Italy

On July 9, Evil Ted and I will depart for Italy, a.k.a., Europe's Boot. No, this isn't a guys trip. If it was, trust me, we'd be going somewhere like Amsterdam. No, our company has decided we're important enough to send to Pisa for two weeks of extensive training. What kind of training? ARMY TRAINING, SIR!!

Just kidding. We'll actually be honing our technical writing skills. Assuming the boredom of said training doesn't finish us off, Mortal Kombat-style.

We'd love to get some pickup ball in while we're there, but...we have no idea where to go, or even if they play pickup in the Boot. Sadly, the almighty Google has failed us. So if you or anyone you know has played at or heard of pickup courts in Pisa or, hell, anywhere else in Italy, let us know.

Labels: , ,

35 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
You could ask Kobe.

That's for telling the one bucket story.

Blogger Nick Flynt said...
So...what is technical writing? Like manuals and s***. I'm sure it's what every child dreams of becoming. Wakka wakka.

That is a serious question though.

Anonymous AK Dave said...
Wait... in order to receive "training" in writing in ENGLISH, you're being sent to ITALY (where, I have confirmed, they DON'T speak or write in English)?

Does ET's wife actually buy this? Where are you REALLY going?

Blogger 49er16 said...
Didn't Brandon Jennings play in Italy? So I am sure you could play some hoops there.

Blogger Will said...
Too bad you're not goin to Amsterdam, because my WV would be perfect for there.

weeded- I am not making this up

Anonymous Shrugz said...
should emphasize that it looks like a lady's boot

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Just to give you some hope, my german GF says there should definately be pickup courts .. she's been through Pisa while going through Italy and she remembers seeing them. Of course, she is dilussional and says she see's purple too, but .. ah well. - Fishy

Anonymous Dan B. said...
Don't lie. This is just a mission to find truly bawful uncoordinated European stiffs (you know, the guys NBA heads think have "potential" but really are only slightly less goofy and white than Ostertag) to keep us entertained, and you don't want us to get too excited so you're lying about it for now. I know how it goes.

Anonymous Stotts Era said...
good think you went to enchanted learning for the map

Blogger chris said...
Well, Bawful, given that the Nowitski situation is in high gear, maybe you'll be investigating further for more laughs? :D

Anonymous Anonymous said...
While you're in Europe, can you punch Ricky Rubio in the face for being such a princess?

Blogger Trev said...
Dearest Bucks,

Fuck You. You give up a 20 point scorer and you get back drum roll please...CAP SPACE!!! That's great if your New York, Phoenix or Miami, but guess what? YOUR TEAM IS STILL IN FUCKING MILWAUKEE!!!!

So you get to blow all that cap space on keeping Captain Twitter, Ramon Sessions who you where so stoked about you had him sit behind Luke Ridnour most of the season and then in 2010 you get to over pay Ray Allen to finish his career as a Buck, and sign Joel Prizybilla the only other free agent who will think playing in Milwaukee is a good thing. Way to go assholes.

Fucking Die,

The Western Conference

Blogger Don Ebay Mølse said...
If you guys come across Denmark ill challenge your bawful asses for a do or die pick-up game... see you there.

oh youre scared? well buhuhuhu...

;-)

Blogger Nick Flynt said...
"...I still want to have a few little Dirks running around later. But it won't be easy to win my heart."

Ladies, better hurry and get some of that sweet Dirk lovin'.

Blogger Nick Flynt said...
Above from Trev:

Pure genius. Not nearly as bad as Pau to Lakers for a broken, stone handed man-boy and a bag of old basketballs (signed by Chick Hearn).

Blogger Nick Miller said...
My google skills are way strong:

There was a tournament here, so there must be a court...
http://www.streetball.com/events/summer-league-pontedera

This place mentions a nearby park with a court:
http://www.tuscany-hotels.net/Volterra-hotels/Park-Hotel-Fonti.htm


Have fun, and don't get worked by some bastard child of mike d'antoni.

Blogger milaz said...
If you make it further east to Cyprus, then I can arrange something... but I'm sure you'll find something if look around...

Anonymous DKH said...
Trev:

I saw that and was also pissed, but not because I'm a Bucks fan. Pissed because, if that was the going rate for Richard Jefferson, the Cavs should have been all over trading him for Wally Szczerbiak or Ben Wallace. Freaking Danny Ferry.

Anonymous Jon said...
Do my eyes deceive me or is that Yugoslavia on the right?

