2012 Eurobowl is set

The 2012 Eurobowl tournament increases to 14 teams including 8 national championship teams, last year’s EFL silver medalist, two national runner-ups, and Austria’s 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th ranked clubs. The most competitive international competition for 2012 should provide plenty of excitement.

Last season’s highlights were the Swedish Carlstad Crusaders knocking off the German Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in the group stage, and the Swiss Calanda Broncos destroying everyone on their way to the quarterfinal. The Vienna Vikings staved off elimination by a 7 point win over Calanda only to fall short to the eventual champion Innsbruck Raiders by a walk off field goal in the semi-final. The Graz Giants beat the Carlstad Crusaders in the quarterfinal and then gave up a 21-0 lead in Berlin to lose to the Adler. In the final the Raiders controlled the game winning the Eurobowl crown over the team from north Germany.

Group A of this year’s tournament has the defending Austrian and European champion, Innsbruck Raiders, waiting in the quarterfinal round for the winner between the Danube Dragons (AUT) and the Prague Panthers (CZ). The Dragons had this same matchup last season beating the Panthers 38-21 in late April only to lose on the road against the Berlin Adler in the quarterfinal round. With all three teams competing in the Austrian Football League that kicks off in March they will know plenty about one another well before the European matchups take place.

Group B provides an interesting set of clubs that have all different recent history events. The Graz Giants won in the quarterfinal over Swedish Champion Carlstad Crusaders but like their Austrian counterpart, Danube, lost in Berlin in the following round. The Giants, who finished 3^rd in Austria a year ago await the winner between the Calanda Broncos of Switzerland and the Helsinki Wolverines from Finland’s capital. The Broncos and Wolverines were each league champions this past season, the Broncos have won the Swiss league in each of the past three seasons, while the Wolverines won the Finnish league in upset fashion for their first ever title giving them another chance to compete in international competition.

Group C is the first of the tournaments two traditional groups. The Vienna Vikings who lost only to eventual champion Innsbruck in two separate elimination games awaits the group winner of the Badalona Dracs (ESP), the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns (GER), and the Parma Panthers (IT). The Dracs lost two games in last seasons group stage to the then French champion L’Amiens and were the second best team in Spain losing to L’Hospitalet in the final. They do however have success in the EFL, most recently in 2010 exiting the group stage to face the same Vienna Vikings in the quarterfinal. Schwabisch Hall is the other newcomer to the tournament having never faced another team in international play before. Their thrilling stand at the end of the German Championship to beat Kiel secures them the chance to show their might amongst Europe’s best. The Parma Panthers, back to back Italian champions won one game in the EFL last year, yet lost the other disallowing them to move past the group stage. They are back for another shot at reaching the elimination round.

Group D has three champions in the group stage vying to compete against Germany’s 7^th best team from 2011. The setup of the tournament allows for previous season semi-finalists to have automatic berths, therefore despite the Berlin Adler’s performance in their league, their European victories over Austria’s Danube and Graz have them as a quarterfinalist for 2012. The Spanish, French, and England’s champions face off for the chance to head to Germany’s capital. The L’Hospitalet Pioners lost both of their group matchups last season but beat the Badalona Dracs, fellow EFL contender, 24-8 in the LNFA final giving them a shot at redemption this year. The Paris Flash missed out on European competition last season but have regrouped after winning the French final 45-27 against Grenoble and vie to do one better than 2009’s EFL runner-up finish. Finally, the London Blitz return to the Eurobowl after having competed in the EFAF’s B tournament the EFAF Cup the past two seasons. The Blitz won the British championship as well as the EFAF Cup in 2011 as the only other 2 title champ besides the Raiders.

All of these teams except one will kickoff their league competition between January and April prior to this tournament kicking off. The Helsinki Wolverines will have their season opener in this tournament against the Broncos of Calanda due to the season in Finland not starting until later in May. Stay tuned to all the action forthcoming.

Heading to Vienna, again

2012 will be a year in the Austrian Football league for the second time in my career. I am proud to say that I will be a part of one of the most storied franchises in the history of football in Europe. Vienna will be our home, and the Vikings will be our team. Mary and I will head across the pond at the beginning of February and begin preparations to kickoff the season at the end of March. The Vikings will be competing at the highest level of Europe in the Eurobowl as well as playing in one of the toughest leagues on the continent, the Austrian Football League. The Vikings lost in the semi-final of the Eurobowl and in the Austrian final last year, both losses coming to the hands of the rival Innsbruck Raiders. A final ranking of #2 in Europe was a testament to how well the Vikings organization competed in 2011. The goal for 2012 will be to be the best team in Europe and hoist two trophies that will be contested in back to back weekends.. July 21st (Eurobowl final) and July 28th (AFL championship).

