May 6, 2009

Fans can follow the Marist Men's Tennis trip to its seventh NCAA Tournament from Wednesday, May 6 until Saturday, May 10 here on GoRedFoxes.com. The blog will include commentary from each day in Gainesville, Fla. as well as a daily quote from Marist head coach Tim Smith. The Red Foxes will take on the #10 Florida Gators on Friday, May 9 at 4 p.m.

As always, feel free to send any comments or questions which can be answered in the blog to Marist Assistant Sports Information Director Andy Alongi at Andrew.Alongi@Marist.edu.

Before I begin the blog, I want to take a quick opportunity to wish Assistant Women's Basketball Coach Erin Leger a Happy Birthday!

TRAVEL DAY - WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Good morning! Right now the 13-member travel party is stationed at gate 45 at Newark Airport in the beautiful Garden State. We are waiting for our first of two flights on the day, which will put is in Atlanta, Ga. at approximately 2 p.m. After our flight lands in Atlanta we will have a one hour lay over before departing for Gainesville.

To provide you with some extra insight to the team's travel day, Tim Smith has given me his checklist, which he went through with the team before the bus left the McCann Center. The list looks like this:

• Check to make sure you have your wallets.
• Hydrate - STARTING NOW.
• Wear sun block.
• Wash your hands frequently, there are lots of germs that come with travel.
• Work hard on every point you play.
• Act with class at all times. Represent Marist College well!

Earlier in the morning we took the prestigious "Marist" bus from Poughkeepsie to Newark encountering a few traffic problems. On the southbound side of the New York State Thruway, there was the usual construction by the toll plaza near exit 15. We again hit a little traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike just minutes from the airport.

The coaches, Tim Smith and Elliot Sussin exchanged stories with administrators, Travis Tellitocci, faculty mentor Joanne Gavin and I during the two hour bus ride. The stories provoked many laughs and should be a good indication of a positive trip for the team.

That's all for now. I'll check back in when we get to Atlanta after Flight number one.

ON THE RUNWAY...

At Right: Assistant Coach Elliot Sussin and Loic Sessagesimi consult with Coach Smith after the delay.

2:20 p.m. - We're back a little sooner then expected from Delta Flight 2017, Row 29, Seat A, but still in Newark on the runway. When the plane was just one away from take off, we learned the Atlanta airport was closed due to weather in the area. We are waiting to learn our fate here in Newark.

Coach Tim Smith's comment via assistant coach Elliot Sussin was, "You can't worry about what you can't control."

Though the water polo team may have logged more miles at this point, the Marist tennis team has more posts on the blog, 2-0.

When we learn our travel fate, you will hear it first on GoRedFoxes.com.

LAY OVER

6:15 p.m. - Since we last met, we have flown from Newark to Atlanta. Despite the delay in Newark, we will still be able to catch Flight 5663 to Gainesville, which will now depart at just after 7 p.m. to put us at our final destination by about 8:30 p.m. The flight was rather uneventful, minus the gentleman who was head banging about two rows in front of me. I'll just say it was an experience to watch. Funny enough, we landed in Atlanta just minutes before we were scheduled to arrive in Gainesville according to the initial plan.

After we landed in the B Section of the Delta Terminal in Atlanta, 12 of us took a shuttle to the C Terminal. Sophomore Landon Greene elected to walk to get his legs warmed up for practice when we arrive in Gainesville. Also on the excursion, many players were excited to see a Wendy's on the way to our departure gate, C52. Loic Sessagesimi also indicated that he was still undefeated in NCAA Tournament play during his career; his record remains at 0-0 by my count.

No one was terribly affected by the delay. I think my biggest concern at this point is when will I get to watch the new episode of LOST?!?!?!

I'll check back once we get to Gainesville from the first practice at the Linder Stadium. If you're lucky maybe we will include a photo courtesy of Marist Tennis blog photographer and Associate Athletics Director, Travis Tellitocci.

It's time for a junior bacon cheeseburger and 5-pc. nugget from Wendy's.

JUST TOUCHED DOWN IN GAINESVILLE

8:26 p.m. - We have finally finished our flying for the day and are in Gainesville. The connection plane as it is referred to by Delta, was the smallest commercial flight I have ever been on, just a 20 passenger aircraft. To give you a better idea of the size of the plane, the Red Foxes were forced to bring just their racquets on to the plane as a carry on item, as their tennis bags were too large for the overhead compartments. As my counterpart Mike Haase might say, "That's a something."

