Olympic Handball Preview (30 Jul: Men’s Group Play; Match Day 4)

Posted on July 29, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Friday, 30 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal

Group A

Argentina vs Brazil (-.5) (Thursday, 2000 US ET; Friday, 0200 CET; Friday, 0900 Local)
France vs Spain (Pick’em) (Friday, 0115 US ET; Friday, 0715 CET; Friday, 1415 Local)
Germany vs Norway (-1) (Friday, 0830 US ET; Friday, 1430 CET; Friday, 2130 Local)

Group B

Bahrain vs Japan (-1) (Thursday, 2200 US ET; Friday, 0400 CET; Friday, 1100 Local)
Sweden (-1) vs Egypt (Friday, 0315 US ET; Friday, 0915 CET; Friday, 1615 Local)
Portugal vs Denmark (-5.5) (Friday, 0630 US ET; Friday, 1230 CET; Friday, 1930 Local)

Olympic Handball Preview (29 Jul: Women’s Group Play; Match Day 3) —

Posted on July 28, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Tuesday, 27 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal
NBC Live Streams Replays

Group A

Netherlands (-7.5) vs Angola (Wednesday, 2000 US ET; Thursday, 0200 CET; Thursday, 0900 Local)
Japan vs S Korea (-3) (Thursday, 0115 US ET; Thursday, 0715 CET; Thursday, 1415 Local)
Montenegro vs Norway (-5.5) (Thursday, 0315 US ET; Thursday, 0915 CET; Thursday, 1615 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S at 11:15 AM US ET on the NBC Sports Network

Group B

Spain (-1) vs Brazil (-2.5) (Wednesday, 2200 US ET; Thursday, 0400 CET; Thursday, 1100 Local)
Hungary vs Russia (-3) (Thursday, 0630 US ET; Thursday, 1230 CET; Thursday, 1930 Local)
Sweden vs France (-1) (Thursday, 0830 US ET; Thursday, 1430 CET; Thursday, 2130 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S at 2:00 PM US ET on the NBC Sports Network

Olympic Handball Preview (28 Jul: Men’s Group Play; Match Day 3)

Posted on July 27, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Wednesday, 28 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal

Group A

Norway (-7.5) vs Argentina (Wednesday, 0315 US ET; Wednesday, 0915 CET; Wednesday, 1615 Local)
Brazil vs Spain (-5.5) (Wednesday, 0630 US ET; Wednesday, 1230 CET; Wednesday, 1930 Local)
France (-1.5) vs Germany (Wednesday, 0830 US ET; Wednesday, 1430 CET; Wednesday, 2130 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S. on the NBC Sports Network at 1:30 PM US ET

Group B

Denmark (-9.5) vs Bahrain (Tuesday, 2000 US ET; Wednesday, 0200 CET; Wednesday, 0900 Local)
Sweden (-1.5) vs Portugal (Tuesday, 2200 US ET; Wednesday, 0400 CET; Wednesday, 1100 Local)
Japan vs Egypt (-6) (Wednesday, 0115 US ET; Wednesday, 0715 CET; Wednesday, 1415 Local)

Olympic Handball Preview (27 Jul: Women’s Group Play; Match Day 2)

Posted on July 26, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Tuesday, 27 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal
NBC Live Streams Replays

Group A

Japan vs Montenegro (-7) (Monday, 2000 US ET; Tuesday, 0200 CET; Tuesday, 0900 Local)
S Korea vs Netherlands (-5.5) (Tuesday, 0315 US ET; Tuesday, 0915 CET; Tuesday, 1615 Local)
Angola vs Norway (-12.5) (Tuesday, 0630 US ET; Tuesday, 1230 CET; Tuesday, 1930 Local)

