Today, my U16 Tigers took the field for the final time this season. Our season ended much as it began: in crushing defeat. With a final record of one win (as a result of forfeit) and seven losses, it is safe to say that this season was not one of the more shining beacons in the annals of gridiron history. Truth be told and my players would attest to this as well, we did not have much to work with for the majority of our time together. Players came and went; some quit, others moved away, a few even headed Stateside as part of various exchange programs (and have continued to learn the game in their adopted domiciles). We were heavy on skill players and light on heavy players, a combination that often spells disaster for teams at this age group. We scored two touchdowns each on defense and special teams and another on offense, for the season. One of my kids even got his ass kicked (literally, when he blocked an extra point today).
I choose to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly (mostly the latter two) here not to cast a negative light on my first season as a head football coach, but rather to do quite the opposite. Despite inconsistencies in attendance, a few attitudes that required some adjusting, limited knowledge of the game and the aforementioned lack of size, there stood a dedicated core of young men (and occasionally one young woman) who wore the black and white this year and put forth their best effort. Though it may not have seemed it at times, especially considering we share very different viewpoints on what effort is and is not, I recognize now that these kids all did one thing constantly: they tried. New drills. New schemes. New techniques. Whatever was asked of them, they attempted. It wasn't always pretty, but it was certainly always there. As a coach in my present surroundings, I would be a selfish man to ask for much more (okay, five kids over 250 pounds would be nice...).
We focused on the basic fundamentals of the game: running, tackling, blocking, ball skills. Over and over and over again. Given that we only met twice a week, we couldn't afford to do much more. But from this coach's standpoint, improvement manifested itself in each player across the board. They became more comfortable, more fluid and more natural as the weeks went on. This is a testament to the repeated effort which I spoke of earlier. I yelled at 'em, gave 'em a hard time (a phrase which doesn't translate here and I had to later explain in greater detail) and worked 'em with the help of my two very devoted assistant coaches and although one couldn't tell based on wins and losses, the kids each became tougher and more hardy. If they continue to build upon the things we worked at all season and all do a little growing, I firmly believe these kids will be a problem to opposing teams in years to come.
Although my record would probably stand as grounds for termination in most programs back home, I sit here now happy to have had the chance to work with some special young people over the past six months. We really developed into a tight little group and I'm honored to have been a part of it.
Before I go, I wanted to share something that came to mind today. It's been nine years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93. I was in Mrs. Banfield's third period English class watching CNN and initially thought the images on the screen were some kind of staged special effects. My gut response as a fourteen-year-old was, ''Oh, cool!" and then I came to realize what we were watching was as real as could be. We were a certainly a class of bewildered little freshmen and as the day wore on, we all started to recognize the magnitude of what was happening. I recall that all after school activities were canceled, including football practice. As I looked out over my players today, it donned on me that these kids were the same age I was when such events took place. Pretty wild; I thought that was a pretty interesting way to remember the day and then some.
Football has always been closely tied to September 11th for many, as the NFL served as a key rallying point for patriotism at the time. Personally, it was around that time in my life that I really became interested in the game. I had only started playing about a month or so beforehand and I loved it from the get-go. This was also when the Patriots dynasty was in its earliest phases, lead by a very young Tom Brady. I remember watching that team and being inspired by their on-field exploits. Those times really helped define where I would hold football in my life in the years to come. I can't think of a better way to honor them than by sitting down now to this week's Marist online broadcast, in lieu of going out for a while. Doesn't get much more American than that, even in Denmark.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Get a Job
Even though I just posted a few hours ago, I wanted to take a few moments to remember a really special guy. Today would have marked the 90th birthday of my Grampa, Joseph Kuzmiak. Gramp was a colorful guy, famous for many things, including but not limited to: his bone-crushing handshake, his affinity for crossword puzzles, his cardboard cuttery, his taste for ribs (which we were able to gauge his enjoyment in, based on how much sauce he managed to get on his face), his love for a good football game, his culinary prowess as a short-order cook, his role as caretaker and feeder of birds in his backyard and of course, his various catchphrases. Here are a few of his greatest hits:
"Get a job."
"Get two jobs."
"Get some means of employment."
"Tree blocks down."
"YEAH??"
Yes, dear."
