Post by SciFan on Sept 8, 2004 10:07:15 GMT -5
Thought you UNC and Kansas fans might be interested in reading these emails that I recieved. It is pretty interesting stuff from Roy's wife. Kind of long
------------------------------------
Below are e-mails that Wanda Williams sent Angie/Gentry on USA basketball. (I cut and pasted because they were attachments in attachments in attachments) Interesting reading…
Dear friends and family:
Most of you are probably aware that Roy is an assistant on the US men's
Olympic basketball team. We are going to try to do a travelogue via e-mail
of our trip to the Olympics, assuming we can get the e-mail to work from
Europe. I am writing to let you know about this, so that if you don't want
me cluttering up your inbox, you can let me know, and I will cross your
name off the list of people receiving whatever we come up with. If you're
on vacation, and don't get this until later, you can still e-mail me and let
me know. Obviously if you never hear from me again, you'll know I can't
get it to work. I'm sending this note to anyone whose address I have, but
if you want to pass it along, or send me another address to add to my list,
I'll try to accommodate anyone who might be interested. No media, BriFred.
This is strictly off the record.
The team left Jacksonville, Florida, where they had congregated for a week
of practice, after an exhibition game against Puerto Rico which they won
handily on Saturday, July 31. They played without three players who didn't
understand that Head Coach Larry Brown was serious about the time of that
pre-game meeting. They proceeded up the east coast, visually tethered to
friendly territory, flying over our beach house off Charleston, Larry's
vacation home in the Hamptons, and Halifax, Nova Scotia where Sean May(UNC
player) and David Padgett(ex-KU player, unfortunately) were playing in their
own USA Basketball competition and winning themselves a gold medal. They
stopped in Gander, Newfoundland to refuel, and call and let us know they
were 6 hours down and 6+ more to go. And here's an idea for you to keep in
mind. When Larry bought his property in East Hampton, there was a house
they did not intend to use. So, they offered it to the fire department to
burn as a training exercise. When it came time to start getting their
building permits and inspections, things magically fell into place without
any hassles. Those of us who have recently been dealing with such things,
find this to be a very clever idea.
They arrived about an hour late in Cologne, Germany, and after a quick
lunch, they went straight to practice. They were not happy campers, since
they had been in transit for more than 13 hours, and it was at that point
6:00 AM body time, not lunch time. Roy had had two 20 minute naps on the
plane. After practice, they did have a "real German meal". He didn't tell
me what that included except for a really good salad, an unusual thing for
him to mention. But, I do remember that from our last time there; the
salads are really fresh and good. How do they do that, Cheryl, or anyone
else who has lived there? One of the best meals I ever had was in the
TRAIN STATION in Lucerne, Switzerland. Remember, Vickye?
So far they have played two exhibition games, both shown on TV. They lost
the first one to Italy in spectacular fashion. Seventeen points, and it
wasn't that close. Scott said they played like "dogs" and Roy called it a
"butt-kicking". The second was a heart-stopping win at the buzzer over a
German team that didn't qualify for the Olympics and which included Ademola
Okulaja, who played with Scott and Brad at UNC. Apparently the first game
was a "wake-up call" as Allen Iverson said, but a buzzer- beater against a non-qualifier is not good news. At least they won. During
the coaching staffs' daily walk/planning session, a tradition they began
last year in New York City (they were in Central Park when the lights went
out) and continued through Puerto Rico, Jacksonville and Cologne Wednesday,
Larry mentioned that Allen had never hit a game winning shot in his entire
career, starting as far back as high school. Confiding that same fact to
Roy as soon as they entered the locker room after the game, tough guy A I
was giddy. Makes him seem almost human, huh? And that monkey's off his
back.
