There is something indescribably beautiful about this country. Yesterday, I traveled to the beautiful town of Passau, in lower Bavaria. Also known as the "City of three rivers", Passau is where the Danube, Inn and Illz rivers all meet. Even though I have not had extensive traveling experience by any means, I feel as if this place could be one of my favorite destinations of all time. When walking down its narrow streets, one could get the feeling they were in Italy or France. The word "charming" does not do the town justice and I doubt that there is anyone who won't be enamored with its European flavor. The streets are lined with cafes and bistros and really anything you could need without it seeming overly touristy. It was also amazing to me that there could be so much history here. After walking a short distance down a narrow street, my friends decided to enter a church that seemed somewhat ordinary from the outside compared to what I was about to witness in its interior. When I entered, I was blown away at the frescoes, statues and gold that lit up this place. It was then I learned that I was in St. Stephens Cathedral. To be honest, the place had a spiritual effect on me and is one of the most breathtaking things I've ever seen.
In ancient Roman times, Passau was called "Batavis" where the ancient Germanic tribe, the Batavi, once dwelled. Apparently this tribe is quite popular with the classical authors.
During the Renaissance, Passau was the largest manufacturer of blades and swords in Germany. The swords became popularized by the symbol the smiths placed on them known as the Passau Wolf, a symbol mostly anyone who has taken a Renaissance history class would recognize. These swords are also the source of the "Passau Art" , the method in which magical charms were placed on them to protect the wielder from harm.
The city has a dark side as well. Aside from three side posts for a concentration camp, Passau was also the home of Adolf Hitler and his family from 1892-1894. Also, During the 1920s, Hitler was said to have made four rally speeches in Passau.
Today, the city consists of about 50,000 people, and is also the home to the University of Passau, a smaller University of about 10,000 students. Anyways, my writing skills or attention span cannot really do this place justice. If one ever has the chance to see this place, it will be well worth your while. There is a castle there that I did not get to see, I surely will be going back to have a closer look seeing that Passau is only a 25 minute ride from me in Deggendorf...google Passau to get the drift...thanks for reading.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
VICTORY!!
The day was ours yesterday as the Plattling Blackhawks defeated the Franken Knights with ease. To many of you, this may not seem like big news but it felt nice to walk off the field victorious. I have not been on a team that has won a football game since my senior season when the Syracuse Orangemen defeated Notre Dame on that sacred November day in 2008 :)
Needless to say, the game day atmosphere in Plattling was a little bit different than what I was used to.Kick off was at 3 but most of the team showed up around 12 for pre-game meetings which were very brief but covered all bases. We got our ankles taped by two girls that did an OK job and by the way they taped, I doubt that they had any professional training. I saw one guy taping his own cleats with duct tape and I must say that I've never seen that done in all my years of playing football lol.The locker room was crowded, but had all the necessities one needed to get dressed for a game. The guys relaxed, listened to music and chatted. Although most of them do take game day seriously, there was a good amount of smiling/laughter that was going on beforehand which sort of pissed me off but it was then where I realized that this is what club football was to some of them... a fun game. Some guys, on the other hand, were silent and prepared like it was the Super Bowl. I felt the usual: nervous, excited, focused and even a little irritable.
To be honest, game day in Plattling felt a little like high school only with better and older players. I actually didn't even know what number I was going to be wearing for game day but I ended up being quite happy with what they gave me 2 hours before kick off-#19, the same number my dad wore during his days as a Red Ram for Jamesville Dewitt high school in good ol' Syracuse, NY.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little appalled at how the pre game was, but this was pretty much what I expected. I knew I had to get over the fact that not everyone has the capacity to do things like they were done at Syracuse. As game time approached, all these thoughts went out the window, however. It was time to play football and I could start to feel the adrenaline course through my body.
Our head coach, John Rosenberg decided to give a short speech as kick off approached. Educated at Harvard, Coach Rosenberg was a man of small stature but also of great intellect. He spoke philosophically about how our team was going to change it's "culture" into being a disciplined fighting unit starting today. He wanted us to focus on doing our own specific jobs while playing hard. This was his first season here in Plattling after coaching the Munich Cowboys for several seasons and he was eager to start things off right. Coach Rosenberg has extensive coaching experience. Not only did he coach defensive backs for twelve years at Penn State under the legendary coach Joe Paterno, he also had leadership experience while being the head coach at Brown University during the 80s and early 90s. Plattling is lucky to have him and I have no doubt that his cerebral approach to things will win us a lot of games.
As game time approached, I started feeding off the energy of my teammates as they hooted, hollered and primed themselves for battle. Shortly before kick off, I was picked to be defensive captain, a role that I expected of myself to earn.
