This coming weekend will be littered with competitive international games that include 10 different teams from 9 nations competing in 2 separate tournaments.
EFAF Cup In the EFAF Cup one game from each of the four groups will be showcased this weekend. The Thonon Black Panthers (FRA) are matched up with the Prague Black Hawks (CZH). The Panthers have had a rough start to the season (2-4) and will need to turn things around to make this competitive. The Hawks on the other hand, don’t know what they’ve got having this their first game of the 2011 year. Further north, fellow French contender the St. Ouen Cougars (FRA) travel to Denmark to meet the reigning Danish champs the Sollerod Gold Diggers (DEN). St. Ouen has competed well in the French league starting out 2-3-1 and competing against the top teams, while the Gold Diggers get their feet wet in this contest being their first game. Lastly, the London Blitz (ENG) toil with the Amsterdam Crusaders (NED). This is the season opener for the Blitz, and as for the Crusaders a first week loss in their league was followed up with 3 wins before this international matchup. Each of these squads is playing in its first tournament game of the season meaning a win sets them apart from the rest of their group.
Also in the EFAF Cup, but in a different scenario are the Kragujevac Wild Boars (SRB) who face the Hohenems Blue Devils (AUT) for a one game battle to move on. They play on Sunday the 10th in western Austria. Kragujevac has started out hot this season at 2-0 and defeating what was promised to be their best Serbian competition the Belgarde Vukovi this past weekend. The Blue Devils are in the same boat winning their first 2 games in the Swiss league.
Eurobowl As for the EFL, the tournament is well underway as we already have two squads that have proceeded to the quarterfinal, while two teams were sent packing. The Badalona Dracs (Spain) were not able to match up with the Spartiates L'Amiens (France) losing each contest in a home and home by more than 50 points. In Central Europe the Prague Panthers (Czech Rep.) traveled south to Vienna to play the Austrian Champs, the Danube Dragons. In a more contested affair the Dragons beat up the Panthers 33-16 on the back of national QB Thomas Haider's 4 TD passes in his first ever start at the senior team level. Haider, pictured left, was a standout WR for the Dragons before getting the nod at QB this year. Playing with him in 2009 gave me a glimpse into how much talent he has both on the gridiron as well as on the tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. He is truly an all around athlete. If he develops quickly this season and gets the ball to the stable of athletes around him, the Dragons will contend for the #1 ranking in Europe. The Dragons will face Berlin on May 7th and the Spartiates will play Innsbruck the same day for the quarterfinal of the Eurobowl.
The first game of this tournament for two other teams will be provided on Saturday when the Parma Panthers take the short trip west to Barcelona to face the Pioners de L’Hospitalet. The Pioners have wreacked havoc starting an unparalleled (8-0) in Spanish play, but playing on the European stage is a whole other beast. The Panthers are off to a 2-1 start in the Italian Football League losing to Catania in the first week, but have won the last two games in convincing fashion including a 62-35 beating of the Ancona Dolphins this past weekend, a team that beat the Catania squad in week 2 suggesting that the Italan league will be quite competitive.
IFL While we're on the topic of Italy, the Bologna Warriors dominated the Bolzano Giants 64-35. You'll remember the Warriors from QB Eric Marty's Player Profile here on For the Love of the Game. The Warriors are now the only unbeated team in the country with their QB leading the way. The game was close at halftime, but the Giants could not keep up with the better team from Bologna.
The top league in Sweden has to have the raddest name of any league throughout Europe.The 6 teams in the top division compete in the Super Series.The Super Series has been dominated by one name over the past decade, The Mean Machine from Stockholm.The nation’s capital and biggest city housed the most dominant team in Sweden winning 7 of the 10 championships in the first decade of the 2000’s including back to back in ’08 and ‘09 until 2010 when the Carlstad Crusaders put an exclamation point on their perfect season defeating the Tyreso Royal Crowns 37-15 in the Championship.Swedish football can be most defined by the sheer size of the players.The size of the offensive and defensive lines mirror that of division I caliber teams in the United States.Before this past summer when the Germans took over the European crown, the best football nation in all of Europe was Sweden, as they took the European Championship just 3 years prior under the tutelage of BD Kennedy, current head coach of the Arlanda Jets.Four of the Six teams in Sweden hail from Stockholm and surrounding areas with a 3 hour drive on the E18 highway west to the lake town of Karlstad hitting Orebro on the way.These teams will frequent this itinerary throughout the late spring and summer.
