 3 days. This also resembles the kind of run of games that is needed to win the A10 tournament. The whole team can't believe that Spain has come and passed. We had been looking forward to that trip for months, and now it's behind us. It was such a great time and was great for team bonding.
Well, that is it everybody, the end of the blog. It was great to have the chance to write this and from what I hear, there was a good turnout of readers. I would like to thank you all for reading it and hopefully you all will be enjoying a hungry group of Spiders on the basketball court, winning this year and for years to come. I really enjoyed all of this and now cannot wait to just come back and play. Thanks again and for the last time, adios everybody.
Hogar Dulce Casero
Thursday, Aug. 21 - 8 p.m.
We just got back to the Robins Center. Some members of our group don't have their luggage because it didn't make the connection flight in Paris. Air France is going to ship it down to Richmond when it arrives in D.C. either tonight or tomorrow.
Today's traveling was long just like the first day, but we are glad to be home. Some guys are heading home for the weekend because school starts Monday. Most of us are just glad to be in Richmond though. I'll be recapping the trip with one last entry. It's good to be home.
El Dia Pasado En Espana
Thursday, Aug. 21 - 8 a.m.
After about a 2 ½ hour bus ride to Madrid yesterday we checked into the hotel and then got right back on the bus to go into the city for a bus tour. Madrid is great, we were all saying to each other how we wished there could have been another night to stay in the capitol, but there was not due to our game schedule, so we had to live with it.
We went on a bus, then walking tour around and through the city. We didn't like our temporary tour guide for these two tours and we all hoped Jan would take over. He didn't though and our other, new, boring tour guide led the way. He had a couple of good, interesting stories, but not enough for a two hour tour. For it being the capitol of the country, I may have just been expecting too much. I also think it didn't help that he was using a portable microphone and speaker on the walking tour. He would have been better off just talking without it.
Around 2:30 or 3:00 we were given free time to venture around the city for 2 ½ to 3 hours before going to the game. Some of the players and I grabbed some lunch and then went to the Nike store called Nike Madrid. They had some really great t-shirts and sneakers, but nothing in big sizes for me. So I met up with my dad and went to a clothing store/brand actually named Springfield, which is the town I am from in Pennsylvania. So I just got some stuff from there that said Springfield on them, they are a little Euro fitting (tight) so we'll see how many times they get worn.
We all gathered at 5:30 to get back on the bus and head back to the hotel. This was the first time we stayed longer than20 minutes from where we were playing, because that we were near the airport for our flight this morning out of Madrid. So we got back to the hotel and had 15 minutes to get changed and back on the bus to head to our game in Toledo, almost an hour ride outside of Madrid. Jan told us that if it was any other time of the year it would take us up to 2 hours to get there because traffic is so bad in Madrid, but in August the whole country pretty much takes it easy and a lot of businesses and stores close, so we made it about 50 mintues.
Our last game was against Illescas Toledo, a Spanish Second Division team which had defeated Cleveland State by 32 points last week. It was the second best team we played on the trip, behind the amazing passes from Ford Burgos, but the Spiders came out on top with a strong second half 91-77. KA and Gonzo led the way on offense with 30 and 19 points. Jarhon and Duinker played very well at center and forward and Butler stepped up big with his best game of the trip. It leaves a promising feeling for all of us that in the 2nd half, we were finally able to put the clamps down defensively on a team like last season and hold them from scoring. Now, the best part of the trip happened to take place in the Madrid airport this morning. Conor, Butler, Hovde, our manager Steve Gannalo and I went up and shook the hand of the greatest Olympian ever, Michael Phelps. It was unbelievable, no pictures were taken because we didn't think he wanted to give them and we saw him while we were checking in for our flight. Just to shake his hand was enough. We talked for a little and Conor asked him "how was China?" to which he replied, I'm happy to be out of there." All in all, it still hasn't sunken in yet and for us to do that was unimaginable. He was so unassuming, wearing just a white t-shirt and, especially standing next to us, was not as tall as he looks on TV.