Now to game time...We ended up winning the coin toss and chose to receive the ball. This was it. I was about to engage in a Euro American football game. As the other team prepared to kick off, I noticed that the spirits of my teammates on the field came alive. These guys were pumped and so was I. As the ball sailed through the air (I was watching from the sideline because I wasn't playing special teams), there were a few surprisingly very violent collisions that occurred. Seeing those hits brought a huge smile across my face. This was real football. Don't get me wrong, I saw some crazy hits during my collegiate career, but this was different. I quickly realized that this was backyard football at its best. Clothes lines, face mask tackles, blatant holding and late hits were a regular occurrence during the game. For me, this added another level of excitement to the game, but also evoked a little a bit of fear in me as I pictured myself being on the receiving end of one of these bush league hits. In regard to the reckless play, the explanation to all of it is simple: some European players and refs don't know or enforce the rules like they should.
As our offense took possession, they quickly advanced the ball down field and scored. This was was the theme of the day as our offense pretty much had its way with Franken. Had it not been for a few dropped balls, we could easily have scored 60 points. Jimmy, our quarterback, was on fire. He distributed the ball well and made some excellent scrambling throws. Among these throws, was one to Andrew who seemed to score with ease as he raced up the sideline outrunning the Franken defender. It was nice to be on a team where the offensive was on the field the majority of the time. This gave the defensive players a chance to rest since we did not have much depth at any position defensively.
My first series on the field was very exciting for me. The third play I was in, I ended up making a great read on a power play and hawked the ball carrier down all the way to Franken's sideline for a no gain. After driving the running back into ground, I sprang up while letting out a primal scream for all of Germany to hear. It felt wonderful to be able to make plays again and have your teammates come up to you and applaud your efforts. This was all short lived though as my coaches pulled me out after 12 or so plays in hopes to conserve me for the rest of the season. The Franken game was only a pre season game and although I would have liked to play more, I certainly understood where the coaches where coming from. I still ended up finishing the day with a couple nice hits. It was actually, in some ways, fun to sit back and watch these guys play from the sideline. Remember that hard hitting safety Peter?? Well he lived up to his reputation as he absolutely punished a wide receiver coming across the middle who was making an attempt to catch a pass. I can't believe the guy from Franken even got up. Pete's hit was the kind of play that can ignite the defense and morale of the team. Needless to say, I can't wait to see him in action again next week. Lab also played very well. He had a sack, two tackles for a loss and countless QB pressures. He will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with in the GFL. He also had to play more than the coaches had anticipated due to Ice Bear, Lab's backup, getting a sprained ankle.
We finished the day winning 37-14 and if not for a few plays here or there, the score could have been a lot more one sided. After the game, guys walked off the field to greet their families. It was nice meeting people's families and friends. There was also a small beer stand on site that was serving WeisBeer from the tap. This stuff tastes so good and after two of them you are FEELING IT! It was pretty weird and funny to see guys walking around in their pads drinking and smoking with some of the assistant coaches. That is European club football for you at its finest.. Later on, we celebrated by going out in Munich, one of the prettiest cities I've ever seen. It sort of reminds of the nicer areas of Boston mixed some Italian city..I dunno what I'm talking about... I look forward to going there again though..thanks for reading.
Needless to say, the game day atmosphere in Plattling was a little bit different than what I was used to.Kick off was at 3 but most of the team showed up around 12 for pre-game meetings which were very brief but covered all bases. We got our ankles taped by two girls that did an OK job and by the way they taped, I doubt that they had any professional training. I saw one guy taping his own cleats with duct tape and I must say that I've never seen that done in all my years of playing football lol.The locker room was crowded, but had all the necessities one needed to get dressed for a game. The guys relaxed, listened to music and chatted. Although most of them do take game day seriously, there was a good amount of smiling/laughter that was going on beforehand which sort of pissed me off but it was then where I realized that this is what club football was to some of them... a fun game. Some guys, on the other hand, were silent and prepared like it was the Super Bowl. I felt the usual: nervous, excited, focused and even a little irritable.
To be honest, game day in Plattling felt a little like high school only with better and older players. I actually didn't even know what number I was going to be wearing for game day but I ended up being quite happy with what they gave me 2 hours before kick off-#19, the same number my dad wore during his days as a Red Ram for Jamesville Dewitt high school in good ol' Syracuse, NY.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little appalled at how the pre game was, but this was pretty much what I expected. I knew I had to get over the fact that not everyone has the capacity to do things like they were done at Syracuse. As game time approached, all these thoughts went out the window, however. It was time to play football and I could start to feel the adrenaline course through my body.
