I know these blogs are way overdue and I have no excuse other than the fact that I lost interest in writing them. But I'm going to fight that feeling for there are stories that need telling.
This past week, I was able to travel to one of the most impressive places that I have ever been to and I seriously doubt that I will see anything quite like it again. Normandy is a coastal region in upper France that is situated right on the English Channel. For hundreds of years, it remained a quiet, fishing and farming region with peaceful, unbelievably gorgeous, rolling meadows and grazing pastures for dairy cows. It also was a popular tourist destination for the last hundred years or so which brought people from all over Europe to vacation on it's immense beaches. Today, Normandy is more well known for the critical part it played during World War II as it was the stage for the largest amphibious assault/invasion in history referred to as D-Day, The Battle of Normandy or Operation Overlord. If you don't know, France had been invaded by the fast moving, relentless Nazi army in 1940 with little resistance and had been ruled by a steel fist ever since the occupation. Many people were forced to leave the country of France or lived in great fear. Since the French army had mostly surrendered, the French relied on the "resistance" from citizens of the country who formed an underground army that aimed to fight the Nazis in any way they could. The French Resistance, as they were formally called, consisted of men, women and teenagers who did everything they could do to kill or disrupt Nazi forces. One photograph I saw while in Normandy, showed a middle aged Norman woman wearing a dress and military helmet crouching behind sand bags. She obviously was a civilian and part of the French Resistance. In her hand, she clutched a grenade and looked as though she were getting ready to throw it. The expression on her face was that of fear, but also of courage, and I immediately felt an immense feeling of admiration and respect for her. Seeing that picture made me think of what it would be like to have my home town invaded. What would I do? I have a pretty good idea, but how can I know for sure? What would you do? This sounds corny, but that picture made me think of my loved ones. What if our army was inept at keeping invaders at bay and we had to rely on these guerrilla tactics to survive? I have to chuckle at the thought of my mother wielding a grenade, but this was the French's reality during these tumultuous times. Take a moment and put yourself in that position.
Despite the heroic efforts of the French Resistance, it goes without saying that the French-along with the other allied forces- desperately needed help. Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US had not wanted to join the war effort for various reasons, but mostly because they wanted to maintain their isolationist, post World War I mentality. However, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, Nazi Germany and the Italians. Nazi Germany was considered by Roosevelt to be the greatest threat. In his speech to congress, Roosevelt said that when "Germany is defeated, the collapse of Italy and Japan will follow". By 1943, Hitler had gained so much momentum that defeat of the Allied forces (USA, England, Canada and pretty much the rest of Europe and Russia) seemed eminent if something wasn't done soon. There had also been speculation that Hitler possessed weapons capable of destroying London completely. This would have been a devastating blow to the Allied forces because of England's close tactical accessibility for the Allied forces to the rest of Europe and because it was really the only Allied base left standing. If England had been taken, most of Europe could be speaking German right now.
With defeat being a possible reality, the Allied forces, led by General Eisenhower, decided that an Allied invasion of Europe would be the only way to stop Hitler. Operation Overlord, the formal name given to the plans of the invasion, was set to take place in the summer of 1944. For months leading up to the invasion, the Allies and French resistance did everything they could to mask the plans of the invasion from spreading fake rumors of invasion dates and plans or creating artificial traffic in different ports in England which would lead the Germans to believe the attack was coming from somewhere else in England. The goal was to spread the German lines as thin as possible along the French coast line so they could not concentrate their forces at any particular place along the coast.
In the early hours of June 6th, 1944, D-DAY commenced with American and other Allied paratroopers parachuting deep behind German lines. One of these para troopers was former Syracuse head coach Ben Schwartzwalder who went on to win numerous medals for bravery for his efforts at Normandy. Of these medals were the Presidential Unit Citation, a bronze star, silver star, Purple Heart and four battle stars. As a Captain in the 82cnd Airborne of the 507th, Schwartzwalder lead his men to numerous victories in post D-DAY battles that ensued after. This was at a high cost however, as the 507th lost 65% of it's men. After his military career, Schwartzwalder went to coach Syracuse to a National Championship and coached prominent players like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Todd Flaherty :). My dad says that he will always remember the half time stories that Coach Ben would tell to rally his Syracuse players. My father can recall him saying things like "I remember parachuting in the behind those Nazi sons-a-bitches and sticking my bayonet right between there shoulder blades.." Something to that effect.
