Please tell us about the live sports event that you've just been to. Not historical ones but over the last few days, and ones that you go to in the future.
I'll start...
About ten of us from our company hosted 50 or so guests at a one-day Cricket match yesterday, a 50 over game between Lancashire and Leicestershire. We had a big room with eight tables and put on a three course meal. One end of the room opened up into a balcony for watching the cricket. We were watching it for an hour before we realised that the team in red wasn't actually Lancashire ("the red rose county"). They apparently play in the same flourescent green as the colour of their corporate sponsor, AO.com.
Lancs built up a reasonably good score, over 300, but the Foxes chased it down with a few balls to spare under the Duckworth Lewis method as there'd been a break for rain. Leicestershire dropped three catches, any of which I'd have been ashamed not to hold on to, so they should have won by an even bigger margin.
To be honest, most of the time we were talking shop to the guests, but there were some huge sixes and a couple of very good catches that I was happy to witness. The first wicket of the day was a catch off an attempted reverse sweep, which must infuriate the coach.
I might also mention that the Tour de Yorkshire passed through our town yesterday and while Mrs TG and a couple of friends saw the cyclists blur through Wetherby in about 12 seconds, I had an optician appointment and only heard the cheers from inside Specsavers.
The last sporting event I attended was a evening race meeting at Wolverhampton, for a mates stag party, a few weeks back. There were about 25 of us and I was surprised how brilliant it was. You're sat at a nice big table with a fantastic view of the course. The food served - a lovely 3 course meal - was delicious and there is a nice new hotel attached to the course, so you only have to walk past reception and your room is a few flights away. We were in the 'older set' of his mates (we worked with him for years but he was in his late teens when he started and we were some 15-20 years older), so when midnight struck and him and his younger mates were catching taxis to town to frequent strip clubs and dance bars, we elected to stay in the hotel bar and watch a boxing match (Linares and that manc guy). I'm not even sure he was aware we never joined him I would certainly do Wolverhampton races again though.
This will have no meaning to Americans or most British, but it's our national sport: Cross-country ski!
Last sports event I attended was the men's 50km classic ski event in Holmenkollen, Oslo about a month ago. Although I've lived here for more than 20 years, I've never attended one of those, so it was time. A friend of mine and I took the jampacked train up into the forested Holmenkollen hills, put up our tent and started drinking. This is just as much a 'people's party' as it is a sports event. Thousands of people were scattered along the course, and we had put up tent in the most crowded of them all.
So the event mostly consisted of watching the skiiers for 30 seconds as they pass every 30 minutes or so, for a couple of hours. Beyond that, it's party all night along. I came back with a scratch on my back, sore legs, freezing cold and extremely hung over. But it was worth it. What an experience. Very "Norwegian".
Here's a video of the event (with Russian commentators). If you pause at 24:44, I'm standing there close to the Swedish flag on the left side:
Before that, I think we have to go back a couple of years, to a rubbish match between Vålerenga and Rosenborg on Ullevål Stadium. Then again, Norwegian football is rubbish to begin with.
Brilliant, Kev and Thor - just the sort of detail I was hoping for. As an aside, after the cricket it was decided to go clubbing in Manchester. I asked my boss where he wanted to go, to which he replied "Panacea", which is a club of some renown. I said "That's your answer to everything."
Sadly I think that comedy gem was lost in a haze of alcohol...
Back on topic, and seeing that we're heading back a week or two in time, I was at the Newcastle vs Leeds footie match on Good Friday. Apart from a last minute equaliser for the mighty whites, the highlight was on the way out of the ground seeing a handful of police trying to get a huge fat guy down an external flight of steps to put him in a van. He wasn't so much resisting arrest as invoking gravity to keep him anchored to the spot. It was like watching the Keystone Kops, as they bounced off him, rolled down a few steps, got up again, straightened their hats and flung themselves back up to him. I was moved on at that point by the crowd and didn't see the denoument.
This will have no meaning to Americans or most British, but it's our national sport: Cross-country ski!
Last sports event I attended was the men's 50km classic ski event in Holmenkollen, Oslo about a month ago. Although I've lived here for more than 20 years, I've never attended one of those, so it was time. A friend of mine and I took the jampacked train up into the forested Holmenkollen hills, put up our tent and started drinking. This is just as much a 'people's party' as it is a sports event. Thousands of people were scattered along the course, and we had put up tent in the most crowded of them all.
So the event mostly consisted of watching the skiiers for 30 seconds as they pass every 30 minutes or so, for a couple of hours. Beyond that, it's party all night along. I came back with a scratch on my back, sore legs, freezing cold and extremely hung over. But it was worth it. What an experience. Very "Norwegian".
Here's a video of the event (with Russian commentators). If you pause at 24:44, I'm standing there close to the Swedish flag on the left side:
What about kids and families? How are they reacting to the drinking in the woods in broad daylight?
I'm watching quite a few games With my local football team START. This year they are on level two of the Norwegian League. Here is a peculiar team picture from this year.
I was at the Anthony Joshua fight, it was a good night/fight.. I was 2nd row from the ring & there was not an empty seat anywhere, people were actually standing around as well must have been at least 95,000 people. The event was loud buzzing.
A good night of boxing last Saturday. Groves done well winning his 1st world title in style.. but brook got beat up, he's got an nasty eye injury, its another broken eye socket, so he will now need a titanium plate behind the other eye now.
I purchased my ticket for the Golovkin Vs Canelo.. fight, this event will sell out quick.. If Canelo can take punishment with out dropping, Golovkin will be robbed buy the Vegas judges..
I don't see Canelo going 12, he'll get badly hurt then K.O. Golovkin hits to hard. Canelo has been carefully matched since Mayweather.. its a tough night for young Canelo, tickets cost from 1500$ up to 25,500$ maybe even more which is V.I.P. front-row.. 16th September T-Moblie Arena Vegas.
I've worked with-in the boxing organisation for years.. I got me ticket dirt-cheap just before they went out on sale. I paid 250$ to be near ring side a perk of the job.
