Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

To my reader(s), I have to apologize for not keeping this Blog up to date. After the end of last season I had to repair all of the relationship and work related bridges I had burned in the name of Rugby, and that takes time. If you are a rugger I am sure you understand. It is a shame because I had several rugby related subjects on which to impart my sage wisdom; but have since forgot them all, much like Rick Perry in a debate. However, I do have a few things to say before I close out the Blog for the New Years.



First of all, for anyone who has ever read this Blog, thanks. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as I have had writing it. I decided a few years ago to record my experiences as I evolved as a person while trying to play this great sport at my advanced age. It has been a fun ride and I hope I can keep doing it for a few more seasons. I would like to welcome and solicit your responses regarding my posts. I am all about self-improvement; and while I am not very good with constructive criticism you are protected by the anonymity of the Internet.



Secondly, I have been bored pissless with American football this year. All of my favorite teams are lackluster performers and I am not playing Fantasy Football so I have no stake in any of the games. After the thrill and excitement of watching the World Cup I have come to the sad realization that American Football (especially NFL) can be rather boring given the excessive time between downs, side changes, and the myriad of TV commercials (adverts for my English mates). I am constantly pondering how I can get Rugby on the tube here. I think NPR or PBS should play a few matches, U.S. Super League or Premiership League from the United Kingdom for my personal viewing pleasure. I think this would help the grassroots movement immensely and would be a boon for the television stations.



Lastly, The only thing that has kept me sane to the point where I am not trying to tackle the dog or start a scum with the Grandmother, (This Christmas I almost turned a large family group hug into a maul as I tried to push the mass out of the doorstep and onto the front yard), has been fantasy rugby. I have come across an incredible fantasy game called BLACKOUT Rugby. In it, you become the Owner and General Manager of a Rugby team. You control everything from hiring a coach, training, player development and game tactics, to managing the budgetary issues of a team. You can be engaged as much as you want in the business aspect of running a team or focus only on the preparation and engagement of the matches. The game even gives you a real time play-by-play details of the matches as if they were being called on the radio or television. Even though this is a true fantasy league, as all the players are made up, the play-by-play presentation brings the personalities of the players to life and creates a sense of drama that is often lacking in fantasy football or baseball.



As a team owner and manager you compete head-to-head each week against other owners around the nation. Teams are ranked regionally, nationally, and internationally. The leagues all have cup competitions and league winners can get promoted to higher divisions. Look it up at http://www.blackoutrugby.com/. It has been fun and has helped me understand the game from a strategic point of view. Additionally, it has made me want to manage a sports organization. Unfortunately, I haven’t been hitting the gym because my downtime is spent dedicated to my team, the “Gladiators”. It is also one of the reasons I haven’t written in the Blog for so long. Hope to see you on the virtual pitch. At least I am competitive on this field.

Winning like Charlie Sheen

WINNING makes the sky seems bluer, the grass greener, the air fresher, the beer colder, the women more beautiful. Simply put, Life is better when you are winning. I should know, because we finally won a match. We didn’t just win; it was a one-sided free-for-all scoreapalooza. I have seen these before just not from the side that walks away with the “W”. Actually, this was the most one-sided affair I have been apart of.



During our painful drought from victory I always had fun playing rugby. Despite losing on the scoreboard I always felt I was progressing as a player and making a mark on the team with my hustle and example. Though loses did bother me; I felt we had the talent to compete but not the experience, and you sometimes have to lose to gain that experience. On Saturday all the work and experience fell into place as the team excelled in all aspects of play. Even when we made a mistake the ball bounced our way. I was as though Karma finally paid her back dues with interest.



Granted we played the only other winless team in our league, but the 107-0 differential showed what we were capable of as a team. It justified my faith in the team and the belief that we could compete at this level. It also served to energize the zeal for the team and stoke the fire to play in the Spring. This victory will be a source of inspiration for my off-season training program.