Group B

Brazil vs Hungary (-2.5) (Monday, 2200 US ET; Tuesday, 0400 CET; Tuesday, 1100 Local)
Sweden vs Russia (-2.5) (Tuesday, 0115 US ET; Tuesday, 0715 CET; Tuesday, 1415 Local)
France (-4.5) vs Spain (Tuesday, 0830 US ET; Tuesday, 1430 CET; Tuesday, 2130 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S at 10:00 AM US ET on the NBC Sports Network

Olympic Handball Preview (26 Jul: Men’s Group Play; Match Day 2)

Posted on July 25, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Monday, 26 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal

Group A

Brazil vs France (-6.5) (Sunday, 2000 US ET; Monday, 0200 CET; Monday, 0900 Local)
Argentina vs Germany (-6.5) (Sunday, 2200 US ET; Monday, 0400 CET; Monday, 1100 Local)
Spain vs Norway (Pick’em) (Monday, 0315 US ET; Monday, 0915 CET; Monday, 1615 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S. at 1:45 PM on the NBC Sports Network

Group B

Egypt vs Denmark (-4.5) (Monday, 0115 US ET; Monday, 0715 CET; Monday, 1415 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S. at 10:00 AM on the NBC Sports Network
Bahrain vs Portugal (-4.5) (Monday, 0630 US ET; Monday, 1230 CET; Monday, 1930 Local)
Japan vs Sweden (-10.5) (Monday, 0830 US ET; Monday, 1430 CET; Monday, 2130 Local)

Olympic Handball Preview (25 Jul: Women’s Group Play; Match Day 1)

Posted on July 24, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Sunday, 25 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal
NBC Live Streams Replays

Group A

Netherlands (-4.5) vs Japan (Saturday, 2000 US ET; Sunday, 0200 CET; Sunday, 0900 Local)
Montenegro (-5) vs Angola (Sunday, 0115 US ET; Sunday, 0715 CET; Sunday, 1415 Local)
Norway (-6.5) vs S Korea (Sunday, 0315 US ET; Sunday, 0915 CET; Sunday, 1615 Local)
- Rebroadcast in U.S. at 10:00 AM ET on the NBC Sports Network

Group B

Russia (-5.5) vs Brazil (Saturday, 2200 US ET; Sunday, 0400 CET; Sunday, 1100 Local)
Spain (-0.5) vs Sweden (Sunday, 0630 US ET; Sunday, 1230 CET; Sunday, 1930 Local)
- Rebroadcast in the U.S at 12:30 PM US ET on the USA Network
Hungary vs France (-2.5) (Sunday, 0830 US ET; Sunday, 1430 CET; Sunday, 2130 Local)

Olympic Handball Preview (24 Jul: Men’s Group Play; Match Day 1)

Posted on July 22, 2021 by John Ryan

These 6 Group Play matches will be played in Japan on Saturday, 24 July
Japan is 7 hours ahead of CET; 13 hours ahead of US ET
- Japan (Local) Match start times: 0900, 1100, 1415, 1615, 1930 and 2130
- CET Match start times: 0200, 0400, 0715, 0915, 1230, 1430
- US ET Match start times: 2000, 2200 (day before); 0115, 0315, 0630, 0830
Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal
NBC Live Streams Replays

Group A

Norway (-7) vs Brazil (Friday, 2000 US ET; Saturday, 0200 CET; Saturday, 0900 Local)
France (-6.5) vs Argentina (Friday, 2200 US ET; Saturday, 0400 CET; Saturday, 1100 Local)
Germany vs Spain (-1.5) (Saturday, 0315 US ET; Saturday, 0915 CET; Saturday, 1615 Local)

Group B

Sweden (-9) vs Bahrain (Saturday, 0115 US ET; Saturday, 0715 CET; Saturday, 1415 Local)
Portugal (Pick’em) vs Egypt (Saturday, 0630 US ET; Saturday, 1230 CET; Saturday, 1930 Local)
Denmark (-7.5) vs Japan (Saturday, 0830 US ET; Saturday, 1430 CET; Saturday, 2130 Local)

Podcast (Episode 80): Colton Strickler of Colorado XO Rugby (Part 2): A Rugby Guy with a lot of Handball Questions and What Handball Might Learn from the New U.S. Pro Rugby League?

