Rugby shows the way with 4 hours of live major network coverage

Posted on by

Last fall the IOC voted to put Rugby back on the Olympic program. The 7s version of the game will make its first appearance 6 years from now in Rio. But fans won’t have to wait 6 years to see the sport on TV as this weekend as an event billed as the “Rugby 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational” is being broadcast live on NBC this Saturday and Sunday (2:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern time)
There are a few interesting data points to take away from this event as USA Team Handball strives to get coverage in the U.S. First off, this event isn’t being organized by the USA Rugby Federation. Instead, a private company, USA 7s LLC, is organizing this event and there is only a loose tie to USA Rugby. USA 7s LLC has essentially purchased the marketing rights for the 7 player game while USA Rugby focuses on the more familiar 15 player game.

Using college brands, the Olympic connection and marketing knowhow USA 7s somehow got NBC to broadcast this event. And on the very same weekend the U.S. National Team is playing one of its rare home games against Russia with the broadcast limited to Fox Sports Rocky Mtn and the internet. Ticket sales for the collegiate event are also expected to best the International match.

In terms of which event I would rather watch on TV it’s a no-brainer. I find the 15 player game to be more entertaining. The U.S. is getting better and there are several professional players now on the U.S. roster. The collegiate event is strictly a made for TV event. Rugby 7s is not played as much as Rugby 15s in college and with a college all star event taking place the same weekend many of the top players aren’t available. But it isn’t about what I want to watch. It’s about marketing and the college brand.

I did watch a little of the event today and I have to say that the production value was pretty good. With it being a quiet Saturday in June there were probably several casual fans who stumbled upon the broadcast. And surely some of those fans are now inquiring about playing the game with dreams of Olympic glory. I couldn’t also help but think about a similar Team Handball event coming to NBC at some point. College teams start gearing up. It could happen sooner than you think.

Rugby Collegiate Championship website: http://www.usasevenscci.com/
USA 7s website: http://www.usasevens.com/
Gainline Rugby Blog: Collegiate 7s Championship a marketing success: http://www.gainline.us/gainline/2010/06/collegiate-7s-championship-a-marketing-success.html
GoffonRugby: Why College 7s is Important: http://www.rugbymag.com/features/goffonrugby/goff-on-rugby-why-college-7s-is-important.aspx
USA Today (4 Jun 10): Rugby gets moment in sun: http://www.usatoday.com/SPORTS/usaedition/2010-06-04-rugby04_ST_U.htm

VIDEO: Goalie scores with his foot

Posted on by

Francois-Xavier Chapon, a goalie for French 1st Division club Ivry, recently scored one of the more remarkable goals in Handball history. In the goal he blocks a shot from Chambery‘s Edin Basic with his left foot. The ball then is propelled off his block all the way to the other end of the court where it presumably goes over the head of Chambery goalie, Mickael Robin. Video of the block, but not the actual goal is below. Apparently, the cameraman was as suprised as the goalie.

Handzone (27 May 10) The goal of the century???: http://www.handzone.net/asp.net/main.news/news.aspx?id=54137

British Handball: Up and down results on the road to progress

Posted on by

A flurry of recent news articles on British Handball reinforce the premise that handball development is rarely a straight line march towards respectability. The British women wrapped up their Euro 2010 qualification campaign with a respectable showing in Glasgow against Austria (23-17 loss) and a crushing defeat against France in Lille (34-15). The match in Glasgow, complete with bagpipes was closely fought until the final 15 minutes. With Austria needing a win to keep their qualification hopes alive this was no „Friendly“ match and Britain was justified in seeing this result as a sign of resilience following an embarassing 20 goal loss to Iceland in April. Unfortunately, they weren‘t able to follow up with a respectable score line against France on Sunday, but overall they have to be pleased with the progress shown in their 6 pool play matches.

