A Day To Forget

Fun times

Lots of traffic

Flat as a pancake

Please help us-- we are gypsies from America

Getting ready for the QB challenge

Kodie along the harbor in Helsinki

Upensky Cathedral in Helsinki

Father and son find another cathedral

Sightseeing boat coming into the harbor

Kodie found a car he liked

Thursday was the day for the Maple League press conference in Helsinki. Kodie was along for the trip as well as Mikey. We picked up one of our American imports early Thursday at the Helsinki airport and then headed to a local stadium for the press conference. About a mile before we reached the stadium, we were pulled over by two Finnish cops. About 30 seconds after being pulled over, they extended a tube towards my mouth as if I knew the drill. I had been drinking profusely, but fortunately it was only water. I passed their first test with flying colors, but the fiasco was just getting underway. I spent the next hour in the back of a Finnish squad car, while they talked on their cell phones and wrote down all my license information. They said that my car lacked the necessary registration stickers, so they were going to have to fine me. After about 30 minutes, the story changed and they said that the taxes on the car were not paid. Therefore, they decided to take the license plates off the car and issue me a 66 euro fine for delinquent taxes on the vehicle. After receiving the paperwork, I climbed back in the car and headed to the press conference. The press conference lasted about an hour as each team was introduced and representatives from each team would say a word or two about their teams. I was there to represent the Crocodiles along with our team president and one of our players. The league looks solid from top to bottom this year and there were many great athletes present from each team. There was even a QB there from USC who backed up Carson Palmer and then Matt Leinhart. After the introductions, everybody headed outside for a QB competition and then lunch was served. There was another scheduled speaker at 2pm who was there to discuss adjusting to life in Finland. We had to skip this session because of the 4 hour drive back to Seinajoki for our 5:30 pm practice. We loaded up the car and pulled out around 1:45.

About 15 kilometers from the stadium, there was a popping sound and the car started swerving. We had a blowout while driving down the interstate. Fortunately, we were only going about 55-60 mph. I was able to get pulled off alongside the interstate less than a few feet from the edge of the right hand lane. We all got out of the car as traffic was zooming by at more than 70mph. We had a spare tire, but the tools to remove it were at the apartment in Seinajoki. About 10 minutes into the ordeal, an older man stopped to help. As it turned out, he was a Lutheran priest. There were some major language barriers, but he offered help in the form of some tools. Now of course, these were different from what we are used to in the states. On top of this, this car has a suspension system that is unlike anything I could adequately explain. The car raises up off the ground before you can drive it. Before this happens, it sits so low to the ground that you would struggle to get a ruler underneath it without touching the bottom undercarriage of the vehicle. Mikey took the lead and fiddled with the jack for a bit. The jack we had was inadequate, so I went with the guy to look for an auto repair shop and seek some help. We did manage to locate a jack and returned to the car about 30 minutes later. To make a long story short, Mikey risked life and limb to put the spare on as traffic whipped by close enough to reach out and touch. There were other complications along the way, but I won't go into all the details. Let's just say that it was a very challenging situation. Finally, the spare was on and we headed off to find another tire shop to put on in place of the spare. We ended up purchasing two tires and having them put on so we could drive back to Seinajoki. So 140 euros later, we were on our way in the pouring rain. We got back to town around 10:00 pm last night and missed the entire practice. Without question, this was my worst day since I arrived here. The day had actually started off rocky too as my son Kodie woke up with a painful ear ache. Fortunately, Kodie improved as the day went on. That was something to be thankful for on an otherwise miserable day. Oh yeah, the Lutheran priest was an angel sent from above too. Without his help, we would have been in a real tight spot. Kudos to Mikey as well for being our tire man on this day.

Lights out.

1st Maple League Game

Crocodile Dlineman Thomas Ceken plays with great intensity and is a very physical player. He is one of the many Finnish players who demonstrate great skill and ability on the field. If I was in a foxhole, Thomas is the kind of guy I would want next to me.