Posted on July 18, 2021 by John Ryan

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:32 — 56.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Colton Strickler is a media representative for DNVR Rugby. In the first part of our discussion we focused on the Colorado XO Rugby Club that is focused on rugby training for crossover or “talent transfer” athletes from other sports. In the 2nd part I let Colton ask some handball newbie questions he has as a rugby guy. Then we discuss Major League Rugby (MLR), the relatively new pro rugby competition in the U.S. and the inherent challenges with starting a new professional league.

Some of the topics discussed during our Handball Q&A session
- Did Jake Plummer play handball? Yes, but the wrong handball: Link
- The semantic problems of handball/team handball: Link
- How should a newcomer watch a handball match?
- The success/failure rate for handball keepers
- Where handball can be seen during the Olympics: Link
- How handball is organized in Europe
- Who is the Handball GOAT and who are the top players today?
- Handball in Denver: Denver Direwolves: Website Facebook Instagram
- Rugby/Handball Parallels in terms of crossover development
  - Can athletes be convinced to transfer to new sports at younger ages?
  - Will those athletes eventually get overtaken by higher caliber athletes?
- NFL Players playing handball vs a Pro Club in Hungary
  - Earlier podcast with former NFL TE Gary Barnidge: Link
- Why did the Handball community get mad when Jay Cutler said he could lead U.S. to Olympic Gold?
  - Some background on Cutlergate: Link
- Why some positions in both sports are harder to crossover to
- What aspects of game play are easier to transition to in both sports
- Why not going out of bounds in rugby is like learning to use 3 steps in handball

Major League Rugby (MLR) Discussion (MLR Website)
- How the MLR is financed?
  - Similar to the MLS structure
  - Several multi-millionaires including, Adam Gilcrest, who owns the F45 Fitness Centers
    - Bob Rich, the billionaire handball player: Link
- Challenges new leagues have with attendance and the optics of empty seats
- Bottom Line: New leagues usually lose money… until they finally sign a good TV deal that pays
- Player salaries: Low end to high end; Salary cap of ~$500K; and creative ways around the cap
  - Matt Giteau, a sort of David Beckham for the MLR
- The importance of making match video readily available. Handball: ehfTV Rugby: The Rugby Network

Colorado XO Website: Link
Colorado XO Rugby on Social Media
- Facebook: Link
- Twitter: Link
- Instagram: Link
- YouTube: Link
DNVR Rugby Website: Link
DNVR Twitter: Link
Colton Strickler on Twitter: Link

Don’t miss an episode:

Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
Follow the Team Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

European Beach Handball Championships on beIN Sports XTRA

Posted on July 13, 2021 by John Ryan

The European Beach Handball Championship currently taking place in Bulgaria can be seen in the U.S., as usual, on ehfTV, but this this year there’s another option: beIN Sports XTRA. beIN Sports XTRA is a free web streaming channel that can be seen on PlutoTV, Samsung TV, Roku TV and others and this should provide an excellent discovery opportunity for new beach handball fans.

Schedule for Wednesday and Thursday (All Times are US ET)

Wednesday, July 14
- 3:00 PM: Spain vs Denmark – Women
- 3:30 PM: Spain vs Norway – Men
- 4:00 PM: Ukraine vs Bulgaria – Women
- 4:30 PM: Germany vs Portugal – Men
- 5:00 PM: Norway vs Denmark – Men

Thursday, July 15:
- 3:00 PM: Bulgaria vs Spain – Women
- 3:30 PM: Russia vs Germany – Men
- 4:00 PM: Bulgaria vs Denmark – Women
- 4:30 PM: Greece vs France – Men

Matches will also be shown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the schedule can be accessed here: Link

How to Watch beIN Sports XTRA on Roku: To watch on your Roku, go to your home screen and look for the “Roku Channel” icon. It’s a streaming channel just like Netflix or Hulu and should be readily available. (If not, you can add it just like you would any other channel.) Click on the Roku Channel icon and then scroll down until you see “beIN Sports XTRA” icon. Click on it and the channel should start playing. It’s live so, there are commercials just like what you would see on a TV channel.

