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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.

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!

So, on my usual walk down the mountainside from Strattlihugel 46 to my grocery or to the gym I always walk past this fenced off area that has a winding stream with a fairly good-sized pond near the walkway.  There are the usual aquatic plants and the land is made up of high grasses.

It’s a pretty cool looking area and obviously the conservationists must be a serious bunch here in the Gwatt – Moos area.  The fence is backed up by an “electric” fence behind it!

There is a sign explaining the area inside of the fence – It has a big frog (I discovered today it is really a toad) and a dragonfly (wrong on that one too!) on it as well.  Unfortunately, it is written in German and that does a “non” multilingual guy like me little good.

But, then I think “hold on there Batman”  – I have that fancy translating whatchamacallit on my computer.  But, that would require me to type all of the words into the computer.  Well, that isn’t that hard.  Oh yeah … no offense here … but typing German for a simpleton like me!  Hmm…it’s not so easy when you have to type in words that have 18 letters such as “Altlastensanierung” or “Baurechtsvertrag” which is 16!

I did get it accomplished though.

Turns out this is a patch of land was once basically a dumping ground.  In 2012 the “Pro Natura Region Thun and Bern” were given the go-ahead to clean up the area.  I’m guessing it took a pretty good while to get that done.  But, they did it.  Now, it is a thriving section of Wetlands which has added quite a bit to the Gwattmoos protected grounds which also includes some wooded areas as well.

At first when I saw the sign I figured it had something to do with the frogs that are abundant in the pond near the fence.  They bob up to the surface and nail low flying insects then sink back down.  Since the water isn’t clear I can’t tell if there are any fish in there.  But, I figure there have got to be right???

Anyway, I haven’t seen any frogs get gulped up by a fish (wonder where the bass are?) as they rise to the surface slowly and leisurely float there.  Incidentally these guys make a great deal of racket at night (a veritable cacophony of “froggy” music you might say!)  A few bigtime words in that parenthetical phrase – there, I just did it again just can’t help myself!

Well, it turns out – these guys are pond frogs – from what I understand.  But, also in this pretty marshy area there lives the “Yellow Bellied Toad” as well.  Now this guy is not a common occurrence apparently.  So, these wetlands are important to the recovery of these amphibians.

On another part of the sign there is a picture of what appears to be a dragonfly – but actually it is not!  The explanation here reads:

“Ober zwanzig Libellenarten profitieren von neu geschaffenen Lebensraum und den vielfaltigen Gewassern. Eine davon ist die Zweigestreifte Quelljungafer.  Sie ist fur de Eiablage auf quellartige Kleingewasser angewiesen.  IhreEntwicklungszeit dauert bis zu sechs Jahre.”

Good luck!

OK, I know those of you in the US won’t try to find the translator so I’ll summarize.  According to this sign there are 20 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies in this habitat.  (Yup, they are different – it has to do with the shape of the wings.  No, I do not know which is which!)

How would you have liked to be the grad student writing her (or his) dissertation on dragon/damsel flies while you traipse through this area falling down, getting muddy and counting the different types while patiently taking pictures?  Yeah, my life is way easier than that.

Well, this guy on the sign is the “Two-striped Spring Damselfly” and is a protected bug (sorry species).  The GwattMos wetlands is an ideal place for them to raise a family I guess!  These bad boys can be as large as 85mm.  Go ahead … ask me …  come on … 3.46 inches.  They may dive bomb you – but they do not bite or sting.

So – there is your science lesson for the day.  Given to you by a broken down old football coach!

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!

OK, so apparently some of the board of directors of the Thun Tigers are worried that I am bored on the days with no football training sessions here in my “mountainside retreat.” They may call Strattlighugel 46 a homestead on a big hill – but as some baseball umpire once called out … “I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.” This is a MOUNTAIN I live on!

Trust me, I am not bored. I found a nice gym to workout in. A lot of equipment – not many people.  So that is an everyday occurrence for me.  A seventeen-minute walk down the MOUNTAIN …. a little bit more going up.

