Serbia Jiayou!
Trip Start
Jun 10, 2008
1
9
21
Trip End
Jan 25, 2009
Beijing,
China
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
But, when America made what was ultimately a few inches short (several times) of being a heroic short-handed comeback in the final moments, we DID get the entire bleacher section chanting "MEIGUO JIAYOU!" ("let's go America") at the top of their lungs. and THAT was awesome. This day taught me a bit about the Chinese approach to sport and added to my admiration for China's ludicrous love for just about any good time. Whatever team was down they cheered for. When America played poorly in the first half, they were boo'ed mercilessly. When America played excellent in the 2nd half they were cheered like the home team. Basically anyone who was down and giving it a good college try got cheered by the same people who cheered when the other team when they played well. Hypocrisy, no. Just an appreciation for and desire to see a good competition. Like their extremely willingness to follow my friend and I in making asses out of ourselves cheering for the U.S. when they cleerly deserved the extra push. Plus, after the game, we saw hundreds of Chinese clambor for a picture with a Nigerian assistant coach - and NOT because he was a black guy in Beijing (!), but because he was an Olympian who was just part of one heoll of a performace. O, and props to Nigeria - representing west Africa by bringing an entire brass brand to cheer on their team.
For instance, Serbia-Argentina. It was clear from the start that Argentina was the favorite, and the everyone was itching to see Messi play (sitting out because they had already guaranteed qualifying). But, by the second half, when it had become pretty obvious that messi was not going to take the field and Argentina were playing an incredibly conservative, boring game siting back on a single goal on a PK, the cheers began building for Serbia. By the 65th minute the cheers were deafening every time Serbia touched the ball and the air was choked with minutes of booing everytime Argentina got so much as a touch. So naturally, when the Serbia blocked to back to back PKs in the 80th minute, the house went wild. And it was so obvious that the audience was just kicking back, enjoying a hell of a game, revelling in the spectacle of the Olympics and themselves cheering as wildly as any audience could.
So, if the Olympic host cities are picked on the basis of governments and political situations, no, the Olympics did not belong in Beijing. BUT if they're picked on the basis of an unbelievably friendly, helpful, and polite people and their interest in/ deservingness to host the biggest athletic competition in the world, hell yes, the Olympics belonged here all the way..
Hel Yea Nigerian guy!
