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Fantastic day here in the northernmost part of Italy. My “Roomdog” Paolo somehow got us an invitation at the greatest Brunch in Europe.

Our Gorilla football cornerback Barba – a really fantastic man – picked us up and zipped us around Varese to get to this anticipated dining experience.

(From what I understand Barba = Beard) He has a beautiful one.

The breakfast-lunch affair was held at the home of Marissa and Daniel (Danny, Dan …. I was told to pick whatever I wanted to call him.) It was a tremendous spread. Daniel (Dan, Danny) made all kinds of things but his pancakes were especially good!

Stuff like bacon, beer, toast, salmon, nutella, yogurt, beer, mimosas, peanut butter, beer, Funzies (yeah you figure that one out) …and beer (did I already say beer).

What a wonderful way to spend several hours. It was funny the mix of Italian … which I know a few words…. and translations … then English which they basically all speak and translations.

One thing I have learned over the years is that some of Italian speakers are a little self-conscious of their English. It’s silly – they are very good. Compared to my minimal speaking ability in any language (including English by the way) these people are unbelievable.

Anyway after a few mimosas pretty much everyone was comfortable with telling stories … and translating for the dumbass in the room – me! I absolutely loved the visit.

By the way they have a massive young Bernese Mountain Dog – or small bear – named Polo (please forgive me Polo if I am misspelling your name because you can certainly eat me and sixty five other people in one setting.)

So after this brunch everyone sat around and decided what to do with the ugly American – oh that is me! Should we go to the mountain, the lake, the park, the bar …. run that back you said “the bar”. (Too many people are worrying about my old ass!)

My vote was evident!

So … a decision was made after a truly lengthy discussion – no not to the bar – we went to the park.

Dragging along a case of very large Poretti #5 bottled beer we spent the rest of the day throwing a football around and making sure Polo (the small bear or Bernese Mountain Dog) did not eat the small children in the area.

I found two very attractive women who could throw the ball … Marissa and Ylenia. The men not so much. Oh they were my friends from brunch!

Well … then we went to the bar in the Varese City Center area. Back to “Te’ Capi” which is the homebase of my Italian football friends the Varese Gorillas!

A few hours and several drinks later we pulled up stakes and headed home. For the second or third time here in Italy I attempted (quite vigorously) to pick up the tab … this time rebuffed by a 6’7″ bar master who said my friend Chris was taking care of it.

I honestly told this very large man (who is a basketball player for the Swiss National Team) before we even sat down that I was taking the bill. He said yeah great.

Well, it didn’t turn out that way. What a bunch of BS. He basically told me that I had no voice in the decision. Well he was at least 6-7 so I am not going to get into that!

So I discover this … for hours my friends here in northern Italy will argue, cajole, discuss what to do or where to go but they cannot make a quick decision on where to go, when to go, when to leave.

But they sure as hell can make a quick decision on preventing the dumbass ugly American from paying a bill.

Don’t worry their day is coming!

 

So, I haven’t been able to open up my blog for quite awhile.  I don’t know why, but finding out that there is something going on with Word Press (the company that operates my blog site).

But, when you try to work through their help center the people trying to help you suddenly disappear into some unknown space continuum or wormhole (now guys … that’s some pretty heavy shit from yours truly)!

Anyway, a month later now that I am up and running again I will try and catch up … because I know you are all dying to here about my (mis)adventures in football!

Trust me … it has been a blast to this point.

After landing in Milan – well, it is cloudy and it has been raining on and off.  But, theoretically it should clear up pretty soon.

I have to say last year my six month stay in Switzerland was pretty damn rainy.  My friends there told me that it was as wet a summer as they could ever remember.  I am guessing that was my fault and I just hope I am not bringing bad luck to my friends here in Italy!

Well, my friend Paolo picks me up with two of the Varese Gorilla players.  He is driving a sawed off van that is custom wrapped with the Varese Gorilla logo and colors.  Pretty damn amazing if you ask me!

