flux and footie
In response to Shazz's comment:
NHL: Sens. Obviously. Because Roi quit the Habs, and the Leafs are incredibly annoying, and I like it when my mother and I are on speaking terms
NFL: ... who in the what now? Um, sometimes the superbowl halftime is fun!
Premiership: currently unaffiliated. I stopped watching at the start of the academic year, and will start again after I graduate. I'm generally for Man U, and occasionally Arsenal (usually after re-reading Fever Pitch for the thousandth time). I tend to stay away from Newcastle because a) someone I know was born there; and b) Bellamy.
This brings up something about fandom that is difficult to negotiate for those of us whom Pico Iyer refers to as global souls. I can't root for Canada, because, well, they suck, and have only entered the World Cup once, in 1986. I can't root for Kenya, where my mum and dad were born, because they have never actually gotten in; ditto India. So I cheer for England, because someone I know was born there; and I cheer for Italy, because they're hilarious. After that, I enjoy watching France for Thierry Henry, but, once he's gone, that may change. Which brings up another point: As Heraclitus of Ephesus said, everything is in flux: "No man can cross the same river twice, because neither the man nor the river are the same." As the players change, the team changes; thus, with no national or geographic pride invested, my affiliations may change over the years. This is more evident in my occasional changes in league footie; less with the national teams, because, well, Shazz will always have been born in England, and Italy will always be funny. But France? That minor love affair will end - hopefully not for awhile, but it will. This indicates, of course, that sometimes my affections are won by players and not by teams; and while player-love can strengthen team-love (as with Ale del Piero for Italy), player-love does not trump team-love. I adore, for example, Freddie Ljunberg on the Swedish team, but heartily cheered for the opposing Trinidad-Tobago on Saturday (they drew! Drew!!). (As an aside: my love of particular players and the drama that surrounds the Italian team is just another example of my penchant for a good narrative with entertaining, if not relateable, characters.)
I'm also cheering for Australia, because my roomie Sal is Australian and incredibly excited that they finally made it through in our lifetime; and Trinidad, because Poopyloopy is moving there. (Which, I suppose, indicates that I'm partly in it for the solidarity.) And, like anyone with a soul, I enjoy watching Brazil, but I don't much care if they win or not. More recently, since my abhorance for all things ESPN and ABC has come into effect, I have begun to cheer for anyone opposing the US team. (Which, I suppose, indicates that I'm partly in it for the hostility.) I want them to lose, and I want them to lose embarassingly, and painfully. I don't want any questionable calls made, though: I want them to lose under the best circumstances. Suckers.
Point of all this nattering: while I may enjoy a flirtation or two, these are pretty harmless, and at the end of the day, I am no bigamist: I'm for England. It's coming home, baby.
NHL: Sens. Obviously. Because Roi quit the Habs, and the Leafs are incredibly annoying, and I like it when my mother and I are on speaking terms
NFL: ... who in the what now? Um, sometimes the superbowl halftime is fun!
Premiership: currently unaffiliated. I stopped watching at the start of the academic year, and will start again after I graduate. I'm generally for Man U, and occasionally Arsenal (usually after re-reading Fever Pitch for the thousandth time). I tend to stay away from Newcastle because a) someone I know was born there; and b) Bellamy.
This brings up something about fandom that is difficult to negotiate for those of us whom Pico Iyer refers to as global souls. I can't root for Canada, because, well, they suck, and have only entered the World Cup once, in 1986. I can't root for Kenya, where my mum and dad were born, because they have never actually gotten in; ditto India. So I cheer for England, because someone I know was born there; and I cheer for Italy, because they're hilarious. After that, I enjoy watching France for Thierry Henry, but, once he's gone, that may change. Which brings up another point: As Heraclitus of Ephesus said, everything is in flux: "No man can cross the same river twice, because neither the man nor the river are the same." As the players change, the team changes; thus, with no national or geographic pride invested, my affiliations may change over the years. This is more evident in my occasional changes in league footie; less with the national teams, because, well, Shazz will always have been born in England, and Italy will always be funny. But France? That minor love affair will end - hopefully not for awhile, but it will. This indicates, of course, that sometimes my affections are won by players and not by teams; and while player-love can strengthen team-love (as with Ale del Piero for Italy), player-love does not trump team-love. I adore, for example, Freddie Ljunberg on the Swedish team, but heartily cheered for the opposing Trinidad-Tobago on Saturday (they drew! Drew!!). (As an aside: my love of particular players and the drama that surrounds the Italian team is just another example of my penchant for a good narrative with entertaining, if not relateable, characters.)
I'm also cheering for Australia, because my roomie Sal is Australian and incredibly excited that they finally made it through in our lifetime; and Trinidad, because Poopyloopy is moving there. (Which, I suppose, indicates that I'm partly in it for the solidarity.) And, like anyone with a soul, I enjoy watching Brazil, but I don't much care if they win or not. More recently, since my abhorance for all things ESPN and ABC has come into effect, I have begun to cheer for anyone opposing the US team. (Which, I suppose, indicates that I'm partly in it for the hostility.) I want them to lose, and I want them to lose embarassingly, and painfully. I don't want any questionable calls made, though: I want them to lose under the best circumstances. Suckers.
Point of all this nattering: while I may enjoy a flirtation or two, these are pretty harmless, and at the end of the day, I am no bigamist: I'm for England. It's coming home, baby.
posted by j | 9:21 PM
2 Comments:
ok then, once and for all drop any nonsense of supporting Ireland, because no English fan would ever do so. Or France, for that matter.
And rooting against a team (such as the U.S.) is perfectly normal. I mean, on any given Sunday I'm cheering for the Eagles and whoever is playing the Cowboys.
Because the Cowboys suck.
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