After an extended leave, our beloved Wing General has returned
to reassure us that everything is alright...
Dear Wingazette®
Readers,
It's been awhile since The
Wing General has been heard from, but have no fear, The Wing General is doing
well!! This year has been good to the Wing General so far. First of
all, the Wing General has been spending a lot of time traveling between
Bloomington, Indiana and Lubbock, Texas...spending countless hours with The
General (Coach Knight) as well as making sure the IU basketball program got back
on its feet after the "distraction" that occurred over a year ago.
Needless to say, both Texas Tech and IU had tremendous basketball seasons this
year....and there is a good reason for that. In the many hours that The
Wing General spent with both basketball programs, there was also someone else
behind the scenes that may have been the real "hero" behind the
success of both programs this past year. You know who I am talking
about...Hal E Peno. There wasn't a day that went by that the players of
both programs weren't in contact with "the master of wing motivation".
I mean, there were many occasions during the season and the tournament
where the teams found themselves in a state of confusion and despair. They
could have folded, but that's where Hal E Peno stepped up. When he talked to the
Texas Tech players, they (and even The General) listened. When he
spoke to the Indiana players and coaches, they listened. His story began
by reminiscing about the days when, as a young boy, he had dreams....not of
becoming a great athlete, but instead, the greatest wing maker in the world!!
He began by telling the players about his younger days...days where the other
kids made fun of him because he couldn't even eat a jalapeno pepper without
crying because of the heat extracted inside his mouth from the pepper. Hal
E Peno's childhood was not easy, but he didn't let anyone or any pepper get in
his way of his dream of being the best wing maker in the world!! Little
did he know that the jalapeno and habanero peppers would become his best friends
later in life.
Hal E Peno stressed to the
players that practice...practice was the only way to get better. At this
point, he had all of the players and coaches on the edge of their seat, wanting
to know what happened after those early years of being made fun of by his
classmates. He told them of how he went home to his room after school
every day for months on end and ate various types of peppers so that he could
challenge anyone to a pepper eating contest and win. Also, during this
time, Hal E Peno began to notice that the peppers brought out a unique,
delicious flavor when combined with chicken wings....and he knew he was on to
something big!! Hal E Peno began experimenting with various spices and
sauces and combined them with chicken wings. He told the players how he
practiced and practiced with all different kinds of combinations until he came
up with a tremendous concoction he called "Hotter than Hal". It
was at this point that he knew he had made his dream come true. After many
more hours of practice and experimentation, Hal E Peno had come up with dozens
of great wing recipes that people today enjoy all over the world. After he
finished his story, everyone applauded and gave him a standing ovation and, as
he left the players to think about what they had just heard, he could hear
chants of Hal E Peno, Hal E Peno, Hal E Peno echo off of the locker room walls.
Texas Tech won over 20
games this year, after winning only nine last year. Indiana made it to the title
game of the NCAA tournament before bowing to Maryland. The inspiration
left by Hal E Peno to these basketball programs will, indeed, live on for years
to come.
The Wing General will be
heard from again...soon. At that time, the Wing General will take time to
"ham it up" with all Wingazette®
readers.