Along with Paolo – who’s apartment I will be staying at – are Guido (the team’s running back) and Jack who is better known as the “Viking”.

Now the “Gorillamobile” is not the most powerful van I have ever seen.  Also realize we are at the base of the Alps so we are going to driving up and down some pretty big inclines.

But, they aren’t worried so why should I?

It’s pretty much an hour drive from Milan Malpensa Airport (shouldn’t it be a Jetport?? – never get that one.) and we get to Varese and Paolo’s apartment.

Now a little aside here.  About two weeks ago there was a fire in the building where Paolo lives.  Fortunately in the basement and no damage to the structure.

But, there is certainly a smoky odor, and the lights in the stairwell do not work.  Thanks for flashlights that are on your cellphone right??!!

Paolo is so apologetic.  But, what do I care?  I am here to see the area, don’t think I will be in the apartment except to sleep I would think.

I unload my suitcase and then Paolo takes me to the “City Center” to wander around and grab a pizza.  He knows I am dying to try a real Italian pizza.

The “City Center” is a really cool area.  Shops, restaurants all situated upon a warren of alleys, broadways and courtyards.  Beautiful place I have to say.

The pizza is “DNP” – Damn Near Perfect.

OK, now I am guessing that the day is over and I can go home to settle in and maybe wash off some jet lag.

Not so fast “Kemosabe”.  It is Guido’s birthday!  So what do we have to do.  Meet at a bar in City Center and have a birthday celebration right.

While there I met many members of the team and their girlfriends, wives and friends.  It was great.  But, come on that jet lag thing is for real.

Finally somewhere around one in the morning we get home and I can hit the sack!

Since I am writing several of these blogs after the fact – you have to know.  This one o’clock in the morning thing is not going away!

So the long day into night begins with me leaving home for Detroit Metro Airport.  Then to JFK.  From there will fly to Milan Malpense Airport in Italy.  It’s actually not that terrible.

Since you fly over night you actually have a pretty good chance of sleeping or at least resting since they turn off the interior lights.  Then you break through the clouds to find the Alps on one side and Italy on the other.  Unfortunately on this trip .. we leave an hour late from JFK – no reason given and when we land it is cloudy and rainy – so no great shot of the Alps.

The flight was somewhat entertaining though.  I exchange seats with a traveler who’s husband was in the row in front.  No big deal   … I think anyway!  Nothing is ever easy you know.  We get reseated and I am still in an aisle seat – just a row in front and on the opposite side.

Then, just before takeoff the lead flight attendant comes on over the PA system and says “We have a full flight … please remain in your assigned seats – do not change seats due to Covid mandates.”

All of my neighboring seatmates are looking at the three of us involved in this thoroughly terrible thing we did … even if it wasn’t that terrible.  They are laughing and shrugging shoulders as if to say.  “We ain’t squealing on you!”

We remain right where we are … breaking Covid regulation “#6538A sub paragraph B.”  What a crock of shit.  Knowing my history, I will probably be arrested when we land in Italy.  But what can they really do to us … dump us off the jet somewhere over the North Atlantic??

I am now sitting next to a young girl of about nine or so who is obviously traveling with her Dad (on the opposite side).  Early in the flight she dumps her juice on her pants.  Luckily, she has a bag with spare clothes.  She gets changed.  A little while later just after dining service begins she has to use the bathroom.

Cart is blocking her way to the restroom in our section so she tries to go forward to business first class or whatever the hell is in front of us and the flight attendants won’t let her go forward.  Man, to me that is really weird.  I guess Covid regulation “#$7234Ba”.

I tell her dad to let her come out on my side of the aisle because the cart is farther down the aisle.  But he refuses and says she can make it for a little while longer.  I did want to shake the guy by his lapels (“shake him by his lapels” …. That’s a pretty quaint phrase don’t you think?) because the poor kid is in tears.

