Cordoba revisited, 30 years later?

Big game for the Austrians today.

I werd NARRISCH!!!

Austria, with their 1-1 tie with Poland yesterday, has a huge game on Monday against Germany, a team they haven't beaten since 1978 in Cordoba (See video above). The whole country is going bezerk for this matchup; if Austria wins, they move on to the quarterfinal and knock Germany out of the EM. If Germany wins, they do the same to Austria. Will be a crazy night in Austria Monday if the miracle at Cordoba repeats itself.

:)

Right now I'm headed to Innsbruck for the weekend. France plays Holland tonight, and I'll be with about 40,000 fans in the fanzone in Innsbruck watching that game on the big screen. I'll be pulling for France, who must win or at least tie this game to have a shot at moving on to the quarterfinals. Holland had an impressive 3-0 win over World Champion Italy on Monday while France was frustrated to a tie with overachieving Romania. Big game for the French.

Tomorrow, Sweden plays Spain in Innsbruck and I will try for tickets but will likely watch the game outside in the Fanzone. Should be a lively atmosphere as there are thousands of Spanish fans migrating through Vorarlberg to Innsbruck for this huge matchup. Winner secures a spot in the Quarterfinal while the loser will likely have to battle it out with Greece for the second quarterfinal spot from Group D on Wednesday.

On Sunday, I'll be in attendance as the Swarco Raiders Tirol & the Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna battle it out in the Eurobowl (similar to soccer's Champions League Final).

Needless to say, a long but exciting weekend is about to commence.

2-0 & Austria Salzburg

We beat the Carinthian Black Lions Saturday 35:12 to keep our playoff hopes alive. After the game I went with our team manager, Stefan Schubert, to Salzburg to watch his favorite soccer club, SV Austria Salzburg, compete for their league title. I'm going to go cook dinner & give more details (with fotos) after dinner. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, check out some video footage of the fanclub I joined up with on Sunday as they won their league title!

SV Austria Salzburg - Champions 2007/08 from Andreas Lindinger on Vimeo.

If you need more, here's footage of the fanclub last Wednesday:
SV Austria Salzburg v FC Hallein

"Wir wollen nur Siegen sehen!"

Bodensee

Today, Christoph took a few of us out onto the Bodensee (Lake Constance). The Bodensee is a very large lake that forms part of the border between Austria, Germany, & Switzerland.

We got a late start, but it was a very nice and relaxing day as a tourist. We jumped on the passenger ferry that took us from Bregenz along the northern edge and German border to the towns of Lindau & eventually to our destination of Friedrichshafen. The boat ride was relaxing and seeing all of the sailboats in Lake Constance made me a bit homesick, and reminded me that the Duck Dodge on Lake Union begins tomorrow. I really miss my boat, the waters around Lk. Washington & the beauty of Puget Sound.

In Friedrichshafen we kicked back, bought some lunch and relaxed, people watched & chatted in the sun. I finally bought some sunglasses, a cheap pair from a tourist shop & we raced some ominous looking clouds back to Bregenz. Just missing the rain storm, we grabbed some Gelato on the beach and eventually walked back through the Bregenzer Altstadt to our cars.

From there, Christoph led us up into the mountains to the Bregenz Castle and oldest sections of the city. From there was a stunning view of Bodensee and the forthcoming sunset. There's a place I'll definitely have to return to when Niki & Keegan get to town at the end of June.

After that, Christoph led us through a beautiful drive through Bregenzerwald, the alpine portion of Vorarlberg. It was beautiful and I think Niki, Keegan, & I may have to check out a bed & breakfast up there when they're here. Maybe make a weekend out of it.

All in all, a good day, with good company, and beautiful weather.

Undefeated as a Head Coach!

We won 28:0 today at Bern in the EFAF Cup Quarterfinals, more on that after I get back from scouting the Group B matchup between Carinthian v. Parma in Parma, Italy. (We play the winner in 3 weeks for the EFAF Cup Semifinal).

Ciao ciao!

New Beginning

The other reason it has been so long since I've posted, is because a lot of changes are happening with our organization. Head Coach Michael Kegel resigned yesterday to take on a different role within the organization. Both he and management feel that he could better serve the team while working as a recruiter and manager for Vorarlberg's newly forming Sport Leistungs Zentrum (basically, a sport school). I admire him for his role in bringing guys to the team and getting them out to practice, but there is a definite need for change within the Hauptmannschaft (AFL Team).

I have been named the new Head Coach and am proud to take on that role and the many challenges that need to be faced in developing this team into what it can be. Our first practice last night went well, though we were low on numbers due to injury, work, and school obligations, the upped tempo and higher expectations will benefit us greatly in our very much alive goal of a championship.

I will keep this blog up and running and you will be able to track the season from my new perspective. This is my first experience as a Head Coach, and to do so on a team of this calibre at such a young age is very much an honor to me and my family.

Well, I've got to get to back to work scheduling out the rest of the year.

Worn down again

Well, sorry that I have not written in a few days. It has been very hectic since Sunday's loss to Vienna. More on that later.