Statistically speaking this was my most unproductive games since moving from the backs to the forwards. I came into the game at about the 50-minute mark replacing on of my co-workers. He had had an outstanding game recording three consecutive tackles in one series. One of the tackles was, in my opinion, the hit of the game. The fury and speed of his play elicited a new emotion that I was not expecting from playing rugby. I felt a sense of fatherly pride in his play. Since I introduced him to the sport at work and encouraged him to play I feel like I have some ownership of his successful performance. The fact that he has played so well of late that I have become his back up is not a disappointment but rather a sense of pride as well.



Yes, rugby has introduced me to myself in ways I have not expected. This is one of the reasons why I love this game. In a sense it is a microcosm of life- everyone has a role to play, you have to keep running to be successful, you have to be prepared to make a stand when needed, you have to be there for your team and they have to be there for you. Like rugby life is non-stop action where you are may find yourself pushing the scrum or scoring the try. Both can challenge you in ways you never expected; and both are sweeter than wine when you win.

The Chicago Dragons

Tomorrow is our last game of the season. I am feeling strong and am ready to go. It is a bit bittersweet. The season has not been a great success in terms of tries and victories but I think we are a more cohesive team than we were in the spring and the progression the team has made collectively over the season has been impressive and a source of pride.




The Dragons share the bottom rung of the league with us and all of our competition says we should be able to beat them. This makes this game an important psychological game. If we win we close out the season on a strong note, filled with pride in developing into winners and looking forward to the spring. However, a loss will be crushing, knowing that we are the worst of the pack and our collective growth still is not good enough.



Individually, I am looking forward to this game because my season has been lackluster despite the fact my play has been much improved over the past seasons. I have a sense of nervousness sitting in my lower stomach. This match is more than just a game but a validation of my individual effort as well as the collective growth of the team.





Tomorrow is GAME DAY!

The Chicago Blaze

We played the Chicago Blaze this week. Unfortunately I was unable to play because of work. It was an away game about an hour and a half away from our home pitch so there was no possibility of leaving work for a few hours to make the game. The team fielded just 16 players and that is what made the difference. At the half it was 24-10 I think the match ended 34-10. Once again inexperience was an issue, but by the midway point of the second half the bench was an issue. The report I got was a majority of the players where hurt and worn out. With no replacements or fresh legs to insert into the backfield we could not produce any offense.



Another issue is that we keep changing player’s positions in the middle of the game. I am of the opinion that unless you have vast experience on your team, moving players around from how they practiced the week before is bad business. I am ok with fine-tuning a side, such as: moving a Fly-half to Center or a Center to Wing. However, we were moving Forwards to the Backfield. These movements took place not because of injury but because the powers that be wanted to leverage experience in the Front 8. At 24-10 I think you lose more than you gain because you have upset the continuity of the offense. Experience makes the game slow down unless you are playing rotating chairs with the players. When that happens a match digresses to become a pick-up game.



We have one more game and I am looking forward to playing in it. This season thus far has been a “ying-yang” flavor for me. I am enjoying the matches immensely but I have yet to complete a test. While my play has been more consistent and more productive I have played less than in the spring campaign because of a nagging injury and because of my work/home schedule. The schedule issue is like a self-inflicted drop kick to the throat.



At age 41 I should be able to control my schedule but life has a funny way of happening between matches. Work, kids events, the wife’s events, and prior commitments all combined to make me one of the most inconsistent participants for the team. This is very difficult for me since I have introduced about a third of the squad to the sport and to the team. I turn 42 a few days after the last match this week.



I dread that my playing time is running short. I don’t know why I feel this way. I have accounted well for myself thus far and there is no rule that says I have to cease playing at 42 or 43. I guess it is just I understand the laws of nature and I want to squeeze as much “Carpe Diem” out of playing as I can. If you have read this blog before you know this is a recurring theme. It is like an itch between the shoulder blades because I cannot seem to scratch it and just focus on the “now” and let the future settle itself. Maybe this week I can lay my burdens down and focus on the match not the fact that time marches on. The Rugby World Cup has kept me focused and motivated. I am seeking to have an inspirational game this week one that will carry me through the off-season and beyond. It starts with the right mindset, and that starts right now.