The Carlstad Crusaders had a memorable and unstoppable 12-0 season in 2010.One opponent player was quoted recently by saying that, “the only line in Sweden that can block the Crusader’s D-Line is the Crusader’s O-Line.”If this is any indication of what 2011 will be like, it’s going to be a blackout.The team from the west heads into their first ever season as the defending national champion.This squad was as “on the cusp” as it gets, earning second place in the Super Series in each of the last 7 seasons.That’s right, 7 years in a row as number 2, how sweet it was last September when these guys hoisted the trophy.Not only did the Crusaders dominate the Swedish competition last year, but they also made moves on the international stage.Beating the Sollerod Gold Diggers (Denmark) and London Blitz (UK) brought the Crusaders to Switzerland for the final of the EFAF Cup.A torrential downpour kept them off the scoreboard except for a field goal in a 17-3 defeat, their one and only of the year.2011 appears to be a year for the record books as the national talent has only improved and the Crusaders have hired 3 Americans for the season.QB Eli Cranor of Ouchita Baptist (Div II) and myself will play and coach and are joined by Chris Vicory, Humboldt State (Div II) as an offensive line coach and running game coordinator.Tracey Gere is at the helm after running the defense in recent years which had just 3 games out of 15 last year giving up more than 15 points.The Crusaders started it off with a group stage victory against the current German Champions the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes on April 23rd.The Crusaders season will get VIP treatment on this blog due to obvious reasons.
Nobody could compare to the Crusaders in Sweden last year, but a team that has no shortage of glory days is the Stockholm Mean Machines.Their 6-4-1 season was not indicative of the talent level of this team.They started the season as reigning champions but lost a close decision to the Crusaders in the opening game.After that date the team rattled off all 6 of their wins in dominating fashion.Then, what looked like a well oiled machine took a turn for the worst and ended up breaking altogether.A tie score against the Northside Bulls segwayed into 2 losses.First at Arlanda and then at Carlstad to end the regular season, compounded by a season ending 28-21 loss at Tyreso in the semi-final.Things kind of fell of the wagon for the Machine in 2010, but a fresh start and a fresh face at quarterback makes all that feel like yesterday.Cody Hawkins of the University of Colorado will signal call for the Machine this year and returning head coach Robert Johansson both will definitely help to instill the winning ways back to Stockholm.Pay special attention to the week 4 matchup between Stockholm and Carlstad, the weekend of May 21st.
Another team that is vying for the title in Sweden is the Tyreso Royal Crowns.At 6-6 last year the Royal Crowns did not produce as well as planned, but still came up one win from magnificence in late September.The Royal Crowns had lost twice to the Crusaders and Mean Machine before beating the Machine 28-21 in the semifinal game.This feat of winning the third encounter was almost accomplished a second time in the title game, but the Royal Crown fell short at the hands of the Crusaders.This year the Crowns will attempt to separate themselves from the rest of the league and prove that they can hang with the big boys.
The Arlanda Jets, named perfectly for the Arlanda airport in Stockholm, had a tough year coming in at 4-6 overall in 2010.The Jets split with the Bulls, beat Djurgardens twice (a team that has disbanded since the 2010 season due to a player shortage) and had a season highlight win against Stockholm at home in the second to last game of the season by a score of 28-21.To complete a turnaround this season will take a large amount of resolve, and some great playing from the players out East.This team has a shining light in head coach BD Kennedy.Coach Kennedy has been working hard to instill popularity and increase skill level of the youth in the Stockholm area.The future is obviously in the youth, and Coach Kennedy has his priorities set right.Coach Kennedy is also not more than 4 years removed from a European Crown coaching the Swedish national team to the promised land.For the Jets in 2011, anything can happen as General Douglas MacCarthur put it, “A general is just as good or just as bad as the troops under his command make him.”
The next team to portray is the STU Northside Bulls.The young organization, started in 2006, hails from exactly where the name implies, the north side of Stockholm.The Bulls finished 4-6-1 splitting the season matchups with Arlanda, and showed that they could battle the top teams beating first the Tyreso Royal Crowns 28-25 on the road and later tying the Stockholm Mean Machine as an away team.Reaching the semi-final game was a short lived thrill after a 40-0 thumping from the champion Crusaders was placed on their plate.2011 already shows promise.The Bulls have hired Canadian linebacker Andrea Bonaventura.Bonaventura played at the University of Calgary who were finalists in 2010. He was named defensive player of the year twice in Canada.He’ll add skill and knowledge to the already building Northside squad, who boasts 2 junior national championships in just 5 seasons. Swedish national team QB Anders Hermodsson runs the show for STU.
