I've always liked Americans and American culture (anyway, like it or not, you grow up with a lot of it in Europe!) I understood a lot of things, of course (sex, drugs and rock-and-roll -- well, maybe not the sex) but I found American football quite mysterious. It appears in quite a few U.S. books and films and I can even remember a cartoon when I was a kid called The Jetsons (sort of Flintstones of the future) where there was a football game played entirely by robots with just two coaches at the controls -- anticipating Madden by forty years!
Anyway, I started learning a tiny bit by being with American friends who were into football. My first, Joe, was a Jets fan! But he couldn't help it -- Fordham boy from New Jersey, Catholic family, five brothers, one a Jesuit, another a saloon owner, you get the picture ... Then there was Tim, my big buddy in graduate school, who, despite being from New England, was a Cowboys fan (boo!). Then I got to live for a year in New England in 1981-82. My best friend then, also Mike, liked football and he was a Rams fan (Angeleno). The Pats, needless to say, were terrible and most of their home games were blacked out, but I watched quite a lot of football and learned (some of) the rules. I remember seeing this Pittsburgh quarterback and thinking he looked pretty amazing -- well, he went on to be very good (Dan Marino). I think that I was attracted to the Pats for two reasons: sympathy for the underdog (you didn't get lower than the Pats that year) and the desire to have a team that wouldn't offend any of my U.S. friends -- kind of the opposite of bandwagon jumping.
I was, of course, absolutely thrilled with the run to the Superbowl in 85 (by this time there was a fair bit of football on UK TV), but lost contact somewhat as I got busier, football moved to satellite and the Pats went through the Lisa Olsen incident and the near-moves. Now, here I am in New England again!
If anyone caught the Patriots Fifth Quarter after the game on Sunday, you'll have seen Scott Zolak interviewing Mr Kraft about the up-coming trip to London. It seems that SZ had a trip in the summer which he didn't enjoy that much (trouble with the language, I assume
) so he wasn't very upbeat. Mr Kraft was, of course. He did, though, advise people to bring plenty of euros!
Anyway, I hope everyone has a great, great time. Truth is -- as I'm reminded every day -- they are two VERY different countries. I love them both, though.