I was raised by a single mother for 90% of my life, for long enough that having a father in the house is an extremely dim memory. I do have a few memories of having a father in the home with us, but it's like it happened to someone else instead of me. Anyway, that's not the point of this blog so lets just have me move along shall we? My mother was a single mum for all intents and purposes here, she had the unending help of her parents, my grandparents, along the way and they were there 24/7 until the days they both passed. Bless them both 'cos God knows I miss them more than I need to breathe. So my male role model was my Grandpa, and let me say he not only filled that role with panache, he has always been and will always be my hero. From day one (seriously I was not even a week old) only my Grandpa could make me happiest, make me stop crying, make my world turn. He hung the moon. When I was a newborn I was incredibly collicky and wouldn't sleep for anything. My mother couldn't get me to sleep, my dad sure couldn't and even my grandma could only calm me for maybe 15 minutes, but the moment they put me in my Grandpa's arms I fell asleep for hours. So long that he had to sit down 'cos both his arms fell asleep but he wouldn't put me down, he wanted his girl to get her sleep. From that moment on we had a bond that was stronger than even my bond with my mum, and I adore my mum. Reading through this post so far I've noticed that I only have capitolised Grandpa, not mum, mother, father, dad or even grandma, just Grandpa...that was completely unconcious on my part. Honest.
So anyway, my Grandpa had a huge role in my life and that of my younger brother. Our mum relied heavily on her parents to help out with us kids, from financal help (going back to work back then after being a stay-at-home-mum wasn't easy) to babysitting us, they were there. My Grandpa saw no reason for a few things, that just 'cos I was a girl that I shouldn't learn all about sports, especially baseball, his passion. He was a true sportsman though, he loved all sports, he even watched "soccer" back in the day when only a very few American's had even really realised it was a real sport. I do have memories of watching Pele' play on TV 'cos I watched him with Grandpa. But he was a baseball man through and through and a Chicago White Sox fan to the very core. He raised me right, I'm White Sox to the core as is my 13 year old son, so I know Grandpa is very happy about that at least! I was a tiny 3 year old when Grandpa put that bat in my hand and that ball and bought me a mitt and taught me all I needed to know about the world of baseball. I wish I would have realised when I was in say high school that I was really a great softball player, that I could have made something of that passion, that maybe there could have been talk of Olympics in our household. But alas that was just not in the cards for me. But trust me, I was that good. I played ball every single day of my life that I could, that means when there wasn't snow on the ground over 3 inches I was outside playing baseball/softball. I was practising throwing, catching and hitting every single day of my life. I wanted to play baseball for the White Sox. That is what pushed me when I was a kid, not realising I couldn't 'cos I wasn't born with a penis. Really so not fair if you ask me.
So the one thing that goes with being a jock and supporting a team is loyalty. You're loyal to your team. You choose the team you can relate to or, like me with the White Sox, you're just born to it. Like with the Yankees 'cos I am a massive fan it was me relating to them 'cos Bucky Dent was traded from the White Sox to the Yankees back in the day and then I realised how much fun it was to see a team with a world series or twelve! lol It's not always all about winning of course, but sometimes it helps doesn't it!? I mean 2005 was such a magnificent season for my White Sox, finally my boys won the WS. Ironically enough, my Grandpa lived his entire life (1920-1996) without seeing them win a WS and then 2005 comes along and his great grandson sees them win one when he's but 7 years old. Just turned 7 years old at that (Oct 23rd being his birthday). Funny but he's seen the Yankees win it a couple times now but hey, that one time is what matters most to both of us.
So you have loyalty, but what does that encompass when it comes to sports? Well for me it means you support and love that team in good times and bad, that you vocalise your support be it positive or negative but put a loving spin on it when it is negative and you always, always just always are proud to tell people you support that team even when they're dead last and haven't a chance of anything better. That's my sort of loyalty, everyone is different, so when I say I'm a loyal supporter of a team, you get the picture.
Arsenal. I love Arsenal and I am LOYAL to Arsenal even though I've really only been a supporter for five years now, this being my sixth season. Soccer, or Football as it will be termed from here on out, never really caught on in America, and I just don't know why. Being a fan of the sport now I cannot honestly see any other sport that is half as exciting and exhausting to watch. I would say I guess it's hard for American's to take on a sport where, unless it's a big championship game, neither team has to win or lose, they can go home with a tie and still gain a point. Maybe it's that, the point system. You get 3 points for winning a game and 1 for a draw, and the amount of goals for and against for the entire season can make the difference between first and second place, it's a crazy ol' game isn't it? So I got interested in English Football because...well because I've been a freakin' addict of anything and everything English/British since I was a toddler, seriously. So I was reading the autobiography of Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley back in 2004/05 and all he talked about between the music stuff was Football and Arsenal. Now don't get me wrong, he did turn me onto Arsenal but if I didn't like them at the end of the day I wouldn't have chosen them to support. I did get Football fever because of Hadley though, I had to learn all there was about this sport. I needed something new. I'd reached the goal of a lifetime and saw my White Sox win the Series so I needed a new challenge sports-wise. So I ran head-long into Football. So Arsenal yeah, Hadley rambled on and on about that club so it piqued my interest sure, but I had to give all 20 of the teams in the EPL (English Premier League) a chance, didn't I? Even the mighty Manchester United and Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United but really? Sure those teams had the stars, they had the power, they had the pizzaz but they didn't have what Arsenal had. Heart. Passion. A belief that they could be the best in the world. The players were more passionate about the sport and their club than any other player on any of those other teams and they just clicked with me, with my heart and soul. So I never looked back. Thierry Henry, he was my hero and he could play that game like he had wings on his feet. He was thrilling to watch and you know what? Last year, because he now plays with the MLS team New York Red Bulls, I finally got to see him play live and it was worth waiting for, he is still just as thrilling to watch and still plays, in his mid 30's, like he was 10 years younger. I think anyway. He gets applause and adulation wherever he goes in this country, in England and in Spain and he deserves it. He is the epitome of why I love Arsenal with everything I have, to this very day he will say nothing but wonderful, praise-filled things about his old club. It's players like him who deserve to come back to Emirates and receive a hero's welcome, and he did this summer when his club came to play Arsenal. It was so good to see him on his home turf again because wherever Arsenal are he is welcome. He inspired me to love a team I have no real connection with other than a passion for sports and a new found passion for Football. Sure players have come and gone and they have talked shit about Arsenal and you know what? They didn't deserve the right to wear an Arsenal shirt and they didn't deserve the applause of Gooners. There are only a few like that though so piss off to them.
