On the Bus to the Big East Tournament

We get on the Bus at Nova , we’re headed to NYC for the Big East Tourney. As we board the bus “Stats” a team MGR hands each player and manager a brown envelope. Meal Money !! 3 days worth to get us through the first round of games. I dont remember the exact amount but it was substantial for us . In fact when we broke the huddle pre game out on the court by ourselves often the cheer went 1–2–3 MEAL MONEY ! Lol.

The Bus rides to NYC from Philly could be long with Traffic and all. Guys found different ways to pass the time. Some guys listened to music some guys slept and some of us played backgammon. Specifically a game called Acey Ducey.  On this ride just about everyone was knocked out except me Dwayne McClain and a freshmen MGR named John “Gugi” Linblad. John was and still is a good guy he loves to take pictures to the point of being annoying, but now some 30 plus years later John is a very popular guy with his photo books. Coach Mass nick named him Guggoots, which in Italian meant squash , Guggoots was shortened to Gugi. So Gugi is telling Train and I how great he is at Acey Ducey, how his Grandpa taught him.

Train looks at me with this look as if to say watch this ! Even today the guys on that time are so close it just takes a look and we kinda know what the other guy is thinking. So Train says set it up and they start playing. Train loses the first game and Gugi says let’s make it interesting and they start to play for Meal Money. Dwayne was Amazing , he was calling his shots “ Watch this Chuck Double Sixes” BAM there it is . 5 and 3...BAM !  He kept looking back and smiling at me as if to say this Rookie has no idea who he’s messing with. By the Time we rolled into the Essex House Gugi’s pockets were empty. 😂😂

Dwayne being a reasonable guy pealed off several 1’s and said here you go John! I guess Grandpa didn’t teach John Enough haha . Here’s a Great pic of my guy DTrain McClain with a Big Dunk over the Late Great Pearl Washington at the Palestra That Same year!