Was it really a Decade ago?!

I was included in a tweet that went out earlier today by from a former player and current official that said that it was 10 years ago that we (the Carlstad Crusaders) won the EFAF tournament. My first thought was "holy crap, 10 years have gone by and I am still in Sweden and not back in the U.S.A!" That thought was quickly followed by a flood of memories from coaching that team, making that trip, winning that game on the road and the bus ride home from the game. I was as proud of that group of Swedish guys has I every have been of any group. They remain today, the only Swedish club team to ever win a European Tournament! Some of them still play today. Some of them could still play today but all of them are quality people and were apart of a great experience. So I thought I would take a quick minute while at The Kennedy Compound for a weekend and fill you in on some stories from that great adventure.

The End Result:
I thought I would start at the end and go backwards, but reality is I will bounce around...here is an excerpt from the web about the EFAF Cup. Which, by the way, may become an official part of history as I believe the IFAF is running everything now and the EFAF will not really exist soon. I apologize for not understanding everything, but the politics of sports has never been my thing...this story will be about the Crusaders 10 years ago...anyway it's recorded here:

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. 

So the end result of that journey to the EFAF-Cup Championship game, would be a big win for the Crusaders, an unbelievable road trip to and from a game and finally, 10 years later, it would bring a smile on an old ex-coaches face in the middle of a great summer.

"Thunderstorm Game":
The HC of the Raiders (at that time) told me that it would rain before kick-off because it always does about that time of the day but usually stops by kick-off. Well, rain I could handle. The fact that, while warming up it started to "drop water from the sky" and there was a dude with a long gray beard building a big boat in the end zone and animals were lining up in pairs to get in that boat was not something I had mentally prepared myself for!! We were on the field and started warm-ups. I was doing my HC/OC/OL/RB/WR coach thing and walking around to all the groups, trying to say the right thing, make sure they were focused and ready to play. Then the ocean began to drop from the sky. I mean a steady rain like when somebody pours a bucket of water over your head. I told myself, "OK, B.D., just walk around and act like it's just a little rain, no big deal." I didn't want anybody to think, "we run the option...the ball is wet...oh shit...we'll fumble...oh rain...noooooo." So I was clapping and walking around trying to act like it was no big deal. That was of course until I begin to wonder if a person has every drowned while walking around in a rain that was coming down so hard that water went up his nose and he actually choked on it!! Yep, that is what happened to yours truly right there on about the 25 yard line in the middle of a beautiful soccer stadium. I chocked on rain, while walking around on the field....It did quit at some point, but instead of disappearing, it stayed around. We had a few turnovers, but at the end of the day, the boys played great and did what they needed to do to win! In the meantime, my cell phone died because it had gotten too wet while in my pant pocket at the game!

The Alps:
We road the bus from Karlstad, Sweden all the way to Innsbruck, Austria. That in itself was an adventure. I am not sure how long it took, or exactly how many other countries we went through, but we were on a bus, parked the bus on a boat and road the boat, got back on the bus from the boat and continued to drive. There were a few stops along the way. Quite a road trip for an old dude from Oklahoma that used to think that traveling abroad was going to Arkansas to see his uncle. So the trip continued and we arrived in what somebody told me was Innsbruck. I was relieved and excited. We got checked into our hotel. I had a room to myself on the top floor, maybe 3 floors up. It was a small but nice room with a window in the ceiling that you could open up and actually look out and see the mountains that surrounded the city. I remember one of my assistant coaches and I, having a conversation while he was looking out of his window in the roof from the next room over. We were talking about what a beautiful sight this was and also talking about how we could win the game tomorrow and then actually talking about how it would look to strangers if someone actually saw us having this conversation with our heads sticking out of the roofs. So we decided to head of to the team meal.

10 years ago, I was looking at the Alps. Today
I am looking at a cow outside my summer stuga
in Sweden. I don't own a cow...at least I didn't own
a cow until today. (that was a joke Internet police).

