"The fans and the basketball team are one and the same thing"
Benardo Chapermann has been following Fla since 1998 and is betting on the court-stand union for another final
By From the official website team - in
Sunday, November 28, 2011. This could be a historic date for the Flamengo basketball team, which will face Brasília in the South American League final at 21 p.m. at the HSBC Arena. A few hours earlier, however, Bernardo Chapermann, a 31-year-old civil engineer, will be there, waving his banners and flags, representing not only his organized group, the Urubuzada, but the entire Red-Black Nation.
A true basketball enthusiast, he's been involved in the sport day-to-day at Flamengo for over 10 years and is a regular fixture at almost every game, whether at the Municipal Stadium, Tijuca Stadium, Arena, or even away from Rio. He's closely followed the Rubro-Negro's recent titles in the sport and hopes to witness another one this Sunday, with a team he considers one of the best he's ever seen.
"I'm not even sure when I started following basketball. It was even before Oscar was hired. I think it was in 1998. But this team is definitely one of the best I've ever seen. The titles will tell the story better as time goes by, but on paper, it's definitely one of the best. I really believe in the title. I've always believed in this team. And I'm sure the fans' support will lead the team to victory, which is incredibly important," he said.
Bernardo knows the match won't be easy, but he's confident the "warriors" of coach Paulo Chupeta's team will win. He recalls one of his many unforgettable matches, the 2005 Carioca final, and is betting on a second South American title soon. Known by other fans and players, he can't wait for the final to kick off and promises plenty of excitement from the stands to push the team toward the title.
"It's hard to think of an unforgettable game. There are so many. The 2005 final against Telemar was one of them. I believe this game was the key to Flamengo becoming one of the best teams in the country to this day. From that moment on, the fans embraced the team so much that today, fans and basketball teams are one and the same. I say this because you see how players need the support of the fans to thrive in a game, to find energy where even God doubts it, to seek victory. And, in turn, the fans wait for a dunk, a block, in short, a beautiful play to really get into the game's spirit and not stop singing for a second..." observed the fan, who will bring his radio to listen to the Flamengo-Cruzeiro game, but will head to the Arena very early to watch the basketball.
"I'll be at the Arena around 17:30 p.m., more or less. I'll be listening to the radio, but I'm really thinking more about this second South American championship, which would be very important for Flamengo," he concluded.
A true basketball enthusiast, he's been involved in the sport day-to-day at Flamengo for over 10 years and is a regular fixture at almost every game, whether at the Municipal Stadium, Tijuca Stadium, Arena, or even away from Rio. He's closely followed the Rubro-Negro's recent titles in the sport and hopes to witness another one this Sunday, with a team he considers one of the best he's ever seen.
"I'm not even sure when I started following basketball. It was even before Oscar was hired. I think it was in 1998. But this team is definitely one of the best I've ever seen. The titles will tell the story better as time goes by, but on paper, it's definitely one of the best. I really believe in the title. I've always believed in this team. And I'm sure the fans' support will lead the team to victory, which is incredibly important," he said.
Bernardo knows the match won't be easy, but he's confident the "warriors" of coach Paulo Chupeta's team will win. He recalls one of his many unforgettable matches, the 2005 Carioca final, and is betting on a second South American title soon. Known by other fans and players, he can't wait for the final to kick off and promises plenty of excitement from the stands to push the team toward the title.
"It's hard to think of an unforgettable game. There are so many. The 2005 final against Telemar was one of them. I believe this game was the key to Flamengo becoming one of the best teams in the country to this day. From that moment on, the fans embraced the team so much that today, fans and basketball teams are one and the same. I say this because you see how players need the support of the fans to thrive in a game, to find energy where even God doubts it, to seek victory. And, in turn, the fans wait for a dunk, a block, in short, a beautiful play to really get into the game's spirit and not stop singing for a second..." observed the fan, who will bring his radio to listen to the Flamengo-Cruzeiro game, but will head to the Arena very early to watch the basketball.
"I'll be at the Arena around 17:30 p.m., more or less. I'll be listening to the radio, but I'm really thinking more about this second South American championship, which would be very important for Flamengo," he concluded.