Our head coach, John Rosenberg decided to give a short speech as kick off approached. Educated at Harvard, Coach Rosenberg was a man of small stature but also of great intellect. He spoke philosophically about how our team was going to change it's "culture" into being a disciplined fighting unit starting today. He wanted us to focus on doing our own specific jobs while playing hard. This was his first season here in Plattling after coaching the Munich Cowboys for several seasons and he was eager to start things off right. Coach Rosenberg has extensive coaching experience. Not only did he coach defensive backs for twelve years at Penn State under the legendary coach Joe Paterno, he also had leadership experience while being the head coach at Brown University during the 80s and early 90s. Plattling is lucky to have him and I have no doubt that his cerebral approach to things will win us a lot of games.
As game time approached, I started feeding off the energy of my teammates as they hooted, hollered and primed themselves for battle. Shortly before kick off, I was picked to be defensive captain, a role that I expected of myself to earn.
Now to game time...We ended up winning the coin toss and chose to receive the ball. This was it. I was about to engage in a Euro American football game. As the other team prepared to kick off, I noticed that the spirits of my teammates on the field came alive. These guys were pumped and so was I. As the ball sailed through the air (I was watching from the sideline because I wasn't playing special teams), there were a few surprisingly very violent collisions that occurred. Seeing those hits brought a huge smile across my face. This was real football. Don't get me wrong, I saw some crazy hits during my collegiate career, but this was different. I quickly realized that this was backyard football at its best. Clothes lines, face mask tackles, blatant holding and late hits were a regular occurrence during the game. For me, this added another level of excitement to the game, but also evoked a little a bit of fear in me as I pictured myself being on the receiving end of one of these bush league hits. In regard to the reckless play, the explanation to all of it is simple: some European players and refs don't know or enforce the rules like they should.
As our offense took possession, they quickly advanced the ball down field and scored. This was was the theme of the day as our offense pretty much had its way with Franken. Had it not been for a few dropped balls, we could easily have scored 60 points. Jimmy, our quarterback, was on fire. He distributed the ball well and made some excellent scrambling throws. Among these throws, was one to Andrew who seemed to score with ease as he raced up the sideline outrunning the Franken defender. It was nice to be on a team where the offensive was on the field the majority of the time. This gave the defensive players a chance to rest since we did not have much depth at any position defensively.
My first series on the field was very exciting for me. The third play I was in, I ended up making a great read on a power play and hawked the ball carrier down all the way to Franken's sideline for a no gain. After driving the running back into ground, I sprang up while letting out a primal scream for all of Germany to hear. It felt wonderful to be able to make plays again and have your teammates come up to you and applaud your efforts. This was all short lived though as my coaches pulled me out after 12 or so plays in hopes to conserve me for the rest of the season. The Franken game was only a pre season game and although I would have liked to play more, I certainly understood where the coaches where coming from. I still ended up finishing the day with a couple nice hits. It was actually, in some ways, fun to sit back and watch these guys play from the sideline. Remember that hard hitting safety Peter?? Well he lived up to his reputation as he absolutely punished a wide receiver coming across the middle who was making an attempt to catch a pass. I can't believe the guy from Franken even got up. Pete's hit was the kind of play that can ignite the defense and morale of the team. Needless to say, I can't wait to see him in action again next week. Lab also played very well. He had a sack, two tackles for a loss and countless QB pressures. He will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with in the GFL. He also had to play more than the coaches had anticipated due to Ice Bear, Lab's backup, getting a sprained ankle.
