Team Captain Sets An Example

KRAM1 · August 11, 2010

How's this for showing leadership? I do not know the full extent of this young man's financial circumstances nor if he might be a good enough student to receive an academic scholarship, but as was reported by the AP from Stillwater, Oklahoma and OSU; "Team captain Nick Sidorakis, a senior point guard, agreed to give up his scholarship so the Cowboys don't have to cut a player from the basketball team".

Wow, how often do you see that sort of thing happening in today's "it's all about me" world in college and professional sports? I am probably certain the kid will get some help from OSU, but this is a great example of a captain showing leadership and setting his ego aside for the good of the team. Great stuff coming out of Stillwater this morning. Perhaps an example for others when a teammate could really use some help.

Congratulations young Mister Siodorakis.

TheTastyGreek · August 11, 2010

How's this for showing leadership? I do not know the full extent of this young man's financial circumstances nor if he might be a good enough student to receive an academic scholarship, but as was reported by the AP from Stillwater, Oklahoma and OSU; "Team captain Nick Sidorakis, a senior point guard, agreed to give up his scholarship so the Cowboys don't have to cut a player from the basketball team".

Wow, how often do you see that sort of thing happening in today's "it's all about me" world in college and professional sports? I am probably certain the kid will get some help from OSU, but this is a great example of a captain showing leadership and setting his ego aside for the good of the team. Great stuff coming out of Stillwater this morning. Perhaps an example for others when a teammate could really use some help.

Congratulations young Mister Siodorakis.

Sounds like a Greek last name.

KRAM1 · August 11, 2010

Sounds like a Greek last name.

Probably is...and if so it would be the first time the Greeks have done anything significant is what, say the last 200-400 years maybe! Ok, they did win the European Championship in football a couple of years ago. Give 'em that! BTW, I'll be in Greece in about a month, so I'm looking forward to seeing your "homeland". Do they have any great beers in Greece? Seems to me Greece is not known for its beer, but surely there is a local favorite or two.

TheTastyGreek · August 11, 2010

Probably is...and if so it would be the first time the Greeks have done anything significant is what, say the last 200-400 years maybe! Ok, they did win the European Championship in football a couple of years ago. Give 'em that! BTW, I'll be in Greece in about a month, so I'm looking forward to seeing your "homeland". Do they have any great beers in Greece? Seems to me Greece is not known for its beer, but surely there is a local favorite or two.

Mythos is the Greek national beer with the biggest market presence. I don't drink, so I can't speak to its virtues. But I had a buddy make the trip over there with me in 2003, and he drank it everywhere we went.

Beer isn't big over there because it's so easy to grow good grapes in the soil. Greece's equivalent to microbrews and homebrews isn't in beer, it's in wine. Up into the mid 90's, my grandparents lived in a house that's since been turned into a subway stop along one of the main thoroughfares in Athens (Mesogeion Avenue - they ran the 2004 Olympic Marathon along that street) and even they had grapevines growing on an overhead trellis that screened their front patio.

When people over there want to drink, they generally go with wine or one of the notable Greek liqueurs (Ouzo, Raki, Mastika, etc.). Beer is a pretty distant third.

KRAM1 · August 11, 2010

Mythos is the Greek national beer with the biggest market presence. I don't drink, so I can't speak to its virtues. But I had a buddy make the trip over there with me in 2003, and he drank it everywhere we went.

Beer isn't big over there because it's so easy to grow good grapes in the soil. Greece's equivalent to microbrews and homebrews isn't in beer, it's in wine. Up into the mid 90's, my grandparents lived in a house that's since been turned into a subway stop along one of the main thoroughfares in Athens (Mesogeion Avenue - they ran the 2004 Olympic Marathon along that street) and even they had grapevines growing on an overhead trellis that screened their front patio.

When people over there want to drink, they generally go with wine or one of the notable Greek liqueurs (Ouzo, Raki, Mastika, etc.). Beer is a pretty distant third.

Hey, Tasty...good deal...I'll try me some Mythos, and some Greek wine and a liqueur or two. But, I'm a beer guy, so I am sure Mythos will be my drink of the trip. Can't wait...if you have any ideas of "must sees" other than the usual in Athens let me know...we also go to Santorini and Crete (conference in Crete is the reason for the trip in the first place). Being in Athens, etc. with all the history will be a biggie for me. It's a city on my bucket list and must do's.

