I don't care
Fun fact; you may remember my escapades in New Hampshire, the 'Live Free or Die' state. Turns out they sort of meant it, I've spent all this time babbling on about how literal they wanted us to take it, but NH is the only state to guarantee in its constitution the right of the people to rise up and overthrow the government. Yes. Really. So you know, not that I plan on ever doing such a thing, but it's nice to know that should I so see fit, I could march on up and start something. And that's why a 'Live Free or Die' bumper sticker is going on my car Lance, when I get home.
Apart from constitutional rights, America also takes its sport VERY seriously. Really. Maybe too seriously. Nahhhh.
The state baseball teams play 3/4 times during the week - all round for a season of something like 72 games. The sports fans are crazy. When Boston Red Sox won the world series (yay, and a slap on the wrist for me ever doubting them), the riots lasted for a good 6 hours. The 'tradition' as you will, involves turning cars upside down, and setting them on fire. Yes that happened. My cab that I was in that night also featured proudly on the front page of the local Boston paper the next morning, our poor little cab surrounded in a sea of animalistic youths on Mass Ave; about 5 standing on top on the cab, jumping on the bonnet and pouring alcohol down the windows. Luckily I was locked inside, absolutely terrified that the man coming towards us with a crowbar would succeed in finally smashing a window. It was terrifying. But the next day I was basically a celebrity.
But sport is all the craze and despite my usual lack of interest and generally lethargic attitude towards exercise, I love it. I really really really really do. Basketball, ice hockey, American football...it's fanatastic. Some of my fondest US memories come from watching the Celtics play in the NBA, supporting our Husky hockey team, starting chants of 'North - Eastern', 'You - suck' and 'De-fence' in the 'Doghouse' with the rest of my NEU peers. The Husky basketball team is especially a lot of fun to watch. American college sports is all I had hoped for; the pep rallies, the cheerleaders, the marching band, the school spirit...everyone gets involved and (they) sing the national anthem with hands over our hearts and then commence to exhibit some pretty foul language towards the other team. The coaches wear suits and mighty if there's a win the campus parties are incredible and go all night.
We watched our basketball team play Harvard the other day...I think because of the fast pace of basketball and hockey they are thrilling to watch (note: excl baseball. Baseball is NOT IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE a fast paced game). And man, could those guys play ball. And slam dunk (#crowdpleaser). The Harvard guys won - and they were exceptionally good. There was a bit of on court rivalry...there were a lot of emotionally charged names for the Harvard team. You could pick out a Harvard supporter from miles away - boat-shoe-wearing, Ralph-Lauren-look-alike, men-with-receding-hairline wankers, basically. We were sat just across from a scout, which was pretty cool too.
I've realised I'm going to miss the community atmosphere of sport in the US - nothing like we have at home where uni games is in fact, a huge joke. Tim and I often plod down to watch a couple of American friends of ours play football, which is good, and televised football on the projector at The Penthouse this semester has been far more enjoyable that I thought.
And now here's the bombshell - I have been participating in a college-league sport this whole semester. Who woulda known,
a) that I played sport and
b) that our 'extreme dodgeball' team could be considered a 'league'
Yes. Extreme dodgeball has been a frightening adventure. Here's why;
- They take it way too seriously; we all had to pass an online test showing we knew the rules before we could sign up
- We in in it for a bit of fun - an exchange dodgeball team. They took it way to seriosuly
- Every game was a horrific loss - the American guys piffed balls at us till we were on the floor
It was probably one of the most memorable exchange experiences.
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