[img][/img]The world’s best national rugby team (New Zealand) recently met the world’s best national handball team (France) for a cross promotional photo op in Paris. I’m guessing Ritchie McCaw or Dan Carter became the first ever New Zealander to score on Thierry Omeyer.

For Americans wanting a little context, this meet and greet would be roughly the equivalent of the U.S. National Basketball team or the Super Bowl Champions hanging out with French National Team. Oh, to have that kind of publicity opportunity. I’m guessing the folks in Salt Lake can only contemplate such an occurrence at this point in time.

As a side point, it’s interesting to note that France is the only country in the world where there are significant fan segments for both rugby and team handball. Many countries play both, but nowhere else are they anywhere near par in terms of interest. The 2nd place country for these loose criterions is probably Argentina.

French Handball Federation website: When “les experts” meet the “All Blacks”: http://www.ff-handball.org/detail-news/article/quand-les-experts-rencontrent-les-all-blacks.html
ESPN Scrum photos: http://www.espnscrum.com/new-zealand-tour-2010/rugby/image/130408.html?object=104316;page=1

Handball.mforos and various Spanish sports media have reported about a situation that seems to have the potential for becoming increasingly common. With the steady trend for top players to move from handball countries without financially strong clubs and leagues to a number of countries where lucrative contracts and a comfortable living environment can be obtained, the strong sense of loyalty to one’s nationality seems to be diminished.

If one spends many years in a particular country, chances are that the loyalties can become a bit divided. Moreover, certain countries have much more flexible immigration and naturalization laws than others. Austria is one example, and the impact this had on women’s handball was obvious during extended periods. Players recruited to Hypo, especially from the Balkans, from ex-Soviet Union and from Hungary, soon found themselves in a position where they had met the legal requirement to become Austrian citizens and theoretically eligible for the Austrian national team.

Of course, as a way of maintaining some seriousness and to avoid having players switching national teams too often and too conveniently, the IHF and the EHF have regulations that require a reasonable gap. Players cannot just stop playing for one national team, and shortly thereafter, with a new nationality, show up in another event for another national team. But if players and federations have patience and do some planning, clearly there is still room for such changes. Of course, the reactions in the player’s native country are typically not entirely positive…

The probably best known case of ‘migration’ is that of the Belarus native Siarhei Rutenka. He moved to the club Celje in Slovenia, and soon obtained citizenship in accordance with the laws of that country. He most definitively became a valuable member of the Slovenian national team. But as so often happens these days, he moved on to Spain, in order to play for Barcelona. It did not take long for Spanish handball fans, and perhaps also for the Federation, to start ‘drooling’ about the prospects of having Rutenka switch nationality once again and eventually become eligible for the Spanish national team.

But it appears Rutenka developed other ideas. He obtained his Spanish citizenship, as Spain is another country with very easy requirements, but now it appears that he has become nostalgic to the point of ‘completing the circle’. In other words, he has also acquired a Belarus citizenship and really wants to play for the Belarus team, not for Spain. There is, however, one little twist to this, something that Rutenka might have overlooked after his experience with easy switches. He wants to stay in Barcelona, but there is no recognition of dual citizenship between the two countries, so he may be in danger of losing his Spanish citizenship. This in turn may have implications for his future options in terms of place of residence after his days as a handball players are over.

And now a somewhat similar case is beginning to cause frustration in Hungary. One of this country’s most popular and valuable players is Laszlo Nagy, another member of the Barcelona club team. It seems he has now made it clear to the Hungarian federation that they should not count on him in the future. So he might become the player soon eligible to reinforce the Spanish national team instead.

