※ 引述《jerod (KG4MVP)》之銘言： 原文出處： : http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/12913722.htm -- : Flip Saunders made sure he was there last weekend for the University of : Minnesota's big football game at Michigan. 前灰狼教練F.Saunders上週末在密西根觀看了明尼蘇達大學一場重要的橄欖球賽。 : He attended as a guest of the Wolverines but rooted for the Gophers. : That was a risky venture for a man who now coaches the Detroit Pistons : and whose team owner is an avid Michigan booster. 他以狼獾隊的貴賓身分出席觀賞那場比賽，不過其實他是地鼠隊的粉絲(因為那是他 母校的球隊。這對目前擔任底特律活塞教練而且有一個身為密西根瘋狂粉絲的老闆的 Saunders來說，這是一趟危險刺激的冒險。 : Saunders' office address has changed, but he isn't straying from his roots. : So one can imagine the pride Saunders felt when his alma mater stunned : Michigan and took home the Little Brown Jug for the first time in almost : 20 years. Saunders的辦公室地址已經變更了，但他對他待了很久的老地方還不陌生。所以我們 不難想像當母校作翻密西根且在將近二十年的時間內第一次把冠軍盃帶回家時，Saunders 感到很驕傲。 : "They said to me, 'You must be pretty brave,' because I was sitting in the : Michigan athletic director's box wearing a maroon sweater," Saunders said : Friday. "We had a little bit of fun with it. I told them you can take me : out of Minnesota, but you can't take the Minnesota out of me. I still : bleed maroon and gold." Saunders說"他們對我說，你必須真的很帶種，因為我當時身穿栗色運動衫坐在密西 根運動理事的包廂裡。球賽還蠻有趣的，我告訴他們，你可以把我踢出明尼蘇達，但無法 將明尼蘇達由我的心中拿走，我身上仍流著栗色和金色的血液。" : For the first time in 10 years, Saunders is coaching an NBA team not named : the Timberwolves. Saunders' Pistons — still sounds a little strange, : doesn't it? — face his former team in an exhibition game today at The : Palace of Auburn Hills. Saunders在NBA執教的十年以來，這是他第一次教導名字不叫灰狼的球隊。Saunders 的活塞隊，聽起來還是令人覺得奇怪，不是嗎？今天他將率隊在奧本山宮殿球場與灰狼進 行一場季前賽。 : Know this about Flip Saunders: His allegiance to the Gophers and Minnesota : is undying, his relationship with the Wolves is now more complex, and his : excitement about his new opportunity is abundant. F.Saunders的兩三事：他對地鼠隊及明尼蘇達的忠心是至死不渝的，現在他跟灰狼的 關係更複雜了，他對於執教的新球隊能給予他很大的希望感到很興奮。 : Saunders, fired in February, said he feels a range of emotions about his : Wolves tenure and his future with the Pistons. 二月被灰狼火了的Saunders說他對在灰狼隊執教期間及在活塞隊的未來有一些感想。 : Wolves owner Glen Taylor and vice president of basketball operations : Kevin McHale gave Saunders his first opportunity to coach in the NBA, : and for that, he's grateful. Saunders對於灰狼老闆G.Taylor和副籃球執行總裁K.McHale給了他第一個在NBA執教 的機會，他很感激。 : Saunders helped Minnesota win at least 50 games in four seasons, : including an ascent to the Western Conference finals and a franchise-best : 58 victories in 2003-04. But less than a year later, he was let go with : the team 25-26. Saunders幫助明尼蘇達在四個球季都取得至少50勝的佳績，包括於'03-'04年取得隊 史最佳紀錄的58勝並問鼎西區決賽，不過就在那不到一年之後，他因為球隊25勝26敗的戰 績而被解雇。 : "I think I was surprised," Saunders said of his dismissal. "I guess in this : business you should never be surprised. Last year, 10 or 11 coaches were : fired or replaced. Most jobs, unless you retire, when the relationship ends, : it ends bad." 對於被解雇，Saunders說"我想我很訝異，我猜在這個生意場上你永遠都不需感到訝 異。去年，共有10個或11個教練被炒魷魚或取代。大部分的工作，除非你退休了，當主雇 關係結束時，它都是在糟糕的情況下結束。" : That might best describe the Saunders-McHale relationship. College teammates : and roommates at Minnesota, a bond that led them to a decade together with : the Wolves, they haven't spoken since McHale informed Saunders he was being : relieved of his coaching duties. 這也許是對Saunders和McHale之間的關係最貼切的描述。他倆在就讀明尼蘇達大學期 間，是同學兼室友，在灰狼一起共事十年，然而自McHale告知Saunders他已被解決教練職 務後，他們就再沒說過話了。 : Entering this weekend, there were no plans to talk before or after today's : game. They each talked only briefly about the status of their once strong : friendship. 這週末，在今天的比賽之前或之後，也沒有什麼好說的。他們只各自簡略地說了一下 兩人曾經有過的密切關係(編按：怎麼翻得他們兩個曾經是一對似的 XD)。 : "I really don't talk to anyone on opposing teams before games," Saunders : said. "I'm sure afterward, if I run into him … anybody you've been friends : with that closely, you don't throw that away. Time is a healer." Saunders說"我真的不想在比賽前向任何人說有關敵隊的事情。