Polish Cup Qualified, Packer Devastation, Quick Nikki Visit - Blog #47 (Dec. 29 - Jan. 11 '26)

Basketball Update:

Our hot streak cooled off just a bit in the last three games. We had a tough loss against one of our rivals and league-leading, Slask Wrocław. They play in the EuroCup which is the second-best European league. This is the highest level that any of the teams in Poland play in. They have the most championships all time in Poland too. The gym was packed, and we had a bunch of ZG fans make the two-hour trip to watch us. We played pretty well honestly, but just didn't make a lot of our open shots. We lost 90 - 85. Craig came with Leon and Oskar along with a few others from Magda's family. It was great hanging with them for a bit after the game and for them to experience a big-time basketball game in Poland. I think the kids had a lot of fun.

Our next game was a crazy one at home against Sopot. They are also a top team in the league right now. They play super fast-paced and shoot a lot of threes. I did not play a lot in this game. The other 4-man, Kuba, was playing very well. We were down by ten in the second half and made an awesome comeback to send the game to OT. We won 92 - 90. It was a huge win and ended up being our clinching win for the Polish Cup. The Cup is a mid-season single-elimination tournament with the top 8 teams in the league after everyone has played each other once. It is a big deal for the club to make this because they have not been in the last few years.

The final game of the first round of games for this season was in Warsaw against a really good team, Dziki. We jumped on them early, but they stormed back right away. They played super physical and with a lot of aggressiveness that we were never really able to match. We lost 98 - 86. They needed to win the game to make the cup, and they played like the more desperate team. 1-2 in this stretch. Hopefully, we can get the Zastal Express moving back in the right direction.

Leadership Lesson:

I am sure I have talked about hard work in some way or another in multiple leadership lessons, but I want to talk about something I have noticed when it comes to hard work, particularly in basketball. I remember being a middle schooler and thinking to myself, "Gosh, when I get to high school, I am going to have to work so hard to keep up with the tough competition on my team to earn some playing time." Then, I got to high school and made JV, and I realized that the guys on my team didn't really work as hard as I was expecting. Then I thought, "Ok, when I get to varsity, that is going to be a huge step up because that is the highest level of high school hoops." Then, I got to varsity hoops and realized that some guys did not really do anything in the off-season and didn't work that hard (Joe Rux teams worked very hard, don't get that twisted). Then, when I committed to Hillsdale, I thought the same things. "Surely, scholarship athletes will be working their tails off to work on their game and do everything they can to be the best basketball player possible." Wrong again. This happened to me at every single level until I am now a professional athlete, and guys make a living playing this game. I think it is a symptom of imposter syndrome, potentially. I have always thought that maybe I am not quite good enough to take the next step that has made me want to work hard and improve. However, my main point with this is that most people really do not do the extra work to get better at their job... at least in my personal experience. It sounds pretty cliche and corny, but doing the extra work really can make a huge difference in whatever career you have. This is because most other people just are not doing the work. People do not work as hard as you may expect. Work ethic is a real separator, more than you even think.

Top 5 of the Week:

Least Favorite Pro Sports Teams

1. Bears - No explanation needed. smh...

2. Cubs - Just another obnoxious Chicago sports fan base and team. The Brew Crew has gotten the better of them lately which has been nice. Wrigley is pretty cool too, I have to admit.

3. Pacers - This is definitely a newer rivalry, but there have been so many awesome signature moments in the last few years with the Bucks and Pacers. The stolen ball controversy, Tyrese's dad talking crap to Giannis, NBA Cup drama... hopefully Giannis stays and Tyrese gets back healthy so it can continue.

4. Yankees - I was taught at a very young age to dislike the Yankees, and I believe I was raised right. An obnoxious budget to buy pretty much anyone they want. The Dodgers have replaced them this way, and the Mets actually spend more than the Yankees now, but I still have this sports hate programmed in me from a young age.

5. Vikings - My dislike of the Vikings was amplified greatly during my time at CSU. Living with two Vikings fans and having one for a coach turned it up for me. We have had some great battles with them over the years.

What Else Did I Do This Week?

I did not do anything special for New Year's this year. I am not the biggest New Year's guy, and without Nikki being here, I did not feel obligated to do anything. I had practice NYE night and NY morning, so I just chilled. There were some fireworks outside my apartment which were fun to see. Poland is not nearly as crazy as the Netherlands was last year with fireworks, but they still let 'em rip. Nikki facetimed me all the way from Utah for the countdown which was nice.

We played on the 2nd, and Nikki came straight from spending some time with her friends in Utah to visit me. We had an awesome few days together. We honestly did not do a whole lot. It has been very cold and snowy here for the last couple of weeks. My teammates are saying that they have not gotten this much snow in a very long time. Nikki and I enjoyed our walks and also got a nice dinner at Rock N' Beef, a new restaurant I have been wanting to try. We made some great dinners and made some New Year's resolutions. I did not play much in the game Nikki was at, but it is always so amazing having her at games to hang out with after.

We had our game in Warsaw on Sunday (the day after the Packer game), and because the Packer game was late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, I woke up early Sunday morning to watch the replay. My roommate, Conley, was nice enough to wake up with me. We watched the whole game before we had to report for team activities, and it was simply heartbreaking. I had no words. I won our pregame half-court contest to win some cash which was a huge pick-me-up. As I was typing this, I got news that the Packers are keeping Lafleur. The more I think about it, the happier I am about it. We definitely underperformed this season, but we had some really tough injuries. We know that Love is a stud, we know that Lafleur is an awesome play designer, we know that Matthew Golden is a beast, we know Micah Parsons is the best defensive player in the league. We have to be reasonable and not reactionary just because it was the Bears. Special teams coach maybe has to go, but the Packers will be alright. I really believe our offense is gonna explode next year, and with Parsons back, our defense will be good too. We will be back!

Conley and I also walked around Warsaw a bit to go check out this building from the 50s that Stalin built that was pretty cool to see. I would love to go back to explore more! Seems like an awesome city.

Top Meal of the Week:

Nikki and I's meal at Rock N' Beef was probably my number one. I got an NY strip, and Nikki had a steak salad. I think they undercharged me for the meal which was kind of nice. Felt a little bad for not saying anything about the low tab, but it was a nice win.

Cultural Difference in Poland:

Sport fandom is different in Poland and more generally in Europe in comparison to the US. The fans here are more seen as part of the organization. They can put a lot of pressure on management to fire a coach or player, and make a real difference in the actions of the organization. The passion is also on another level. We have had some fans who have not missed a game this year, even when we play five or six hours away. They wait outside the bus for us after road games, give us small presents for Christmas, and show a level of care that I have never seen from sports fans. An example of this happened this weekend. We played in Warsaw which was a five-hour bus ride. We had about ten fans who came which was great. Then, we didn't get back until 2:30 in the morning, and we had a bunch of fans there in the parking lot in freezing weather and snow to celebrate the fact that we made the Polish Cup. It was a really cool thing to see and experience from our fans. Sport fandom in Europe is different. Thanks for reading!