The Riot

We played the Chicago Riot this weekend. I did not get the start for the first time in two seasons. It is nobody’s fault but mine. I missed practice the last two weeks, the last game, and was late to the field prior to the game. I know, not very good team leadership I was whining about a few blogs ago. Actually, I was excited to see one of my junior co-workers get the call. I was the one who got him interested in Rugby and have been impressed with the drive and heart he has shown. He started at Flanker for the first time last week when I could not be at the game because of a previously scheduled event.



It is my understanding that he played a hell of a game last week displaying a lot of aggression and talent. I think he is finally starting to feel comfortable enough with the position and the game to play in a proactive manner instead of being reactionary. The impressive part is he has started that natural transition after only a few games. It has taken my a few seasons. I guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks; it just takes longer.



Although we lost again we keep showing improvement as a team. Unfortunately, the season is not 16 weeks long. For example, this Saturday was the first time this season we had a lead. Jeff, playing scrumhalf instead of back, made a spectacular run up the middle and set up an easy conversion kick for Andy. The Riot struggled to move against our defense but got an easy tying score when we miss-handled the ball. We held tight from there until about the 32nd minute. Around the 32:00 minute mark they scored their second try. From that point on their skill and speed took advantage of our inexperience and lack of conditioning.



I got into the game at about the 55-minute mark. I felt healthy and was on an adrenaline high from playing spectator, cheerleader, and sideline coach for the better part of the afternoon. I felt I had a good game, making half a dozen tackles and agressively attacking into the rucks. In fact, the game was one of my more consistent games. I only missed one tackle that I can remember. Unfortunately, the runner took it downfield for 5 points. I played penalty free, which is a rare occasion.



Probably, the biggest thing was the epiphany that for the first time the it seemed game slowed down a bit and I felt I began to anticipate the action of the field. I was able to position myself for the play without having to sprint all over the pitch. The game is still at a speed where I am myopic as to only what’s in front of me, especially on offense, but I Saturday I felt more comfortable defensively than I ever have. It is a good- no GREAT feeling dropping a guy 20 pounds heavier than you when he trys to run you over or give you the slip. I felt like Paul Emerick (USA Eagles Wing and former Chicago Lion) after he dropped that Italian dude in the World Cup.



We gave up three tries while I was on the field and our guys were exhausted and flustered. However, several of the rookie players took it as a challenge and began to stoke the team’s fires late in the game. I think this was one of the reasons I left the field feeling a bit euphoric despite the defeat. The new guys are stepping-up and becoming the key factor to our success. They continue to improve individually and as a team we are starting to congeal. If we can keep the team focused, motivated, and together we will be a contender by next season.

Proud to be an American- U.S. Rugby in the RWC 2011

I have to start this blog by saying I am proud and impressed by how the U.S. rugby team accounted for themselves at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. While the competition for the Earl Ellis Cup continues in New Zealand, the team from the United States has finished their run and I have mixed emotions concerning the outcome.



To start, I was a bit disappointed in the overall U.S. media coverage of the World Cup. For a sport that should have natural appeal to the average American ,who has a unquenchable need for action and violence, the lack of marketing and media coverage was an egregious missed opportunity. That said, I found Universal Sports Networks coverage entertaining and enjoyable. Yet it seemed apologetic at times and did not take the opportunity to fully describe the grassroots movement that is rugby in America, the pssion of the sport, or even the fundamentals of the game. They treated it as they would have the America’s Cup competition or Pro-Am Bowling.



In that same note I think they missed an opportunity to create heroes for the next American Rugby team to strive to emulate. I started this RWC knowing almost the entire English line-up but only one American. How sad is that when I can’t even name my own countrymen in my favorite sport. In fact, I knew more names on the Irish team than on the U.S. team. This is partly due to the fact that I passionately watched every English 6-Nations match including the dramatic England v Ireland last match. In contrast the 6-Nations coverage was filled with players stories, rivalry drama, and even a bit of instruction.