Kosovo currently has a special status in handball and in sports more generally. Only a handful of international sports federations have granted Kosovo status as a full member. Several other sports use the concept of ‘associate member’ or hold off while allowing their continental federation in Europe to take the lead. In Europe, Kosovo has ‘associate member’ status in the European Handball Federation and participates in cup competitions, but the IHF does not yet recognize Kosovo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membership_of_Kosovo_in_international_sports_federations

Most sports follow the lead of the International Olympic Committee, which in turn has the principle of waiting for the United Nations to bestow the status of independent state. Serbia has refused to recognize the independent status of Kosovo, and the United Nations Security Council has so far provided for a kind of interim, international administration. In recent months, however, there has a been a ruling from the International Court of Justice, to the effect that Kosovo did not violate any international laws when unilaterally breaking away from Serbia in 2008. This has given reason to optimism in Kosovo but has made Serbia determined to plead its case in the United Nations General Assembly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Kosovo

In the meantime, Kosovo teams have played their games in EHF competitions without incidents. But now the inevitable happened: in round 3 of the 2010-11 Women’s Cup Winners’ Cup, the Kosovo participant KHF Kastrioti was drawn against the Serbian team ZRK Knjaz Milos. Playing these games ‘home and away’ in Kosovo and Serbia was not quite a realistic option, so in collaboration with the EHF the decision has been reached to play both matches in Skopje, FYR Macedonia on November 20 and 21. http://www.eurohandball.com/article/13502

Let us hope, first, that these matches will be played in a spirit of sportsmanship and without any incidents, and then that the more important basic issue of the status of Kosovo will soon be resolved in a mutually agreeable manner!

Three years ago, Jake Plummer walked away from a $5 Million NFL contract at the relatively young age of 32. Since then he has started playing handball on a regular basis. Not just another player, the former professional star has steadily improved his game and has won several weekend tournaments. The 6’ 2’’, 212 lb quarterback with a strong throwing arm was a natural for the sport. Having been a star basketball player in a high school it wasn’t a stretch for him to take up handball with its similar pace and moves. And he’s not just playing the sport, he’s helping to promote it nationwide and is encouraging youth athletes to not just focus on one sport, but to also give handball a try. At 35 he’s a little bit older than desired for new players, but rumors of him pushing for a spot on the national team are now starting to surface……..

Unfortunately, the handball “Jake the Snake” has really taken up as a hobby is the 4 walled variety which is more well known in the U.S. Symptomatic of the struggle Team Handball has in this country to gain traction, there are probably as many, if not more, main stream press articles on this retired quarterback’s handball exploits as there is on the Olympic sport version.

Video: Jake Plummer talks about his handball legacy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGLeOxgZL_Q&feature=player_embedded#

Yahoo Sports (4 Nov 10): Ex-NFL QB Jake Plummer is playing a new sport these days: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Ex-NFL-QB-Jake-Plummer-is-playing-a-new-sport-th?urn=nfl-282499

ESPN (13 Nov 08): Where in the world is Jake Plummer? Playing handball http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=clemmons/081112&sportCat=nfl

Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Plummer

In several articles over the past year, I have lamented that neither clubs nor federations appear willing to offer much of a forum and opportunity for the elite players to express views or to contribute with ideas. For instance, I have commented on the empty gestures of the ‘Athletes Commissions’ that exist on paper but are not being used as intended.

I have also commented on the tendency that clubs and federations discuss ‘over the heads’ of the players about matters that very directly involve the situation of the players, such as the competition calendar, the release of players from clubs to federations for their national teams, health and insurance matters etc. Of course, it is excellent that these matters are finally being discussed, but not that this happens without the participation of the players.

So I think I have established my credentials as someone who genuinely favors more of a voice for the players. But, it is not only a matter of inviting or not inviting the players, or providing a forum or not doing so, Clearly, the top players are for the most part bright, well-educated adults, who should be able to take the necessary initiatives and exert pressure. They should not be content with being treated as children or unthinking robots.

