Transcript of live chat with Costas Theocharidis
Stephen Tsai: We will begin in one minute, please whisper your questions to me, and I'll relay them to Costas.
Scott Morifuji • The Honolulu Advertiser
Stephen Tsai: Thanks for joining us. We'll begin our chat.
Costas Theocharidis, right, answers questions from readers during a live chat tonight in The Advertiser's newsroom. Sports staffer Kyle Sakamoto provides typing assistance.
Costas Theocharidis: Thanks for joining us everyone. I'll really like to answer your questions.
Stephen Tsai: nicole asks: How was practice?
Costas Theocharidis: Tiring.
Stephen Tsai: punswimmer asks: how do you motivate yourself when you're losing.
Costas Theocharidis: You just try to play better the next game.
Stephen Tsai: aznfaith88 asks: what would you be doing if you didn't have a career in volleyball
Costas Theocharidis: Play basketball.
Stephen Tsai: punswimmer asks: how do you focus with all of the fans around you?
Costas Theocharidis: You're so focused on the game, you don't even focus on the fans.
Stephen Tsai: isurfguy asks: do you watch televised replays?
Costas Theocharidis: Yes, and I fall asleep.
Stephen Tsai: jujuu asks: which team are you looking forward to playing this weekend?
Costas Theocharidis: Penn State because they're No. 1.
Stephen Tsai: reader asks: do you know yuval katz.
Costas Theocharidis: We're really close friends.
Stephen Tsai: how did you meet?
Costas Theocharidis: We played as opponents in Greece and he kicked my butt.
Stephen Tsai: who's better -- you or yuval?
Costas Theocharidis: Yuval because he's a better player.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: what is russell lockwood's job?
Costas Theocharidis: He was a volunteer assistant, but he moved back to the Mainland.
Stephen Tsai: do you ever hang out with russell?
Costas Theocharidis: I used to, but he got married over the summer.
Stephen Tsai: roxyangel says hi
Costas Theocharidis: Hi, roxyangel.
Stephen Tsai: what improvements does the team need?
Costas Theocharidis: Improvement on all the aspects of the game, especially defense.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: what are your personal goals this season?
Costas Theocharidis: To finish out my spring semester with a good GPA, and of course a championship.
Stephen Tsai: duckie17 asks: will you go pro after you graduate? will you try for the olympics?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm thinking about going pro. Hopefully I'll try out for the Olympics later this summer.
Stephen Tsai: isurfguy asks: what is your major?
Costas Theocharidis: MIS
Stephen Tsai: eurfan asks: are you going to playfor the Greek national team?
Costas Theocharidis: Hopefully, but first I have to tryout.
Stephen Tsai: jujuu asks: does the arena announce correctly pronounce your name?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, perfectly.
Stephen Tsai: do you pronounce it like bob costas or coe-stas?
Costas Theocharidis: It's the same. His last name is my first name.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: what do you think of the penn state setter?
Costas Theocharidis: He's the best setter in the country.
Stephen Tsai: isurf asks: has uh lived up to your expectations?
Costas Theocharidis: Yes, and even more.
Stephen Tsai: What do you on a typical day?
Costas Theocharidis: Go to school, lift weights, practice, take a shower and go to bed.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: who's the funniest guy on the team?
Costas Theocharidis: Vernon Podlewski.
Stephen Tsai: what makes him funny?
Costas Theocharidis: The ways he acts. He's 25 years old and he acting like a child.
Stephen Tsai: aznfaith asks: are you close to your teammates?
Costas Theocharidis: Very close.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: how do you know where to find open spots on the court when you hit?
Costas Theocharidis: Just try to see over the block.
Stephen Tsai: duckie17 asks: are you single?
Costas Theocharidis: Not anymore.
Stephen Tsai: where did you meet your girlfriend?
Costas Theocharidis: Ocean's.
Stephen Tsai: what was your pickup line?
Costas Theocharidis: What's up babe?
Stephen Tsai: and it worked?
Costas Theocharidis: No, it didn't work.
Stephen Tsai: isurfguy asks: do you ever single out an opposing team player in anger?
Costas Theocharidis: Couple of times if he really gets on my nerves.
Stephen Tsai: which player annoys you?
Costas Theocharidis: Brook Billings of USC because he's a trash talker.
