des vertes et des pas mûres
after spending a good chunk of sunday on commercial drive, i have to admit that 1. i don't get football (aka, soccer) 2. i don't care for football and 3. i don't share in the passion that the rest of the world feels towards football.
perhaps if canada was a great football-playing country we would have been brought up to have some of this (frightening) passion and perhaps i'd better understand it, but i don't. over the years i've watched other countries and their nationals (and expats) get so excited about this sport as if it were the most important part of live and i get mixed emotions. on one hand i feel jealous that these people have this great thing that bring them together, that unites them (in a positive way, unlike quebec nationalism). they get to be nationalist (again, in a good way) and to celebrate hard after a game won. they get dressed up, they yell, they even cry out of sadness or joy. on the other hand, it all feels silly to me. how can someone care so much about a sport?
sunday saw packed bars along the drive, with people spilling out into the street trying to get a glimpse of a tv. i didn't get to see the match - the few tvs that i did see were much to far away for me to actually see anything. i didn't mind not seeing the game: my interest was in the pictures that were to be had at such an event.
i have to admit though that when italy won , i was very happy. i know that i was rooting for france, but standing around all of these italians got me thinking that it would be a lot more fun to see them win. and they did, and they went insane. jumping everywhere, hugging each other, crying of joy and disbelief. it was fun and wonderful to be within that sea of people and blue jerseys. but i felt like an outsider. i got covered in celebratory coke (cheaper than champagne unfortunately), got elbowed out by photographers with big lenses and got to get all sweaty from all these bodies mashed together, chanting "we are number one".
i loved it - it was great to see so much joy and passion.
but i still don't get it.
meilleur chance la prochaine fois, les bleus!
perhaps if canada was a great football-playing country we would have been brought up to have some of this (frightening) passion and perhaps i'd better understand it, but i don't. over the years i've watched other countries and their nationals (and expats) get so excited about this sport as if it were the most important part of live and i get mixed emotions. on one hand i feel jealous that these people have this great thing that bring them together, that unites them (in a positive way, unlike quebec nationalism). they get to be nationalist (again, in a good way) and to celebrate hard after a game won. they get dressed up, they yell, they even cry out of sadness or joy. on the other hand, it all feels silly to me. how can someone care so much about a sport?
sunday saw packed bars along the drive, with people spilling out into the street trying to get a glimpse of a tv. i didn't get to see the match - the few tvs that i did see were much to far away for me to actually see anything. i didn't mind not seeing the game: my interest was in the pictures that were to be had at such an event.
i have to admit though that when italy won , i was very happy. i know that i was rooting for france, but standing around all of these italians got me thinking that it would be a lot more fun to see them win. and they did, and they went insane. jumping everywhere, hugging each other, crying of joy and disbelief. it was fun and wonderful to be within that sea of people and blue jerseys. but i felt like an outsider. i got covered in celebratory coke (cheaper than champagne unfortunately), got elbowed out by photographers with big lenses and got to get all sweaty from all these bodies mashed together, chanting "we are number one".
i loved it - it was great to see so much joy and passion.
but i still don't get it.
meilleur chance la prochaine fois, les bleus!
posted by Magalie at 12:46 p.m.
2 Comments:
Hahah it's too bad Les Bleus had to lose in the shootout, but you know, for people like us from a non-soccer playing country, I say just jump on the party bandwagon and have a good time!
football is big. football unites. it is not a fancy sport. everyone can do it. the majority of the people dont have money to play golf, to do sailing, surfboarding. all you need is a ball, a team, a goal. and, it is a simple game.
i saw most of the matches in asia. in a streetrestaurant in saigon, in a bungalow on koh chang with 6 thais. i was very happy to be with them, to cheer, to feel pitty the teams, that i had big sympathie for. i was happy to see iranians fans celebrating together with all others on the streets of berlin and elsewhere. fortunatly this time, no riots, no big fights. 4 weeks of beeing in the centre of the football world, germany did a great job hosting the world cup.
i am not crazy about the match itsself, too. the beeb is right: jump on, jump with the others, dont feel silly! go to southafrica in 4 years or welcome to europe in two! you ll love it, i am sure!
best from icehockeynotatallfootballfanatic-finland!
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