How to Watch Over The Air: The Roku channel is also available “Over the Air” on digital channels in several U.S. cities: List of Channels and Cities: Link

Podcast (Episode 79): Colton Strickler of Colorado XO Rugby (Part 1): Has this Rugby Club Cracked the Code for Successful Talent Transfer?

Posted on July 12, 2021 by John Ryan

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:30 — 46.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Colton Strickler is a media representative for DNVR Rugby. The Colorado XO Rugby Club is a rugby club located in Glendale, Colorado that is focused on rugby training for crossover or “talent transfer” athletes from other sports. In just 2 years time this program has had 6 athletes sign pro rugby contracts with Major League Rugby, the relatively new pro rugby competition started in the U.S.

On the podcast we discuss:

Why Rugby’s experience is applicable to handball
- The XO athlete that triggered this whole podcast: Link
Colton’s rugby background
Rugby talent transfer: Rugby 7s vs Rugby 15s
How the Colorado XOs got started
Colorado XO Recruiting Strategies
Sports the XOs target
The limited post collegiate options for American athletes
Colorado XO finances (generalities, not specifics)
How the Colorado XO schedule is a bit like Notre Dame football
The program’s connection with USA Rugby
Coaching and training regimen

Colorado XO Website: Link
Colorado XO Rugby on Social Media
- Facebook: Link
- Twitter: Link
- Instagram: Link
- YouTube: Link
DNVR Rugby Website: Link
DNVR Twitter: Link
Colton Strickler on Twitter: Link

Don’t miss an episode:

Subscribe on YouTube: Link (Earliest Availability)
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: Link
Follow the Team Handball News podcast on Spotify: Link
Or use this RSS Feed to sign up for the podcast in your favorite podcast aggregator: Link

And, be sure to check out the podcast archive with interviews and great handball discussion going all the way back to 2006: Link

Handball Web Streaming This Weekend (9-11 July 2021)

Posted on July 9, 2021 by John Ryan

**Germany take on Brazil in a Friendly Match Today at 2015 CET.**

More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

Three Nation Tournament: Video Link (VPN may be required; More info; What I use)
- Free IHF Manager Contest: Overview Contest Site
  - 1st and 2nd place win 5,000 Swiss Francs ($5,465)
- Germany (-4.5) vs Brazil (Friday, 2015 CET)
- Brazil vs Egypt (-3) (Saturday, 1445 CET)
- Germany vs Egypt (Sunday, 1505 CET)

European Youth Tournaments

On ehfTV there are 4 live feeds for the Youth Beach Championships and there are 20 U19 Women’s matches.
ehfTV Schedule: Link

American Athletes in Action

There are several USA women participating in the Budapest Beach Handball Cup. If there are any live streams available for their matches the links will be added here.

Shaq and Tim Tebow Throwing Handballs (Actually Dodgeballs, but it Gives you and Idea of What Might have Been)

Posted on July 6, 2021 by John Ryan

**Could of, Should of, Would of…. Tim Tebow and Team Handball**

The other day, the NBA studio show, Inside the NBA, staged a dodge ball match. And, since Shaquille O’Neal has reportedly expressed some interest in supporting handball’s development in the U.S. it was fun to see him actually throw a handball sized ball around a bit. This video shows Shaq in action:

Shaq’s 49 years old now, though, so it was a bit hard to envision the theoretical dominant force I think he would have been if handball had been his chosen sport.