Anyways, back to the invasion, and yeah I know this has turned into a little bit of a history lesson. At 6:30 AM, H-hour, the first wave of American soldiers landed on Omaha beach. Since the Allied Naval forces had not done as good as a job as they planned in bombarding the Germans with artillery from battle ships, boys and men who had come from their homes some 4,000 miles away in the US were met by strong, dug in, German forces (who were made up of mostly teenagers reinforced with seasoned veterans) used machine gun fire, mortar and whatever was militarily possible to slaughter the Americans as they stormed the beach. The American casualties were extremely high, but these brave men ended up "taking" or winning the beach. If one needs any assistance in picturing what this was like, watch the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan. It was a terrible morning at Omaha and without a doubt, the bloodiest part of the D-Day invasion. Of the 34,250 American men who invaded Omaha beach, there were 10,000 casualties (dead and wounded). It is undisputed among the French that most of the credit on D-Day belongs to the brave men who stormed Omaha beach and although today there may be some bad blood between the French and Americans today, I surely did not get that feeling when conversing with the French people of Normandy, in fact, it was quite the contrary. In one moving interview that I watched, a Frenchman was moved to tears at the sacrifice that the Americans and other Allies made. In one part he said, "The Americans were our liberators and we didn't even know them...they came from 4,000 miles away and ended up dying in a place they didn't even know...they came to free us". It was a joint effort that day though as the British and Canadian forces suffered great loss at Gold Beach (which my hotel balcony overlooked) and Juno Beach respectively. Needless to say, they are all heroes too. I have not mentioned the other beaches at Normandy that were stormed because I don't want to make this blog too long, but I think it's disrespectful not to mention these places as well. They were Utah beach (American forces) and Sword beach (British forces). There were other gallant efforts made that I have not mentioned, including the efforts of the US RANGERS who mountain climbed their way with grappling hooks up the the treacherous peak of La Pointe Du Hoc to take out German guns that were aimed right at the Americans storming the beach below. Of those 250 Rangers who climbed Pointe Du Hoc, only 90 survived. Without the collaborative efforts of all these men, France may never have been liberated and the Allied forces would not have gone on to win the war. The storming of Normandy and the crucial battles that ensued months after the invasion, without a doubt, turned the tide of the war. On Sept. 2, 1945 the World War II officially ended.
Today, Normandy is a peaceful, resort area that is quite comparable to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Families come from all over to the see the battlefield sites, but also to use Normandy's beaches for windsurfing, riding jet skis and swimming. At first, I found it a little disrespectful that people would be using these once blood soaked beaches for leisure activities. But then it dawned on me that this is why the Allied forces liberated France-so the French people could have their everyday liberties back. Also, there are numerous monuments and museums, including the Omaha Beach Memorial and American Military Cemetery, that dot the Norman coastline paying tribute to all the men who fought at Normandy. I had a chance to walk down onto Omaha beach(you can see me standing on Omaha in my profile picture) right where the sand hits the waves that carried thousands of young men, some barely 17 years old, to their death at the hands of automatic weapon fire and mortar shrapnel. As I crouched down to run my fingers through the salty water of the English Channel, I tried to envision what it must have been like that day. I tried to imagine looking over at one of my friends who just had one of his limbs blown off. So far in my life, I thought, I had it relatively easy. For some reason, it was my fate to be born into a loving family and to be blessed with many great experiences and opportunities. For others, like the men of D-Day, their fate was to leave their homes to fight on a beach 4,000 miles away. They were sons, fathers, brothers and friends who valued many of the things I do, but had their lives cut short while defending freedom. As I walked off Omaha Beach, I made sure to close my eyes and whisper a quiet thank you for my blessings and for the great sacrifice that those men made and for the men who continue to make them today.
The greatest tribute to their sacrifice can be seen at the American Cemetery that overlooks Omaha Beach. Aside from Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C., the American Cemetery has to be one of the most beautiful monuments in all of the world. To see the symmetry and perfection in which all 9,386 graves are aligned is truly breathtaking. I was able to find the grave stones of Robert and Preston Niland, two brothers who were both killed at the battle of Normandy. Their third brother, Edward, was taken prisoner by the Japanese during 1944 in the Pacific, but was released at the end of the war in 1945. During this time though, the US Military allowed Fritz Niland, the fourth brother, to return home safely to his parents in New York. If this story seems familiar, the film Saving Private Ryan was loosely based off of these events along with the tragic deaths of the 5 Sullivan brothers who were all killed when their battle ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine in the Pacific during 1942. Can you imagine the grief that these families must have gone through?
I have never experienced that sort of grief, but my father has. In 1966, during the Vietnam War, his brother, Lt. Kevin Michael Flaherty was killed in action. This was a more than devastating loss for my father and his family, and they would be the first to tell you that the emotional wounds have never really healed. As a boy, I can remember going to Arlington Cemetery to visit my uncle Kevin's grave site and seeing how powerful it was to watch my father kneel down at the grave of his brother and display the same emotions he must have had the day he heard the terrible news. As I surveyed the cemetery, I realized that this is what all these families have gone through and are still going through today.
