The latest update on Cornell's French Tour, courtesy of Jeremy Hartigan, Cornell's Director of Athletic Communications.
http://cornellbigred.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/052307aab.html
May 31, 2007
5:32 p.m. (French time) - Ok, not so much with the updating again last night. Today's blog is sponsored by Ryan Wittman, who is currently sticking his head out the window in anticipation of a blog update. This idea is really catching on ... I feel a great deal of momentum with it. I think next year I charge subscriptions ...
Well, it's our last full day in France and the weather has been overcast with rain on and off throughout the day on the beautiful French Riviera. We made our way through Cannes yesterday, and with the exception of seeing some multi-million dollar yachts and searching for Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, not a whole lot to say there.
We arrived in Nice about two hours later and got our first look at the French Riviera and the most blue (bluest just doesn't look right when you spell it out) water possible. It was an incredible sight to take in, but a major bad point is that the beach isn't made up of sand, but rather millions of rocks. Not as much comfortable as uncomfortable. By the way, currently the players are exchanging greetings across our U shaped hotel, talking back and forth through the windows.
This is definitely a tourist town for those with money, but also a beautiful area less than 20 miles from the Italian border and a short train ride from Monaco (a group of coaches and staff with their wives went there this morning).
Tonight's game is against the national team of Luxembourg. I think everyone has been pleasantly surprised by how good the competition has been and are looking forward to the last game. After the contest we are heading to a local restaurant for our last supper (appropriate with all the religious symbols and churches we have seen this week).
Internet connection has been spotty (to say the least) and has forced me to not upload massive pictures, but we will do up a large photo gallery of the trip when we get back. With summer coming up, maybe it will spice the web site up a bit for the next couple weeks.
8:54 p.m. - I couldn't resist posting ... it's halftime and we're trailing 50-38. The Luxembourg team is very skilled (man, they really can pass the ball) and physical, but it's the referees playing a big role in the first 20 minutes. The fouls at the half are 17-9, but it was 13-1 at one point and only after the national team took a 17-point lead did the second foul come. We also have been called for four travels and two out-of-bounds calls where are players likely had five or six feet to the sidelines.
Just got done talking to women's basketball player Moina Snyder, a native of France, who dropped by to see the game. There is probably 25 people watching the game with no pomp and circumstance unlike the other games. We might be struggling because we didn't get a chance to meet the mayor. There actually would be about 45 if you count the kids taking karate overlooking the court, but they seem pretty focused on breaking the sheets of ice (arbitrary Karate Kid reference).
I get the strong feeling that these teams are very evenly matched, and that if you put this game in America, we'd have the lead, but our squad is used to the physical play followed by the touch fouls prevalent in the FIBA game.
9:12 p.m. - Ok, so we go on a 13-1 run to tie the game at 51-51. See, told you these teams were even. I'm tremendously smart ... 6:50 left in the third quarter.
10:03 p.m. - After a near bench-clearing brawl and more bad officiating, the Big Red loses 94-85 in its finale. With about five minutes left in the game, Geoff Reeves and a Luxembourg player got wrapped up going for a rebound and behind the play, the Luxembourg player shoved Reeves to the floor. Both benches cleared, though nothing other than words were exchanged. Officials (of course) didn't see any of it, did nothing to break it up, and then wanted to collect their money and go home. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and after both teams took a short break at the benches, the game was back on. An argument over the shot clock became comical when a cat walked right onto the court. Our Director of Sports Marketing Jeff Hall also served as unofficial mop guy, dancing his way out onto the floor two or three times. It was a gigantic circus.
By the way, no need to say I'm a homer ... final foul count 31-19 ... free throw attempts 49-25 ... I'll let you guess who came out on top.
Now we're heading back to eat dinner courtesy the Luxmbourg team ... we may not beat them on the court this year, but at least we'll get a chance to party it up on their tab.
12:39 a.m. - Just leaving the Cargo Restaurant, owned by Didier Verse, a former teammate of former Big Red assistant coach Paul Fortier. He gave us, by far, the best meal in France and was absolutely the nicest human being we met in our time here. Coach Donahue gave up the shirt of his back (literally) and we took a team photo with him. Pam Donahue was most excited about sitting in a seat at the bar that George Clooney sat in just a wek ago while he was in town for the Cannes Film Festival. Right now we're on the way back to the hotel and going for an encore of Alouette Gentille Alouette. Not sure what we're going to do on bus rides next year without Patricia, the best tour guide in the history of France. We're back to singing, and it's Louis Dale's turn to do a song, and he's going with "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5. Not very good, though a good college try. We're now breaking into song, doing Madonna's "Like A Virgin." We have a wake up call in less than six hours, which will come too early.
