From the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns to the Minnesota Vikings

Moritz Boehringer's last competitive football came as a member of Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League. The next time he suits up, it will be as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
We saw some history in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft on Saturday when Boehringer became the first international player to go straight from a European league to the NFL.

It was fitting that Boehringer landed with the Vikings. His interest in football began just five years ago, when he stumbled upon highlights of Adrian Peterson running past defenders on YouTube.

"I searched for a team in Germany and found one in my hometown, but we only had seven players," Boehringer (6-foot-4, 227 pounds) said during a recent studio appearance on the Move The Sticks Podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. "We just practiced a bit, and after half a year we (found a full team) about 25 miles from my hometown and played there."

Boehringer, 22, was an immediate star in the German Football League, the highest level of football in Europe. He arrived in America on Feb. 29 and put himself on the NFL radar with a head-turning performance at the Florida Atlantic pro day. That performance, in addition to his dominant Unicorns game tape, made him a buzzy Day 3 pick.

"That's kind of what the draft is all about -- making dreams come true," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "He's a really smart kid ... he understands football and is able to repeat the different routes to us and things like that. Obviously, he has a lot of work to do, but it's been fun."

After the Vikings made their selection, Boehringer found himself on the NFL Network draft set for the second time in an hour. During his first appearance, NFL Media's Mike Mayock looked into the camera and implored Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman to select the big German. The plea might have been enough to move Boehringer to the top of Minnesota's board. In a related story, Boehringer owes Mayock a Krombacher.

Mayock asked Boehringer how it felt to suddenly be on the same team as Peterson, the legendary player whose dominance on his tablet kickstarted his football dreams.

Replied Boehringer: "The coolest thing ever."

Pretty cool indeed.

HIER IST DER JUNGE:  

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Und vom Dr. Kuhn-Osius, hier ist mehr ueber das Deutsche Footballbund -- German Football League = GFL

American Football in Germany

Statistics on the relative size of American Football and soccer in Germany. I summatize some and quote some other sources (usually GermanWikipedia or the associations themselves):

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Football_League_2015#Zuschauerzahlen_2015

Average spectator attendance during the regular  GFL season:     1373 / game
Saison Gruppe Nord   (more popular)             1831 / game
Saison Gruppe Süd                                              1027 / game
Playofffs attendance on average                        2519 / game

 The total number of clubs is 15, and they are in their 37th season.  

They had their high point around 2000 when the NFL tried to expand Football worldwide (but their businesses collapsed for lack of spectators). Some German teams had over 30,000 spectators occasionally (partly boosted their numbers by combining with concerts by Nena or Herbert Groenemeyer). The NFL pulled out in 2007. Now it is a German affair. 

The German Association for American Football is the 10th largest team sport association of Germany.

In Deutschland gibt es 7 Spielstufen (7 levels of play)  für Herrenmannschaften  (for the mens' teams). 
......+
Die höchsten (= highest level)  beiden Ligen sind die German Football League (GFL) und die German Football League 2 (GFL2). Darunter folgen die Regionalligen, Oberligen, Verbandsligen, Landesligen und Aufbauligen, die alle durch die jeweiligen Landesverbände organisiert werden. ...
Mit 46 Mannschaften spielen in der fünftklassigen Verbands-, beziehungsweise in Hessen und Rheinland-Pfalz in der Landesliga, die meisten Vereine. 
Currently there are  32.000 football players, and approximately 300 clubs registered with the AFVD and the state organizations.

[1]<https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_in_Deutschland#cite_note-DOSB_Bestandserhebung-1
Nearly half of all European players are in Germany.

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Alternatively, here are some statistics on the Deutscher Fussballbund;' "Soccer" as we know it.  

As opposed to the 32K registered Football playlers, in the DFB there are close to 7 million registered soccer players throughout Germany's  21 various state organizations.  [Aktuell 6.889.115]

There are over 25K registered clubs [Aktuell  25.324].
The number of teams (based on age and skill) is  161.727 different teams.. 

• The current number of registered junior players from ages 15-18 years old is  515.364. 
• The current number of registered girls up to 16 years old is 336.464..

German Soccer spectator numbers: Borussia Dortmund has almost 81,000 spectators per game

The  Bundesliga club with the lowest number of spectators (FC Ingolstadt -- newcomer to the Bundesliga) has 14,778.  The team's  Audi Stadion has under 10K seats, and the balance are in the cheer section (standing only). 