He had many more, all to go with a singing voice like an angel (well, at least one who served as an MP in World War II and later worked as an auto mechanic in New Jersey). He was a great guy and he sure loved the heck out of his family, especially his grandchildren. I still remember seeing him at my very first college game almost five years ago to the day. Gramps passed away four years ago last May, but we still pull out one of his immortal sayings at least once a day around the house. I could go on and on about him but I do have to get going to practice now. More to come soon. Happy birthday, Grampa. I'm off to work, just like you always told us.
"Get a job."
"Get two jobs."
"Get some means of employment."
"Tree blocks down."
"YEAH??"
Yes, dear."
He had many more, all to go with a singing voice like an angel (well, at least one who served as an MP in World War II and later worked as an auto mechanic in New Jersey). He was a great guy and he sure loved the heck out of his family, especially his grandchildren. I still remember seeing him at my very first college game almost five years ago to the day. Gramps passed away four years ago last May, but we still pull out one of his immortal sayings at least once a day around the house. I could go on and on about him but I do have to get going to practice now. More to come soon. Happy birthday, Grampa. I'm off to work, just like you always told us.
When it Rains...
It's safe to say that I've done my fair share of griping about the weather patterns here in Denmark and as the title of this post might infer, it appears you're in for some more. However, for almost the last two weeks, it has been reminiscent of a typical New England autumn: crisp air, a steady breeze, blue skies and still enough sun to warrant shorts and t-shirts (for me, at least). It's certainly been the nicest since I've been here. Then why, you might ask, have I titled this post accordingly? Well, when considering this weekend's performance on the gridiron, it only seemed fitting.
We tasted defeat for the first time, at the hands of the Amager Demons, whom we narrowly beat in Week One of the season. In so many words, it was ugly. We played extremely poorly from top to bottom, making many small mistakes that ultimately added up to a sputtering offense, an inconsistent defense and inept special teams. We spotted them two touchdowns before their offense even took the field; the opening kickoff and our first punt were both returned for scores thanks to terrible pursuit angles by members on both units (including yours truly). We would hold them from scoring again until this second half, but we were unable to muster much offense ourselves.
In truth, I didn't see much action on offense, as I played tight end for the game and we went with several sets that did not feature the position on the field. This decision was made jointly by myself and our head coach, as we wanted to see how the OL would perform on their own against a quality opponent. They played okay, but eventually too many inconsistencies compounded and a rhythm never materialized. I focused my efforts more so on special teams, where I myself made several errors. That's about all there is to say on the matter. The officiating was absolute garbage, even by Danish standards. These clowns were pathetic, not that we could do anything about that. We sucked and it's over. No sense dwelling on a lousy performance, as we need to get back on track for our last game of the season. We play next Saturday in Copenhagen against another tough opponent: the Tomahawks. The next few practices have be very crisp to avoid a repeat of this weekend.
In other news, my U16 team is no longer winless. We recorded our first victory by way of forfeit this weekend, even though that's not how we would have liked to earn a W. Our last game is this Saturday in Aalborg.
As far as this week's Danish football 'Moment' goes, I guess it would be that I recorded my first reception ever. In one of the few series that featured me as a tight end, I ran a short spot route underneath their linebackers and hauled in a pass over the middle. It all kind of happened in a blur; I remember making eye contact with our QB over the offensive line and after that, he put the ball on a spot. I just put my hands up to where the ball was and then pulled it close to my chest (thank you very much Nike Magnigrip gloves). After another two yards, I felt a defender or two on my back and that was that. One reception, seven or so yards. The end. It sure was fun though, I can see why receivers always want the pigskin thrown their way.
Better days are ahead. I'll be back to share 'em with you.
We tasted defeat for the first time, at the hands of the Amager Demons, whom we narrowly beat in Week One of the season. In so many words, it was ugly. We played extremely poorly from top to bottom, making many small mistakes that ultimately added up to a sputtering offense, an inconsistent defense and inept special teams. We spotted them two touchdowns before their offense even took the field; the opening kickoff and our first punt were both returned for scores thanks to terrible pursuit angles by members on both units (including yours truly). We would hold them from scoring again until this second half, but we were unable to muster much offense ourselves.