They flew to Belgrade, Serbia/Montenegro after the game, and landed on a
runway surrounded by troops in formation and full battle gear. They rode on
their bus through a town completely emptied of traffic. Roy said it was
"eerie". It was however, 3:00AM, and I reminded him that we had Greek
soldiers carrying machine guns on the tarmac beside our plane in Athens when
we were there with UNC's team for regular exhibition games and cultural
experience as far back as 1983. (Do I have that date right, UNC fans? That
was the infamous double-header, played because the NCAA wouldn't let us play
the day before classes were officially over for fall break, never mind that
we weren't in class anyway, so we played back-to-back on the first day of
the break.) And Kimberly and I were personally escorted off the court in
Argentina by gun-toting soldier/bodyguards when we were there with a USA
Basketball qualifying team that included Steve Woodberry from KU. I was
wearing a stars and stripes jacket that I'm leaving home this trip. They've
always taken this stuff more seriously than we have had to. Now we know
what it feels like. Tell Brian we're thankful he's watching out for us,
Jodi.
On the bus ride to the hotel, the team was told that the average income is
$270. per year in these countries. A little different from what our players
make, and probably precludes the need for an accountant, Tim B. They are
staying at an American hotel (a Hyatt, Plotts), and they have key cards.
You use them to open the door, and to activate the lights once you are on
the inside; in order to save on electricity, I suppose, you can't turn them
on any other way. Roy put his card in the inside slot, walked to the bed to
start unpacking his luggage, and the lights went out. He walked back over,
reinserted his card, walked back to the bed and the lights went out.
Finally, he gave up and went down to their meal (at 3 in the morning? Can't
let those sweet babies go to bed hungry!) and was informed by a Wake Forest
grad, that he was supposed to leave the key in the slot. How embarrassing
to be tutored by a self-proclaimed ABCD'er (Anybody But Carolina and Duke)
like Tim Duncan. Sorry, Libby.
Their next game is on ESPN at 7:00 or 7:30PM Eastern time (I've seen both
times) on Friday night, the 6th, from Belgrade vs. the Serbia/Montenegro
team. I'm not sure how to make that an adjective; I can do Serbian, but is
it Montenegran? Or Serbo-Montenegran?
PLEASE DON'T hit the reply button, or my tiny little inbox will overflow
immediately. Start fresh if you want to comment, answer one of my
questions, or opt out. Now that you know how chatty I'm going to be, you
may want to delete me when you see me coming.
Kimberly and I meet the team in Istanbul on Tuesday the 10th, and Scott and
Katie join us in Athens on the 14th. If I get any good information before
we leave, I'll be back.
------------------------------------
Below are e-mails that Wanda Williams sent Angie/Gentry on USA basketball. (I cut and pasted because they were attachments in attachments in attachments) Interesting reading…
Dear friends and family:
Most of you are probably aware that Roy is an assistant on the US men's
Olympic basketball team. We are going to try to do a travelogue via e-mail
of our trip to the Olympics, assuming we can get the e-mail to work from
Europe. I am writing to let you know about this, so that if you don't want
me cluttering up your inbox, you can let me know, and I will cross your
name off the list of people receiving whatever we come up with. If you're
on vacation, and don't get this until later, you can still e-mail me and let
me know. Obviously if you never hear from me again, you'll know I can't
get it to work. I'm sending this note to anyone whose address I have, but
if you want to pass it along, or send me another address to add to my list,
I'll try to accommodate anyone who might be interested. No media, BriFred.
This is strictly off the record.
The team left Jacksonville, Florida, where they had congregated for a week
of practice, after an exhibition game against Puerto Rico which they won
handily on Saturday, July 31. They played without three players who didn't
understand that Head Coach Larry Brown was serious about the time of that
pre-game meeting. They proceeded up the east coast, visually tethered to
friendly territory, flying over our beach house off Charleston, Larry's
vacation home in the Hamptons, and Halifax, Nova Scotia where Sean May(UNC
player) and David Padgett(ex-KU player, unfortunately) were playing in their
own USA Basketball competition and winning themselves a gold medal. They
stopped in Gander, Newfoundland to refuel, and call and let us know they
were 6 hours down and 6+ more to go. And here's an idea for you to keep in
mind. When Larry bought his property in East Hampton, there was a house
they did not intend to use. So, they offered it to the fire department to
burn as a training exercise. When it came time to start getting their
building permits and inspections, things magically fell into place without
any hassles. Those of us who have recently been dealing with such things,
find this to be a very clever idea.