我很肯定以後如果我 碰到他，任何一個與你曾經是相當親密的朋友，你都沒辦法很快地甩掉那種尷尬的感覺， 不過時間會解決一切問題的。" : Said McHale: "I have no ill feelings toward Flip at all. I like Flip a great : deal. Flip's a good guy. I've known him and his wife since college. Ryan, his : son, is a great young man. It's just one of those deals in business where : sometimes it's tough." McHale則說"我對Saunders完全沒有什麼負面的想法，我很喜歡他，他是一個好人(編 按：老外也喜歡玩發卡這一套阿？ 囧rz)。還在唸大學的時候我就認識他跟他老婆了。他 的兒子Ryan，也是一位優秀的年輕人。這不過是生意場的小case，只是有時候比較難以接 受罷了。 : There were disappointments, to be sure, on both sides. The team never : reached the NBA Finals. 很肯定的，許多人對於球隊從未闖進NBA總冠軍賽而感到失望。 : Last season, the Wolves were thought to be a strong contender. Instead, : with McHale coaching the team down the stretch, the Wolves missed the : playoffs by a game and finished with a 44-38 record. The final ledger : included losses to bottom-of-the-barrel teams such as the Charlotte Bobcats : and Atlanta Hawks. 上一季，灰狼在季前被視為一支具有爭冠實力的勁旅。結果，在McHale的暫代教練一 段時間之後，灰狼以一場勝差的些微差距而被拒於季後賽窄門之外，留下了44勝38敗的戰 績。秋後算帳的時候發現，球隊之所以無法進入季後賽，是因為有幾場該贏未贏的比賽輸 給了聯盟中戰績倒數的那幾支球隊，如夏洛特山貓和亞特蘭大老鷹。 : Saunders pegged part of the problem on injuries. Sam Cassell, Troy Hudson, : Mark Madsen and Michael Olowokandi were hampered last season. Saunders推功諉過將原因歸咎於傷兵問題，如S.Cassell、T.Hudson、M.Madsen和M. Olowokandi等，皆在上一季掛過病號。 : "I do think it will be an emotional day a little bit for everyone (today), : only because as players, I really believe that we felt responsible that Flip : was released," Madsen said. "Unfortunately, we weren't getting the job done : on the court." Madsen說"我認為今天對每個人來說，心中不免都有些情緒起伏。就身為球隊一份子 來說，我真的認為Saunders會被解雇，每個人都有責任。很不幸地，我們在場上並未完成 贏球的任務。" : Saunders said the most difficult aspect of his departure from Minnesota has : been the separation from his family. He still has a house in Wayzata for his : wife, Debbie, and his four children. Mindy is a senior at Wayzata High School. : Ryan, who plays basketball for the Gophers, goes home when he can. And then : there are the twins, Rachel and Kimberly. Saunders說他他離開明尼蘇達最難接受的一部分是必須和家人分隔兩地，他在 Wayzata仍有一個房子，他老婆Debbie和他的四個孩子也都還住在那。Mindy是Wayzata中 學的高中生，Ryan為地鼠隊打球，有空時就會返家，另外還有一對雙胞胎，Racher和 Kimberly。 : "Our whole family is very much entrenched in Minnesota," Saunders said. : "It made it very difficult when everything went down, and how it went down. : Sometimes, things happen for a reason and they happen for the best." Saunders說"我們整個家庭已經在明尼蘇達落地生根了，當我們已經習慣這兒後，離 開灰狼隊這件事顯得令人難以接受。不過有時候，事情會因為某些原因而發生，而且習慣 了轉變之後，反而變得更好。" : It was Ryan Saunders who encouraged his father to be patient this summer as : NBA jobs opened and Saunders consistently ranked at or near the top of : candidates. Saunders said he was hesitant about a return to coaching so : soon, but it was Ryan who pushed his father to return, but only for the : right opening. 在NBA的工作開始之前，暑假期間是Ryan一直鼓勵他老爸更有耐性一些，而Sauders也 一直被視為最佳教練或至少是前幾名的教練。Saunders說他對於是否要這麼快就重做馮婦 感到有些猶豫不定，不過是Ryan一直push他老爸回來當教練，不過前提是必須要有一個好 的開始。 : "He said, 'Dad, you talk a lot about winning championships, and you owe it : to yourself to wait.' " 他說"老爸，你一直期盼能贏得總冠軍，但你還欠自己一個已經等待很久的冠軍戒指 。" : And then the Pistons called. Saunders was hired July 21. He takes over a : readymade roster. 當時剛好活塞隊打電話來，然後7月21日Saunders就被任命為教練了。他接掌了一個 現成的準冠軍球隊。 : Detroit won the 2003-04 NBA championship and made it back to the Finals last : season under former coach Larry Brown. 在前教練L.Brown的帶領之下，底特律贏得了'03-'04年的NBA總冠軍，而且去年也再 度闖進了總冠軍賽。 : "Some people can say it is pressure," Saunders said. "What you're trying to : do is build and win a championship no matter where you are. Fortunately, : I've walked into a situation where we have those tools from the players : standpoint. It's a positive situation all around." Saunders說"有人會說帶領這樣的球隊有壓力，然而，不管你身在哪支球隊，你唯一 需要試著去做的事就是打造一支勁旅並且贏得一座總冠軍。很幸運地，我剛好帶到一支已 具有奪冠實力且五門齊的好球隊，所以不管怎麼看前面都是一片大好光景。" --

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