Despite the media failure I came away from watching the U.S. in World Cup with a new group of heroes. I found myself rooting and cheering for guys named Ngwenya, Gagiano, Sifa, Malifa, And Smith. As a Flanker I watched the matches with myopic focus on the 6 and 7’s on the pitch. I have now become a unaoplogetic fan of the American flankers. Stanfill and Cleaver, despite their horrendous haircuts, were inspiring to watch. Their tireless and aggressive play was like watching a cross between Brian Urlacher and Peyton Hillis. They attacked every play with power and single-minded purpose and seemed to generate a mystical sense of possibility through selfless dynamic hardwork.



Additionally, the U.S. defense played the world’s top tier teams with inspirational gusto. The try-line stands against Ireland were more dramatic than what you will ever see on a Sunday in the NFL. The intensity and speed of the game created a tension that kept percolating to a higher level and every cycle that was stopped short by the U.S. line made me want cheer. Needless to say, I was proud of the effort of that game as well as the one against the Russians.



However, I was a bit disappointed in how Coach Eddie O’Sullivan approached the game against the Wallabies. I cannot argue with his logic; which was to rest the A team so that the team would have a better chance in the final game against Italy. A win versus Italy would have ensured the U.S. a spot in the 2015 RWC. I also recognize that the rest between games was unfairly slighted against the U.S. Only three days of rest between matches versus top tier teams is ridiculous and borderline unfair; especially, when teams like the All-Blacks had six and seven days rest between matches.



What I didn’t like was the fact that the Australian game was THE STAGE. It was the opportunity to show the world and particularly the U.S. media the gritty determination that is the essence of America. Coach O’Sullivan is complicit in the media’s ignoring the Eagle’s historic effort in the RWC by sitting his lead warriors at heir moment of glory. What would the world be like if Leonidas had sat the 300 when the Perisan "Immortals" took to the field? What if IKE sat the 101st during the Battle of the Bulge? He missed the social identity of America and in doing so lost an opportunity to expand the American support for the game.



Instead, of patronizing to the stubbornly aggressive and often reckless American nature that gave us the Boston Tea Party, Manifest Destiny, and Apollo 11, he chose to play it smart and safe. America does not want smart and safe. They want action and drama. We will take our Alamo's over smart and safe any day. We always have and we always will. They want heroes and epics. To me, that surrender was our biggest loss of the Rugby World Cup.

Sympathy for Namibia

Now I know how Namibia feels after they lost their match to South Africa Springboks 87-0. The Rockford Ravens similarly gave us a clinic in the sport of rugby. I lost count of their tries at around nine. They proved to be big, strong, and had an eye for making sound passes and timely cutbacks, which shredded our defensive line. I took two to three Gladiators to bring one of their runners to the ground. This left them with an advantage in every ruck and gave them the ability to overload our backs on the wings where they seemed to score at will.




We played hard and with guts, but guts are not enough at this level. I had the disappointment of re-injuring my arm at about the 30-minute mark of the game. It is frustrating because I was having a decent game. I only had one penalty (an all-time low for me) and was collecting a respectable number of tackles. In fact, it was on a tackle that I got hurt. I continued to play but later compounded the aggravation to my shoulder toward the end of the first half while making a futile dive to stop a breakaway Rockford back from scoring another try.



During the second half of the game I anxiously watched my teammates continue to heroically weather the punishment as best they could. As I paced on the sidelines, I ached to get in and help but a knifing pain in my back and shoulder cautioned me otherwise. I don’t know if my decision making process would have been different had I been an impact player. Although I was consistently making tackles and engaging in rucks my individual efforts did not seem to reap any game changing results. I guess I felt that if I kept playing I would be risking the rest of the season for a lost cause and still not help the team like a fresh pair of legs and a stout pair of shoulders would.