The British men are gearing up for Euro 2012 qualification. Later this month they will host Cyprus, Estonia and Bulgaria in a 4 team round robin with the winner qualifying for group play throughout the 2010-2011 season. These 3 opponents are bottom tier European Handball nations and as host Britain could have a shot at qualifying. This past Friday they notched their first win against a European side in 4 years with a 26-24 win against Belgium in Brussels. The next day, however, an injury depleted side lost to the same team 36-22. Injuries are part of the game, though, in this poor result suggest that Britain lacks depth and may not be quite ready to take the next step.

For more on the British team check out these articles and in particular the BBC video feature on British Women‘s Captain Lynn McCafferty. This 8 minute story highlights the sacrifices she‘s making to pursue her Olympic dream and includes highlights of Britain‘s match vs Austria.

THN (3 Nov 09): British Men participate in 4 Nations Tournament in Luxembourg; Ireland and Scotland take part in EHF Challenge Cup: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.862
THN (5 Apr 10): British women with disappointing results against Iceland: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.994
British Handball (28 May 10): GB Men Beat Belgium as Euro 2012 Build-Up Continues: http://fastbreak-handballnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/gb-men-beat-belgium-as-euro-2012-build.html
VIDEO: BBC (28 May 10): Mr & Mrs Handball sacrifice married life for Olympic goal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/handball/8709253.stm
British Handball (28 May 10): McCafferty: I'm Proud of the Team: http://fastbreak-handballnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mccafferty-im-proud-of-team.html
British Handball (28 May 10): Coach: GB were Passionate, Dedicated and Motivated: http://fastbreak-handballnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/coach-gb-were-passionate-dedicated-and.html
British Handball (29 May): Depleted GB Men Lose Out to Belgium: http://fastbreak-handballnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/depleted-gb-men-lose-out-to-belgium.html
British Handball (30 May 10): Euro 2010: GB Women Take on World No 2: http://fastbreak-handballnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/euro-2010-fra-v-gbr.html

VIDEO: Champions League Final Link

Posted on by

Here‘s the the direct link to the full match for yesterday‘s Champions League Final. If you want to watch the match without knowledge of the outcome I strongly recommend that you have someone else click on the link, hit the play button and select full screen. The EHF has unfortunately posted a picture with the winner celebrating for the video link. Try as I might with a sheet of paper blocking, I was unable to click without seeing the obvious result. Additionally, as there are other videos with extraneous information pointing to the winner, you‘ll need to keep the video in full screen mode to avoid seeing clues as to the winner.

Champions League Final Video (Full Match): http://www.ehftv.com/final4/ec/cl/men/2009-10/video/001088

2010 USATH Town Hall and follow-up interview with Athlete’s Rep, David Thompson

Posted on by

Last Saturday, I recorded the Town Hall meeting held during the USA Team Handball National Championships. USATH GM Steve Pastorino and Board Chairman Dieter Esch spoke for about 25 minutes to around 50 members in attendance. A few details concerning U.S. National Team planning were revealed/confirmed. Resources are focused on 2016 Olympic qualification, but U.S. players will be allowed to self-finance an attempt for 2012 qualification. The first step in that process will be qualification matches vs. Canada later this year. It was also announced that there are preliminary plans for a USA match prior to the 17 July, Poland-Germany match in Chicago.

After the meeting I sat down for a short interview with David Thompson, the Men’s Athlete’s Advisory Council (AAC) Representative. As the AAC rep David also sits on the Board of Directors. During the interview David expresses his “total disagreement” with the Board decision to not provide financial support for 2012 Olympic qualification.

USA Federation Town Hall Meeting (21:07): https://teamhandballnews.com/request69.html (Left click to play/right click to download)
Interview with David Thompson: (22:57): https://teamhandballnews.com/request70.html (Left click to play/right click to download)

Breakfast at the Final Four

Posted on by

This coming weekend is easily the best weekend of the year for Handball fans in parts of the world where there is no TV coverage of the sport. That’s because the EHF through their webtv platform will be broadcasting live all four matches from the Champions League Final Four in Cologne. The Chekov Medvedi – Barcelona semifinal will start at 3:30 PM Central European Time and the 2nd semifinal between Kiel – Ciudad Real will start at 6:00 PM. This time difference is 6 hours to the U.S. East Coast and 9 hours (breakfast time) to where I live. The EHF has already started posting videos with interviews conducted by Tom Ó Brannagáin, who will be providing English language commentary for all four matches.