The game started out very well, after a long kickoff return our defense held them to a dominant 3 & out. Our offense took over and marched down the field with some big throws and eventually we forced our way into the endzone to go up 6-0. The extra point was blocked, but Frantzy Dorlean (DE/TE - Tennessee State) scooped it up and scored for the two point conversion. Just like that we were up 8-0.

The Vikings made some adjustments, upped the tempo, and tested our edge, they found it a few times and RB Clinton Graham scampered for a few first downs. Finally, a PI call moved them into the Red Zone and after a long scramble QB Steve Levy (Cal) found pay dirt. They "waggled" on the PAT and it was tied up 8-8.

We still felt pretty confident, however, as they had to work hard for their yards and nothing was coming easy.

On our next offensive series, an errant pass found the hands of a DB who scooted in for the pick6. Down 8-14, momentum started to swing in favor of the Vikings. Our offense moved the ball on the next series, but could not finish the task and we punted away. Midway through the second quarter they began using two tight ends, we adjusted quickly and caused them to call a timeout, but a few plays later they took advantage of some of our very tired two-way players, sealed the edge and were off to the races. The pace was too much and eventually they ran an old student body right play and our guys were caught out of position. Down 8-21, our team started to lose confidence. It didn't help that after a 3 & out and a long punt return, the Vikings were again in scoring position. We made them work for it but before long we were down 8-28 and some bickering began on the sideline.

As the offense took the field I pulled the team together (very cordially, as you can imagine ;) ) and told them that if they didn't believe we could still win this thing, to get off the bus. The game was still very much in reach, end of the half, our ball, if we score we're down 14 and we get the ball to start the second half. The guys bought in, we drove the field and QB Paul Troth (East Carolina) found WR Benni Fussenegger (Austria) just before the half and at 14:28 we were back in the ballgame.

The second half opened up, however, and we could not move the ball. A quick 3 & out and a long punt return saw the Vikings looking for blood. Our defense came out fast & hard, but a Barry Sanders-esque run by Graham, another 3 & out, and a Jason Gesser style scramble and throw by Levy found 14-43.

From there on it was just damage control, our worn out players fought with everything they had, stuffed the Vikings twice in the redzone but gave up one more touchdown late in the third quarter. The only solace available for the second half came early in the fourth quarter, QB Paul Troth (who was under considerable pressure both acting as offensive coordinator and playing quarterback) hit franchise WR/DB Christian Steffani (Austria) for a long strike. We made the PAT field goal (not at all automatic this year) and that was our final score: 21-50.

I was proud about how our boys fought back after being rallied together in the 2nd quarter, but again, numbers and conditioning were a huge problem for us as we simply wore down.

Crazy news, however, the Danube beat Graz, and if we win out, we can still make the playoffs! This truly has been a wild season in the AFL.

German Version

Due to popular demand, I'm going to translate the blog and have a German version posted on the site. You'll find the link above the picture slideshows to your right: "Deutsche Version: Spielen für Schnitzel"

Enjoy!

Ich habe bonnelladventures.com fuer meine Deutsche/Oesterreiche/Schweize freunden auf Deutsch geübersetztet. Du wirdst ein Link an der rechten seit über die foto-slideshows finden: "Deutsche Version: Spielen für Schnitzel"

Viel Spass dazu!

Game of the Week in Hohenems

---below is a translation of my interview with Thomas Muck of www.die-namenlosen.at---
Exclusive
Blue Devils-Coach Bonnell in Interview
AFL Preview: A Decision in Hohenems

As the AFL begins to wrap up one of the most intriguing and exciting regular season's that have been seen in many years, every game has a taken a playoff character.

The game of the week sees the Raiffeisen Vikings of Vienna travelling across the country to the Cineplexx Blue Devils Hohenems, in Vorarlberg. The importance of this game is very clear: the winner is in the playoffs and the loser is not.

In the buildup to the game, we spoke with the Defensive Coordinator of the Vorarlbergers, Raymond Bonnell, about his opponent, his own team, an
Im Vorfeld des Spiels befragen wir den Defensive Coordinator der Vorarlberger Raymond Bonnell, über den Gegner, sein eigenes Team, his personal future and the upcoming European soccer tournament.

The Namenlosen: On Saturday you watched the Vikings vs Black Lions Game in Vienna. What are your impressions of this game?

Saturday was my first time in Hohe Warte, I was very impressed with the home crowd and their knowledge of the game. It was a great crowd; very noisy, and very involved. Footballwise, I was impressed with the improvement of the Lions. They've come together since we played them in week 1 and they have a much more organized approach to the game. I think in the first half they moved the ball well with some good play calling and execution, but things slipped in the redzone a few times and cost them because you have to play mistake-free football against the Vikings. As for Vienna, I was very interested in the play of new QB Steve Levy, he is clearly a top level QB with a strong arm who will give us problems on Sunday, but I was most impressed with his running. He is a Pac10 calibre running back and really packs a punch when he lowers his shoulder. That combination with Graham's speed & elusiveness makes a nasty combination for us Defensive Coordinators to defend.