The final team to compete in the 2011 Super Series are the Orebro Black Knights.The Knights, recently moved up a division from division 1 to the Super Series this offseason.They waste no time in displaying their intentions by signing American QB John Cody Ladutko for this year.Ladutko played at Averett University (Div.III) in Charlotte, NC.He was a prolific passer in his two seasons playing for Averett and brings these skills to the table for the newcomers to the top division.Orebro joins Carlstad as one of two teams not from the greater Stockholm area.They are situated nicely in between Carlstad and Stockholm, which just about guarantees that one aspect of their transition into the SAFF will be free from turmoil, the travel.
The Super Series kicks off on May 30th with what is consistent for many of the leagues throughout Europe, a rematch of lasts year’s title game between the Carlstad Crusaders and the Tyreso Royal Crowns. For your viewing pleasure, check out this video that was created by enperiEntertainment displaying this very championship game last season.
The German Football League 1 has the highest level of play in Europe which is justified by their utter dominance as a nation at the European Championships this past summer. The German side won every game in the tournament on their way to qualifying for the World Cup of American Football to be played later this summer. The GFL1 is also one of the most competitive leagues. There have been two teams at the top, Kiel and Berlin, in the past few years, but many teams have had their time to shine as the league’s elite. The Braunschweig Lions have the most German wins with 7 and had spent 11 straight years going to the title game from 1997 to 2008, while the Berlin Adler and Dusseldorf Panthers combine for the second most GFL championship wins with 6 apiece. The Hamburg Blue Devils also won back to back to back national titles from 2001-2003, all three against the Braunschweig Lions. The league is split into north and south with 7 teams in each division. The top 4 teams from each division in the regular phase square off in a traditional 3 win and you’re crowned playoff structure. Much more background information on the GFL can be found by following this link: German Football League Info, as well as checking into the league’s website here: German Football League Official Website.
GFL North
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 14-1 The Hurricanes dominated the scene in 2010, their only loss was an early season blunder to the GFL South champs the Marburg Mercenaries. Their road to glory consisted of wins against Stuttgart, Dresden, and a 17-10 win over the Berlin Adler who had beaten Kiel for the GFL title the year prior. In 2011 the Canes will play be one of two German teams playing internationally competing in the group stage of the Eurobowl against the Carlstad Crusaders (Sweden). To assist the national talent the Canes have resigned quarterback Jeff Welsh (Western Michigan) and have picked up DL Derrick Ford (Arizona State) and a European veteran as well. European imports for the Canes are LB Efe, Evewaraye from Finland and RB Michael Andrew of Great Britain.
Berlin Adler 12-3 The Adler beat the Vienna Vikings with a 50+ yard field goal to win the European Crown, only to have their dreams of a dual championship stripped away by the team from Kiel in October. They are back for another year to try for two trophies, competing in the GFL and already in the quarterfinal of the Eurobowl playing the winner of the Prague Panthers and Danube Dragons in May. The Adler have acquired three Americans for 2011, quarterback Clint Toon from Texas State (FCS), DB Michael Gardier of Kutztown (DII), and RB Tory Cooper by way of Citadel (FCS) Cooper played last season for the Innsbruck Raiders in Austria.
Dresden Monarchs 7-7 Dresden had a .500 season last year in the regular phase but lost to the top two teams the Canes and the Adler by just 1 point apiece in one encounter. They reached the playoffs and won a game upsetting the Unicorns from the south in a 56-45 affair before being ousted by the Kiel Canes in the semi-final 14-0. Linebackers Pat O’Neil and Adrian McCoy or on staff to help the defense and raise the level of play for the offense.
Braunschweig Lions 4-7-2 The once dominant Lions have recessed to a 4 win season, but had some of the closest encounters either tying or losing by less than 3 in 5 different games. The Lions reached the playoffs despite their dismal record, yet they faced the GFL South’s top team the Mercenaries and got bullied 31-21 in the first round of the playoffs. In response to the underperforming 2010 the Lions have hired a slough of imports. Americans Sean Cooper RB, Jabari Johnson RB, and Andre Starks DL will team up with Europeans Santtu Ayravainen LB from Finland, James Andersen TE from Great Britain, and finally Robert Lome OL from Great Britain.
