We Want Everyone to Win

I have already talked about a million times about how sports in the US is all about entertainment, so I am not going to repeat it now. Old news by now. So thirty seconds ago. Why repeat the same thing over and over again, total waste of time. So I am not going to say it... No... No way. Ah, well... crap! I can't do it! Just once more, I promise. Last time for sure.

It is one thing to see a game, and another completely different thing to see a game with nachos and a beer! And there are girls, and they dance with fuzzy things in their hands! Yes, fuzzy things! Seriously! And there is a DJ, a live band playing 'ceeeeelebrate good times - come on!' And did I mention the beer? And the girls?!?

The Missing Abbreviation

So we have done the NBL, the NFL and the NBA, but the one abbreviation that I have closest to my heart was missing - the NHL. Yes, we are talking ice hockey. I have since a child always been a hockey fan. I still remember walking over at nights and weekends to the local rink that would be deserted, I'd switch on the lights and scrape off the snow from the ice before I could skate back and forward for hours until I could no longer feel my feet due to the cold. Also known as 'time to go home'.

One of my biggest sports memories still was when the local hockey team, IF Bjorkloven, played the final of the national league in 1987. I was nine, and the junior team I played for played as entertainment in the halftime. You can imagine, walking onto the ice infront of a completely packed arena to play. And I had to, before the game started, skate across the rink with the trophy that was given out to the winning team in my hand. I can still hear the 'ohhh' of the crowd when I almost fell over. I managed to get over with the trophy in one piece. 

"Take me out to the ballgame"

I am somewhat of a sports fan, mostly football, and when I say football, I mean football, not 'American Football' (I refuse to use the 's' word that the Americans use to refer to football...). However, back to the point, coming to the States, I really looked forward to going to American sports events, because you can like the sport itself or not, but over here, they sure know how to throw a party! The American football and basketball are already checked off of the list, now it was time for a classic - the baseball! Giants vs. New York Mets.

Home of the SF Giants

Even though I might have stated that I am not really a fan, I must say that the baseball is starting to fascinate me. Not sure why, maybe as it is something familiar given that they play like everyday so wherever you go, there is a television set with the game on. Going to the stadium was of course great fun; sing "take me out to the ballgame" at the seventh inning, watch the boats fight over the ball at a home-run that ended up in the water, listening to the cab driver complain (using the f@#$ word) when saying we were going to the game, the fact that some baseball players are kind of...fat, the most amazing hot dog ever with a cold beer, and seeing how the Giants lost. No, wait... the last thing was not good...

Garlic fries... genius!!

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We need another two meters...

We already discussed the choice of team, but that was all about football (don't make me write soccer...). There are other sports out there as well, and when it comes to basketball, I have no bigger interest to be honest, even though I have gone to a Golden State Warriors game.

Sexy Mom on the other hand has been a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers for ages, and hopefully we can go down and watch a game someday. For now, Mr Daddy brought home a jersey after his trip to Santa Monica that works as a dress now, but it will fit someday, and who knows, two meters more and Miss Cupcake might go professional one day.

Koba Bryant

Warriors - Nuggets

I have already watched an American football game, so the next step was to go and watch some basketball; Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets. After work I took the train and went over to Oakland; the naughty younger brother of San Francisco.

I have to say that the basketball game was more fun than the American football, maybe because it was indoors and warm and cosy, maybe because the game was really good (they won on the last throw) or maybe because the halftime show was great; five-year-old's playing basketball!

It was also the night of the free t-shirt, so now I have my official Golden State Warriors t-shirt to melt in with the rest of the people that wear sports gear Sunday morning, to go grocery shopping or anything else because the official uniform in the states is sports wear.

Let's go Warriors, let's go

Raiders - Colts

I don't really like American sports, and with that I mean American football, basketball and baseball, but you just got to love American sports! If someone knows how to throw a party, it has to be the Americans. What can go wrong when an afternoon is about drinking beer and eating hot dogs, not about who does the winning touchdown.

Commitment to beer!

Today we have been over to Oakland, the real America (I will explain another day but basically there are more pounds and blue-collar workers in Oakland to start with), to watch American football; Oakland Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts.

I had a blast! We screamed, had hot dogs, drank beer until they stopped selling it in the 4th quarter and tried to follow the game as good as we could. I can't wait to get to a baseball match, basketball or ice hockey game, this is not about sports, it is about something much more important; entertainment... and beer. The game? Colts won 31-26.

Pass the ketchup!