The Namenlosen: Was it a big surprise to you that the Vikings risk RB Clinton Graham for the Black Lions Game?

I wasn't too surpised to see him out on the field; he is a very tough guy who will do anything to help the Vikings get into the playoffs. What surpised me most was the effectiveness with which he ran. You could see the pain in his eyes and body composure between plays, but once the ball was snapped he played with the great quickness and explosiveness that he is known for. Hopefully someone can convince him to take the day off on Sunday. :)


The Namenlosen: Do you expect him or other injured players back for Sunday's Game?

This is a must-win game for both of our teams, I expect Graham to be back and play as strong as ever, the other player I really expect to come back is Floredo, he's got to coach on Saturday, but I wouldn't be suprised to see him back in the mix. I'm not sure about Robinson & Wimmer, but if there is any possibility, I know Calaycay will pull all the stops this weekend in attempt to secure a win and get into the playoffs.


The Namenlosen: Let's talk about Sunday's Game against the Vikings. What are you're expectations for the game?

We've got a very good defense, but knowing Calacay's play calling abilities, great players, and even better adjustments, it will be a very strategic game of cat & mouse that has me very excited to test my skills as a Defensive Coordinator. Offensively, I think we have a solid system and can be as explosive as anyone in Austria. We should be able to put some points on the board, but Vienna has a strong defense as well. This is going to be a very intriguing game, I wish we could play it right now (would save me a lot of sleep this week).


The Namenlosen: Did you find any weakness in the Vikings Offense?

I wish. The Vikings have a very strong running attack which is only improved with QB Steve Levy. I'd expect to see more option with the two and a more balanced running attack this week. The passing game is not as innovative as it was with Atwood, but with another week of preparation, alot of things will open up for Levy and his comfort with the system and WRs. Calaycay knows his stuff and will put his boys in a position to succeed, I just hope to put my boys in their way. :)


The Namenlosen: What can the fans expect from the Game?

This game will be playoff style football: fast, hard-nosed, emotional, and violent. The Raiders, Giants, and Dragons have all secured playoff spots, so this game is for the 4th and final post-season slot. The stakes are very simple and very high, we have a very long June and are eliminated from the AFL playoffs if we lose. The Vikings are in if they win. I expect both teams to pull out all the stops and do everything they can to win. Fans should expect a high level of effort from the players on the field, creative playcalling, and big-time players making big time plays. If I were not coaching, this is the game I would be at this weekend.


The Namenlosen: Let's talk about the rest of the season: What do you think is possible for your team?

Well, we still have everything in our own control. In the AFL, if we win this weekend, we'll have to beat Carinthia or Graz to get to the playoffs, I think we have the talent to compete with the best in Austria, and barring an injury-fest like we had versus Tirol, we can still acheive our team goal of making it to the Austrian Bowl, but we must win Sunday. In the EFAF Cup, I feel very confident that we can move ahead. We need to take care of business next week and move on to the Semifinal. From there, who knows? We have a very serious goal of winning the EFAF Cup, and feel we have a team that can do so, but that bridge is far down the road and I have a very large bridge looming ahead of me Sunday.


The Namenlosen: Is it harder to be successful in Europe than in Austria?

I think both present unique challenges. In Austria, we know eachother's strengths and weaknesses very intimately. In Europe, you have about two games of film to learn the other team and it is difficult to get out and scout future opponents, there is often little known of the national players and what they see week-in, week-out in their own countries. So, each presents unique challenges that are difficult, but all part of the beauty of the game. The talent level is clearly very high in this country and the import rules make the league very competitive. This is why I came back to Austria to coach. We'll see, Austria is fielding a strong set teams in international play, with all 3 teams in the Quarterfinals of the EFL, and all 3 teams in the EFAF Cup are still very much alive and are making moves toward the Semifinals. Needless to say, it is a very good time to be a part of the AFL.


The Namenlosen: Do you have a contract with the Blue Devils for the 2009 season?

I do not yet have a contract with the Blue Devils for the 2009 season, there has been an expressed interest in my return but we've put those negotiations on the sideburner until June. Right now, I've got enough on my plate just trying to defend the high-powered offenses of the AFL.


The Namenlosen: Finally, a question about the European Soccer Tournament. Is it true that you are a big soccer fan?

It is true that I am a very large soccer fan. I haev already purchased an Austrian National team soccer jersey and hope that they can pull off some surpises in June. It would be awesome for the country, and the tournament for the Austrians to win a few games. I hope to see at least two games live and would love to be in attendance for the crazy atmosphere that will be the Austria-Germany group matchup in Vienna.


The Namenlosen: Are you also a fan of Austria, the country?

I have a very large place in my heart for this country. I married my beautiful wife here, discovered that I would be a father here, the people are very open and friendly. The vistas are absolutely stunning with a very diverse topography. Austria has a very unique culture and for myself and my family, Austria really is a second home to us.

Thank you for the interview!