We finished the day winning 37-14 and if not for a few plays here or there, the score could have been a lot more one sided. After the game, guys walked off the field to greet their families. It was nice meeting people's families and friends. There was also a small beer stand on site that was serving WeisBeer from the tap. This stuff tastes so good and after two of them you are FEELING IT! It was pretty weird and funny to see guys walking around in their pads drinking and smoking with some of the assistant coaches. That is European club football for you at its finest.. Later on, we celebrated by going out in Munich, one of the prettiest cities I've ever seen. It sort of reminds of the nicer areas of Boston mixed some Italian city..I dunno what I'm talking about... I look forward to going there again though..thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
CAMP
After my meal with Daniel and Boro, I learned that we were off to camp the next day! To be perfectly honest, I could have used a day or two to get acclimated to the time change and surrounding environment but nope! I was going to be hitting again in a matter of hours. I still hadn't met my fellow American import teammates although I'd been in communication with them via email. Boro took me back to my apartment and just as we arrived, both Jimmy Robertson, our quarterback and Lab Hakamjin, our nose tackle, pulled up in their car coming from Munich airport. Jimmy was our returning stud QB from Yonkers, NY and was of Irish descent. He claims that he is 100% Irish, and by the looks of him, I believe it. The kid looks like he could be an extra in the film Michael Collins. He also led the German Football League(GFL) in touchdown passes last year. After graduation from Renssaelaer Polytechnic Institute where he set many records in football and was a four year starter, he decided to pursue his Masters degree while playing football overseas. Apparently a very tenacious young man. Lab Hakamjin, a tough talking bruiser from Brooklyn, NY, was in the same boat I was. After his career at Buffalo University, he pursued the NFL just like I did. We both had about the same amount of success in our NFL careers :). However, we had a another common bond in the fact that we had played against one another in college. Although Syracuse was victorious, I joked that if the game was a little bit longer, Buffalo would have most likely prevailed. After giving the NFL his best shot, Lab decided that he still wanted to play football. Playing for the Plattling Blackhawks, he thought was a perfect opportunity to just keep playing ball. He was also born in Albania making him not just an American import with American talent and experience, but also what the GFL calls a "Euro" player. This means that Lab does not have to be considered an American player and doesnt have to count as part of our four American player quota. Apparently, we still may try and recruit another American player later on in the season. Part of his reason for coming here, I later learned, was that he had not seen his grandparents, aunts and uncles since he left Albania 23 years ago. Living in Europe, it seemed, was a convenient way to rekindle with family.
The GFL has funny rules. Normally, most team owners only pay four American players. They call these guys "imports". I myself am obviously considered an import. We have our housing paid for, our health insurance is provided, we get a free gym pass (with wet and dry sauna!), a car, meals and of course a bi-weekly pay check. On the field of play, only two Americans can be on the field at one time. For the time being, I would count as the only Defensive import player while Jimmy and Andrew Blakely, a very talented wide receiver from Texas, counted as the two offensive American weapons. Andrew was a bit older than the three of us and was entering his fourth season in the GFL. He may be the most talented player out of the four of us-a Wes Welker type if you will. He also set all time NCAA records for most receptions per season at his alma mater Truman State, a Division II school in Missouri. He was also among NCAA career reception holders with 300 catches. When he graduated in 2002, his 300 catches trailed the great Jerry Rice's all time record by just one catch....ok now I'll get to preseason camp.
At first, I thought camp would be right around the corner at our own practice facilities. I was wrong about this though and we were to travel about 4 hours to Leipzeg, the largest city in the state of Saxony, Germany and one of the largest in all of Germany. Before we left, Lab and I were to rendezvous with my new German teammates to start a caravan headed to Leipzig. Because Jimmy and Andrew had gone ahead, it was Lab and I who got out of the car first to greet our new German teammates. There were about 30 of them and they were all huddled together, some even smoking cigarettes. Lab and I immediately burst out laughing at the sight of our new teammates smoking "boagies" (Lab's name for cigarettes). As the Germans made their way over to us, we could see that there were some who looked as if they were in pretty darn good shape. They were friendly and welcoming. One thing I must say about my team is that there has been really nobody who rubs me the wrong way. There were some guys I met that I couldn't wait to play with. A guy of Russian descent, Ice Bear they called him, was a put together defensive nose tackle who smoked cigarette after cigarette and claimed that his favorite job was to run down on kick off and break the wedge of the return team. This task takes someone who has disregard for their own self preservation. He speaks very broken English and apparently one of his favorite past times is to put vodka in his mouth and light it on fire. Don't worry, I won't be trying that.
I then figured out who I would be riding with who up to Leipzig . I was chosen to ride with Christian, one of the captains and starting offensive guards. Alex, one of the veteran wide receivers, would also be riding. They asked me what kind of music I liked and I replied the typical "I listen to anything". With that, Alex put in a CD of Nirvana's greatest hits. I had to laugh because I could only think of my brother at this point. Our conversations went well as Christian sped along the Autobahn but let me tell you folks that I was in fear for my life. Christian drove an M3 BMW which made him feel empowered to drive at 150 MPH. Yes I said 150 MPH and yes I did the conversions from km per hour correctly!!!..it was insane and I did ask him to slow down..anyways.... Both Christian and Alex were very curious about American culture as I was of theirs. Christian worked as a fire fighter for BMW and seemed to have the most questions. He asked about racism in the US. He asked if it was true that in America housing values go down if their is a black family living on their block. I was very much taken aback by this and quickly skirted that being a reality. Maybe I'm wrong but I found that very offensive. We also talked about politics. "Here in Germany everyone has health insurance" he said. To that I replied, "Christian, do you know how many are uninsured in the US?" He guessed about 3 million. Needless to say, he was shocked when I told him the reality of the situation. As we approached the Bavarian-Saxony border, I was given a little bit of a history lesson (I also had to do a little of my own research lol). After the city Leipzig was bombed in 1945 by allied forces, American troops captured the city. It was then when Leipzeg was turned over to Soviet forces. The city would not have its independence from Russia until 1989. As we drove, Christian and Alex pointed out where the wall once stood. It was not long ago, they reminded me, that armed men with dogs stood as sentries keeping watch. The area was also populated by landmines. Today, the wall has since been removed and now in its place stands a restaurant that stretches across the highway! On another note, Leipzig was also the place where Napoleon was once turned back leading to his first exile into Elba. Also, Johannes Sebastian Bach, the great composer, had spent some time here....