While searching for that video, this video of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow playing dodgeball and drilling Shaq also popped up.

In my opinion, this video supports what has been discussed for 10 years now. That Tim Tebow would have been a phenomenal handball player. I know, I know…it’s just celebrity dodgeball, but you can still see it. He’s got the arm (lefty), the moves and the mentality of a handball player.

Alas, he continued to believe that he had a future as an NFL quarterback. Then he gave baseball a try. I had thought he had finally resigned himself to being just a football commentator, but earlier this year he announced that he was going to give the NFL a try yet again, this time as tight end.

This is yet more fuel to my theory that he could have been a great handball player. Why, in this commentary I posited that the the 2 best football positions to target for crossover potential to handball are tight ends and mobile quarterbacks. Now Tebow is actually taking a crack at an NFL career in both positions. (That’s got to be a first.) It remains to be seen if this latest venture will also end in failure. Now 33 years old, it’s too late for handball. And, it’s probably too late for tight end too.

Handball Web Streaming This Weekend (2-4 July 2021)

Posted on July 2, 2021 by John Ryan

**Christine Mansour can be seen in action this weekend with Dutch club, Kras Volendam**

More information on where to find web streams for National Team, Professional Club and USA Competitions: Link
For regular updates on when and where handball matches can be streamed online follow Team Handball News on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram

All times are CET which is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM and/or OddsPortal.

American Athletes in Action

The Rip Beach Handball Club wraps up their European journey with the Nazares, Portugal stop on the Arena Handball Tour. Many of the athletes playing for Rip Beach are also members of the USA Beach Handball National Team.

Also, on the Women’s side some American National Team players, Christine Mansour and Missy Sponagle are playing with Dutch side Kras Volendam. I will post the scheduled match times and results when they are available. They also will surely be available on Rip Beach Handball’s social media platforms

Rip Beach Handball: Facebook Instagram
Spanish YouTube Site: Link (There are 2 live streams for courts 1 and 2)
Match Schedule (Rip Beach Handball):
- Rip Beach Handball is in Pool C of the Men’s Open Division: Schedule Standings
  - Rip Beach Handball – Core Global BM Playa Parla 2:1 (30:32;25:24;11:10)
  - Rip Beach Handball – Playa Rayito Salinero 1:2 (22:18;18:24;6:7)
    - Video Link (only a portion of the match is available)
- Knockout Bracket
  - Round of 16 Rip Beach Handball vs CBMP City of Malaga 0:2 (20:28;17:24)
    - Video Link (Link is set to beginning of the match)
Match Schedule (Kras Volendam):
- Kras Volendam is in Pool C of the Women’s Open Division: Schedule Standings
  - Kras Volendam – Antua 2:0 (26:8;14:10)
  - Kras Volendam vs Playa Alcala 2:1 (23:22;26:29;6:4)
    - Video Link (Slide bar left to the beginning. Only the shootout is available)
  - Kras Volendam vs BHCE Plan B 0:2 (15:23;20:27)
    - Video Link (Link is set to the beginning of the match)
- There was a 3 way tie in the Pool and Volendam was 3rd in the group on tiebreakers so they didn’t advance to the Knockout stage.

Other Matches this Weekend

NACHC Qualification for the Jr PANAM Games:
- NACHC Website: Link
- All Times below are US ET
- 1 July, 2021
  - 1630 Dominican Republic 30, Cuba 36 Video Link
  - 1830 Mexico 27, Puerto Rico 21 Video Link
    - Due to a roster eligibility issue Puerto Rico was declared the winner of this match
- 2 July, 2021
  - 1630 Dominican Republic 30 vs Mexico 28 Video Link
  - 1830 Puerto Rico 25 vs Cuba 34 Video Link
- 3 July, 2021
  - 1630 Dominican Republic 34 vs Puerto Rico 28 Video Link
  - 1830 Cuba 27 vs Mexico 30 Video Link