Today, it is up to the younger generations to keep these stories of D-Day alive and well. World War II survivors are dying at an astonishing rate and it will be only a matter of time before they are all gone. It's crucial to keep their stories alive in any way we can. It's important to know that Hitler and the rest of the Axis of Evil posed a real threat to the well being of the entire world and unlike some wars, one cannot really protest US involvement in World War II. Regardless of your political affiliation or opinion on any conflict though, one must always realize that there are young men and women in every war who are sacrificing their well being in order for us to have better lives. One must always realize that freedom is not free.
Side note: Total Land forces deployed for D-Day: 156,205 Allied men
Also, I accidentally erased the first draft of this blog...needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I apologize for any mistakes I made or carelessness.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Win #2!
The Plattling Blackhawks have done it again folks with their win against Weinheim. I cannot remember the last time I was on a team that had won it's first two games and I must say, it feels pretty DAMN good. The day started out at 6 AM when my teammates and I got up to catch the double decker team bus which would carry us to our destination 4 hours away. As I settled into my seat, one of my German teammates asked me how many times I rode a bus to games in college. "Actually, we flew everywhere" I replied. He and others who were waiting for my reply were a little shocked. To avoid sounding like a snob, I made sure to quickly follow my statement with "but I don't mind riding at all, I get to see your countryside". "Welcome to Germany" he said with a smile. To be honest, I was sincere about not minding the ride. I want to see as much as I can out here and I can't believe its been a month already that I've been here.
As always, I was primed for game day but it was not without some reservation. We were missing some of our best players. Jerome, our talented running back, had to work and so did our best offensive lineman and captain, Christian. Apparently it is not uncommon for even our best players to miss games because of work...what can you do?? We also were going to be playing against one of the best athletes in all of the GFL, James Taylor. And no I'm not kidding, this guy has the same name as my hero, THE JAMES TAYLOR. Taylor had played safety/punt returner in the NFL for a couple of seasons up until NFL Europe dissolved two years ago because of financial problems. He must have met a girl over here because I don't know why he would be playing double duty for Weinheim as a running back and safety. Maybe they were paying him well. When I saw him in person, he was impressive looking. At 6'1 or so and 210 lbs, he looked like many of the great athletes that I had faced in college. My teammates, although not intimidated, warned me that if he got going in a game, Taylor could be pretty much unstoppable. I embraced the challenge and looked forward to tackling this guy, after all, look who I played against in college: Ray Rice, Noel Devine, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmidt, LaSean McCoy, Evan Royster, Rashard Mendenhall, Curtis Brinkley, Delone Carter, Tony Fiammetta ;) and a slew of other great ones now playing in the NFL.
However, Taylor's resume would not carry him on this day. Although he had some surrounding American players, including a QB who had just flown in from the United States on Wednesday, it was not enough to stand up against our defense today. We ended up holding Weinheim to just 15 yards of total offense which is pathetic. This was mostly attributed to Weinheim's ineptitude at executing plays. Their offensive line was not very strong and it looked like they had not spent a lot of time practicing or conditioning. I'm not trying to detract from our defensive effort, but this was not a formidable challenge for us. The game would have been a shut out had it not been for Weinheim scoring on a kick off return and a fumble that they returned for a touch down. It was, however, a hell of a lot of fun. Both Lab and I played well. I got my wish and dealt Taylor a crushing hit as he cut back inside against the grain on an outside toss sweep. It was early in the game when I met him at a perfect angle and I believe my hit somewhat galvanized the rest of the defensive unit and sideline. After the game, the German guys on the team were doing impressions of my scream after I hit Taylor...apparently they think my post-tackle banchee screams are hilarious. The same went for the offensive side of the ball. They pretty much had a field day and there were a couple of guys who really stepped up and made big plays which made up for the absence of some of our better players.
There were some terrible injuries on Weinheims team during the game which I most likely will never forget. Their QB, just a few days off the plane in Germany, was believed to have fractured his sternum as our weak side linebacker, Danny, came free and unblocked and hit this kid with such speed and ferocity that would make many people shutter. This was not the only hit this QB had taken during the game either. It seemed as though we were doing tackling practice on this guy. After one sack earlier in the game, he lay there for a few seconds holding his arm. It was then I did something I usually do not do-I helped him up. As I was helping him get to his feet I said "Welcome to the GFL" to which he replied "I guess so". I could not help to put myself in his shoes. There he was-three days in Germany and already with a season ending injury. His family is not around nor was anyone who really knew him. I kept hearing him yell "I can't breathe". Can you imagine? I said a prayer for him as he lay there gasping for air only a few feet from our sideline. I hope is doing ok now.
