Guys in general are more verbally challenged than women. It’s harder for many of us to strike up a conversation about much of anything. On top of that, I struggle more so in the conversation department. Fortunately, Janet covers for me much of the time (nice way of putting it ;-). For guys like me, the saving grace of conversation is….sports. If there is an uncomfortable silence… mention sports.
Here’s the rub. The sports I like and follow a bit (American college football and basketball, NBA and maybe Major League baseball), no one pays attention to here. In other words, when I say… how bout them Lobos (referring to the University of New Mexico’s mens basketball team), all I get are blank stares!
While we get ESPN here, the coverage is completely different and includes some of the following:
Aerial sports: racing planes and skydiving competitions.
Soccer: mainly South East Asian Teams (from Thailand, Australia ect…), also Premier League from Europe.
Rugby: mostly from Australia and New Zealand
Motor sports: Formula 1 GP (Grand Prix) and A1.
Cricket: From South Asia (India, South Africa and Australia)
Winter sports: Snow Skiing from Europe
Xtreme sports: from North America
Badminton: not on ESPN, but often on other channels. It is the Indonesian National Sport.
There is a Major League Baseball, NBA basketball and college basketball on periodically. However, I had to watch the NCAA tournament online.
Therefore I have embarked on an odyssey of new sports discoveries. The following occurred this week alone:
I am in a hockey pool at SPH for the NHL playoffs. While hockey itself is not popular at all in Indonesia, there are enough Canadians on staff here, that hockey is now spoken here. Go San Jose!
It’s 2AM Wednesday, April 14 and what am I doing? Watching Liverpool take on Chelsea in quarterfinal action of the Champions tournament in the Premier League. I still managed to miss every one of the 8 goals scored in the game! I watched from the 28th minute through halftime and then went to bed!
Other key insights learned this year:
* Formula 1 GP is different than Formula A1.
* There is a difference between Rugby Union and Rugby League.
* If you are talking to an Australian, “football” is soccer, “footie” is Australian Rules Football and “american football” is football.
* Cricket is incredibly boring to watch.
Have a great week!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sports
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5 comments:
cricket is really boring...
In our house all you have to do is say "How 'bout them Canucks?" and I can guarantee even the least wordy among my family will find something to say. But...you DO know who the Canucks are, right?
Steve, this is a fascinating. To the Canadians who've grown up with hockey your preview of your hockey knowledge sounds like this:
"I'm just learning about football and there's enough Americans at my school that football is now spoken here. Go Toronto Argonauts!"
I'm not sure any Canadian hockey fan would dare say Go San Jose! on home soil-- unless their prairie boy Mennonite brother got drafted from the minors out of Thunder Bay to play near San Fran.
But them 'nucks...now there's the team to beat this season!!!!
Now this is too good a post to not comment on! I am pleased that there are enough of us Canucks down there that the NHL playoffs are a topic of discussion. I agree with Mona that the choice of San Jose is dubious at best. The choice of the Canucks is by far a better choice and I am pleased to see that others commenting agree. I would urge you to check out this site to see how the CRWRC has joined on the Canucks bandwagon. http://www.goatcanucksgoat.com/
Go San Jose ?
There are three Staal brothers (Eric put two in last night at a game I was fortunate enough to go to) playing and one Bylsma coaching and you're pulling for San Jose ?
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