If for some reason, you are out and about this weekend the games will also be available on demand. Generally, the EHF posts them a few hours after the match, but sometimes there’s a 24 delay. And be forewarned, if you want to watch without knowing the outcome you might want to open the webpage with a sheet of paper handy and a glazed look to avoid finding out who wins. Last year, I was very disappointed to see a Ciudad Real player hoisting the trophy on the lead in picture. I’ve been told they won’t do that again, but it won’t hurt to be cautious just in case.

And for what likely will be an unusual perspective on the Final Four you also might want to check out a blog by an American relatively new to the sport. Mary Chapman is a recent graduate of Rice University and actually won a scholarship to go to Europe and learn more about Handball. A scholarship to go to the Final Four? Where do I apply for next year?

ehfTV: www.ehftv.com

Final Four Handball Blog: http://usateamhandball.org/blogs/blog-for-mary-chapman

Video: Best Goal of the Weekend

Posted on by

Courtesy of Kenn Tomasch, my play by play partner for last weekend’s championship game, here’s the goal at the end of overtime that put New England in the final. Not sure what #10, Piotr Gospodarzec, the second player on the left in NYC's wall was thinking. His hands are up in a V shape, almost inviting Marco Betsch to shoot there.

Video: http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?p=3253

AUDIO: Interview with USA Team Handball Chairman, Dieter Esch

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:57 — 6.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

During a break in the action at last weekend’s National Championships, USA Team Handball (USATH) Chairman, Dieter Esch and board member, Jeff Utz sat down with me for a nearly hour long interview/discussion. The interview is focused on USATH’s relations with other handball organizations (IHF, PATHF, HBL, etc) and the upcoming Germany-Poland friendly match that will take place on July 17th in Chicago.

In the wide ranging discussion, Mr. Esch doesn’t hesitate to express his opinion and notably he candidly expresses his dissatisfaction with IHF President, Mr. Hassan Moustafa in regards to his private consulting contract with the IHF’s TV partner, as well as a lack of business sense in regards to emerging markets.

THN (23 Jan 10):IHF President Moustafa had lucrative private contract with IHF’s TV partner: Link
THN (10 Feb 10): IOC President Rogge comments on Moustafa’s contract with Sportfive: Link

Legal (and rewarding) border crossings

Posted on by

These days, when border security and migration are hot political topics in the U.S., and pros and cons of the trade agreements with Canada and Mexico remain a matter of debate, it is reassuring to observe that in the world of handball there is still room for a friendly and undisputed interchange across our northern and southern borders!

As John noted in his posting from the U.S. Nationals yesterday, a team from Houston was totally dominant on the women’s side, but the remarkable discovery was that they were really a team consisting of Mexicans; no, not ‘guest workers’ in the traditions of Texas, but very temporary guests from Monterrey and other areas close to the border. Monterrey has been one of the prime locations for handball in Mexico in recent years, and it has been a natural thing for them to collaborate with the handball folks in Houston who are also a bit isolated from the nearest handball ‘hot spots’ within the U.S. And this time they took the step of providing an entire team to fly the colors of the Houston Firehawks, fully in accordance with the regulations for the U.S. Nationals. (And, yes, they do have visas for the U.S…. this is what made the entire endeavor feasible!)

Some observers noted that Mexico had qualified as a substitute team for the ‘under-21’ World Championship later this year, so there was some speculation about a connection with the team representing Houston, especially as the team seemed to be very well prepared and cohesive. However, there is no such connection, and the team has to cover its own expenses, as there is no specific support from the Mexican Federation; of course, this does not mean that the Federation is not proud to have one of its teams do so well north of the border. It also appears that the star of the team, who was voted MVP at the U.S. Nationals, is currently playing for a Spanish club.