Graz, AT

Graz, the biggest city in Styria, a region of southern Austria near the border with Slovenia, is located in the valley of the Mur River, in the beautiful foothills of the Alps. It is most known for its title as birthplace of the Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The climate is similar to that of northern California and the scenery is nearly as stunning. Though not as large a tourist draw as neighboring Vienna (2 hrs NE) and Klagenfurt (1.5 hrs W), the very bicycle friendly Graz has much to offer. Schlossberg (Mountain Palace?) is a stunning hill-top fortress directly in the middle of the city center. In 2003, Graz was named the cultural capital of Europe and many monuments were built in celebration of this new title. One classy and very modern example of this is the Mur Insel (Mur Island) which is a café/auditorium built in the middle of the Mur. During the summer, many concerts are held at this open air auditorium and daily you can enjoy some of Graz’s best coffee either within the structure or in the stadium seats. There is also a slide for those young at heart. At night, the Mur Insel is wonderfully lit up and not a few hundred yards away stands the eye popping Museum of Modern Art. Much like the EMP in Seattle, the museum has an aesthetically intriguing style. After 3 days in the city, I have grown to appreciate its uniqueness and mark on the city’s skyline.

This weekend has been really awesome, Graz is a city I could see myself raising young Keegan in. It is a vibrant community that has a strong foundation in multiculturalism and multilingualism. It has the convenience of a large city without the hurried pace. There are many parks along the Mur which runs directly through the city. My favorite is the Augarten, a family park that has attractions for all ages. It is a great place to bring children or simply enjoy a book in the Styrian sun.

Kathi Pregartbauer, a good friend of mine who was a teammate of Niki’s in Innsbruck, lives in an apartment that overlooks the Augarten and there is where I made home there for the last few days. Upon my arrival in Graz, I hopped on a streetcar to the city center (Hauptplatz) to meet up with Kathi and her girlfriend Steffi. We had some coffee and caught up at the very geműtlich (comfortable/hospitable) Café Schwalbenest near the Mur Insel. After coffee and a brief stop by the flat to drop off my things, we met up with Kathi’s twin brother, Gogo (Gottfried) for some Pizza at the new, and very modern Paradiso Italian Restaurant. Then we made our way up the many steps of Schloßberg to have a few beers and take in the beauty of the city.
That night we tried our hands at some “high stakes” poker (€2.50 all in, or about $4). As usual with me and poker, my money disappeared in the first hour but the company was good and it was intriguing to watch the unexpected (& often very cunning) personalities of everyone playing.

Saturday I made my way to Vienna to do some “work” scouting our next opponent and their new QB Steve Levy from Cal-Berkeley. He has a strong arm, but is a natural fullback and loves contact, maybe too much. The most notable surprise of the game was the performance of Clinton Graham, the Vikings star running back who is supposed to be resting a severely injured thigh. He probably should have sit out the game, but instead ran the ball 13 times for 145 yards. I was pretty impressed as they had to help him get up after most of the runs.

Hohe Warte, the Vikings football exclusive stadium was very impressive. The atmosphere was electric and the fans were well educated in the game. I was very impressed by the organization and set up, but when you win Europe and Austria year-in & year-out, that kind of support and sponsorship follows. The final score was a lopsided 34-3, but at the half it was anybody’s game and only 14-3. Carinthian shot themselves in the foot several times after long drives that found themselves deep in Viking territory, but nothing gained for it.

We certainly have our work cut out for us this week, but Vienna is very beatable this year and I think our offense can put up some points. If we can contain an injured Graham & force Levy into throwing situations, I think we can hold their scoring to a minimum. I’m confident that our offense can score points this week, so it’s up to me & the defense to secure the win. We need the win to remain eligible for the playoffs, so this will be a very important and busy week on my end.

Saturday night I returned to Graz around 11pm and joined the girls at the Office Pub to celebrate another friend another friend’s birthday. The live band was a bit loud but very talented and only disappointed when the drunken English Rugby Players in attendance requested Sweet Home Alabama & their repeated demands were not met. However, they were quieted by the very impressive talent of the Russian fiddler who wowed them with performance after performance. He truly was impressive.
Sunday I got some work done and broke down the game film of Vienna. We then had lunch at Schillerhof Pizza, a very nice outdoor beer garden style restaurant/bar. The best part of Sunday, however, was meeting up with Kathi’s family for dinner. Both of her brothers Flo (Florien) & Gogo were there & it didn’t take long to figure out where their athletic prowess came from; their mother, Ute, very quickly handled me at both Ping Pong and Darts.

Well, I missed my train Sunday, and can’t say that I am sorry that I did; another beautiful day in Graz was ahead. Maybe it was the weather, perhaps the great company, but I must say that I am “volle begeistert” (totally enthralled) with this locale.

Now I find myself back on the train with another 8 hours until I am back in Vorarlberg, already planning another visit to a place that felt as close to “home” as I’ve been in Europe.

