OK … there are so many reasons why I feel so great about being here in my second homeland of Switzerland. (Maybe it becomes my new homeland who knows??) …. I did find a nice apartment in the Gwatt Deltapark … well there is no way the Swiss government would let a broken-down football old coach like me stay here!
Think about it … what would this country do with someone who spent his life more worried about containing the end run or zone blitzes than cleaning his own truck. Easy answer … no need for me here. Well, hold on there for a second Batman! … I do have a secret for beer drinking.
I learned a few years ago that eating a frozen peanut butter cup with beer is really good. My coaching mate at Moravian College and good friend Jim Newhard has done an extensive study of this using Guinness. He is right! I carried his peanut butter cup eating theory over into a look at Coors Light (Imagine that!?!) and also another quality beer – Miller High Life. Bingo … you got it… estupendo!
Although this study might be biased to some degree (Jim and I are somewhat stilted in our approach to beer drinking – albeit good at it!) – plus a limited pool of actual subjects (Just two … Jim and I) might influence this academic research it some way. However – I challenge you – all of you out there in the real world to try it and give me your results!
Maybe the Swiss government might give me a grant (thus allowing me to stay here indefinitely) to try the peanut butter cup theory with my favorite Swiss beer Feldschlosschen – which should have two dots over the “o” by the way. OK – highly unlikely that would happen. But, if I could just find some peanut butter cups I would do it on my own.
Could you see me on the cover of Time Magazine for some Nobel award in science? Why not? They give them out for everything else. Is the study of peanut butter cups and beer drinking that far out in this day and age? I think not!
Well, anyway – that wasn’t what I had in mind when I started this post. But you know me – pretty hard to prevent me from wandering around with my thoughts. Come on now Donald just for a minute or two …. Focus!
Sure, living here fulltime would be pretty much awesome.
But, I started out thinking about how great my situation is right now with the Thun Tigers. I get to work with their Junior team (U-19) on Wednesday and then the 16 and under team in an early practice followed by time with the Erste Mannshaft (First Team) on Friday.
We do Zoom and Skype meetings several times each week with the team and now we are gradually pulling my coaching friends from the US into our circle via these worldwide connectors. It is just fantastic.
Next week we are having my friend Steve Saulnier from the University of West Florida talk with our coaches and team about offensive line play. Steve is a great man who happens to be an excellent football coach. Oh yeah, by the way the University of West Florida won the last real Division II National Championship in 2019 (Covid cancelled out last year!) Can’t wait to hear his lecture (or theory session) as we say here in Europe.
I get to visit with our Defensive Coordinator Albin Rosti (two dots over the “o” by the way?!?) each Thursday for a few hours. Yeah, OK we meet at a bar. Maybe, just maybe we have a beers (no peanut butter cups though) or two as we talk. But, honestly – we have great conversations about the “First Team” players and football in general.
Every single coach has gone out of their way to get me to practice. To make sure I was comfortable (I am living in Daniel’s Dad – Ruedi’s home which is a little out of the way so its either a ride or the bus) – Rolph Zybach the linebacker coach gave me a bigger refrigerator (for beer as you know …. peanut butter cups not so much) – Martin Schweizer bought beer after our game in Basel and gave me a laptop to watch video on. Christian, Renato, Simon, Arne and Daniel go out of their way to drive me to practice. Actually, so did out retiring President Dan and our new President Nadia.
You can’t mention everyone. But, there are so many others who have done so much and been so gracious.
What more can you want?
Well, let me mention one more thing. The guys … the troops…the players who line up for the Tigers. From the young guys on our 16 and under team to the players on the First Team. Awesome to a person.
I’ll tell you just how aware and interested this group is. After our work-out Friday a week ago they presented me with two cases of Coors Light. Why? Because they knew I always refer to my sponsors in jest.
It may be a silly thing to many of you. But, to me – well it just let me know that collectively they have a great sense of humor. But, more than that they appreciate me. How could I possibly not want to spend as much time with this organization as I can?
Absolutely just love the opportunity to be here with these people.
One of the greatest things the Swiss people have is their warmth. Often, I don’t think they realize how kind they are. But, truly I see it every day!
Lastly, .… Nic, Noah, Nadia, Renato … I am guessing you and a few others of the “usual suspects” are behind this gift! But whoever it was – thanks and I owe you – I will get back at you by the way!
Thank you for the very useful information