Then we move to the Canadian side of the border. This year, the Canadian and the U.S. Nationals took place during the same weekend. The Canadian event was held in Edmonton, Alberta. Although the Canadian Championship is based on a competition among teams representing the respective provinces, the Canadians still see it as an ‘open’ event, where teams from the U.S. are welcome to participate. Such cross-border participation might not have seemed natural this year, precisely as the two Nationals coincided, but one of the traditionally strongest U.S. club teams, Condors, was in Edmonton nevertheless.

The Condors had committed to the Canadian event long before the U.S. Nationals were moved from its tentative date in July to this past weekend. Moreover, it seems that the Condors had some scheduling conflict for the tournament where they would have needed to qualify for the ‘Elite’ division. In any case, the Condors became a very popular participant in Canada, especially due to the spectacular play of up-and-coming star Gary Hines and the veteran star Darrick Heath, still showing some of his patented moves. In the end, however, the Condors ran out of steam a bit, drawing on only one goalkeeper and seven court players. They qualified for the bronze medal game but lost. The medal winners on the men’s side were: Alberta, Quebec, and Manitoba.

During the Championship weekend, the Canadians also held their election congress. After about eight years as President, Ward Hrabi was ousted. (My interview with Ward from a few months ago can be found here: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.911 ) It seems likely that inter-province politics played a role. Ward has always been a ‘straight shooter’, standing up for sound principles and strong beliefs. This was often particularly obvious when he was ready to take on the Pan American federation establishment, on occasions when the South Americans were all too ready to run roughshod over the legitimate interests of the North Americans. He has always been a strong proponent of U.S.-Canadian collaboration and interchange. So also in USA Handball there are reasons to be grateful to Ward for his efforts over many years. I bet he will not quit as referee, so perhaps we will he see him in that capacity at the 2011 U.S. Nationals!? We wish him well, and the same goes for his successor, Rick Ryll from Alberta.

2010 U.S. Club National Championship (Final Notes)

Posted on by

[b]Women from Mars (aka the Houston Firehawks): [/b]The Houston Firehawks concluded their clean sweep of the women’s competition with a 38-25 victory over defending champion, Chicago Inter. Houston won all of their games in convincing fashion with none of their matches ever being in doubt. Just who are these gals anyway?

During World War II, the U.S. project to build the Atomic bomb was a massive undertaking that required thousands of scientists and engineers. One small group of immigrants mostly from Hungary, however, played a key role in putting together the theoretical underpinnings vital to its success. One German scientist theorized that it was impossible that these geniuses were all from Hungary and that they were really Martians that wanted to stop Hitler and they were just pretending to be Hungarian as it was an obscure country with a language that few people spoke.

Sorry for the strange diatribe, but I was simply amazed with the talent, fitness and skill level of the Houston Firehawks team. I know they say there all from Mexico, but seriously they don’t handball there do they? And surely it’s impossible that a group of young Mexican girls (most of the team is either under 21 or close to it) could totally dominate an American Club Championships. I mean it really was a minor victory for Chicago Inter to cut the lead to 4 goals in the 2nd half. No, they must be from Mars or somewhere else.

Regardless, this is a dramatic wakeup call for the U.S. Federation. I’m sure the Mexicans are getting some level of Government support for this Junior National Team, but I’m guessing it’s not any more substantial than our current level of private funding. Trust me, if a young group of Americans were able to run circles around our expat laden club teams we would be trumpeting that success like there was no tomorrow. Models to copy and learn from can come from surprising places. Maybe we shouldn’t be looking eastward over the ocean to Europe, but just a few miles to the south. Perhaps we could copy what they’ve done and add in a few 6 footers to the team to one up them.

[b]LA grinds out a victory[/b]: The LA Team Handball Club played strong defense in the first half to build up a big lead. They then beat back a determined New England comeback for a 25-20 victory. New England had difficulty with LA’s 6-0 defense as they struggled to find gaps or shoot over the top. In the goal, Gabe Goodreau played outstanding earning Most Valuable Goalie honors for the tournament. Another factor to LA’s success was a deep bench that allowed key players more rest throughout the tournament.