In truth, I didn't see much action on offense, as I played tight end for the game and we went with several sets that did not feature the position on the field. This decision was made jointly by myself and our head coach, as we wanted to see how the OL would perform on their own against a quality opponent. They played okay, but eventually too many inconsistencies compounded and a rhythm never materialized. I focused my efforts more so on special teams, where I myself made several errors. That's about all there is to say on the matter. The officiating was absolute garbage, even by Danish standards. These clowns were pathetic, not that we could do anything about that. We sucked and it's over. No sense dwelling on a lousy performance, as we need to get back on track for our last game of the season. We play next Saturday in Copenhagen against another tough opponent: the Tomahawks. The next few practices have be very crisp to avoid a repeat of this weekend.
In other news, my U16 team is no longer winless. We recorded our first victory by way of forfeit this weekend, even though that's not how we would have liked to earn a W. Our last game is this Saturday in Aalborg.
As far as this week's Danish football 'Moment' goes, I guess it would be that I recorded my first reception ever. In one of the few series that featured me as a tight end, I ran a short spot route underneath their linebackers and hauled in a pass over the middle. It all kind of happened in a blur; I remember making eye contact with our QB over the offensive line and after that, he put the ball on a spot. I just put my hands up to where the ball was and then pulled it close to my chest (thank you very much Nike Magnigrip gloves). After another two yards, I felt a defender or two on my back and that was that. One reception, seven or so yards. The end. It sure was fun though, I can see why receivers always want the pigskin thrown their way.
Better days are ahead. I'll be back to share 'em with you.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Straight through the Heart
Back for a very brief post now. Since I proved to be a little too much for my last exercise-ball-turned-seat, I've been unable to sit for extended periods in what are some of the least comfortable chairs know to man (so much for all the hype about Danish design). However, thanks to my ever faithful father, I am the proud owner of a new $5 inflatable posture-friendly sitting apparatus. More posts will indeed follow now that I am properly equipped.
The purpose of this post is to ring in the best season of the year, with college and high school games officially kicking off across the US of A. Special shout out the Red Foxes in their season opener, tonight at home under the lights against Sacred Heart. Based on what I gathered from the guys I spoke to during camp, they are all extremely fired up about this season and I will look forward to following along with them over here, thanks to the newly installed online video feeds though www.goredfoxes.com. Check it out if you're interested in seeing some quality gridiron action. Show no mercy tonight, men; GET AFTER IT, FOXES!!!
Best of luck also to Coach B and the Tomahawks in action tomorrow afternoon against Hollis-Brookline; I'm hearing some good things about them boys from MHS this year and I'll be interested to see them take care of business in a newly aligned Division II.
We're in action tomorrow afternoon and I'll follow up with a post as soon as I'm able to. Football frenzy sweeping the lands: what a time to be alive.
The purpose of this post is to ring in the best season of the year, with college and high school games officially kicking off across the US of A. Special shout out the Red Foxes in their season opener, tonight at home under the lights against Sacred Heart. Based on what I gathered from the guys I spoke to during camp, they are all extremely fired up about this season and I will look forward to following along with them over here, thanks to the newly installed online video feeds though www.goredfoxes.com. Check it out if you're interested in seeing some quality gridiron action. Show no mercy tonight, men; GET AFTER IT, FOXES!!!
Best of luck also to Coach B and the Tomahawks in action tomorrow afternoon against Hollis-Brookline; I'm hearing some good things about them boys from MHS this year and I'll be interested to see them take care of business in a newly aligned Division II.
We're in action tomorrow afternoon and I'll follow up with a post as soon as I'm able to. Football frenzy sweeping the lands: what a time to be alive.
Monday, August 23, 2010
GR8 Win
Despite the gale force winds ripping through my building's courtyard at the moment, I have returned to finish yesterday's recap of Tigers football. Seriously, at times the wind here is downright cartoonish, but I'm not one to complain. The breeze that comes into my bedroom about two feet above my pillow makes sleeping conditions darn-near perfect. This coupled with my Ikea 'Sultan' mattress is an unbeatable combination; neither Ali Baba nor his forty thieves could rob me of a good night's sleep.
Anyways, on to the good stuff now. Yesterday was by far the best game I've played in since joining the Tigers. I would say it shares this distinction with our thrilling week one victory over the Amager Demons, however I wasn't in action at the time. We played visitor to the Esbjerg Hurricanes, a team we narrowly defeated in late May by a margin of 7-0 and yesterday's contest proved to be a challenging affair yet again.