The biggest unanswered question is will there be a chance to reproduce the opposite of this picture...


There have been a couple of recent press releases and once more you'll need to download the google toolbar and/or use google language tools to translate the German into English.

Vikings press release
AFL press release
Football-Austria online magazine

11 postseason nominations for the Crusaders

The 2011 Super Series Season was headlined by two teams, the Champion Carlstad Crusaders and the vice-champs the Tyreso Royal Crowns. The Crusaders prevailed at the end of last month for their second championship ever and in as many years. The Swedish American Football Federation proved this past week that these two teams were at the top of the league from an individual standpoint as well. Each team was honored with 11 nominations and each team had players nominated for 8 out of the 11 possible awards. My biggest congratulations to each of the players who were nominated. The Crusaders nominations are as follows:

Import of the year: Eli Cranor, Joey Stein
RB of the year: Christian Forsman
WR of the year: Fredrik Eklund, Fredrik Isaksson
OL of the year: Thomas Falklind, Carl Romlin
DL of the year: Olof Flemstrom
LB of the year: Johan Bjorn
Rookie of the year: Christian Kuylenstjerna
Coach of the year: Tracey Gere

Defense Leads Crusaders to Title Town

The 2011 Swedish Super Series Final provided the Carlstad Crusaders, the 4th ranked team in Europe, to flex their muscles in front of 1,500 screaming fans in Uppsala on Saturday. After trading wins with the Tyreso Royal Crowns, ranked second in Sweden, and after both squads won easily in the semi-final it seemed that the matchup between these two teams would be highly contested. That wasn't the case in this SM final. The Crusaders Offense scored early while the Defense put a stranglehold on the Crowns offense that allowed them 7 first downs and 74 yards of total offensive output on the whole day.

The game kicked off with plenty of excitement in the air after an honorary coin toss and the event being broadcasted live in Sweden. The Crusaders started at their own 45 yard line after a healthy return. The offense went right to work. The big offensive line dominated the Crowns front early and often creating holes for last year's player of the year, RB Christian Forsman, and this year's import of the year, QB Eli Cranor to blow through the defense. On second down from the Crown 33 Eli Cranor called and executed to perfection a pass play giving 17 year old superstar WR Robin Juhlin a chance to outrace the middle line backer, spin off a tackle from the safety, and outrun two others on his way to the score zone. Juhlin led all receivers in the game with 6 catches for 51 yards and the lone score. The Crusaders defense started just as hot offering the Crowns 6 yards in 3 plays and 34 yard punt return bringing the ball back to the Crusaders 44 yard line. The second 55 yard drive began with an offensive pass interference which would begin the only element that would have a chance to slow the Crusaders on the day, penalties. 12 penalties for 148 yards negated big play after big play in this Championship and kept the Crusaders from riding away with this game on several occasions. The Crusaders came to a 4th down when Eli escaped the pocket and launched a ball up to breakout star of the Super Series WR Fredrik Isaksson. Fred Ice avoided the corner who was in close pursuit and climbed the ladder against the safety earning a highlight for the ages on the grand stage, a 35 yard touchdown catch was the first of many big plays that led him to be voted the Most Valuable Player of the game.

After being up 14-0 the Crusaders went for the jugular. Head Coach Tracey Gere called a surprise onside which was executed to perfection by Kicker Victor Jonsson. The gaping hole in the Crowns kick return was exploited and the Crusaders had the ball again. A coaching staff puts in many hours of preparation for a single game and sometimes the game plan doesn't always work. For this final Tracey Gere, in combination with myself and Eli, developed and installed a thought out and in depth plan for both offense and defense that had this club prepared for any and all situations that could arise. This was evidenced by our team's ability to run the ball at will, rushing for 250 yards, after having thrown for over 300 yards and 6 touchdowns just 7 days before in the semi-final. Rushing was something that we have focused on primarily for the Crowns. Having the ability to run amok on this day proved crucial, because the Crowns pass defense played great.

The drive stalled after a missed call on a Fred Ice catch on 3rd and 9 which was ruled incomplete unbeknownst to Eli who thought it was still 3rd down following the decline of a penalty instead of what the situation actually was, 4th down. As a result, the Champs turned it over on downs. This didn't matter to the Crusaders defense who gave up just 4 yards after 3 plays and a new punt. The stout Carlstad defense that held the German defending Champions to 14 points back in April was in full outfit during the game. Tracey Gere's complex setup of a defense that is constantly in motion, similar to that of the Green Bay Packers, attacking the backfield from unknown angles, and having the ability to bring pressure while deploying a spiderweb of coverage made for a long and frustrating day for the Crowns.