[b]Miami wins a title[/b]: Miami won the Men’s open title and sent two teams to Las Vegas. My understanding is that the teams consisted of former Miami Sharks players as well as new recruits. Obviously, there is some development going on there. Maybe it’s time for the Handball knowledgeable people in South Florida to get on board instead of standing on the sidelines.
Miami Sharks Website Home Page: Miami Sharks is still here: http://www.miamisharksteamhandball.org/

[b]Lots of Euros[/b]: This was my first National Championship since 2004 and the bulk of my previous attendance was in the 1990’s. Memories can be hazy and biased, but I would assess that the level of play for the top men’s teams is a little lower than my “glory days.” This can be attributed to fewer American National team players being sprinkled amongst the top side. Most of the teams in Vegas were predominantly expat in composition. Such teams have always been around in U.S. club handball, but currently missing is a top notch, primarily American side like the old Sushi Masters, Condors and NYAC/Garden City clubs of my heyday. On the Women’s side it is even more striking. To be fair, however, I don’t think that there has ever been a longstanding club of American based women players. More often than not, the American clubs were temporarily put together by current and former national team players prior to the National Championships.

[b]Commentating at courtside[/b]: I enjoyed the experience of providing the color commentary for the Men’s and Women’s final. It certainly was nice to not have to do it solo as I did in Miami. I now have a healthy appreciation for those that perform such duties on a regular basis. At home, I certainly find myself yelling far less at my TV set, “you’re a know nothing idiot.”

[b]Running out of time[/b]: Sunday was a hectic day and I did not find time to sit down with USATH GM Steve Pastorino. Rest assured, however, as Steve has agreed to discuss in more detail U.S. National Team plans and development efforts. I hope to have an indepth interview in the next week or so.

IHF Extraordinary Congress postponed until 2011

Posted on by

In an announcement by the IHF, it appears that the plans for holding an Extraordinary Congress in the near future have now been cancelled, after the plans for such an event in Rome last month had to be abandoned due to the major air traffic disruptions.

The announcement, which is rather poorly written and hard to comprehend, http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=57&idart=2731 at least makes it clear that the Extra Congress will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2011. Undoubtedly, this means that it will be held immediately prior to the Ordinary Congress that was already awarded to Morocco, so that the efforts and expenses involved with a separate event can be avoided.

The practical implications of such a long delay are unclear. It could be argued that it would provide more time for negotiations to take place, with the objective of coming up with more appropriate proposals for changes in the Statutes. Perhaps more nations will realize that the existing proposals simply are unacceptable. On the other hand, cynics would argue that it also provides more time for 'political' efforts aimed at strengthening the voting support for the IHF President's intentions to increase his power. Time will tell…

2010 U.S. Club National Championship (Day 2 Notes)

Posted on by

[b]Men’s Semifinal Classic[/b]: The New England Freeze and the defending champions, New York City played an overtime thriller last night. The match was a see-saw affair with NYC establishing an early lead and NE rallying in the second half. NYC was able to hang on for a tie in regulation despite NE having a 6 on 4 advantage in the closing minutes. In overtime the game appeared to be headed to penalty throws with only an end of game 9 meter free throw left. The Freeze’s Marco Betsch, however, was able to find an opening in the wall to score the winning goal. New England will take on Los Angeles, which easily dispatched Houston 23-17

[b]Men’s Semifinal Classic #2[/b]: I was focused on the NE-NYC match, but right next to us on the center court, Miami and Denver needed penalty throws to decide who would advance to the Men’s Open Finals. Miami was the victor and they will face Minnesota in the finals.

[b]Women’s Final[/b]: This year’s final will feature the defending champion Chicago Inter and last year’s 3rd place side, the Houston Firehawks. It should be an interesting match with contrasting styles. Houston plays a fast paced game while Chicago Inter plays a more traditional half court game.

[b]Why crossover games are important[/b]: Today’s men’s elite finalists both placed 2nd in their respective pools. LA lost to NYC and NE lost to Houston in pool play. Both sides, however, won in the semifinals where it counted. A format without crossovers would have pitted NYC and Houston in the final.

