While it may seem at first glance that the players of the 70's
showed no emotion, if you got close to the court, the exact opposite
often proved true.
I was watching a game at Milford Jai-Alai circa 1980. Juaristi
went for a fall down rebote in the singles game on a Saturday
evening and the ball spit out of his cesta. He sat on the floor
and grabbed the tip of his basket and pulled it so hard that he
crushed his basket. Juaristi was full of emotion...I can see him
now after a ball popped out of his basket repeatedly firing the
ball into his cesta over and over, as if to show that the ball
really could be caught.
On another occasion, I was sitting in the front row. A short little
pelotari named Beide (#23 at Milford) was walking off the court
after losing on game point. My friend who had just lost his quiniella
shouted at him when he was right in front of him "Beide,
you couldn't win a game if you tried." Beide stopped in his
tracks and put his face right up against the screen and said "what
did you say?" There were some other comments uttered in Spanish
that I didn't understand but I can imagine what they were.
The Bridgeport players appeared to the audience to be in full
control. But if you were up close, you could hear them yelling
"Dios" when they dropped a ball, see their faces tighten
up, fists being clenched and an occasional basket being slammed
into the side wall.
As I reflect back, the players in those days had even MORE emotion
than they do now. It is easy to see why...when there is a screaming
crowd of 6000 people driving the adrenalin level up, the players
were all about emotion. I never had any doubt that they were trying
as hard as they could. I cannot always say the same for the current
crop of players, although that is based on outward appearances
and I am sure they have the same will to win.
