Highlights: U Mobitelco- BT CSM Bucharesti 100-73

Courtesy of Rudu Tenter

Midwest Hospitality, Must've been the shoes...Week 7

It's my seventh week here in Cluj and the weather is finally starting to warm up. The snow is gone, and I can finally walk around in something other than sweats and boots. We won both games last week, the first against Timisoara and the second coming against Otopeni. Both were decently easy W's (Timisoara by 40),  and if we finish off these next 2 games the way we should... we will lock down the 2nd seed for the playoffs. Looking to do damage against this next team though, I need a good game to get me back on track. No better place to do it than right on our home court. 

Received some much needed care packages from both the G rents and Parents last week. I'm loved what can I say. Along with the various gummies and various toiletry items, they managed to throw in some (much needed) game sneakers. The D Rose Adizero 1.5's and the Kevin Durant All-Star Edition. Both are very light, and we all know how important that is being white. I need all the help I can get... check them out. 

I won't be breaking the Durant's out until playoff time, just wouldn't seem right now would it?

I was nominated for the All-Star game that will be held in Sibiu at the end of the season. Although I'm honored, no shot I make it. I mean really. I've been here one month, and average 6 points and 4 assists in 5 games. I wouldn't say thats All-Star status, but hey... I'm flattered nonetheless. On top of that, the point guard from Targu Mures has had about 1,000 votes in the past 3 days. So I'm pretty sure it's Gata (over in Romanian) Last time I checked I was fifth in the voting, for the North. I would say most of that has less to do with my talent, and more to do with our fans. Oh well, I'll take what I can get. Keep Voting!

Laundry and Sleep is in my near future... followed by a lift at 9 A.M. I thought you were supposed to get used to less sleep as you get older. Sense we abbreviate everything, FTS... guess that one.

Night.

Another Win, 5 Games left in the Regular Season

First thing's first:

We beat Brasov this past weekend to earn our 19th win and close our record to 19-6 with 5 games left. We are currently 3rd in the standings, but with Mures still to play Medias, Ploiesti, and Oradea, there is a chance that we could move back up to second if we win out. To say we could have played better against Brasov this weekend would be an understatement, but at the end of the day a W is a W and it's on to the next game. Wednesday we have Timisoara at home, and Saturday we travel to Otopeni to finish what should be the most challenging week left on our schedule. Ready to get back on track, and hopefully start playing more consistent. Starts with a good week in practice!

BU Basketball! Enough said! The terriers are going to the dance, and it will be interesting to see the seeding breakdown tonight on selection Sunday. It was kind of bitter sweet for two reasons. Firstly, I would be lying if I wasn't a bit jealous that this years team cleared the hurdle I was never able to. It's the competitor speaking out, sue me. However, I couldn't be prouder and happier for a group of guys. I know the ups and downs, big losses, and adversity they had to go through. Big time fellas! ATTITUDE! You did it! Now let's just try to get that 15 seed for statistical reasons. (For all of you unfamiliar with college basketball or march madness, a 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed in the history of the 72 year old tournament)

Here is Video of the team rushing the court...

The second reason it was a bit bitter sweet last night, was because my own Boston Terrier of 13 years died last night due to some heart trouble. Little guy was the man, but everyone has their time. R.I.P.  Phoenix, you will be missed.

Also, my friend and teammate from BU, Tunde Agboola, just created his own iPhone App called Spkeazy. It's a social application designed for users to share bar and club information regarding line length, girl to guy ratio, drink costs and everything in between over the mobile network via Facebook. It's free and can be downloaded at the app store. However, it is only available for Boston nightlife. If you are interested in a version for Cluj, Indy, or any other city, send either him or me the club/bar information, city and address and I'll make sure gets it. I'm not making any promises, but the kid is a genius and can multitask the hell out of just about anything. Below is a link to the app so you can check it out yourself.

Spkeazy

Signing off,

T

It's been a while...

Howdy sports fans,

Sorry its taken me about a year to get back on this thing, but they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. (or maybe out of sight out of mind)* Either way I'm back with a super long post whether you like it or not. 

This week has started out solidly. Beginning my 6th week over here, and I am feeling as comfortable as ever.   I'm steadily adjusting from sleeping on a queen to sleeping on a twin, and Nip Tuck is getting me through these cold days, until it is warm enough to walk around the city a bit. Last weekend we beat the 2 seed Gaz Metan Medias at home to take control of 2nd ourselves. It was a big time win for us for two reasons. First, seeing as we lost to Mures the week before, we couldn't afford to drop another game to a top 5 team. Second, beating Medias by more than the 8 points they beat us by in the earlier rounds means we have the tie break. Who knows, but that may come out to help us down the stretch. Highlights of the game are below. (Brought to you by Radu Tenter)

This saturday we play Brasov, who is currently 1- 20 in the league or something around there. I'm not sure who they beat, but that should be a relatively simple game for us if handle it right. The game is away, and with no huge interstates or highways in Romania, these trips can get a bit lengthy. I believe Brasov is only about 4 hours for us, but we play a game past Bucharest this month that will be about 10 hours. Mhmm, break out the Ipod extra battery pack, grab a pack of gummies, kick back and relax. 

On another note, the new Lupe Fiasco Album came out this week. Lasers. I must say I'm a fan.  I have posted a couple links of songs on the album, check them out and let me know what you think. 

Beautiful Lasers ft. MDMA

Never Forget You ft. John Legend

Letting Go ft. Sarah Green

Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey

The Show Goes On

The whole CD is good, those are just some of the better songs. 

Looks like it's time for some lunch. I think I'm going to order some Chinese. I know, Chinese in Romania? But hey, we have to see what they are working with. Oddly enough, and my Boston friends will enjoy this, the place is called Beijing. Hopefully they don't serve up the same crispy critters the 728 one does. Haha. 