At Left: Upon arrival at the Gainesville airport, we found a Florida Gators rocking chair. We may be a little off our rocker, but we thought it needed some redecoration.

Tim Smith Quote of the Day - Wednesday, May 6

While we were on the plane, a rather turbulent flight, I sat and spoke with head coach Tim Smith. Coach has agreed to provide the blog with a quote of the day for each day we are on the trip.

"Frequently adversity whether it be during travel or on the court can and does build character."

With that being said the Red Foxes are preparing to take the courts for the first time at Florida.

PRACTICE, WITH A MATCH...

11:45 p.m. - A two-hour practice has just finished at Linder Stadium, a gorgeous eight-court tennis facility on the campus of the University of Florida. The eight Marist players in attendance hit some singles for a few hours before exchanging a few games in doubles. The competition level was rather high and I thought the players struck the ball well in the session.

I greatly enjoyed my time at the stadium as I was able to play a set of doubles paired with Landon Greene's mother Alisha. We teamed up to defeat Marist Associate Athletics Director Travis Tellitocci and assistant coach Elliot Sussin, 6-5 in a shortened set. Travis played very well in his first ever tennis match. I must say with a few more lessons from Coach Tim Smith he could turn into a strong player; I hear he may have some eligibility left.

At Right: Landon Greene takes a serve during practice on Thursday night.

On the Horizon: As the young men are student-athletes, with the student part coming first, Loic Sessagesimi will begin a segment of the blog we have deemed as Sessagesimi St.: Learn French with Loic. Look for tomorrow's french word of the day from junior co-captain Loic Sessagesimi.

As for the morning we will meet to eat at 9 a.m. in the hotel lobby and depart for practice at Florida at 9:30 a.m. Maybe we'll see you guys at the breakfast table. GOOD NIGHT!

This is a reminder that comments are encouraged, at Andrew.Alongi@marist.edu.

RECHARGED BATTERIES - THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2009

8:36 a.m. - We are getting ready for meal one of the day as we woke up at the Hilton Garden Inn. There is not a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining in Florida. The blog staff has recharged their internal batteries as well as the laptop and camera to bring you the most comprehensive coverage from Gainesville.

We have a lot on tap for today. The team will head to practice at 10 a.m., while I will explore the campus and bookstore to see what looks good here. Check back later today for photos and information from practice, the Sessagesimi St. French word of the day, and the Tim Smith quote of the day.

During the entry, we received our first feedback of the weekend from Dana Gavin. It reads:

A fantastically entertaining blog! I love the Coach Smith Quote of the Day inclusion, and I look forward to learning some French.

Go Red Foxes!!!!

Hope everyone is having a good time!

Dana Gavin

SELF GUIDED TOUR

9:59 a.m. - The team arrived in their three tan vans for practice, just 10 hours after wrapping up the first practice in preparation for the NCAA Tournament. I had the pleasure of meeting a few members of the University of Florida staff including Andy Jackson, the head men's tennis coach, Denver Parlor, University of Florida Men's Tennis Media Contact, and the one of the Gators' administrative assistants, Kris. The staff in Gainesville has been extremely helpful and accommodating. We can only hope for the same treatment for the remainder of the trip. While chatting with Denver, I learned he is also the personal media contact for Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

After meeting with Denver and Andy, I set off on a journey to find the University Athletic Association (as they call it) facilities for as many sports as I could. I successfully found my way into the track facility (coupled with men's and women's lacrosse and soccer), the men's and women's basketball practice facilities and "The Swamp," home of the reigning national champions in football. The most interesting thing I saw was definitely in the men's basketball practice facility. They had the floors from each of their national championship seasons on the wall. Incredible!

 

 

 

 

12:16 p.m. - The team wrapped up practice again as the eight players competed in tiebreaks with one another. It appeared that Loic Sessagesimi and Matt Himmelsbach were winners on their court, while Landon Greene and Nicolas Pisecky won on their court. During the tiebreaks, I sat in the officials chair and oversaw the lines. It felt pretty official. Rhys Hobbs won a highly anticipated race in which the whole team was involved. Loic Sessagesimi, the heavy favorite, let down much of his audience.