Okay, we are boarding the flight to Paris, and then heading on to D.C. so it's going to a long day of traveling. While it has been a great trip, we all can't wait to get home. I'll be writing a recap blog of the trip, so stay tuned.
Pérdida Resistente
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 - 12:00 p.m.
The Spiders had a tough one last night. That Ford Burgos team was unbelievable. Just the way they passed and moved was great to watch, but it made them hard to guard. The Spiders ended up losing by 25, but we did play even with them after the first 12 minutes or so. Conor turned in another tremendous shooting performance and Smitty had another energetic, terrific game. KA played well, but they really made it hard for him to get going.
Despite the loss, we still scored 79 points and that's after scoring just 10 in the first quarter. Harp rolled his ankle early on and I know he would have helped. He is walking around fine today, but won't play tonight just to be safe.
The loss was bad, but that team was so professional it would have been hard to beat them on our best night. There average age was 27, while most of our team is 20 or younger.
Our focus now changes to tonight's game which could be a winnable one. With Harp out, Con-man will get the start and hopefully keep playing hard and tough. Mentally we are great now and coach has done a great job keeping it that way.
Now we are on the bus to Madrid and have 2 tours today (1 bus and 1 walking) before we eat. A radio station in Madrid wants to interview coach Mooney, so his wife Lia will actually do the interview as the translator. Lia has been very helpful on this trip, especially during the meals.
Our tour guide Jan (Yan), continues to crack us up. His signature line is "Howdy, folks" kind of sounding like Borat. He just told us a story that when he called the radio station to set up the interview with Coach Mooney, the host of the show said "you are the first caller, we have a winner." Yan said "I'll call back" and just hung up so he doesn't know what prize he won.
This is the last game of our trip and our last night in Spain, we fly out tomorrow morning. I will probably write once tomorrow morning about the game and then one last time on the bus ride back from Washington, D.C. so hopefully you will keep reading. I know one of my favorite readers who is studying aboard in Australia will. There you go T.J. Until tomorrow.
Pérdida difícil
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 - 11 a.m.
So the Spiders lost to Caja Rioja by 1 point in overtime. The guys played well and showed great character through adversity when we were down 14 early in fourth quarter. We had chances to win down the stretch, but just couldn't connect.
Smitty played unbelievable, his energy is unmatched on the court and his value to us is tremendous. KA was the leading scorer with 35 points and did an excellent job rebounding. Gonzo had a great floor game and was calm throughout the time we went down and then came back.
Other guys played well, but those three really stood out. We talked after and obviously there were positives taken from the game and negatives too, but the great thing is we have another game tonight. So we can put the loss behind us and play again. It just stinks because this one should have been a win.
Caja Rioja had two Americans on the team and had two solid big men, including a 7-foot Brazilian. He dunked near the end of the first half so hard the rim and basket sport broke. The rim remained leaning down for the second half when we had to shoot at it, so if we hit the rim at all with our shots, you never knew which way it was going to go.
The rules over here are a lot different. They were calling every possible foul it seemed and when our team was shooting free throws there guys would be walking into the lane next to them. It was really weird and then late in the game they called a violation on KA for coming in early on a free throw from behind the shooter.
The other weird rule is if a defender hits the backboard it is goaltending, but once the ball hits the rim you can knock it away, even if it is in the cylinder. They also only sub if the second free throw is made and on dead balls and to call timeout a player has to call it, motioning to the scorer's table. One time KA was right in front of the refs face calling timeout and the ref just ignored him.
Now we are on our way to the next city for the next game against supposedly the best team we are going to play, a second division Spain team called Ford Burgos because they are sponsored by Ford and from the town of Burgos. They have a large budge thanks to the sponsorship from Ford, so they pay more for their players than the team we played last night. We heard that the two Americans on Caja Rioja made 4,000 Euro or about $6,000 per month along with getting a free car and apartment.