The opposite aisle finally clears and the little girl gets to run to the bathroom.  She gets back to her seat … dinner is served to her.  Some sort of cheese ravioli with marinara.  She can’t cut it and the dad is getting perturbed again.  He helps her and she promptly drops a fair amount all over her sweat shirt.

Dad ain’t happy!

They get some more clothes out of the bag in the overhead bin.  She is OK again.  Then I start to think about it.  I am traveling with just my backpack in the overhead.  If anything drops on me I am totally screwed.

The juice missed me … the ravioli missed me (but not by that much) just hoping we have no more meal service or I might end up wearing wet clothes the rest of the way.  Like Kris Kristofferson sings “Why me Lord?”

Well, the good news is that nothing else happens.  We finally drop through the clouds and find the airport (why don’t they call them “jetports?”) in Milan to touch down to light rain.

They don’t arrest any of we three violators of Covid regulation “#6538A sub paragraph B.” for changing seats.  The three of us have a laugh as we proceed through Customs etc.

Italy here I come!

 

OK .. I am leaving Switzerland to get home to the states after five months.  Well it has been a long time.

So, my friend Ruedi takes me to the Bahnhof (train station) in Thun.  It was certainly emotional for me.  He is my friend … don’t want to be a crybaby .. but we have been together for five months.

Anyway .. He drops me off.  I cry as he leaves .. hope he didn’t see that.  But a few people at the station saw it.  Consoled me and told me to go inside to the Coop and get a beer … felt I would feel better.

Hell of an idea.  A pretzel and beer at 8:45 (Swiss time).  Zip…Zap jump on a train to the Zurich Flughafen (Zurich Airport)  Beer was good – pretzel better.

A few hours later I am at the Zurich Airport. Find my way to the Raddison Blu Hotel in the airport (thanks to the Boss (wife) – Shawn- got me in for two days.

Get a room and then ask the nice young lady at the desk … hey where can I get a Covid test so I can make it back home.  Easy .. she says drop your bags off.  Then take the elevator to the ninth floor … get your test!

How great is this… she says take the elevator to the ninth floor.  94 Swiss francs later all done.  Get a test… all done!

Bullshit!  Not going to be that easy.

But it was.  Dropped my bag off in room 323.  Zipped up to floor nine.  A wonderful young lady basically did everything for me.  She signed me up, got email etc.

Unfortunately I had to take the test as a young women jammed that swab up my nose.  Well it could be worse!

OK, I am literally finishing with then test and I get a text from my friend Chris.

He says …”what are you doing … do you want to get together?”

Chris is a pilot for Swiss Airlines and the defensive coordinator for the Winterthur Warriors.  A really good friend.

He has just landed and is at the airport … he wants me to drive with him a half hour to his apartment.  Meet his young lady friend (she is beautiful by the way) and catch up with another friend Mo!

Well of course!  Who would not want to see friends??!!

He picks me up at the hotel.  We drive to his really cool  apartment in Winterthur.  Honestly … Chris will take the credit but, she has done a wonderful job of building a home for them.

Our good friend Mo shows up (well with more beer as well)

She leaves to fly around on a motorcycle.  Chris makes an unbelievable dinner on the grill for Mo and me.

Ribs and sirloin with a “coffee rub” outstanding!

Glad to have these hours with some great friends.  We have football together as coaches.  But our friendship is so much more.

These guys are the future of Swiss football.  It’s so much fun listening to them and remembering when I was their age.  These guys are tremendous coaches … well because they are such great people.

Later Mo is kind to me and drops me off at the Winterthur Bahnhof (train station)

Twelve minutes more and I am at Zurich Airport.  Five minutes later buy a six pack of Quollfrisch at the Coop in the airport.  Five minutes more in room 323 of the Radisson Blu.

My greatest regret is that I forgot to take out my phone and take some photos to have our reunion recorded.

I will tell you this … I love these guys and who they are.

