It seems that when I leave home, all the fun stuff happens.
Well, fun as in crazy, stupid, silly, ridiculous and OH SNAP!
However, for the first time in a while, it's nice to get away from the chaos of NYC and take in someone else's cacophony.
At the moment, life finds myself and Scribe across the pond; spending the last few hours of five days in Frankfurt before jetting to London as part of a MBA field trip. Below, you'll find some pictures of some reveling in the streets of Frankfurt hours after the German national team advanced to the second round of the World Cup.
What was cool about this is that this seems benign compared to the celebration reserved for if this team actually wins it all (which they very well could do). However, if that does happen, I'd be glad to be out of here as I rather not see a potential riot (which does happen after these kinds of events).
Vuvezelas were blowing in the streets as my classmates and I enjoyed a nice dinner in the downtown area. Truthfuly, they really didn't sound as bad as they do on television, but that might be because there were just a handful and not throngs of thousands sounding off in unison. Every car, person or dog (which was funny to see) was adorned with the national colors.
Undoubtedly, the best part of the night for my crew started while proceeding back to the hotel. We ran into a few gents and essentially had a photo shoot with them. After some pleasantries, including the "You from Noo Yawk? We LOVE Noo Yawk!", they invited us for some celebratory beers (or for them, more). I decided to head back to the hotel instead, but no tbefore joining them in hilarious chants. Most of the crew stayed behind and likely have stories that I am banned from sharing with you all.
Frankfurt seems to be this sleepy hollow despite being a major financial hub and cultural center for central Germany. Yet, it came alive last night in a way reminiscent of when a major pro team wins a title in the States or Canada. Tomorrow will be a completely different story in London; England may have advanced in the Cup tourney, but there's a tremendously nervous energy about their faithful. Plus, you can add a seemingly low-key (compared to the World Cup) vibe around Wimbledon.
Until then, "Für Deutschland!"
Perception is reality, the saying goes. Modern players can never transcend time, athletes only care about the money and the fan is never wrong. Yet, all you need to do is dig a little deeper to find the truth. As a freelance sportswriter, my job is to give the audience a story around what just happened. As a consumer, I expect that sports will always provide more than I bargained for. As a fan, my hopes are to be enlightened by more than points. Welcome to the mind of a sports scribe.
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