Conversion to a Sports Fan

[giftederic]

When I was a kid, I had a passing interest in American Football. My friends were into it and I prefered playing it to normal football. This vague interest in playing the game even lasted in to college, where Gamesoc (a rag tag bunch of unfit nerds) played it instead of studying for summer exams.

When it came to supporting a team, the only ones I knew when it came to choosing were the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. There had been a Yogi Bear cartoon from earlier in my childhood where Yogi went to save the bears from the giants.. :) At the time, the Bears were winning everything, so I naturally plumbed for the Giants. I think Phil Simms was the quarterback at the time. My friends supported the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. There was a partwork magazine at the time too that one of my friends collected and which I read occasionally. That said, my heart wasn't really in it. I'm not good at supporting teams, I'm just too aware of the disconnect. I am about as athletic as an arthrithic sloth and as far from being a 'Jock' as you can get.

In recent years I've been reading George RR Martins blog, and he is a huge Giants and Jets fan, and his enthusiasm is a little infectious, but even that wasn't enough to draw me back in. The team names had changed (who the hell were the San Diego Chargers 20 years ago?), and it seemed like a step back to teen programing on the Channel 4 of my youth with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Two Tribes music blaring over 20 second snippets from each game of the week, and one major game cut to 40 minutes length.

Perhaps, I'm getting older and I am longing for those moments that remind one of my childhood, but when the Giants made it to the Superbowl, I decided that I would make some small effort to watch a full game, with all the bells and whistles. The Bells and Whistles never materialised, as my doubts grew about whether I would enjoy the game or not, and the basic preparations like organising time off work to stay up until the wee hours of the morning guilt free, slipt my mind. So, by mid afternoon yesterday, all plans to watch the game had been terminated and I was planning an early night.

So, there I was, at home in front of the computer at 11:30pm, when I turned on the TV, mostly out of habit. I was under the impression that none of the terrestrial stations was carrying the game, but lo and behold, there it was on TV3. Deadly, I thought. I'll watch this for a little while, while pottering around on the net, and see if I like it.

I loved it!

I really mean it, I was bursting with excitement every time the Giants sacked Tom Brady, and Eli Manning threw that ball. I winced each time Moroney, Moss or Welker caught the lightning fast throws from Brady. It took me a while to get into it and I really appreciated the long 10 minute drive at the start of the game that allowed me to get me reaquainted with things (I didn't even know which team was which, let alone who was who). Shockingly I began to understand what GRRM had been talking about about loving defensive football.

It was a revelation. It will take me a while to understand why I like it I think.

That's really all I have to say... I will be catching the entire season next year hopefully.... A Giants fan reborn :)

Comments

Welcome to the Cult of Vicarious

[(Anonymous)]

Last night was a great advertisement for the NFL, and anyone who is into "sport" (rather than just soccer) or anyone who was willing to engage in that game could not help but come away excited about the game itself.

I have missed much of this season because I don't have Sky Sports anymore, but I did read some reports and occasionally got to watch the Channel 5 highlights show.

But I did organise time off this morning to watch the game. And I went into it planning on cheering the Pats [my third team behind Bears (family), Saints(fairytale story and Reggie Bush), but ahead of the Cowboys (my childhood)] though I of course had a bet on the game, and didn't fancy the Pats to win by 2 touch downs, so took the Giants with the points. This lead me to cheering the Giants as the game unfolded. I too revelled as Blitz after Blitz rained down on Brady and he looked ruffled, the normal untouchable (at least mentally) Brady was ruffled by the big D of NY. The blitz came from all over the park not just the front 4 but free safties and strong safties were turning the corner or sometimes going straight through the middle in on Brady.

The drive at the start was impressive, but it was the 88 yard drive with under 3 minutes on the clock that was magical, with the drive looking dead with Pats hands on Brady he squirmed away (thanks to a new rule that lets the play go on as long as he doesn't look like he'll get hurt) and threw up a bomb that Tyree some how took out of the air. And the play was alive and Burress came up with the ball in the end zone 4 plays latter.

I thought that someone on the Defensive side deserved the MVP but you can't bemoan Manning who has had even more critics than his brother, who was accussed of always choking. The Manning boys have now won back to back Superbowls and back to back MVP's.

Great time to be getting into the NFL Gav, next season should as the Yanks like to say, Be off the Hook.

Brian

Re: Welcome to the Cult of Vicarious

[goblin-insane.livejournal.com]

The truth is untill this year Manning did choke and it wasn't till he lost his go too guy did he really start showing potential. I mean I remember last season praying for the Giants to win in the playoffs so the bears could get Mr. Happy feet. With Shockey gone Manning has had to go through the check down while also recieving better pass protection from Boss. It will be interesting where he goes from here.

[goblin-insane.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed the game. Really pity you didn't make it around for it. It is interesting to see the amount of people starting to gain interest in the sport. I remember the old channel 4 broadcasting it was how I got to know the sport. But in recent years since probably the 01 season or so I have been a hard core fan and during this time there were few people to talk with it about (hockey still suffers from that for me). It is a fantastic sport built for drama, suspense and subtlety but the length of it oft detracts from european protocol of how it is suppose to function. Hopefully the next 3 years of International games will change peoples minds.

p.s- the San Diego Chargers existed back in your childhood days.

[theanonamerican.livejournal.com]

It's also a surprisingly cerebral game, despite being it looking like it is very much a game of brawn.

I love it, though Madden was how I got into it originally.

The Super Bowl was downright depressing though. :)

[goblin-insane.livejournal.com]

you kidding me the Superbowl was fantastic. That bunch of cheats got beaten fair and square :P