After a workout usually drop by Lidl (LEE del) to buy some food for the day (OK beer as well!) then trudge up the hill … It is pretty damn steep I assure you.  Work on some football stuff when I get home.  Sometimes walk back down the slope and take a cruise on Bus #1 from Gwatt Deltapark into the Thun Bahnhof (Thun Train Station).

Thun is a nice place to wander around – there are a lot of neat little places to explore and several nice outdoor places to eat as well.  And now that you can eat indoors things should start to pick up.

I had fun sitting under a small umbrella a few weeks ago trying to eat a pizza in a driving rainstorm.  (They gave the dumb broken down American football coach the table closest to the edge of the covered area – even with several others well under an overhang were available?!?)  I did get soaked and maybe they had a laugh.

But, the pizza was really good and the three-dollar tip I left was purposely short.  OK I am a dumbass – they must have been really laughing as I walked away.  They watched me get totally rain soaked without complaining and since you really don’t have to tip in Switzerland.  Well …  just maybe I am not really smart.

Which brings me to overcoming my mental deficiencies with “Brain Training!”

My landlord (really my friend as well)  .. Ruedi has convinced me that I need to take a class he takes called  “Brain Training”with him.  Now … imagine this.  It is comical for him trying to convince me to go.  He speaks just a little English and my meager knowledge of Swiss German is counting to ten …knowing how to say the word “shit”… and the words for left, right, up and down!

If we could video our interactions and conversations it would be hilarious.  But, we get along famously.  Beer brings everyone closer!

OK so I know …  back to “Brain Training.”  It really is fascinating and makes sense.  Obviously I am not an MD and what do I know?  But, I will tell you it is truly a mentally exhausting hour.

Our instructor Mareke Banzinger – Plocher.  She is an excellent tennis player here in Switzerland (also played at Kansas State for a year by the way) who teaches this course.

Trust me it will wear you out.  We flip balls in the air … then to each other, Then we flip them to ourselves changing hands.  flip the balls while doing simple (no – hard) footwork drills.  Play games throwing balls, bouncing balls, kicking balls to each other calling out colors, numbers, code words etc.  You have to remember what colored ball means what and what names (animals, colors numbers you have to say!)

There is coordination, memorization, movement, combination skills. It is really hard.  But, it is fun as well.  If you aren’t ready to laugh at yourself – well forget this because you are going to screw up!  Awesome stuff.

Constantly thinking and working with other people!

OK have to stop for a second here even harder for my classmates.  The other people in the class speak some English .. but they are Swiss German!  (They realize I only know how to count to ten  …  say “shit” and know right, left, up and down in Swiss German) so they do this in English for me.  How amazing is that??!!

The nicest people in the world!

So, The board of directors of the Tigers  should know I am not bored.  Losing money by the minute … but certainly not bored!

Thinking about expanding my blog with stories about my years with the Lions and other football (mis)adventures.  My close friend Terry Copacia has always encouraged me to right down these stories for our other friends.  He says to write a book.

However, I am not disciplined enough to do that.  You have to work at writing a book.  All I do well is drink beer.  Any way have to think about putting this down in my blog!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Billy Jim Baker wrote a song that Jerry Jeff Walker recorded called “Contrary to Ordinary.”  Billy Jim, by the way, is a professional clown and a member of the Clown Hall of Fame.

Baker was a friend of the late Jerry Jeff and actually once convinced him to work at a circus with him.  A picture of Walker in full clown regalia can be seen on the back of album he made by the same name “Contrary to Ordinary.”

Anyway, some of the lyrics that Billy Jim wrote and Jerry Jeff recorded (yeah, I know Billy Jim and Jerry Jeff – who he affectionately called Jacky Jack – the names can make your mind spin) are the inspiration for this collection of things that happened as I stumbled through life.

This journal is just that – a collection of stories – or (mis)adventures as I say.  They aren’t anything special in the scope of the real world as it is.  However, here they are for those who want to see them.

Really, they aren’t stories as much as episodes that have played out throughout my life.  Stealing from Billy Jim’s writing and Jerry Jeff’s singing comes Joe Don Clemons’ (mis)adventures in football – the greatest team game in the world.

