of soccer, hockey and football

I don't even know how it's Tuesday already. Weren't we just starting the weekend??

The weekend.
We had a nice, lazy-ish one. Saturday morning the kids had soccer. Sawyer scored three goals in his game and once Ryan told him that was called a Hat Trick, that's been his phrase of choice ever since. Three of anything and he thinks there's a hat trick going on. My title up there? ^ That would be a hat trick according to Sawyer. ;)

Saturday evening we were invited over for dinner at a co-workers place followed by a trip downtown for a hockey game. It was a good game. I'm a hockey fan. Problem is, I'm not becoming a fan of hockey here though and I'm struggling with that.

Don't get me wrong, I still really like hockey... it's probably my favorite sport as far as spectating goes... I just don't enjoy it here. It irks me beyond belief at how unsportsmanlike and just plain ugly the fans are here. I've been to a fair share of hockey games in my life; I grew up going to the Western Hockey League Winterhawks games often in Portland (and it being especially cool when I knew (of) guys on the team from my friends' high school!) and was secretly thrilled when we moved to a more "hockey country" state like Michigan and even Missouri where all the little boys grew up playing.

I loved that Sawyer loved it. We probably went to a dozen Blues games in the short time we lived in St Louis and it was always so fun. I've even been to a Rangers game in New York City. That was super fun.

So we've been to three games here now in the past year and honestly I just get a weird icky feeling here every time.
We're all for being Predator fans (although we'll still root for the Blues over them any day) since we're Nashvillians now. But the Preds' fans in the arena are making it really really hard for me to want to cheer for them/with them.
In all the hockey games, or any sports games for that matter, that I've been to, obviously there's some rivalry. Some good natured, and not-so-good natured taunting and/or booing of the other team, right? Well here it's all the time and it's just not fun for me. I honestly don't want my kids a part of it. I don't know if I can adequately explain it without you being there.

But you know I'll try anyway! ;)

For instance, when they're introducing the teams at the beginning of the game and they go through the line-up announcing the players? Of course the arena is cheering throughout the Preds' line-up, but then when the visiting team is announced? After each players name, "and for the Blues, number seventy five; Ryan Reaves!" where there should be at least polite clapping -or quiet maybe? The whole crowd yells "SUCKS" so as to make it sound like "....Ryan Reaves... (sucks!)".
That's throughout the whole opposing team's line-up... every name, followed by SUCKS. And when they get to the last name on the line-up they top it off with HE SUCKS TOO! Seriously. The whole crowd.

If the opposing team gets a penalty the crowd cheers like crazy, and I'm not talking about the normal cheering, but crazy. If Nashville gets a penalty it's booed harshly, even when warranted.
And then if, God forbid, the opposing team scores a goal, it's a crazy loud roar of booing. Loud as cheering booing.
Really? They scored a goal. That's the point of the game. A good game.
And then when the at-home Predators score a goal? They play that Rock and Roll song (otherwise known as the "Hey" song) and after the naah, naah, HEY! they add "YOU SUCK!" in the two beats after. Again, the whole arena. Yeah, it's lovely.

Anyway, all that to say, being there for a game actually makes me want to cheer for the visiting team here in Nashville. And it's making me think twice about bringing my kids to hockey games where it's just a poor example of enjoying the game and being a good sport, you know? And I don't really want my kids running around telling people they suck all the time.

Anyway. So that was our weekend.

And we're already into another week.
Speaking of spectating, instead of soccer practice we're going to a MTSU game this week with the kids' soccer teams. They're recognizing the team's involvement in Upward and youth sports in Middle Tennessee and the kids get to walk out on the field at halftime and get a certificate. It's a televised game (ESPNU), so we're setting our dvr! We thought it was a soccer game (hence, the soccer teams going together to watch) but it's actually a football game. Not something we'd normally do late on a school night when we could care less about these teams. We'll probably head home after half time.