The second quarter went back and forth. The Crowns increased their output to 18 plays and 37 yards for the first half including two more punts and our two way star Fred Ice's interception from the safety position. The Crusaders offense was hounded by mistakes in the second quarter giving up the ball on downs, per a fumble, and to interception in it's three possessions each time after pushing the ball within the Tyreso 30 yard line.

The second half kicked off with the Crusaders utilizing their athletic ability to make plays. A short kickoff failed to be caught by the return squad. The Crusaders pounced on the ball and started the second the same way as the first, on offense. The Offense overcame two holding penalties on the drive with a first down toss to Christian Monclair, and two big Christian Forsman runs bringing the ball to first and goal at the Crown 4 yard line. A personal foul penalty Robin Juhlin backed the Crusaders up keeping them out of the end zone after a Cranor pass was intercepted on 4th and goal from the 21 yard line, made worse by a personal foul after the play was over.

The Crowns took advantage of the opportunity by lining up in a new formation from their own 41 that gave them the chance to easily attack the defense's left or right. The first play was the biggest of the day, the Crowns running back raced for 18 yards bringing the ball across midfield for the first time in the game. Tracey quickly adjusted the defense's strategy immediately suffocating the offense of the Crown, a wise and well timed decision by the head man of the Crusaders. Not only prior to the game, but during the game Tracey had the wherewithal to stump the offense of the Crown and deny their advances. The Crowns converted on one 4th down, but their second attempt fell short turning the ball back over to the home team. The Crusaders found it difficult to move the ball, and a false start penalty on 3rd and 3 made matters worse. The next play had the ability to turn the tide for the Crowns, Eli Cranors attempt to make yet another play was not to be, as the Crown defense intercepted his pass and returned it all the way back to the 2 yard line. Starting from the 2 was the only place that the Crowns found success during the game pounding the ball across in one play with 11:37 left in the game.

Momentum stayed with the Crowns as the next possession ended after 3 plays and an Eli Cranor punt of 40 yards. The defense once again was stifling giving up 1 first down on 2 plays and 4 incomplete passes followed by another Crowns punt. With just over 9 minutes left in the game the Crusaders offense re-energized. Moving the ball on the run early in the drive by Eli and Christian Forsman setup the play action pass. On 3rd and 3 standout WR Fredrik Eklund sprinted past the defense and for the second time in the game was grabbed from behind as the ball headed his way. The interference penalty kept the drive alive and Eli and Forsman took turns once again finishing off runs that brought the ball to first and goal at the 4 of the Crowns. Eli ran the ball 2 times, the second time called a touchdown by the refs shooting the Champions up by 2 scores with 3 minutes left in the game. 2 plays later the MVP Fred Ice tagged his second interception on the day leaving the Crusaders one first down away from title town. Three runs later the Crusaders found themselves ahead of the clock with enough plays to finish with a couple of kneel downs and a subsequent rushing of the field preceded by a well deserved ice water bath for the man both behind and at the front of the Crusaders (Tracey also starts at safety), Head Coach Tracey Gere.

The penalties and the turnovers were overcome by an offense that had the resolve to continue to fight despite the mistakes. The mark of this 2011 Championship squad was that it could stare adversity in the face and laugh, as was the case this past Saturday. The Crusaders rushed for 250 yards as a team, 143 from Forsman, and 106 by Eli. The 2 touchdown passes in the first quarter was enough for the Crusaders defense to sit behind and barricade a win. 74 total yards allowed is one of the most astounding performances by a defense in a championship victory that I have ever heard of. The day belonged to the whole bunch of Crusaders and their supporters. This classy bunch of deserving individuals have been a pleasure for my wife Mary and I to have met, and we are most grateful for every second that we have enjoyed being a part of this wonderful family, and Back to Back Champs, the Carlstad Crusaders.

Full game statistics can be found by following this link: Crusaders v. Crowns, and an online replay of the game provided by tv10 may be to follow, check back soon.

Super Series Final Preview

The Swedish Super Series has been chalked full of great matchups throughout the summer season. Each team played a home and away schedule and the top two teams had set themselves apart from the competition by 2 weeks prior to the regular season finishing. The semi-final was no different as each of the top teams scored over half a hundred and held their opponents to much less. Now we are set with the top ranked Carlstad Crusaders and the second ranked Tyreso Royal Crowns meeting up for the title in Uppsala, Sweden on Saturday for the second time in as many seasons. The neutral site at Studenternas IP will be electric with plenty of media attention closely following this matchup including a live national broadcast that can be viewed in Sweden.