Yesterday the players went to park with a gigantic swimming pool and waterslides. While the Spanish don't care about keeping the drinking water cold over here, they sure can keep an enormous swimming pool freezing. At one point the guys started challenging each other on who the fastest swimmer was. Mark McGonigal proved to be the champion, beating out Josh Duinker and then barely beating Coach Jenkins.
There was a color photo of our team in the local newspaper yesterday and an article talking about the team and our history. There was actually a pretty good crowd at the game last night and they were very energetic, some times even chanting. They would cheer for us on some of our better plays, like when Gonzo tossed an alley to Smitty for a dunk. Harper also had a monster dunk, driving baseline and throwing down a powerful one-handed slam.
The guys are focused and will be well prepared and rested for tonight as I think we just have one town to see and rest for the day. I'll be back tomorrow to give you the game details, so until then, later.
Paraíso
Monday, Aug. 18, 2008 - 10 a.m.
Today was great. Castro-Urdialis was an awesome town on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by mountains. The scenery was unbelievable and Coach Mooney's wife said it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. I would have to agree.
We were all impressed with the town and it seemed like it was kind of a wealthy area of Spain. The beach area was unbelievable and the water was great and there was no seaweed this time. There was so much to do within the town that was right off the beach. Castro-Urdialis actually had two beaches, one with sand and one was concrete stairs going from a pier into the water. They also had a bridge that was 60-feet high that kids were cliff diving off of. We encouraged strength coach Jay DeMayo to jump and he did not disappoint. He admitted that it did hurt, make sure to check out the next video of the trip because it will be on there.
When we went to the beach, Coach DeMayo and some of the guys like Conor, Duinker, Hovde, McGonigal and KA swam from the concrete beach to the sand beach, which looked to be close to a mile. They ended up walking back and swimming it once more to get a good work out in.
The day had started in Bilbao, Spain, where we walked around a festival and then visited the world famous Guggenheim Museum. We had a guided tour through some unique things. An exhibit with these huge walls and designs along with some of our old buddy Dali's work were the highlights.
After that we ate in a small village in the mountains. A lot of chicken is being consumed by the players because they don't trust the way the beef is cooked. We continue to clean out restaurants of bottled water, which they are always serving to us in small wine glasses that take us one gulp to finish off.
We play today so we have a fun day planned leading up to the game. We are heading to a place with a giant swimming pool, the size of 3 Olympic pools and supposedly it has some rides, so we will see how that goes. With only a few days left, we are hoping to get some more wins, play well, and enjoy our stay. Until next time when I give you the game details, so long.
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008 - 10 a.m.
Día libre
Sorry for no blog yesterday, it was just a travel day, so Kwolek and I decided to wait until this morning. We had a very long bus ride to Zaragoza. It was about seven or eight hours.
We stopped on the way to watch the U.S./Spain game in a hotel in the middle of nowhere. The joke before we stopped is that all 38 members of the travel party were going to be gathered around a screen the size of coach Hartman's blackberry. Sure enough the TV was about the size of one you could fit on your kitchen counter under the cabinets. The U.S. dominated, but it was fun too watch with the locals and they seemed to enjoy having Americans reacting to some of the amazing dunks.
Coach Mooney's wife Lia speaks fluent Spanish, which has helped a lot on the trip. She read in the Barcelona paper Saturday morning that the U.S./Spain game was a battle of Spain's team approach and the American's individual, arrogant nature. Well the U.S. looked pretty good as a team yesterday.
Today we are headed to the Googenheim Museum which is one of the most famous in Europe. After that we are headed to the beach.
Our last night in Barcelona was a great time. We went out in the Port Olympic and went to a club that was one where Americans are known to go. On the second floor, they play almost all American music. So that was good to have better communication with people. So that was the end of us in Barcelona. It's a great seaside city and I would recommend going there.
Last night when we got to Zaragoza we went to mall and then some of us went into the city for a bite to eat. The city is really nice, but a lot different than Barcelona. There's a lot to do there and since we are here for a few nights, we might head back. We were told that not many Americans make it out to this area, but the people don't seem to mind us.