How it all came to be:
Here is a brief story about how we actually got into the tournament. We had lost to the Stockholm Mean Machine in the Swedish final in 2002. I had never heard of the EFAF Cup tournament, but Robert Sundberg told me that since we finished second, we could qualify for a tournament in Europe. From the minute I heard about it I thought it was a great idea. The thought of taking a team outside of the country and playing other club teams from around Europe in a tournament was a no brainer. What I didn't understand was how it all worked economically. It was a risk. We had a meeting before a practice with Robert, myself and a couple of board members. I remember that there was a discussion about the cost to play the tournament, some discussion that we would have to travel at some point and money was a concern. I remember saying, "hey, let's do this, if we don't win it and lose money then you can fire me." Now that is how I remember it, we then stuck our hands in the middle and broke it down in some version. The club was going to play in this tournament and we were going to give it all we had! I also remember walking over to practice thinking to myself..."what the hell did I just say!"

"I am in Italy, I'll meet you at the game.":
Not sure how many people know this, but our starting QB, Johan Larsson, one of the most winning Swedish QB's in the history of American Football in Sweden (yes I wrote it that way, because trust me if I am wrong there will be about 20 people come up with a list of names of Swedish QB's that have a better winning percentage, but that list I would like to see) had a work assignment in Italy. AND of course that came the week we would play for the EFAF-Cup championship.  The team makes the trip down to Innsbruck and arrive the night before the game. On Saturday morning we are up and have a walk through in the stadium to get a feel for where we would play. Of course, our QB is in Italy and on the way up to Austria in a rental car in order to make it to the game in time. He arrives, has two hot dogs and some soda to wash it down. Then he goes out and leads the team to the win. After the game, he headed back to Italy to finish his work obligations. Only in Europe, baby!!

Because, that is what the game is about:
I also remember the Semi-final game.  We hosted a team from Denmark. The Tyrolean Raiders where already qualified for the final so their HC called me and said he was going to come and watch the game. I do apologize, but I cannot remember his name. So I told Coach, that after the game, he should come by the house and we could grill up some food and talk football. After the game, he met me outside of the locker room. I took him to my house where we continued with a few drinks and some nice grilled food. He was a true gentlemen and took time to speak with my wife. Tracey Gere and his wife, Åsa joined us and it was a great evening of football stories about coaching in Europe. There was no doubt that when we played each other, both he and I expected our teams to win. But in the time outside of the game clock, it was a great experience sharing the brotherhood of being apart of the greatest game on earth.

A Decade ago:
There maybe a nice mini-series that could be made out of that entire experience. It would make for some great entertainment. The bus ride home edition would only be available on the Director's cut version of the DVD. The after game celebration at Pappa Joes Sports Bar in Innsbruck was be one for the ages. I had a good seat and it was a great joy to sit and watch the guys celebrate a big win on the road. Many great memories and big smiles come up as I sit here and type this. So, 10 years later, still one of the greatest memories I have in football is taking a group of grown (and some growing) men to Innsbruck, Austria and winning a football game. Something I am not sure anybody else thought we could do, but we did. Nobody in Sweden has done it since. Damn, you guys did a great job!! I could write a ton more short stories about that game and trip, but maybe I'll save it for later so that I can update the old blog more than once every 6 months!! In the meantime, I'll leave the players, organization and fans with one more "Thank You" for providing me with a great memory and thank you for believing your were great and proving it! One thing about winning the last game of a tournament, is the fact that it proves, you were the best on that day and nobody can say you weren't!

Until next update. Enjoy life...it's not like you're gonna get a second chance!!
PS:
Todays version of the Tyrolean Raiders is coached by Shuan Fatah. He has done a tremendous job with that program and is one of the top teams in Europe. Google them. Follow them. Watch the high-lights the club makes...it's top notch stuff.
The Crusaders of today continue to claim the top sport of football here in Sweden. They are 3 time defending National Champions and are lead by Coach Doug Adkins. They are going into the break with one loss for this season, but looking like the trophy is still theirs until somebody comes and takes it. And, I would guess, the Crusaders aren't planning on giving it away.
As for me...I have one more month until school starts up again. Football goes on without me, but life sure as hell, keeps me rolling! I still follow the game here in Sweden and abroad and am always willing to give a current coach my opinion...that is of course if they answer when I call...damn that caller ID!!!