Nov. 12, 2004
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball season. This week, the Notebook hits the road with Villanova head coaches and staff to New York City for a function sponsored by the Villanova Alumni Association.
30th Street Station
Philadelphia, Pa.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Villanova staff members begin descending upon the train station here. At 3:56 p.m. a group including head women's basketball coach Harry Perretta, track and field director Marcus O'Sullivan, football coach Andy Talley, director of athletics Vince Nicastro and head men's soccer coach Larry Sullivan is slated to depart for Manhattan on a regional rail line.
The occasion is an event hosted by the New York Financial Club, a group of Villanova alumni based in New York City. A group of 75 is expected at Ben Benson's Steakhouse, where a private room has been set aside for what has become an annual gathering.
Coach Jay Wright and his staff are already in New York City. The men's basketball team is using its off-day from practice to view the practice of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers, coached by Mike Dunleavy, father of Wildcat swingman Baker Dunleavy. Wright, associate coach Fred Hill and assistants Brett Gunning and Ed Pinckney will reach the restaurant by 6:15 p.m.
The group departing via train is confronted with a dilemma soon after its arrival at the station. Its scheduled train is running 50 minutes late at a point where there isn't much time to waste. So, after a quick consultation with the party's rail expert, Perretta, it's decided to change trains. Four members of the party are able to re-book on the Acela Express that leaves at 4:40 p.m. while the rest take a 5:00 p.m. train.
For his part, Perretta still can't get over his team's second-half performance in a 90-79 triple overtime exhibition loss to the Netherlands National Team last weekend.
"We made 11 of our first 21 threes," he says, head shaking, "and four of our last 36. That's hard to do."
By the time the sun sets, everyone is on a rail, headed north.
Penn Station
New York City
The first contingent arrives in Manhattan by 6:00 p.m. As you might expect, it's a bustling scene as Block V director Whitey Rigsby, Eric Quisenberry of the Alumni Office and Sullivan make their way to the subway station. During the walk to the subway entrance, there is considerable debate about which train will get the bunch to where it wants to be.
Quisenberry is confident that the E Train will get the crew to the restaurant in sufficient time. So, in the end, two New York natives and a lifelong Philadelphian put their midtown fortunes into the hands of a Wisconsin native.
For Sullivan this trip marks the first time he has participated in this event. He will give a brief synopsis of his team's productive season that resulted in Villanova's best Big East finish since joining the league for men's soccer in 1985. Yet he is also well aware that, if not for one or two plays, his team could be in Piscataway, N.J., preparing for a Big East semifinal match. (VU tied Georgetown 1-1 in the quarterfinals on Saturday but fell on penalty kicks 4-3). "We're making good progress," he says. "We've got good young players in our program and have had two straight winning seasons. But you feel for the seniors - we really had the better of the play against Georgetown and could have won if we had taken advantage of some chances we had in the first half."
Finally, the E train pulls into the station. Within ten minutes, the group is up the stairs and on 7th Avenue, headed to the restaurant. It turns out the Wisconsin guy was right. We'll credit it to his Villanova degree.
Midtown Manhattan
New York, N.Y.
By 7:30 the room is packed and the outgoing Financial Club president Bill Donnell welcomes everyone, not before accepting some ribbing from the group about his propensity for communicating via email. After an invocation from Rigsby, pinch-hitting for Rev. Bernard Lazor, O.S.A., dinner is served. Each of the head coaches is seated at a different table to share some time with fellow Villanovans.
Following the dinner, each of the head coaches gives a brief presentation. Sullivan mentions his program's development while O'Sullivan expresses enthusiasm for some of the young runners in his men's track program. Talley looks ahead to the upcoming season finale with rival Delaware, a game that generally goes right to the wire.
"It's been a trying year," he says, "but these are some of the best young men I've ever been associated with."
During Donnell's introduction of Perretta, he refers to the coach as "self-effacing."
"What does that mean?" jokes Perretta"
Perretta proceeds to begin a lively monologue touching briefly on his goals for 2004-05. He quips that his notion of a perfect season would be to head to Selection Sunday with 18 wins, on the proverbial bubble.
"Then, when you don't get in, you can spend the summer telling everyone how you were robbed," he notes.
In a more serious vein, he tells the audience about an upcoming ESPN feature on VU women's basketball great Shelly Pennefather. The 1987 Villanova alumnus is now a cloistered nun and ESPN followed Perretta this past summer as he prepared to make his annual journey to visit her.
"She inspires me and is inspiring to Villanova," Perretta says.
The last speaker is Wright.
"I hate to disagree with Harry," Wright says, "but my idea of a perfect season is not to be on the bubble. I would much rather be safely in the NCAA Tournament."
Wright then introduces his staff to the audience. At the end he relates a story from last month's "Hoops Mania" weekend. At one point prior to the football game on Saturday afternoon, Wright asked a staff member where Pinckney was. He was told that he had a book signing up campus.
"When did Eddie write a book?" he asked. "Here's one of the greatest players in Villanova history and he's so modest, he writes a book and doesn't even tell anyone."
The book, Ed Pinckney's Tales From the Hardwood, is now available in bookstores.
Wright then updates the audience on the current crop of Wildcats. Jason Fraser is expected to return to practice on Monday. In last weekend's scrimmage against George Washington the starting lineup featured Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Curtis Sumpter, Will Sheridan and Chris Charles.
"We've been a little banged up," he says, "but our coaching staff likes this group."
By the time the remarks end, it is 9:55 p.m. The train travelers from campus have exactly 20 minutes to make their train in Penn Station. The decision is made to make a run for it. Rigsby commandeers a couple of cabs and, after a few harrowing driving maneuvers, the cabs screech to a stop in front of Madison Square Garden.
"It's every man for himself," Rigsby announces.
Former world class distance runner O'Sullivan has a clear advantage as the run to train platform begins but the rest of the group isn't too far off the pace. The thought of waiting one more hour for a train is a great motivator. The crew easily makes the train and ends up with a car virtually to itself.
The banter goes back and forth all the way back to Philadelphia. Sullivan and O'Sullivan discuss Ireland and other points of Europe. Talley and alumni director Gary Olsen chat about a wide range of topics. Nicastro listens as Perretta stresses how idle time leads to bad habits.
As the train pulls into the platform, the travelers head to their cars. The hour is late but no one is complaining. This was a night where the people who work at Villanova get to interact with those who share their passion for it.
"We'll have to do this again," said Sullivan.
Sooner rather than later.