We have found that, despite calling us arrogant in the newspaper, the Spanish really like American movies and music. And when they see all of the tall players on our team walking around they always say "basketball" and make the shooting motion.
Now we are on our way to the museum and beach so I may be blogging again later tonight. We've stayed pretty busy, so sometimes it can be difficult to get this blog in because I want to make sure I experience everything while I am over here and that includes getting some sleep. I'm the only one awake on the bus right now even though I can hear music coming from headphones around the back of the bus. Until next time, adiós.
VICTORIA!
Friday, Aug. 15 - 7:00 p.m.
We've been busy today so sorry for the delay. I know some of you have been waiting, like Mrs. Brown. Kevin told me you read them haha.
Well we won last night 101-78 in convincing fashion. The guys played well, it was good to see some newcomers step in and get some minutes. Conor was the leading scorer with 18 points on 6 threes. We all know he could shoot and be capable of these types of games. Harper and Duinker were aggressive at their spots and ended up with 17 and 15 respectively. Butler, KA and Roc (Jarhon) played solid and well. They got us ahead early and took over. Kevin Smith was great, his energy was all over the floor with steals, rebounds, dunks, etc. He had 2 emphatic dunks that were highlights of his game.
The competition should be getting tougher, so we'll see how the Spiders do against the next teams.
We got back to Barcelona around 1:30 and since the night life is at the peak then, we headed to Port Olympic by the beach.
Today we were trying to go to one of the 8 Nike Olympic Shops in the world, but it was closed due to a Barcelona Holiday. So we went to the famous Cathedral and toured around there for a little. As we were walking through the streets a group of Australians started joking with us and asked if we played cricket. Kevin Smith responded with the line of the trip so far and yelled, "we're bloody swimmers," while motioning like a swimmer. We all got a good laugh and took a picture with them. Then some guys and me came back to nap and other guys went to the Olympic Stadium from 1992. They had an amazing time from what they told me and were able to get into some of the stadiums. Hopefully I'll see some pictures, as I haven't yet.
Well we're off to a dinner at supposedly a really good steakhouse. We do not play again until Monday so we can get some rest and enjoy our last day in Barcelona. Most of the guys will be going out after dinner and hopefully having a great time. Until tomorrow, good bye.
Día Del Juego
Thursday - 5:00 p.m.
The FC Barcelona game was an unbelievable environment to witness a soccer game. About 75,000 fans were in attendance and the first 20 minutes of the game were packed with action. I sat with a couple teammates, Conor, Roc, Harp, and Smitty and we all were saying how great this was to be able to watch one of the best club teams on their home opener. They won in convincing fashion, 4-0 and one of my favorite players, Thierry Henry, whose jersey I bought last night, scored a goal in his first match with the team. He just got traded there and he's one of the best forwards in the world. The team had a great time at the game and really enjoyed it. Most of us were tired and did not want to go out because of our game tonight, so we all just hung out in the hotel after we ate at this hamburger stand that we found a couple nights ago that is really good. We stayed up and just chilled for awhile. That's a great thing about this team, all the guys really get along and we all hang out and have a lot of fun. Coach tells us all the time that it's not always the case, so for us to have that is great and hopefully we all realize that and appreciate it. After a good night at the game and a bunch of laughs in the hotel, we headed to bed for an early breakfast and bus ride north.
Today we were up early and are headed up to Southern France for our game tonight. The bus ride hasn't been that bad we mostly slept until we stopped in Northern Spain to visit Salvador Dali's museum. That was okay, but I think most of us are too young to realize the magnitude of that and his artwork. We broke off in groups to tour and it was me, Conor, Roc, Hovde, McGo, KA, Harp, and Smitty that kind of went through the museum quick and then there was like a village surrounding the museum so we walked around there and grabbed some gifts and a small bite to eat before we left to head to lunch. Apparently Gonzo and Duinker took the longest to go through the museum.