They arrived about an hour late in Cologne, Germany, and after a quick
lunch, they went straight to practice. They were not happy campers, since
they had been in transit for more than 13 hours, and it was at that point
6:00 AM body time, not lunch time. Roy had had two 20 minute naps on the
plane. After practice, they did have a "real German meal". He didn't tell
me what that included except for a really good salad, an unusual thing for
him to mention. But, I do remember that from our last time there; the
salads are really fresh and good. How do they do that, Cheryl, or anyone
else who has lived there? One of the best meals I ever had was in the
TRAIN STATION in Lucerne, Switzerland. Remember, Vickye?
So far they have played two exhibition games, both shown on TV. They lost
the first one to Italy in spectacular fashion. Seventeen points, and it
wasn't that close. Scott said they played like "dogs" and Roy called it a
"butt-kicking". The second was a heart-stopping win at the buzzer over a
German team that didn't qualify for the Olympics and which included Ademola
Okulaja, who played with Scott and Brad at UNC. Apparently the first game
was a "wake-up call" as Allen Iverson said, but a buzzer- beater against a non-qualifier is not good news. At least they won. During
the coaching staffs' daily walk/planning session, a tradition they began
last year in New York City (they were in Central Park when the lights went
out) and continued through Puerto Rico, Jacksonville and Cologne Wednesday,
Larry mentioned that Allen had never hit a game winning shot in his entire
career, starting as far back as high school. Confiding that same fact to
Roy as soon as they entered the locker room after the game, tough guy A I
was giddy. Makes him seem almost human, huh? And that monkey's off his
back.
They flew to Belgrade, Serbia/Montenegro after the game, and landed on a
runway surrounded by troops in formation and full battle gear. They rode on
their bus through a town completely emptied of traffic. Roy said it was
"eerie". It was however, 3:00AM, and I reminded him that we had Greek
soldiers carrying machine guns on the tarmac beside our plane in Athens when
we were there with UNC's team for regular exhibition games and cultural
experience as far back as 1983. (Do I have that date right, UNC fans? That
was the infamous double-header, played because the NCAA wouldn't let us play
the day before classes were officially over for fall break, never mind that
we weren't in class anyway, so we played back-to-back on the first day of
the break.) And Kimberly and I were personally escorted off the court in
Argentina by gun-toting soldier/bodyguards when we were there with a USA
Basketball qualifying team that included Steve Woodberry from KU. I was
wearing a stars and stripes jacket that I'm leaving home this trip. They've
always taken this stuff more seriously than we have had to. Now we know
what it feels like. Tell Brian we're thankful he's watching out for us,
Jodi.
On the bus ride to the hotel, the team was told that the average income is
$270. per year in these countries. A little different from what our players
make, and probably precludes the need for an accountant, Tim B. They are
staying at an American hotel (a Hyatt, Plotts), and they have key cards.
You use them to open the door, and to activate the lights once you are on
the inside; in order to save on electricity, I suppose, you can't turn them
on any other way. Roy put his card in the inside slot, walked to the bed to
start unpacking his luggage, and the lights went out. He walked back over,
reinserted his card, walked back to the bed and the lights went out.
Finally, he gave up and went down to their meal (at 3 in the morning? Can't
let those sweet babies go to bed hungry!) and was informed by a Wake Forest
grad, that he was supposed to leave the key in the slot. How embarrassing
to be tutored by a self-proclaimed ABCD'er (Anybody But Carolina and Duke)
like Tim Duncan. Sorry, Libby.
Their next game is on ESPN at 7:00 or 7:30PM Eastern time (I've seen both
times) on Friday night, the 6th, from Belgrade vs. the Serbia/Montenegro
team. I'm not sure how to make that an adjective; I can do Serbian, but is
it Montenegran? Or Serbo-Montenegran?
PLEASE DON'T hit the reply button, or my tiny little inbox will overflow
immediately. Start fresh if you want to comment, answer one of my
questions, or opt out. Now that you know how chatty I'm going to be, you
may want to delete me when you see me coming.
Kimberly and I meet the team in Istanbul on Tuesday the 10th, and Scott and
Katie join us in Athens on the 14th. If I get any good information before
we leave, I'll be back.
.