Esbjerg is a fairly industrial coastal community in the southwest of Jutland, known for its thriving harbor and fishing trade. Because of this, they are somewhat of a quandary of a football team. Depending on the month, they may or may not have their top players, as many of them work on oil rigs, fishing boats and various other offshore interests. These jobs last weeks at a time, making it tough for the 'Canes when these guys are away and tough on opponents when they are home. The last time we faced them, they happened to be down on players; something that benefited us then, as we were missing several key contributors, too. Yesterday, they still did not have a very large corps, however their leading players happened to be ashore for this game.
Adding to this fact, the Hurricanes have had some solid coaching throughout this season from two different American coaches. The first coach was at the helm the last time we faced each other and I could tell he was a fiery young man, who most importantly, knew football and could teach the game. He has since departed to take an offensive coordinator position at a Division II college back in the States and was replaced by another Yank, who most recently came from coaching in the Austrian Football League, one of the top leagues in all of Europe. Using what they have learned from these fellows, our opponents started strong and we soon found ourselves in unfamiliar territory.
After a scoreless first quarter for both squads, Esbjerg drew first blood with a long scoring drive that culminated in a TD run from about four yards out. The PAT was good and we trailed in a game for the first time since April 17th. This ended our defense's streak of scoreless quarters at twenty-seven, but it wouldn't be long before they regrouped and started anew. Unable to muster a response, we entered the half down 7-0. Prior to this there had been some long faces and chippy attitudes on our sidelines and we knew we were in a dogfight.
After some halftime soul-searching, the guys came out fired up and made the decision to not lose sight of what we've been doing all season long. We received the kickoff and went right to work, stringing together a long drive that finished in the Esbjerg endzone with a Brian Woodward TD reception. Following the PAT, the game was knotted at seven apiece. From this point on, it was a different ball game; our sideline now energized and involved. Both teams continued to battle hard until midway through the fourth, when QB Matthias Lilhauge found the endzone on a short scramble, giving us a 13-7 advantage. After a missed extra point, the score remained the same and we knew we had to dig in to preserve the W.
Despite a few long Esbjerg conversions and theatrics late in the game, the Tiger defense triumphed and now has a new scoreless streak of two quarters in the books. After the game, we recognized how we had come together to close the deal. That being said, we also acknowledged that the last two games we have upcoming will both be equally as tough and we will need to play better from the start in order to finish this things off the right way. The game's MVP was everybody's favorite American (Brian, of course, not me) who turned in a grown-man performance with at least ten catches (five or six of which went for first downs), a hundred yards and then some receiving and the aforementioned touchdown. This came as no surprise to me, as the night before the game, the Bri-guy told me he was going to have a big game and I believed him. He had the fire in his eyes and exuded the confidence of a thirty-five year-old, trapped in a thirty-seven year-old's body. In addition to his fine statistics, Brian also set the tone for us on the sidelines, stressing the importance of down and distance, which was indeed key in winning the game.
This week's "Moment" was a little harder to come by, considering our opposition was far less inept than in previous games. The same however, almost could not have been said for the laundromat responsible for washing the Hurricanes' jerseys. Just before we left the changing rooms for pregame warmups, someone informed me that the 'Canes hadn't yet received their uniforms from the cleaners. It must have been a very close call, as they took the field shortly thereafter in their gameday garb. Prior to that though, I was wondering what they would have done had this not been the case. In retrospect, probably best not to think about such 'could-have-beens.'
All in all, it was a heck of a fun game to play in and my hats off to Esbjerg for a good match. The increased level of competition was a rather refreshing change and I anticipate will better prepare us for our final two showdowns, the first of which coming in two weeks. Before I go, I'd like to leave you with an image from last night. Below is the aftermath of the death of my PhysioBall. No sooner did I click 'Publish Post' after finishing last night's entry, then did I hear a loud hiss coming from directly below me. Since my apartment, to the best of my knowledge is snake-free, I knew the end was near and that something very bad was coming very soon. As this thought left my head, a giant pop threw me to the floor and left my toe in the condition you now see. I must have caught it on the bottom of my desk. The troubles I go through to share my story with you all...
Anyways, on to the good stuff now. Yesterday was by far the best game I've played in since joining the Tigers. I would say it shares this distinction with our thrilling week one victory over the Amager Demons, however I wasn't in action at the time. We played visitor to the Esbjerg Hurricanes, a team we narrowly defeated in late May by a margin of 7-0 and yesterday's contest proved to be a challenging affair yet again.
