EL BLOG ILUSORIO DE RUDY: Pablo Neruda Could Put Points on Your Face

5.6.09

Pablo Neruda Could Put Points on Your Face

News of the Bad: While my hermana Marta and I show relaxations and smiles, our appearances may cloak a deception. Yesterday, Marta got the news
that she will NOT be playing with the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA this year. It was a grave disappointment; this was the very last day that team discards could be notified as such.

But my sister is strong, and has both feet on the ground. It is just that those feet will not be in Los Angeles this year.

News of the Nationalistic: As for myself, I shall soon train with the Spanish National Team. There are some who will think I am playing too much basketball. To them, I reply with the words of poet Pablo Neruda:

¿Cuanto vive el hombre por fin?
¿Vive mil dias o uno solo?
¿Una semana ovarios siglos?
(“How long does a man live, after all? Does he live a thousand days or one only? A week or several centuries?”)

A finite number of days exists for me to engage in basketballing. I plan to extract the most from each of them. However, our team will lack both Pau Gasol and José Calderon. The former plays in the NBA championship matches, while the latter nurses injuries on his pig ranch.

News of the Good: Given these absences, I will be the undisputed leader of the Spanish team in our attempt to win the gold medal. Haha! *rubbing hands together* Ricky Rubio will no doubt be point guard. Other mates who may have bred familiarity with international basketball fans include Marc Gasol, Felipe Reyes, and Fran Vasquez. And perhaps El Chacho will also join us!

Rudy y Marta foto from here,
Rudy graphic from bonnieln at Blazers Edge,
Rudy y Pau di RudyFans.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I welcome your civil commenting.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

"El Blog Ilusorio": In the Orbs of Others!

Rudy's Hypothetical Rules of Basketball

1. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of score, assists, or rebounds. They will only remember who won them a chalupa.

2. Any shot worth shooting is worth shooting twice.

3. When not shooting on offense, you should be communicating, passing, and running. Also, yell “Foul!” repeatedly. Why? How can officials summon help if you yell “Good D!” or “Our opponents are superior!”?

4. If legitimately called for a foul, say, “A good call!” (Do this no more than once a game.)

5. When in possession of the ball, have a plan. Further, have a back-up plan, because the first plan won't work (unless you are Brandon Roy).

6. Use cover or concealment as much as possible. (Both Oden and Pryzbilla provide these in abundance.)

7. On defense, ignore words and direct your eyesight to the ball. (Opposing Cleveland, LeBron James told me he would pull up for a jumper. I advanced upon him. Then James drove baseline with great speed. Both of my ankles gave way!)

8. The faster you begin an opponent’s blow-out, the more shots everyone will get.

9. Be polite and professional to everyone you play against. Then destroy them, for they wish to defeat you.

10. Practice shooting in a dimly-lit practice area with someone shouting unflattering threats at you. (I found this useful in Europe, where partial power outages were not uncommon.)

11. You may feel sad about snapping another team’s back with a clinch alley-oop or a clutching 3-pointer. But sadness is preferred to losing. And the winning will then bring happiness. (In the case of defeating the Lakers, the happiness will be most pronounced.)

12. Purple is not my color. (It may not be anyone’s color.)