Graz, AT

After practice tonight I'm going to have to hurry to shower and make it to the train station to catch the 10:41pm overnight to Graz. I'll be spending Friday & Saturday night there before I head back to Hohenems on Sunday. On Friday & Sunday I'll be spending the day with a good friend, Kathi Pregarthbauer (one of the most athletic and talented people I've ever met in my life) who was a former teammate of Niki's in Innsbruck, and also a former Women's National soccer player here in Austria. I look forward to spending time with her, though she focused her studies on Italian and not English in school, so this will be some more great practice for my German. We always have a great time so, I have no doubt this weekend will be the same.

On Saturday, I'm going to make a trip to Vienna to watch the Vikings play against Carinthian. Normally, this would be a blowout not-worth-scouting type of a game, but Vienna lost their Quarterback two weeks back and have a new import from Cal-Berkeley that I'd like to get a feel for. He was recruited as a fullback but was switched to QB & eventually started two games in '07 (Wins over Stanford & BYU) but got arrested the next summer during a bar-fight incident where he had "meant to simply throw water on the guys head, but the glass slipped and broke over his head." Should be interesting to say the least.

Anyway, I've got a practice to plan and lunch to prepare. I'll write again on Monday (with pictures).

Bis dann!

BYE WEEK

Today I went to Chur, Switzerland with teammates/players Matt Walters (Michigan State) and Nic Haritonenko (Dresden, Germany). Chur is directly south of us in Hohenems, below the tiny country of Leichtenstein. We visited Robin Haas & Toni Muggwyler, two of our Swiss import players. Robin took us on a tour of his town, showing off many of the fantastic sites. It was a rainy miserable day, but getting out of Vorarlberg was nice and the beauty of the Swiss Alps and Chur cannot be overstated. This is a city steeped in tradition, is the oldest town in Switzerland having been settled for well over 5000 years.

I will get some pictures from Matt tomorrow(?), but for now the one above will have to do. From www.schweizbilder.ch.

Tomorrow I'm also taking the overnight train to Graz (birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger) to visit some friends and scout Vienna on Saturday. Stay tuned for more pics!

More on Chur:
----from www.myswitzerland.com---
Chur looks back on 5000 years of settlement history, which also makes it Switzerland’s oldest town. This lively small bishop’s town has developed to become the cultural and economic centre of the Grisons, thanks to its excellent location on key transport routes through the Alps.

To help find the most important witnesses to the town’s history, two discovery trails marked by red and green footprints lead through the town. Examples include the Gothic old town dating from the 15th and 16th century, where the influences of the neighbouring countries remain visible today and attest to the skills of the Italian master builders, and the 800-year-old cathedral with its wonderful, three-sided carved altar dating from the 15th century. Visits to the Rhaetian Museum with its cultural-historical and folk art collection, as well as the Art Museum with its Grisons’ paintings and sculptures from the 18th – 20th century, are particularly rewarding.

500 shops and over 100 restaurants and hostelries offer visitors a wealth of possible purchases. The town’s many annual events as well as concerts, theatres and cinemas make the southern ambience of Chur noticeable. What’s more, Chur also has a zoo and leisure park.

A regional mountain – the ‘Brambrüesch’ – means that Chur also has its own winter and summer sports region. In summer, Chur is the ideal spot from which to set off on walks and visits to vineyards in the ‘Bündner Herrschaft’ winemaking region. Chur is the gateway to the Grisons mountains: 26 holiday and spa resorts can be reached in less than an hour from Chur.

Panorama trains travel from Chur into the Grisons Alps, e.g. the Bernina Express to St. Moritz and Tirano along the Albula route which has been much praised as a masterpiece of railway construction, the Glacier Express to the Matterhorn, the Arosa Express to the renowned climatic spa resort, and the Heidi Express to Davos.

Chur is the centre of the Chur Rhine valley, which reaches from the “Bündner Herrschaft” wine-growing region to the spectacular gorge of the Viamala. Whilst the “Bündner Herrschaft” with its centre of Maienfeld once inspired Johanna Spyri to pen her Heidi book and today produces outstanding Pinot Noir wines, Grüsch-Danusa, best known as a winter sports region, lies at the valley entrance to the Prättigau. To the west of Chur lies the Domleschg, the most castle-populated region of Switzerland and directly to the south of this Thusis, at the entrance to the steep Viamala gorge.

EFAF Cup: Europe Loses in the Quarters 161:20

---translated from www.aflcrush.com---
While many feel that the rest of Europe may be catching up to the traditional quality of play in Austria, this weekend's results show that Austria may again be a few steps ahead of the rest of the continent. The Austrians won all their games this weekend by a considerable margin, however one must not jump too quickly to this conclusion as several games have yet to be played. However, if the EFAF Cup plays out as shown, 3 of the 4 semifinalists will come from the Alpine Republic.

Danube Dragons 84:00 Wroclaw The Crew (Poland)
A practice session. It does not do the game justice any further to write more. The Dragons fulfilled their role and won their prelude play without any problems. They used exclusively reserve players in the second half and got much needed experience to Thomas Haider at QB and Herbie Klackl at RB (with 1 TD!). Finally the question arises, did Poland enter the EFAF Cup a bit too prematurely? On one hand it is pleasing that the tournament is attractive to Poland and that they want to participate, on the other hand it may not necessarily help Polish football grow.

