What an experience this was! As random as I thought it would be to travel to Germany for an NFL game, I was pleasantly surprised to witness such a surreal event. The level of passion and excitement that Germany has for American Football is real and the love that the people have for the sport is beautiful to see.

The country was buzzing days before the game, and the excitement only picked up as kickoff drew closer. I could go on and on about the game and the scenes of people singing with arms around each other. Or the fact that an hour after the game ended, no one was leaving and the party kept rolling. It was without a doubt the greatest sports moment I have ever experienced, whether at the professional, college, or high school level.

Something that was a bit of a challenge was the language barrier. It wasn’t too bad, but it played a factor sometimes particularly when ordering food. I’d say that my global perspective has changed in that I realized that we aren’t really that different when it comes to football. I was talking fantasy with people across the world who speak a different language and live a different life, which was something that will resonate with me forever.

I have always been taught to let my subjects tell the story and that I am just a small part of something bigger than myself. I tried to do that with my video package by letting the natural sound and quotes from my people tell the story rather than just have me reading a script. Overall, this trip taught me that American football and sport in general is a very powerful ingredient that can unite people across barriers and unite nations.

I can’t say thank you enough to the UF College of Journalism and Communications and Sports@CJC for this opportunity. And thank you Dr. Coche for helping coordinate the group and making this all possible. I truly had a great experience and I am thankful to have had the chance to witness such an event.

Posted: December 5, 2022
Category: CJC in Munich