Hard work, plan pays off for Villegas PGA Tour player Camilo Villegas struggled with his English when he left Colombia to attend the University of Florida.
But he graduated in 2004 with a degree in business and a gradepoint average of 3. 8.
“Reading, it was very slow, but it was good,” Villegas said. “When you have classes with 300, 400 students, I didn’t see the point of showing up. I just got my book, I read it, and I went and took the test. It took time, and obviously coming to Florida and having all those new opportunities was a little overwhelming.
“ But you have to just really manage your time, have a good plan for every day and stick to it.” The hardest aspect of a new country was speaking, and Villegas said it didn’t help that he was shy. “One day I said, ‘You know what ? Hell with it. I’m just going to open my mouth, and whatever comes out, comes out,’” he said. “If somebody is going to make fun of me, I’ll say, ‘Hey, instead of laughing at me, why don’t you tell me the correct way of saying it ?’ And I got better.” Prized possession New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul has a good idea where his Olympic gold medal will eventually come to rest — after everyone he knows has stopped asking him to see it, touch it and wear it.
“I still have the basketball... in a frame back home when I scored 61 points,” Paul said. “This medal will go somewhere next to that.” Paul’s 61-point performance came in high school, shortly after the murder of his grandfather, Nathaniel Jones.
Paul said that while playing for Team USA in China he had a lot on his mind. “I thought about my family, everybody back home and always understood that while I was out there playing, I represented more than me,” Paul said. “I represented Winston-Salem [N. C. ], New Orleans, the team, my family, everything.” Injury of the week New York Yankees first baseman / designated hitter Jason Giambi played Wednesday in Tampa Bay despite a nasty gash by the corner of an eyelid.
The cause of the injury wasn’t very colorful: He walked into the bathroom door at the team hotel.
But his explanation of the aftermath was pretty funny.
“There was so much blood, the maid was probably wondering where the body was hid,” he said jokingly.
Aye of the tiger Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Joey Galloway, nicknamed the White Tiger by Coach Jon Gruden because he was so rarely seen in training camp because of a groin injury, is banking on Gruden to let him play in the season opener.
“The zoo keeper posts the times the White Tiger gets to eat,” Galloway said. “I’m hoping he’s going to post one this Sunday and let me eat.” He said it Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland, on struggling righthander Justin Verlander, who had complained about a small strike zone and bad luck after his latest loss: “You need to have the ability every once in a while to say, ‘I stunk,’ not that, ‘The strike zone was tight.’ You have to say, ‘You know what ? I was horses ** t.’ It’s OK, because we’re all horses ** t from time to time. It’s good to admit that you’re horses ** t sometimes.... You turn the page and try to move on. Diversionary tactics are not good.” Quote of the day “That was pathetic. It was a pathetic performance. OU should’ve won the game.” Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline on the Buckeyes’ 26-14 victory over Ohio, a 33 1 / 2-point underdog
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