Author Archives: Björn Brembs

Euro 2008 video streaming: direct link

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[html] "euro2008.png"

Live streaming of Euro 2008 matches is available.  Click here to find out more.

Note: the Euro 2008 website misleadingly states that you can watch all matches whenever you want.  This is not the case!  Only 5 minute summaries are available for viewing after the match.  In order to watch an entire match, you have to watch the match live.  Additionally, we have received reports from several readers indicating either technical or billing problems.  We will be contacting the EHF and if you would like to add your complaint to our collective letter please send us an email at editors@teamhandballnews.com [/html]

HBL goes USA

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The German newspaper "[link=http://welt.de]Die Welt[/link]" reported in its Sunday edition that the [link=http://www.handball-bundesliga.de/]German Handball League HBL[/link] is planning to expand its scope beyond Germany. Emboldened by the tremendous success of the World Championships with more than 20 million viewers for the final alone, the "[i]strongest league in the world[/i]" (slogan) is even considering marketing efforts in the USA:

[blockquote]"For me, team handball is a sport with all the attributes of an American sport. It's a full-contact sport and team handball is fast and full of action – exactly what US-Fans want to watch."

"Introducing the trademark HBL in the US is possible within the next year or two.[/blockquote]"
[link=http://www.welt.de/wams_print/article810252/Handball-Liga_will_in_die_USA.html]Says[/link] HBL general manager Frank Bohmann. Bohmann also suggested to host the All-Star game or the "Final Four" Cup tournament in the US: "We don't use the slogan '[i]the strongest league in the world[/i]' for nothing. We mean it and now is the perfect time to expand world-wide." Bohmann also cites recent lucrative proposals by several sponsors, including TV stations, after the successful WC as the motivation behind the new strategy.

Player search

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Handball in Brazil – ever since the opening game of the world-championships earlier this year, people have revised their view of the Brazilian game. The 27-22 defeat showed the world how close Brazil has come to the top. Now you can see for yourself just how good Brazil really is: come and play for us at the [link=http://www.itajaihandballcup.com.br]Itajai Handball Cup[/link] in Brazil! We're looking for players from all over Europe to join us for this adventure. Have a look at all the detailed information http://brembs.net/brasil_2008_invit_E.pdf and then let us know if you're interested.

If football/soccer is religion, what is handball?

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In most places in the world, football/soccer is at least king, if not religion. So it is in Germany. The whole country, politics and all, goes into a dormant state over the summer break of soccer season. Soccer is what peple talk about on the weekends and what fills the tabloids and newspapers. The world is good as long as your team is playing. And if you think this can't be potentiated any more, you should've been in Germany during the soccer world cup. That was soccer 24/7 pushing [i]any[/i] other news on the back-burner, no matter what. This is what soccer is in Germany – it's what most peoples' lives run on and the motor that keeps the society running.

Last night, a few friends and I went to a sports bar to watch the handball WC final Germany-Poland. The bar, mind you, was the club bar of a local football club. The bar took about 50 visitors and it was smack full with people lining up on the outside. We even had two TV crews in there, one national and one regional station, shooting and interviewing people. Germany won and all hell broke loose of course. But after the game came what struck me the most: the bar owner switched to the ongoing soccer game conference broadcast and the crowd started booing! And it booed until the host would switch back to the medal ceremony! And the crowd was pleased and cheered. This is something I would've never thought possible! A handball medal ceremony beating out a live soccer broadcast! And many of the people in the bar had not even been handball fans before the WCs but had caught the enthusiasm that had built in the course of the tournament.

I later heard that at most soccer stadiums yesterday, giant screens had been set up, showing the handball final and that even in half-time, people spoke more about handball, than the ongoing soccer game. My dad, who's a PE teacher told me that all his kids now wanted to play handball, "even the 9th graders who only ever wanted to play basketball". And my dad lives in the home-town of NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, the greatest sports star the city has ever produced.

This is what one tournament and a spectacular home-team can do to a country.