There was another unintentional injury inflicted by our linebacker, Danny. As one offensive lineman tried to block him, Danny steam rolled him and the lineman must have planted his foot awkwardly because he tore his ACL. I had been taken out of the game at this point, but I could still hear his screams not far from our sideline. I couldn't help but to think that you just never know when your time is up. It was a bad day for Weinheim and they were stricken with the worst part of this great game of football, the injuries.
For the most part, we had come out unscathed with a comfortable victory of 31-14 which easily could have been higher had we kept our starters in.
After the game, the locker room was full of laughter and guys joking around. Someone had also brought a few cases of beer. After the game while waiting in line for our bratwurst, I had to separate my crazed Turkish teammate, Moorat, from attempting to fight a guy on the other team for cut blocking him on an extra point during the game. Luckily, there were some Weinheim players around to restrain their teammate as well. After all that was over, there I was again with my German teammates drinking beer, eating bratwurst and still finding it funny to see them enjoying their post game cigarettes. It was a good feeling. The bus ride home was entertaining. These guys would not stop singing as they slammed down their German Weisbeers (I had a few also). I think I heard every German drinking song known to man and of course- you all may find this hard to believe- I joined in with them. On a side note, they also sang some American songs like "Almost Heaven" by John Denver and knew the words better than I did. I think the last time I heard that song was when I was walking off the field down in Morgantown, West Virginia as the Mountaineers had narrowly escaped defeat by the Orangemen. For a short second as I was singing along with my German teammates, I couldn't help but to think that would have been a great victory for Syracuse..what are you gonna do?
When we got back home, I went right to bed because I was picking up Katie, my girl friend, early the next morning at the Munich airport. I wanted to be able to show her a good time and introduce her to some of the German culture. There was one perfect outing that I thought of-the Deggendorf festival which had been going on for about a week now. The Germans are wild about their festivals and on any given night, one could step into one of the beer tents to be surrounded by music, dancing, great food and an amazing amount of beer. The festival beer is stronger than your typical beer. It is, without a doubt, the best tasting stuff I've ever had. We spent quite some time in one tent as the older folks celebrated German Veteran's day by eating, listening to live German folk music and clanging huge glass mugs of beer together. The one tent was a great time, but after we finished our delicious sausage dish that was served over a bed of sauerkraut, we decided to go into another one that had a bunch of young people in it and a live rock band. When we got into the "younger" tent, I gaped in awe at the sea of college kids dancing on top of tables going crazy while they drank their beers in the midst of the techno style light show put on by the band. It was a sight to see. The live band inside did an amazing job covering some American songs including some of my favorites. All in all, it was a great night.
This week in football is a big one. We are playing against the Braunschweig Lions, a team from the North who has had a lot of success in the German Football League. They have a running back from Penn State, a middle linebacker from Michigan and a bunch of other good players. It will be a great challenge. Wish us luck!! Thanks for reading.
As always, I was primed for game day but it was not without some reservation. We were missing some of our best players. Jerome, our talented running back, had to work and so did our best offensive lineman and captain, Christian. Apparently it is not uncommon for even our best players to miss games because of work...what can you do?? We also were going to be playing against one of the best athletes in all of the GFL, James Taylor. And no I'm not kidding, this guy has the same name as my hero, THE JAMES TAYLOR. Taylor had played safety/punt returner in the NFL for a couple of seasons up until NFL Europe dissolved two years ago because of financial problems. He must have met a girl over here because I don't know why he would be playing double duty for Weinheim as a running back and safety. Maybe they were paying him well. When I saw him in person, he was impressive looking. At 6'1 or so and 210 lbs, he looked like many of the great athletes that I had faced in college. My teammates, although not intimidated, warned me that if he got going in a game, Taylor could be pretty much unstoppable. I embraced the challenge and looked forward to tackling this guy, after all, look who I played against in college: Ray Rice, Noel Devine, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmidt, LaSean McCoy, Evan Royster, Rashard Mendenhall, Curtis Brinkley, Delone Carter, Tony Fiammetta ;) and a slew of other great ones now playing in the NFL.
