WORLD BOWL X - PART I (THURSDAY)

Thursday is Media Day at World Bowl. Here the 2 teams gather to get swarmed by the media and a few stray fans. They also announce the All-German, sorry All-NFL Europe team here also. Congrats to Jarvis Borum, Josh Lovelady, JJ Moses, Scott Shields and Tom Tovo who cracked the squad. Congrats also to Claymores PR Gary Ralston who had a good debut season, and ending it in fine style by tackling Manny and his interpreter!

The two MVP's were Fire RB Jamal Roberston and S Deke Cooper. Robertson's choice was fairly contentious, given his burnout from Week 6 onwards - but there was no obvious alternative. Dane Looker was certainly the MVP of the 2nd half of the season - and would settle that score Saturday!

Then it was time to tour the Schlosser Alt brewery (if you weren't busy shopping Mr Colvin). It was equivalent of Fort Knox opening its doors and saying "Come on in boys, the gold is on us!" And this we did, after a short tour of the facility.

With the Fire moving outside Dusseldorf for the next 2 years at least, there's a strong chance that Schlosser will not be the sponsor any more. We suggest they sponsor the Claymores instead and launch the product in Scotland!

This picture was taken at the brewery on Thursday but fits a common joke we made Friday.

Is it a bird?
Is a plane?
No it's a f'in soccer ball flying over the head of the English keeper and a goal for Brazil!

Go home on your tractor! Sadly it doesn't mean that but would have been funny if it did. It all started in Sitges in Week 10, when Gregor told his tale of woe at being at a Queens Park game at Hampden vs. the mighty Alloa. Apparently when things got a little feisty between the several hundred 'posh' home fans and the visitors, one popular retort was "Go home on yer tractor!" We tried to use it as much as possible during WB week ...

And then the really good bit of the tour - the free bar!!! Christof, Shuggie and Dom can't hide their joy!

Many thanks to Fire Pl@net and Michael Sales at Schlosser for organizing the tour - and Michael thanks for the gifts of 3 Schlosser trucks too! (Albeit scale models).

And after a great afternoon of free beer drinking what better way to round out the evening than to head back to Knoten!

The WB nights in 99 here were legendary and we were not disappointed again! Thanks to Isa for putting up with us!

It's the WOUNDED DUCKS!

The band of Fire Fans led the party from the front all weekend. Great job!

And then the evening really spun out of control when Montse decided that it was time make some of her MONSTER SANGRIA. Apart from tasting great, the main effect is render you memory-less and make you do very silly things. But because we have no memory from drinking it, we can't tell you about the silly things!

But we can use FTP-cam to show you other people doing silly things! Here Keith Webster attempts ... well we're not sure what he was attempting really! FD were fielding a full squad, safe in the knowledge that the Saunders Streak and the Barker Ban would remain for 2003 as the Claymores were back in the US (and no 2 players don't count).

Find out how FTP's World Bowl went by checking their site out!

And then nothing. Just a big black out. Which would be lifted by a soccer game in a couple of hours from the Far East ...