I have spent the weekend second-guessing myself even though my right shoulder continues to hurt when kept at certain angles (I dare not tell my wife how it feels as she will happily remind me that “she told me so”). I am a bit low feeling that I am not providing the lift my team needs and that I am not producing like I thought I would this season.

Forgive the whining, this article is not intended to be a “whoa is me” cry-fest. In fact, it gives me pause to appreciate players from places like Namibia, Romania, and even the U.S. These teams have been trounced by the world’s best during this World Cup tournament and continue to return to the pitch each match with the hope that they will “Shock the World”. This weekend I have wondered what is going through the minds of their coaches, captains, and players? Are they reflecting in all the things they did not do or are they enjoying the fact that they are given the opportunity to compete at this level and on this stage?



I like to think that they are similar to me, who, after swallowing the bitter pill of losing reflects on how he can do better and then looks forward to giving it another go. I feel that at my age I am only allotted a finite number of games; and like a punch card, each game gets me closer to the final punch. When that punch is I do not know but it is certainly closer than I want it to be. I know that the shoulder pain will eventually go away as will the memory of last Saturday’s beating. I hope the helpless feeling I felt on the sideline will disappear next practice as well. I just need to figure out how I can contribute more so that my team can finally quench our thirst with a sweet refreshing taste of victory.

Game Tomorrow

We have a game tomorrow. I am still sore and still from the last match. I fear that my age is finally catching up with me. I counter that dread with the accusation that I am not physically prepared for season like I promised myself I would be. I also take comfort in the fact that the team we played last week was good.



I hate that I am entertaining the idea that I am feeling aged and that my maladies are due to the progression of time. I am not ready to concede my youth to middle age. I think I know how Brett Favre felt during each of those comebacks. The desire to play the sport always seems to override the nagging pain and stiffness as well as common sense. I guess I can take some motivation in the fact that year after year he played the game with heart and made an impact on his team, which is all I really seek to do.

He, however, had over a decade of experience to impart on his fellow players. I still feel like a new guy. I find I am still learning something each game. Unlike a wily old veteran who survives by anticipating events because of his catalogue of experience, I still survive by generating motion; something that seems harder this week. I guess to the rookies I am a sage veteran, but the truth is I feel inadequate to the task of leadership because I am only a 4 or 5 games ahead of the rookies. But as one of my favorite quotes says "Leadership is action, not position". As long as I can still generate action I can make an impact.



This week's practice saw 26 players man the pitch. I think I speak for all of the guys who played during the Spring season, it was truly motivating to see. I can remember showing up to the Lindenhurst Gym with snow on the ground to run drills with 5 and 6 guys. In fact just 4 weeks ago it didn't look as though we were going to have enough interest to field a team. I hope the new guys get filled with a passion for the sport like I did my first year. It is why, despite the pain, I will lace up my boots and pull on my Gladiator green jersey for another 80 minutes on the pitch.

Fall Season Opener V Woodsmen

It has been awhile since I have written on this page. I should probably talk about the Rugby World Cup and write a discourse on the victory/loss the U.S. Eagles had versus the Irish or the underdog victory by the Irish over the Australian Wallabies (favored by many to win the Earl Ellis Cup), or the hard-fought victory by the U.S. over Russia. However, Saturday was the start of my third season with the Lake County Gladiators. I should have been adding to this Blog while getting ready for the season. Unfortunately, I have spent more time doing everything but Rugby. Quite honestly, it showed after the first 25 minutes on the pitch.




Playing our cross-town rivals the Schaumburg Woodsmen, we had a lot of new blood on the field; including two new guys from my work, which I worked hard to recruit (We had a total of 5 from my unit, including myself). They, on the other hand, are a proven and experienced team. They also have a number of former Gladiators on their starting squad. This made for aggressive play and hard hitting. For the first 25 minutes of the game we gave them a fight. Although the dominated the possession time our defense held time and time again. We may have bent but we never broke. I had a few bonehead plays like reaching in and playing the ball from the ground but neither had adverse effect on the score.


