Venti Dos does it all...

... as 28 Days to the Center of Sergio continues, today marks 22 days until my feet touch American soil; however, tonights blog takes an international perspective on a number that seemingly does it all. As you know, or don't, I am a huge sports fan, just something about sports has captured my attention from a young age. Not just football, but everything, baseball, soccer, volleyball, rugby, hockey, anything, I think it is more the thrill of the competition that captivates me. Regardless the sport, I am typically open in the teams I root for, which is a good thing in my eyes; however, there are certain teams that I prefer over any others in the world. But what I truly admire about sports are the players that set themselves aside from the others, those that transcend the average, go beyond what is expect, and leave their mark on the game not for what they have said, but what they have done.

So number 22, where do I begin, so many players have worn it, great ones. My fraternity brother, Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all time leading rusher wore it. Last years Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram wore, making him the only player from the University of Alabama to ever win it, despite their storied tradition. One of the best soccer players in the world, Kaka, wore it at AC Milan, winning the FIFA Player of the Year and Champions League before his move to Real Madrid. Gael Clichy, arguably one of the best back line players in soccer not named Dani Alves wears it for Arsenal. Diego Milito of Inter Milan, who scored Milans 4 final decisive goals of the season that won the the Italian Cup, Italian League, and Champions League Final trophies happily puts it on his back as well. Look at Tracey Porter, CB of the New Orleans Saints, he intercepted Peyton Manning for a TD to seal their Super Bowl victory last season, he rocks 22 as well.

So as you can see, 22 in sports, it just fits great players. But the most important 22 to me goes to a player that embodies everything my career in sports has been. A player who has put aside his need for glory, put aside the fame, put aside his own best interest for the betterment of his team. A team that mind you, is my favorite team on the face of the earth regardless of sport. This team goes beyond my favorite Cincinnati Bengals, Lakers, Ducks, or any other team I root for. The team is Manchester United, the most glorious team in all of England, maybe the world, in terms of players, revenue, championships, and stature. The only other teams that rival them are maybe Real Madrid, FB Barca, Inter, the Lakers, Celtics, maybe the Yankees, but in terms of glory and overall success, no one competes. Their 18 league titles, 11 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and 3 Champions League titles puts them on the pedestal of success. Since the days of Rudd, Beckham, the younger Scholes and Giggs, Robson, Cantona, Keane, and Charlton, I have been a Red Devils fan. But despite the big names, like Beckham and Ronaldo that have graced the pitch at Old Trafford, one player remains my favorite regardless of time. As I stated before, this player embodies everything I believe my sports career has been, thus him earning my label as one of my favorite Man U players of all time. John O'Shea, currently still on squad and a regular for the boys in red. O'Shea is the only Manchester player to have ever played all 11 positions, yes even keeper. He has won every title that a player can win, from Champions League to FA Cup, O'Shea has done it all, literally. And what more fitting for a player that wears number 22. 22, a number wore by those that exceed expectation and truly make a difference on the game.

23: Lets rewind to 1997

.... so as 28 Days to the Center of Sergio approaches the midway point in the countdown, I rewind to a time where the everyday problems of today happened to be non-existent. I was in the 5th grade at the time, and if you can remember those times, the best days seemed to be when you would get out early on a Friday, or had a half day. Well, I went to Catholic school growing up so you know what that meant, a lot of religious holidays! So more often than not I was either getting out early or not in school. But one day, in 1997, sticks out all too clear in my mind still to this day. For those of you who do not know, my grandpa, Frank, God rest his soul, was some what of a joker. For as long as I could remember he always had a way to make us smile. Funny considering how much of a disciplinarian he was, but all too suiting of his personality. To this day I still keep secrets from my grandma about many of the times we shared my grandfather and I. But those times will last forever in my mind.