However, Taylor's resume would not carry him on this day. Although he had some surrounding American players, including a QB who had just flown in from the United States on Wednesday, it was not enough to stand up against our defense today. We ended up holding Weinheim to just 15 yards of total offense which is pathetic. This was mostly attributed to Weinheim's ineptitude at executing plays. Their offensive line was not very strong and it looked like they had not spent a lot of time practicing or conditioning. I'm not trying to detract from our defensive effort, but this was not a formidable challenge for us. The game would have been a shut out had it not been for Weinheim scoring on a kick off return and a fumble that they returned for a touch down. It was, however, a hell of a lot of fun. Both Lab and I played well. I got my wish and dealt Taylor a crushing hit as he cut back inside against the grain on an outside toss sweep. It was early in the game when I met him at a perfect angle and I believe my hit somewhat galvanized the rest of the defensive unit and sideline. After the game, the German guys on the team were doing impressions of my scream after I hit Taylor...apparently they think my post-tackle banchee screams are hilarious. The same went for the offensive side of the ball. They pretty much had a field day and there were a couple of guys who really stepped up and made big plays which made up for the absence of some of our better players.
There were some terrible injuries on Weinheims team during the game which I most likely will never forget. Their QB, just a few days off the plane in Germany, was believed to have fractured his sternum as our weak side linebacker, Danny, came free and unblocked and hit this kid with such speed and ferocity that would make many people shutter. This was not the only hit this QB had taken during the game either. It seemed as though we were doing tackling practice on this guy. After one sack earlier in the game, he lay there for a few seconds holding his arm. It was then I did something I usually do not do-I helped him up. As I was helping him get to his feet I said "Welcome to the GFL" to which he replied "I guess so". I could not help to put myself in his shoes. There he was-three days in Germany and already with a season ending injury. His family is not around nor was anyone who really knew him. I kept hearing him yell "I can't breathe". Can you imagine? I said a prayer for him as he lay there gasping for air only a few feet from our sideline. I hope is doing ok now.
There was another unintentional injury inflicted by our linebacker, Danny. As one offensive lineman tried to block him, Danny steam rolled him and the lineman must have planted his foot awkwardly because he tore his ACL. I had been taken out of the game at this point, but I could still hear his screams not far from our sideline. I couldn't help but to think that you just never know when your time is up. It was a bad day for Weinheim and they were stricken with the worst part of this great game of football, the injuries.
For the most part, we had come out unscathed with a comfortable victory of 31-14 which easily could have been higher had we kept our starters in.
After the game, the locker room was full of laughter and guys joking around. Someone had also brought a few cases of beer. After the game while waiting in line for our bratwurst, I had to separate my crazed Turkish teammate, Moorat, from attempting to fight a guy on the other team for cut blocking him on an extra point during the game. Luckily, there were some Weinheim players around to restrain their teammate as well. After all that was over, there I was again with my German teammates drinking beer, eating bratwurst and still finding it funny to see them enjoying their post game cigarettes. It was a good feeling. The bus ride home was entertaining. These guys would not stop singing as they slammed down their German Weisbeers (I had a few also). I think I heard every German drinking song known to man and of course- you all may find this hard to believe- I joined in with them. On a side note, they also sang some American songs like "Almost Heaven" by John Denver and knew the words better than I did. I think the last time I heard that song was when I was walking off the field down in Morgantown, West Virginia as the Mountaineers had narrowly escaped defeat by the Orangemen. For a short second as I was singing along with my German teammates, I couldn't help but to think that would have been a great victory for Syracuse..what are you gonna do?
When we got back home, I went right to bed because I was picking up Katie, my girl friend, early the next morning at the Munich airport. I wanted to be able to show her a good time and introduce her to some of the German culture. There was one perfect outing that I thought of-the Deggendorf festival which had been going on for about a week now. The Germans are wild about their festivals and on any given night, one could step into one of the beer tents to be surrounded by music, dancing, great food and an amazing amount of beer. The festival beer is stronger than your typical beer. It is, without a doubt, the best tasting stuff I've ever had. We spent quite some time in one tent as the older folks celebrated German Veteran's day by eating, listening to live German folk music and clanging huge glass mugs of beer together. The one tent was a great time, but after we finished our delicious sausage dish that was served over a bed of sauerkraut, we decided to go into another one that had a bunch of young people in it and a live rock band. When we got into the "younger" tent, I gaped in awe at the sea of college kids dancing on top of tables going crazy while they drank their beers in the midst of the techno style light show put on by the band. It was a sight to see. The live band inside did an amazing job covering some American songs including some of my favorites. All in all, it was a great night.
This week in football is a big one. We are playing against the Braunschweig Lions, a team from the North who has had a lot of success in the German Football League. They have a running back from Penn State, a middle linebacker from Michigan and a bunch of other good players. It will be a great challenge. Wish us luck!! Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Passau
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.
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.
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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