I learned that our camp was being held at the training site for the men's German national soccer team. This place was pretty neato. It was sort of a training facility/slash hotel that had comfortable beds and a staff that attended to us as far as food and toiletries went. We were served breakfast, lunch and dinner but not the in between snacks that I was used to at Syracuse. As far as the football goes, it was the easiest preseason camp I'd ever been through. Although I found it very interesting to be learning a new defense, physically, it was not demanding. The meetings were very short and weren't filled with the coaching tirades that I was used to seeing in college. It took me a little time to get used to not getting my ass chewed during the meetings or practice when I did something wrong. Coach Herron, our defensive coach, would simply make the correction and move on. A lot of the times I would be coaching myself. Meeting were serious at times and guys certainly wanted to learn, but there was intermittent laughter throughout which took some getting used to. It was also not uncommon to see other players smoking cigarettes between practices and meetings...oh well..it's Europe. As for the native German players, there certainly was raw talent amongst them. We have one defensive end, Rob, who had a couple of NFL Europe tryouts. The kid is a beast. If it not were for a couple of injuries (dislocated elbows) at crucial times in his career, he may have been playing in the States somewhere at a very high level. We also have an outside LB, Danny, who without a doubt has the raw skills to play in the NFL. At 6'3 250, he runs a legitimate 4.6 and is just 21 years old. With coaching, he will no doubt be one of the best players in all of Europe and possibly even more. Both of these guys are great to be around. In fact, all the guys are good dudes. There are also players who have American Jr. high level skills. Many of them played soccer all their lives and simply wanted a change. Club football in Germany is also just a great way to make friends! There is really nothing like it in the United States.
And let me tell you...there are some characters on this team. Our hard hitting safety, Peter, is a 37 year old who has a nose for the ball. He is not blessed with a lot of talent, but really does LOVE TO HIT!!. He also led the GFL in interceptions last year. We have a good number of guys of Turkish descent and I must say it gets your attention when they start yelling at each other in German mixed with a Turkish accent. One in particular, Moorat, is a fired up 38 year old cornerback with a shaved head and handle bar mustache. He has been playing in the GFL since 1993 and lets just say he's someone you would want on your side during a bar fight..or on the football field. It is quite apparent how much these dudes love football at its core element. They don't do it for the fame or the fans and certainly not the money. In fact, most guys have to pay to be on the team. One player told me that it was his dream to go and be a high school coach in the States but he knew how hard this would be considering stringent immigration laws.
After a few days of camp it started to be apparent that could have a pretty good team on our hands. Our offensive is going to kick ass which leaves the defense to be the only question mark. We were last in the league in all categories of defense. I can tell that the guys are expecting big things out of me and I feel honored to look up at these grown men from all walks of life in the huddle. I will surely do my best...
On a side note, I must comment on my first day in Deggendorf (some of you may have heard this story). I did have some down time...and those that know me can surely acknowledge that I am typically not one for sitting around...So, I decided to take my little two door Ford around the streets of Deggendorf. Keep in my mind that I've had little to no experience driving stick shift. I didn't do half bad, in fact, I only stalled out 4 or 5 times lol...I'm sure you all would have chuckled to see me being sworn at in German. However, I was pretty proud of myself asking for directions in German!!
The GFL has funny rules. Normally, most team owners only pay four American players. They call these guys "imports". I myself am obviously considered an import. We have our housing paid for, our health insurance is provided, we get a free gym pass (with wet and dry sauna!), a car, meals and of course a bi-weekly pay check. On the field of play, only two Americans can be on the field at one time. For the time being, I would count as the only Defensive import player while Jimmy and Andrew Blakely, a very talented wide receiver from Texas, counted as the two offensive American weapons. Andrew was a bit older than the three of us and was entering his fourth season in the GFL. He may be the most talented player out of the four of us-a Wes Welker type if you will. He also set all time NCAA records for most receptions per season at his alma mater Truman State, a Division II school in Missouri. He was also among NCAA career reception holders with 300 catches. When he graduated in 2002, his 300 catches trailed the great Jerry Rice's all time record by just one catch....ok now I'll get to preseason camp.
