LONDON - Before my final decision to study abroad this semester in London, I had a few concerns in my head.
What would I do without Mexican food, ranch dressing, and the cherry on top, my beloved ESPN and its creation, "SportsCenter"?
I knew that without the food and the condiment, I could make due with black curry and watery Caesar for a few months, but I have never been without the best sports creation in my entire life for longer than it takes to pound a few in Cabo San Lucas during spring break.
I sucked it up, signed the abroad papers and was content to find sports over here as interesting, if not more interesting, than what I grew up on - slams, shortstops and six-irons.
My worries were uprooted when I arrived and found that I actually enjoyed watching soccer and rugby.
With that, I made a plea - I would attend one of the two live before heading back across the pond in hopes that a live version would do the same as watching the NFL does - make my goose bumps stand at attention for long periods of time.
My wish came true as I visited an old friend in Copenhagen, Denmark, and found the welcoming news of a ticket to the second-best team in Denmark, FC Copenhagen.
It was a bright, sunny day in Copenhagen as we watched FC beat FC Nordstaelland 2-0 in front of nearly 20,000 screaming, crazed fans.
After leaving, I decided I'd be the first to do it. I'll debate the two sports countries and see, finally, which lives for their sports and which just jumps on the nearest bandwagon.
Sports USA - Come on. The red, white and blue has all the sports a European country has, including what everyone here calls American football, exciting basketball and cricket on steroids in baseball. The sports are quicker, the athletes are better and the entertainment given when the action is dead is head over heels better than what you watch here.
Europe – It might have just two sports that are life and death, but they are actually that. Lose and something could actually happen to you. Ask AC Milan's goalkeeper Dida who was hit with a flare earlier this April during a game by opposing fans. With that said, it is still soccer and rugby, and they can't compare with the amount of product America has with their sports.
Point – USA Fans
USA – Watching a ballgame in the afternoon could mean one of two things. You could sit in the cheap seats, pound a couple of Miller Lites and scream at the right fielder as much as your voice can carry. It could also mean you sit on the first baseline with people too rich to be paying attention and who haven't seen the inside of a baseball mitt in two decades.
Europe - No matter where you sit, you'll join in on the chants that echo through the stadium, wave your flag or wear your jersey, no matter how old you are. The fans aren't just into the game; they are part of the game. If you are playing a two-game series, the scores are aggregate and skewed depending on how many away goals you have (meaning, if you tie 1-1 at the other team's field and tie 0-0 in your stadium, you win because you get credit for an away goal).
Point - Europe Stadium atmosphere
USA - The same stuff happens at all sporting venues. You break out in a "We Will Rock You" at one point, the wave will get the most energetic fans on their feet, and the majority of fans will stand up when the action gets good.
Europe - It is pointless for the stadiums to have seats because nobody sits down, not even during intermission. The chants are different at every stadium, and though long and complex, most everybody will scream them loud enough for the next country to hear. There is no cheer section in European soccer games because that engulfs the entire stadium.
Point - Europe Family atmosphere
USA - Stadiums are becoming more and more rounded around the family, with things like "family packs," slides in the outfield and playgrounds in the arena. If you can't take your kid to a game and have a good time, you're a little too overprotective.
Europe - Unless you enjoy teaching your kid how to flip the bird to the referee every time he makes a bad call, it isn't the best place to take your children. Profanity is largely a part of the game, with chants directed at the refs like, "What's the dripping from your asshole? Vaselina, Vaselina!" It is becoming a problem in Europe because some of the television channels are having trouble blocking the nasty stuff out so families can watch it on TV.
Point - USA Alcohol sales
USA - Yawn. The old days were good. Go to a game, get a beer, a hot dog and relax with the rest of your blue-collar buddies. Now, they restrict beers to just two a person and stop selling after a certain point in the games. Every time something happens, it is mostly blamed on alcohol sales and stricter rules are set. I personally think Janet Jackson had a couple of shooters before the Super Bowl.
Europe - Beer is king at games. If you didn't sell beer, you wouldn't sell tickets. The names are on the jerseys of the team, on the billboards in the stadium and in the hands of everyone with any form of identification. They actually sell beer in a five-pack at the games, just so you don't have to keep walking back to get more. After a goal, expect to freshen up with a beer bath from someone around you.
Point - Europe Exciting plays
USA - Pick one, or pick 10. There is the grand slam, the alley-oop, the crossover, the one-handed catch, anything Barry Sanders used to do, triple plays, buzzer beaters and sliding catches. Attend any game and you are sure to leave with at least one play you look back on and sigh in amazement.
Europe - The misconception about soccer is that you can watch an entire game and it ends 0-0. With the ability these players have, it is hard not to squeeze one goal off a corner kick, but most are headers or putt-backs. While it would take you about five minutes to put together a week's worth of soccer goals, picking breathtaking ones would be a little tougher.
Point - USA The clock
USA - Simple. We stop the clock between plays, and everyone knows when the game is going to end.
Europe - They let the clock run even during stoppage in play, only to add that time on after the 90-minute mark. Nobody really ever knows when the game is going to end.
Point - USA Loyalty
USA - With fan towns like Boston or Chicago, it is hard to find a town with loyalty completely on one team. I'm a Denver Broncos fan, for goodness sake, and I am proudly from the state of Texas. Bandwagon fans are more common than the real, true fan is these days, and it is hard to follow a team that is terrible unless you truly love that squad.
Europe - Where you're born is whom you root for, plain and simple. The opposing team's fans have security so fights don't break out, and no matter what age you are, you wear your team's jersey. Loyalty isn't a question, it's a truth.
Point - Europe
So with that, it is still a push. I would have to say, that I'd give a half point to the American squad because that is my turf, but I don't want to skew my amazing report. Sport is sport no matter where you go, and whether it is a great save from a goalie or a three-run homer in the ninth to send the visiting team home crying, I'll love every minute of it.