[b]A very quiet town hall meeting[/b]: USATH GM Steve Pastorino and Board Chairman Dieter Esch spoke for about 25 minutes to around 50 members in attendance. A few details concerning U.S. National planning were revealed/confirmed. Resources are focused on 2016 Olympic qualification, but U.S. players will be allowed to self-finance an attempt for 2012 qualification. The first step in that process will be qualification matches vs. Canada later this year. It was also announced that there are preliminary plans for a USA match prior to the 17 July, Poland-Germany match in Chicago. As to why the meeting was quiet?: Only one question (where will Nationals be next year?) was asked by the audience. The answer for that question is TBD, but the plans are for May next year. I was a little surprised at the disinterest shown, but perhaps everyone is getting their questions answered offline.

[b]A chat with the AAC Rep[/b]: I sat down for a short interview with David Thompson, the men’s Athlete’s Advisory Council (AAC) Representative. As the AAC rep David also sits on the Board of Directors. We discussed his role and his position concerning the decision to not provide financial support to 2012 qualification. This interview as well as the town hall meeting will be posted later.

[b]Live Broadcasts[/b]: The men’s and women’s elite finals will be broadcast live today at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM (Pacific Time (GMT-8) today. Kenn Tomasch will do the play by play and yours truly will be providing the color commentary.

2010 U.S. Club National Championship (Day 1 Notes)

Posted on by

[b]The Facilities[/b]: The setup at the South Point Casino/Hotel has 3 full courts side by side allowing for easy viewing of multiple ongoing matches. Other than a few minor problems have been encountered with the behind the goal netting the tournament has run fairly smoothly.

[b]Local Club Makes Good[/b]: The Las Vegas Scorpions got off to a great start with 2 victories in pool play (28-15 against Salt Lake City and 21-19 against NYC’s 2nd team). We play Seattle early Saturday morning to decide the Group D winner. A couple of very satisfying outcomes for a group of players who’ve only practiced 5 times before. The Las Vegas Review-Journal also stopped by and did a great story on our club.
Las Vegas Review Journal (22 Mar 10): TEAM HANDBALL: New to the sport, Hartung thrives quickly in South Point event: http://www.lvrj.com/sports/new-to-the-sport–hartung-thrives-quickly-in-south-point-event-94647484.html
VIDEO: 1st ever Las Vegas Scorpions goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yn2YHtkVyQ (Trivia question answer: Fernando Bonato

[b]The Interview[/b]: I had a frank one hour exchange with USA Team Handball Chairman of the Board, Dieter Esch and Board Member Jeff Utz. In the audio interview which will be posted later on THN, Mr. Esch expresses his disappointment with the IHF leadership, highlights ongoing engagement efforts with European Handball organizations and the upcoming clash between Poland and Germany in Chicago.

[b]The Ringer from Spain[/b]: A Spanish reader of our website sent me this link to an article on Spanish player, Jokin Eransus, who is playing for the Houston Firehawks. Eranus scored over 200 goals for his club Beti Onak in the Spanish 3rd Division. According to the article, the Firehawks have paid for his airfare and accommodations in Las Vegas. The Firehawks are 2-0 and appear to be on their way to the Semifinals. This acquisition could pay off if the Firehawks win the title and collect the “prize money” for first place. Regardless, this development will certainly help U.S. Handball development. (Note: Just in case you missed the obvious, there is no prize money and the last two sentences are mocking sarcasm.)
Diariodenavarra.es (20 May 10): (To Las Vegas to play handball: http://www.diariodenavarra.es/20100520/navarra/a-vegas-jugar-balonmano.html?not=2010052001015983&idnot=2010052001015983&dia=20100520&seccion=navarra&seccion2=sociedad&chnl=10&ph=8 (Note: The Handball National Championships are not being played in the arena depicted. The games are being played in the Conference Center)

That’s all for now. Hopefully, another report either later today or tomorrow.