I have a pal named Chick Harris who coached for 33 years in the NFL.  We have been friends for many years and you won’t find a better person than Chick.  Well, he always had a saying about we coaches …. “Donny, we do what we do!”

In other words – we don’t know very many things so we have to fall back on football.  So then …. “We do what we do!”  We do football anytime and anywhere – and that’s what I did Saturday!

Saturday my friend Chris Warzecha invited me to attend the Flag Football tournament at the Stockhorn Arena turf field.  Chris is a fantastic man who gives so much of his time to the kids and the Thun Tigers in general.  Plus, the man is an MD.  How he finds time for everything is beyond me.

He basically pulled the tournament together and organized the teams to set up the games.  It was a great day to be on the turf again and the kids absolutely loved the competition.  Interestingly there can be a big difference in ages for the kids.  There were a few seven years old players and a few 16 year olds.  Big difference in physical and mental maturity.

You can imagine as the day wore on and the younger guys got tired the attention span had a tendency to wane.  Think t-ball baseball with the kids picking dandelions or watching the airplanes fly overhead.  Yup, that started to happen.  But it was fun to watch – they really had a blast.

One of the coaches from Calanda (Broncos) was a friend.  We met at the Swiss Senior National Training camp in Willesau a few years ago.  We reconnected and he caught me up on his family and what was going on in his life.

I had nothing to do but to stand around and share stories with some of the Tiger coaches and other people who were at the field.  Oh yeah as the afternoon wore down I sat down with Bradley and Peter for a beer on the steps outside of the field.  (In Switzerland, you can basically have a beer anywhere at any time!)  …. By the way the beer here is pretty good! … oh yeah, so is the chocolate for that matter.

Christian’s young son Josh had a great day playing.  He is quite a player – his older sister took care of setting up the field and I imagine she was a
supervisor.  I have a feeling they run the household as well.

 

 

So, on Thursday I thought I would explore the bus system of Thun. Since the Swiss are the masters of the mass transit systems – yup … bus, train, trolley, and even boats all work in synch.

They all mesh beautifully. All tying in together without a problem.

Oh …whoa now! Not exactly perfectly in my eyes. For someone who lives at Strattlighugel 46 which sits atop a “steep hill” according to locals (To me it is a small mountain!) The system has a flaw.

So, on Thursday I thought I would explore the bus system of Thun. Since the Swiss are the masters of the mass transit systems – yup … bus, train, trolley, and even boats all work in synch.

They all mesh beautifully. All tying in together without a problem.

Oh …whoa now! Not exactly perfectly in my eyes. For someone who lives at Strattlighugel 46 which sits atop a “steep hill” according to locals (To me it is a small mountain!) The system has a flaw.

It takes me as long to wander down the – whatever you want to call it … steep hill or mountain – as it does for the fifteen-minute ride into the city of Thun.

However I promise you there aren’t going to be any busses zipping up those narrow streets to where I live.

Anyway, I have the #1 bus down. I can get from my bus stop at Gwatt Deltapark into Thun Bahnhof (Thun Train Station) without a problem. I have even mastered a few of the stops along the way. Getting back – same deal.

But to get to football training sessions on my own I have to change busses at the station. I already know it is Bus #3. No problem!

Right??? Nah!!!

OK I know I have to take the #3 bus to Stockhorn Arena where the Tigers practice. The #3 to Allmendingen.

So, now all I have to do is find the #3 bus to Allmendingen and jump off at the Arena Thun stop and I am there at the stadium. Piece of cake for the old broken-down coach.

Right??? Nah!!!

Right there in front of me …there it is! Now, I swear I read the electronic sign on the #3 bus correctly. I swear I did. I know I read “Allmendingen” so I board the #3 bus and proceed to my destination. I have these busses down pat right?

Right??? Nahh!!!

