sports | The Perpetual Passenger

Why Number 14 Needs a Post of Its Own

April 25, 2015 · by Nikki

On my relatively ambitious list of things to accomplish in 2013, number 14 was added after realization that I was living in Europe, home of some of the world’s craziest football (soccer) fans, and I had yet to see a game live. Though I indicated that I wanted to see a “live sports event,” I was definitely aiming for a football match. And I got my wish.

On May 18 2013, I had the privilege of not only attending the match in which Paris celebrated their victory in the French league, but was also David Beckham’s last professional game. Needless to say, European football matches, or at least this one, lived up to the hype. I saw flags and colored scarves being waived vigorously, watched fans who were so devoted to the sport that they could, and did, name every player (on both teams), and heard songs and chants from the crowd that didn’t dull for a minute, even when the action on field did.

The energy in the stadium was electric. Paris brought home the championship after being without one for 18 years. The pictures and video below (taken by me) won’t do justice to how intense the fans were, but hopefully you’ll take my word for it. Check these out:

In sum, List # 14 was epic… but I didn’t finish there. Later that year, I sat center-court at the French Open. Just wanted to make sure I really crossed this one off. 😉

The French Open, or Roland Garros as it’s called here

Where to Watch American Football in Paris

January 28, 2013 · by Nikki

Recently I took a look at one of the statistics that WordPress provides its bloggers, which is to show you the search terms that bring people to your site. I noticed an interesting trend: Almost every day I have someone that lands here looking to find out where to watch NFL while in Paris. Read More →

France v USA: Competition of Olympic Proportions

August 2, 2012 · by Nikki

Competitive? Yes I am.

And I’m not afraid to admit that I’m generally a sore loser. Yeah, that’s right, I said it: I don’t like to lose. So what?

Now that the Olympics are on, I get to be vicariously competitive by watching sports that are rarely highlighted on (inter)national television. It’s great. And I get to watch everything right from the heart of the United States’ biggest rivals.

No, I’m not in China! Oh wait, they’re our biggest Olympic rivals? Well, not when you’re an American living in France. In my world, it’s “China Schmina.” Yes, I want us to win the medal race and watch my compatriots rise to Olympic glory, but what I really enjoy is when we beat the French.

Unfair advantage rooting for the US, you say? Try telling that to the US men’s 4X100 relay swim team, who were leading the race until two things happened: the amazing Yannick Agnel got into the pool for the final leg of the relay, and my dear friend Courtney (who, despite the following blunder, is cool, so check out her blog) said the dreaded words “there’s no way France is going to beat us now,” after which we were swiftly ousted from the gold medal position. Thank you both. 🙂

Okay, silver’s not all that bad. And they look pretty happy. But still! (Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

My only consolation was that earlier in the day, the US men’s basketball team trampled France to win by a nearly 30-point margin.

Sorry TP
(image by Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)

Maybe I’m just being a brat (it wouldn’t be at all out of character for me), but YOU try sitting in a room full of French people who cheer heartily against your homeland. You’d forget about China, too.

And no, this isn’t just nationalistic ignorance where I spew that the United States is the best country in the world, or some other silly nonsense. But just like the New England Patriots are my team, when it comes to the Olympics, the US is my team.

Okay and maaaaybe I admit that when the US isn’t competing, I might support France. Allez! 🙂

An American (Football Fan) In Paris

January 17, 2012 · by Nikki

In one of my earlier posts, A New England Sports Fan Abroad, I wrote about what it was like to miss championship games because of my international antics. But after several Sundays spent at The Great Canadian–a Canadian bar (surprise!) that airs NFL games here in Paris–I can, thankfully, write about what it’s like to watch a game abroad.

One of the first things I thought about when I decided to accept the offer to work for my current company and make the move to Paris was how I would be able to watch my beloved New England Patriots every Sunday. When I lived in the States, I made a point to go to at least one home game every season (last year I upped it to two, in light of my imminent departure), and if I wasn’t at Gillette I was surely glued to a TV somewhere. I’ve definitely had to miss my fair share of games, though, and that wasn’t an occurrence I wished to become a regularity.