Assindia Cardinals 4-7-1 The Cardinals had a modest season last year, but it is tough to compete in Germany’s top division. 3 of their 4 wins came against teams that have dropped from GFL 1, but they did beat the Monarchs which was the highlight of the season. The Cardinals have not announced any import signings for the next season.
The Dusseldorf Panthers and Monchengladbach Mavericks are the two newcomers to the league this season. The GFL has an interesting way of rewarding the teams that compete well in the lower division, GFL 2. The top 2 teams in the GFL 2 each year play a one game playoff against the worst 2 teams in the GFL 1. Whoever wins the game will be in the GFL 1 the following year. This season, the league expanded offering 2 teams a spot to move up a division and these two teams were the teams to get the nod. They will replace the Berlin Rebels who finished 3-7-2 last season. The Panthers have signed WR Estrus Crayton (USC) who is a 7 time GFL champion.
GFL South Marburg Mercenaries 10-3 The Mercenaries had a very exciting season in 2010, including a 22-19 victory against the eventual champs in game 1, the only win of its kind last year as the Canes finished 14-1. The Mercenaries put up big numbers week after week and beat the Braunschweig Lions in the first round of the playoffs before collapsing against the Berlin Adler in the semi-final 17-6. For 2011 the Mercenaries have signed LB Sergio Villasenor University of Reno and Joe Clark RB Augustana (DII) along with WR Ryan Bass and Athlete Rocky Ciasulli who has had a stellar European career in multiple countries.
Schwabisch Hall Unicorns 9-4 The oddly name Unicorns glided through the season in 2010 with a very high powered offense. They lost twice in the regular season to the Adler from the North but by just 3 and 7 points. They beat the Mercenaries the Southern Champs once and beat the Cowboys back to back weeks by a total score of 94-0. The Unicorns only scored less than 20 twice and scored more than 40 points 8 separate times. A 56-45 playoff loss to Dresden was a disappointing end to a very productive year. The Unicorns have a set of imports to add to the talented group from last year in QB Aaron Boehme of Linfield College (DIII) in Oregon, DL Paul Nishizaki, DB Bruno Michitti, and WR Justice Joslin.
Plattling Black Hawks 5-7-1 The Black Hawks had a promising beginning to the 2010 season. They were 1 game above .500 after 9 games at 5-4, but slipped to 5-6-1 in the last 3 weeks of the regular season losing to Marburg and Schwabisch Hall and tying Braunschweig. A playoff game against the North’s #2 team the Adler was not to be kind, as they lost 17-3 ending the season on a 3 game losing skid. The Hawks have signed QB Adam Hazel from Menlo College (DIII) in California.
Stuttgart Scorpions 4-8 The Scorpions were another team with a rough to go year losing twice as many times as they won. They beat the Cowboys twice and the Black Hawks once, but made the last spot into the playoffs from the South. A showdown with top ranked Kiel could have very easily been a debacle, but the Scorpions almost pulled off what would have been an earth shattering upset when they lost 23-21 to the Canes in the first round. The Scorpions are hiring QB Danil Polk for this season, Polk played at Campbell University (FCS) in North Carolina.
Munich Cowboys 3-9The Munich Cowboys have played more GFL games than any other club. Their storied history dates back to the 80’s, but 2010 was unkind to them. They lost big in most affairs, 2 of the 3 wins came against a team that has been dropped to the GFL 2. Their only measureable win came against the Stuttgart Scorpions mid season beating them 17-15 at home in Bavaria.
The Saarland Hurricanes and the Weisbaden Phantoms are the two teams in the South that have moved up from last season. These two replace the Weinheim Longhorns who had as bad of a year as you can have finishing 0-12 on the year. The Hurricanes from the South have a long way to go to match up with the Canes from up in Kiel, but they’ve selected a large group of imports to help them out with that, Americans Shaun Walker LB, Antwan Smith QB, and Torrance Brown will join with Europeans Xavier Andre DB Great Britain, OL Branco Mutic, and OL Valdimir Uzelac. These teams have the opportunity to shine on Germany’s biggest stage in 2011, a feat that hasn’t been attempted by the Hurricanes in 4 years and one that has never happened for the first time contender Weisbaden Phantoms. Keep a close eye on these last two teams in the GFL South this year.