I am watching Google Maps seeing where we are in relationship to Stockhorn Arena. Initially I am not concerned that we seem to be moving away from the marker on my phone. Probably going to loop onto a highway right?

Right??? Nah???

After a few stops and about 15 minutes I am getting just a wee bit concerned as my phone shows us moving even farther away from Stockhorn. So, I decide to get off and wander around looking for something that looks familiar.

Now, why I thought anything would look familiar in a place I have never been before is beyond me. Obviously nothing did look familiar … so much for thinking! Thinking can be overrated you know.

As an old coach of mine once said. “Clemons every time you think you hurt the nation … so don’t think!”

Anyway, I hop back on the next bus going on same route hoping beyond hope we are going to get on some freeway and head to the stadium.

After watching my phone read that we were 10 kilometers from Stockhorn arena I said “enough is enough.” I got off at the next stop – walked across to the bus stop for the #3 going the other way.

Fifteen minutes later I was back at the Thun Bahnhof.

As I walked off the bus my decision was this … should I try it again and get it right???

Right??? Nah!!!

I walked across to the Coop in the station. Bought an 8-pack of 50cl Heineken cans jumped on old reliable #1 back to Gwatt Deltapark.

Climbed off at my stop and trudged up the what seemingly became a steeper “Big Hill” to Strattlighugel 46. Sat my ass down on the sofa and drank some beer.

“Donny the C” does know when it’s time to sit down and reevaluate the situation!

 

By the way – in case you didn’t know yesterday was a holiday here in my second homeland.  After talking to several people, I am still not quite sure what the name of the holiday is – just that it is a religious day here in Switzerland.

I looked it up on my new favorite source – Wikipedia!   From I can understand it is called Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday and has to do with the Holy Ghost.  All businesses shut down and people have a day off.

I was warned by our new president of the Thun Tigers – Nadia to make sure I got beer ahead of time because the groceries would all be closed.  Now, that’s what I call being a good friend – a warning about a potential beer shortage!

Nadia will do a fantastic job leading the team.  Although I feel bad that my good friend Dan is stepping aside – he can certainly feel great of what he has done for the Tigers.  It will be fun to watch Nadia work with the club.  In the short period of time I have been in Switzerland I could see that she has the qualifications, personality and the charisma to be a great director.

I also know that everyone associated with the club … the players, coaches and administrators will all step in and make this a smooth transition.  Since everyone in the club works at jobs or goes to school – and I don’t (wow imagine that – me with just football to work on) it will be my job to make sure that anything needs to be done during the working day is handled and to make sure the club runs smoothly under her leadership.

Perhaps we should think of it like me being a bouncer in a bar.  Hey, wait a minute I already have done that!  You make sure everyone is behaving and you clean up any problems.

But, back to the beer situation.  (Why does that always seem to come up with me??)  Well, I did have some in my mini-mini-mini fridge (It holds six).  But, hey wait a minute.  My friend Daniel and the lovely Tamara came by to visit.

Tamara spent time visiting with my pal Ruedi and well “Danou”  (DAN ou – the “ou” is like in caribou) and I spent a few hours talking about football.  (Apparently in Bern the “ou” thing on the end of a first name is a term of endearment.  OK – so think Daniel is “Danou,”  Mattias = “Mattou” … I guess I am “Donou”)

I certainly have a tendency to get off subject.  Well, tough it’s my post!

So, Daniel and I have a great time swapping ideas about football.  It was a great couple of hours and I can’t wait to do it again.   He is a great young coach and a thing I like about the Tigers … they have some really outstanding people from top to bottom.  Their coaching staff is top notch and continues to evolve and improve all the time – a great blend of youth and experience.

But … Daniel and Tamara – the saints that they are (on a Holy Day as well).  They brought me six bottles of beer …two from Belgium and four … and yes (drumroll in background) … four bottles of Coors Light!

What a day!

So, our football session ends Danou and the lovely Tamara depart for Bern and my pal Ruedi takes me to his wellness class called “Brain Training!”  Although somewhat apprehensive it turns into a fantastic time.