Leaving aside the potential for players to contribute with constructive ideas regarding the development and management of our sport, about the rules etc., at least one would imagine an urge to have the opportunity to speak up out of self-interest. I have never noticed that the players are so shy and inarticulate that this would be unrealistic…

But perhaps their focus is so narrow that they actually prefer a status quo? Or perhaps their focus is only on earning the maximum amounts here and now, so that longer-term considerations, health risks and a willingness to express a preference for fewer games are unthinkable? Or do the players realize that fewer games would lead to reduced revenues and almost inevitably reduced salaries? Or is it ‘beneath the dignity’ of the elite players to act as ‘workers’ who need to get together and speak up, in the same way as unions or syndicates? (I was almost prepared to use a slogan from Karl Marx as a heading for this article: Players of the world, unite! But I got worried that this would scare people off!)

But seriously, I am now beginning to think that I am wasting my time on arguing in favor of increased opportunities for the players, if the reality is that they prefer to hide and stay quite…. But I surely hope it is not so! Players, please wake up and start looking after your interests!

P.S. I hear now in recent days about some awakening among the Bundesliga players; great! we need a good example for others to follow!

Gerd Butzeck, the Managing Director of Group Club Handball (GCH), gave an interesting interview in handball-world.com recently, touching on a broad spectrum of current issues. http://www.handball-world.com/news-index.php?LID=1&GID=1&auswahl=28020

I find that I very often tend to agree with the views and ideas that Gerd brings out, either as a spokesperson for GCH or as a handball observor. This time I can appreciate most of his points, but there is one area where I am not so sure that he is coming up with the best arguments in order to get opponents or neutral observers on his side.

Gerd Butzeck is commenting at length about the progress the GCH and the broader grouping FCH (Forum for Club Handball) has made, primarily in negotiations with the EHF but gradually perhaps also with the IHF, regarding compensation and insurance issues. ‘Teamhandballnews’ has reported about these developments extensively in the past. Gerd also comments on the burden on the clubs caused by the substantial aggregate amount of time that the top players spend in a year with their respective national teams. This brings the interview to the question of the competition calendar. And this is where I am concerned about some of his statements on the competition calendar, and also about some things he is [u]not[/u] saying.

Quite naturally, as a representative of clubs, he is arguing in favor of a reduction in the number of ‘big events’, meaning the Olympic Games, the two World Championships and the two Continental Championships in each four-year period. He argues for eliminating 1 WC and 1 EC, so that there are only 3 major events ever four years. To me, this seems drastic and sounds like some kind of ‘bargaining position’. But when he comments on the expected reaction to such proposals, he makes an argument that I consider to be both tactically and factually wrong. He essentially says: “it is all about money”. Of course, the TV and advertising revenues for a major championship is a really major consideration. But, especially as someone who is used to looking at these matters from a European perspective, he overlooks other considerations.

[b]Impact for non-European nations[/b]

In Europe there is the Champions League and the other EHF club events, which do not have any serious equivalents in other continents. Similarly, the European Championship, which in Europe is often described as a tougher event than the World Championship, really creates a level of interest in Europe that cannot at all be matched by the championships in the other continents. What the top countries in the other continents really want is the opportunity to compete directly against the European nations. In other words, for all practical purposes non-European nations are already down to three ‘big events’ in each four-year period. They certainly do not want to lose one of those.

[b]Loss of propaganda value[/b]

Moreover, for these countries, and also for many European countries, money is not the only concern. The ‘propaganda’ value of the ‘big events’ is enormous, especially of course if one manages to qualify for participation, but also as a spectator and TV event. It is fair to say that the entire handball family, including the clubs, benefit from this. So I understand Gerd Butzeck’s objectives, but be careful with the arguments used and the arguments overlooked!

[b]Not all club matches are of the highest value either[/b]

Also, I hope the objective of the discussions regarding the competition calendar is not just about a shift in the balance between clubs and federations, but also about the health and well-being of the players. But even though Gerd represents club interests, I think he would sound more credible on this point if he occasionally pointed out that the clubs themselves waste the energy and the health of the players on games that are useless, except in one respect: ‘it is all about the money’ that they bring into the coffers of the clubs.

Finally, I have had a dialog with Gerd Butzeck over the years about different competition formats that would lessen the impact that major competition have on the big teams and the top players. I hope he will pursue this aspect also.