Today we held our first practice in 4 days and started to gear up for our 1st Maple League game this weekend. We looked a bit rusty on offense, so we have a lot of things to sort out before Saturday. I will be heading to Helsinki tomorrow and spending the night there for the scheduled league press conference on Thursday. It takes me about 4 hours to drive down to the capital city. I am scheduled to return immediately after the press conference on Thursday, and head directly to our evening practice. We will have another practice on Friday and then play at home on Saturday.
Today was a quiet day on the home front as well. We did some grocery shopping, banking, and took the kids out for a few walks and to the local playground. The kids are settling in okay. I watched the movie Cats and Dogs with the kids this afternoon and they made me promise not to tell who wins. It was a pretty good movie. We also found out today that one of Estalita's friends from high school in the UK will be coming out for a short visit in early August. His name is Paul and his girlfriend Nina will be visiting as well. Paul was at the reunion that Estalita had with her high school friends last March during our spring visit to England. We look forward to seeing them and showing them around Seinajoki.

Lights out.

Getting ready for our 1st visitor

Checking out the fountain on walk to the Seinajoki city market place

Getting ready to assemble these parts for some Finnish guacamole

Tower in Seinajoki

Our guacamole kit

Seinajoki City market place

This river is about a 10 minute walk from the apartment

Taking an evening stroll

Kuopio City Center Market--- where we picked up a newer coffee maker/pot for just 2 euros

The cloud formations here are amazing.

Another pic from Kuopio

Kuopio City Center

Kuopio City Harbour

Kuopio Marina

Today we did some errands and got caught up on some laundry and cleaning after our weekend away in Kuopio. I went with one of the guys from the Crocodiles management to a sports center about 30 kilometers from Seinajoki. We were there to discuss American football in Finland with a group of newspaper sportswriters from around western Finland. There were about 15 writers there including one female writer from Seinajoki. Our team rep. did a powerpoint for them and then answered a series of questions. All of this was in Finnish so I was limited in my ability to follow along. After the presentation, we went outside and did some coaching on how to properly throw and catch the football. Before we left, we got them involved in a short game of flag football. It was a good experience and something I hope to do more of during my time here.
Our management rep. said that the experience went well, but it was a bit of an icy reception at first. He commented that some people over here may tune out when it comes to anything American. In some respects, Finnish people as well as many other European nations, view Americans with a strong degree of skepticism and a dislike of our government policies. Also, we are sometimes looked upon as a nation of spoiled individuals known for gun toting, violent crime, and mega consumption. In general, the average American is keenly ignorant of how the rest of the world lives. In short, there is a degree of arrogance or feeling that we are somehow better than others. I am honestly bothered about these types of perceptions, but I also understand that these impressions are not without merit. One of the things that I want to try and do during my time here is to assimilate into the Finnish culture and not expect to try and bring America with me. I am not saying this is an easy task, but I do want to be a sort of ambassador. I am proud of my country and the fact that my grandfather risked his life half way across the world to make sure people from France, Holland, Belgium, etc... didn't have to all grow up speaking German and succumbing to the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, much of this seems long forgotten in many parts of the world. It is now imperative that younger Americans reach out to the rest of the world and educate themselves about foreign cultures. The best way to do this is to visit these places and get a taste of the way of life. If that is not possible, then one can still do research or pick up a book or newspaper to learn about the world
we live in. The only way we can improve relations with anybody or any nation is to open up our minds about them and walk a mile in their shoes.
Now on to another subject. We are preparing for a visit from a friend from the states. Mikey Moss is flying over to visit for a few weeks. He will be arriving early Wednesday afternoon into Helsinki. I have to be in Helsinki for a Maple League press conference to represent the Crocodiles team, so I will pick Mikey up when I am in the city. Many of you know Mikey. In case you don't, I will tell you a few things about him. Mikey is from El Dorado, Arkansas. He is very proud of his razorback roots. I met Mikey through coaching/teaching at Trinity and we have become closer over the years. He played four years of football for me and recently graduated from Trinity with his teaching degree. He enjoys sports, cooking, travel, and has a great way with children. We have enjoyed some good concerts together over the last few years including George Strait and Celtic Woman, and hopefully there will be many more in the future.
Mikey plans to do some exploring during his visit here in Finland. We are also making arrangements for a day trip over to Estonia with the Slivoskey family whilst he is here.