Eckhard Kuhn-Osius
German Department
Hunter College, CUNY

World’s Football Price Index -- See why thousands of Brits travel to Germany every week

Calculating cost of attending top division games in 25 countries around the world

 
Wed 23rd Sep 2015 | Money & Finance  FC BUSINESS online

With Premier League matches well underway, GoEuro.co.uk, the search engine for comparing flights, coach and rail travel options across Europe, has partnered with Onefootball to calculate the cost of attending the top division games in 25 countries around the world.

Taking top spot for the most expensive country to go to a match is England, with Premier League tickets costing an average of £53.76 per ticket. This is closely followed by Spain where tickets cost an average of £50.83.

Utilising several world rankings including UEFA, FIFA, and third party databases, GoEuro.co.uk and Onefootball found the best value leagues for Brits to travel to, based on the quality of the league and the cost of the ticket is Germany, followed by Spain, Portugal and finally England.

Naren Shaam, CEO of GoEuro said: "It costs almost the same to travel to Germany to see a Bundesliga match as it does to stay in the UK and attend a Premier League game. Each week more than 2,000 British fans travel to see Borussia Dortmund play, in addition to the 1,500 Brits travelling to St. Pauli games in Hamburg and the 1,000 Brits going to Union Berlin games on a weekly basis. These numbers might lead you to question whether home fans in the UK are really getting a fair deal for their money.''


  Average ticket price was calculated using an average of first division game tickets for multiple stadiums and seat types across a standard football season.

*While it did not factor on the value ranking, we calculated away game costs for informational purposes, specifically for travelling football fans. The away game cost is intended to represent the actual cost of attending an away game in each league's country. Factors included transport costs (using data from the GoEuro Transport Price Index), one nights accommodation costs (using data from the GoEuro Accommodation Price Index), and food and beer costs (using data from The Economist's Big Mac Index and the GoEuro Beer Price Index).

Each league's ranking was determined by combining several world football rankings including UEFA, FIFA, and third party databases.

We use the 'value score' field to determine where you get the best value football for the money you're spending to see a game. The score is the result of a calculation combining average game costs and the league ranking. Teams with a better league ranking or a lower cost of a ticket will have more value. Formula = 10000/(TicketPrice*(3+LeagueRanking)^2)

Posted by: Kev Howland 

Sebastian Vollmer ready for whatever comes along

Boston Herald •  January 13, 2013 
FOXBORO — Sebastian Vollmer is a master at adapting  By Mark Daniels /@mdaniels06 

Even if the 6-foot-8, 320-pound offensive tackle sticks out, he’s learned to blend in over the years.
That’s evident by the German-Texas twang in his speech. He developed that after leaving his Kaarst, Germany, home in 2004 to play football at the University of Houston in 2004. Now after four seasons with the Patriots, he said he’s started to notice a hint of a Boston accent in his voice, too.

As the Patriots face the Houston Texans in today’s AFC Divisional Playoffs, Vollmer is nearing the end of his contract. The 28-year-old has no idea what the future holds for him. He doesn’t know if he’ll finally settle down or move on to acquire an additional layer to his accent.
And he’s fine with that.

“It’s kind of wherever I am, I feel like it’s home,” said Vollmer.  Wherever he’s gone, he’s excelled. And that’s why it didn’t take long for Thomas McGaughey to notice Vollmer.

While at an NFL development camp in Europe, the then-University of Houston special teams coordinator watched in awe as Vollmer, who played for the Düsseldorf Panthers, excelled in all three phases of the game. “I was like, who is this kid?” said McGaughey, who’s now an assistant at LSU.
McGaughey offered Vollmer a scholarship on the spot. The two kept in touch and hit it off even if there was a language barrier.

“I didn’t really understand what he was saying,” Vollmer said. “I’m sure he didn’t understand what I was saying. But it kind of worked out. There was kind of a trust factor there. That’s kind of why I came to Houston.”

Putting plan in action

Vollmer took a leap of faith when he came to America. It wasn’t easy as a 20-year-old. There were days were he missed his family, friends and his native language, but he worked hard. “I came here with a purpose,” said Vollmer of America. “I wanted to, one, learn the language. I didn’t want to separate myself. I wanted to be a part of the team and just America itself . . . And I didn’t want to get on the football field and get my ass kicked.”

