09 May 2011

UGANDA : Miracle might not come soon

Written by Felix Eupal

While all pundits expected Miracle Eagles to light up the 2011 Fuba basketball season, no one predicted their woes.

In fact, it might be fair to say that a first playoff appearance and maybe a maiden Fuba title have already flown out of the window. First, they wasted money on Richard Omondi, a player still in contract and they have since lost that battle to Falcons. Then they emptied their bank account luring four time champion and multiple MVP Norman Blick from Power.
See Blick is a victim of circumstance who put pen to paper just because he wanted a quick buck and then realized that it was the wrong decision when the ink had dried on the dotted line.
Efforts to have the one year contract canceled so he returns to his former club all came to naught. Now he has to endure a full season playing against the people he once described as ‘family’ and adapt to a life without younger brother Donald Blick on his side.

Even before Friday’s game, Blick looked out of place, quiet and tense during the warm up drills; certainly, he was not the usual Blick who jokes about his anticipation of bar hopping after the game. Blick is also used to a cult following but even that is no more.

The crowd which always chants his name now booed him referring him to Judas. His occasional camera moments were nowhere as his team mates struggled to anticipate his next moves. And because he had built such a strong bond with Power, he found it hard to dismantle them.
But Blick’s dismal performance to go past Dmark Power in the season opener (they fell 91-96) is simply a scratch of the rot beneath the surface. Miracle used all they had to get Blick and now don’t have a coach to lead the team.
Having skipper Stephen Omony coach and play at the same time is recipe for disaster. It didn’t work while he was at Falcons and it isn’t going to work either with Miracle. For most of the time, he was restricted to the bench and came in when the damage had already been done.

The players couldn’t play and think at the same time. This, coupled with the fact that they have to compete with two want-the-ball stars, then you understand that Miracle’s journey is anything but straight this season.

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