Neither team is new to this game being the 9th final for the Crusaders and the 4th for the Crowns, but both clubs have had a history of disappointment on championship Saturday. The Carlstad Crusaders won the game against the Crowns last season by a score of 37-15 which was the first championship in the history of the club. They had lost 7 finals in 8 seasons prior to that "monkey off the back" win in Karlstad. Repeating as champions has been a goal of this club since the beginning of the season and since being beaten out of the EFL tournament in early May it has been the sole focus. For the Royal Crown, they also boast a solo championship victory in this league having won on the last play of the game in 2001 beating the Stockholm Mean Machine 30-25. They have lost in this game 2 times including last season.

As for the teams playing in this year's final there is not much parity to speak of. The teams split the regular season matchups each winning at home. The Crusaders by 6 in the season opener, and the Crown by 9 in the season finale. As mentioned previously both teams stormed into the final by blowing away the competition in the semi-final. Both teams offer exciting offenses with many big time players at all the skill positions. The Crusaders are led by 2011 Import of the year Eli Cranor at QB and he is surrounded by league leaders in receiving and scoring in WR Fredrik Eklund and RB Christian Forsman. WR Fredrik Isaksson has developed tremendously over the summer to become a true threat in this Super Series proved by his 178 yards and 3 TDs in the semi-final. The Crusaders also have the most physical and skilled offensive line in the league only helping this bunch of athletes display their power. The Crowns, in the same vein, have Canadian Terry Smith at the helm who took over in the second half of the season and his team hasn't lost a game since. His precision and presence as a passer makes him very difficult to defend. WR Carl Kamm has been a terror on the outside all season and recently returned from injury WR Johan Ingerman helps the Crown offense, possibly the most quick strike offense in the league, to have a double deep threat. The most dynamic running back in the series Hampus Hellermark will attempt to get loose on the Crusaders defense, if he can reach the second level his speed is as good if not better than anybody in the Carlstad secondary. The defense of the Crusaders relies heavily on the massive attack brought by the front 6 players who have been disaster for offenses both in Sweden and the two clubs that faced them in Germany and Austria. The secondary has been diminished by injury, but having two defensive coaches has kept this unit afloat as each have played in the secondary and taught others to fill in roles surrounding the missing players. The Crown defense has a very dynamic and athletic group of players in the backfield. They have had the ability to bring pressure in many instances and play matchup coverage that keeps opposing offenses at bay. They will need to find ways to make plays from tight coverage, or provide pressure with minimal pass rush in order to slow the juggernaut that is the Crusader offense.

This game will be highly contested and will provide for a very entertaining afternoon with kickoff set for high noon on Saturday. All those in Sweden should make their way to Uppsala or tune in to the live broadcast on TV10 this weekend.

Media awards in Sweden

As the championship game quickly approaches it's that time of year to honor those who have worked so hard and played so well throughout the 2011 season. The Catch, an online magazine devoted to Swedish Football has come up with their version of all-Sweden. Then entire list can be viewed by following the link at the right side titled, Super Series News.

The Carlstad Crusaders headlined the list garnering 8 all-Sweden awards including:

Import - Eli Cranor
Running Back - Christian Forsman
Receiver - Fredrik Eklund
Offensive Line - Crusaders O-Line
Def. Lineman - Olof Flemstrom
Linebacker - Johan Bjorn
Rookie - Robin Juhlin
Coach - Tracey Gere

Individually statistically speaking the crusaders led in the offensive categories of:

Passing - Eli Cranor
Rushing - Eli Cranor
Scoring - Christian Forsman
Receiving - Fredrik Eklund

Coach Profile: BD Kennedy

The tiny town of Blanchard, Oklahoma (~7,700 population) has produced a person that has had such a positive influence on American Football in Europe that the story must be told. Billy (BD) Kennedy has coached for the Arlanda Jets a contender in the Swedish Super Series, the highest division in Sweden since 2005. BD has been coaching for 24 years throughout the United States and most recently in Sweden after finishing his playing career at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Before coaching for the Jets, BD coached for the Carlstad Crusaders in Karlstad, Sweden. The Crusader teams that he coached reached 3 Super Series finals as well as winning the 2003 EFAF Cup championship over the Innsbruck Raiders after a 24+ hour bus ride one way to Austria. On top of these club roles, he has held various positions with the junior and senior Swedish national teams over the years. Before coming to Sweden Coach Kennedy was a Graduate Assistant at Baylor University for two seasons, OL coach at Hutchinsson Community College for 2 seasons, and OL coach at Washburn University for 11 seasons.