Hello to the family and friends back in the states and in Europe,  thinking of you guys and I'll be seeing you soon enough. 

Talk to you guys soon. 

T

Took one on the Chin, LESSON'S LEARNED, Head up and on to Medias

I continue to learn everyday from my new experiences here in Cluj. Some are pleasant, and some not so much. Sometimes you get the beast, and sometimes the beast gets you (or something like that). Unfortunately, this weekend at Tg. Mures turned out differently than many of us here in Cluj may have hoped. But in any situation a loss should be viewed as a win, because the lessons learned from any loss become invaluable tools to be used for future obstacles. Me, myself, I learned something very valuable from this game at Mures. ALWAYS STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF, DON'T OVER THINK . Some may say this is two lessons, but I believe they go hand and hand. Tit for Tat.  I don't necessarily mean this statement in a selfish way, but in any situation where your character is tested you have to go back to what you know and who you are naturally. Trusting your instincts in times of pressure is key. Personally, I believe that this applies to all facets of life: Relationships, Sports, Teams, Jobs, anything. You can never be afraid to trust yourself, because one moment of hesitation can break a perfect situation in half. As soon as someone tries to do things in a manner that is designed to please or attempt to act in a way thats not natural, they are only setting themselves up to fail in a big way. I was a little disappointed with my lack of contribution to the game this weekend. No doubt. More disappointed on how this may or may not have affected the team,  but really disappointed that I played the game I love in a way that goes against my natural instincts. Nonetheless, that game is over. No excuses. The great thing is that it wasn't the last game of the year, and  I (and us as a team) have another chance to prove ourselves this weekend.

I was told this weekend, "Never, no matter what, let anyone take the pleasure out of playing the game of basketball. This is the first and only thing. Continue to work and get better, and things fall into place with time."

Again this quote can be applied to anything.

This weekend we have another tough game at home against Gaz Metan Medias. Nothing more really needs to be said.

Sorry I have been tardy on my posts and I will do a better job this week of keeping up on things.

Stocked up and ready for WEEK 3

Servus. Im going to start this post off with some pictures of the purchases I just made at the store tonight. I spent too much time going through carrefour market, searching for the correct milk (ok I got it now... Napolact), not to advertise the fruits of my labor.

And ask  how much this ran me? mmmm let's call it about 50 USD even. Have to love the generous exchange rate!

If you are from Cluj, and follow the team, then you obviously know Kyndall Dykes. Well let me tell you something about Mr. Dykes. He may be the only person I've ever met in my life, that likes gummies more than me. And the thing is, to get past me you have to put in work. Real work. I've had  a few people give me a run for my money, but this guy is ridiculous. He puts these things down. So if you want to know the way to show you are his number one fan, just get the man 10 assorted packages of gummies from Haribo and he will fall in love.

 Practice today consisted mainly of shooting drills and 3 on 3. I was happy with that though, my legs needed another light day. Tomorrow we have a lift in the morning, followed by Mr. Ienac's funeral. We shall see how that goes, but I am banking on everyone being emotionally drained for the night practice tomorrow. Hopefully we can still get some good work out of it.

Looking forward to the game this Saturday. A W this weekend means we will be locked into to second place. Mhmmm good. Thanks again to my supporters on FB and the "U" Cluj guestbook... lets get it done this week.

My one recommendation going away, is for all of you to see The King's Speech if you haven't already. Starts out slow, but finishes strong and is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. I'm also going to work on that highlight from the Rovinari game.

Peace

First game played on an honorable night

Just grabbed a late lunch with Rob at Restaurant Fair Play, and decided to come home and catch you guys up on the weekend. Before I do that though, I would like to apologize to all of my Romanian followers. It was thoughtfully brought my attention last evening that I've failed to realize that maybe, just maybe some of you may not be interested in reading my website links in all English. I have changed my neglectful ways and added a couple of the same Romanian Basketball website links in Romanian. This way, for those of you that don't know the websites off the top of your head, you can bypass the Google Translate mess and go right to the webpage. I'm sorry again, and I hope this helps.

Last night was my first game in Cluj and I must say it was quite the opening night for me. However, this may have been for reasons that may not seem so obvious. Of course it was great to actually be on the court again; great to actually play in a game that mattered. It was refreshing to still see I can compete at a high level, on a team and in a league that are both relevant. The fan's we awesome and my teammates were very supportive during this week leading up to the game, especially the younger guys. Furthermore, it was great that I had a decent performance, the fans enjoyed my talent enough to chant my name a bit at the end (pretty flattering) , and we got the win. What made it even more special was the fact that I was able to be a part of the remembrance of a man that I never had the pleasure of knowing, but that seemed to have touched the lives of so many people here in Cluj. Nicholas Ienac, who was one of the most influential and successful sports managers in Cluj history, died last week after falling into a coma due to some head and heart complications. Again, like I said, I had only shook the hand of Mr. Ienac one time, but the support at the game last night was amazing. Only a truly great individual could move a mass of people in this way. I would like to say Rest In Peace to Mr. Ienac and may you be with us for the rest of the season in spirit. I have posted some pictures below of the game and the memorial banners some of the fans showcased.

Picture Gallery (U vs. Rovinari)

I don't know if Radu (coach's son) has chopped up the game against Rovinari or not, but if he did I will have that up here on my next post.

All in all it was an great weekend, and I look forward to starting my third week here in Cluj.

P.S. The dunk contest last night was weak. I stayed up until 6 a.m. here just to see Blake Griffin win it by jumping over the hood of a car with bent legs. I'm not saying its easy, but C'mon SON! really? Could have been better.