Football Game

Who likes a game where no one wins? Maybe I’m way too competitive (no, that is not a question). Someone always needs to win in my book. What would drive me to compete if I knew there would be times where I would neither win nor lose? When I win, it supports what I needed to do to achieve that accomplishment. When I lose, it shows me what I need to do so that I will win. It’s that simple.

 I saw my first football game last night. What a letdown!

 Well, not quite a letdown. It was actually very exciting. From the time I walked in to find my seat, to seeing and hearing the incredible fans, to not being able to breathe whenever the ball was close to the net, it was one of the best sporting experiences I have had.

 Until the end. A final score of 1-1. I really thought there would be an overtime, sudden death, penalty kicks, ANYTHING to provide closure. Nope.

 Still, the fans and action made it a great time. There was one other inspiring aspect about the match: great sportsmanship. At one moment, someone from the Japan team was injured. He could not get up. The local Shanghai team kicked the ball out of bounds so that the medical team could come onto the field. It was a nice gesture. When the ball was put back in play, I could tell the fans were waiting to see what the Japanese team would do. They were under no obligation to do anything but to try to score in a close game. Instead, they kicked the ball softly toward the Chinese goalie. The crowd cheered. I did, too. 

Sportsmanship is the most important part of sports, but for me, someone needed to win.