Esbjerg is a fairly industrial coastal community in the southwest of Jutland, known for its thriving harbor and fishing trade. Because of this, they are somewhat of a quandary of a football team. Depending on the month, they may or may not have their top players, as many of them work on oil rigs, fishing boats and various other offshore interests. These jobs last weeks at a time, making it tough for the 'Canes when these guys are away and tough on opponents when they are home. The last time we faced them, they happened to be down on players; something that benefited us then, as we were missing several key contributors, too. Yesterday, they still did not have a very large corps, however their leading players happened to be ashore for this game.
Adding to this fact, the Hurricanes have had some solid coaching throughout this season from two different American coaches. The first coach was at the helm the last time we faced each other and I could tell he was a fiery young man, who most importantly, knew football and could teach the game. He has since departed to take an offensive coordinator position at a Division II college back in the States and was replaced by another Yank, who most recently came from coaching in the Austrian Football League, one of the top leagues in all of Europe. Using what they have learned from these fellows, our opponents started strong and we soon found ourselves in unfamiliar territory.
After a scoreless first quarter for both squads, Esbjerg drew first blood with a long scoring drive that culminated in a TD run from about four yards out. The PAT was good and we trailed in a game for the first time since April 17th. This ended our defense's streak of scoreless quarters at twenty-seven, but it wouldn't be long before they regrouped and started anew. Unable to muster a response, we entered the half down 7-0. Prior to this there had been some long faces and chippy attitudes on our sidelines and we knew we were in a dogfight.
After some halftime soul-searching, the guys came out fired up and made the decision to not lose sight of what we've been doing all season long. We received the kickoff and went right to work, stringing together a long drive that finished in the Esbjerg endzone with a Brian Woodward TD reception. Following the PAT, the game was knotted at seven apiece. From this point on, it was a different ball game; our sideline now energized and involved. Both teams continued to battle hard until midway through the fourth, when QB Matthias Lilhauge found the endzone on a short scramble, giving us a 13-7 advantage. After a missed extra point, the score remained the same and we knew we had to dig in to preserve the W.
Despite a few long Esbjerg conversions and theatrics late in the game, the Tiger defense triumphed and now has a new scoreless streak of two quarters in the books. After the game, we recognized how we had come together to close the deal. That being said, we also acknowledged that the last two games we have upcoming will both be equally as tough and we will need to play better from the start in order to finish this things off the right way. The game's MVP was everybody's favorite American (Brian, of course, not me) who turned in a grown-man performance with at least ten catches (five or six of which went for first downs), a hundred yards and then some receiving and the aforementioned touchdown. This came as no surprise to me, as the night before the game, the Bri-guy told me he was going to have a big game and I believed him. He had the fire in his eyes and exuded the confidence of a thirty-five year-old, trapped in a thirty-seven year-old's body. In addition to his fine statistics, Brian also set the tone for us on the sidelines, stressing the importance of down and distance, which was indeed key in winning the game.
This week's "Moment" was a little harder to come by, considering our opposition was far less inept than in previous games. The same however, almost could not have been said for the laundromat responsible for washing the Hurricanes' jerseys. Just before we left the changing rooms for pregame warmups, someone informed me that the 'Canes hadn't yet received their uniforms from the cleaners. It must have been a very close call, as they took the field shortly thereafter in their gameday garb. Prior to that though, I was wondering what they would have done had this not been the case. In retrospect, probably best not to think about such 'could-have-beens.'
All in all, it was a heck of a fun game to play in and my hats off to Esbjerg for a good match. The increased level of competition was a rather refreshing change and I anticipate will better prepare us for our final two showdowns, the first of which coming in two weeks. Before I go, I'd like to leave you with an image from last night. Below is the aftermath of the death of my PhysioBall. No sooner did I click 'Publish Post' after finishing last night's entry, then did I hear a loud hiss coming from directly below me. Since my apartment, to the best of my knowledge is snake-free, I knew the end was near and that something very bad was coming very soon. As this thought left my head, a giant pop threw me to the floor and left my toe in the condition you now see. I must have caught it on the bottom of my desk. The troubles I go through to share my story with you all...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Back on Track
So, as promised (three weeks ago), I've promptly returned to blogging duties here in the 'Mark. In my defense, I was rather busy during yet another period of extended, unexplained absence. Early in the month, I was contacted by Marist Sports Information Director, Mike Ferraro, about writing a piece for www.goredfoxes.com on my time abroad. I spent a few days working on this and submitted it to Mike just before the Foxes reported for preseason camp. In case you don't know who I am or what I've been writing about on this thing since March, feel free to check out the article here. My thanks to Mike for getting in touch with me and giving me the chance to share my Danish experience with the rest of Red Fox Nation. At some point, I encourage all of you to check out the Marist athletic website (link above) to see the great work Mike and the rest of the sports department are doing this fall in covering Marist Football during camp. I especially look forward to live video feeds of Marist games this fall as they look to make their mark in their second year of Pioneer Football League action!