Stephen Tsai: duckie17 asks: is eyal zimet as shy as he appears?
Costas Theocharidis: No way.
Stephen Tsai: punswimmer: do you think you would play better if you were bald?
Costas Theocharidis: I might be able to jump higher.
Stephen Tsai: so it helps dejan miladinovic?
Costas Theocharidis: I guess so.
Stephen Tsai: nikron asks: is eyal a better tennis player than you?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, he has better technique.
Stephen Tsai: how do you motivate yourself before matches?
Costas Theocharidis: I listen to music.
Stephen Tsai: What kind of music?
Costas Theocharidis: Hard rock like Metallica.
Stephen Tsai: What's your next favorite activity behind volleyball?
Costas Theocharidis: Lifting weights.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: who brings the most fire to the court?
Costas Theocharidis: Brian Nordberg.
Stephen Tsai: roxyangel asks: who's your favorite Metallica member?
Costas Theocharidis: I don't know their names. I just like their music.
Stephen Tsai: What do you think of the fans? are the female fans overwhelming?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm really shocked by the support here.
Costas Theocharidis: It's been unbelieveable.
Costas Theocharidis: The females are great.
Stephen Tsai: punswimmer asks: do you have a special nickname only the players know about?
Costas Theocharidis: Nosco. It stands for non-stop comedy
Stephen Tsai: What's the weirdest thing you've autographed?
Costas Theocharidis: Skull.
Stephen Tsai: If you could change anything about your looks, what would you change?
Costas Theocharidis: My nose because it's ugly as hell.
Stephen Tsai: Who's the toughest guy on the team?
Costas Theocharidis: Tony Ching.
Stephen Tsai: Why is he macho?
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: when you first came to hawaii, what did you think?
Costas Theocharidis: Because he's carrying the Hawaiian blood in his veins.
Costas Theocharidis: WOW.
Stephen Tsai: racer x asks: what's the biggest difference between volleyball here and in europe?
Stephen Tsai: What do you like most about Hawaii?
Costas Theocharidis: Here is at collegiate level and Europe is the professional level.
Costas Theocharidis: The fans and the weather.
Stephen Tsai: eurfan says: Mike wilton ordered players not to dye their hair, and it would help their social life. has it helped yours?
Costas Theocharidis: Not at all.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: how would you prepare for a top-ranked team?
Stephen Tsai: angel13 asks: what is it about vb players that attract female fans?
Costas Theocharidis: Like all the other games. It doesn't matter who you play. You just get ready. Get on the court and you just play the game.
Stephen Tsai: racerx asks: with your height and leaping ability, was basketball an option?
Costas Theocharidis: The looks.
Stephen Tsai: are you playing at the level yuval played when he was at uh?
Costas Theocharidis: Too short for a basketball player.
Costas Theocharidis: A lot. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Costas Theocharidis: I haven't seen him play here.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: have you ever tried hawaiianfood?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, and I like it a lot.
Stephen Tsai: will you return to the colorful shorts?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah as always.
Stephen Tsai: roxy asks: have you ever surfed before?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm not very into surfing.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: have you gone to other uh sporting events?
Costas Theocharidis: All of them except swimming.
Stephen Tsai: do you like football?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, especially the NFL.
Stephen Tsai: roxy asks: who is your favorite wahine vb player?
Costas Theocharidis: Lily.
Stephen Tsai: halcyon asks: do you like the warrior mascot?
Stephen Tsai: whose the cutest wahinevb player?
Costas Theocharidis: Lauren Duggins.
Costas Theocharidis: I think the Warrior mascot is pretty cool.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess: will you return for your senior season?
Costas Theocharidis: Yes.
Costas Theocharidis: The degree is a priority.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: specifically, what is your favorite hawaiian food?
Costas Theocharidis: kalua pig.
Stephen Tsai: bowfan asks: who's the best player on your team?
Costas Theocharidis: Eyal Zimet. He's the engine of the team.
Stephen Tsai: general asks: how far can this team go:?
Costas Theocharidis: All the way.
Stephen Tsai: with tony ching out for tomorrow's match, can jose delgado step up?
Costas Theocharidis: He's been practicing pretty well and I think he will play well in this tournament.
Stephen Tsai: warrior princess asks: what's the difference between this year's team and last year's team?
Costas Theocharidis: Less experienced guys.