Center: Former Florida Head Coach and quarterback Steve Spurrier's Heisman Trophy is on display on campus just outside "The Swamp."

12:35 p.m. - After a brief team meeting in the commandeered tennis conference room, Tim Smith told me he had his quote of the day prepared. So here goes:

Tim Smith Quote of the Day - Thursday, May 07, 2009

"Periodically I enjoy reading Shakespeare and very much like a quote from Henry IV. `If all the year were holiday, to sport would be as tedious as to work.'"

Coach was sure to indicate that I knew that the fourth in Henry IV was to be written as a roman numeral.

Upon hearing Coach Smith's quote, assistant coach Elliot Sussin was sure to chime in with a one-liner of his own. Her is the Elliot Sussin special guest quote of the day.

"The man who thinks he can, the man who thinks he can't. Which one are you?"

1:27 p.m. - We arrived for a lengthy lunch at the Miller's Ale House just around the corner from the hotel. I enjoyed four mini burgers as they were referred to in Florida. Up north they may be called "Sliders." Whatever they are called, I would just call them tasty.

On The Horizon: Loic Sessagesimi is still thinking about his French word of the day. He told me after practice he had a pretty good handle of what he wanted to do though. So look for that after our team social which is at the women's varsity club on the University of Florida campus at 6 p.m. If Loic and I see each other beforehand, we'll get that to you also.

MORE COMMENTS

We enjoyed our second comment of the blog from Assistant Director of Academic Advisement, Lynsey Miller at 9:41 a.m., on our way to practice. Her comment read:

Andy,

I must say your blog is pretty entertaining. That must have been one heck of a tennis match last night. I'll be reading!

Lynsey Miller

Keep those comments rolling gents, and we'll catch up soon.

COME AND PLAY ON SESSAGESIMI ST.

5:11 p.m. - Prior to our departure for the "team mixer" I sat down with co-captain Loic Sessagesimi for my first ever french lesson. I wanted to share that lesson with you now. He said a sentence to me in French. I looked at him like he had seven heads and then translated the aforementioned sentence into something a little more my speed, English.

Welcome to Sessagesimi St.: Learn French With Loic - for today's lesson.

French: Demain, le renard va manger l'alligator!

English: Tomorrow, the fox is going to eat the gator!

Back to the blog.

7:06 p.m. - Not much to report from the mixer; however, the bright spot may have been getting my hands on a match program a day earlier. I have some very crafty and tricky qualities up my sleeves.

The social had a number of snacks including wraps, delicious baby carrots with ranch (that's what I had) and other mixed vegetables. Marist was the last team to have their team photo taken by the professional photographer. After he was done, Christian Coley suggested a "fun photo." I don't think that ever happened.

After a number of family photos ensued, including captains photos, team photos, family photos and so on and so on. At the right, there is a picture of the coaching staff with faculty mentor Joanne Gavin. On Tuesday, the men's tennis team earned the Athletic Director's award for the male sports' team with the highest GPA. At a time I was beginning to think dinner would never happen, but it did. Eventually.

 

7:40 p.m. - After 36 minutes of photos we arrived at the Olive Garden on Archer Ave., a road very similar to Route 9 for you in the Hudson Valley. It has one of everything, at least.

We walked in a party of 17 and were seated rather quickly by the staff at the restaurant. The only reason I feel we were quickly seated was because there were grumblings that Tim Smith was the "grandfather of Tim Tebow." The hostess believed it and so we moved on with our nights.

When asked to comment, Smith declined any official comment for the blog.

I had a chicken with garlic and pasta. Solid meal. Half of it is in the refrigerator right below the coffee pot in the hotel room. As the salad came out I said to Christian Coley, "I forgot that the meal came with salad." At that point I realized my eyes may have been bigger than my stomach.

On the Horizon: We have practice tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. This will mean the team will meet in the lobby of the hotel at 8:15 a.m. If I'm active early enough I will see to it that we get a post in before practice.

Sleep tight and we will see you in the morning on GoRedFoxes.com.

MATCH MORNING - FRIDAY, MAY 08, 2009

7:51 a.m. - Good morning faithful blog readers and welcome to match morning from Gainesville. We are headed to practice as we are about eight hours from the match. Coach has said it will be a light practice, just to get the guys out to hit some balls.

