I see London, I see France!



Head Coach Sigi in the middle, Drew wearing 19, and I'm next to him on the right

As you already know, we traveled to France to play the Amiens Spartiates for our first game as Unicorns. We won the game 55-13 on a somewhat chilly night. There was definitely some rust that I needed to shake off and I am sure Drew would say the same, but it was still great to be back on the field playing under the lights again. Overall, both sides of the ball played well with some areas to improve on as is expected after the first game of a season. The offense put up plenty of points and only gave the ball away once if I can remember right. Our defense also did a good job creating turnovers and gave the offense some short fields to work with. Individually, Drew and I made a few good plays throughout the game. On the first offensive play, the Amiens quarterback threw the ball to a receiver on a bubble screen who was then flattened by a vintage Drew Fisher hit which set the tone for the rest of the game. I was also able to get in on the action with an interception in the second quarter that won me a little wager placed between Drew and I on who would get the first pick of the season. Of course I can’t leave out our roommate Ryan who played a nice game and threw for three touchdowns including one to our wide receiver Thomas Hambalek who busted out his Bernie dance for his touchdown celebration.  The Bernie dance is from the movie Weekend at Bernies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME6n3TvTHfM) All in all we had a great time playing in France and we are all eager to move on to the next game!


-Taylor

 

Top of the cliffs at Omaha Beach

After the game against Amiens we took the opportunity to explore a little bit of France.  Our two day excursion included Normandy and Paris.  Taking the time to drive over to Omaha beach in Normandy was something we all agreed would be a powerful experience and worthwhile.  If Coach Smith could redo his honey moon he would book the trip to Normandy France to see Omaha beach.  Although I was hoping to see a Czech hedgehog or two lying around still (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_hedgehog), what we experienced put a lot of things into perspective.   The majority of us have all seen Saving Private Ryan (in Germany it is “Der Soldat James Ryan”), and it shows just how brutal the initial invasion was.  After seeing the cliffs first hand in which the Germans had vantage points on with bankers and artillery, it is absolutely mind boggling in how the Allies were able to ever advance their ground.  Provided with some much needed sunshine, we were able to hike up the bluffs and explore some of what hasn’t been removed from the war nearly 70 years ago.  The bunkers and trenches that were still intact put you in the shoes of a German soldier overlooking the 5 mile long coastline in which we infiltrated.  Squatting down in one of the bunkers I tried to visualize and imagine the entire coastline for all I could see being lined with ships and soldiers but it simply isn’t something you can make up.  The fact that I get the opportunity to play football in Europe because of the groundwork that was laid seven decades ago is good enough for me for a reality check and puts life into perspective.  Being able to visit these beaches, see the memorials, and learn some more history about the war has been one of my favorite journeys so far.      

 

 

Taylor perched right on the edge of the tall, steep cliffs overlooking Omaha



Remaining German bunker atop the cliffs

Omaha Beach memorial and cemetery

 

 

 

 We didn’t realize we were on such a course until
Taylor went around this NASCAR track a couple times.

Paris was full of sightseeing.  Paris is known for its fashion and famous monuments and buildings, but we knocked out everything we wanted to see in about a 24 hour time frame.  Although the structures were pretty spectacular and unimaginable how they were constructed hundreds of years ago, I think the most exciting part was probably the driving.  People are crazy on the road and it seems like there are no rules.  The huge roundabout around the Arc of Triomphe  was mayhem. 


Luckily Taylor was driving so I could sit in the back seat, laugh, and watch dudes on motorcycles race in front of us with wreck less abandonment.

 

After a night in the “Young and Happy” hostel we walked around all day visiting Notre Dame, Arc of Triomphe, seeing the France Statue of Liberty, and of course the Eiffel Tower.  What’s crazy is some of these buildings and structures were built or being built before the United States declared freedom and was even formed. 

 

Some people don't get math, others could care less about sports, and I just don't understand art like this.

TEBOW!!!

Go Unicorns,
Drew