The GFL gets started with a rematch of last year's final between Kiel and Berlin on April 9th. Take some time before then to learn about all things GFL by following this link: German Football League info You can also get all the updates all season long by heading to the GFL Website. To get geared up for the GFL take a look at this highlight of the German Champs best of 2010:
And because that's not enough, check out this highlight video of the Berlin Adler winning the Eurobowl against the Vienna Vikings from WienTV.
Today was the first day of the Carlstad Crusaders official preparation for 2011. The anticipated season premier in north Germany is just under 5 weeks away. Players and coaches joined together for an opportunity to dust off the pads and get crunching again just 5 days before QB Eli Cranor joins the group. An exhibition game is scheduled against Norway's Oslo Vikings in 3 weeks which will be a great chance to test the system before heading to Kiel on April 23rd.
The Austrian Football League, known locally as the American Football Bund Osterrich is one of the most competitive football leagues on the continent of Europe. Each year there are 4 teams who vie for the coveted title to be Austrian Champs. The clubs in this league have become so deep and strong that they have been dominant in international play for almost a decade. Having 3 out of 4 teams already in the quarterfinal stage by way of reaching last year’s semi of the Eurobowl tournament is a loud statement, not to mention the 4th of those teams won the AFL crown in 2010. This leads to one of the most unique and exciting seasons in Europe. With more financial capability, the quality and the amount of imports that show up in Austria every year is phenomenal. This review will try to prove just how talented this year’s import class will be. The most exciting thing about tuning into the AFL 2010 is that you never know what’s going to happen. If the previous few years are any indication, sparks are gonna fly when these squads line up against eachother. One thing that I need to discuss prior to you reading the analysis is that the majority of the teams in the AFL compete as well in the EFL also known as the Eurobowl tournament. Both will be described below, but try not to lose sight of the fact that these teams compete in 2 separate competitions, offering each of them the chance to win two titles this year, the AFL and EFL crowns.
The first team to describe is the 2010 Austrian Champions. For the first time in club history, the champs in 2010 were the Danube Dragons. This team who previously played 20 minutes outside of Vienna, Austria (to play in Vienna for the first time this season) is one of the fastest rising clubs in all of Europe. Not 4 years ago they were in Division 2 in the AFL and have had record setting years each season culminating in last summer’s dream championship run. A regular season win over Innsbruck at home marked the highlight of the season for the team until their rematch and subsequent victory over the Raiders on the road in Innsbruck for the 2010 AFL title. The Dragons relied heavily on a much improved defense in 2010 giving up 26.6 points per game, which was down from 40+ the year prior. The stout defense along with another prolific offense led the Dragons to a 7-1 season in Austria. They finished 2-1 in the Eurobowl after having beaten the Belgrade Dragons (Serbia) and the Thonon Black Panthers (France) by a total score of 123-21, fell 3 points short on a last second lengthy field goal in southern Austria to the Graz Giants. Ironically the Giants were the only team to have beaten the Dragons in 2010, they did it twice but never had the chance to face the Dragons in the AFL playoffs. Head Coach Ivan Zivko and the rest of the Dragons look to improve upon last year’s season, hoping to win not only the Austrian title, but the Eurobowl crown as well. They’ll have their hands full playing against the Prague Panthers in the group stage with a possibility of facing last year’s European champs the Berlin Adler in the quarterfinal. To assist in this challenge they’ve hired James Canetti, a veteran of the AFL having played for the Graz Giants in 2009, and then the Lazio Marines of Rome in 2010. Canetti, a defensive lineman who I know quite well from my 3 encounters against him in 2009 will be a huge presence on an already improved defense.
