Rodriguez: Spanning The Globe: Fans around the world show a zealous devotion to Spurs

[duncan228]

Spanning The Globe (http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/100616_rodriguez.html)
Fans around the world show a zealous devotion to Spurs
Ken Rodriguez

Across the Atlantic, 5,100 miles from San Antonio, 33-year-old Jurgen Aspers tools around the city of Weert, Holland with a Spurs decal on the rear windshield of a red sports car. He bares a Spurs tattoo on his left arm, wears a Spurs wristband and owns enough Spurs memorabilia to open a museum.

During the postseason, Aspers sets his alarm for 3:30 a.m. to watch Spurs playoff games. If they're not televised, he listens to them on Internet radio. Then he writes recaps and posts videos on a Dutch fansite of the Spurs (http://sanantoniospurs.hyves.nl/). "I am the Webmaster," he says in an e-mail.

Aspers is more than a Webmaster. He is, perhaps, the Spurs greatest ambassador in Europe, a one-man, volunteer marketing operation who delivers Spurs news and solicits online contributions for the The Carver Academy, the private school founded by David Robinson.

Aspers' passion runs so deep he once quit his bank job, flew to San Antonio and followed the Spurs through the 2003 playoffs so he could watch Robinson retire. He's planning another trip for next spring. "Got to be there as it's that uneven number (year) again," he writes. "And the last three times I was there for the playoffs, we won it all!"

I met Aspers seven years ago when I wrote a sports column for the San Antonio Express-News. We sat together during a flight to Los Angeles for a Spurs-Lakers game. At the time, Spurs fans had been e-mailing me from around the world -- Australia, Italy, Greece, Spain, Argentina, France, Germany. Aspers was the only one I knew who'd made a cross-continental trek to watch the Silver and Black. But there may have been others.

Keep reading... (http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/100616_rodriguez.html)

[stéphane]

Zealous indeed. That's past dedication. Way past.

[duncan228]

Aspers was the only one I knew who'd made a cross-continental trek to watch the Silver and Black. But there may have been others.

There are at least a couple here that have made the trek. RuffnReadyOzStyle and *I think* alamo50 and maybe GrandeDavid?

* Apologies if I'm remembering the wrong people and missing someone. It's a lot of dedication and effort to travel like that to support your team. :)

[lefty]

Great story :tu

[lefty]

By the way, we should invite him to join Spurstalk

[Pero]

There are at least a couple here that have made the trek. RuffnReadyOzStyle and *I think* alamo50 and maybe GrandeDavid?

* Apologies if I'm remembering the wrong people and missing someone. It's a lot of dedication and effort to travel like that to support your team. :)

At first I actually thought this article was about alamo50. :lol

[Bukefal]

By the way, we should invite him to join Spurstalk


At first I actually thought this article was about alamo50. :lol


It is about Alamo50!! Jurgen, that's him. He made the newspapers in SA before. Nice article! :toast Go Alamo50! Probably the biggest Spurs fan in Europe :king

[urunobili]

I traveled from Uruguay to see them 3 times too :)

[duncan228]

It is about Alamo50!! Jurgen, that's him. He made the newspapers in SA before. Nice article! :toast Go Alamo50! Probably the biggest Spurs fan in Europe :king

Sweet. Thanks for the confirmation. It's pretty cool to be on Spurs.com.

[Spurs Brazil]

great read

[jaffies]

Fuck yeah, Alamo50!!

I had the great pleasure of meeting the biggest Spurs fan i know of. Live and IN PERSON in 2007

Sticky this thread.

[jaffies]

...the city of Weert, Holland with a Spurs decal on the rear windshield of a red sports car. He bares a Spurs tattoo on his left arm, wears a Spurs wristband and owns enough Spurs memorabilia to open a museum.


Here they are:

http://94.100.115.143/247750001-247800000/247764401-247764500/247764407_6_4zD5.jpeg

[Blackjack]

Yes, he's developed quite a reputation in Europe. Just ask fans of a certain NBA All-Star in neighboring Germany. After San Antonio eliminated Dallas in Round 1, Aspers climbed into his car and drove East into the homeland of Dirk Nowitzki, wearing thick layers of Silver and Black.

"The Spurs logo on the rear windshield of my car," he writes, "did the rest."