While working on the aforementioned assignment though, I was also busy readying my apartment for several visitors from far, far away. That's right, you guessed it (well, to be fair, most of you are family and this probably comes as old news, but nonetheless), Steve and Joyce Dembow and Aunt Annette Kuzmiak all made the transatlantic voyage to spend a week of quality time with yours truly. I plan on posting more about this in the future, so be on the lookout for that. I realize that given my current track record, I should probably stop talking about future posts and just try to stay in the present. Still though, it never hurts to dream... We did enjoy a marvelous time together however and I was very grateful for the company. Thanks to all Tigers readers out there for pretending to like me while they were around; I think they bought it.
I also realized when I returned for the first time several weeks ago that I promised information on my European adventures. I promise, once again, that this stuff is coming. Right now though, the time has come for some much-needed updating on Aarhus Tigers gridiron action (on a related note, Australians refer to American football solely as 'gridiron.' Pretty cool, no?). As loyal NTD reader Jim Bailey pointed out, you just can't get solid coverage of Danish American football in the US markets, so it's up to me to deliver the goods. Thank you for putting this in perspective for me, Jim; may this and future posts continue to distract you from your work-related tasks.
In the time that I haven't been blogging, your Senior Tigers played two games and both of them ended with the good guys on top, improving our record to 8-0 on the season. Last week, with my folks in attendance, we took care of business against the Odense Swans with a convincing 44-0 W. Our defense continued its division-leading dominance, tacking on four more quarters of scoreless football to an already impressive streak of twenty-two. The D shut down the Swans' swinging gate (look it up if you don't know what it is) and held them to about minus-fifty yards total offense on the day. Meanwhile, the offense got things rolling after a slow start and quickly began piling up the points. This culminated in frustration for the visiting Swans and leads us to last week's "Moment in Danish American Football." During the third quarter as the contest was really getting out of hand, a scuffle emerged on the Odense sidelines. An angry Swan took exception to his American coach's strategies and "[expletive-deleted] offense" and had to be physically restrained by several players and assistant coaches. He stormed off; shouting and cussing, throwing his helmet, the works. That's not even the kicker, though. About ten minutes after the altercation, this individual was back playing in the game. When later asked what would happen if a player pulled a stunt like that in the States, myself and fellow American Brian Woodward responded almost in unison, "not that."
Below is an image from www.usfootball.dk, taken by longtime Aarhus Tiger and fan-favorite, Ulrik 'Farmer' Fristed. This photo was the number two image in last week's Top Ten countdown. To check out the gallery, click here. From there, you can also check out some other 'Farmershots' from previous Tigers games, including last week against the Swans.
At the moment though, It's getting very late and I need some rest. I WILL, however, be back TOMORROW with a recap of today's game, thus forcing me back into some sort of rhythm. Normal blogging routine, here I come. Thanks for being patient out there.
While working on the aforementioned assignment though, I was also busy readying my apartment for several visitors from far, far away. That's right, you guessed it (well, to be fair, most of you are family and this probably comes as old news, but nonetheless), Steve and Joyce Dembow and Aunt Annette Kuzmiak all made the transatlantic voyage to spend a week of quality time with yours truly. I plan on posting more about this in the future, so be on the lookout for that. I realize that given my current track record, I should probably stop talking about future posts and just try to stay in the present. Still though, it never hurts to dream... We did enjoy a marvelous time together however and I was very grateful for the company. Thanks to all Tigers readers out there for pretending to like me while they were around; I think they bought it.
