J took me to a soccer game today. What an excellent gift. It was not just any soccer game, it was the Seattle Sounders opening game of the season (their color is a fluorescent lime green) on St Patrick’s Day (more green – and men in skirts!). This team has the highest attendance in the US (MLS), tonight was over 38,000 fans in an outdoor stadium on a cold day (it snowed this morning).
I have watched, and even followed, soccer but I have never been to a game. It is completely different from anything I have experienced – which includes pro tennis, Australian rules football, college and pro football, college gymnastics, NBA games, horse racing, downhill skiing, college and pro baseball, kayak/canoe racing (yeah whatever) and marathons/triathlon. The fans are organized and very friendly (though many had painted faces and had their hair dyed green). We had to stand up the entire time – no sitting in the MLS and for 80% of the game time was communal singing (the closest comparison is, frighteningly, to a church service).
The problem for me now it that the team is entertaining and good, the experience was fun and we won – one player for Seattle scored all 3 of our goals so now a local hair salon franchise now has to give 38,000 free haircuts (a promotion that backfired for them) so now I have to consider going to more games.
Maybe you should take us when we come out. And no, I don’t know when that will be–it’ll either be when we can sail, kayak, hike, or go to a soccer game though.