Alamo50 is a HOSS! :lol

[Bukefal]

Here they are:

http://94.100.115.143/247750001-247800000/247764401-247764500/247764407_6_4zD5.jpeg

:king:king:king:king :clap :clap :clap

Where is he anyway? Havent seen him for a while on ST.

[Blackjack]

One devoted fan, Perla Manapol, follows the Spurs from remote villages in the Philippines. Her emotional connection to the team is so strong it showed up during a physical this past spring when the Spurs -- pronounced "Espars" in Filipino -- and Mavericks were locked in a tight playoff game.

She writes, "My physician warned me not to keep track of the game (as if he could, hah!) because each time Dirk (Nowitzki) got free for a layup, my blood pressure went through the hemisphere, or, as the attending nurse said, 'Wow, the needle almost broke the glass (in the sphygmomanometer)! Ultimately, my doctor decided to postpone the rest of the exam; cost me a lot more, but hey, what're we Espars fanatics for?"

Manapol's fanaticism gives new meaning to the term "over the top." During one Spurs' playoff run, she handed her cell phone to a farmer in the Palawan jungle and paid him to climb a coconut tree and look for a signal. In an e-mail Manapol sent me three years ago, she described a promise to the farmer: In the event you fall, I'll pay your family death or disability benefits.

The farmer called down scores to Manapol for more than an hour. And when he announced that her Espars had prevailed? She wrote the following, which appeared in a 2007 Express-News column: "You can imagine the yelps and yahoos that reverberated throughout the jungle on that day most possibly contributing to ecological disturbance."

I was just reading about the Pinioy passion for basketball and the NBA, so this was cool to see. Check it out (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/193595/book-chronicles-pinoy-passion-for-tall-mans-game). :toast

[Pero]

It is about Alamo50!! Jurgen, that's him. He made the newspapers in SA before. Nice article! :toast Go Alamo50! Probably the biggest Spurs fan in Europe :king

Oh LOL! I didn't recognize him from the pic because of the beard and long hair. Or maybe I was looking at the wrong person. :lol

[manu the best]

.. go SPURS go ..

[Libri]

Alamo50 is the biggest DRob fan. I was reading his posts on the internet way before SpursTalk existed.

[alamo50]

It is me, Jurgen Aspers aka alamo50.

http://94.100.114.135/728000001-728050000/728039401-728039500/728039498_6_ScCZ.jpeg


Thanks for the nice comments guys and girl(s?).
Ken and me have been communicating back and forth in between me working in my new house to feed him with info for the article.
He asked me because he was writing an article on the greatest Spurs fans and my name came up first.

Only one error, I didn't set up the PinkDingo account.
Mr. Robinson set it up and I spread the link and info.

And I drove to Germany right the day after we kicked .allas out of the 1st round (lol)!
It was only the 3rd time ever I visted Germany, but it certainly was the best visit (LOL)!!!

Enjoy the summer and be prepared for the drive for five next season!

:flag:

[Blackjack]

You the man, alamo. :toast

And I couldn't help but notice that No. 1 hanging on your wall. Always nice to see Hairston getting some love (and just go with it -- we all know that's not Anderson's jersey ;))!

You're THC as far as I'm concerned. :smokin

[Mel_13]

It was only the 3rd time ever I visted Germany, but it certainly was the best visit (LOL)!!!

Hoe is dat mogelijk? Zo dichtbij wonen, en alleen maar drie keer bezoeken.

[alamo50]

:lol

Well, it is DA's jersey and it has a hughe autograph of him on the back, BUT on front it has all autographs of the complete '00 - '01 Spurs team.

;)


Omdat ik geen fan ben van de Duitsers Mel (lol)!
HEY, ik wist helemaal niet dat jij Nederlands kan spreken!
Hoe dat zo?

[Pero]

It is me, Jurgen Aspers aka alamo50.


LOL, so I was looking at the right pic. Beard and no glasses make you look completely different. :D

[Mel_13]

Omdat ik geen fan ben van de Duitsers Mel (lol)!
HEY, ik wist helemaal niet dat jij Nederlands kan spreken!
Hoe dat zo?

Dat dacht ik. Ik ben ook geen fan van de Duitsers. Ik heb in Rotterdam tussen 88-93 gewoond. Ik was een liaison bij de Nederlandse leger in Gouda. Deze dagen, heb ik bijna geen gelegenheid mijn Nederlands te gebruiken. Hopelijk, ben ik nog steeds verstaanbaar.

