cosi ci fa' sapere chrsi mandarino nel suo blog
Last night the top finally blew off the kettle. With three close losses in a row, the frustration has been building each and every week. These past three weeks we have searched for answers as to why we were losing these close games…to teams that were inferior to us. We thought maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe it was because we are just a young team, or maybe it was because we had many guys hurt…all viable and possible reasons…or so we thought. Last night, the truth as to why we lost three close games was revealed. In football, it’s part of the game to lose a close one here and there. Sometimes you are just simply on the wrong end of things, but for it to happen over and over again means that there is something else going on. Something bigger than just being “unlucky”. Last night we found out the reason. Minutes before heading into the stadium for the game, a letter was given to each and every one of the team coaches and managers. This letter was written on behalf of the players stating certain wants and demands that they feel they are entitled to as guys who play football. They have over 20 signatures on the paper. The threat they pose is to not return to the Doves for next season if these demands aren’t met. Apparently, this has been an ongoing concern and private discussion for basically the entire season now. It all began after the second game (a game we came from down by 2 TD’s to win and probably the highest point of the season to date). The players held a player-only meeting to discuss certain issues that they felt they were entitled to but were not receiving from the Society. Such things include better medical services, additional coaches, an off-season strength and conditioning program, etc. When these things were first discussed, I agreed with the players about certain things but disagreed with the timing of the meeting. It was something that should have been discussed and dealt with after the season, not in the second week at our highest point. It completely destroyed the momentum we had going after a big win from behind. It took the focus off the goals of the team and shifted it to certain individuals’ wants and “needs”. When this meeting was brought to Coach Ricca’s attention (after an embarrassing loss to Parma the next week and about 10 players taking themselves out of the game “due to injury” in sort of a protest against the society) he was FURIOUS. The next day, the secret meeting was addressed…Coach Ricca drew a line in the dirt and asked everyone who was willing to put their individual concerns aside and sacrifice for the betterment of the team to step over it. At this point, it was assumed that this was put behind us and we were now moving forward together as a unit. Coach Ricca even held an additional meeting with select “leaders” of the team to clear the air of the issues and to work on their behalf in talking with the society to improve the conditions. Even Marco Panichi, who the players all thought were against what they wanted, was in complete agreement about what they wanted, and assured that they were trying to improve the conditions. The fact of the matter is that running a football team, just like running a business, takes money. I’m not sure if the guys are all keen to the global state of the economy, but it’s quite difficult to come up with additional disposable income to enhance the quality of your business, it’s hard enough just keeping your business afloat. For these reasons, it has been said, that the society has dragged its feet with adequate health-care coverage, additional coaches, an off-season conditioning plan etc. So, these were the issues. They had an advocate that they knew of in Coach Ricca and another they may not have know of in Marco who were working to help the players. Coach Ricca asked these “leaders” to come to him with any future problems or concerns. Yesterday, when we found out that another letter had been drafted and changed from the initial meeting and that another meeting had been held with select individuals on the team to decide when to deliver their message, it had us all in an uproar. Instead of coming in Monday morning evening and preparing for the biggest game of the season against Belgrade, we had to deal with this crap. This explains why we lose the close games. It’s because guys are too busy worrying about the things they can’t control than the things they can, like preparing for the game, giving 100% effort, and sacrificing their bodies for the goal of the team. We don’t have a TEAM. We have a bunch of individuals who feel entitled for some reason. Last night we spoke our minds. Coach Ricca began the meeting with a tirade. He called out the pretenders, the guys who pretend to be “team guys” who pretend to give maximum effort. He was pissed! He felt betrayed and lied to by the players who gave them his word that what was discussed in Week 2 was over…who gave them their word that if there was another problem that they would come to him FIRST. Where was the trust? The accountability? The loyalty? Where were any of the qualities that make up a TEAM? Not here. We have individuals with individual concerns and individual priorities. Individuals that would prefer to see the team crumble than to sacrifice and work to make it better. Individuals who don’t want to look at themselves as a potential problem, but would rather point the finger…to their teammates, to the coaches, to the American players who never come off the field, to the society…but not to themselves. This is what I said when I spoke. I let the guys know that I didn’t come here for the money, if that was the case, I’d be working in the states or preparing for another NFL training camp. I came here for the purity of sport and the love of the game. I came here to get away from football as a business and away from individuals who felt they were entitled to maybe more than they deserve. I came here for the camaraderie and was told that in Italy they played simply for the love of the game. Maybe I was blinded by the fairy tale of “Playing for Pizza”. Maybe I should have expected this. Maybe