At least we made some people's day today:
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of Greeks gathered in the streets, waved flags and honked car horns to celebrate Friday’s 101-95 upset victory over the United States at the world basketball championships in Japan.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
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“This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done,” former Greek star Panayiotis Fasoulas said. “The Americans are the most talented players but we have a better team. Right now we’re the best in the world. ... Beating the U.S. is more important than the final.”<o></o>
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis cut short scheduled meetings to watch the end of the game and expressed gratitude to the Greek team.<o></o>
“I wonder if a ’thank you’ is enough, but I feel the need to say it twice over to (coach) Panagiotis Yannakis and his guys,” Karamanlis said in a statement.<o></o>
Chanting “Lift the Cup,” fans waved Greece’s blue-and-white flags, blared car horns as midday parties sprang up in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city.<o></o>
Traffic information screens flashed the final score, as motorists abandoned their cars to join celebrating crowds. Teenagers set off firecrackers and waved flags on mo-peds as they headed to the center of Athens.<o></o>
The Greek team — with no current NBA players on its roster — can add a world title to the European championship it won in 2005 with a victory over either Spain or Argentina in Sunday’s gold medal game.<o></o>
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of Greeks gathered in the streets, waved flags and honked car horns to celebrate Friday’s 101-95 upset victory over the United States at the world basketball championships in Japan.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>“This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done,” former Greek star Panayiotis Fasoulas said. “The Americans are the most talented players but we have a better team. Right now we’re the best in the world. ... Beating the U.S. is more important than the final.”<o
></o>Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis cut short scheduled meetings to watch the end of the game and expressed gratitude to the Greek team.<o
></o>“I wonder if a ’thank you’ is enough, but I feel the need to say it twice over to (coach) Panagiotis Yannakis and his guys,” Karamanlis said in a statement.<o
></o>Chanting “Lift the Cup,” fans waved Greece’s blue-and-white flags, blared car horns as midday parties sprang up in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city.<o
></o>Traffic information screens flashed the final score, as motorists abandoned their cars to join celebrating crowds. Teenagers set off firecrackers and waved flags on mo-peds as they headed to the center of Athens.<o
></o>The Greek team — with no current NBA players on its roster — can add a world title to the European championship it won in 2005 with a victory over either Spain or Argentina in Sunday’s gold medal game.<o
></o>