A Weekend In Finnish Lake Country

We had the weekend off due to our first bye week, so we decided to head east towards the Lake Country of Finland. Finland has over 110,000 lakes, and we probably drove past about half of those today. Well, maybe not quite that many, but it certainly was a lot. We left Seinajoki early Saturday morning and drove about 3 hours before spending half the day at an indoor water park. We had a good time there swimming in the wave pool, and cruising down the water slides. I took my son Kodie for his first Finnish sauna while Estalita took the girls for one as well. We lasted about 10 minutes in there, and he had a good time. He agreed that it was a relaxing experience, but he was somewhat bewildered at seeing so many naked people walking around.
After the water park, we drove about a half hour out to a really nice lake side town called Kuopio. We had a reservation at a hotel in the city center, so we checked in and then went out to explore on foot. Kuopio has a reputation as being one of the nicest towns in Finland and we certainly weren't disappointed. It is a very picturesque area that is literally surrounded by water and mountains. We ended up getting something to eat near the city market and then we took another stroll through the town along the harbor.
After our stroll, we went back to the room to unwind and get the kids ready for bed. Kaylin was first to go in for a shower and the next thing I knew Estalita was calling for me to come into the bathroom. Kaylin was crying hard as she had slipped in the shower and gashed her chin. Within minutes, I was on my way to a Finnish hospital for the second time since I arrived here 3 weeks ago! Estalita applied pressure to her chin while I frantically drove to the emergency room. The bleeding stopped, but the wound looked fairly deep. I dropped Estalita and the kids off at the emergency room entrance while I went to look for a parking space. To make a long story short, the doctors said it could use a stitch or two but it was up to us if we wanted to go that route. After another look, they said they might be able to treat it without administering stitches. They were sorry to inform us that it would be extra because we weren't from a European Union nation. We mentioned Estalita's British citizenship and the kids dual citizenship, so the nurse left and came back with some more info. The deal went something like this. The normal rate for emergency care was 25 Euros. They might have to charge us 110 Euros for the stitches because Kaylin didn't have a British passport in her possession. The other option was they would clean the wound, apply a glue like medical ointment and butterfly bandage the cut for no charge. We decided to opt for the second option. Meanwhile, I had to keep going out to check on the car because I couldn't find a quick place to park. I had parked in a 30 minute max area because the other parking area was around 10 euros and I didn't have cash on me. The thing that I found ironic about the whole experiece was that the paid parking would have ultimately cost us more than the emergency room visit and care. Now there is something you wouldn't find in the states. Back home, they would let you park for free, but then they would charge you 500 dollars just to make eye contact with a doctor!! Anyway, Kaylin was brave during her treatment and I am happy to report that she is doing okay.

I am amazed everyday just how different things are from the US to Europe in general. Finland is no exception to this observation. Take this grocery chain for an example. This particular chain is right across the street from my apartment. You wouldn't find a grocery store with a name like this in the states.

The open road on the drive up to Kuopio.

Here we are taking a quick break about an hour from our destination.

Marvelous view of Finnish lakeside cottages

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Kuopio, Finland

Estalita's dish of Reindeer tortellini

My stuffed cheesy chicken over tortellini was superb washed down with some tasty Finnish apple juice!!!

Rudolph (reindeer) pizza was actually on the menu at the Rosso restaurant

Kuopio Cathedral

Kodie along the Kuopio harbor

Estalita waiting for her ship to come in.

Kodie setting up to throw the long ball at the Crocodiles field.
Nice form son.

Lights out.