these guys are disillusioned by what they see in the NFL and maybe this is what they perceive football to be. In the NFL, people get paid to play football and they get the things to do because they are Professionals. Here in Italy, there are Italian players who feel they also deserve to get paid to play football…which is just mind boggling to me. Guys who are in their first few years of playing the game of football feel entitled to receive money…this is just mind boggling to me. It took me 10 years of playing this game until I was rewarded with any such compensation, which came in way of a scholarship after walking on to Cal. That did not come just because I was “the smartest dumb kid” like many guys here. That came because I worked my ass off to be the best at what I did. That did the best because I made the sacrifices I needed to make to be a “football player”. This means going to the gym and working out on your own when you don’t have a program to follow, when you are home for winter or summer break. Guys here feel they have to have an off-season conditioning program when half the guys don’t even show up for practice. Really? Anyway, I’m off on a tangent. This is just the frustration that comes with a losing season. Is it frustrating when we lose, of course, but to hear these things and to now understand why we have lost is even more sickening and disheartening. The truth of the matter is, without all this drama, we are probably a playoff team this year. A team we had beat, before letting it slip with 14 seconds to go, will probably make the third playoff spot. As far as talent is concerned, we have the ability, but we don’t play as a team. In my 18 years of playing football, this has made all the difference between the teams where we had success and the teams where we couldn’t win. It was the TEAM. It was the respect that guys had for one another. It was the competition between each other to make one another better. These are the things that win football games. After I spoke, a few of the Italian coaches and staff members spoke their peace. They launched a verbal nuclear attack on some of the players. I didn’t understand a whole lot, but the message was clear. I thought for a moment that someone was going to die. Either one of the players was going to be strangled to death, or one of the coaches was going to keel over with a heart attack or brain aneurism. It was INTENSE. If there’s one thing these Italian’s know how to do, it’s how to argue and to verbally battle. WOW. After the dust settled and everyone had spoken their peace, cooler heads prevailed and we hoped that the message would somehow evoke a positive response from the players. We hope that we can come together for the remainder of this season and play together as a TEAM. We need to put the issues aside and just shut up and play football. That’s all that matters now. We can still make a great season out of this. We have the opportunity to play for an EFAF championship and to earn bragging rights as the best team in Bologna, but to do some we must grow from being little boys (girls) who bicker and complain into men who take responsibility go to war not for themselves, but for the man next to them. I feel that many of the guys gained this message and took it as positive, and there are others who feel they have it all figured out and still look to point the finger. We can’t control their minds, we can only move forward with those who agree and are willing to buy in to this mentality and leave behind those who are not. So here we go. The biggest game of the year on Sunday…a 15 hour bus ride to Belgrade…my attempt to play with a “broken” shoulder...and a group of guys who each need to look themselves in the mirror…it’s gut check time…who will rise to the occasion and who will cower and hide? We shall see. I know that there is a lot of good on the team, but when you lose, the bad always masks the good. We need these guys to rise up as the true leaders of the team. We need these guys to have the resounding voice and spirit of the team, not the pessimists and naysayers. This is our way to victory.
Anyway, wow, that was a bit long-winded, but I needed to get it off my chest. Outside of football, life is great. The guys on the team are great guys. Most are genuine people and have become great friends. I hope they don’t confuse my frustrations with football as a negative view on them as friends and people. I want to win, and sometimes, you need to be confrontational and a asshole to change the track your on.
I’ve been traveling a bit these past couple weeks. I’ve seen Florence, Milano Maritima, and Riccione. Now that the weather has finally warmed up, I’ve gotten my fix for the beach. It’s not quite the same as Newport, but it will do for now. Florence is an amazing city! I was mesmerized by the statue of David. It is such a perfect and pristine masterpiece! We spent almost 20 minutes just staring in awe at this magnificent piece of art. Truly breathtaking. Florence as a whole is a beautiful city! Everything from the food, to the art, to the churches, to the river is amazing. You can really feel the pulse of the city and the vibrancy that remains from the renaissance.
The last little note…we have another American…another CAL Bear! Burl Toller who also came in the same year as Terrell and I, has joined in on the action out here in Italy. He is now having the chance to experience Italian first hand and has gotten thrown into the fire quick. I think he may be having flashbacks to the 1-10 season our first year at CAL. Haha. We’re all having a blast together and it’s great to have him here. Hopefully we can win this week to prolong our stay here in Italy.
That’s all for now, but stay tuned for the next episode of Dynasty! hahaha
Posted by Chris Manderino
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Sebbene l ultime righe, scrive di quanto e' bello il panorama italia, e le sue visite, le righe sopra lasciano un tono dolente ,
che fa' rivedere un po' il programma futuro dei Doves ...
Come dissi, l ultimo obbiettivo per i DOVES e' vincere il derby e giocare bene in europa...
i giocatori riuniti.... come al solito