Some lines from Billy Jim’s writing and Jerry Jeff’s singing:

                        And I was contrary to ordinary Even as a child Fast freights made me wonder The full moon still drives me wild And stories do come true You just got to live your life in episodes With one eye on a lady And one eye still on that open road

I hope you like some of them.  Like my close friend Bert Hill says they are true (well mostly), but … well life still is “stranger than fiction!”

“Stranger than fiction” …. Bert Hill

 

A few days ago I knew that I was going to have pretty much an entire day to myself, so I decided to try my new train pass out.  I love the train system here in Switzerland (also a big fan of their entire public transit system).  The US could learn a lot about mass transit by studying how it is done in my second homeland.

My friend Dan Frey the past president of the Tigers had arranged for me to have a special travel pass for bus, train and boat.  Well, to me it was better than having a car which they were going to get me.  Hell, I don’t like driving at home.  Me, behind the wheel in a foreign country – not going to happen.

Well, I figured by train – I could go to Bern which would be fun because I have stayed there two different times and I know the city and love “Old Town”.   Or I could take the hour trip to Interlaken and visit another place that I have been on previous trips.

I flipped a coin in my mind (yeah, I know how do you flip a coin in your mind?).  So, Interlaken won.  OK I just wanted to go that way I guess.

I hopped on the #1 bus at the Gwatt Deltapark Stop (My friend Pascal was driving … I’m even making friends with the bus drivers! – friends will become voters when I run for Mayor of Gwatt!) and travel down to the Thun Bahnhof to see about a train to Interlaken.

If you get frustrated with all of my parenthetical phrases – just skip them.  (I just can’t help myself.  Hah!  Got you)

Now honestly, I was having some questions about this travel pass.  A few weeks earlier I had to go into the train station to get my picture taken for this voucher.  The official taking my picture was a very friendly guy who said – you’ll love this credential because all of your train rides are half price … he didn’t know about the bus.

After my ten-minute ride with Pascal on Bus #1 I jump off the yellow transport – stroll into the Bahnhof – walk up to the ticket window.  Tell the gentleman behind the glass I wanted a round trip ticket to Interlaken.  I give him my special SwissPass photo identification – he squints, looks at it, shakes his head and charges me like 17 Swiss Francs.

I know the roundtrip would cost every Tom, Dick and Harry (US phrase to my Swiss friends) the same 17 CHF. What gives – I get no discount?

I tell him that I thought this super-duper, over the top, fantabulous plastic credit card looking thing with my old looking picture on it gave me like superpowers – and at the very least a half-price ticket.

He shrugged but then started typing into his computer.  Squints again (I think he needs glasses, but he had them on his head and not eyes), looks perplexed.  Types some more – sits up straight and looks at me in wonderment.  “You can ride anywhere you want for free – you need no ticket.”

So, obviously no one knows how this pass works.  I’ve even looked on line for information.  Trust me whoever wrote up the SwissPass section of their travel brochure – made things even more confusing … this thing was as clear as mud.

So naturally I figure that the conductor on the train was certainly going to clean this situation up.  He would either accept this card and tell me that I indeed have the superpowers I do so deserve or he would toss me off the train.

Well – let me put all of this on hold and let me tell my US friends something so cool about Switzerland.  You can walk into a local store attached to the Bahnhof and by a cold beer in a can (no bag needed like in US). Then you can get on a bus, train or simply walk around the streets and drink it.  That would just shatter our reality in the states.

In fact you can buy beer from a vending machine as well  … I know, simply amazing!

My God – that would just shake our world.  In fact, the passengers in a car can drink.  Yet, I guarantee they have far less problems than we find in the US!  Not advocating this – just presenting a point.

OK I buy a big Heineken beer (see photo in collection below) for the ride to Interlaken.  I figure at least if I get “86ed” off the train (US phrase for “kicked off” the train) by the conductor I’d have a beer in hand.

We board up … go all the way to Interlaken and NO CONDUCTOR!?!  Hell, they always walk through all the cars and check the tickets.  Not this time Batman!