TheTastyGreek · August 11, 2010

Hey, Tasty...good deal...I'll try me some Mythos, and some Greek wine and a liqueur or two. But, I'm a beer guy, so I am sure Mythos will be my drink of the trip. Can't wait...if you have any ideas of "must sees" other than the usual in Athens let me know...we also go to Santorini and Crete (conference in Crete is the reason for the trip in the first place). Being in Athens, etc. with all the history will be a biggie for me. It's a city on my bucket list and must do's.

When you are in Athens, set aside an entire day for the Parthenon. Not just to tour the temple and Acropolis hill, but because the entry ticket also grants access to a number of other notable historical sites around the hill. Most people don't realize or bother to take advantage of what they paid for, but you can see the ancient Agora, Hadrian's Arch (and the accompanying gardens)... Something like 6 or 7 other peripheral venues that are all very much worth your time if you like history. Make sure you map it out, so that you aren't going up and down or across the hill any more than you need to. Seeing everything on your ticket will take you a full day.

Another suggestion for another place to visit: try to hit Mount Lykavitos at the end of a day. There's a funicular train that takes you up for a very reasonable price and a restaurant at the top that is slightly less reasonable, but a nice place to take in a meal and a sunset. One of the nice things about Athens is that it's against the law to build past a certain height so as to prevent anyone from blocking views of any ruins and historical sites. When you get up past a certain elevation, you can see everything for miles around and Lykavitos is the best tourist vantage point that I know of.

I'm guessing you'll go see the changing of the guard at Syntagma Square... While you're there, go through Plaka (the open-air market) but don't buy anything while you're walking in- note prices and buy on your way back out. A lot of the stuff that American tourists like are common wares you can find in many different shops, and the prices tend to drop further down the street where the property costs are lower. This is particularly true if your wife has a thing for gold jewelry, as there are a lot of places that make similar pieces at wildly divergent prices. A lot of people buy a bunch of souvenirs and gifts to take home the first time they see something they like, but then find the same thing for cheaper when they keep walking around. Haggle if you want... Or even if you don't want. If a place isn't too busy, the owner will probably start negotiating with you about anything you pick up and put down.

Crete, I don't know much about tourist stuff. The Matala, Knossos Palace, the fortified port at Heraklion... Most of what I can tell you, you can get in a guidebook. When I'm in Crete, I generally stay out in the middle of nowhere in a tiny village called Venerato. That's where one of my uncles has his retirement ranch.

TheTastyGreek · August 11, 2010

One other note- I know you love soccer. Greece's Super League starts play either the end of this month or sometime in September. You ought to try and take in a game, but make sure you let me know which one you try to go see... You want to be very careful about wearing the wrong color to the wrong game.

KRAM1 · August 11, 2010

One other note- I know you love soccer. Greece's Super League starts play either the end of this month or sometime in September. You ought to try and take in a game, but make sure you let me know which one you try to go see... You want to be very careful about wearing the wrong color to the wrong game.

You mean like the time I actually walked into Celtic stadium in Glasgow, Scotland carrying a Glasgow Rangers shopping bag???? True story. It ending up getting us a free and very private tour of Celtic Park...even into the Chairman's room, lockers, trophy room and onto the pitch itself! Long story how that happened, but really pretty funny.

I'll check the Greek league schedules and see if there is one at a time we can go...would love it and so would my bride.

Tasty...really, really do appreciate all the help. maybe I should drag my bride over to your tailgate area before the Rice game so you can fill her and me both in on on the inside scoop. Very kind of you...

:thumbsup:

TheTastyGreek · August 11, 2010

You mean like the time I actually walked into Celtic stadium in Glasgow, Scotland carrying a Glasgow Rangers shopping bag???? True story. It ending up getting us a free and very private tour of Celtic Park...even into the Chairman's room, lockers, trophy room and onto the pitch itself! Long story how that happened, but really pretty funny.

I'll check the Greek league schedules and see if there is one at a time we can go...would love it and so would my bride.

Tasty...really, really do appreciate all the help. maybe I should drag my bride over to your tailgate area before the Rice game so you can fill her and me both in on on the inside scoop. Very kind of you...

Be glad to have you as our guests. We're easy to find, just look for the Mean Green colored Greek flag.

Unfortunately, contrary to what I've been planning since the end of last season... No gyros this year. I need a generator to power any worthwhile broiler I could buy, and my fiancee and I are on the verge of buying a house. Can't justify the expense on both right now. But we'll have all the old standbys, and next year I will have this whole parking lot gyros situation figured out.

Edited August 11, 2010 by TheTastyGreek