With that said, it was 1997, and if you know how much of the geek and/or dork that I am. It meant that George Lucas was re-releasing his Star Wars trilogy with many technological enhancements. Star Wars IV: A New Hope, was the first to be re-released. At the time, I was attending St. Mary's elementary school in Boyle Heights. If I remember correctly, it was roughly 10am, when Ms. Castaneda's voice came over the loud speaker saying, "Sergio Villasenor report to the attendance office, your grandfather is here to take you home." At first I thought what happened, but considering it was only 10am and I was not much of a math fan, I grabbed my book bag and headed down. When I got to the office, there was my grandpa, he said, "lets go." Well you do not have to tell me twice, as we raced out. So we got in the car and head home, but suddenly I realized that the route to my grandparents house was not the one we were taking at the time. Before you know it we were on the I-5 South. We got off on Norwalk Blvd and hit the AMC Norwalk. Now, I was young, so I didn't ask too many questions but I knew that this meant we were going to the movies! My grandpa said to me, "Don't tell you grandma". We approached the ticket counter and he got us two tickets to see Star Wars IV: A New Hope. I had always watched the older versions, as my aunt Patty got me into the whole Star Wars hype from a young age so I knew this was going to be good. I was a kid in a candy store, seeing the re-release the first day it came out, and in suiting fashion, with a man I to this day admire and respect at the highest-level.

After the show, my grandpa took me to KB Toys and said you can get one thing. So, in light of my new obsession involving Star Wars I picked up my first action figure, Luke Skywalker. This sparked my overall want to collect Star Wars memorabilia, which to this day I still have in mint condition in my garage back home. So like any true collector, I have a piece, or set, that I truly love. What collector doesn't? It is of my favorite scene in A New Hope, the Death Star rescue of Leia. When Luke and Han dress up as stormtroopers, use Chewie as a prisoner in disguise, and save the princess. The actual toy piece, still unopened at home in Whittier, to this day reminds me of the time I shared with my grandfather. A 3 piece collectors item of Han, Luke, and Chewie, rescuing Leia from Death Star Level 5 Holding Block AA-23. 23, what a coincidence.

24, where impossible happens...

...so number 24, 28 Days to the Center of Sergio moves forward, as does my heightened-level of anxiousness to get home. The title, 24, "where impossible happens", considering the NBA playoffs are at the pinnacle of importance with one of the greatest sports rivalries under way, the Celtics vs the Lakers, you would correlate 24 with Kobe Bryant. Even more so considering the title is "where impossible happens", nothing more suiting to describe a player who makes the impossible look easy. Well, your wrong. While 24 represents some of my child hood super stars such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Charles Woodson, it has nothing to do with them either.

Growing up you always hear, "nothing is impossible"; however, the older you get the more you come to terms with the fact that some dreams and aspirations are impossible. It is a shame, that fire you had once as a child, dreaming you could become the next president or astronaut, all but diminish when those very aspirations met the reality of the world. However, I would like to think that on any given day, even if for a couple hours, impossible can manifest itself into something great, something possible.

If you do not know, my mother is one of the biggest UCLA fans in the world. Win or lose, rain or shine, on Monday or Wednesday, she roots for them regardless. So you can imagine the amount of UCLA football and basketball games I watched growing up. Take into account it was already an athletic-based household, the number was staggering. In the midst of all that Columbia blue and gold, the idea of "where impossible happens" came knocking.

I was 9 years old, the UCLA mens basketball team was coming off a championship season and entered March Madness at the 4 seed vs 13th seeded Princeton. Princeton, an Ivy League school, known more for its academics than its athletics, resembled nothing but a speck in the tradition that was and still is today, UCLA basketball. However on that night "impossible is nothing" gave a 9 year old boy hope, that in fact anything is possible. Princeton upset the Bruins, making it the first time since '88 where a defending champion had been eliminated in the first round. In the midst of some of the greatest Bruins to ever play, the brainy ivy leaguers showed the nation that no matter what the odds, what the prediction, the only thing that matters is the outcome.