He gained more than 70 pounds and, by his senior season, he was not only speaking fluently but earned first-team All-Conference USA honors.

“I could tell, when I was recruiting him, he had that passion to want to prove everyone wrong or just to prove himself,” said McGaughey.

Riding a draft horse

When the announcement echoed throughout the New York Giants war room on the first day of the 2009 NFL draft, the words were music to McGaughey’s ears: “With the 58th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Sebastian Vollmer from the University of Houston.”
Working with the Giants as an assistant, McGaughey spent a good part of the 2009 draft process building up his prized recruit. Vollmer had a solid career at Houston, but was still considered raw and wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine.

McGaughey even heard it from the Giants talent evaluators. “They were like, ‘Hey, we saw your guy today and he sucked,’” McGaughey said. “They were trying to be funny because they knew I recruited him.” McGaughey was in the hallway outside the Giants war room when Bill Belichick made his pick. “You could hear a pin drop in there,” said McGaughey. “It was funny.”

Belichick surprised more than just the Giants staff that day when he drafted Vollmer, but it paid off. The tackle, who earned All-Pro honors in 2010, has been a stalwart on the Patriots offensive line ever since.  Today, Vollmer faces the task of blocking NFL sack leader J.J. Watt. It’s no easy feat, but he’ll tackle the challenge head on — just as he did when he came to America and when he came to the NFL.

He’ll do the same next season if he finds a new place to call home.  (Lassen die Patriots ihn schon los? Anscheinend ja, denn sie haben ihn seit 2009 nur 4 Jahre als Patriot unterschrieben. --RSB)  “My future is (today),” said Vollmer. “Then I’ll go from there.”

Neue Filme aus Deutshland

From the Zeitgeist NW Film Festival come these films, among others.  
      --   Does any seem worth investing in (for instance, to show at German Club)?


BAIKONUR     KAZAKHSTAN/GERMANY/RUSSIA 2011     DIRECTOR: VEIT HELMER

This charming, funny, and visually resplendent romantic comedy by one of Germany’s most inventive young directors uses as its guiding principle an old Kazakh proverb that says: “Whatever falls from heaven, you may keep.” For the inhabitants of a small Kazakh village, especially the youthful Iskander, living just downwind from the Baikonur Cosmodrome means that what “falls from heaven” is actually valuable space debris from the Russian rockets launched there. Nicknamed “Gagarin” after the Soviet space pioneer, Iskander uses his radio expertise to follow launches and calculate where to find the cast-off space metals that provide his village with its livelihood. After seeing a photo of the young Frenchwoman Julie, due to become the latest space tourist, he is smitten. When something goes wrong and Julie plunges to earth in a capsule, Iskander is there to rescue her before the authorities do.  And she has amnesia… (95 mins.) In Russian, French, and English.

TRAILER:



TOM SAWYER    GERMANY 2011     DIRECTOR: HERMINE HUNTGEBURTH

Mark Twain’s timeless adventure tale of two boys, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, in conflict with the adult world is given a faithful, refreshing revitalization. Filmed in Germany and Romania, young actors Louis Hofmann and Leon Seidel put a delightful spin on this distinctively German vision of a classic American story. Nominated for a German Film Award for Best Children’s Film. “Outstanding cast, funny and dynamic.”—Cinema. (110 mins.)
                                 Recommended for ages 8 and up.
 TRAILER:



LESSONS OF A DREAM    Der ganz grosse Traum  GERMANY 2011   DIRECTOR: SEBASTIAN GROBLER
A very traditional German school in 1874 decides to employ a new teacher of English in order to ensure that some fresh ideas about culture and life are imparted to the students. The teacher, played by Daniel Brühl, turns out to be more radical than envisioned by the principal (played by Burghart Klaussner), as he teaches English culture by getting them all to play football. In turn, despite the excitement experienced by the students, the parents and local community are not so impressed. Reminiscent of the film Dead Poets Society, this stirring historical drama about the impact a teacher can have on students is a compelling story with some notable messages about tradition and change. Nominated for three German Film Awards. (113 mins.) Recommended for ages 10 and up.