Stephen Tsai: eurfan asks: who else on the team has a girlfriend?
Costas Theocharidis: Eyal and Jojo.
Stephen Tsai: after your uh career is over, will you stay in hawaii?
Costas Theocharidis: No, but I'll retire here.
Stephen Tsai: vball asks: when you're about to hit the ball, how do you face angle and hit line?
Costas Theocharidis: Just practice and experience.
Costas Theocharidis: And a good shoulder.
Stephen Tsai: What are your plans after graduation?
Costas Theocharidis: Turn pro and get my master's.
Stephen Tsai: aznfaith: what's the story on ryan woodward? will he be playing soon?
Costas Theocharidis: I don't know about that. He might be the next Warrior mascot.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: what do you want to earn a master's in?
Costas Theocharidis: Computer science.
Stephen Tsai: warrior fan: is kyle denitz redshirting this season?
Costas Theocharidis: No.
Stephen Tsai: virginia asks: does anyone else in yourfamily play volleyball?
Costas Theocharidis: My brother played for a short period of time.
Stephen Tsai: how did you get into volleyball?
Costas Theocharidis: My father pushed me in the sport
Stephen Tsai: tell us about your childhood? happy?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, I had a good childhood.
Stephen Tsai: general asks: how far do you think this team will go in the ncaa tournament?
Stephen Tsai: eurfan asks: what is kyle's status?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm pretty confident we'll go all the way.
Costas Theocharidis: Single.
Stephen Tsai: mvbfan: when were you back home last?
Costas Theocharidis: I've never been home ever since I came here.
Stephen Tsai: nikron asks: who's the best leaper on the team?
Costas Theocharidis: Delano Thomas.
Stephen Tsai: yay4 asks: do you remember some of the faces of your fans?
Costas Theocharidis: I remember a bunch of them.
Stephen Tsai: do you interact with your fans?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, as much as I can.
Stephen Tsai: duckie asks: has your family seen you play?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, they've seen tapes.
Stephen Tsai: Will they see you play at uh?
Costas Theocharidis: In my senior year.
Stephen Tsai: eurfan asks: has a player ever dated a fan?
Costas Theocharidis: I have no clue.
Stephen Tsai: angel13: do you ever come across groupies?
Costas Theocharidis: Once in a while.
Stephen Tsai: once your favorite fan sign?
Costas Theocharidis: All the signs are nice, but I like the Greek flag better.
Stephen Tsai: snwbord: if eyal is the machine on the team, do you look to him for inspiration when you're down?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, most of the time.
Stephen Tsai: bows fan asks: which teams will be in the final four.
Costas Theocharidis: Us, Stanford, Loyola-Chicago, Penn State.
Stephen Tsai: warrior fan asks: are you more nervous preparing for penn state or ucla?
Costas Theocharidis: Penn State.
Stephen Tsai: why?
Costas Theocharidis: Because they beat us in the preseason.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: do you remember any of the floor wipers?
Costas Theocharidis: Most of them.\
Stephen Tsai: what's coach wilton like?
Costas Theocharidis: He's a really cool coach and person.
Stephen Tsai: why do the players feel he favors you?
Costas Theocharidis: I don't think he favors me.
Stephen Tsai: what makes him a good coach?
Costas Theocharidis: I think he's fair to everybody on the team.
Costas Theocharidis: I guess his knowledge about the sport and the fact that he's an open-minded person.
Stephen Tsai: what's it like to be you?
Costas Theocharidis: It's good.
Stephen Tsai: is there pressure? do other students treat you differently
Costas Theocharidis: No, there is no pressure. I don't think other students treat me any differently.
Stephen Tsai: snwbord asks: how fast is have your jump serves been clocked?
Costas Theocharidis: Three years younger than me.
Costas Theocharidis: 70 mph.
Stephen Tsai: eurfan asks: do you appreciate the gifts and leis from fans?
Costas Theocharidis: I don't take gifts, but I really like the leis.
Stephen Tsai: junage asks: do you watch yourself on tv?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, I'm fired up.
Costas Theocharidis: He's playing in a German league.
Stephen Tsai: what do you think when you see the way you act on tv?
Costas Theocharidis: When ever I'm bored.
Costas Theocharidis: What a clown!
Stephen Tsai: junage asks: what do you think of the KFVE commentators?
