Becoming a TRUE Australian...

Let me break down Australia to you very simply... Surfing, Bitter Beer (contrary to every American's belief no one drinks Foster's here) with the Mates, and most importantly LOTS of Footy! I don't drink so let's just scratch that off the list. Surfing... I'm working on that and hopefully in the next few months I'll have a few blogs about that. There are a couple guys at church that are big time surfers who told me they'd take me out and teach me the real deal. However today's blog is all about Footy.

For those who don't know Footy is Rugby, sometimes called Football. They live for rugby over here. If you don't watch, play or know rugby then you're definitely a loser (unless you surf). I learned that early on and was keen enough to go back to the states and learn the rules of Rugby in the same manner I would any other sport... find a good video game. After a while i got some of terminology down and what not but there is still a lot I don't understand but I can't learn if I don't start watching. After all we all know what they say, "When in Rome..."

We decided (mostly me with a lot of preparation of how though this doesn't fit in our budget it would be good for our relationship and my cultural appreciation of Australia) to go to a rugby game. It just so happens that the game of all games where there is more than money on the line is happening right now. The State of Origin.

The State of Origin is something that Australia has gotten right that Americans haven't quite figured out (Australian's would argue there a lot more things than that). More or less it's kind of like what we would think of as an All-Star game for our sports but it's ten times better because there is something on the line far more than money or recognition... it's pride of where you're from. Ya see the State of Origin is a battle between Queensland and New South Wales, two of the states in Australia where Rugby is what everyone lives for. (They also have another game called Australian Football League which an entirely different sport and pretty boring if you ask me, which is popular in Melbourne and Western Australia.)

This isn't about what team you play for or East versus West in the NBA where no one really cares because they were drafted to a team there and had no say in it. This is about where you were raised and where you played your high school and preparatory footy. This would be like our battles in college between state schools but with professional athletes. It's Ohio State versus Michigan with all the pros who played there are in it. The only difference is that they only have 2 states and they combined are 1/3 the size of the USA.

When we follow professional teams 80% of the time it has to do with their location not who is on it. We watch them because we grew up there or our parents grew up there and loved them or it's our second home or something. (exclude the Steve Young Theory where every Mormon loves San Fran because the quarterback is Mormon and a prominent player. I don't see many cheering on the Colts because one of their offensive line men played for BYU or loving Shawn Bradley when he was thrown around the NBA from team to team). I guess this is the beauty of it. You are rooting for your state and what it stands for. Anyone who knows me knows I love Texas more than the whole of America and am the guy who hangs the Texas flag in his dorm. If all the NFL players from Texas played all the NFL players from Florida or California that would be a game. That's pretty much what this is and so it's hard hitting, beat the crud out of each other, full-on Rugby. If you can't tell I'm pumped. This is going to be one heck of a game! Lucky for us there is a alcohol free section so we'll be able to enjoy the game without as much craziness.

I'm working my way into the real Australian life and the longer I'm here the more I love it! (minus the whole socialism versus free market but that's a whole other debate on economics) GO NSW BLUES!