The Innsbruck Raiders finished a honorable 5-3 in the AFL, but just 1-1 in the EFL tournament. Losing to the Dragons in the 4th week of the season was their first loss, but they followed it up with a 55-13 crushing of the Valencia Firebats (Spain) in the quarterfinal of the EFL. 2 weeks later they had defeat on their hands again this time to the eventual winner of the Eurobowl, the Berlin Adler. After having their dreams of European Champs shot, they lost big at home for the second week in a row to the Graz Giants in the final week of the regular season, but bounced back in the semi-final of the AFL with one of the most contested victories that I have ever witnessed beating the Giants in double overtime 58-51 having to come from behind several times in that game. A disappointing end to the year was their 3rd loss on the season and second on to the Danube Dragons 28-21 at home in the AFL title game. The same day that the Berlin Adler (Germany) lost their GFL title to the Kiel Hurricanes (Germany) Shuan Fatah was announced new head coach of the Innsbruck Raiders. Coach Fatah obviously comes to west Austria highly credible after having won the Eurobowl crown with the Adler in 2010 and came up one touchdown shy of winning the GFL against Kiel. Not only do the Raiders acquire the coach of the Adler (german for Eagles) but they got QB Kyle Callahan and RB/WR Talib Wise. Callahan from Union College in Kentucky and Wise from UNLV both were prime time players in 2 games in Austria beating the Raiders and the Vikings in international play in 2010. They’ll have their chance to dominate Austrian battlefields once more in 2011, suiting up this time in the Black and Silver. Joining them as an import is German native Daniel Schober who played at Laval University in Canada before spending time in NFL Europe and playing in the GFL. Schober, a defensive back, will add to the already talented group of Austrians that play for the Raiders. Lastly, DB John Clements of New Hampshire (FCS) will be on to help the secondary. This season as always can be a very successful one for the Raiders. Qualifying for the semi-final of last year’s Eurobowl gains them an automatic quarterfinal bid in this year’s tournament. They’ll play the winner of the Amiens Spartiates (France) and Badalona Dracs (Spain) later this spring.
The Vienna Vikings have one of the most glorified histories of all European clubs. 4 European championships and 7 AFL titles are both unmatched records by any other clubs in Europe. Losing in the quarterfinal of the 2009 Eurobowl forced the Vikings to come from group play in 2010 which was highly unprecedented for this storied organization. They did so with a vengeance, beating the Bolzano Giants 35-0 and the Badalona Dracs 24-0 in their group carrying that momentum into the quarter and semifinal where they beat the Paris Flash on the road and Graz Giants in Graz. Their Eurobowl run ended with a field goal on the final play of the championship game by the Berlin Adler kicker, keeping them from a successful return to glory. In 2010 the Vikings were semi-finalists of the AFL. The only two teams that the Vikings didn’t beat in Austria were the two finalists the Dragons and Raiders. The Dragons had their number winning 28-3 in the last week of the regular phase and 31-24 in the semi-final. 2011 looks to be an electric year for the team from Vienna. Joining an already stellar coaching staff with Chris Calaycay and Skip Albano will be Offensive Coordinator Jordan Neuman. Neuman comes to Vienna after having 2 year’s of the best offense in Germany coaching the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns. The Vikings are one of two teams who play with a national quarterback, meaning that they do not import a ball handler. This offers them the opportunity to be very versatile in their import selections. For 2011 they have announced three new players to add to the returning stars, LB Chris James, Central Washington and WR Chauncy Calhoun. Lineman Brandon Collier, UMASS (FCS) and Dusty Thornhill RB/WR who spent time playing for the Unicorns along with coach Neuman in 2010 will help the Vikings mount a return to Austrian and European excellence this year. Thirdly they will employ RB Tony Hunt who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles after being drafted in the 3rd round out of Penn State. They’ll have a bye to the quarters of the Eurobowl to face the winner of the group from the south, Pioners de L’Hospitalet (Spain), Calanda Broncos (Switzerland), and Parma Panthers (Italy).
The 4th powerhouse of Austria hailing from the south part of the country is the Graz Giants. The Giants have been on the cusp of championship games and wins each year, winning their last title in the AFL final in 2008. In 2010 the Giants were nothing short of dramatic. Half of their games came down to 7 points or less in the end and they only won one of those contests. With the ball bouncing their way a couple of times, they could have been the team to raise the trophy multiple times. They were the only team to beat the Austrian champion Danube Dragons, and they did it not once but twice both in the regular season and in the EFL quarterfinal. Their seasons ended in the semi-final of both the Eurobowl and the Austrian playoffs to the Vikings in the EFL and the Raiders in the AFL in a double overtime thriller. Head Coach Rick Rhoades is returning for another season along with 4th year veteran QB Chris Gunn. Gunn has been one of the most productive imports in Austria over his 4 year span making plays on the ground as well as through the air. To add to the excitement is the signing of Charles McCrae, WR from Copiah Lincoln in Mississippi and defensive end Ben Bianchino from division II Washburn. McCrae is a two-way athlete who will make plays in all aspects of the game. He played last season in Finland with the Helsinki Roosters, helping them to the semi-finals while racking up a massive amount of yards. Along with vying for the AFL trophy the Giants are positioned in the EFL quarterfinal already and will face the winner of the Carlstad Crusaders (Sweden) and Kiel Hurricanes (Germany) at home in early May.
