OUR TIME IN OZ -------------------- THE RELLIES THE GAMES ROY, H.G. & FATSO THE PUBS OTHER STUFF HOME, JAMES Comments or Hate Mail

Soccer was the big event for us. We saw a total of four sessions with two games each. For those of you who do not understand or care to understand the game, that might seem like a bit much. But even if you don't follow or care about the game, there was still lots of fun to be had. Just mix an international crowd, some beer, throw in a few meat pies and some really drunken sailor-type singing and you'd know why the English love the game so much. Of course, there weren't any fires being lit in the stands - but then the English weren't there either. The soccer for us started in Brisbane with a game between South Africa and Brazil. We all piled in Uncle Norm and Aunt Elaine's Land Rover and trekked down to the Gabba, the home stadium of Brisbane's Aussie Rules football team. Because the entrances are right on the street in downtown Brisbane, it might remind an American of Fenway Park in Boston or Wrigley Field - only much newer. Before the game we made a new discovery. We stopped in at a pub and ordered some chips and gravy - that's chips as in fries. It was different, but then we put gravy on our mashed potatoes so it actually makes sense. The game was pretty entertaining and this was our first taste of the now infamous Aussie meat pies - think of them as a pot pie you eat like a sandwich. Mmm mmm good! Down in Sydney, we took in two of the women's quarterfinals matches. It was on the way to the Sydney Football Stadium that we discovered the Trinity Bar... home of the world's finest Shepard's Pie. We also took in a Men's match between Spain and Italy. This was very cool because your faithful narrator got to shout some of his favourite Spanish soccer expletives including the always welcome "Culeeeeeeero!". The last game and the next to last event we saw in person was the women's gold medal game between the U.S. and Norway... after a stop at the Trinity Bar for more Shepard's Pie. This was one hell of a game as it was the favoured U.S. team against a Norway team who's best hope was to stop U.S. from scoring more than two goals. And it worked. The Norwegians led 2-1 with less than a minute left and the Yanks were attacking all night but couldn't beat the defence to get a good shot. Then when it looked like the ref was about to end the game, 'we' scored with about 15 seconds to play. We went beserk - because it was very cool seeing your country tie the game and we knew we could get more beer. Oh yeah Galaxy fans,the snack bar doesn't cut off beer sales at half time. Unfortunately, 'we' lost the game in overtime but we had a great time. Even though the stadium was only about 2/3 full, the crowd was loud and obnoxious but in a good way. The Norwegian fans were good sports and let us have their children, ummm, typo! It might be difficult to relate to if you've never experienced something like this but it is an experience we'd like to have again... without the losing part. Still we got to meet some of the U.S. players on a ferry going to the beach the next day. Carla Overbeck was sitting across from us and talked to us for a few minutes and let us pass her silver medal around. That was before everyone else on the ferry realised she was somebody famous and started asking for autographs and such. What really sucked is that Rob took a picture of your narrator with Overbeck, Foudy, MacMillan and Fawcett but the picture didn't come out. But the chance to meet some of the athletes in a relaxed atmosphere and actually talk with Overbeck was as good as any photo would have been.

More drunks in the stands - Disassociated Press, 2000 Go Norge! Shouldn't this guy be the Vikings mascot? No. The one on the right! - Disassociated Press, 2000 We won! We won! Oh, It's only a silver medal? - Disassociated Press, 2000 I repeat, it's only a silver medal. (SNOB!) But we did get to meet Carla Overbeck, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and Shannon MacMillan. - Disassociated Press, 2000 Girls can be drunks, too. Sherry found Cas wandering the subway tunnel mourning the defeat to the Norwegians. - Disassociated Press, 2000