After leaving the village and museum we hopped on the bus and headed to lunch about a half hour away. Our tour guide Jan I guess has started to become more open with us and he was going nuts trying to take our orders for lunch. He was trying to make all these jokes and he had us all rolling at the type of things he was saying. The guy is very European and has a thick accent when he speaks English which really adds to his comedy.
We just ate lunch at a unique place at the very top of Spain and now we are on the bus again for a quick trip into France where we are going to relax and get prepared for the game. We aren't really sure what to expect tonight. We have new guys that are going to have to step into new roles of playing big time minutes so we are hoping really to just play hard and tough, and to get these guys going into the rest of the trip. A win is obviously what we are looking for, but there will be more positives taken out of this trip then just wins or losses. The guys were all saying they are dying to play and have been working all summer for this. They are also excited about the specially made European style uniforms we got for the trip with Las Aranas (Spiders in Spanish) on the front.
After the game we are headed back to Barcelona and hopefully will be headed out to celebrate a win. I will be back on tomorrow to tell you the results and details of the game. Hope you guys are all enjoying this because it's been great to be writing and sharing my experiences. Talk to everyone tomorrow.
En La Práctica
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008 - 6 p.m.
We are in the middle of our first practice in a health club gym just off a beach. We haven't done much today because we didn't want to get tired for practice. We had a large lunch again in a nice little restaurant by the hotel.
Last night was quite an experience as we decided to go to one of the best clubs in the city. Most of us went there and everybody had a great time. Some of the guys ran into Shawn Marion of the Miami Heat. This time it was the players, who bumped into him. Kevin Smith talked with him about Tennessee because that's where both of them are from. He told Smitty that he hadn't been back to Tennessee in a while. Shawn was glad to run into us Americans again and wished us the best in our games. He had to go though, because his flight was leaving in a couple of hours.
Practice has been good, not too hard, just really getting a sweat in. There are some people shooting around on the side hoops who are wearing NBA jerseys. One of them has a Michael Jordan jersey and another has a Hakees Olajuwon jersey. One of the hoops might be a little low because Coach Mooney and Coach Hartman just dunked.
We are all pumped for our night tonight as we're going to the FC Barcelona home opener. They're one of the best club teams in Europe and play in a 95,000-seat stadium. Our tour guide Jan thinks that about 75,000 will be in attendance tonight.
We have a bus trip tomorrow up to northern Spain and southern France to play our first game. That isn't until 8:00 though, so we are hoping after the 10 p.m. soccer game, we can go celebrate the home team's victory a little bit.
Practice just came to a close with a push-up/sit-up session with strength coach Jay DeMayo. We are headed back to the hotel and then leaving for the soccer game. I'll be writing tomorrow about all that on our bus ride. Until then, later.
El Jugar En La Playa
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 - 8 p.m.
We ate a pretty good dinner last night and were actually in a different part of the city for the meal so before hand we walked around a little and took some pictures with the street performers throughout the city.
After dinner the team came back to the hotel and 10 or 11 of us decided to go out and see how the night scene was in Barcelona. We all took cabs down to the beach where there were some great clubs and parties. My phone has begun to work over here so that made things convenient if we got stuck. We ended up going into the Mediterranean for a late night swim, then back to the hotel. We all really liked Barcelona after our first night. The next morning at breakfast we heard that some members of our travel party ran into Shawn Marion of the Miami Heat in the Port Olympic. Shawn was happy to see Americans and hung out for a little while.
