I was at the rugby today...
Live sporting events always amaze me.
I really do think that it's mostly not about the sport.
That may sound stupid.
But, isn't attending those things more likely to be because of the chance to "have been there" when something amazing happened, even though in all likelihood, the amazing thing was on the far side of the pitch and you had to wait for the replay on the big screen to see it anyway?
Isn't it also about the mass of people, the huge collective movement of 70,000 people, all marching into the ground, all slotting into their seats, all fixed intently on the beautiful, pristine green field where the battle commences...
That's always the first thing that strikes me at a sporting event.
The field.
Green, pristine, almost floating in the middle of a vast concrete bowl, which is spattered with colours and faces and advertising hoardings. Everyone and everything is focussed on this carefully manicured patch of green grass...
The other thing that always suprises me is the silence.
I know that sounds ridiculous when 70,000 people are screaming their heads off, or singing, or clapping...
But for those who mostly watch sport on TV, the absence of commentary, or the audio signature that you expect from these events is always a sharp shock at first...
That and the fact that you have to pay attention... or you'll miss it... There's nothing worse than hearing every other human in the auditorium gasp or applaud at something you missed because you dropped a glove...
Oh and one more thing... wear gloves... it was bitter cold....
Saturday, February 02, 2008
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I supported League of Ireland football for years so this is all news to me. Except the bit about wearing gloves. League of Ireland grounds are verrry cold
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to a live sporting evnt in a long time. I used to love i thy do best!t, I liked the experince of being in a huge group of people, and watching the players doing what
ReplyDeleteI love that group experience too. Because you have a connection with them all being at the same event. But despite not having running commentary there's always things you get at a live match, with the buzz of the crowd that you don't on telly. That said I'm glad I was in the pub and not the cold yest. That said I wouldn't say no to the next Croker gig........
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat the GAA (that's GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH and not G A A) matches - standing on a terrace somewhere around the country, the rain pouring down on top of you as a load of full grown men crowd together hoping their body heat will somehow help ease the pain.
ReplyDeleteThen somewhere from the mist, through the smell of silage and hang sandwiches, comes the dulcet tones of Michael O'Muircheartaigh emerge. You look around trying to find the source to discover some mucksavage with a transistor radio down his jocks.......
When you wear the gloves though it takes away the satisfaction of clapping raucously every few minutes. Wimps.
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