Lightning shortens the day

Today was the first full day in Finland for Estalita and the kids. We had planned to go shopping to pick up some groceries and things for the apartment, but a Finnish holiday changed our plans for the day. All of the businesses in town were closed up for the holiday, so we have postponed our shopping until tomorrow. All in all, it was a fairly quiet day in Seinajoki. Kodie and Kaylin woke up around 7:30 am, so I took them to the city playground while letting Estalita and Kamryn get some extra rest. Later in the day, I gave them a mini tour of the city and showed them around the practice field, dome, etc... We all left for practice around 5:30 and the weather looked fairly ominous. We have had about 10 days of straight sunshine until some clouds appeared yesterday and then continued into today. About 10 minutes into our warmup, it started to rain. It intensified as time went by and before long we were practicing in a downpour. This lasted for another 20 minutes and then the lightning started. I decided to call the practice off after the second burst of lightning. I always figure that it is best in these situations to lean towards the side of caution. The whole family got soaked to the bone on their first day here, but at least it wasn't snowing!!
We have a bye weekend coming up, so we might get out of town for a few days. One option that we are looking at is to head up to the Lake District of Finland. We are interested in visiting a town called Kuopio that we have read a lot about. It is written up in the guidebooks as a "must see" kind of town. It is surrounded by water and is known for having a great city market and plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities.

The Crocs running through some special teams.

Some dynamic warm-ups for D. Hess

One of the fresh air markets I visited along the waterfront in Helsinki

Shot of the pipe organ inside the Helsinki cathedral

The Helsinki Cathedral (A very spectacular structure)

Approaching the Cathedral

Looking out to one of the many islands in the Baltic Sea from the edge of the city

Lights out.

Bound for Helsinki

I left Seinäjoki early this morning for the drive down to Helsinki to pick up my family. I am so excited to see Estalita and our three children. They were leaving for JFK early this morning as my father-in-law was driving them up to New York for the flight over to Finland. They are scheduled to get in early Wednesday morning around 9 am Finland time. It was about a 4 hour drive down here for me today. The first half of the drive was mostly single lane driving and the last 2 hours was interstate. Two things stood out as I was making my way down here. First of all, Finland has some incredible trees. I am talking deep forested areas with thick growth and beautiful color. That was one thing that I missed while living in North Dakota over the past 6 years. Also, I was surprised by how many moose warning signs were posted along the roadside during the first half of my drive. I was definitely staying on the lookout for these large creatures. Estalita and I had several opportunities to see moose in the wild during our years living in the Rocky mountains of Utah and Montana. If a car and a moose get in a fight, the moose usually wins, so I was making sure to avoid them at all costs.
I spent a few hours this afternoon sightseeing in Helsinki before checking in to my hotel this evening. Mostly, I drove around to begin to establish my sense of direction and bearing in the city for future visits. I did spend an hour at the Helsinki city museum, which has free admission. This museum chronicles the history of Helsinki from the beginning of early civilizations up until recent times. I learned that the city was founded around the year 1550 and it has been fought over on too many occasions to mention. Most of this domination stemmed from either the Swedes or the Russians. Finland finally realized her own independence in 1917. I took a few photos of the city and the main Cathedral, but then my camera gave out on me. Therefore, I have no pictures for this posting. I plan on making up for that on my next trip to the city. There is something even more compelling about a city that is set on the water, and Helsinki doesn't disappoint. There are islands everywhere that you look out over the Baltic sea. I plan on getting out on the water at some point to get another perspective of the city. Our team plays a couple of away games down in this area over the course of the season. I hope to stay on an extra day or so with the family on a few of these trips to do more exploring in the city. 10 more hours till the family gets here!!!

Lights out.

Bound for

A Frustrating Outcome

       I wanted to get a short post in tonight before heading off to bed.  It is 2 am now and the sun will be coming up in a short while.  We lost our game earlier today to the Porvoo Butchers in overtime 27-21.  They are the defending Finnish league champions and they have some really good football players on their team.  They have a few guys with NFL Europe experience and also a few guys who have been on NFL rosters as practice squad players.  I believe one player was with the Minnesota Vikings and the other with the New York Jets.  