Blogger Wild Yams said...
Buck Nasty - Actually the Jefferson Heist probably at least rivals the Gasol Swindle, and it may actually be more lopsided. Who exactly did the Bucks get in return? Three guys who have been over the hill and nailed to the bench for the last two years (or more)? At least Memphis got two first round draft picks, a rookie who was a first round draft pick, Marc Gasol and Kwame Brown's capspace. All that for a guy who was a one-time All Star in his late 20s. Jefferson's also in his late 20s, and though he's never been an All Star, he's certainly been close. Memphis at least got some hope for improving the team in the future, all Milwaukee got was a lower salary.

Funny how last year Popovich was one of the most outspoken opponents of the Gasol trade, saying there should be a committee that has to approve trades before they can go through. I wonder what such a committee would have thought of today's trade... Also, how much fishier is this deal gonna look once at least one (and maybe all three) of the Bucks new players opt out and re-sign with San Antonio? You know that's coming.

Blogger chris said...
Wow, this blockbuster deal for two of the top lacktion artists this season - all-world Bruce Bowen and the Fabulous Fabricio Oberto - has hit ESPN's NBA front page111!1!

Anonymous Ruben said...
It seems like you are getting offers to play ball in random parts around Europe now, so I think I'll join in the fun. But seriously, you should listen to your inner -and outer- self and come to Amsterdam. Do it!

Blogger Fishy said...
I bet Bowen will be back in a Spurs uniform in no time

Blogger Nick Flynt said...
Solid points, Yams.

Pop's response: "Yeah, but there isn't a trade committee."

And then he did this -
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_story/2008/10/30/gregg_popovich_plays_joke_on_shaq.jpg

I know that link is small, but I spent about ten minutes trying to find a damn link that was larger and none showed up. Also I suck at html linking when I don't have pre-set buttons. And that's a glimpse into my daily life.

Blogger Basketbawful said...
I swear I'll reply to all of these comments later...but Ruben, seriously, are you in Amsterdam? Because I'm THIS close to going there...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Ha ha Ruben. Joke's on you. He's going to hit you up for bail money.

And EVAD ka, I'll back him up on this one. I'm making a hiatus back to chi-town and I had to reschedule everything because of this damn trip. The best part was bawful whining about how his company was sending him to Viva Italia for two weeks on their dime. The last trip I made on my employers dime was to freaking Newark, NJ. Point and match to bawful.

*sigh* Dear Bawful, I hope your teeth snag on those hairy legs and armpits. That is all.

Anonymous Ruben said...
I'm in another city, but since Holland is such -as my aunt says- a tiny "rot-land", I'm less than 40 minutes away.

BadDave- This is the country where "everything is allowed." Seriously, do you know how bad you have to be to get locked up in Holland? Because if you do, you are a bad bad man. Wait, I forgot who I was talking to... never mind...

Anonymous Barry said...
I'm about 45 minutes away from Amsterdam myself - but I'm there most of the time (school and whatnot) and I rarely come across pick-up ballers.

Though to be frank, why would you be playing pick-up ball in Amsterdam anyway, when there's debauchery on every corner?

I could invite you to my town but it's probably worse than Newark,NJ. We don't even have a court for Christ's sake.

Blogger Nick said...
We play a lot of pickup ball in Rome, so if you swing by the Eternal City, we'll take you to the courts.

Blogger AnacondaHL said...
Buon giorno! Always order "acqua naturale". No gas. That is all.

Blogger Don Ebay Mølse said...
@ Ruben, they brought three police officers in a minivan just to get me to the police-station because i pee'd in a freakin back alley... sad but true story.

Anyways, arent there pick-up ball by the "I AMSTERDAM" sign. I played a couple games last time i was there

Blogger Gimmy said...
Ciao.
I don't know about pickup basketball in Pisa, but I'm sure you'll find someone to play with. Of course, you must be lucky to find someone with skills. In July i will be between Padua (where i live) and Venice, so I could tell you where good basketball happens here. By the way, Siena and Bologna are two big cities for basketball.

Anonymous arwyta said...
Yugoslavia? Dude, this map is old...
Make sure you don't miss Rome and Venice, and bring lots of money, because Italy is really expensive. I'm going there on September. Already saving.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
c'e un sacco di campetti buoni in italia dove si trova pick up games...nn vi preoccupare, dovrebbe essere facile trovarne almeno uno a pisa, e` una citta abbastanza grande!!!

Anonymous Icky-D said...
the translation for the italian guy:
There are a lot of courts in Italy where you can find pick up games, don't worry, it should be easy to find one, at least in Pisa, it's a pretty big city.

True, I lived in Italy for a year with AFS exchange program, I joined the team in my city, Lecco. Italian players are pretty good to say. Pick up games in Italy can teach you some language skills too. The Germans are good, too, but there aren't so many places to play in Germany.