At this point I would like to congratulate Melissa Giordano, Jessica Green, Caitlin Carpentier and Nicole DiVirgilio of the Marist softball team. Yesterday, Giordano was named MAAC Player of the Year, while DiVirgilio was named Co-Rookie of the Year. Carpentier, Giordano and Green were named to the first team. DiVirgilio was named to the second team.

Back to tennis. I am going to try and head to a bookstore today to pick up some gear from the university. I think this will begin a collection of apparel from schools I have visited for team travel reasons.

Off to practice. It's a great day to be a Red Fox!

SERVICE WITH A SMILE AT SHONEY'S

8:30 a.m. - We arrived for practice and were able to hit on the back half of the courts. Florida is hosting both the men's and women's tournaments this weekend, so there is a lot of tennis being played by eight different schools at the courts.

Format for practice was the same as it has been all week. Hit singles, play a few games of doubles, and wrap up with a tiebreak or two.

I participated and hit some balls during practice again. Today I had a line judge during my match, University of Florida women's basketball trainer, Connie. She was very talkative and kind. The conversations we had with Travis Tellitocci ranged from Florida's athletic training graduate assistant Mike Sella, a Marist alumnus, to the "electrolyte drink" at the athletic training station. We can't call it Gatorade, due to NCAA policy.

After practice Tim Smith approached me with his quote of the day.

Tim Smith QUOTE OF THE DAY - MAY 8, 2009

"Some people think heat is a figment of the imagination ... That is not true. Especially in Gainesville."

Back in blogging action, the temperature today is supposed to be upwards of 95 degrees, which should make for some interesting situations on the court. To refer back to the checklist from Wednesday, remember to stay hydrated.

11:03 a.m. - We arrived at Shoney's for quite the brunch/lunch/breakfast, basically whatever the team wanted was available. I sat with Travis, Rhys Hobbs and Michael Land.

Rhys got a milkshake with his meal, which caused all the beverages to come out late. Coach was sure to comment to the waitress, Jillian, about her slow service with the drinks. He was very direct. Coach Smith recovered later in the exchange by saying the service improved later in the meal.

Mike ordered a hamburger, but got a cheeseburger. Oddly enough Mike is lactose intolerant. The burger was described in the menu as having "Shoney's Signature Sauce" as a topping. Mike claims the sauce was simply mayonnaise.

Loic Sessagesimi spent a great deal of the time at Shoney's in deep thought. He was trying to come up with the perfect lesson for Sessagesimi St. Here is what he came up with.

WELCOME TO SESSAGESIMI ST. - Learn French With Loic for today's lesson.

French: À coeur vaillant rien d'impossible.

English: Nothing is impossible for a willing heart.

REGULAR BLOG COMMENTERS

Comments continued to roll in during the morning from some of our blog faithful: Dana Gavin and Lynsey Miller.

9:16 a.m. - Dana said the following:

The blog looks great-- I love the pictures and the details of the day to day minutiae. I'm going to give this a try: Le renard triomphera de l'alligator modeste! (It's not me... it's babelfish!) Hope everyone has a great practice this morning and a good rest before 4 p.m. We're cheering you on!

Dana

10:27 a.m. - Lynsey had this to add:

Good luck guys!

p.s. Andy Alongi must be the only person on earth who doesn't realize everything comes with salad at Olive Garden. Welcome to 2009.

On The Horizon: Follow the match at the link here with live match updates. Be sure to check back after the match for a complete recap and results from the match between the #10 Florida Gators and your MARIST RED FOXES!

Live Stats - http://www.gatorzone.com/tennis/tour/ncaa/2009/

BACK-TO-BACK BEATLES BLOCK

2:00 p.m. - The team left the hotel to catch the end of the Columbia vs. Miami first round match which began at 1 p.m., the match preceding Marist and Florida. Many of the Red Foxes are friendly with the Columbia student-athletes as the schools are from the same region and play in many of the same tournaments in the fall.

3:20 p.m. - Marist takes the court for warm-ups on the same courts where they hit just a few hours earlier in the morning. Just six minutes into the Marist warm-up, Miami clinched its first round victory over Columbia, 4-0. As the teams were warming up, I was asked to verify the names of players present for the introduction of the teams. Also, I went through the pronunciations of first and last names of our players and coaches, we'll get back to that later.

