Tom Davis Day

We were to be picked up at 12:30 by Ates so we had a free morning, which sounded good. I did not feel like sitting around till we left, so we decided to take a bus to Ortakoy, ab out five or ten minutes away by bus, just to walk around. We ended up stopping in the first shop we came across, one which looked much nicer than most, and ended up buying quite a bit, from cotton beach towels, to tee shirts, to some evil eyes. The owner was quite nice, giving us quite a few baubles as we left for our grandchildren. We ten sat down at a little alley kiosk and ordered Avalike toast, large slices of bread with cheese, tomatoes, and socuk. A young man sat down next to us, and as I went to get money changed, he and Evie struck up a conversation. He lives with an American girl friend, is a financial advisor, and he was fun to talk to. He talked about Turkis hospitality, how no one in Turkey splits the check, how one usually just pays…it’s the custom. He ended up saying good by and buying or tost sandwich and tea. Another great Turkish Experience.
Ates and Mine were waiting for us at the gate, raring to get going. We headed up to the Besiktas Sports Club, basically a huge complex that houses the team’s gymnasium, where the basketball and volleyball teams practice and have their matches. It seats somewhere around 3000 people, which seems small but just recently they passed a rule that opposing spectators were not allowed in the gym because of the altercations during and after the matches. A different world from the seventies. We met the Ass. Director or basketball, Metay, and he took us around showed us the facilities, teamrooms, training room, lounges and the Basketball Hall of Fame Room. In it were numerous photos from the past BJK teams but our team and pictures of all of us dominated all the walls. They had Battal’s shoes, Unal’s jersey, things like that, so it was fun to see. Numerous pictures of our team and individuals were on the wall. Then, we went out and two photographers took 30-40 pictures of me alone, in various poses, for the BJK magazine, but also pictures of me with the team, with Evie, and so forth. I have never been photographed so much in my life…I quite enjoyed being the center of attention, as would anyone, I guess. We then went to a different part of the complex, where there was the BJK Club proper, with lovely cafes serving Starbucks, work out rooms, spas, tennis courts, two swimming pools outside, one inside, numerous shops, and a fancy bar and restaurant, all for BJK club members. I assume the fee is pretty steep to belong, but there were all kinds of wealthy people, working out, or with their families, just enjoying the being there and taking in the scene. It’s nicer than most clubs I have seen in the states, and always in use. We went into the restaurant bar and I was interviewed for about 30 minutes by two women from the BJK magazine. While I was interviewed, Ates was very antsy, and I later surmised he was dying to be included, which he was at the end. I tried to be sure to mention all the players, why we were so good, and how talented each was, but I fear in the translation and writing of the article, I may appear in a different light, perhaps talking too much about myself. I hope not. They also asked Evie questions about our family, took more pictures, and I promised to send them a couple of our entire family with grandchildren, in case they wanted it for the article. They were very interested in the changes, in why we came to Istanbul, why we left, and a lot about our family and kids which was neat.
After the intereview, we jumped into our cars; Faruk was the only player to be at the complex and on the way, I began to figure out there was some kind of rift between BJK and the rest of the players, or the way Ates handled the setting up of the event. I am still not sure; Ates seems to have wanted to control things, to take us everywhere, and some of the other players may have resented this, thus only Faruk showing up. We went, of course, the the classist place in Istanbul, the top terrace of the Istinye Park Mall, where all the rich and famous hang out, to be seen or to see. It’s called Masa, and it and indoor/outdoor restaurant surrouned by Louis Vitton and the likes. We walked through the outer patio, stood around for a bit, as there were lots of people in line; they were starting to set up a table inside when the head of Besiktas basketball arrived; he snapped his fingers, the maitre de appeared, and within two minutes we had a table outside, the way power and presitige and love of sports work in Istanbul. I have never seen so many people so dressed, especially the women, who go out of their way to look like something over a Parsian run way. We felt like tramps. It turns out the BJK top guy lived in the US for 12 years, went to Monclair State in Jersey, played some football and baseball, his two loves. He said he prefers New York to Istanbul though his power seems pretty strong. I have no ideas what he does other than control some of the programs. The assistant’s wife had high heeled boots, a diamond in her nose, animal print dress, huge necklaces and rings, one about an inch high, and she seemed nice. She