A few more on Coach Spo

Ethan Skolnick is a sportswriter who, since 1996, covered the Miami Heat.  He has done stories on the two-time NBA champions for newspapers in the South Florida areas and at present does his thing for the Palm Beach Post.

In his article “An Insider’s Guide to Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoesltra,” Skolnick talks about Coach Spo’s anonymity (which he enjoys) outside of Florida and his genuine elation and embarrassment when more famous coaches recognize and acknowledge him.

Skolnick tells of Spo’s aversion to interviews specially if it’s about his personal life.  But from the way his article relates, looks like Spo has opened up a bit with a few more things we need know about the man who guided LeBron James and the Miami Heat to repeat titles.

1. Spo is a big Bono fan.  He has attended the Irish band’s concert at least six times.

2. With his jet-black hair and without any traces of gray, he can pass off as a college kid with the way he dresses.  It is common to see Coach Spo at Miami’s practice facility wearing his baseball cap backwards and likes to wear Air Jordans.  Having a former Heat dancer as a girlfriend also helps in the youthful appearance.

3. He likes the countryside and would go to places where phone signals are non-existent.  Every time there’s a break in the season, Spo goes back to Oregon where his father and mother still lives.  His father is a former NBA executive while his mom cannot bear to watch his games.  He was brought up on the environmental side that while he was still a video coordinator for the Heat, he was frustrated with so much paper wasted that he insisted for the team to do recycling.

4. Like everyone into sports, Spo is a multi-sport fan.  Aside from basketball, he is a huge football and boxing fan.  He likes college football, particularly the University of Oregon football team where he has a good and continuing friendship with Coach Chip Kelly, now handling the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.  Of course, he goes for Congressman PacMan that it was said that he is very passionate when Manny fights.  Our PacMan did not return the favor.  Remember his fight versus Tim Bradley in 2012?  PacMan delayed the match because he cheered for the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals versus Miami.  We all know the story, who won, who lost.  Good for Spo, really bad for PacMan.

5. Spo is a bookworm and has shared the appetite of reading to his players by giving them copies of books with various titles and expecting them to at least digest some thoughts from the selections given.  Not so sure if he gives them quizzes though.

6.He speaks German.  Spo learned the language while playing in Germany for two years after college.  He can speak a few Tagalog words also.  Could be some Tagalog cuss words as there are instances during close games that Coach Spo is really animated and most of his players seem like into a you-talkin’-to-me-coach kind of trance.  Maybe Spo shouted “tang na, mo, Bron, that was a bad play!” or it could be, “what was that, Dwayne?  Anak nang bubwit!”  We never can tell.

7.Spo’s biggest regret?  You got it – he wanted to play at least a season in the PBA.  Well, if he did, Miami will just settle for a single NBA title, LeBron James could still be in Cleveland and Dwayne Wade will be on a different uniform.

***

As I write this, it has been more than 10 days since the Zambo conflict.  If only that guy occupying Malacañang had exercised his title as Commander-in-Chief, ordered a search-and-destroy and not rely on the presidential parrots, it wouldn’t have taken this long to settle things.  Distributing to the combatants Cloud 9 Fun Packs.  Really.  His indecisiveness destroyed thousands of lives, property and economy in Zamboanga. 

And those people with political aspirations in 2016 should have inhibited their freaking bureaucratic asses from the place and let the military and police do what they do best.  Their presence adds to the chaos as aside from grandstanding and other related bullcrap, they need a battalion to secure their PDAF-enriched lives. 

Now hear this.  DZMM reported that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) had asked the Indonesian government for help in the resolution of the Zamboanga conflict.  I cringe at the thought.  Are we this ineptly inutile?  I am proud and will always be a Filipino but I am ridiculed and ashamed of this government.

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