Next step for the Dragons is a trip to Prague to take on the Panthers, who also shutout the Crew with a score of 53:00.

Carinthian Black Lions 39:20 Badalona Dracs (Spain)
The Lions are happy to be outside of the AFL and into international play. Though they have been humiliated in league play, in competition with other nations their outlook is completely opposite. The Badalona Dracs is a team with much international experience on the European level, but it was not enough for them this year. The Lions focused on mistake-free football and won the game very handily.

The next step for the Lions is a trip to Parma, Italy where they will take John Grisham's Playing for Pizza squad, the Parma Panthers. Parma is currently 1-1 in Italy and should be a considerable opponent for the Carinthian.

Cineplexx Blue Devils 38:00 Bern Grizzlies (Switzerland)
The Devils struck their Swiss opponent 38:0, against whom they must replay on May 10th. Though the offense saw some struggles under interim QB Paul Troth, the defense made a very strong impression, holding the Griz to less than 30yards in the first half, and stifling each drive clearly and quickly throughout the game. Unless something dramatic happens, the Devils should easily move on to the semifinals to play the winner of the Carinthian/Parma matchup in May.

Shutout!

Finally, a shutout. We beat the Swiss Champion Bern Grizzlies 38:0. More on that tomorrow; I need some sleep.

:)

EFAF Cup Results

GROUP A
@ Hohenems Blue Devils (Austria) 38:0 Bern Grizzlies (Switzerland)
5/10 - Hohenems Blue Devils (Austria) @ Bern Grizzlies (Switzerland)

GROUP B
@ Carinthian Black Lions (Austria) 39:20 Badalona Dracs (Spain)
4/26 - Parma Panthers (Italy) @ Badalona Dracs (Spain)
5/11 - Carinthian Black Lions (Austria) @ Parma Panthers (Italy)

GROUP C
@ Berlin Adler (Germany) 26:12 Amsterdam Crusaders (Netherland)
@ Triangle Razorbacks (Denmark) 3:0 Amsterdam Crusaders (Netherlands)
5/10 - Triangle Razorbacks (Denmark) @ Berlin Adler (Germany)
++Amsterdam Crusaders (Netherlands) eliminated

GROUP D
@ Wroclaw The Crew (Poland) 0:53 Prague Panthers (Czech)
@ Danube Dragons (Austria) 84:0 Wroclaw The Crew (Poland)
5/11 - Danube Dragons (Austria) @ Prague Panthers (Czech)
++Wroclaw The Crew (Poland) eliminated

EFAF Cup

This week we find ourselves in the EFAF Cup Group Stage against the Bern Grizzlies(Switzerland) with a good chance to reestablish ourselves as a European power. I will write more about Bern tomorrow, but will inform you now on the EFAF Cup and its history:

--from Eurobowl.com--
The EFAF-Cup is an annual invitational competiton played since 2002, following EURO-Cup and Federation-Cup, both european tournaments played in the '90s. EFAF-Cup is a competition - comparable to soccer´s UEFA Cup - for european top teams of their highest national league. The EFAF-Cup Tournament is played in regional groups. The group winner meet in the EFAF-Cup Final to play out the overall winner, the EFAF-Cup Champion.

First Championship was won by Graz Giants. The austrian team did show a great game in Graz in front of more than 1.200 spectators against the long years spanish top team Badalona Drags, covered by Austrian TV.

A new visitor record in 2003: 4000 people followed the EFAF-Cup Final 2003 between Papa Joe`s Tyrolean Raiders (Austria) und Carlstad Crusaders (Sweden). The Scandinaviens did win the thunderstorm game and became EFAF-Cup Champion 2003. In 2004 Raiders team from Innsbruck could win the trophy in front of 4.500 visitors - again a new record attendance - against the British Champion PA Knights, coming from London area.

2005 two new clubs showed up in the EFAF-Cup final. Elancourt Templiers, French Semi-Finalist of the previous year, lost the final against Marburg Mercenaries, the Semi-Finalist 2005 of the German League GFL. 2500 visitors, a club record, watched the game played in the city of Elancourt, close to Paris.

After 11 clubs in 2005 competition the 2006 tournament showed 15 participating teams. TUREK Graz Giants could win their second EFAF-Cup title in 2006. In the final Graz would beat the Norwegian champion Eidsvoll 1814 by 37:20 in ASKÖ-stadium Eggenberg in front of 2.600 visitors.

2007 again was the year for the TUREK Graz Giants with their third EFAF-Cup victory. The european champion did win the final against the austriaan club Cineplexx Blue Devils Hohenems from Vorarlberg, Austria by 28 : 26 after a halftime score of 0 : 20.

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After blowing a 20 point lead in the championship game last year, you can imagine how important this tournament is to our organization this year. It will be important that, though injuries abound, we come out and make a statement to the rest of the tournament. Sadly, this tournament lends itself toward running up the score as the group bracket for us only includes two teams, and will be a home & away 8 quarter game. Hopefully, the score will get ugly this week and we'll be able to play our youngsters during the next meeting. That being said, the Swiss teams always bring their best against the Blue Devils because we lie on their eastern boarder and many of the top Swiss players play for our team to test their skills in the top league in Europe, Austria. Should be a fun one & great atmosphere.