     Despite their talent, we played fairly well today and led the game by 8 points with under a minute to play.  They scored at the end and converted a 2 point conversion to send the game into overtime, where they ultimately won the game.

      I will have trouble getting over this game because of how much influence the officials had on the game.  Without doubt, it was the worst officiated game that I have ever been associated with.  I was certain that with 3 minutes left the game was ultimately going to go into overtime.  The officials called 5 penalties on us during this team's final drive and most of these were when we had them in a desperate and long yardage situation.  It was actually laughable and anybody that knows anything about the game could smell a rat.  I have never coached a game against 12 players, but today I experienced the frustration of what that feels like first hand.  I have had only one run in with an official during the last 6 years of coaching at the college level and it pales in comparison to what when on today.  I am sure that a new Guinness record was set today in Seinajoki, Finland.  The officials called 5 holding calls against the Butchers during the game and guess how many of them were actually enforced.  If you guessed zero, you are a winner.  Here is their explanation.  None of the holds against us had any bearing on the outcome of the play, so they were simply not marked off.  In other words,  holding isn't really a bad thing especially if those guys didn't mean to do it.  Late in the game, the calls were so poor that these guys simply lost their ability to adequately cover up what they were trying to do.  The cat was out of the bag and I could see right through it.  There was even at least one occasion on this last drive when no flag was thrown, but then they stopped the play, huddled together and decided that we had committed a foul.  Okay, now I feel better.  I had to do some venting.  

     Here is the sad part.  The Crocodiles played their hearts out today and they deserved to win.  I told the team that I was proud of their effort and that final drive was out of their control.  This is a hard working bunch of guys who play with a great sense of passion.  They will bounce back. 

     Despite what happened today, it was still a rush to be back out on the field coaching and doing something that I really enjoy.  My leg seems to be getting better each day and I am thankful that I am here.  Estalita and the kids will be here in less than 4 days now.  I will be leaving for Helsinki on Tuesday to pick them up.  I will spend Tuesday night in the city.   They are set to arrive early Wednesday morning on a flight from NYC.  I can't wait to see them!!

Porvoo warming up before the game.

The Crocodiles warming up on a spectacular day for football.

Almost game time

European federation doing some passport control checks before the start of the game.

Lights out.

Gearing up for gameday

Thought I would put up a few pictures of the local landscape and some other aspects of our lives here in Finland. We are gearing up for the big game tomorrow against the Butchers. It is a Eurobowl playoff game and we are the host team. They have been preparing the stadium in preparation for the contest. Practice was very hectic today as we were sorting out all the details for the pre-game and making adjustments as to who will play due to some injuries that we have experienced on our squad. Players received their new uniforms today. You will notice all the sponsors that are included on the jerseys. We have many sponsors for our team. That is essentially how these teams exist over here in Europe in terms of operating expenses and paying out import salaries and benefits.

After practice tonight, I went out for some food with Ben and all the British import players. We had a good time at a little pizza joint across the street from where I live. The pizza there is excellent and the guys were happy with the generous portions. I have enjoyed getting to know these guys a bit more as each practice and day goes by. There is also some real talent and ability in this group when it comes to the football as well.

This is an area near my apartment that I walk through to get to the team dining facility.

The bridge we cross to get to the cafeteria.

I call this the white bomber. It is the car the team has provided for me during my stay here.

Ben is chowing down at our team cafeteria.

Some herring was on the menu on this particular day. I decided to pass on this, but I have enjoyed the salmon that was on the menu earlier this week.

The crane was in place to attach the roofing for the bleachers.

Crocodiles warming up during our Friday walkthru

Who is that long haired Texan in the middle?

New Crocodile jerseys. Umbro (top left on jersey) is a new sponsor for us

More advertisements. Amarillo has the best Mexican food in town.