The Jets this season had a tough onset, but after a resilient second half of the season the Jets finished by winning their final 3 games, outscoring their opponents 58-29. BD mentioned that, "It was kind of fun to see some things come together that Rik (co-coach Rik Parker) and I have been working on since the start of the season." BD believes in building a program from the bottom up, proved by their junior team finishing atop the league during the regular season with a 9-1 record. In a recent interview he commented about how the future is with the youth when desiring to build a long lasting football program.

As a result of the Jets' strong finish in the senior season they have re-qualified to compete in the Super Series once again in 2012, an opportunity for this young team to continue to build a program that rivals the top clubs in Sweden. When asked about the turnaround BD said, "The biggest difference is that we executed the things we wanted to do better. Coach Parker and I work on the fundamentals football on a continual basis. The better we get at the fundamentals, the better we will play. The better we play, the better chance we have to win." His insight and focus made a big difference in his teams big second half.

On top of his coaching duties, BD runs a football class in Arlanda that offers its students the opportunity to dive into theory and practice of football, further developing the sport he loves in Sweden. His dedication and level of involvement rivals that of any other ambassador of the game in Europe and that should be honored.

I recently had the pleasure to ask a few of BD's former players and fellow coaches about their impression of BD and the results were entertaining to say the least proving that BD has had an ability to provide laughter and enjoyment in the lives of many. A former player said, "I've played a lot of sports and have never been around a coach that inspired me more than BD. There is no question about that BD is the best coach I have ever played for. No coach has ever made me feel more special as a person and as a player." I've gathered that BD is somewhat of a story teller from asking about him. One individual said, "Few people have made me laugh like BD. He is a really funny guy to be around and he has tons of stories to tell." Another said, "He has an uncanny ability to remember details and names from things that have happened to him at any age."

I was told by Rikard Borg who played for and coached with BD throughout their careers that BD was such a knowledgeable individual, especially regarding offensive football. He said that one season BD helped play on the developmental team for the Crusaders and that from the center position would stand up and call audibles based on the defense. Rik Parker who coaches with BD in Arlanda also said that, "I would matchup BD with anyone armed with a marker and whiteboard in a battle of O-Line scheming." Other comments that stood out about BD are, "very passionate, very knowledgeable, has an ability to encourage and get people involved, great family man, very sincere and genuine, makes players feel needed, haven’t seen same qualities with other Swedish coaches, the best coach I’ve played for, there is nothing phony about BD Kennedy." The comments were so positive that I really got a sense of how much influence this one person has made while here in Europe.

BD keeps a blog that talks some about living and coaching in Sweden, and one of his former players has said that, "I am trying to follow his blog, which isn't too hard since he is updating it once every millennium. But when there is a new post up there his character shines through and it is really funny to read the stuff he writes. If you have the time, enjoy getting a glimpse into how this remarkable coach has infiltrated a deserving group of football players' lives. The Lineman's Dream.

When prompted about what is in the future for this ambassador, BD stated that, "the future for me is to use my job with the NIU program in American football here, to develop the best players I can. Also, most importantly it holds the birth of my wife & my second child who is due January 31st...and that is the most important thing!! it will also hold a quick trip home to see the family here in a few weeks and I will be attending the OU vs Texas game on October 8 in Dallas Texas. Will be the first time I see it live...so I have to say BOOMER SOONER!!!

I'll leave this wonderful story with one of the numerous entertaining stories that can be told about BD Kennedy. Kalle Flognman a former player of BD's with the Carlstad Crusaders talked about one experience with BD, "Everyone who played for the Carlstad Crusaders during the 2003 season remembers a specific halftime when we played against the Stockholm Mean Machines. I don't remember the exact score at halftime, but I remember that our defense had jumped offsides three times on short yardage situations which allowed Stockholm to score a touchdown late in the first half. We had separate locker rooms for our offense and defense and BD told the offense to go to our locker room and he followed to defense into theirs. Everyone knew that BD would explode in the defense's locker room. And boy...did he begin. Even though there are two showers, a sauna, and two doors that separate our locker rooms it was like BD was in our locker room yelling and it all ended with a huge BANG which didn't sound like a door slamming. It wasn't, it was a massage table that had gone up to the roof and back down. A minute later BD stepped into the offense locker room and I wasn't sure if he was gonna yell at us too. But his first line was "Good job offense." We stepped out on the field in 2nd half, the defense shut Stockholm down and we won the game 22-9."

Congratulations to Coach Kennedy, a great coach and a great man, for the vast influence he has made in the lives of countless individuals both on and off the field.