Root for the home team (but don't boo the competition)

This weekend I attended the home opener for the New England Revolution, where they challenged fellow Major League Soccer team Toronto FC. The game was great (after being down 1-0 at the half, the Revs came back to score four goals in the second half and won the game), but the fans were obnoxious!

Many Revs fans (not all of us, thank you) booed when Toronto took the field, jeered when a Canadian was injured, and hollered things like "you suck!" when Toronto players had possession of the ball. In return, Toronto fans hollered at the Revs (though they were much farther away from me, and tougher to hear). The overall atmosphere in the stadium wasn't the palpable excitement of opening day, but rather an undercurrent of malcontent and ugliness.

Don't get me wrong: I love a good rivalry. Give me a Red Sox/Yankees game, for instance, and I'm happy grumble about the "Evil Empire" and poke fun at its players, but I do so from home and all in jest. I would never go to a baseball stadium and scream obscenities at a player or team. It's rude and it takes away from the fun of the game. I go to the games to see my team win, not to watch the other team lose. People who do otherwise aren't respecting the beauty of the game.

At the Revolution game, I was upset to hear adults jeering at the opposition, but even more saddened to see clusters of children (some as young as six or seven!) and cliques of teenagers hurling hateful words at the field and being generally disrespectful -- throwing popcorn and drinks, swearing, and standing in front of people who were trying to watch the game. Where are these kids' parents? It's inappropriate to send your children to a sporting game without teaching them the rules of the game and the rules of good sportsmanship.

I'll be attending more Revolution games this season (I already have my tickets), but I'm hoping for a more refined crowd. Though I may not get my wish, perhaps I'll at least remember to bring some earplugs...

2010 Winter Olympics open in Vancouver

The 2010 Winter Olympics begin tonight in Vancouver and I'll be watching.

Though I'm not much of an athlete and I don't really follow sports, I always love watching the Olympics. Something about the pageantry, the Parade of Nations, the chance to see people excelling at what they love... it warms my heart. I love to cheer on the United States, the underdogs, and whoever catches my fancy.

CNN ran an opinion piece today by Fulbright scholar Robert A. Kaufman about why the Olympics matter. The piece mentions a story about the 2006 Olympics; Canadian cross-country skier Sara Renner entered her race as an underdog, having placed "no higher than eighth" in Olympic events four years earlier. In the middle of the last heat, however, Renner's ski pole broke, effectively knocking her out of the competition.

Opposing ski coach Bjørnar Håkensmoen saw what happened and handed over his Norwegian team's spare pole. Renner and her teammate completed the race with a second-place finish, while the Norwegian team didn't medal.

Kaufman continues to explain that Renner was so touched that she gave Håkensmoen a big thank you and a bottle of wine. The Canadians were so touched by Håkensmoen's kindness that they developed Project Maple Syrup, which shipped over 7,000 cans of the nation's pride and joy to Håkensmoen and Norwegians. Håkensmoen, for his part, remains humble about his part in the story, saying simply that "It was natural for me to do it, and I think anyone should have done it."

Kaufman encourages his readers to remember the collaborative spirit of the Canadian and Norwegian cross-country teams as they tune in to tonight's Olympic festivities. He encourages viewers to not only root for the United States, but for all nations participating in the Games.

I agree wholeheartedly. While I wish the United States much success, I also hope that the Canadians can win some events "at home" and that some of the underdogs have a chance to shine. Regardless of the Games' outcome, I am eager for another chance to cheer on my country and the athletes of the world.

So tune in tonight to watch the Olympics on NBC!