Fri.-Sun., June 28-30, 2024
We started the weekend with a fun lunch dining with an eclectic group of travelers at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Oxnard.
Laurie and I were joined by fellow adventurers Koreen and Brian FitzGerald, recent Rio Mesa H.S. Sports Hall of Fame inductee Linda Zilisch and her good friend Maggie.
Our lunch time mission was to gather highly delicate, insider information on the mysterious South American city of . . .
Santiago de Chile
As you can see by this photo, the modern city of Santiago de Chile sits at the base of the majestic Andes Mountains.
We are going to visit Chile's capital city later this year with the FitzGeralds acting in dual capacities as our body doubles and body guards for the journey.
Linda has visited Santiago with her friend Maggie who was born and raised in Chile but has lived in Ventura County for several decades now.
They answered all of our questions and gave us several unsolicited insights making us all feel much more relaxed about making Santiago de Chile our first leg of our South American sojourn.
GRACIAS LINDA AND MAGGIE!
On Sunday, Mary had a dance
recital held at Rancho Campana H.S.
The Grandparents were, as always,
PROUD of her performance!
So were Mary's parents and . . .
. . . Jacob to be sure
GREAT JOB, MARY!
The things that one sees walking
about Camarillo trying to get back
into tip top shape
A possible clandestine exercise group from North Korea.
I could be wrong about this.
Moving on to the wonderful world of American football on foreign shores where championships were being decided . . .
The Italian Football League's
Championship Game was played
in Ravenna on Saturday
The #4 seed Parma Panthers (7-3)
vs. the #2 seed Firenze Guelfi (7-2)
In the regular season game between these two clubs the defending IFL Champion Panthers prevailed, 17-12, on May 25th.
Parma was in search of its seventh IFL crown having previously won the Italian Bowl in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021 and 2023.
Firenze's only Italian Bowl victory came in 2022.
Parma, on the left, has a better Offense,
Firenze has a stronger Defense
The individual stat leaders
for each team
Finally, the starting line-ups
I was leaning towards the Panthers due to their punishing running attack. Both teams throw the ball well but, I'm Old School, teams that can run the rock win a lot.
As close as that regular season game was between the Panthers and Guelfi just a month ago, I was shocked to see Parma ahead, 31-0, at the Half.
The Guelfi showed their metal in the Second Half but it was a matter of too little, too late.
The Parma Panthers had their
seventh Italian Bowl win
Only the Bergamo Lions with 12 Italian Bowl wins have more titles than Parma.
The entire 2024 IFL Playoff Bracket
Congratulations to the Panthers!
On Sunday, the IFAF U20 World Championship Tournament came to a close.
The IFAF U20 Tournament schedule for
the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th Place games
Gold Medal Game
Team Japan (2-0) vs. Team Canada 1 (2-0)
Team Canada 1 goes 3-0 in
winning the U20 Championship
Team Japan (2-1) takes home the Silver Medal.
The Bronze Medal Game
Team Austria (1-1) vs. Team USA (1-1)
Team Austria (2-1) goes home
with the Bronze Medal
Team USA (1-2) underachieved and needs to really think through the overall selection process for both coaches and players before the next IFAF U20 Tournament in a few years.
Team Canada 2 (2-1) had no trouble
in winning the Fifth Place game
over Team Australia (1-2)
The Seventh Place contest saw
Team Panama (1-2) route
Team Brazil (0-3)
For Team Brazil, this was largely a learning experience in their first ever IFAF U20 Tournament.
winners in the six IFAF U20 Tournaments
The PR drums are beating for next
Saturday's Belgium Netherlands League
Championship Game
Rotterdam Trojans vs. Amsterdam Crusaders
The BNL was formed to give the best teams in both countries stiffer competition on a week to week basis.
The next level of teams still have their national leagues in which to compete.
The Belgian Bowl Championship
Game was a close one with the
Mons Knights outlasting the
Waterloo Warriors
The Men's and Women's Semifinals in Sweden are up next . . .
The Mean Machines edged the
Royal Crowns
Stockholm is in the Men's Finals again
The Carlstad Crusaders won the other
Men's Semifinal over the Oslo Vikings
As was the case in the BNL, some of the top Men's and Women's teams in both Norway and Denmark have joined the Swedish circuit for the higher levels of competition.
The Carlstad vs. Stockholm Championship
Game should a dandy
The Swedish Women's DI Semifinals
Carlstad's Women's team is in
the Finals too after drubbing the
Norrköping Panthers, 51-0
Denmark's Copenhagen Raptors beat
the Göteborg Marvels, 20-8, to punch
their ticket to the Women's Swedish
Championship game against Carlstad
THE Carlstad Crusader oversees
an amazing program!
Saturday was the French DI
Championship Game bewteen
La Courneuve Flash and the
Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers
French DI Final Score
Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers - 37
La Courneuve Flash - 33
In one Polish DI Semifinals
Warsaw Eagles - 30
Silesia Rebels - 20
In the other Polish DI Semifinal
Białystok Lowlanders - 34
Krakow Kings - 6
An impressive win for the Lowlanders who started the season slowly at 0-3.
Polish Bowl XIX on July 13th
Warsaw Eagles vs. Białystok Lowlanders
I have not seen any results from
these key UK games this past weekend
Week #6 in the EFL was the
halfway point for many teams
After these most recent games and facing a 12 game regular season slate, six clubs have played six games, four teams have competed in five games while five other teams have only taken the field four times to date.
Tirol Raiders (5-1) roll over
the Barcelona Dragons (2-4)
Vienna Vikings (6-0) edged the
battling Wroclaw Panthers (2-4)
Rhein Fire (5-1) with a dose of
reality for the Madrid Bravos (3-1)
Milano Seamen (3-3) nosed out
the Fehérvár Enthroners (0-5)
Not crazy about the "Low and Loose" ball carrying technique nor the incorrect record for the Seamen on this graphic.
Stuttgart Surge (5-0) romped
over the Helvetic Mercenaries (0-5)
The Paris Musketeers (3-1) got
busy vs. the Cologne Centurions (1-3)
Our only pre-game poster this week
Berlin Thunder (3-3) keep the
Prague Lions (0-6) winless
The Frankfurt Galaxy (2-2)
outlasted the Hamburg Sea Devils (2-2)
Only the Munich Ravens (2-3)
had a Bye in Week #6
With the Madrid Bravos loss,
only the Stuttgart Surge (5-0) and
Vienna Vikings (6-0) remain undefeated
The ELF Standings after Week #6 Games
Having three teams (Mercenaries, Enthroners and Lions) with a combined record of 0-16 has to be an ELF concern.
ELF Schedule Week #7
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Vienna (6-0) at Tirol (5-1)
Munich (2-3) at Barcelona (2-4)
Milano (3-3) at Helvetic (0-5)
Frankfurt (2-2) at Madrid (3-1)
Saturday, July 7, 2024
Berlin (3-3) at Fehérvár (0-5)
Hamburg (2-2) at Paris (3-1)
Prague (0-6) at Wroclaw (2-4)
Cologne (1-3) at Rhein (5-1)
ELF Week #7 BYE
Stuttgart (5-0)
I'm more about Abs of Steel but
I get the sentiment completely
If you know who these toons are,
then you had a FABULOUS childhood!