I also realized when I returned for the first time several weeks ago that I promised information on my European adventures. I promise, once again, that this stuff is coming. Right now though, the time has come for some much-needed updating on Aarhus Tigers gridiron action (on a related note, Australians refer to American football solely as 'gridiron.' Pretty cool, no?). As loyal NTD reader Jim Bailey pointed out, you just can't get solid coverage of Danish American football in the US markets, so it's up to me to deliver the goods. Thank you for putting this in perspective for me, Jim; may this and future posts continue to distract you from your work-related tasks.
In the time that I haven't been blogging, your Senior Tigers played two games and both of them ended with the good guys on top, improving our record to 8-0 on the season. Last week, with my folks in attendance, we took care of business against the Odense Swans with a convincing 44-0 W. Our defense continued its division-leading dominance, tacking on four more quarters of scoreless football to an already impressive streak of twenty-two. The D shut down the Swans' swinging gate (look it up if you don't know what it is) and held them to about minus-fifty yards total offense on the day. Meanwhile, the offense got things rolling after a slow start and quickly began piling up the points. This culminated in frustration for the visiting Swans and leads us to last week's "Moment in Danish American Football." During the third quarter as the contest was really getting out of hand, a scuffle emerged on the Odense sidelines. An angry Swan took exception to his American coach's strategies and "[expletive-deleted] offense" and had to be physically restrained by several players and assistant coaches. He stormed off; shouting and cussing, throwing his helmet, the works. That's not even the kicker, though. About ten minutes after the altercation, this individual was back playing in the game. When later asked what would happen if a player pulled a stunt like that in the States, myself and fellow American Brian Woodward responded almost in unison, "not that."
Below is an image from www.usfootball.dk, taken by longtime Aarhus Tiger and fan-favorite, Ulrik 'Farmer' Fristed. This photo was the number two image in last week's Top Ten countdown. To check out the gallery, click here. From there, you can also check out some other 'Farmershots' from previous Tigers games, including last week against the Swans.
At the moment though, It's getting very late and I need some rest. I WILL, however, be back TOMORROW with a recap of today's game, thus forcing me back into some sort of rhythm. Normal blogging routine, here I come. Thanks for being patient out there.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
"Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do..."
Ever hear the one about the guy in Denmark who wrote a blog, but then disappeared for a while and didn't tell anybody? No?? Hmm, I could've sworn that one was big with the kids today. Well, to be honest, I don't think think the punchline is very funny and as the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo ring louder than ever in this post's title, I do, indeed, 'got some 'splainin' to do.'
Unless you are a member of my immediate family or one of my teammates here in Aarhus (as approximately ninety-five percent of this blog's readers are), you have probably been feeling pretty left out over the last month or so. I done gone and didn't say nothing. Some of you out there might still be waiting for the extended recap of our last game on June 26th. Yikes. I've been a vewy bad bloggah. I suppose not even a stylized typing of Elmer Fudd's voice is going to get me out of this one, so I may as well try to explain the series of events leading up to my absence and then you may cast your stones (better warm up your shoulder if you want to hit me).
Let's travel all the way back to late June, 2010. Following our last game before the summer break, I fully intended to publish a proper recap of our emphatic victory and then bid all of you adieu indefinitely. I had planned a prolonged vacation in the several weeks leading up to this time and naturally, I wanted to share my itinerary with you you. I was all set to do this, but then a few minor obstacles got in the way, most notably packing for my trip five hours or so before departure.
This should come as no surprise to anybody that really knows me and I just want you all to be aware, it's nothing personal. I take a long time to do certain (most/all) things and usually (most/all of the time), these are accomplished in the face of a rapidly approaching deadline. This generally applies to these entries as well and if I know I don't have enough time to deliver a quality effort, I'll often post-pone (see what I did there?) doing one. I ain't perfeckt and I don't claim to be, so I will admit now that I did run out of time on this particiular occassion and unfortunately, the NTD Community was left out to dry. My condolences to the few of you out there who follow my words, but rest assured, I am just bursting with dynamite material that I am eager to write about.
These will all come very soon, but for now, I do want to share a few highlights from our 51-0 W over the Horsens Stallions. In a highly unconventional turn of events, I'm actually going to lead off with everyone's favorite "Danish American Football Moment." I do so, because in this case, it in fact, took place before each team had finished warming up. Just before our offense got together to run a few plays, a Horsens player approached Tigers QB Matthias Lilhauge and said something to the effect that we should 'mercy rule them early, so they can get home quickly.' It should be noted that at the time, Horsens was winless on the year and they intended to remain so, if their players had anything to do with it. Unfortunately, it took us until early in the fourth quarter to reach the required 50 point margin that warrants the mercy rule; perhaps we should have worked a little harder to fulfill their wishes.