I suppose Princeton, New Jersey, is a breeding ground, or resting place, for the term "where impossible happens". I say this because so many people who exemplified "where impossible happens" are tied back to Princeton. Richard Stockton, signer of the US Declaration of Independence, lived and was buried there, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the US resided there as well. But to truly define "where impossible happens" look no further than former resident and now buried in Princeton, the only man to be elected President of the US twice, Grover Cleveland. Now that is when impossible, on a rare occasion, meets possible. To be elected the President of the greatest country in the world, the United States. Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President of the US, and number 24 as well.

Another X on the Calendar, 25 more to go...

... today went by rather quickly, considering that I did not go to sleep until 10am, sleeping through the day makes it go that much faster. Woke up refreshed and rested, then headed to practice to get the blood flowing and build up a little sweat. Before I knew it, crossed off another day in June, now only 25 left! So todays theme revolves around the significance of the number 25 on my life. As you have read the past couple blogs, they are aimed at providing you some insight to what goes on in me cabeza. For some that know me that may very well be a little scary to know what goes on up there, but don't worry! I promise to leave all the dirty thoughts at the door, or in this case off the keyboard. So with that said, 28 Days to the Center of Sergio presents, Numero Venti Cinco.

Looking back many would assume that I would go in depth about my first season at Nevada, were I wore the number 25. While I would certainly have a lot to say in that regards, it is a point in my life I rather not talk about that at this point. Instead, I rewind the hands of time to a point in my life where all the worries seemed to slip away with each minute.

I was 17, wait, that is not 25 Sergio, I know, I know, so let me build into it. Think of the build up as the foundation so bear with me. So like I was saying, oh yes, at 17, I did something unlike myself, I signed up for mens volleyball. Yeah, I know, football player, what are you doing jumping around a net spiking volleyballs? Well looking back, I really don't know why, I think it was because it would allow me to miss most, if not every, last period class for the remainder of my senior year at St. Paul. So when I figured that out, I was sold! As time progressed, not to brag, I really was good at it, but unlike football this just came natural. Playing the game brought me some sort of inner happiness I have not found in sports since. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I would never forget. All I knew was that I was fortunate to have two really great coaches at the time that really made me fall in love with the game. Plus the fact we only had 6 total players, built for some interesting matches. So on our team, versatility was key to every player and our success.

While we did not have much success, in terms of winning, I enjoyed every second that I played during that senior season, and my only season at that. I would eventually go onto earning almost every accolade at Outside Hitter from All League and CIF to Team MVP. But none of that mattered to me. I loved the time I spent that season with my other 5 teammates. We weren't the best team, the biggest, the tallest, or the one with the best techniques but what we did have was fun. Win or lose, we did it with a smile. Every match brought me joy, it just felt good, it must have, one game we all decided to rock the high socks and compression shorts, still do not know what were thinking, but that is what I am getting at. We did not think about what people though of us, we just played, and we loved it. We knew in most scenarios we would not win, lets face it, we had 6 guys. But we knew we had a minimum of 3 sets each game to just go out and have a good time. 3 sets, for 3 sets we forgot what problems we had, and if we were the first to 25 then hey it was a really good set. Sets of 25, those were good times.

Venti Seis...

The countdown to the US continues, only 26 days now remain in the EU and the anticipation for landing on US soil grows every minute. So, the next installment of 28 Days to the Center of Sergio charges forward. Todays number? 26.

As you already know football has be a great part of my life from birth really. Instilled in my mind from a young age was my fascination with the sport. However, what truly inspired my love for the game? Was it individual players? No. Or moments that seemed to defy the odds, go against the grain. January 12, 1969, what was then the 3rd installment of the AFL-NFL Championship, was the first meeting to bear the title of "Super Bowl". The Colts, lead by monumental start QB Johnny Unitas were the heavily favorites to dismantle the AFL Champion Jets, lead by the flamboyant Joe Namath.

