I have to, for real... I really, really, really have to...!


So there is no way of hiding anymore and come on, it's been what? 4-5 years since I moved to this country... I've avoided it and told people that I wasn't interested, after all I'm not american and for real, I'm not that attracted... but I can't be the only person in this country that goes to see a movie when the Super Bowl is on or that fast forwards during the game to see the comercials :D

I mean, I'm from the land of Football, the real one, that one that here is called Soccer... ewww.. what a name... well, I'm not really from the land of Football, I can imagine some of you laughing, but here are my credentials... I was raised in the UK... ha! beat that! it's in the air and you breath it for many years so there is no going back. I come from a Latin American country... same area that has given birth to Maradona and Pele..., OK, I know, I'm not from Argentina or from Brazil, (sorry my Colombian and Mexican friends, but you are not there yet...) but I'm from the country that always comes last, has nothing to fear and just enjoys real football... and can go for the best team without any personal interest.... and when it's not football, hey, I'm from Venezuela! the land of baseball... even though an Asian team won the World Cup!

In Venezuela it's all about baseball.... one of the best things to do in life is to go to a Caracas-Magallanes game... for starters you never know if you will come out alive, yes they are so exciting, but also so dangerous... please if you are a women, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT take a purse/bag with you... you are a straight target... and then of course all the excitement of one of the biggest rivalaries in the world... topped only by a Real Madrid-Barcelona, that I have not had the pleasure to attend... Jorge, it's your fault! But coming back to the game... you have no idea what's going on sometimes, but you are just desperate to buy a beer and be ready for when your team scores a race because if you don't have a beer in your hand that you can throw to the air as high as you can and hope that it falls onto a Magallanero (aka: other team) and get them all wet :D what's the point of being there? just stay at home.

But well, coming back to what started this, it's time for me to learn the rules of American Football and I'm sorry, but it will be American Football for me, I will not complelty fall into the dark side, even though I've heard they have cookies!

So the first thing is to learn the rules... I used to follow Rugby when I was at college, so I think I've got half of the basics... and last week I was able to catch a Marathon of Friday Night Lights, I had heard great things about the show and it came very well recomended, so what better way to start with some love of the game introduced by a gorgeous coach (the guy that got blown up in Grey's Anatomy and used to get tomorrow's paper today), some will she won't she story and the Quarterback that broke his spine and is now in a wheel chair! And the replacement QB1 that is trying to date the coach's daughter... Great start... until of course they went for 2 points after they scored a touchdown instead of one and I had no idea again why? But lucky me... I went to a friend's Open House party on New Years eve and EVERYBODY was watching the Eagles play against somebody else... so what better place to say... I was watching a game the other day and I just started but I didn't understand why they scored 2 points after a touchdown instead of one and being all the gentelmen they were and me being a damsel in distress they proceeded to explain to me the basic rules of the game... until of course... they where in 2nd and 19!!! I mean, isn't it supposed to be 10 yards they have to do, why 19? and then 25? can't they just hit the ball and cross their fingers... but a good friend seeing my panicky face came to me and said, don't worry that if they Eagles make it to the end, they have special classes for women like you that don't understand the game, get into it... Women like me!!!!! Come on.... I know every score and every game of the last 25 years of World Cups but I guess here I'm just starting from the begining...

Comments

Anonymous said…
I used to follow Rugby when I was at college, so I think I've got half of the basics...

Oh My !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do not EVER say Rugby and football have anything in common !!! what do you want ? my death ??????? Oh god !!! *headdesk*
I'm glad I hate american football cause I didn't get anything you wrote about the yards and all...first yards mean nothing to me (me being french and all ;) ) and second...well there's no second actually :p

But maybe If I watch this thing with Kyle Chandler as a coach, I'll change my mind ;)
I went to several games while in MN and was so bored after the first period I was only focusing on the marching band and the ridiculous spectacle of the mascot making as many push-up as possible in a minute...nothing equals a good france-australia rugby game ;) (nope not even france-New-Zealand cause the blacks are so much better than our poor little players :s)

good luck with learning the rules and take notes, you'll have to brief me later !
January 3, 2007 at 2:57 PM
Nora said…
Okay if you want to learn about American Football just come and stay a weekend with me during football season. I have been to 3 Superbowl games. Huge SEC fan - thats South Eastern Conference college football. :>)
January 6, 2007 at 7:08 PM
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