The Salzburg Bulls and the Carinthia Black Lions are the two underlings of the top 4 teams. In recent years there was a middle division that linked the AFL and Division 1 in Austra. This will not be the case this season. The Bulls, logically named for the biggest product coming out of Salzburg besides the Sound of Music soundtracks, Red Bull, were a newcomer to the top division in 2010. They had a tough year at 0-6 but boasted the top rusher and receiver in the league statistically. For 2011 they have hired quarterback Dustin Hawke Willingham (Fort Scott DII) and linebacker Nick Garratt (USC). These two players will undoubtedly make a huge impact in the AFL, but the question remains, what will there be supporting them? The Black Lions finished 2-4 last season coming away with a huge win against the Graz Giants which was definitely the highlight of their season. They beat the Vienna Vikings in 2009 and came within 1 yard of possibly beating the Danube Dragons in the playoffs, which proves that they can compete against the big boys. What will 2011 have in store, only time will tell.
Another team that must be mentioned due to the amount of success they have been having in recent years is the Czech Prague Panthers. The Panthers have an interesting position as they are transitioning into the AFL. Last year they played in both the Austrian and the Czech leagues. They were 3-3 in Austria losing to the Vikings, Raiders, and Giants and 0-1 in Eurobowl losing to the German runner up Berlin Adler. These losses do not mean that they are not contenders, they won the 2009 EFAF Cup, and recent signings of American imports prove that they are ready for action again this season. The Panthers have picked up Ryan McManus, a quarterback from Wake Forest and offensive lineman Jason Fiacco of Northern Iowa (FCS). To coach these guys the Panthers have hired Steven Cash, a very successful high school coach in Florida who has been to Europe before coaching the Salzburg Bulls in 2010. The Panthers won the EFAF Cup in 2009 before entering in the EFL in 2010 and now again in 2011. They are matched with defending Austrian Champion the Danube Dragons in the first round which will be a winner take all event to face the current Eurobowl champion Berlin Adler in north Germany in early May. Watch for the Panthers to be alive in the AFL in 2011.
The Austrian Football league will be chalked full of excitement all spring and early summer kicked off this past weekend with the Vikings stomping on the Bulls 65-7 and the Panthers beating the Black Lions handily 36-6. Keep an eye out for much more of this can't miss action right here on For the Love of the Game.
As an American I know that there is factual evidence that the Spanish and Italians are predisposed to being very exciteable people as evidenced by the embedded photo. They also know how to have a good time. With these two statments in mind, I can only imagine what it looked like this past weekend in Parma, Italy and Barcelona, Spain as these two leagues dropped two heart wrenching finales on our plate. The top two teams in Italy battled to within 3 points and a hail mary attempt, while 2 of the top three in Spain ended the game with a difference of just 1 point.
The three imports for the Catania Elephants (1-0) made their presence known scoring early and often for the Sicilians in their 54-51 rebuttle to last year's IFL champion Parma (0-1). The young national quarterback Thomas Monard did his part to help the team attempt a come from behind victory, but the threat was neutralized in the red zone just prior to what would have been a go ahead and winning touchdown.
In Spain, the second encounter of 2 of the international contending teams was a thrilling affair. The L'Hospitalet Pioners (7-0) took a 23-7 halftime lead that was nullified by 2 third quarter touchdowns from national running back Nordi Moussa. The Badalona Dracs (2-4) scored first in the final quarter taking a 28-23 lead after 21 unanswered points. After an interception in the endzone with 3 minutes to play WR John Sheffield scored his second touchdown on the day with just under a minute to play and stole the win away from the Dracs.
The Italian Football league begins in less than 3 weeks. A preview of the season can be viewed at For the Love of the Game: It's gonna be a heated Italian Battle. To make sure that we've covered as many angles as possible, For the Love of the Game was blessed to have 2 time national champion quarterback Eric Marty on the show to discuss what it's like to have such extraordinary success in his first 2 seasons as a quarterback in Europe, and a little bit about what we can expect from the land of pizza, pasta, and mafia. Take the time to watch this entertaining interview, and do not miss out on seeing Eric's personal website , offering you a chance to read his blog and view highlights of one of the most winningiest quarterbacks in Europe.