3:46 p.m. - The team moved into the visitors' locker rooms for a quick speech from Coach Smith. He made sure to note the keys to the match, not just in playing, but in on court conduct as well. I thought the players acted as professionally as possible and were great ambassadors for Marist College the entire weekend. Their maturity was highlighted on the court in front of over 300 fans.

In the locker room, assistant coach Elliot Sussin gave a quick chant he learned from his sister, who went to the University of Georgia, a big rival of Florida. This is Elliot's second quote of the blog. I think he is trying to take some of the spotlight away from Coach Smith. Anyway, Elliot's chant went like this:

"It's nice to be a gator - hater. It's nice to be a gator - hater. It's nice to be a gator - hater."

I'll say it kept the room quite light-hearted before the biggest match of the season.

3:53 p.m. - The teams walked out onto the courts to be introduced. As I mentioned before, I went through pronunciations with the public address announcer. It didn't matter. He butchered the names of Rhys Hobbs. It was said like "Rise." Another mistake was Elliot Sussin, the gentleman said "Sue-sin." That one I definitely remember specifically saying to him "Its Sus-sin, just as it looks." He said okay and walked away as though he understood. Guess not.

So the match happened (Refer to Game Story). The photo below is when Marist led in first doubles, 1-0.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE STORY PUBLISHED IN THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL

Afterwards we dined at the Outback Steakhouse, a place very familiar to Aussie Rhys Hobbs. I think he felt right at home and enjoyed his meal greatly. Well at least more than the previous dinner.

On the ride over Coach Smith and Landon Greene spoke to the media in phone interviews, and by media I mean the Poughkeepsie Journal's own Phil Strum. Coach Smith was sure to talk about his Aseop's fable which was re-written to speak about a fox eating a gator. It was quite fitting for our match. Although I wish the match turned out like the fable.

Joanne Gavin and I each had a teriyaki marinated ribeye steak cooked medium. The only way we could tell the difference between our meals was the sides. I had mashed potatoes and string beans, while she had a salad and baked potato with "the works." Travis had his "go-to" Outback meal as I say, the prime rib. He and Elliot had the same taste, just as Joanne and I did with our entrees.

9:51 p.m. - The drivers (Elliot, Travis and I) filled up our vans with gas to get back to the airport in the morning and return them as we found them. I found a station that had back-to-back "Beatles" songs on the way. Heard "Love Me Do" and "My Life" on the radio, and yes I did sing along the whole way.

10:39 p.m. - I am settled back in the hotel and watching the much anticipated Lakers vs. Rockets NBA Playoff game. So I think its time I got to sleep as I have to make my first airport run with Coach Smith in just over six hours.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for a few travel posts tomorrow. We will have one more segment of Sessagesimi St. for you guys to look forward to.

Thanks for tuning in to the Marist men's tennis NCAA Tournament blog here on GoRedFoxes.com.

PHONE MISHAPS - SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2009

5:00 a.m. - The day begins in the hotel lobby as Coach Smith departs early to go to a family wedding in Alabama. I drove him to the airport, sort of a dry run for the trip with the team later in the morning.

Upon getting directions from the woman at the front desk of our hotel, Coach and I learned she was an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, in nearby Hyde Park, N.Y. It was apparent she was telling the truth because she spoke of many businesses in the Hudson Valley that made her information seem much more credible.

I counted in the car, there were probably about 15 other cars on the road in the duration of a 22 minute ride to the airport. I returned to the room at 6 a.m. for a quick nap before leaving with the team.

6:45 a.m. - We departed the hotel for the final time of the trip to head to Gainesville Airport to begin our venture back to the Hudson Valley. No sooner did we get out of the direct development of the hotel did Travis have to turn around because one of the players, I will leave him nameless for the sake of his dignity, forgot his phone in the hotel.

We arrived at the airport just after 7 a.m., Elliot, Travis and I dropped off the rental cars. Upon checking in for our first flight from Gainesville to Atlanta, I felt my pockets and learned I too did not have my phone on the person as well. I retraced my steps to find that I had locked it in the rental car and we returned the keys.

When the individual opening the rental car station arrived for work, I asked if I could have the keys out of the drop box to get the phone back. She gave me a stern look, did not say a word and asked me what car we had. I supplied her with the answer, which garnered another snicker and I picked the keys out of her hand to get the phone.

