More than just a football match

One would think that having lived and traveled in Poland before, I would be proficient with all cultural interactions and events, but that is not the case at all. Wanting to be more open this time around, or maybe just flexible is the correct label, I was invited to a football match. I’ll be the first to share: I’m not an avid fan, nor do I find it as entertaining as American football. 

That aside, there is something unique and special about going to local sporting events wherever you live. In Morocco, on game day, I could hear the fans and the drums from outside my apartment, which, frankly, was enough for me. I didn’t need the madness of an actual in-person game, when the flipping guy on the corner was blowing his horn like he was a five-year-old with his new toy to impress his parents. Nor did I want to sit in a glorified hall and stare at a big screen with a hundred strange men. 

Poland is different though. It requires closer attention and, for that matter, effort. It’s far better to catch a last minute (for me) tram and ride in with the common folk to see a game in person than to sit back as I did in Tangier. Let me be clear, the tram is the real show. That’s where you are around locals who embrace their fandom to the nth degree. While I will get back to them in a moment, we need to backtrack for perspective. Last Saturday when AC Milan and Manchester United played in Wroclaw, I saw jerseys galore in the city center. I saw guys walking off trams, into restaurants, and even meal prepping at McDonald’s. What I didn’t expect to see was the beer drinking on the tram, or on the street, and my favorite, swapping soda for a fifth of vodka.

That was funny. This one guy left his burger wrappings on the side, drank most of his soda, and then emptied the entire fifth into his glorified sippy cup. I wasn’t shocked, but I was surprised when I watched him walk off with that and a beer in his hand. Weren’t we taught not to mix beer with hard liquor? I know, I must be an amateur. 

Last night, when I caught the tram, I knew from my previous weekend that the locals would be thirsty and likely lit. None of them were blackout drunk, but when you’re passing a Stanley knockoff between one another on the tram, and grown men giggle, it gives away the punchline. Come on, strangers, giving those knowing nods, and then sharing sips like they were passing the wine at Sunday Mass, is quite the reveal. The big guy in the front who wasn’t even bashful, carrying a half-gone bottle of brandy, was the real show. 

I expected the fans to be more riled up based on the ride in, but lo and behold, I guess security only allows the visiting team to bring smoke bombs, flares, and other cool Ultra stuff, while the home team is stuck waving their flags as though they are about to surrender. I will give props to the guy who decided to give me a proper pat down. He made me want to wear my TSA T-shirt. 

The stadium itself was awesome, dare I say better than King Power Stadium, or other venues I have visited. The sheer size of it alone made me wonder what a monster truck rally would look like compared to the football pitch, but the game itself kept things interesting. It wasn’t as loud as the Boston Garden in its heyday or Fenway Park, but then again I’m likely biased with my Boston-based sports upbringing. 

Still, even though I didn’t know the cheers and decided it was best to do a converted tomahawk chop with the word “sloan” thrown in for fun, I appreciate the towel waving, the drums, and the sense of community. Even when the teams scored, and all the die-hard fans deemed it time to strip down in celebration, I understood and appreciated the gesture. Seeing that in itself was a reward and a good reminder that sports and sporting events bring connection when we are open and want to take part in the process.

I’m not sure when I will attend another game, but I’m confident it won’t be the last. Hockey is next on deck; then again, I hear there is American football in Wroclaw as well. 

That’s my report for this week. Here’s to more discoveries, opportunities, and embracing whatever presents itself. 

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