Representatives from the U.S. Embassy, the military and the NFL were on hand to watch the championship game for the 2019 League of American Football season in Poland between the Wroclaw Panthers and the Bialystok Lowlanders with the Panthers edging the Lowlanders in a competitive and exciting match in Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium. The NFL representatives were impressed with both the game and the entire event highlighting that the quality and energy were equal to, if not greater, than what they have seen at the Super Bowl and other championship games in the United States.
Before the match, a picnic was organized at the stadium during which representatives of the U.S. Embassy were present with their booth, offering both information on exchange programs for young people and students, study opportunities in the U.S. and internships at the embassy or U.S. government institutions as well as sports gifts from the Embassy. American soldiers from the Bravo 407 Company of the Civil Affairs Battalion of the U.S. Army were also present to meet with the public, display their military vehicles and pose for selfies with the audience while they tried on their helmets and vests.
The U.S. Embassy and LFA partnered this year as part of the celebration of 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and the U.S. During the grand opening of the match, the hymns of both countries were played and the flags of Poland and the USA were raised. In his speech, Joshua Crabtree from the Consulate General in Krakow thanked all the fans for their involvement in the development of football in Poland noting that “it’s the fans who are the driving force of this sport.”
This year’s Polish Bowl was exceptional because for the first time former players and coaches of the famous American NFL Dean Dalton and Jim Miller, who are currently representatives of the NFL Alumni association, came to the event to watch the game and conduct trainings with Polish coaches and a clinic for youth.
The event was a real celebration of American sport, which took place in an atmosphere full of joy and great sports emotions and a sign of the growing popularity of American football here in Poland.
