December 24, 2008
Today is December 24th, Santa Claus is just around the corner, and here we go for some cigarettes that help to survive during the break over the holy days.
- First of all, thanks to Zalgiris Kaunas, which is (so far) the only Euroleague and team in general that has sent a (digital) Christmas Card to BallinEurope.
- Speaking of gifts, who doesn’t remember the 2008 Olympic Games final? The French referee Chantal Julien who officiated during the Olympic Games talks about the decisive game between Spain and the USA. In an interview with the French magazine Basketnews, Chantal comes back to this memorable game with the following words: You don’t call the same things on the Americans than you do call on other teams. You have to call the most evident of the evident things. If you whistle a travel every time that Kobe Bryant starts a drive, you will get whistled, you as the referee … During the final, the Spanish team was penalized on the US travels. With the consequences that we know at the end with the two technical fouls on non-called traveling violations. This was embarrassing…
- Some Euroleague teams have put X-mas related content on their homepages. While TAU Vitoria has changed the look of the entry page into a giant Christmas tree, Virtus Roma is even selling a Christmas T-shirt with the autographs of their players. ALBA Berlin is combining their own wishes to the fans with those of the team by putting Julius Jenkins on the official Christmas message, and CSKA Moscow has arranged its homepage a bit into a Christmas Feeling while describing the VTB League win as a Christmas gift. However, the maximum in Christmas kitsch comes from Montepaschi and this video clip in which the players and some other people wish a merry Christmas and a happy new year while wearing those stupid Santa Claus hats. And nobody can tell me anymore that Italians do NOT talk too much…
- I really though that the ACB would make a special Christmas clip for the ACB TV portal. There is nothing at least until now, but watch this great highlight film of the best and most spectacular plays of the year 2008. Be sure to check out the latest Ricky Rubio beauty at the end of the film.
- You can also read the official Christmas letter from Jan Pommer, the German Bundesliga commissioner, but it’s far less entertaining than the ACB video review.
- In France, the Christmas break is always marked by the All-Star Game. And as always, the dunk contest is more exciting than the game itself, as officials invited Golden Child and Justin Darlington to compete against the best French leapers.
- For the Euroleague, it’s Christmas, too, with a best of Christmas cheerleader action. This is even worse than the Montepaschi wishes.
OK, I think I’ve done my work for now. I wish you all the best and a merry Christmas…
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This post was published on December 24, 2008