Greenland Beats Australia in Opening Match of President's Cup

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The President’s Cup opened today in Halle/Westfalen, Germany with Greenland getting its first victory of the tournament against Australia by the score of 34-25. Greenland dominated the game with excellent backcourt play from Angutimmarik Kreutzmann who scored 15 goals on 23 shots and Minik Dahl Hoegh who added 9 goals on 13 shots. Darryl McCormack led Australia with 11 goals.

The atmosphere at Gerry Weber Arena was excellent with vocal contingents from both nations being supplemented by a German crowd awaiting their Main Round match vs. Slovenia

Audio: [file={e_BASE}request.php?26]Australian Coach Morten Fjeldstad on the importance of the President’s Cup[/file]

Audio: [file={e_BASE}request.php?27]Post Game interview with Coach Fjeldstad[/file]
[link={e_IMAGE}newspost_images/fjeldstad_interview.jpg][img]{e_IMAGE}newspost_images/fjeldstad_interview_thumb.jpg[/img][/link]

96 Olympians Discuss Youth Program

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This past week, I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few days in Atlanta, Ga. which for any number of reasons probably can be called the capital of team handball in the USA. Host to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, Atlanta has become the crystallization point for team handball and numerous programs have sprung into existence, many of which are still running after 10 years. I took the opportunity and spoke with two Olympians from the 1996 National Team who stayed in the sport and dedicated their career to team handball. They are running one of the programs started in the wake of the Olympics, the Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) program, circle runner Matthew Ryan and left back, handball-legend Darrick Heath. Both can look back on very successful careers on the court and have decided to make handball part of their business life as well. Both work for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Matthew as Vice President of Club Services and Darrick as Director of Athletics and Health Services. This dynamic duo is in charge of what is arguably the largest and most successful of the post-Olympic programs and they were so kind to take the time out of their busy schedules to sit down and chat with me about their program.

[file=request.php?21]Matthew Ryan and Darrick Heath talk about the CODP program[/file]

If you're as excited about the program as I am and want to start a program of your own, please do not hesitate and contact [link=mailto:MRyan@bgcma.org]Matt Ryan[/link] right away!

Interview with USA Womens Coach Latulippe (Post USA Cup)

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The USA Cup recently ended with GOconnectIT from the Netherlands winning the tournament, USA taking second and Canada taking 3rd. John Ryan interviewes USA Women's National Team Coach Christian Latulippe and gets his thoughts on the tournament and what's ahead for the team. Podcast length: 16 Minutes.

[file=request.php?17]USACUP interview with Christian Latulippe[/file]

USA Cup results, statistics and news stories can be found at the USA Cup website: http://www.usacup.us/

finally back online

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As you might have noticed, we've had technical difficulties with our site for about a week or two. I finally was able to resolve the issues with a full new re-install. I still need to get a few logos and pics up, but the site should now be fully functional again.
Sorry for the downtime – at least we're back just in time for some really interesting times with the men's PanAm Championships coming up.

College Nationals results

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The final standings for the women are:
[blockquote]GOLD MEDAL: West Point Black
SILVER MEDAL: Carolina
BRONZE MEDAL: West Point Gold
FOURTH PLACE: Benedict
FIFTH PLACE: Furman[/blockquote]
and the finsal standings for the men:
[blockquote]GOLD MEDAL: Carolina
SILVER MEDAL: West Point Black
BRONZE MEDAL: Air Force
FOURTH PLACE: West Point Gold
FIFTH PLACE: Benedict
SIXTH PLACE: Tar Heel THC
SEVENTH PLACE: Carolina Rams[/blockquote]
Congratulations everyone!

You can get all the results and statistics here:
[file=request.php?11]2006 College Nationals[/file]

US handball star Darrick Heath featured in university paper

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Darrick Heath is the personification of what US handball could be: athletic, with a vibrant personality, a passion for the sport and a dedication that dwarfs everything not handball.
One of his students at prestigious [link=http://www.emory.edu/]Emory University[/link] in Atlanta, Georgia has written an [link=http://www.emorywheel.com/media/paper919/news/2006/03/28/Sports/Darrick.Heath.Air.Jordan.Of.Handball-1750483.shtml?norewrite200603281439&sourcedomain=www.emorywheel.com]awesome article[/link] about him.
I feel privileged to have played with and under Darrick, a true professional and a worthy ambassador of our sport.