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Greetings! This Monday starts the season 20 World Championships, with the USA National Team vying with 11 other countries for a little gold trophy icon. There's some parity at the top of the standings this season, with 6-7 countries likely thinking that with a little skill and luck they have a legit shot at the gold...including the US. The US team has solid talent at every position, the majority of players on the opening roster are US owned and patriotically in top game shape, and coach Coco is wearing his lucky thong for the next three months...so we're ready to rumble! Expect some close games, some drama, some bitching about Joe Bronson, some mild xenophobic humor, and getting thumped by Poland at some point. Good honest entertainment.

First up on Monday, the Czech Republic. The Czechs won the European championship in season 17 with a highly skilled roster....most of their players have deep secondary skills and can play multiple positions, creating some matchup headaches when coach rwystyrk is feeling creative with the gameplanning. Fortunately for the US, their star PF Jeroným Hána is out for the game. Coach rwystyrk was kind enough to do a do a quick pregame interview earlier this week:

1. What do you think your real chances are to win the season 20 gold at Worlds? Be honest.
I think there are quite a lot of equal teams with chance to win WC. Czech rep. is one of them. Win at WC is my long term plan in BB.

2. Jeroným Hána’s injury has to factor into your plans early on here. Apparently those plans involve playing lots of Princeton?
I'm sorry you can't expect me to show anything from my tactic plans.

3. Coco has said some interesting things about you. Really interesting things. What do you think of his coaching abilities? You can be candid, I won't print your response.
Yes, Coco is one very good managers with good knowledge of GE. I remember him both from B3 and U21 matches.

4. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
My english is not good enough to undestand the question.

5. If you had the ability to remove one US player from Monday's game, who would it be, and why?
I haven't studied USA team yet, so I can't unswer, but probably due to Hana's injury some bigman, but I'm not sure which one at the moment.

6. Does your team have a player who is a favorite with the Czech community?
I think there are several favorite players in czech community - Urbánek, Sedlár, Hána and many others.

7. How many Czechs does it take to change a lightbulb?
We are very skillfull, one is enough ;-)

The World Championships start Monday 10:30 AM PST (http://www.buzzerbeater.com/country/1/nt/schedule.aspx)
Offsite game planning is here (http://s3.zetaboards.com/BuzzerBeater_USA_NT/index/)

Poll:  Who will win the season 20 World Championship?

Love the questions and the poll.

Haha, very nice. I actually laughed out loud at the woodchuck question.

Withholding vote until Barbados is let in

;)

Game Recap

The media is reporting at least 500,000 people packed into the arena to watch the highly anticipated matchup of the United States vs the Czech Republic. Tensions were running high between the two national teams, as US guard "In"Zane Ritter posted on Twitter earlier in the week, "On Mnday we r gonna send the Czchs back to Amsterdam or wherever the hell they r from. #Suckmyballs."

The Czechs didn't take to it kindly as CR Power Forward Radek Vogel responded, "Typical ignorant American. Prepare to get dunked on. #Nothanks."

The game began with the Czechs firing on all cylinders. Vogel quickly lived up to his word, throwing down a putback dunk in the face of USA Center Lorenzo Bland early in the first quarter to help the Republic jump out to an early 9-2 lead. US manager Coco was seen spiking the gatorade with an unknown substance during a timeout, and before you knew it the US was back in the game, leading 24-21 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Unfortunately the performance enhancement boost only lasted for a short time, as Czech Power Forward Radoslav Urbanek powered the Czechs to a 51-46 halftime lead.

At halftime Coco searched for Rambo to make a halftime speech, but could only find wozzvt.

"Look guys, as you can see from this data," Wozz told the players in the lockerroom, "they are scoring 82% of their points on assisted drives and inside shots! If you increase your shotblocking by a factor of 3, there is a 70% probability that we shall prevail!"

Suffice to say no one was inspired. Despite this the US NT battled back in the 3rd quarter, led by USA Small Forward Nemesio "The Nemesis" Xermade. When the 4th quarter began the game was tied. It wasn't until this point that anyone realized that USA superstar point guard and notorious kleptomaniac Jamie Nix was missing. Assuming he was in jail, Coco asked brian to go post bail and get him to the arena ASAP.

Before Jamie could make it to the game, the Czech Republic had built a small lead. "In"Zane Ritter found Center David Ferland for an open jumper to make it 90-88, but the US failed to come any closer. Pointless fouling in the final seconds of the game made the final score 102-92, Czech Republic. Alton Johnson led the US with 19 points and 6 rebounds, while the Czechs recieved 20 points and 8 rebounds from Radek Vogel.

After the game Coco spoke to the media, "It's the refs fault. They wouldn't talk to me. They kept calling fouls on us when we fouled people. They wouldn't accept my bribes. They told me the American dollar is worthless now. I guess now we just have to regroup and get ready for China."

Join us on Monday the 18th, 1:30pm Eastern, as the US faces #2 China! Also join the offsite forum, link in my signature, as we discuss our gameplan for China, and also the gameplan on how we can avoid paying the trillions of dollars we owe China.


Last edited by jfarb at 6/14/2012 1:34:54 PM

They told me the American dollar is worthless now.

Ouch!

How the hell did we lose when Hana was out of the game? Looks like it's time to start a #firecoco campaign :D

Last edited by Big Dogs at 6/14/2012 2:02:38 PM

I think we can safely pin the loss on "Sticky Fingers" Nix. We'd have been fine if Weeks hadn't let him off his leash for a short run #fixnix

http://cheezburger.com/6331832576

Oh, Zane....:)