Today was a good time. After our light breakfast we headed to a different town in Spain with another beach, Sitges. The water was great, very warm, but with a lot of seaweed. The team had a great time, Duinker and McGo were in their element, body surfing and being in the ocean. It was quite an experience today as there were so many people on the beach, we all couldn't believe it was a Tuesday. Lunch was very good at a little restaurant in town. Some guys got chicken, while others choose the beef dish. Most of the guys, including me, were exhausted after lunch and took the train back to the hotel to crash. Coach Mooney, coach Hartman and coach Jones stayed with some of the other guys who wanted to stay at the beach - Gonzo, Duinker and McGo. Dinner is on our own tonight so I'm going to head out to a place in the city my stepmom and father found. I am actually on the way now with them. We should have another fun night tonight as Barcelona is loaded with places to go and things to do. I'll try to write a little earlier tomorrow as the team has practice at 4:00 and then we will be going to see famous soccer team FC Barcelona play tomorrow night. Until then, adios!
Hola de Barcelona
Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 - 5 p.m.
We made it to Barcelona! It was a pretty long trip and most of us are pretty tired. KA's plan worked pretty well for me, but I don't think it worked for him, he looks pretty tired. A lot of the guys had trouble sleeping on the planes, so that means they have been awake for over 24 hours. We left campus at 1:30 p.m. Sunday and arrived at the hotel in Barcelona at 11:30 a.m. Richmond time.
I slept through most of the plane rides, but very uncomfortably. Planes aren't always comfortable for us basketball players. The flight attendants let three of the tallest upperclassmen move to the emergency exit row, which has more leg room, but those seats didn't have personal televisions, so I swapped back.
We had a layover in Paris and some of the guys with window seats on the left side of the plane got to see the Eiffel Tour on the flight to Barcelona. When we arrived in Barcelona we met up with our tour guide Jan (pronounced Yan). He graduated from high school in Flint, Michigan in 1986, so he knows about the U.S. and speaks good English. He was asking us at lunch how famous Spain's Pau Gasol (of the Los Angeles Lakers ) is in the States. He told us that Pau has two younger brothers who are supposed to be better than him.
Our group ate lunch at a restaurant right on the beach and went on a brief bus tour around the city before checking in at the hotel. We are going to explore more later when our energy is back up.
Right now we are just hanging out and waiting to go to dinner at 8:30 p.m. In Spain, the people eat dinner very late as lunch is their biggest meal. It's just how their culture works. Some members of our travel party got their first taste of culture shock when they said they didn't want pork for their "second plate" at lunch (the first plate was pasta with mushrooms). They forgot to ask what the alternative was and were surprised with a plate of mini squid creatures. Needless to say, there were a lot of left over squid.
I think we cleared the restaurant out of water. Duncan says we Americans drink a lot more watcher than the rest of the world and our thirsty group polished off several of the large wine bottle looking containers of water. It didn't even matter that it was warm, people kept asking the waitress for more water. I don't think they use ice cubes in Spain.
Well I will be writing tomorrow morning and hopefully after dinner tonight we will be able to go out and venture around the city. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. Hasta Luego!
Crossing The Pond
Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008 - 4:30 p.m.
We just left the Robins Center and are beginning our day of traveling to Spain. We are driving to D.C. now to get on our flight at 6:45 p.m. to Paris, then we are getting on a connecting flight to Barcelona. We are supposed to arrive around noon on Monday. The whole team is excited for this opportunity to travel to Europe and play basketball. Aside from the basketball portion, we also are excited for having time away. With what the coaches have planned, we should have a great time.
I didn't sleep much last night, partly from being excited and the other part being that KA (Kevin Anderson) came up with the idea to not sleep that much so we can sleep on the plane and not be jetlagged when we get there. So we just played video games (NCAA Football '09) for a long time last night with that idea in mind.
We should be arriving in D.C. around 4:00 with traffic so the team will have some down time in the airport before we leave. I'm sure most of us will use this time to say our goodbyes to our families and I know I'll be calling my mom during this time, along with my aunts, godmother and friends from home. I don't have to call my dad, since he is making the trip with us, along with Gonzo's mother and grandmother. Duncan McLean's parents are already over in Spain and will be joining up with us for a few days.
I'll be writing my next blog when we arrive in Spain so I'll let you guys know if KA and my plan worked for not being jetlagged. Thanks for reading this first entry and I'm excited to share my experiences in Spain with you all.