On the other hand I had a great hit on a guy who was easily 30 lbs heavier than I. He was a large ginger haired dude with a red beard. He looked like his profession could have actually been a “woodsmen”. He thought he could bowl me over with size but I went as low as my 42-year-old body could go and aimed my face cheek to his ass cheek. 185 lbs with momentum impacting below someone’s center of gravity will always have the desired effect. He lifted off the ground and went heels-over-head landing with a thud. I felt like I had made the highlight film of the World Cup. However, moments later, as I was rolling out of the way I caught a knee or a head in my upper back from the forming ruck.


Several minutes after my hit we made our first and only drive into their territory in the first half. Unfortunately they gained the ball back and used their speed and the breakdown of our transition to defense to score their first try with a succession of good passes and inspired runs. This first score opened the flood games to the Woodsmen scoring machine they scored three successive tries before I pulled myself. I was winded and not able to make it to the rucks or back on defense after they broke our gain-line. I also wanted one of my co-workers to get in his first game (His wife and friends came to see him play- I figured the more he played- the more he would love the game and I would have a convert for life).




I wish I could report that the fresh legs and injection of enthusiasm turned the tied but the Woodsmen scored again before the end of the first half. I sat the second half as the Woodsmen scored another two tries. However, it was mid-way through the second half when our offense started to click. After a penalty lineout, the Gladiator front pushed inside our 5 meter-line. Vinny, at the Scrumhalf, took the ball around the ruck an in for our first score. About 15-20 minutes later we scored again on a textbook play. We won a ruck and immediately passed the ball out to the backs. Josh Sanchez (one of my recruits from work) received the ball and proceeded to sprint to the try-line. Only one defender stood between him and 5 points. The defender tried to tackle Josh high (bad idea since Josh had at least 15 lbs on him). Mr. Sanchez lowered his shoulder and sent the defender flying backwards as he strutted across the line for our second and final score.


The play made was a sign that we can compete with the best in our league. As our new players gain experience and the team jells we may just win a few. The older players were happy, for once, and acted as if we had won despite the lopsided score. I was pleased that two of my recruits played all 80 minutes, got a try, and played a heck of a game. My other two recruits played at least 40 minutes, not counting Luis Gonzalez’s time in the sin bin for diving over the pile (which resulted in the final Woodsmen score).

The play of the team in our first contest, against a proven playoff quality Division II team is a lot to be proud about. Especially, since 3 weeks prior we only had 6 guys at practice. Looking towards the future there is much to be hopeful about. I just hope my swollen and sore body stops aching by Thursday’s practice, or at least by Saturday’s game versus the Rockford Ravens.

Not ready for Prime Time Sports Writer

Since the season began I have been in contact with the local paper trying to drum up support for my beloved Rugby club. They have been responsive, even to the extent of sending their Sports Editor and his son to cover the season’s first game. This Saturday I invited them again but they did not show. So I took matters in hand and wrote a short summary of the game and made an appeal to the reader to come and join us on the pitch.



I have been working diligently to recruit players from work. My efforts have given the team 5 starters including myself. You can count a 6th player indirectly as one of the guys I recruited brought one of our former colleagues to play. As a result of my efforts I have been put in charge of the recruiting effort for the fall season. I guess the four intense years as a Marine Corps recruiter in San Antonio, TX will now pay off. I am excited to try my hand at building a team. This especially exciting because it is in a sport that I knew very little about a year ago.




I like to think it is a one of those little life’s motivational truths that armed with a vision and drive you can achieve anything in life. Of course, it is easy to say that now, I haven’t done anything yet other than talk to a few people at work and write one article; but it’s a damn good start if I can say so myself. Who knows, maybe this blog will go from being a personal outlet to viral therapy for the masses? For now I will settle for the satisfaction of the small success of being in the local paper. Heck even Skip Bayless had to start somewhere.