Numbers Game

That's me, #48. I suited up this week because a player had to sit due to his ejection last week, opening up a spot for another American player.

For my first game back in over 4 years, I feel like my fits & reads were pretty good, I missed a few open field tackles, but Florian Grein will make a guy do that (he was only a knee injury away from making an NFL roster in '05).

The game started off well, we dominated their offense the first series, but we knew it'd be a battle because they came off the ball hard and the play calling was crisp and fast. You could tell from the get-go that Raiders HC Geoff Buffum was going to make this one a numbers game.

I tell you what, figuring out what offensive personnel grouping they've got, making a call, and lining up and playing is exhausting. There's no time to get off the ground slow; as the tackle is being made I had to be thinking of situation, down & distance, their tendancies, and pick a fitting play/coverage and line up & do it again. I was very happy with how the play calling went, it took a few series to catch up with their pace (and huddle our guys, etc), but as far as the effectiveness and getting guys in the right spots, I was pretty happy with.

The game, however, took a dramatic change as both of our Cornerbacks started coming up lame, one with a sublocating shoulder and the other a stinger. Then our import Defensive End tore a tendon in his calf. With three of my starters out and an increased number of players going both ways, their offensive pace became overwhelming. They started grinding down the field on us and we simply wore down. The offense also struggled to score points and after they finally were able to drive the field and put one in. We were still in the game only down 16-6 just before the half, but a long kickoff return seconds later put them up 23-6 at the break. Our mood in the locker room was focused, but you could sense the concern.

Offensively we came out well in the second half, but the drive stalled and we were forced to punt. They continued their grind game, forcing us to go to the bench for guys and suddenly our players started dropping like flies. WR Robin Haas strained his knee (so badly that we thought he broke his leg for sure), WR/DB Christian Steffani took hit after hit and had to sit some on D after a bell ringer (now down to 1 starting and healthy DB remaining), so they ran a bit of play action and their fresh starters wore down our injured and now two-way reserve players. Combine that with some unfortunate turnovers and the second half got ugly, 50-14.

It was a bad result against a good team, I think if we can get healthy somewhat this week, take care of business against Bern for our EFAF Cup Quarterfinal game, we'll have a bye week to get healthy and prepare for the Vikings of Vienna, who are struggling this year. We'll likely have to win out in order to make the playoffs.

On the other side of things, it was fun to play against the guys I used to coach, and knock heads with some of the old juniors players in the program. I am definitely getting older and today I'm feeling each and every hit from the game.

After the game I went to Harley's to meet up with some of the OLinemen (they were sponsored by Harley's - a Harley Davidson shop/bar), then went over to Baggersee, the official after-party for the Raiders to see a bunch of good friends from my time in Innsbruck.

So, outside of the schlacking we took on the field, it was a very good trip & I was able to meet up with some people who mean a lot to me.

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AUSTRIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
@ Swarco Raiders Tirol 50:14 Cineplexx Blue Devils Hohenems
@ Danube Dragons 35:28 Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna
Turek Graz Giants & Carinthian Black Lions BYE

EUROBOWL QUARTERFINAL
@ Turek Graz Giants 49:27 Flash de la Courneuve (Paris, FR)
**Giants advance to Semifinal**
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AFL STANDINGS
1. Turek Graz Giants (2:0)
2. Swarco Raiders Tirol (2:1)
3. Danube Dragons (2:1)
4. Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna (1:2)
5. Cineplexx Blue Devils Hohenems (1:2)
6. Carinthian Black Lions (0:2)

Big Game in West-Derby

--As reported by the www.raiders.at website--

This Saturday, April 12th at 3pm the Swarco Raiders Tirol (1-1) host the Cineplexx Blue Devils (1-1) from Hohenems at Tivoli Stadium. Both team have to recover from a bitter loss last week and want to get back on the road to victory. The winner of this very important game is still in the race for the playoffs, the loser will have very small chances.

Swarco Raiders Headcoach before the game: "After a disappointing loss last week we are looking forward to getting back on the field again to play a very improved Blue Devils team. On offense and defense they outplayed the Dragons last week, they lost the game with their special teams. We also had some difficulties with our special teams last week. The team that wins the battle of the special teams will win the game."

Very strong imports in Hohenems
The Blue Devils have a totally new team, improved with high-class import players, all with either Div I experience or even NFL experience. Running Back Matthew Walters played at Michigan State, allrounder Charles Drake (DB, RB, Returner) played already in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and NFL Europe with Rhein Fire. Their Quarterback Carl Bonnell played at the University of Washington and is the key to a strong passing attack.

Reunion with Coach Bonnell
Carl Bonnell is the younger brother of Raymond Bonnell, who is the Defense Coordinator for the Devils, and he knows the Swarco Raiders very well. Raymond Bonnell, alias "Romo", was a defensive assistant coach for the Swarco Raiders in 2005.