At first, I thought camp would be right around the corner at our own practice facilities. I was wrong about this though and we were to travel about 4 hours to Leipzeg, the largest city in the state of Saxony, Germany and one of the largest in all of Germany. Before we left, Lab and I were to rendezvous with my new German teammates to start a caravan headed to Leipzig. Because Jimmy and Andrew had gone ahead, it was Lab and I who got out of the car first to greet our new German teammates. There were about 30 of them and they were all huddled together, some even smoking cigarettes. Lab and I immediately burst out laughing at the sight of our new teammates smoking "boagies" (Lab's name for cigarettes). As the Germans made their way over to us, we could see that there were some who looked as if they were in pretty darn good shape. They were friendly and welcoming. One thing I must say about my team is that there has been really nobody who rubs me the wrong way. There were some guys I met that I couldn't wait to play with. A guy of Russian descent, Ice Bear they called him, was a put together defensive nose tackle who smoked cigarette after cigarette and claimed that his favorite job was to run down on kick off and break the wedge of the return team. This task takes someone who has disregard for their own self preservation. He speaks very broken English and apparently one of his favorite past times is to put vodka in his mouth and light it on fire. Don't worry, I won't be trying that.
I then figured out who I would be riding with who up to Leipzig . I was chosen to ride with Christian, one of the captains and starting offensive guards. Alex, one of the veteran wide receivers, would also be riding. They asked me what kind of music I liked and I replied the typical "I listen to anything". With that, Alex put in a CD of Nirvana's greatest hits. I had to laugh because I could only think of my brother at this point. Our conversations went well as Christian sped along the Autobahn but let me tell you folks that I was in fear for my life. Christian drove an M3 BMW which made him feel empowered to drive at 150 MPH. Yes I said 150 MPH and yes I did the conversions from km per hour correctly!!!..it was insane and I did ask him to slow down..anyways.... Both Christian and Alex were very curious about American culture as I was of theirs. Christian worked as a fire fighter for BMW and seemed to have the most questions. He asked about racism in the US. He asked if it was true that in America housing values go down if their is a black family living on their block. I was very much taken aback by this and quickly skirted that being a reality. Maybe I'm wrong but I found that very offensive. We also talked about politics. "Here in Germany everyone has health insurance" he said. To that I replied, "Christian, do you know how many are uninsured in the US?" He guessed about 3 million. Needless to say, he was shocked when I told him the reality of the situation. As we approached the Bavarian-Saxony border, I was given a little bit of a history lesson (I also had to do a little of my own research lol). After the city Leipzig was bombed in 1945 by allied forces, American troops captured the city. It was then when Leipzeg was turned over to Soviet forces. The city would not have its independence from Russia until 1989. As we drove, Christian and Alex pointed out where the wall once stood. It was not long ago, they reminded me, that armed men with dogs stood as sentries keeping watch. The area was also populated by landmines. Today, the wall has since been removed and now in its place stands a restaurant that stretches across the highway! On another note, Leipzig was also the place where Napoleon was once turned back leading to his first exile into Elba. Also, Johannes Sebastian Bach, the great composer, had spent some time here....
I learned that our camp was being held at the training site for the men's German national soccer team. This place was pretty neato. It was sort of a training facility/slash hotel that had comfortable beds and a staff that attended to us as far as food and toiletries went. We were served breakfast, lunch and dinner but not the in between snacks that I was used to at Syracuse. As far as the football goes, it was the easiest preseason camp I'd ever been through. Although I found it very interesting to be learning a new defense, physically, it was not demanding. The meetings were very short and weren't filled with the coaching tirades that I was used to seeing in college. It took me a little time to get used to not getting my ass chewed during the meetings or practice when I did something wrong. Coach Herron, our defensive coach, would simply make the correction and move on. A lot of the times I would be coaching myself. Meeting were serious at times and guys certainly wanted to learn, but there was intermittent laughter throughout which took some getting used to. It was also not uncommon to see other players smoking cigarettes between practices and meetings...oh well..it's Europe. As for the native German players, there certainly was raw talent amongst them. We have one defensive end, Rob, who had a couple of NFL Europe tryouts. The kid is a beast. If it not were for a couple of injuries (dislocated elbows) at crucial times in his career, he may have been playing in the States somewhere at a very high level. We also have an outside LB, Danny, who without a doubt has the raw skills to play in the NFL. At 6'3 250, he runs a legitimate 4.6 and is just 21 years old. With coaching, he will no doubt be one of the best players in all of Europe and possibly even more. Both of these guys are great to be around. In fact, all the guys are good dudes. There are also players who have American Jr. high level skills. Many of them played soccer all their lives and simply wanted a change. Club football in Germany is also just a great way to make friends! There is really nothing like it in the United States.
