TIME |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Things back to normal
Submitted by fotios on Thu, 2008-08-14 15:42.
I mean, really, as someone who knows basketball I had to painfully endure Greeks all around me who actually thought that the freak victory of the Greek national team against the American one was representative of their actual value; all based on a game where everything worked perfectly for the Greek players. However, like we say in Greece, it is not Easter every day and the Greek team did not just lose today: it was dominated and often ridiculed by the Americans. The Greek team also lost to the Spanish team in a very convincing manner. It is not as bad as it sounds.
In the last decade the Greek national basketball team has rightfully claimed a place in the 4 best national teams of the world: a huge achievement for a small country. Beyond that, fantasy in the impressionable minds of certain Greek overgrown children starts. When it comes to talent and athleticism Greece is simply a vastly inferior team to that of the US - still, Greece is good enough to beat them if certain freakish conditions are satisfied, but that is not going to happen very often (say once in 10 years?). Regarding the Spanish team, as long as they have that amazing player called Pau Gasol, Greece, as it is now, will be inferior to them and will inevitably lose more than it wins. I would say that it is an 80-20 probability (that is 8 out of 10 Spain wins).
USA and Spain aside, Greece has a good chance of beating any other basketball team on the planet.
That's the reality.
See my comment at your post
Submitted by Katsoyan (not verified) on Sun, 2008-08-17 12:49.
See my comment at your post about spanish team.
Your reaction shows how much that defeat heart you and all those who support americans.
I never said that Greece is the biggest bassketball power of the world. But we are good. And we have proved it. US team that claims to be the best, should be more carefull in the future. They have not won anything since 2000:-)
» reply
What are you on about mate?
Submitted by fotios on Sun, 2008-08-17 23:25.
I don't get where you see that reaction. I was happy when the Greek team beat the US team. Not happy like "wow, the Greek team is better than the American one" but happy like "wow, the Greek team is good enough to actually beat the Americans if they are lucky enough to have all players play their 100% on the same day". I also write in the post above that Greece can beat the US team under certain freakish conditions.
The funny thing in your comment is this "we are good" thing. I know that many people do it (especially Italians), and even I may have unconsciously done it sometimes; but let's examine it. By "we", you certainly don't mean, you, me or Pangalos? Right? What you actually mean is *them*, the basketball team representing Greece. I mean, surely, you don't mean that the fact that they are good basketball players has some kind of reflection on you as an individual just because you grew up in the same country.
» reply
I do not know any Greek at
Submitted by katsoyan (not verified) on Mon, 2008-08-18 13:56.
I do not know any Greek at all who was saying: "wow, the Greek team is better than the American one". Not a single. If you know some, then refer to them in your blog and not to a whole nation.
For the rest, yes I say "We" when I am talking about any Greek team, because they represent me. I could be in their position (had i had more talent and had I tried harder) and in any case, it is not only them. Almost every Greek National team in basketball is good. You can call them "they", I say "we". And I mean we, greeks, as a nation, have education and talent in basket, and this makes this "We" even stronger. Because under certain (certainly not freakish) conditions, me and/or you could be playing for this team. We chose a different way/job/hobby, but for example I was playing in the same team as Zissis (that you cited) and it could have been even me in his position.
» reply
come again?
Submitted by fotios on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:06.
you have got to be kidding me! Yes, they did not go around saying "we are better than the Americans" but the Greek press was full of articles saying "Greece is expecting to relive the days of 2006", and shit like that. Expecting how? With what? With who? Zisis the "mommy, mommy, these bad Americans, they say bad things to me" lil boy?
» reply
Man, you have to check this
Submitted by Katsoyan (not verified) on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:21.
Man, you have to check this hate you have for anything Greek...
What's wrong with Zissis? Nobody ever said that he is the best player in the world, but as I have said again he is more than good. He is part of the team, and he was the most important element of our win in Eurobasket 2005 and in any case, he is a "clean" player, not like your beloved NBAers that play dirty... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg_ktTJvxYY
The newspaper play their part and if you like exercises, find me the american newspapers before the game against Greece in 2006 and if you manage to find one that was saying that the game against Greece could be lost, I will stop discussing this issue.
But it is obvious that you are frustrated by the fact that the US team is not so far from the other teams.
ps: What happened with me response to Chad???
» reply
there is nothing wrong with me
Submitted by fotios on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:40.
and there is nothing wrong with people who are sick of the state of affairs in their own countries. The creation of the USA itself is a result of people who were similarly revolted by the state of affairs in England and other European powers of the time. Today like then, people who have had it with European corruption and nepotism find hope and keep going by looking up and saluting the flag of the people, the flag of the free and the brave of the world, the one and only star in a dark sky of assholes and idiots:
» reply
I did not see any repsonse to Chad
Submitted by fotios on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:56.
Are you sure the post went through? Post again please.
» reply
National pride
Submitted by fotios on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:20.
So, what you're saying is that because Greeks do well in basketball internationally, this means they have education and talent in basketball as a nation. Right? So, by the same token, since in pretty much everything else, Greece is currently not doing well at all, we must conclude that Greeks, as a nation, do not have education and talent in anything else! Good work!
Personally, I think I could be Jordan, simple reason being that I used to play positions 2 and 3 with my team of afternoon buddies. I remember one had one arm only as he had an accident at the factory where he worked and was living off the insurance. He could have been Pippen - the only thing that stopped him was the fact that he was 5.4, heavy-boned and flat-footed. Details!
» reply
conclusions are yours. I am
Submitted by katsoyan (not verified) on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:23.
conclusions are yours. I am not the one who talks about "Greek school in basketball", but rather the american Journalists.
» reply
Sorry mate
Submitted by fotios on Tue, 2008-08-19 13:27.
Sorry mate. I was simply following up on your logic.
» reply
Greece's Zisis is a sensitive boy
After a game where he played like a 12 year old girl he declared the following to Greek reporters: "The American players were verbally abusing us from the beginning of the game, and during recess they told us certain (bad) things, while going to the locker rooms. It's not a problem, since we know that this is how they are"
AAAWWWWWWWW! Here Nikolaki, here's a lolipop! Want some petting as well?