So, I get off the train and wander around Interlaken.  Even though I already know it is a tourist trap it really isn’t crowded so I just shuffle along looking at shops.  Stop, sit down for a beer at an outdoor café.  It’s a pleasant afternoon – just having fun snapping pictures and enjoying the scenery.

By the way there is a Hooter’s in Interlaken..  Been there before with the boss (wife) a few years ago when we were here.  I do have to tell you that this one could not hold a candle to any I have been in back home (trust me I have been to a few by the way).

I am not talking about the waitress’ outfits.  I am talking about the food.  If you boycott Hooters on your principles I have no qualms about that.  But, I am boycotting Hooters Interlaken because their food is not real good.  In the US those wings at Hooters are damn good.

Now as I decide it is time to go home.  The true test of the SwissPass card might be brought to light.

I walk into the ticket office and ask the young lady if I could have a one-way ticket to Thun.  After handing her my fancy superpower photo ID with secret codes and computer lines and data I might learn even more.

She doesn’t blanch, squint or scratch her head.  She simply types a few keystrokes on her keyboard.  Sees the info on her screen – hands me my card back.  “Yes, just like I thought … you need no ticket and ride is always free until November.”

I sidestep into another little store attached to their train station.  Buy another Heineken.  (What the heck right??)  Hop onto the train for the return trip to Thun.  Should be interesting – but, well will there be a Conductor for this trip.  Who knows??  At least I have my Heineken right?

By the way almost every trip by train in Switzerland can be breathtaking.  Unbelievable scenery.

OK, we pass a few stops … here comes the Conductor.  He checks the people sitting in the rows in front of me.  Gets to me, mask on… beer in hand.

A second of me feeling some panic as he pulls out his special gizmo to check tickets.  Runs it over the card.

I hold my breath…. He looks at me says “Merci”  with a smile and walks on down the aisle to the next passenger….I crack the Heineken and once again I realize “Once again the world is spinning in greased grooves!”

So, sometimes ideas come to you out of the BLUE.  Today I was wandering around downtown Thun, Switzerland waiting to sign some papers at the immigration office so I wouldn’t be tossed out of my second homeland.

I’m staring out across the River Aare and its beautiful BLUE waters (seriously this color BLUE is a little different than the Lehigh River I grew up with in eastern PA.)  Looking at the Thun Castle … also the entryway to Old Town and just being pretty happy to be hanging out as a broken down old football coach here in this postcard-like country in the Alps.  Honestly, what more could you want?

The vivid BLUE waters of Lake Thun are created in the Bernese Alps which eventually empties into the River Aare.  The Aare then snakes down around the city of Thun and pushes on to circle around the Swiss capitol of Bern flowing under eighteen bridges (source = Wikipedia) and out to eventually become a tributary of the mighty Rhine River.

****Just an aside here … apparently the people of Thun and I would imagine her visitors as well… will often jump into the Aare from its bridges and float along from different parts of the city.  They will get out and visit local bars and restaurants.  This is something I can’t wait to see! (or maybe try).

Oh yeah – one more thing to my pal Carl Clapp who is in the Phoenix area and told me he was going to take a “tube” ride down the great Salt River like we did hundreds of times together – Hey here in Switzerland – they actually tube the River Aare through Bern!  “Nomad” my goal is to “tube the Aare!”  (They can’t be as sophisticated as we were tubing with a keg of beer can they??!!)****

So … back to me looking out over this fantastic cityscape along the BLUE waters of the River Aare.  I think back about how I am able to be here.  Yup .. goes back to football and everything it has allowed me to do.  The people along the way.  Coaches, players, friends – obviously family and the boss (wife) allowing me to do what I just like to do.

Pretty damn lucky.

Then a lightning bolt hits me.  Last night a good friend of mine Steve Saulnier joined our football Zoom with the Thun Tigers to talk about football.  Specifically, offensive line play – I will say this he is an expert – no doubt.  But I know this man is too humble to acknowledge that compliment although it is true.

He gave us so many ideas … shared anecdotes … showed videos that reflected his blackboard (I guess we use whiteboards now with those markers instead of chalk …damn!) coaching he gave us.

