News from the Eagles nest – Trophy Final edition!
Joe Chapman’s Trophy Final Appeal to Eagles Fans
I spoke to Joe about the forthcoming Trophy Final and he was completely focussed on the task ahead. He was particularly excited by the atmosphere at some of the recent home games at Sport Central and gave me a plea on behalf of him and the rest of the Eagles team.
“This is basketball. It’s not a football or rugby match. Basketball is for everyone to stand up and be aggressive. Hopefully in the Trophy Final we have everyone standing up for the whole game. That’s what basketball is about, everyone standing up and enjoying being part of the home crowd.”
Joe continued, “It should be a great atmosphere on Friday and I would like to take this opportunity to ask all Eagles fans to stand for the whole game and cheer us on.”
Well if it’s what Joe wants we can’t disappoint him can we?
More Beards than ZZ Top
Followers of US sports, notably the NHL, will be familiar with Playoff Beards. This is the practice of players not shaving their beards until they are eliminated from the competition. The Newcastle Eagles decided to bring this tradition to the BBL in the shape of their ‘Trophy beards’!
The lads haven’t shaved this month and won’t do so until after the second leg of the Final on Friday. I did ask is they fancied keeping them all the way through to the playoffs but they can’t wait to get rid of their newly acquired facial hair and apparently one or two wives and girlfriends are none too pleased with them either!
The Sound of Silence Part 3
For those of us familiar with recent relations between Eagles fans and the Plymouth Raiders hierarchy it will come as no surprise to discover that upon arrival at the Pavilions on Sunday, the OOTA were greeted with a code of conduct on their seats. The home fans, of course, didn’t receive the same courtesy. The crux of the note was:
Fans have a right to expect an environment where:
Fans do not stand up during games (Try telling that one to Joe!)
There is no foul/ abusive language or obscene gestures
There are no musical instruments played including horns, whistles, drums (Well we’ve got at least 2 drummers on Friday as Jamie is joined by his apprentice young Ellis Lindsay! I’m sure we’ll have a few horns and whistles too.)
All fans to comply with requests from Pavilions members of staff
Needless to say we will greet our guests on Friday in a much friendlier manner! I do have one stipulation. Please leave the Fox at home. We need the lads to keep their shorts on and the last thing we need is a man in a suit smashing a backboard do we? That’s entertainment!
See you Friday when with all your help the lads can turn this 9 point deficit around and lift the Trophy! Let’s go Eagles!
Follow Darrin Smith on Twitter @OleDJ
