[MIJB#19]

Irregular Interviewing With: Deon Chapa and Albert Bernardo
Hoek van Holland, Netherlands, the suburb of Rotterdam at the coast of the North Sea. Deon Chapa, defensive end playing for the Maassluis Merchantmen, drinks a diet coke, here called "cola light" as he stares at the beauty of the clouds over the sea. On his left sits a man of a dozen pounds less and a grey hair more. Albert Bernardo is the newest addition to the rising front seven on the Dutch franchise. Despite Bernardo's age and experience, Chapa is expected to sit ahead of Bernardo on the depth chart for the 2005 season. The second year player and the free agent addition join us in an exclusive double interview about their working together for the new season.
Q (Questioner) - Albert and Deon, you are playing the same position, yet only one of you will have the starting role on the opposite of the Merchantmen's sack machine Harold Wells. Who should we expect to make 10 sacks coming from the right side?
DC (Deon Chapa) - Well, I think who starts is up to the management, but I think we have a good group of ends to score a total of 25 sacks for the season from the ends alone.
AB (Albert Bernardo) - Looking to the potential at this franchise, with guys like Deon, Junior (McKeehan) and Harold (Wells), the opposing tackles will have a lot to do. And with pass rushers like Ellsworth Thelen and Mike Kershner behind the line, not to mention a monster like Charles Gomez from the tackle position, I see a potential for 40 sacks here.
Q - How big is the influence of the new players on the team, concidering the upgrade of the pass rush?
DC - Well, Ellsworth brings in 8.5 sacks and gives us two of the top 28 pass rushers in the league. Then there is Albert, a mentor type of guy. I think the other guys and me can learn a lot from him.
AB - Don't underestimate the presence of players on the other side of the ball. Justin McDavid is really tough to sack, while tackles like Wilson Grimaldo and Harold Hurtado bring some additional pressure to the training sessions.
Q - You named the two already, how does working with elite tackles as the likes of Harold Hurtado and Wilson Grimaldo improve your play?
AB - I think they bring the much needed competition young guys need. With respcet to the other guys, but Grimaldo is a top player at the rightside and Hurtado really earned the All IHOF second team honors.
DC - Definatly. Hurtado and Grimaldo bring so much more willingness to improve. Add up with Justin McDavid as the guy who can read any pass rush and scramble wild, and you have some serious practise.
Q - How big will the loss of Cecil Doney count?
DC - Well, he missed half of the 2004 season with injuries, but when he was around one could see how focused everyone was to retain their spots in the depth chart.
AB - I believe the rotation system worked well at the end of the season, when Doney returned. I've seen some tapes from last season. A bad sign is Doney being traded by the Astoria Heroes to the rivals from Paris. We suspect to avenge the sentiments built up by the trading of the draft picks at #1 and #6 overall...
Q - But with the Italian blood in the bodies of you two, avengence is just natural, no?
DC - I guess you watch too much mafia movies. Although I really liked the first two Godfather movies.
AB - Well, I think Deon is kinda like Robert DeNiro to me anyway. "Are you talking to me?" Then we laugh and carry on with walking all over Harold Hurtado.
Q - But seriously, does the Italian blood make you too grow to eachother or is the rivalry to play opposite Wells very big?
AB - The Merchantmen have a rotation system, guys like Junior McKeehan and I get plenty of playing time behind Deon and Harold (Wells). The defense is okay. Tai (Wayne) and Dennis (Preciado) stop the receivers, the safeties suppport where they can and the DL can completly focus on hitting that quarterback.
DC - 40 sacks, write it down. That's our over/under for the year. Let's show that Mario Hudson, Joe Johnson and Duane Davis what it feels like to be on your back all the time.
Q - Deon, you know your targets well already?
DC - The tapes of Hudson's last collegiate games are in. The team has scouted Hudson as a possible addition, so the material was here already. Johnson and Davis are familiar faces. But Hudson will be really surprised. With Grimaldo on our team, the Musketeers pass protection will have a big hole on the left side.
AB - Deon is so ready for the season. These guys want to get rid of the bad name. Being identified as part of a 1-15 team is something to get yourself motivated about.
Q - gentlemen, we thank you for your team and wish the Merchantmen a lot of success in the upcoming season.
AB - "Gern Geschehen", or is that German?
DC - Albert still has something to learn here. You wrote the 40 sacks down, right?