Often regarded as the "Guarantee", Joe Namath, days before at the Miami Touchdown Club guaranteed a Jets victory over the Colts. Well as well all know how the story goes, Namath and the Jets delivered. Making them the 1st AFL team to dethrone an NFL Champion, thus bringing to light new media coverage and igniting the interest in what we call the "Super Bowl" today.

Joe Namath that day not only guaranteed a victory, he defied the odds. If you know me, you know that much of what I do or accomplish defies the limits and constraints that others have placed upon me. So I look up to the attitude that Namath and the Jets displayed that day. Namath is also famous for being the only QB in the NFL Hall of Fame to have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, but who really cares. The day he guaranteed a Super Bowl victory and delivered he solidified in the hearts of fans everywhere. That day was also a first and only for Namath, and how suiting, to be the only Super Bowl MVP QB to not throw a single touchdown in the actual Super Bowl, he was 26. Cheers.

27 days left...

...so its 1:58am here in Italy, and their is 27 days left until my return flight. So as promised, here is another installation of 28 Days to the Center of Sergio. So what is so big about 27 that has to do with me? Well for one 27 is the number my old high school friend Gerald Biggers wore. Which could start a whole blog about our first international experience in Paris back in 2004. Or, the fact that my favorite baseball team the Yankees have won 27 World Series, but no not that either.

27 would best serve my 27th day until going home with one of my favorite musicians Jim Morrison of the Doors. Morrison and the Doors created some of my favorite tunes of all time such as: Break on Through and Light my Fire. Jim Morrison also died at the age of 27 making it fitting to be my 27th day until the US blog.

So with out further a dew, one of my favorite songs of all time Break on Through:

28 days to the center of Sergio...

... well today marks the countdown until my return to the US. June 28th, at 8pm, I'll be landing at LAX. It has been a crazy and adventurous 6 months in Europe. I have had the opportunity to live in some of the greatest cities in the world, Barcelona and Milan. Not every day does some one have the opportunity to see the world all while doing what he/she loves doing. To top it off, I met some great people in Europe, some of the finest individuals I have ever had the pleasure to be around, so cheers to that!

So, with 28 days left, I am devoting every day to something about me. You have heard phrases such as "how many licks to the center of the" and songs remixed by Lil Kim with the same philosophy, just more sexually orientated. But this is going to be tailored to me. Being away for 6 months you learn so much about the world, it opens your eyes on so many different levels that you could have never imagined. With that said, 28 days to the center of Sergio, is going to give you a little bit more perspective as to what goes on in my mind. Basically, you are going to find out a little more about me.

So here we go, first post, 28 Reasons why I can't wait to get back to the US. Oh, and please don't take offense if your not listed, this simply a list of things, people, places, and anything I can really think of that hold some true value to me. Its not you, its just me.

28. Lucille's BBQ with Lim and friends

27. Seeing if Grom in Malibu is as good as it is in Italia

26. Non-webstreamed sports broadcasts

25. In and Out Burger

24. Dodger Games with Mom

23. Driving the Audi

22. Playing with my lil cousin David

21. Working out with my dad and Jesse

20. Twilight Hookah Lounge

19. Not having to walk 10 miles to get places

18. Going the cinema and the movie in English

17. Real Chinese Food

16. Tahoe for the 4th of July

15. My moms fish tacos, cookies, and pumpkin bread, oh yeah and her spinach dip

14. Taking grandma to lunch during the week

13. Seeing my good friend Keisha and how she doing

12. PS3 and FIFA on the big screen

11. Seeing how Niko doing

10. Visiting my aunts

9. Playing with the new dog

8. Back to my own bed

7. Not having to light the water heater every time you want hot water

6. An actual dryer

5. Liana Cervantes

4. Chilling all day with Matt

3. My Phrat Brothers

2. Church on Sundays with Mom

1. My Family