[Bukefal]

Hoe is dat mogelijk? Zo dichtbij wonen, en alleen maar drie keer bezoeken.


:lol

Well, it is DA's jersey and it has a hughe autograph of him on the back, BUT on front it has all autographs of the complete '00 - '01 Spurs team.

;)


Omdat ik geen fan ben van de Duitsers Mel (lol)!
HEY, ik wist helemaal niet dat jij Nederlands kan spreken!
Hoe dat zo?

:wow Huh, mel? Jij ook Hollander? :king

Anyway, again, great job Alamo!! Ive read these stories before somewhere on here but I still enjoy :king :toast

[alamo50]

Je bent perfect verstaanbaar Mel!
Vandaar dat je fan bent van het Nederlands elftal sinds '88!

Leuk zeg!

[carina_gino20]

I was just reading about the Pinioy passion for basketball and the NBA, so this was cool to see. Check it out (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/193595/book-chronicles-pinoy-passion-for-tall-mans-game). :toast

There's an old joke that in each town/district in the Philippines, there are three things you will surely see: a bust of the national hero, a church, and a basketball court.

[pookenstein]

And I drove to Germany right the day after we kicked .allas out of the 1st round (lol)!
It was only the 3rd time ever I visted Germany, but it certainly was the best visit (LOL)!!!

Hey, next time we kick em out pm me. I live only about 150km away from Holland and I'd be happy to join you.


There are at least a couple here that have made the trek. RuffnReadyOzStyle and *I think* alamo50 and maybe GrandeDavid?

* Apologies if I'm remembering the wrong people and missing someone. It's a lot of dedication and effort to travel like that to support your team. :)

I made the trip just a few months ago in february. My first trip to the US and only because I wanted to see my Spurs. They beat OKC and PHX by the way. Was a great trip and certainly not the last to support the Spurs.
:flag:

[Kermit]

But does he have calf tats?

[alamo50]

You live in Germany pook?
Cool that you too made the pelgrimage.
You had good seats for the games I hope?
Where did you stay and what did you see of San Antonio?

[jag]

Yes, he's developed quite a reputation in Europe. Just ask fans of a certain NBA All-Star in neighboring Germany. After San Antonio eliminated Dallas in Round 1, Aspers climbed into his car and drove East into the homeland of Dirk Nowitzki, wearing thick layers of Silver and Black.

"The Spurs logo on the rear windshield of my car," he writes, "did the rest."

He took the "4 rings, faggot" show to Dirk's hometown. This is an incredible story.

[easy7]

Props to you and respect man. I remember seeing a while back the post with the pics of your collection. Amazing man collection from an amazing fan. :toast

[duhoh]

But does he have calf tats?

:lol

my thoughts as well.

good stuff alamo50 :tu

[m33p0]

She writes, "My physician warned me not to keep track of the game (as if he could, hah!) because each time Dirk (Nowitzki) got free for a layup, my blood pressure went through the hemisphere, or, as the attending nurse said, 'Wow, the needle almost broke the glass (in the sphygmomanometer)! Ultimately, my doctor decided to postpone the rest of the exam; cost me a lot more, but hey, what're we Espars fanatics for?"

her and every spurs fan everywhere.

[PM5K]

I had no idea he wasn't from here, I remember ragging on him a long time ago about a shitty Robinson figure or something he bought.

[GrandeDavid]

Alright, Jurgen!!

[bdictjames]

Wow! Impressed! You are definitely number one, Jurgen!

[hater]

"This past season, Manapol expanded her Spurs tracking team. When her job took her to rural communities, she hired two office workers to keep up with the Spurs on the Internet. "In the Philippines, games are broadcast during office hours," she writes. "I've assured them that I'll help pay for unemployment benefits in case they get fired. Fortunately, their lady boss has a crush on Tony Longoria."

:lmao

[howbouthemspurs]

Ive traveled all over europe and I seen billboards with Tony Parker on it in Paris. I saw a kid wearing a sean elliott jersey in Spain. I had a huge debate about the spurs in Amsterdam with these people at a pub. I'm just goin to say that my overall consensus is that although europe is not big on the NBA, the team that seems to get the most publicity are the Spurs.