I wish I could explain the things we did.  It is a combination of using visual, movement, concentration and focus, coordination and also communication in various exercises.  It was a terrific experience.

The instructor – well she was absolutely great in helping the six of us work through her regimen.  That was a really quick hour session and I am looking forward to doing it again next Monday.  As I suspected … I am not very well coordinated, not very smart, can’t focus and have a hard time concentrating when doing several things at once.

In other words I am an uncoordinated unfocused dumbshit!

Hah … What a life!

Ok, so tomorrow I am going to have to get over to the Stockhorn Arena on my own. Have to get over there for the U16 team practice at 6:30 (18:30 Swiss time by the way – hey, I am learning!) That will be followed by the Juniors practice as we begin preparations for the season opener in Basel this Sunday.

So, I have to figure out how to do this! Easy, like Chick Harris says “We do what we do!” We practice.

So that’s what I did – I practiced.

Well, I jumped on my regular bus – old reliable #1 at Gwatt Deltapark and we made our way down Spiezstrasse  which is Route 6) to the Thun Bahnhof. (Oh by the way I mislead you a little – I have been saying Bahnhof meant Bus Station – nay, nay – it means Train Station….sorry about that!)

Not a problem getting to Bahnhof …. but now getting on the right Bus #3 to the “Arena Thun” is the challenge. Hey – I might not be smart (but I want to be) however, after screwing up and taking the wrong bus last time I tried this same experiment I figured I follow my friend Walti Tgetgel’s solid advice – just ask the bus driver if it is the right bus!

Damn good advice. I asked the driver. He just grinned, shook his head and pointed to the next bus!

And…..off I go on the right bus. Ten minutes later I am at “Arena Thun!” A miracle.

Now, they have a nice shopping complex right next to the Arena. So, after wandering around the field and stadium I do what everyone expects I should do. Yup, go in and do some shopping …yes for beer of course.

After exploring a few stores I walk into the old reliable “Denner” and by a six pack of “Boxer Old” 50cl cans. A nice beer that my friends Bradley Antolovich and Peter Harvey turned me onto this past weekend while watching the Flag football games.

Then … walk to the bus stop and climb on to the bus heading back to the Bahnhof. Yes, I got it right again!

After 10 minutes I board my bus home to Gwatt. Once there I get off and begin the 25 minute haul up the mountain to Strattlighugel 46!

As John Steinbeck wrote in his book Cannery Row (Also a great movie with Nick Nolte and Debra Winger by the way)

“Once more, the world was spinning in greased grooves.”

 

I owe the Tigers!  Here’s why.

So, I got an email from a good friend of mine and he asked if all I do is have fun while I am here in Switzerland.  Well, it’s a pretty damn obvious answer if you ask me.  Yes, all I do is have fun –  that’s my job!  However – there are many different definitions of fun.

First off – football has been fun to me since I started playing when I was ten years old or so.  (Remember many years ago Garrett Morris in Saturday Night Live saying “Baseball been berry, berry good to me!?  Just insert football for me.)  Hell, it’s a tremendous game and it teaches so many great lessons you will use all through life.  There isn’t a single day that goes by where something I learned from the game cannot be applied.

Well the Tigers thru Dan Frey went out of their way to make me a part of their organization here in Switzerland.  There were others involved and my thoughts are that Stephan Pulver and Daniel Gygax were in the mix.

There were a lot of moving parts to get this collaboration organized and pulled together.  Passport checks visa applications, City, Canton and Federal government approvals and many other little details.

Dan did a tremendous job in handling the process of attaining the proper paper work and explaining to me what needed to be done.  We had many emails, several Zooms, a few Skypes and some other transatlantic contacts.

Trust me, he is a very patient man.

Honestly, I never worried about the entire operation because it was done so professionally.  However, my point is that for all of the work that many people (including government officials) put in – well I am grateful.