TRAILER:



THREE QUARTER MOON     Dreiviertelmond  GERMANY 2011  DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN ZÜBERT

Grumpy taxi driver Hartmut Mackowiak is crushed by the news that his wife of 30 years is leaving him. He is forced to reorganize his life, becoming even more of a loner. That is, until the day he has the six-year-old Hayat and her mother as passengers in his taxi. This is the beginning of a series of events that leave him looking after Hayat, who, unable to speak any German, is now looking for her mother who has apparently disappeared. Inevitably, Hartmut initially resists helping her, but Hayat’s stubbornness leaves him no   alternative but to assist in her search. Little does he realize that perhaps he is on the way to learning to love life. An endearing, feel-good comedy-drama, THREE QUARTER MOON proves, without moralizing or sentimentality, that change is possible no matter what phase of life one is in. (91 mins.)

TRAILER:




SUMMER WINDOW    Das Fenster zum Sommer  GERMANY 2011  DIRECTOR: HENDRIK HANDLOEGTEN

What would you do if you had the chance to relive part of your life? That is the premise of this intriguing mystery drama starring Nina Hoss as a woman who experiences something very unusual. While traveling with her partner in Finland, Juliane awakens one morning to find herself back in Berlin. She has traveled back six months in time and experiences again the events leading up to a tragic situation and a major change in her life. A film that keeps you guessing as it twists and turns to a startling conclusion. (96 mins.)

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE


 BARBARA          GERMANY 2012         DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN PETZOLD

 East Germany, 1980: A doctor is exiled to a country hospital as punishment for applying for an exit visa. As her lover from the West carefully plots her escape, Barbara (Nina Hoss) waits patiently and avoids friendships. She works as a pediatric surgeon under her new boss André, and while she is caring towards her patients—a young girl in particular—Barbara keeps a distance from her colleagues. She is constantly monitored by the state’s security apparatus and is the subject of repeated humiliations. Barbara looks forward to her future and to her freedom, but André and a traumatized young patient slowly chip away at her defenses, and she starts to lose control. A subtle and precise look at the complex personal costs of life in a paranoid and repressive state. Winner of the Best Director Award at the Berlin Film Festival and recipient of seven German Film Award nominations. (105 mins.)

TRAILER:  Spielt noch nicht.... 

Aus Deutschland, ein Patriots Spieler?

 "Es ist etwas Besonderes, hier in London zu spielen. Es sind auch viele deutsche Fans hier", sagte Vollmer am Freitag auf einer Pressekonferenz in der englischen Hauptstadt.


VOLLMER SPIELT IM SUPERBOWL

Sebastian Vollmer Deserves Recognition Among Best Players onPatriots Due to Elite Play at Right Tackle

Aus der Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung (FAZ)

Einen großen Anteil an Bradys brillanter Bilanz hat auch Vollmer. Von den „fünf Dicken“, die in der Offensive-Line vor dem Quarterback stehen, ist der 26 Jahre alte Deutsche aus Kaarst (nördlich von Düren; westlich von Düsseldorf)  derjenige rechts außen. Right Tackle Vollmer spielt erst in seiner zweiten NFL-Saison und im zwölften Jahr überhaupt Football. Als sich seine heutigen Mit- und Gegenspieler schon mit Laufwegen und Spielzügen beschäftigten, stand er im Alter von 14 Jahren eher zufällig in Düsseldorf erstmals mit Helm und Schulterpolstern auf dem Platz. Nicht umsonst verwies Trainer Bill Belichick in Vollmers Rookie-Saison immer wieder gern auf den „etwas anderen Football-Background und die deshalb um so bemerkenswertere Entwicklung“, seiner Nummer 76.

Mittlerweile wissen Belichick und Brady genau, dass auf die 2,03 Meter große und 143 Kilogramm schwere „German Wall“ Verlass ist. „Er macht einen phänomenalen Job, ist hart im Nehmen und beständig. Und ich kann absolut auf ihn zählen“, betont Brady. Vollmer sei zwar noch ein junger Profi, aber dennoch bereits ein großartiger Anführer, der immer alles gebe und professionell sei, so der Spielmacher weiter. Vollmer selbst registriert derartige Worte eher beiläufig – und geht umgehend zum harten Tagesgeschäft über. „Man kann immer etwas verbessern und selbst, wenn man denkt, dass man ziemlich gut gespielt hat, sieht man im Videomitschnitt seine Fehler“, sagt er und bringt es auf einen Punkt: „Der Film lügt nicht.“

Super Quarterback Andrew Luck in Stuttgart

Das US-Supertalent mit der Oma aus Karlsruhe

von Gerhard Pfisterer

26.04.2012

New York - Das größte Footballtalent dieses Jahrtausends spricht Deutsch – und das gar nicht so schlecht.   (Just drafted as first pick by the Indianapolis Colts -- replacing Payton Manning.)