Costas Theocharidis: They're doing a great job.
Stephen Tsai: bows fans asks: who's your best friend on the team?
Costas Theocharidis: Eyal Zimet.
Stephen Tsai: why?
Costas Theocharidis: Because he doesn't talk too much.
Costas Theocharidis: And he's a fun guy to hang out with.
Stephen Tsai: what's your living situation like? do you live in a dorm? do you have roommates?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm liviing in the apartments.
Costas Theocharidis: And I have three tennis players as roommates.
Stephen Tsai: aznfaith asks: do you play tennis every now and then?:
Costas Theocharidis: No. I try to avoid playing tennis.
Stephen Tsai: junage asks: do you speak any other language besides Greek and English?
Stephen Tsai: During matches, you seem to be yelling. What are you saying?
Costas Theocharidis: I speak a little bit of German and French.
Costas Theocharidis: Swearing in Greek.
Stephen Tsai: Why don't you smile during matches?
Costas Theocharidis: I'm too focused on the match.
Stephen Tsai: vballman asks: do you speak another language amongst your friends?
Costas Theocharidis: Thanks a lot.
Costas Theocharidis: No, just English.
Stephen Tsai: tuyay asks: boxers or briefs?
Costas Theocharidis: briefs
Stephen Tsai: and tuyay wears?
Costas Theocharidis: boxers
Costas Theocharidis: ugly ones
Stephen Tsai: tell us something we don't know about your teammates
Costas Theocharidis: Which ones?
Stephen Tsai: eyal
Costas Theocharidis: Hi mrs williams
Costas Theocharidis: He's a really funny guy and he's unbelieveably slow eating dinner and taking a shower.
Stephen Tsai: warrior fan asks: who decides which uniforms to wear for each match?
Costas Theocharidis: The coach
Stephen Tsai: do you prefer the nickname warriors or rainbows?
Costas Theocharidis: Warriors I guess
Stephen Tsai: nikron asks: where is the worst place to play a match?
Costas Theocharidis: The USC gym because it reminds of a matchbox.
Stephen Tsai: bowfan asks: are you wearing the floral shorts for the tournament?
Costas Theocharidis: Yeah, I think we will.
Stephen Tsai: cc asks: what other vb players do you respect?
Costas Theocharidis: On my team, Eyal Zimet.
Costas Theocharidis: Back home many of my teammates.
Stephen Tsai: roxy asks: tell us something we don't know about tony ching
Costas Theocharidis: He's really close to his mom and he's a cry baby.
Stephen Tsai: bows fans asks: do the women's and men's teams play each other for fun?
Costas Theocharidis: No, you can't play for fun with the Wahine.
Stephen Tsai: tuyay asks: tell us something we don't know about kimo tuyay
Costas Theocharidis: They try to spank you every time.
Costas Theocharidis: Hi Virginia.
Costas Theocharidis: He's a little puppy, trying to hide himself behind our backs every time something back happens.
Stephen Tsai: vballman says: when you swear in greek, does any opponent understand what you're saying?
Costas Theocharidis: I guess after three years they must have a pretty good idea.
Stephen Tsai: (many) fans ask: who are the players on the team with girlfriends?
Costas Theocharidis: Eyal and Jojo.
Stephen Tsai: nikron asks: do you have any conflicts with teammates?
Stephen Tsai: costas will answer two more questions, and then make a final statement.
Costas Theocharidis: I have conflicts with Dejan sometimes because he's really selfish.
Stephen Tsai: jhjunkie: do you get annoyed at repeated or really odd questions?
Costas Theocharidis: Bye RoxyAngelGurl
Costas Theocharidis: Not really.
Costas Theocharidis: Thanks eurfan
Stephen Tsai: snwbdr asks: who's cuter -- lily kahumoku or lauren duggens?
Costas Theocharidis: Thanks Duckie17.
Costas Theocharidis: Thanks Virginia.
Costas Theocharidis: Lauren is cuter.
Stephen Tsai: costas will make a final statement
Costas Theocharidis: I would like to thank all of you for participating and I hope I'll see you guys at the tournament this week and talk to you in person.
Stephen Tsai: thanks for joining our chat. a transcript will be available later this evening.
Costas Theocharidis: I love you to yay4tuyay.
Stephen Tsai: the transcript will be posted on the site in the sports section.
