Then there was the time the officiating was deemed . . . deficient.
First, some context.
About mid-October, each tour leader received a packet of materials that included details pertinent to his or her tour and team, i.e. game dates, practice schedules, hotel particulars, etc. Also included are several pages of general information described as a “Help Sheet”.
For instance, one section of the Help Sheet discusses shopping. This seems fairly straightforward. If we need something we stop and get it. But, the guidance offered in this section only suggests the tour guide should not feel obligated to go every time. OK, but it should just be a quick in-and-out. Right?
Well, not so much.
During my first tour (November of ‘96) I discovered the “shopping” advice was actually more of a warning. Early on we stopped at a grocery store – Albertsons or Safeway or such – for what I expected to be a quick grab-a-few-things-for-the-room type of thing. Two hours later, “shopping” continued.
I didn’t really appreciate the significance of these lengthy excursions until April of ‘99 when I travelled to Estonia for the first time. Only eight years removed from communism and still several years away from joining the EU, retail experiences were pretty grim. Clearly this was an economic sector that was under-served. Stores were very small and product selection was limited to say the least. The exception was the outdoor markets where in-season fruit and vegetables were always plentiful.
In any event, once Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and adopted the common currency in 2011, investment in the retail sector exploded. Large western-style, full-line, grocery stores popped up everywhere. Malls were built. Franchise restaurants came in along with movie theatres. Also, shoe stores. Many, many shoe stores. It’s as if everybody in Estonia had been walking around like the Flintstones up to that point.
I admit it, I miss the rough edges from my early experiences in Estonia. In 1999, 2000, 2001 there was still much of the old Soviet “look-and-feel” to the place which I found absolutely fascinating. Of course, I completely understand why Estonians wanted to leave that behind as quickly as possible. It’s safe to say, mission accomplished.
Finally, I’ll note the “shopping” experiences common to each of the five tours were more about looking than buying. Curiosity about America was natural among travelers coming from former Soviet bloc countries. Malls and grocery stores offered a good opportunity to help satisfy this interest. I’ll never forget my Estonian friend Viktor wanted to know why there were so many different kinds of toothpaste. It’s a good question for free-enterprise to sort out.
Anyway, back to the Help Sheet. Another passage caught my eye mostly due to the bolded sentence that begins, “If the coach goes ballistic. . . “.
So, what’s that now? Why would the coach go ballistic? And why would this be my concern?
Well, it seems the game of basketball is officiated a little different in the U.S. vs. overseas. For instance, the “Euro-step” – quite common now in the NBA – was not an accepted practice in the late ‘90s. It’s still hard to get away with it at the collegiate level. But, that’s just one example of where application of the rules may run into a difference of opinion, depending on continent.
So, during the second half of one particular game on my ‘99 tour I had reason to recall this section of the Help Sheet when the team sponsor suddenly jumped to his feet to demonstratively and vociferously protest a call. Actually, this behavior had been going on throughout the entire game. But this time was different. This time he threatened to pull his team off the court.
So, what did the Help Sheet say about “ballistic” again? Oh yea, the instructions were very clear – “Don’t let the team leave the court before the game has ended”.
After some elementary diplomacy, I managed to calm him down but only after suggesting that if games were not completed, his team (meaning the team sponsor) would not be invited back to the U.S. How much weight this carried is debatable. But it seemed to be sufficient to advance the game to the final buzzer without further incident.
I don’t know if walking off the court prematurely is a thing overseas. But, the culture in America has always been to see the game through to the end regardless. However, it seems this important ethic among players has been eroding at the pro level and even in the college game. It’s not a good look.
In any event, off the court the team sponsor and I got along great. His English was helpful and he was fun to hang with. But, on game days I never knew what he was going to say or do next. He could be a wildcard. Unfortunately, the Help Sheet didn’t have a section on wildcards.
