My brother was recently in town visiting for Christmas. This means that I have been spending a ton of time watching football -and cheering him on in his quest to become champion of his fantasy league.
My brother is a sports FANatic. He loves all sports: football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, boxing, professional, college, international. You name it; he streams it. In fact, his living room looks like a sports bar. Across from his couch and lazy-boy recliner, a wall of screens simultaneously and continuously broadcast multiple games most hours of the day.
He’s a bachelor.
I like sports okay, but mostly, I like hanging out with my brother. So, we watch. It’s what we do. And with the Bay Area as my backyard, our options are pretty rich.
During his short visit, we attended a Cal basketball game at our alma mater, UC Berkeley. I know Omicron is running rampant at the moment, but don’t worry, it was easy to social distance. The crowd was light because of the holiday break. In fact, to entice attendance, they offered free admission to the first 1,000 fans. It turned out to be a great game, and not just because it was free.
Before he left, we also managed to squeeze in a Sharks game. It was, likewise, sparsely attended (by pre-covid standards) and an awesome game! It ended 7-7. Fourteen goals in hockey?? After the tie and extra overtime, the game was decided in a shoot-out. Which we won! Oh yeah, and there were 2 fights. Action-packed!
But mainly, my brother and I spent the holiday watching football. During Monday night football in America, I decided I needed a team. I’m trying really hard to get into this sport. But how can I do that without a team? One of my brothers loves the Packers, and my other brother loves the Cowboys. Although I grew up dreaming of becoming a Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader, as all little girls from Texas do, I can’t adopt that franchise. Choosing one of those teams would disrupt the balance in the family.
The obvious choice is the 49ers, but I’m not feelin’ it. However, the Raiders… now that’s a possibility.
A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending my first (and only) pro-football game. It was a Raiders game. I felt somewhat intimidated because the Raider Nation has a bit of a reputation. But, I discovered that The Nation is super cool. They just look scary.
My husband’s friend sang the national anthem, and we were his invited guests. This status allowed us to watch the game from the “talent box” and go down onto the sideline just as the players took the field.
We played the Panthers.
Being ushered through the corridors and standing on the field surrounded by players was pretty thrilling. But what was even more exciting… Ice Cube sat in the box with us! I was forbidden to talk to him (by my husband) because he didn’t want me to bother him. But when Ice Cube walked in, he looked directly at me, gave me a nod, and said, “What’s up?” So, technically, he talked to me.
It turns out that Ice Cube is also super cool. No surprise; he’s part of the Raider Nation. Which, unfortunately, is no longer in my own backyard.
But we like Vegas.
I’ve always loved spots since both of my sons were/are into them. So during the holidays in particular a game is on almost all the time. It also allows me to see both of my sons and Paula a lot!
Baseball is my favorite sport though. My uncle use to take my older brother and me to see the Oakland Oaks, play the San Francisco Seals, back in the day (or in the olden days as my grandchildren would say.)
I’m looking forward to my annual super bowl party this year.