Friday, September 4, 2009

"I can't wait for Football season…"


That's what I started saying last night to BF, when all of a sudden his eyes brightened up and he smiled in anticipation. I finished the sentence with "to be OVER!" and as quickly as the eyes brightened before, his face got a pained expression. "But it just started!" he replies. That is correct, but I just can't help it… Mentally, I am completely over it already.

In order to understand, where I am coming from, there are a couple of points that need to be considered.

1) What's the hype?

I didn't grow up in the USA. American Football was an exotic sport that was broadcasted on German sports TV in the middle of the night, when they didn't have anything else to broadcast. Nobody knew any of the teams, let alone the rules. Of course, we where "exposed" to it in American sitcoms and movies, but that was it. This has changed over the last decade or so, but I guess that was too late for me. I have German friends here in the US that are just as big a Football fan as the average American, but they are also soccer fans back home. This leads me to my second point.

2) Calm down alright!

I am just no fan material. Merchandise companies don't make any money with me. I don't have a favourite band, actor, athlete or team. I may like to listen to a band, even own a couple of Cd's, but don't asked me anything about their biography or even the name of the front man. I didn't cry when Take That split up or when KSC (the local soccer club) got sacked from the premier league. I don't sleep in front of the box office when Brad Pitt's new movie is coming out and not in the bookstore when the new Harry Potter is going on sale. I am maybe missing a gene or it's just the Y-chromosome… But on the other hand, I know tons of women that are die hard sports fans, I am just not one of them.

3) Live is live!

I don't like to spend hours and hours in front of the TV to watch the Sunday game or the golf match or whatever season we are in. What I do like, is seeing live sports. I haven't made it to a football game yet, but I have seen several soccer, ice hockey, handball and baseball games. I enjoy watching pretty much any sport when I am right there in the venue, ideally with a bunch of friends and a couple of beers. There are a couple of exceptions to that rule: Olympic games (summer and winter, every discipline), Superbowl, European and World Championship Soccer games with German participation and the Tour de France. The "ideally with a bunch of friends a couple of beers"-rule does apply to football and soccer games watched on TV as well.

4) Can't we all be friends?

The rivalry when it comes to college football games is just driving me nuts. Being exposed to it EVERY DAY of the week doesn't help. Our company is basically split in half between Clemson and USC fans with the occasional odd team of some imports. Yesterday for example, was the first game for USC and they won… The game wasn't against Clemson, but that doesn't prevent USC fans to talk smack about their team winning and the Clemson fans to talk smack about how lame the game was. I know it's all in good fun, but halfway through the morning, I was ready to hit my head against the wall.

And in case you wonder… Yes, there were donuts in the office this morning (it's Friday after all). Not one, but two boxes to celebrate the USC win… They were consumed by both Clemson and USC followers as well as the odd team fans and the non-fans (you know, who I am talking about). Maybe donuts are the universal "peace food" after all!! ;-)

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