The game itself went accordingly though: we won and they didn't. Several Stallions opted for cigarettes on their sidelines instead of water; it seems they were unable to wait until after the game, as they had following our first encounter in April. Seeing this, I couldn't help but think of Washington Sentinels kicker, Nigel 'The Leg' Gruff from The Replacements:
Yep, that's pretty much what it look liked. I can't understand though, why so many of them got winded so quickly? Aside from this, the game was pretty uneventful. We took care of business and summer break has come and gone. We start practices up again on Tuesday. Our next game won't be until next Sunday, but I'm sure the guys are excited to get back out on the field and finish this season off the right way.
That's about all I've got to say for the moment, I don't want to strain myself after such a long time off. Baby steps worked for Bob and they're going to have to work for me, as well. With that, I would like to say it's good to be back and that I have missed joining you on a semi-regular basis. I look forward to sharing all the gory details of my trip with you in the posts to come. For now, this should serve as an appropriate teaser:
Unless you are a member of my immediate family or one of my teammates here in Aarhus (as approximately ninety-five percent of this blog's readers are), you have probably been feeling pretty left out over the last month or so. I done gone and didn't say nothing. Some of you out there might still be waiting for the extended recap of our last game on June 26th. Yikes. I've been a vewy bad bloggah. I suppose not even a stylized typing of Elmer Fudd's voice is going to get me out of this one, so I may as well try to explain the series of events leading up to my absence and then you may cast your stones (better warm up your shoulder if you want to hit me).
Let's travel all the way back to late June, 2010. Following our last game before the summer break, I fully intended to publish a proper recap of our emphatic victory and then bid all of you adieu indefinitely. I had planned a prolonged vacation in the several weeks leading up to this time and naturally, I wanted to share my itinerary with you you. I was all set to do this, but then a few minor obstacles got in the way, most notably packing for my trip five hours or so before departure.
This should come as no surprise to anybody that really knows me and I just want you all to be aware, it's nothing personal. I take a long time to do certain (most/all) things and usually (most/all of the time), these are accomplished in the face of a rapidly approaching deadline. This generally applies to these entries as well and if I know I don't have enough time to deliver a quality effort, I'll often post-pone (see what I did there?) doing one. I ain't perfeckt and I don't claim to be, so I will admit now that I did run out of time on this particiular occassion and unfortunately, the NTD Community was left out to dry. My condolences to the few of you out there who follow my words, but rest assured, I am just bursting with dynamite material that I am eager to write about.
These will all come very soon, but for now, I do want to share a few highlights from our 51-0 W over the Horsens Stallions. In a highly unconventional turn of events, I'm actually going to lead off with everyone's favorite "Danish American Football Moment." I do so, because in this case, it in fact, took place before each team had finished warming up. Just before our offense got together to run a few plays, a Horsens player approached Tigers QB Matthias Lilhauge and said something to the effect that we should 'mercy rule them early, so they can get home quickly.' It should be noted that at the time, Horsens was winless on the year and they intended to remain so, if their players had anything to do with it. Unfortunately, it took us until early in the fourth quarter to reach the required 50 point margin that warrants the mercy rule; perhaps we should have worked a little harder to fulfill their wishes.
The game itself went accordingly though: we won and they didn't. Several Stallions opted for cigarettes on their sidelines instead of water; it seems they were unable to wait until after the game, as they had following our first encounter in April. Seeing this, I couldn't help but think of Washington Sentinels kicker, Nigel 'The Leg' Gruff from The Replacements:
Yep, that's pretty much what it look liked. I can't understand though, why so many of them got winded so quickly? Aside from this, the game was pretty uneventful. We took care of business and summer break has come and gone. We start practices up again on Tuesday. Our next game won't be until next Sunday, but I'm sure the guys are excited to get back out on the field and finish this season off the right way.
That's about all I've got to say for the moment, I don't want to strain myself after such a long time off. Baby steps worked for Bob and they're going to have to work for me, as well. With that, I would like to say it's good to be back and that I have missed joining you on a semi-regular basis. I look forward to sharing all the gory details of my trip with you in the posts to come. For now, this should serve as an appropriate teaser:
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