I owe the Tigers!

So, back to the “fun” part.  I have an opportunity here to spend many months in this fantastic country which is “fun” by the way.  Plus, I have an opportunity to share some experiences I have had … connect the Tiger staff with information that many of my coaching compadres in the US have shared with me and to hopefully contribute a little to the organization as a whole.

The least I can do is spend a few hours of the day preparing any football information I can put together and assemble it for the staff.  I mean, that isn’t very hard.  In fact, it is fun going back thru old playbooks and lectures trying to dig up information that the Tigers might be able to use.

Unfortunately, my “Hudl” doesn’t work real well here for whatever reason so I cannot dig up some old videos.  But, there isn’t much I can do about that.  But, I am the one making out on this collaboration.  There is no doubt that I am lucky to be here.

I owe the Tigers for sure!

 

 

Well, woke to an absolutely gorgeous morning here in my  Gwatt, Switzerland mountaintop (OK “Steep Hill” according to the locals) abode.  Sun was shining – not a cloud in the sky.  The temperatures were going to be awesome without a doubt.

First game of the season for our U-19 Junior team – road trip to the city of Basel to play the Gladiators.  (Check out the blog Konkretekidinfootball.com for a run down on that city along the Rhein in Switzerland.

I wandered partway down the hill where my pal Arne Denecke – the Head Coach of the Tigers picked me up on the way to the bus.  We took the quick ride to the Bahnhof in downtown Thun.

There, we met the team and climbed on board for the two-hour ride past Bern and over to Basel on the boarder of France and Germany.

There was no doubt that there was a noticeable nervousness mixed with excitement for the first game of the season.  Openers are interesting because the is always a lot of thinking being done – especially by the least experienced players.  It’s like that everywhere and at any level of sport you can think of.

Each player and coach is reflecting on the off season and preseason work performed.  Did we do enough?  Did we do too much?  Did we prepare for the right offense or defense for this game?  Players are wondering how they will measure for to their individual battles.  How they will stack up against an unknown opponent.

Well, we hopped on that bus through the magnificent scenery of Switzerland trying to imagine just what would happen after that 11:00 kickoff.  Just how would we handle the competition against a tough opponent.

Like everyone who takes sport – once you get to the arena and start warming up … the jitters can be put in to a box as you loosen up tight muscles that were locked up during a bus trip.  You start to concentrate on your own individual assignments and positional requirements.  You get into the flow of the final preparations.

Then, suddenly there is the coin toss and next thing you know we are lining up to receive the first kickoff of the first game of the year.  Here we go!  We manage to drive the ball right down the field for twelve plays.  Get stopped on downs and have to give it up.

Basel drives it right down on our defense but we make a big play and next thing we know we have it back and again work out way down the field.  Bingo we get into the end zone and we suddenly find ourselves ahead 6-0 after a failed extra point.

Unfortunately, the rest of the day didn’t go our way as we ended up falling to the Gladiators in the end. Dropping a 35-20 game which was much closer that a 15-point divide.  There were plenty of opportunities for us to take advantage of the home team … but every time we got to make that critical we just fell short.

A very frustrating day where – big mistakes hurt us throughout the game – whether it was special teams, defense or offense.

Obviously let’s give the victors the credit they deserve.  They made the plays when we couldn’t.  Sometimes that is the way a game plays out.  I will say this though it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Tigers.  They got after it the whole game.  I think it will be interesting to see how it plays out the next time we meet.

Personally, I love working with these guys.  They just want to improve – to find a way to become better players mentally and physically.  I am looking forward to see their improvement as we work our way through the season.  Each practice there is more progress being made.

As for the coaches – you couldn’t find a finer bunch of men who are sacrificing their time and effort to give the young men on this team a great experience.  Their priorities are in the right place and I am so grateful to be accepted into the group and hope I can add just a little bit to make this organization continue its upward trajectory!