I WANT MY NFL
It's been something of a roller coaster ride this spring, the ongoing saga of the NFL labor dispute. The legal challenges, the rulings, the owners, the players' union--all of these aspects have been well-chronicled in both the sports and business sections of American news media. As the "Only Catholic Expat Steelersfan Mommyblogger in China" I, too, have strong opinions on this subject. With the looming threat of an abbreviated or even cancelled season due to a lockout, this is my chance to express my feelings (which are stronger than my opinions) about the American Institution of Football.
I WANT MY NFL!
Perhaps I have a better way to word what is really in my heart.
I NEED MY NFL!
I am not confusing my wants and needs as these are so intertwined at this point.
In my regularly scheduled life, the one in which I am just another Catholic housewife living in the American Midwest, I know I would certainly miss the lost NFL season this fall. It's no secret that I adore the Steelers, enjoy watching the Steelers play (on TV or, on those wonderful but rare occasions, in person), and especially love getting together with family and friends to watch the games. If we still lived in the US and were faced with this fall's lockout, we would miss the regular get-togethers over football. We would, though, find something else to do with our Sunday afternoons during the suspended season, and still enjoy great company.
Since we live in this other life, this other world, our football fandom takes on different dimensions. With the time zone differences, Steelers' games are in the middle of the night, or sometimes, when I am lucky, early Monday or Tuesday morning. I stream the audio of the games, and often I'm the only one in our family that is awake. This could be a lonely experience, but via other social media, like Twitter, I can stay connected with my friends and family who are watching the games at more civilized times. Even though we are separated by hours and miles, we have this standing date. To this I add the exquisite experience of rising before dawn to go somewhere special to watch play-off games and the Super Bowl, meeting people from other distant corners of the world, or just Western Pennsylvania, our paths crossing briefly that morning in China.
Unlike other sports (Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey) I also follow from a distance, Steelers football gets the most of my attention during its season. The reason is simple--there's only one game a week, and there are only sixteen games in the regular season, plus a few extra in the play-offs. Baseball and hockey games are daily, and right now, games every morning do not fit our schedule. The Steelers allow me to maintain that connection with home without disrupting my daily life too much.
I NEED MY NFL! I need the non-intrusive sense of normal the NFL season brings to my expat life. I need to be able to share the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and a few good Ray Lewis jokes, and then, after a few hours, return to the life I actually live now. If I have to live here, in China, I need the NFL to be there in the US for me.
I NEED MY NFL!
I WANT MY NFL!
Perhaps I have a better way to word what is really in my heart.
I NEED MY NFL!
I am not confusing my wants and needs as these are so intertwined at this point.
In my regularly scheduled life, the one in which I am just another Catholic housewife living in the American Midwest, I know I would certainly miss the lost NFL season this fall. It's no secret that I adore the Steelers, enjoy watching the Steelers play (on TV or, on those wonderful but rare occasions, in person), and especially love getting together with family and friends to watch the games. If we still lived in the US and were faced with this fall's lockout, we would miss the regular get-togethers over football. We would, though, find something else to do with our Sunday afternoons during the suspended season, and still enjoy great company.
Since we live in this other life, this other world, our football fandom takes on different dimensions. With the time zone differences, Steelers' games are in the middle of the night, or sometimes, when I am lucky, early Monday or Tuesday morning. I stream the audio of the games, and often I'm the only one in our family that is awake. This could be a lonely experience, but via other social media, like Twitter, I can stay connected with my friends and family who are watching the games at more civilized times. Even though we are separated by hours and miles, we have this standing date. To this I add the exquisite experience of rising before dawn to go somewhere special to watch play-off games and the Super Bowl, meeting people from other distant corners of the world, or just Western Pennsylvania, our paths crossing briefly that morning in China.
Unlike other sports (Pirates baseball and Penguins hockey) I also follow from a distance, Steelers football gets the most of my attention during its season. The reason is simple--there's only one game a week, and there are only sixteen games in the regular season, plus a few extra in the play-offs. Baseball and hockey games are daily, and right now, games every morning do not fit our schedule. The Steelers allow me to maintain that connection with home without disrupting my daily life too much.
I NEED MY NFL! I need the non-intrusive sense of normal the NFL season brings to my expat life. I need to be able to share the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and a few good Ray Lewis jokes, and then, after a few hours, return to the life I actually live now. If I have to live here, in China, I need the NFL to be there in the US for me.
I NEED MY NFL!
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