was dressed typically for her class, I suppose. The tables were often made up of 6-8 women or 6-8 men along with some familes, some couples, but everyone seemed to want to be seen. I loved the men, taking calls by walking off standing out in the courtyard looking important. We all ordered what ever, from an extensive menu, from steak, to pasta, to fish, to appetizers, to whatever. I got sea bass, fried, on top of a borek and it was as good a fish as I have had. Evie got a caesar salad, which was routine, nothing special, with iceberg lettuce, the wrong thing to get. Most of the group got what I did, but Faruk orderd a steak. Just before we left, we were invited as guests to the Heads box for the soccer game that evening. It sounded like a real honor, we thought about it a bit, and said yes, a big mistake, as we lter had to excuse ourselves as the rest of the team did not want to go. Ates and Mine, however, really wanted to go and thought it was an honor, and we were being ungrateful by refusing. I don’t think the Head could have cared less, but it was un uncomfortable five minutes. All this went on, by the way, at the end of the game, with Mine refusing to go to a restaurant, the team cajoling her to come, but she wanted nothing of it…she wanted to go to the game or home. As Faruk said, “Watching Mine makes me tired.”” Eventually, she gave in and we ended up going to a restaurant. When we left, it was close to game and we had a difficulty not only finding the gym, but finding a place to park. Finally, after a couple of round abouts, we found a place to park and hurried into the gym. It ws a decent gym, but not many fans, and the ones that we there were middle school age.
We ended up being rushed into the gym though the ceremony was to take place at halftime. We were taken into the stands, ushered around my Ates, introduced to all the big wigs, and then strangely, took seats down at one end, away from most of the Besiktas players, as if Ates wanted us all to himself. It was very uncomfortable and eventually Evie went down to sit with Fehmi and the rest of the team: Battal, Faruk, and Ahmet.
I was taken down on to the court, so they could take pictures of me, one with the present coach, which appeared in the next day’s newspaper. I then went up in the stands, watched the first half, and at half time, I was introduced by Bulent ??, a buddy of Battal’s and went out on to the center of the court and waved to the few fans in the stands, mostly the old guard, who might have recognized me. The Head of Besiktas basketball came out and presented me with a BJK jersey with my name on the back. Then, the head of the Turkish Basketball Federation came out and gave me an inscribed silver plate, recognizing my contribution to Turkish Basketball. After the applause, I went into the stands and, with the team and Evie, had pictures taken, the ones that appeared in the next day’s newspaper. I was glad that the team was included in this and was very uncomfortable getting all the accolades. We sat with Fehmi, Faruk, Battal and Ahmet the second half and it was much better. For some reason, there seemd to be a rift between Ates and the team, but by the time we left, it seemed to be settled.
We went to a restaurant run by one of Fehmi’s older players, Hayal Devran, who actually remembers me. It’s called the Hillside Club and it’s located on the top floor of the Instinye Park Mall It seems to be a new concept for Turkey, a combination restaurant, bar, disco and workout/sauna club, all combinedin one. Because it was noisy in the bar, we sat outside overlooking the arched roof of the mall, and had a dinner of various mezzes and pizza. We talked, took pictures, ate, and I got to know not only Hayal about her good friend, Canan Inanc, who conincidentally, because she comes from Kusadasi, mentioned Janet Crisler, the women who is head of the Crisler Foundation in Selcuk. It ends up she is good friends not only with Janet but with Muahrrem, a small world of connections. She was very personable, friended me the next day as did Hayal, and was going off to Tampa in five days to visit her old flame from high school who she had not seen in 25 years. She obviosly is a bit nervous about this but deserves cred it for being so willing to take a chance. I don’t think she has ever been married; she runs her father’s hotel called the Royal in Kusadasi, but it sounds like it may have seen its days with all the new hotels in town, so they are trying to turn it into condos, apartments, and long term rentals. She mentined Mardin to me, a place she was born, but had not been to since her birth. She told me all about its uniqueness, housing Chrisitian, Jew and Muslim, together for centuries, without much trouble. And I guess all the medieval buildings are in tact. I think this may be a must the next time I am in Turkey. We stayed till about 10:30, then said our good byes to the team, with Evie in tears. It was a very emotional moment for us, as we had enjoyed the team so much, had been together numerous times, and new we might not see they again for quite awhile. Ates took us home through winding streets, into Bebek, and we said our good byes. It was hard. We went to bed exhausted but happy.