The 2011 season, however, was a whole different ball game–pun intended. Not only have I been traveling more (admittedly both for business and for pleasure), but I am of course living in a country where American football isn’t exactly the most popular sport around. If you ask the locals if they’re into football you’ll likely hear a resounding yes, but they’re certainly not talking about tossing the ol’ pigskin. And as if there weren’t enough obstacles to watching a sport in a country that predominantly couldn’t care less about it, I also have to deal with the six to nine hour time difference for watching games taking place in the US–arguably the most difficult element to work around.

Fortunately for me, I was referred to TGC by a fellow American expat and blogger, Michael (you can check out his blog here), and his recommendation couldn’t have been better. Not only have I been able to watch several games during the regular season, but this past weekend I was able to watch the game that turned out to be our first playoff victory since January 20, 2008. This is particularly amazing considering that the game began at a staggering 2am Paris time Saturday night/Sunday morning. Thankfully, TGC came through and stayed open for the entire game, not-so-gently kicking us out at 5:30am. I was able to catch this crucial match-up, share drinks with friends, and make it home on the metro just before the sun came up.

Just for fun, here are some pictures of myself and some friends during the course of the season at our favorite American football hangout:

: The gang, dedicated and pulling an almost-all-nighter for our team!

: Me on Christmas Eve cheering for the Patriots to pull ahead of the Dophins!

: First Patriots game at TGC!

: With Esteve/Paul/Alfonso and the Frog Prince!

: With beautiful Melissa on my very first trip to TGC to check it out 🙂

It’s been a great season so far, but I’m looking forward to what comes next as the Patriots compete against Baltimore for the AFC Championship title! And thank you, TGC, for giving me a little piece of home every Sunday. Now for next week: Let’s kick some Baltimore butt, boys!

A New England Sports Fan Abroad

June 16, 2011 · by Nikki

I have a history of being away from home when my favorite sports teams make big wins.

On February 1, 2004, the New England Patriots were playing Superbowl XXXVIII to decide the champions of the 2003 regular season. The matchup was against the Carolina Panthers and it all went down at Reliant Stadium in Houston. It was an epic game with some really great football. So great, in fact, that Monday Morning Quarterback author Peter King dubbed it “The Greatest Superbowl of All Time.” Of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world, being that I live and breathe the New England Patriots. So I watched… on DVD in May of that same year. Because on THAT day, February 1, 2004, I was sitting on a plane that was delivering me and 24 other students to our study abroad destination: Cape Town, South Africa.

Knowing I’d be away for the biggest game of the year, I did all I could to support my team. Given my circumstances, this meant wearing a Patriots Jersey on the entire 18 hour plane ride, and a cowboy hat (the hat was more to let people know that I am insane – it worked).

I had a layover in the middle of the long flight, and the layover happened at right around the time the Superbowl should have been over. Luckily for me, there were two other Patriots fans on the plane (which was extremely exciting given that the flight left from New York), so we eagerly asked the pilot to radio back to the States for an update. The wait for news was brutal. I remember how clearly the anxiety weighed on me, and I nearly pounced on any flight staff that walked by servicing the plan we were waiting on for hint of an update.

And then it came. One flight attendant gloriously approached me and the other student that was making the same wish I was and delivered the verdict: The Patriots had defeated the Carolina Panthers 32 to 29.

I still remember that feeling. It was as good as if I had been watching the entire game.

So this morning, at approximately 4:47am Paris time, I woke up to an alert from my phone reading: Final Score – Boston 4, Vancouver 0. And that little message had nearly the same effect as the flight attendant had on me back in 2004. What a great feeling to have been pulling for the winning team!

Though I saw almost none of the final series (I was in Paris for all of the Stanley Cup games), I still felt just as connected to Boston and to my teams as ever. Though football always has been and always will be my favorite, I’m a New England sports fan through and through, and no distance will ever tear us apart!

Ciao!