Auf dem Klassenfoto im Jahrbuch der Frankfurt International School hat Andrew Luck als Drittklässler  (3rd grader) im geringelten T-Shirt 1998 schon das markante Lächeln aufgesetzt, das ihn noch heute kennzeichnet. Seine Lehrerin Penny Lister erinnert sich noch gut an ihn  (His teacher.. remembers him well): „Er war ein sehr intelligenter Schüler, alle mochten ihn sehr. Er war schon damals ein leidenschaftlicher Sportler (passionate athlete).“ An all dem hat sich bis heute nichts geändert – bis auf die Sportart: Damals spielte er Fußball (back then he played soccer) statt Football.

Heute noch hat Andrew Luck ein Deutschlandtrikot (German soccer jersey) im Schrank (in his closet). Doch mittlerweile ist sein bevorzugter Ball eiförmig (his preferred ball is shaped like an egg), er wirft ihn mit dem rechten Arm und ist damit in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters Oliver getreten. Der 52-jährige Deutschamerikaner, dessen Mutter Gisela Steppuhn nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg (after WWII) ihre Heimatstadt Karlsruhe verließ und in die USA auswanderte, war schon NFL-Quarterback.  (Andrew's dad was also a quarterback in the NFL.)

Nach seiner Karriere war er eine Zeit lang als Football-Entwicklungshelfer im Einsatz: 1990 zog er mit seiner Frau Kathy und dem damals einjährigen Andrew nach Frankfurt.  (The family moved to Frankfurt when Andrew was 1.)  Oliver Luck arbeitete als Manager für die Frankfurt Galaxy und für Rhein Fire (Düsseldorf) sowie später als Ligapräsident der NFL Europe.  (Besides managing several football teams in Germany, Andrew's dad was also Europe's NFL president.) Sieben ihrer zehn Europajahre verbrachte die Familie in Deutschland.

Das größte Talent im Draft

 Andrew Luck ist das versierteste Spielmachertalent im Draft seit 1998 Peyton Manning, den er bei den Indianapolis Colts beerben wird. Der NFL-Star fehlte dem Team vergangene Saison verletzungsbedingt. Deshalb schnitten die Colts so schlecht ab – und entschieden sich zu einem Schnitt. Peyton Mannings Vertrag wurde aufgelöst, er wechselte zu den Denver Broncos. Der 36-Jährige ist eine Ikone in Indianapolis. Ohne die Aussicht auf die Verpflichtung eines seltenen Supertalents wie Andrew Luck wäre es nicht so weit gekommen – ihm gehört die Zukunft.

Der renommierte Experte Rob Rang schreibt dem 22-Jährigen noch mehr Potenzial zu als Peyton Manning. Er nannte ihn einmal „den besten Perspektivspieler, den ich je gescoutet habe“. Andrew Luck gilt manchen als das größte Talent im Draft, seit sich 1983 schon einmal ein Stanford-Spielmacher auf den Weg machte, die NFL zu erobern: der zweimalige Superbowlsieger John Elway. „Ich glaube, dass er sich ganz gut in der NFL etablieren und Erfolg haben wird, wenn er sich an das hohe Niveau gewöhnt hat“, sagt Oliver Luck.

Andrew Luck ist der fleischgewordene Prototyp des perfekten Quarterbacks. Er hat die physischen NFL-Managerwunschmaße von 1,93 Meter und 106 Kilogramm, gepaart mit einer famosen Athletik. Er verfügt zudem über eine enorme (Spiel-)Intelligenz – er erkennt, was die Defensivspieler tun, noch bevor sie es tun. Und wenn die Abwehrkolosse auf ihn zustürmen, dribbelt der Offensivstratege sie einfach gekonnt aus – da macht sich noch immer seine deutsche Fußballvergangenheit bemerkbar.  (When he's attacked by the Defense, his soccer past is right there on display, as he's able to successfully strike forth offensively.)