Often you forget the people you have been along the way and how they have colored your life.  Although Steve and I haven’t talked very much over the last few years I have certainly followed his career.  His team the West Florida Argonauts advanced to the NCAA 2017 Division II championship only to lose.  But they moved to that final game again in 2019 to defeat Minnesota State and become National Champs!  How awesome is that?!

But, he has never lost touch with who he is — a grounded man.  Just a fantastic person.  For me, just lucky to have him in my lifetime.

Again, he was just great with our coaches and players and will join us again.  (If any of my coaching friends out there need some great ideas – let me know Steve is awesome).  A great big THANKS Steve.  You re now the Patron Saint of Offensive Coaches in Switzerland.

But, the lightning bolt that I mentioned a few paragraphs earlier.  Well, have been thinking of this for a little while.  Getting more US coaches to share their knowledge and experiences with my friends on the Tiger staff.  So, anyone looking for a little fun just let me know.

I am the prime example of – you never know where it can lead!

 

 

So, I have been asked this question so many times here and in the US that I figure I better answer it.  The question usually is  – “How in the wide, wide world of sports did you get to Switzerland to Coach football?”

I already have a standard answer for the question.  It was literally through a “friend of a friend who contacted a friend of his here in Switzerland.”  That is the short answer – I do explain the longer more convoluted version on my blog at konkretekidinfootball.com.

But, really friends of mine at Judy Kowalkowki’s “Great Italian Food Fest and Wine Tasting” extravaganza encouraged me to look into going to Europe to have a football vacation (well OK an Episode or [Mis]adventure if you will).

Scott Kowalkowski and his cousin Brock Olivo – both former Lions – chimed in and told me it would be a great experience for me.  After finishing playing Brock went to Italy and got a Master’s degree (he is fluent in Italian).  While in Italy he played and coached football there.

Later Scott went over and he Brock and the Turino Jaguari (I think Turin is where they did it anyway) developed a camp for kids and coaches.  They both said it was a fantastic time.

Well, the hook was set!

The Boss (wife) even told me to look into it (is she trying to get rid of me??).

Well, all of that is well and good.  But, how do you get started?  Well, I am not the smartest guy in the world but the internet is a great source of information (and some of it is also accurate and somewhat true).

I discover the site called American Football International which is administered by Roger Kelly who is now a good friend of mine.  Then there was another very valuable resource called “Europlayers” where you can place your resume as a player or a coach.  Literally thousands of teams worldwide use this spot to find coaches and also players to “import” to their teams in their specific country.

Great places to start.  But, literally it came down to a friend of mine talking to a coaching mate of his (who I don’t know) who connected with a friend of his who sent me an email.

Bert Hill and I coached together for ten years or so.  He was coaching at SMU and we were talking on the phone one day and I explained my newfound desire to become an international playboy … oh I mean international coach.  (Think James Bond of football!)

He laughed it off and said I should get my ass out to Dallas and work with SMU if I was serious about coaching again.  That sounded too much like work to me.

Anyway, about a week later he called me back and told me a member of the Mustang coaching staff had international playing and coaching experience and was willing to help me.  Carlos Borachio-Leon had been working with Bert for several years.

He contacted a friend of his in Europe – who then passed him on to another friend of his Giorgio Volpi who was coaching with the Swiss Junior National Team.  Giorgio emailed me and asked me if I would be interested in helping out in preparations for the European playoffs and then travel to Amsterdam to play the U-19 team from Germany.

Next thing I know I am “Skyping” – another think I knew nothing about – With Giorgio, the GM of the team Christian Krattiger, the Head Coach Michel Spitznagel and Stephan Pulver of the Tigers.

We all had a great visit … then some more later.  Next thing I am going to Switzerland.

Now, that is the abbreviated version.

 

So OK here is Switzerland we recycle everything. I mean everything from cardboard to paper (separately)…green, clear and brown glass (again separately) … garbage is also different as is lawn debris. I love it.

But, my favorite invention is the “Cancrusherupper”. Check out the picture. You place cans in the “Cancrusherupper” and then jam the handle down and that’s what happens – the can gets crushed up and falls into the bin!