I left to go outside and Travis asked for a bill from one of the cars she was not too keen on helping. The woman said, "My day does not start for another 15 minutes." To which Travis calmly replied "Its going to be a long day for you."

8:45 a.m. - The plane departed from Gainesville and I simultaneously fell asleep as I sat next to Marcus von Nordheim for the flight. I have heard grumblings of Elliot Sussin taking pictures of me sleeping against the window. Look for them in the next issue of Star Magazine.

9:51 a.m. - We arrived safely in Atlanta. I don't have much to say about the flight, obviously because I slept through it.

We have just moved from Gate E to B travelling on the tram again, this time with all team members included. Even Landon Greene, who was quoted in the Poughkeepsie Journal today chose to take on the paparazzi and come with us.

10:53 a.m. - Travis and I are now eating lunch at TGI Friday's in the airport. Burgers all around for us.

On The Horizon: Check back before 5 p.m. for the final installment of Sessagesimi St. - Learn French With Loic.

BACK IN THE NORTHEAST

3:01 p.m. - We have touched down in Newark after our connection flight from Atlanta. We were forced to circle in a holding pattern near Philadelphia. The pilot was sure to point out when we passed over Washington D.C. as well as the city of Philadelphia so we could see the sites from up high.

After we got off the plane, Loic and I were chatting in the baggage carousel area and we discussed today's sentence of the day.

SESSAGESIMI ST - LEARN FRENCH WITH LOIC - Saturday, May 09, 2009

French: C'est une belle journee pour etre vivant

English: It's a great day to be alive

Loic said he picked this because it is one of Coach Smith's famous phrases. So by association this is the Tim Smith quote of the day as well.

On The Horizon: I received an e-mail from my former advisor Dr. Keith Strudler in the communications department at Marist. He asked a few questions about the trip so be sure to check back later this evening for my answers. I would do it now but my battery is about to die.

See you soon!

FINAL COMMENTS- ADRESSING AN EMAIL

Well ladies and gentlemen, I have returned to my modest Poughkeepsie apartment which signifies the end of our journey together. I wanted to thank all of you for reading my first ever blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed delivering it to you.

I want to thank Coach Tim Smith, Assistant Coach Elliot Sussin and all the guys on the team because without them this trip would not have been possible. This has been an incredible experience, and I am happy to say I experienced my first NCAA Tournament as a member of the athletics administration.

Before we part ways, I wanted to address an e-mail I got from Keith Strudler which listed three questions. Here is what he said with my answers inserted after each question.

"So I have been following the tennis blog with nearly fanatical anticipation. As a Gator, I have several questions, but I will limit myself to three:"

1) At any point did you visit the world renowned College of Journalism and Mass Communication in Weimer Hall? If so, any reactions to this? Are you impressed that they essentially turned the building into a solarium which could double as an oven during the summer?

I did not get over to the academic side of campus during my stay. I would say one of the big regrets I had on the trip was the fact that I could not see much of the campus. I stuck to athletic facilities on the whole, which I thought were phenomenal. I must say though, everything I did see was larger than I had ever seen, I guess that comes from being a little sheltered at Marist. The campus was quite impressive.

I can attest to the fact that a solarium would double as an oven in the summer in Gainesville. The heat in May was near 95 degrees every day, and the sun was very strong. I could not imagine being down there in the summer.

2) When you got inside the Swamp, did you fear for your safety, as if security might inflict serious bodily harm if you dared even breathe on the pristine turf? Did you try to visualize Peerless Price getting knocked to the ground going up the middle?

Security was surprisingly low at the Swamp. I just walked right in like I was supposed to be there and I think I tricked any form of security on duty at the time. The visual I got was more of Tim Tebow throwing the winning touchdown pass in his national championship season next year. However, if I did have one fear, it was the fact that during a game there must be no way to move in the aisle. In no way am I a big person and I felt like I took up the whole thing walking sideways. I can only imagine what it is like with a packed house.

3) Did you see any real Gators (the reptiles, I mean)? If so, were you frightened?

The only reptiles I saw were little salamander-like things by the athletic training tent at the courts. Not too frightening as I am about 100x bigger than them.

CLOSING

I would love to hear some feedback from all the readers out there, good and bad. If you wouldn't mind shoot me an e-mail at Andrew.Alongi@marist.edu and let me know what you thought of the blog.

Thanks, Andy