12 days of basketball – Crailsheim – Edon

Right – long day that was kind of short.

For someone who travels a lot, I am a very bad hotel sleeper.. and the night from Friday to Saturday was just that – I like to sleep in very cold temperatures and the hotel where I stayed.. well it was a typical continental hotel where in the winter the heating is pretty much on and keeps the room hot. Also – could not open the windows due to a relatively busy road outside.. so even my watch told me that I had a VERY POOR and restless night of sleep (4hours and 5minutes of it).

Did some editing in the room after breakfast and then headed for the drive to Crailsheim, where Game #2 was waiting – again tip-off at 20.30.. these Germans love their evening games to be a little bit later. Arrived here a little earlier than hotel check-in – so walked a little in the light snow showers, popped to Kaufland and MediaMarkt.. and after having too much bread for breakfast.. had a ‘gluten belly’ so it was nice to have a toilet in Kaufland, even if the toilet seat was ripped off and you had to do your business squatting .. but it was better than nothing :-).

Checked-in to the hotel around 14.00 – quick Burger King meal, as that was what was close to me.. in town there would have been 256 kebab/pizza places, so .. not sure which was a healthier choice of a meal. Totally tired after that, so crashed for a two hour daytime nap.. which was good for the evening.

Woke-up a little groggy .. packed the camera bag and decided to start to walk to the game arena, more snow falling from the sky as I walked through Crailsheim.. a city that, well.. not a city that gave me much of an impression.. seemed a rather new city/town.. and not much to tell about it..

Got to the Arena (wait for it!!) and there was a lower tier game going on there, so went into watch that for a while – then dropped a message to Edon Maxhuni (the player I was coming to photograph at the game) that why isn’t he playing in this game… got a message back ‘ Edon only trains in that arena… game is not there’

OOOOOPPPSSSSS!!!!

So – then on to the phone to check.. and where exactly does the team play (as said, not too well prepared for this trip!) and it was about 10kilometers away… hotel was about 4km away.. so better start walking and get to the rental car at the hotel. But Edon dropped a message saying that he could pick-me up and give me a lift to the game and back to the hotel afterwards.. at this point (and still to this moment!!) he does not know that I went to the WRONG arena thinking that was gonna be the game venue.. but if he reads this.. now he knows 🙂

Got to the game venue, and as I had written to request the accreditation quite a while ago – there was no accreditation waiting for me at the counter. Luckily I had saved the email from the Media Officer – so had no problem getting into the game.. my bad as I should have checked that all was OK.

Game itself – I mean no disrespect to the games/venues/etc in Finland, but these two games here in Germany really have reminded me that photography of domestic games is why I initially fell in love to covering this sport. The whole event, the CROWD !!!!!!!, venue.. just the whole game night is SO different here.

Most of the time I am happy and appreciate that we Finns don’t really show emotions and you can’t tell whether we are happy, sad or just won the lottery.. but during game nights like last night here in Germany.. I really wish we’d be at least a little bit better at showing emotion.. at least at sporting events 🙂

The teams is called ‘Merlins’ and they game and crowd sure were magical… a real pleasure to be on the sidelines/baselines with the cameras.. just a full WOW!!! experience, so glad to have made it to this one.

After the game – quick bite to eat at the VIP room at the Arena, where Edon was interviewed – while eating also had a chat/interview with Myles Stephens (many Korisliiga fans surely remember him!) .. and told him off as before the game he talked to me and promised that WHEN he dunks.. he’ll turn to me and gives a flex.. we’ll he dunked about a minute before the end.. and there was NO FLEX!!! Although – when he walked off the court after the game and saw me.. he did have a ‘lightbulb moment’ and said.. ‘I totally forgot at the moment…’

Back at the hotel – in the light snow (still) around midnight.. post few photos on social media.. and hit the bed for hopefully a better night of sleep, tomorrow is a new day and another game awaits!!! Luckily this time the game few hours earlier, so might even have a moment to sit and relax in the evening.

Few days behind me, and the spark to the photography that was burning a little low – is now starting to grow into a nice fire!!

RADIO STATION OF THE DAY (still) : ANTENNA BAYERN

SONG OF THE DAY :Nicky Youre – Eyes on You : https://youtu.be/xPT7Ckw-hTA

Sleep score of night : 3,5/10

Lunch score : 5 (only because it was a burger)