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Hoops, the other game in town
Football
Fútbol
Soccer
Is there life out there beyond sports which don't allow you to use your hands? Yeah, yeah, the goal keeper has gloves and can touch the ball with his hands, but c'mon. Just because the keeper can bat at a penalty shot with his hands (don't actually ask him to catch it) and occasionally dribble the bal before punting it upfield, does this really constitute a complete sport? (Iker Casillas of Real Madrid always bounces the ball a couple of times before launching it to midfield. Does he do this because he is bored by the simplicity of kicking it around all day??)
Does simply relying on one's feet really constitute a thorough bodily-kinesthetic sport? Or is this simply for those that lack eye-hand coordination? All depends on hoe critically you assses the sport, but for now let's leave the poor boys who play soccer alone and assume that for them it is a fulfilling activity. As for the rest of you that don't find yourselves passionately drawn to it, there are other athletic outlets in Spain. On a professional level, tennis, basketball, waterpolo, motorcycle racing, and many more are of top quality here, but most receive fairly little attention aside from fútbol except basketball.
La Liga ACB is one of the most competitive and well structured in all of Europe. So where do the players come from? The majority come from Spain, but any player born or with a passport belonging to a European Community nation is considered as a coming from Spain. The limit to players from outside the European enclave is 3 per team. So where do these players usually come from-The United States would be the obvious answer, but there are a number of high successful players from the former Yugoslavia (Croatia, Serbia being the foremost leaders in players imported) and the former Soviet Union. Each and every of the 18 teams in the ACB has at least one foreign designated player.
Where can you go to find this high flying action displayed live? The following is a list of the teams that comprise the ACB and where to find them:
- Real Madrid - Madrid
- FC Barcelona - Barcelona
- Adecco Estudiantes - Madrid
- Tau Cerámica - Vitoria
- Caja San Fernando - Cádiz
- Parmesa Valencia - Valencia
- Canarias - Telecom - Gran Canaria
- Unicaja - Málaga
- Caceres CB - Cáceres
- Casademont Girona - Girona
- Joventut Badalona - Badalona (Barcelona)
- Forum Valladolid - Valladolid
- Breogán U. - Vigo
- Cantabria Lobos - Santander
- Jabones Pardo Fuenlabrada - Fuenlabrada (Madrid)
- Gijón Baloncesto - Gijón
- Proaguas Costablanca - Alicante
- Ourense Baloncesto - Ourense
When's the next game coming to Madrid?
Thursday November 30, in the Palacio de Deportes Adecco Estudiantes will host Canarias Telecom. In a match that is sure to be a thriller as Estudiantes always puts on a good show. Why? Simply stated because they have the most vivacious, creative and energetic fans in all of Spain. Consistently surprising players, coaches and fans alike with crazy antics and gag outfits, these fans are almost worth going to watch alone.
So who else is there I Madrid to watch? Real Madrid and JP Fuenlabrada comprise the other two teams that reside in the Province of Madrid. We have to say in the province due to the fact that Fuenlabrada is situated between Getafe and Mostoles, two fairly large towns that are part of the southern suburban belt that surrounds Madrid.
In week 9, December 2 and 3, all three teams play at home. Real Madrid hosts Ourense and Estudiantes travel, albeit not very far, to Fuenlabrada for a battle of capital city rivals. This should provide excellent excitement all around because Real Madrid is currently in 6th place and looking to move up, while Ourense is precariously close to the bottom of the league (currently 15th of 18) and in danger of falling out of the first division. On the other side of town, Estidiantes are currently in 7th place and trying to move up to secure a better position come springtime and the playoffs while their home team opponent Fuenlabrada is the currently the highest ranked of the capital city's three teams in 5th place.
If you cannot make these games, but want to this month, not to worry. Estudiantes, Fuenlabrada and Real Madrid will all play at home two more times before the new year,
If you're still hungry for more basketball information, the following are a few good websites to check out:
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