And let me tell you...there are some characters on this team. Our hard hitting safety, Peter, is a 37 year old who has a nose for the ball. He is not blessed with a lot of talent, but really does LOVE TO HIT!!. He also led the GFL in interceptions last year. We have a good number of guys of Turkish descent and I must say it gets your attention when they start yelling at each other in German mixed with a Turkish accent. One in particular, Moorat, is a fired up 38 year old cornerback with a shaved head and handle bar mustache. He has been playing in the GFL since 1993 and lets just say he's someone you would want on your side during a bar fight..or on the football field. It is quite apparent how much these dudes love football at its core element. They don't do it for the fame or the fans and certainly not the money. In fact, most guys have to pay to be on the team. One player told me that it was his dream to go and be a high school coach in the States but he knew how hard this would be considering stringent immigration laws.
After a few days of camp it started to be apparent that could have a pretty good team on our hands. Our offensive is going to kick ass which leaves the defense to be the only question mark. We were last in the league in all categories of defense. I can tell that the guys are expecting big things out of me and I feel honored to look up at these grown men from all walks of life in the huddle. I will surely do my best...
On a side note, I must comment on my first day in Deggendorf (some of you may have heard this story). I did have some down time...and those that know me can surely acknowledge that I am typically not one for sitting around...So, I decided to take my little two door Ford around the streets of Deggendorf. Keep in my mind that I've had little to no experience driving stick shift. I didn't do half bad, in fact, I only stalled out 4 or 5 times lol...I'm sure you all would have chuckled to see me being sworn at in German. However, I was pretty proud of myself asking for directions in German!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Hello from Deggendorf
I'm writing some of this in retrospect because I failed to create a blog spot when I first got here. I apologize to those who have been on the edge of their seats every morning when they turn on their computer to see if I have written anything ;)
Getting off that plane in Munich was a bit of a culture shock. I must say, it is a little weird to be somewhere where people sort of look like you, but are all speaking a different language. I felt so American in my sweats and hooded sweatshirt amidst the designer clothing. Seems like people really dress up to go to the airport. All around me on cell phones and amongst one another I was hearing this foreign dialect. Even though I've had some exposure to the German language, it sounded as though people were speaking in tongues. Many people do speak English in Germany, but that thought was far from my mind at this point and didn't really feel like giving German a crack just yet. Customs seemed to be pretty much nonexistent. I could have sworn that someone would be quick to check my bags for any contraband, however, this was not the case. A woman briefly checked my passport, smiled, and sent me on my way. This would be the first of many cultural/national/whatever differences that I would encounter.
After waiting at the baggage claim for about 10 minutes, I saw coming towards me a huge, white guy with a fanny pack on. He was also wearing a Plattling BlackHawks shirt. This had to be my ride I thought to myself (I'm such a good detective). He introduced himself as "Danielle" and I tried to hold back a smirk. I later realized this was just the German way of saying Daniel! As we walked outside to the car, I looked around and saw that almost every car was either a BMW or Audi. I thought "wow, maybe I'll get some sort of BMW M series as my car to drive out here!" I was wrong however as Daniel and I hopped into the two door FORD which was also to be my car out here.....and we were off to Deggendorf! (Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to even have a car out here).
The ride to Deggendorf from the Munich airport was about 50 minutes. Daniel was one of those guys you could easily like. He was very outgoing and reminded me of one of my former teammates at Syracuse who came to us from Quebec. From the looks of him, I could tell he played offensive or defensive line and was most likely about 23 years old. When I asked him however, it turned out that he was 31. Wow.. It does seem that people look a little younger than they really are in Germany. However, I was right about the fact that he was one of my teammates.
Daniel was pretty impressed that I had learned some German. He said he had only met one other American import who knew any German. That other import had also gone to Harvard ;) I always knew those Ivy League admissions jerks didn't know what they were missing out on!!
As we went on driving, I noticed how fast he was going I was not used to this obviously and started to become a little nervous. This was my first taste of the infamous, crazed European driving...I hope nobody takes offense to that...but it really is... He seemed to appreciate American culture as he shoved a huge wad of Skoal under his bottom lip. "This shit is like Gold here man!" he said. Apparently you can't buy dip in Germany. Daniel told me that he pays triple the price for it to be shipped out to him in Bavaria. On a side note, his father was also a Dentist lol.
