Various Sports and Pastimes

Welcome welcome welcome and hello! You’re reading Crone Life, my weekly update on my life as a crone, getting older, learning new things, and remembering old ones.

It’s certainly been a sporty weekend, what with the group stage of the World Cup and the final game of the NBA championship. Though I am not what you’d call a “sports girl,” there are two sports that I understand and enjoy watching: football (soccer) and basketball, both for personal reasons.

The first time I ever even heard of the World Cup, having reached my late 20s in blissful ignorance of this global phenomenon, was in 1990, a year after I married an English guy. Up till then I had been smug about never having to watch sports.1 The scales fell from my eyes when one day in June that year I came home from work to find a bunch of English guys sitting on our sofa, drinking beer and yelling at the TV. The other American wife and I stood nervously in the background and wondered what the hell was going on. That was my introduction to the wonderful world of global football fandom. At first I watched it as a bit and because my husband could not be pried away. Then slowly (I’m talking years) I started to understand the game (though not offside, never really offside) and realized I liked soccer/football. I’ve been watching it ever since, first just the world cup and then gradually segueing into the Champions’ League and the Premier League and African Nations and ConCaCaf and sometimes even MLS. I am trying not to be a sports bore. But I do love the World Cup. What about that Vini Jr, eh? Young men, running back and forth, being clever with their feet, what’s not to like? The US men looked good mowing down Paraguay. And the big teams haven’t played yet!

The thing about football is you can talk to pretty much any man anywhere (as long as he’s not American, but some of them too) and ask them which team they support or who their favorite player is. They will start talking and not stop. All you have to do is nod and smile. This is especially handy when in a taxi or Uber.

The other sporting event of recent note is, of course, the NBA championship, which the Knicks won in 5. WOOOOOO! When I was 9, 10,11,12, my best friend’s family was really into sports, unlike my family, which might watch swimming during the Olympics if we remembered it was on. Her dad coached Little League baseball and she was the scorekeeper. We used to sit together in the shed behind home plate and whisper and giggle about which boy we thought was the cutest. My friend was also into the Knicks. I would go to her house to watch the games because they had a big color TV. Dave DeBusschere! Willis Reed! Bill Bradley! Walt Frazier! Earl Monroe!2 It was the early 1970s and the Knicks ruled. If it weren’t for my good friend, I would never have known about any of this. Thank you ER if you’re reading this!

This has meant that I both like and understand basketball, even now they’re all much taller. Once, on a business trip, I stayed in the same hotel as the Sixers. I was in an elevator with a bunch of them and they were all so tall and spindly. I both admired their height and pitied their freakishness. I can only imagine what it must be like to meet Wenbanyama in the flesh.

My sister who lives in Manhattan sent several videos of New Yorkers celebrating in the streets, informal parades erupting in spontaneous delight, people hugging and hanging out the windows of cabs, yelling and waving. My friends in Brooklyn were beside themselves with happiness. People filled the streets there, too. So much joy!

In contrast, there’s the MMA fight on the White House lawn for Trump’s 80th birthday. I’m ignoring this because of the MAGA involvement and because I’ve never enjoyed watching men beat each other up. That loser. If he hadn’t insisted on coming to game 3, the Knicks would have won it in 4. I swear.

I have barely seen Veronica lately because she spends so much time outside. I only reliably see her around 4:30 am when she comes into the bedroom, jumps on the bed and loudly demands to be petted. I’m usually at least partially awake then because of the birds’ predawn chorus. Did I mention that BIRDS ARE LOUD?