Presentation of new mascot "Birdie"
The new Swarco Raiders mascot "Birdie", a pirate-parrot, will from now on assist our pirate mascot Black-Beard and will be presented to the fans for the first time. In addition we will offer a great show program for all fans, the company "Zimt & Zucker" gives away for free cotton candy at the entrance and eventsponsor Christophorus will raffle an airplane ticket from Austrian Airlines for a free flight within Europe.

Show program:
+ Cotton Candy at "Zimt & Zucker" stand
+ Christophorus raffles a flight with Austrian Airlines within Europe
+ First presentation of new mascot "Birdie"
+ Big pyroshow
+ Cheerleader show
+ American food and drinks
+ DJ Horst & announce Christian Brugger

Live-broadcast on www.live.raiders.at
Together with the help of our partners from the Connexion team we will have a live-stream of the game on our webpage.

Post-Game Party at Baggersee
The post-game parties at Baggersee in Innsbruck already have a legendary status. If you want to meet the Swarco Raiders players and cheerleaders chilling out after a big game, just meet them at the party.


Swarco Raiders Tirol vs. Cineplexx Blue Devils Hohenems
Sa. 12.04.2008, Tivoli Stadion
Begin: 15:00 Uhr
Open gates: 14:00 Uhr

Foto: Fotoworxx

Familiar Faces

This week we've got the formidable task of taking on a traditional power in the Swarco Raiders Tirol. I coached with the Raiders (Innsbruck) back in '05 and the organization really has a grasp on how to win in Europe. They've developed a strong youth program, advertise and promote themselves well with the local community, have secured a year-round coaching staff with imports who stay multiple years. On top of that, the coaching staff that they have is a very good one. Geoff Buffum, the HeadCoach & offensive coordinator, knows the game as well as anyone I've ever coached with.

It should be an emotional game all around, for me at least; I developed a strong connection with their players while coaching the DLine in '05. Many of those guys have retired, but some, like #8 Viktor Skradski, #50 Mario Rinner, and many others, it will be truly a pleasure to coach against them.

As far as X's & O's, they are a very strong team all-around on offense. #13 QB Marko Glavic isn't as good as he's hyped up to be, but he's a very solid quarterback with a strong arm, decent feet, and a good head on his shoulders. The players I'll need to contain include Innsbruck native running back #4 Florian Grein, Flo is a solid running back who, once in the second level, can slice and dice a defense to open space. The others who concern me are #1 Jakob Dieplinger, who is their equivalent to our Christian Steffani, an explosive WR who can stretch defenses. They've got a good set of imports, #34 James Ellingston plays some fullback and is a handful, along with #9 Ryan Voss who is a tall, but not very physical, receiver.

I am concerned most about the effectiveness of their playcalling, Coach Buffum is very good at luring a backside cover guy to sleep or enticing an end to pinch down then jumping all over it the next play.

Should be a fun experience, to play in front of a few thousand people, in Football's best European stadium (Tivoli Neu) against good friends.

--The picture above is from our game in Barcelona in '05 when I was coaching DL for the Raiders (from left to right, top to bottom): *Jakob Dieplinger, Chris Rosier, Daniel Dieplinger, Manuel Urban, **Mark Falger, *Viktor Skradski (on ground), Me, Luke Ware.
*Will play against us on Saturday
**My Current DL Coach in Hohenems

Penalties did us in.

Today, against the Danube Dragons we blew a 13 point lead and lost by 2 in the closing minutes.

We jumped out to a 13-0 start on the first two drives of the game, we knew it'd be a battle this week; the Dragons are traditionally a very strong running team. They fought hard for yards and we did our best to shut them down.

Then they completed two long pass plays, the only two real positive plays of the first half for the Dragons and we found ourselves down 13-15 at the half.

The second half started off well for both our offense and defense but a blocked punt for a touchdown changed the game outright and we had to play catchup for the rest of the night.

During the final two quarters the White hat lost control over the game. He made some bad calls mixed with some of our own stupid mistakes that really did us in. 3 & 16 and we get a sack, but a 15 yard unsportsmanlike keeps them alive and brings them close enough to kick a field goal after we stop them and again we fell behind.

The offense drove the field to retake the lead again with about 4 minutes to go, we just missed the two point conversion as Christian Steffani could not get his toes down in bounds with control of the ball.

...Then all hell broke loose (fitting; considering we are the Blue Devils), there was a backward pass that we recovered (I call it backward because BOTH line judges called it so, but the Whitehat overruled them and gave the Dragons a third down), then on the next play they tried another swing pass that was incomplete and we were called for a late hit 15 yard penalty (funny, being that the hit was before any whistle was blown). Charles Drake, our former NFL Corner, lost his cool because this was the second untimely and questionable 15 yard penalty and was ejected from the game for swearing. That put them close enough to try a long field goal that literally hit the post on its way in.

With two minutes remaining the Offense was not able to get the ball down the field to win it (we had lost two recievers and an offensive lineman due to ejection during the chaos of the fourth quarter). End result, we lose by two.

Sad way to end a game. More on the game later.