So yeah, loyalty. The past five/six seasons I've followed the Arsenal have been great seasons, full of excitement and battles for first place, Champions League final's and an FA Cup win, but this season is different. This season is only 3 games in yes, but you can tell what sort of season a club is possibly headed for this early in, and to be honest? 17th place for Arsenal is not a good place. For anyone. But it's times like this that test the loyalty of a supporter. Will you stick with them during this low time? Will you support the boss, Arsene Wenger, through the thin part of through thick and thin? Will you scramble to call for his head because he may not be doing things you want him to do or do you trust him to know more about running a club than you do? I don't know the answer to that last one because I do think his time could be at an end, but not for him to leave Arsenal completely, I'd love to see him move on up to upper management, I cannot see an Arsenal without an Arsene. I mean look at his name for chrissake, Arsene...Arsenal...it's poetic isn't it? He's surely meant for this club, he's sweat blood and tears for this club, he's brought them from the depths up to the top and he's brought through some of the best players to have ever played the sport, so doesn't he deserve our support now, when things are falling apart? That depends I suppose. I mean honestly, if a manager isn't getting the results demanded of him he should go, no matter how well loved he is, because it's all about winning. The past couple of years there's been a lot of disappointment because when we should have won things we didn't and for that I don't blame Arsene 100% because I never blame the manager 100% for the failure of a team to perform. The players have at least 50% of the responsibility surely, right? I mean even Sir Alex couldn't have gotten better results from this club? I dunno about that. See this is why I'm so conflicted because you look at Manchester United last year, for most of the season they were without a loss, but they played crap. Now a lot of supporters of teams not Man U will say it's because a lot of the refs seem to always be giving them 5 minutes of stoppage time when they're losing or the game is tied and when they're winning there's 1 minute...and that does seem to hold true, but lets face it, when push came to shove last season? Man U got it done. The players had the passion to win the league and Sir Alex had the know how to lead them to the league title. Arsenal had the manager who wanted to win the Champions League, that seems to be his goal because it's the one thing Arsenal have never done, it's the diamond Arsene reaches for. Was that a bad choice for him to have made though? We had a rough run last season, the last time we got to the final, Henry still wore an Arsenal shirt, we have a hard time with some European teams like Barcelona (so does the rest of the world though). So does Arsene put his mind to winning things he shouldn't? What should be most important? The league or the CL? Arsenal had a chance at 4 trophies last season and came away with none. It's unanimous that when they lost the Carling Cup to Birmingham that it took the faith from the players souls. Now I can understand disappointment and maybe losing a game or two because of that, but we're still seeing a team that hasn't found it's footing since that loss and it's a new season and we just lost BIG TIME to Manchester United this past Sunday (8-2, I thought it was a fucking Rugby score at first). So a Gooner's loyalty is being tested big time right now, most are passing the test but I'm sure a lot are not and really, who cares. If you're only following a team because you want to see trophies go fucking follow the shallow Man U. Seriously. All I know is I'm in it for the long haul. I will be buried with my Arsenal scarf. I don't care if they get relegated I will follow them until the day I die and if I can follow them after death then I will. That is so not bullshit either. I love them in the same way I love my White Sox and more than I love my Yankees. Am I disappointed in how they're playing? Fuck yeah, who wouldn't be? And fans of other teams can laugh and point and joke at our expense because it just doesn't fucking matter, my club are still better than yours. So nyah, nyah. THAT, to me, is loyalty. That is what being a true-blue supporter is all about and that's me. True Red and White Gooner, through and through! Maybe I wasn't born in North London but my heart and soul live there in Emirates Stadium! I did get to visit the place, my church, even though the team were not there and I didn't get to see a game it was still a religious experience to walk where they walk, to sit where the great Arsene Wenger sits, to see where the players come together before and after home games. It was an experience I shall never forget and I vow to get back there to see a match before I die, shit hopefully in a few years or so and I will have my son, also a massive fan, with me! Until then it's love all the way from Chicago, support all the way from the Windy City, that one English Premier League team gets. And I think they deserve it, win or lose.
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