As we arrived in Deggendorf, my first impression was "I am definitely in Europe". The streets were cobble stoned and had a unique beauty to it just like you see in the post cards. There were fountains and every other shop was a cafe or restaurant. We then met up with another one of my teammates, Borro. He was of Polish descent but was born and raised in Germany. Great guy. The son of a cardiologist, he was 32 years old and still playing in the GFL (German Football League). He also works for the soft ware company that sponsors our team. He told me that he was considered the black sheep of his family seeing that mostly everyone in his family was a doctor but he had a great European career. He warned me of how addicting it is playing over here. Not only did he play in the GFL, but he was also a member of the German national team at one point. Among the Germans, this is considered a huge honor. The two took me to an old style tavern where I had my first Weisbeer and it was very good! Both Borro and Daniel warned me that I should be careful about how much of this I consume. For lunch, I ordered my first Wienerschnitzel and it was AWESOME. All it really is is fried pork. I ate it with french fries and it was then that it dawned on me that I was going to become fat out here....
Getting off that plane in Munich was a bit of a culture shock. I must say, it is a little weird to be somewhere where people sort of look like you, but are all speaking a different language. I felt so American in my sweats and hooded sweatshirt amidst the designer clothing. Seems like people really dress up to go to the airport. All around me on cell phones and amongst one another I was hearing this foreign dialect. Even though I've had some exposure to the German language, it sounded as though people were speaking in tongues. Many people do speak English in Germany, but that thought was far from my mind at this point and didn't really feel like giving German a crack just yet. Customs seemed to be pretty much nonexistent. I could have sworn that someone would be quick to check my bags for any contraband, however, this was not the case. A woman briefly checked my passport, smiled, and sent me on my way. This would be the first of many cultural/national/whatever differences that I would encounter.
After waiting at the baggage claim for about 10 minutes, I saw coming towards me a huge, white guy with a fanny pack on. He was also wearing a Plattling BlackHawks shirt. This had to be my ride I thought to myself (I'm such a good detective). He introduced himself as "Danielle" and I tried to hold back a smirk. I later realized this was just the German way of saying Daniel! As we walked outside to the car, I looked around and saw that almost every car was either a BMW or Audi. I thought "wow, maybe I'll get some sort of BMW M series as my car to drive out here!" I was wrong however as Daniel and I hopped into the two door FORD which was also to be my car out here.....and we were off to Deggendorf! (Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to even have a car out here).
The ride to Deggendorf from the Munich airport was about 50 minutes. Daniel was one of those guys you could easily like. He was very outgoing and reminded me of one of my former teammates at Syracuse who came to us from Quebec. From the looks of him, I could tell he played offensive or defensive line and was most likely about 23 years old. When I asked him however, it turned out that he was 31. Wow.. It does seem that people look a little younger than they really are in Germany. However, I was right about the fact that he was one of my teammates.
Daniel was pretty impressed that I had learned some German. He said he had only met one other American import who knew any German. That other import had also gone to Harvard ;) I always knew those Ivy League admissions jerks didn't know what they were missing out on!!
As we went on driving, I noticed how fast he was going I was not used to this obviously and started to become a little nervous. This was my first taste of the infamous, crazed European driving...I hope nobody takes offense to that...but it really is... He seemed to appreciate American culture as he shoved a huge wad of Skoal under his bottom lip. "This shit is like Gold here man!" he said. Apparently you can't buy dip in Germany. Daniel told me that he pays triple the price for it to be shipped out to him in Bavaria. On a side note, his father was also a Dentist lol.
As we arrived in Deggendorf, my first impression was "I am definitely in Europe". The streets were cobble stoned and had a unique beauty to it just like you see in the post cards. There were fountains and every other shop was a cafe or restaurant. We then met up with another one of my teammates, Borro. He was of Polish descent but was born and raised in Germany. Great guy. The son of a cardiologist, he was 32 years old and still playing in the GFL (German Football League). He also works for the soft ware company that sponsors our team. He told me that he was considered the black sheep of his family seeing that mostly everyone in his family was a doctor but he had a great European career. He warned me of how addicting it is playing over here. Not only did he play in the GFL, but he was also a member of the German national team at one point. Among the Germans, this is considered a huge honor. The two took me to an old style tavern where I had my first Weisbeer and it was very good! Both Borro and Daniel warned me that I should be careful about how much of this I consume. For lunch, I ordered my first Wienerschnitzel and it was AWESOME. All it really is is fried pork. I ate it with french fries and it was then that it dawned on me that I was going to become fat out here....
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