- 96 fans were crushed at Hillsborough in Sheffield, the home of Sheffield Wednesday. Not really Sheffield stadium as there’s two major clubs in Sheffield. It wasn’t really a riot. More a case of too many people trying to get in to an area that was too small for them. The fences had been put up beforehand to stop people getting onto the pitch and this meant that there was no way to reduce the pressure. The fences had been put up partly because of…

- The Heysel disaster in Brussels where Liverpool fans (English, not Brits, that slip will upset Scots in particular) rioted before a game with Juventus of Turin. It caused a crush against a wall that collapsed with 39 deaths.

- Clubs go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that rival fans are not in the same parts of the stadium. Unlike in the US where stadiums are usually hundreds of miles away from each other most clubs are close together (some a matter of less than a mile) so the possibility of this occuring is actually quite great. Imagine putting a couple of dozen Dallas Cowboys fans in the middle of the most rabid Eagles fans and you get the picture of what would happen.

- The amount of violence at football games has been hugely reduced since its peak in the 70′s and 80′s. Mainly due to demographics and the efforts of clubs and the police.

- It’s Tottenham Hotspur. Singular. The nickname is the Spurs.

- In my opinion, as someone who’s spent a decade or more in the US and the UK. Football is fantastic to play, and fantastic to watch live. It’s difficult to watch on TV if you haven’t done the first two. Baseball is similar, though it takes too long to really enjoy live (thank God for hot dogs and lite beer). American Football is the perfect game for TV, it’s the designed for instant replays and commercials. Rugby sucks, particularly Rugby League, less so Union. the Haka’s are great though, as is anytime the opposition disrespects them. Damn Kiwis act like it’s some kind of god given right to wind up the opposition with no recourse. Cricket is fun, but one-day is better to watch than five-day. Five-day cricket is a state of mind. Basketball is dull, particularly the pros. March Madness is great, but mainly because there’s always money riding on it. I like watching Golf, but that’s just me. I wouldn’t expect everyone to feel the same way…

Her hubby is a die-hard Sunderland fan and sometimes attends games with a Scottish friend of his who usually ends up getting plastered and whipping his kilt up at the after game pub visits.

Now, see, if soccer/football came with more of that, I might see my way to becoming a fan. I mean, Brandi Chastain in her bra is one thing – but how much of that do you really get?

Marsha – that vid was indeed priceless. Personal experience, though, is that it is SO not true ;-). I did like the flowing hair, though…

I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you…

I’m at work now so I can’t check the whole nekkid thing but it’s first on the agenda for after the kids go to bed tonight. Ooooh, baby…thank God it’s Friday!

Salman Rushdie wrote about following the Tottenham Hotspurs, and Adam Gopnik had a great article in the New Yorker (titled Endgame) about learning to appreciate “footy” while he was living in France. Until reading their essays I didn’t care for sports writing – but when it’s done right, it can be pretty illuminating.

I’ll have to try Bloody Confused.

Dan Carter (an All Black) advertising men's underwear.

Nice . . . but what’s with the mushroom cap in his shorts?

:-)

(fanning myself). : P

I don't think there is anything in the world like the Haka before a big rugby match. It really has put some teams off their game, especially when the players get really up in their face with the opposing team. Although there was that one year when the South Africans?? turned the tables and got right back in the All Blacks faces – it was game on after than, baby!

Wasn’t that the NZ-Tonga match when the All Blacks did the Haka as usual but then the Tongalese (?) did the Sipi Tau right back at them? Complete overload of testosterone there… Also remember another story – I think it was a NZ-France game where the French stupidly turned their backs on the All Blacks while they were doing the Haka (most teams just silently face the AB while they do it). The Kiwis were so pissed off by this blatent disrespect that they went on to completely destroy the French.

Marsha – that vid was indeed priceless. Personal experience, though, is that it is SO not true ;-). I did like the flowing hair, though…

I don’t think there is anything in the world like the Haka before a big rugby match. It really has put some teams off their game, especially when the players get really up in their face with the opposing team. Although there was that one year when the South Africans?? turned the tables and got right back in the All Blacks faces – it was game on after than, baby!

As to what netball is, its hard to explain. Like basketball on a smaller court, but you’re not allowed to travel, and players are restricted to certain areas of the court and only two players can shoot from in a small enforced area. It’s good stuff, and unlike basketball, tall isn’t a requirement ( a bonus, yes), some of the most vicious…err successful players can be short :)

edit: there is a second Haka the All Blacks do, too. One that involves them mimicking cutting the oppositions throats… we Kiwis can be a blood thirsty lot :D

CD, I’ll be honest and admit I had no fricken’ clue what you were talking about but…Now I Know. Now I Appreciate. Grrrrrrl.

Watching the haka is amazing! Going slightly OT, when I arrived back in NZ after 5 years in the UK I almost had an accident driving from the airport to my parents' house. Why? Because while sitting at a stop sign a bus went past….on the back was a HUGE photo of Dan Carter (an All Black) advertising men's underwear. To give you an idea of what the ad looked like:

http://www.jockeynz.co.nz/products.asp?cat=Men&SubCat=Underwear

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!! That’s was lovely. It’s a good thing I don’t drive… Your story reminds me of the huge rise in traffic accidents next to that old “Hello Boys” wonderbra ad ;-).

For those of you who have never seen a haka – here’s a little pressie.

I was on the edge of my seat watching last Sunday’s game (NZ vs Australia). Although, for a supposedly non-contact support there is a lot of (as you so beautifully put it) ‘polite argy-bargy’ :)

…rugby again seems faster paced and much MUCH better eye-candy ;-). Have you seen the All Blacks performing the Haka? Forget about intimidating the other side, it's actually to reduce women all over the world into puddles of lust ;-p

Watching the haka is amazing! Going slightly OT, when I arrived back in NZ after 5 years in the UK I almost had an accident driving from the airport to my parents’ house. Why? Because while sitting at a stop sign a bus went past….on the back was a HUGE photo of Dan Carter (an All Black) advertising men’s underwear. To give you an idea of what the ad looked like:

http://www.jockeynz.co.nz/products.asp?cat=Men&SubCat=Underwear

Oh, Jayne – when I lived in the UK I was able to go and watch a Boxing Day football match (I can’t remember the two teams now). The singing was amazing….but all the fences separating the supporters was rather scary.

Now with the informed contextof PFC, “And how did you find year two of Pompey fandom?”, makes complete sense.