Lot’s of action across the continent continued this past weekend as the Spanish have gone once through the league and France is 4 weeks in. Below you can view each of their standings at this point in the season, which will be described thereafter. 1. Pioners L'Hospitalet 5-0 2. Valencia Firebats 4-1 3. Las Rozas Black Demons2-3 4. Badalona Dracs 2-3 5. Osos Rivas 1-4 6. Barcelona Búfals 1-4
In Spain, the Pioners continue to wreck havoc tearing into the 6th placed Bufals 44-0 putting them at an undefeated 5-0 halfway through the season. The Valencia Firebats stayed put at #2 after a highly contested 42-33 win over the 1-4 Osos Rivas Madrid. The surprise win of the weekend were the Black Demons beating the Badalona Dracs on Saturday by a point to claim the tie breaker over them and the #3 seed at the midway point. 1. La Courneuve Flash 4-0 2. Aix Argonautes 4-0 3. St Ouen Cougars 2-1-1 4. Grenoble Centaures 2-1-1 5. Elancourt Templiers 1-3 6. Thonon Black Panthers 1-3 7. Amiens Spartiates 1-3 8. Nice Dauphins 0-4
The Flash stayed unbeaten beating the Dauphins by 20 at home. Alongside them are the Argonauts who came away with a 1 point victory over last year's French Champs the Spartiates. The St. Ouen Cougars and Centaures from Grenoble tied, keeping them tied at the 3 and 4 spots. While the Templiers got their first win of the year over the Black Panthers. Two of the three international competitors from France currently find themselves at the 6th and 7th ranks in the country one month prior to international play, which is by far the most shocking truth to the 2011 season in France. This provides some insight to the competitiveness that the league offers this year.
Away from the season updates and an announcement from just north of France. The Belgian Bowl, to be contested on June 4th has recently been promoted by John Van de Mergel, the Belgian Bowl event coordinator and President of the FFL (one of the two leagues in Belgium). The West-Vlaanderen Tribes (FFL) has won the title a record 7 times since 2000, and since 2006 five times in a row, with the past three seasons having unblemished records, try that on for size ’72 Dolphins. The first ever Atlantic Cup, another international European Federation of American Football (EFAF) competition like the Eurobowl and EFAF Cup was played in Brussels in 2009 and inagurally won by the Tribe of West-Vlaanderen. You can keep tract of the season/scores at the below mentioned websites of each conference. Be sure to visit the Belgian Bowl Website and Facebook Page of the Belgian Bowl for video highlights and more info.
fellow French contender the St. Ouen Cougars (FRA) travel to Denmark to meet the reigning Danish champs the Sollerod Gold Diggers (DEN). St. Ouen has competed well in the French league starting out 2-3-1 and competing against the top teams, while the Gold Diggers get their feet wet in this contest being their first game. Lastly, the London Blitz (ENG) toil with the Amsterdam Crusaders (NED). This is the season opener for the Blitz, and as for the Crusaders a first week loss in their league was followed up with 3 wins before this international matchup. Each of these squads is playing in its first tournament game of the season meaning a win sets them apart from the rest of their group. 
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teams were sent packing. The Badalona Dracs (Spain) were not able to match up with the Spartiates L'Amiens (France) losing each contest in a home and home by more than 50 points. In Central Europe the Prague Panthers (Czech Rep.) traveled south to Vienna to play the Austrian Champs, the Danube Dragons. In a more contested affair the Dragons beat up the Panthers 33-16 on the back of national QB Thomas Haider's 4 TD passes in his first ever start at the senior team level. Haider, pictured left, was a standout WR for the Dragons before getting the nod at QB this year. Playing with him in 2009 gave me a glimpse into how much talent he has both on the gridiron as well as on the tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. He is truly an all around athlete. If he develops quickly this season and gets the ball to the stable of athletes around him, the Dragons will contend for the #1 ranking in Europe. The Dragons will face Berlin on May 7th and the Spartiates will play Innsbruck the same day for the quarterfinal of the Eurobowl. 
The Pioners have wreacked havoc starting an unparalleled (8-0) in Spanish play, but playing on the European stage is a whole other beast. The Panthers are off to a 2-1 start in the Italian Football League losing to Catania in the first week, but have won the last two games in convincing fashion including a 62-35 beating of the Ancona Dolphins this past weekend, a team that beat the Catania squad in week 2 suggesting that the Italan league will be quite competitive. 
IFL While we're on the topic of Italy, the Bologna Warriors dominated the Bolzano Giants 64-35. You'll remember the Warriors from QB Eric Marty's Player Profile here on For the Love of the Game. The Warriors are now the only unbeated team in the country with their QB leading the way. The game was close at halftime, but the Giants could not keep up with the better team from Bologna.
