Wednesday, 19 June, 2019
The process of starting up this weekend's Venom Camp began in earnest.
The first order of the day was to meet up with Chicago Bears Special Teams Coach Brock Olivo for the early, 7:00 a.m. morning drive down to Milano's Linate Airport. We were scheduled to meet two separate airplanes that were bringing special camp guest Steve Spagnuolo and the Chicago Bears coaching staff to Italy from the USA.
Brock Olivo started his coaching
odyssey in Italy many years ago
Brock was the Head Coach of the Lazio Marines and the Italian National team back in the day.
He has since moved on to coaching stops in the United Football League with the Omaha Nighthawks, Coastal Carolina University, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos before joining da Bears.
Steve Spagnuolo
Coach Spagnuolo and his wife Maria were the first to arrive. Good people!
Coach started his coaching career at the University of Massachusetts before embarking on an NFL coaching career that has taken him to assistant coaching jobs with Eagles, Giants, Saints. Ravens, Giants again and now the Chiefs.
He was also the St. Louis Rams Head Coach for three years.
Now we had about an hour to wait for our Chicago Bears coaches to arrive.
The bulk of our Venom Camp
Coaching Staff is made up of
Chicago Bears coaches
While their plane actually landed about five minutes earlier than scheduled, all of their luggage did not arrive with the plane. It was all still back in Madrid where they made their connection to Milano from Chicago.
It took well over an hour to fill out all of the necessary lost baggage forms but they were assured that their bags would be delivered to their hotel in Milano no later than 9:00 p.m. that night.
Finally,
IT WAS ON TO THE HOTEL!
Cool building near their hotel
Of course, their rooms were not ready.
Finally, at 3:00 p.m., we re-boarded the tour bus for a ride into Milano's central district to do a little sight-seeing.
Bears coaches plus Coach Spagnuolo
at Milano's famed Duomo
The Venom Camp Coaches
and their families
Incredible Duomo door!
So many great facets
to this House of Worship!
Just an amazing 700 year
old edifice
The group opted to WALK
up to the top of the Duomo!
I mentioned that they do have an elevator to the roof but, being physical fitness fanatics, they would have nothing to do with one of man's greatest technological advancements.
This was the perfect time for Bart Iaccarino, Marco Santagostino and myself to break away from the group and find something to eat.
Bart and Marco at Milano's
wonderful Luino Panzerotti Shop
"Food Over Fitness"
is our shared motto!
WOW!
Lots of great options here, I'll definitely return for another meal!
Interesting flowers seen before
Laurie, Bart and I joined
Enzo and Filippo Petrillo for an aperitivo
After saying our goodbyes to Enzo and Filippo, we journeyed into Varese to . . .
. . . SPITZ!
Spitz is one of THE best places to
dine in Varese in my opinion
Just a reminder . . .
Only 12 Italian teams are still
playing American football in this
weekend's six Semi-Final DI, DII and
DIII division games
The six winners of this weekend's
contests will come to Milano in
two weeks trying to win a ring
It's GREAT to be a Skorpion
preparing for the Venom Camp!
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