Is that cool or what?

However unlike Michigan we don’t get 10 cents back for the can. Well, it’s fair we don’t pay a ten cent deposit on the cans here either.

I guess most of mine are beer cans.

The only bad thing is I have to walk to the bus stop at Gwatt Deltapark which is about a mile to smash my cans. Easy going there (downhill) … harder coming back up the mountain.

Decision is whether to quit drinking beer or get a new pair of sneakers. Ah well … a new pair of Adidas runs about 80 Swiss Francs. That’s not too bad – easy choice!

Alright so got a message from a friend to add some to the football blog at konkretekidinfootball.com.  So, here is a story from the magical 1991 season we had in Detroit.

Honestly it truly was an amazing year.  Despite what many fans say about the Lions always being bad.  It simply isn’t true.  Yes … I feel their frustration that we didn’t make the Super Bowl and so they have a right to complain.

But when you look back into the 90’s we actually were a pretty strong team in perhaps the best division in football from top to bottom.  (The old Central Division of the NFL.)  I can already hear it … no this division or that team was better.  Yup, everything comes down to an opinion – everyone has one of those as well.

I’ll concede to everyone who wants to argue and tell you are right and I am wrong.  So, getting past that point – you can be right and I am a dumbass…. Here is this story though.

In Detroit during the 1991 season there were some awesome things that happened – there were also some tragic ones that will also be addressed in another episode because I am referencing Mike Utley and Eric Andolsek who deserve some special attention apart from this commentary.

Eric and Mike are two people who are certainly in the middle of my heart every single day and deserve to be recognized in a special way.  Those of you who were a member of the Lion family at that time know exactly what I mean.

But, in 1991 the Lions went 12-4 and won the Central Division of the NFC on the last day of the NFL season as the Bears lost to San Francisco on Monday Night Football.  That loss cost Chicago the Division and gave us a first round bye into the playoffs.

But, the season itself was just a fantastic ride for all of us who were there!  Even though it started auspiciously enough with a crushing defeat in Washington 45-0 the Lions then went on to win twelve of the next fifteen games.  Trust me in any league that is tough to do – but the NFL … really hard.

OK, I am wandering already … get to the point Donald.

This episode is about Erik Kramer and what a fantastic player he was in the NFL.  But narrowing the focus it is about the first pass he threw in his NFL career.  Yeah, but it was the first pass he ever threw in a tension fraught game where he came in to replace an injured starter.

Yeah, but an even tighter focus – because he came into a critical game at a critical time in a critical situation (did I say critical enough?) with one of the most gifted runners – Barry Sanders lined up behind him.

Rodney Peete our starting QB gets dinged up and he has to leave the game.  It is a close back and forth game.  We have recovered from that opening day ass-kicking by Washington and are sitting at 2-1.

In this situation all we need to do is have Erik not fumble the snap … turn around and give Barry the ball.  Get out of the series and try to get Rodney back in the game.  Just don’t screw up Erik!!

The offensive coaches concur … give Barry the ball – perhaps we get a first down.  If not …  Pro Bowl punter Jimmy Arnold comes in and jams the Colts back into their own end with one of his towering kicks.

Nahh.. not going to happen Batman!

Erik gets under center as the QB – looks to the right, looks to the left and audibles!  Are you shitting me he audibles …he does not just audible ..HE AUDIBLES TO A PASS and he HAS NEVER THROWN A PASS IN AN NFL GAME!  You can imagine the sidelines, the coaching booth as we watch all of this unfold.

NOOOO…. ERIK DO NOT THROW THE BALL YOU DUMBASS!

Erik calmly steps back fires a pass to Willie Green for a first down.

ERIK GREAT DECISION!  WAY TO GO!  YOU ARE TERRIFIC!  KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!

Several plays later Erik again finds Willie Green – this time for a TD!

Rodney comes back in the game and the Lions win to go to 3-1.

The rest of the story is too long for FB so just click on this konkretekidinfootball and you can see the whole episode as it unfolded – or exploded –  throughout that awesome season!

Hah, What a Life!