Go Jets Go!
Jake and I have a portion of a portion of a seat (that translates to a few games a year, of a massive season's ticket pack) at Jets games. I went to 3 games this year (Jake went to 6), and it has been both an eye-opening and learning experience.
First of all, I do enjoy watching some good hockey. I remember the din of the Calgary Flames' Stanley Cup win in '89 or whenever that was quite clearly. I had to go to bed after the winning goal, even though it was still light out and even though the streets - even in our suburban neighbourhood - were full of revellers. I have carried a bit of a torch for the Flames all through my years in Winnipeg and spent one spring in 2004-ish rushing home from ultimate games to watch the Flames in the final series. All of this to say I understand the appeal of hockey and, I guess, of organized sports in general.
I have not, however, spent any significant time watching sports live, especially not in a city overjoyed to have its team back.
Being at the MTS centre for a Jets home game is a picture of, in many ways, the very best of humanity. First of all, the season's tickets sold out in 15 minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES! That is insane! What other city does that!? So what this means is, at any given game, there are over FIFTEEN THOUSAND people in one gigantic room all united behind a common goal. It is a sea of blue and white. Everyone seems to have SOME sort of Jets paraphernalia, from Jake's buddy whose wife knit (yes, KNIT) him a Jets sweater, complete with logo, to the kids sporting the full deal - toque, scarf, jersey. There are old logos and new logos and fake logos. It really is a sight to behold. Also, the noise level in there, particularly when the Jets are up, is unreal. Earplugs would not be out of the question. The crowd is a powerful force when motivated, and I'm sure it has caught more than one visiting team off guard with its mighty effort to bolster the home-team and send the visitors packing.
Of course, being me, rather than jumping right on the Jets bandwagon, I view this more as a sociological, anthropological kind of event. Watching the behaviour of people in this realm is fascinating.
First of all, with all that enthusiasm, I seem to feel the need to counter it with some laid-back-ness/apathy. When the Jets score, the place goes nuts. I clap, and enjoy the display of athleticism, but some spectators almost take personal credit for the achievement.
Second of all, and this really struck me last night (great game, by the way), is that the racial/cultural make-up of the crowd in no way accurately represents Winnipeg as a city, and DEFINITELY not the downtown core where the arena is. The MTS centre on game night is pretty much a sea of various shades of white. I am becoming more sensitive to these kinds of things, working where I do, and sometimes it just seems stark.
All in all, though, it really is heartwarming to see so many strangers get together and cheer on a team with vim and vigor. Of all the things to care about, sports doesn't have a huge bearing on the state of the world, or political importance. On the other hand, it really can bring people together to celebrate human achievement and ability, which is not a small thing.
First of all, I do enjoy watching some good hockey. I remember the din of the Calgary Flames' Stanley Cup win in '89 or whenever that was quite clearly. I had to go to bed after the winning goal, even though it was still light out and even though the streets - even in our suburban neighbourhood - were full of revellers. I have carried a bit of a torch for the Flames all through my years in Winnipeg and spent one spring in 2004-ish rushing home from ultimate games to watch the Flames in the final series. All of this to say I understand the appeal of hockey and, I guess, of organized sports in general.
I have not, however, spent any significant time watching sports live, especially not in a city overjoyed to have its team back.
Being at the MTS centre for a Jets home game is a picture of, in many ways, the very best of humanity. First of all, the season's tickets sold out in 15 minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES! That is insane! What other city does that!? So what this means is, at any given game, there are over FIFTEEN THOUSAND people in one gigantic room all united behind a common goal. It is a sea of blue and white. Everyone seems to have SOME sort of Jets paraphernalia, from Jake's buddy whose wife knit (yes, KNIT) him a Jets sweater, complete with logo, to the kids sporting the full deal - toque, scarf, jersey. There are old logos and new logos and fake logos. It really is a sight to behold. Also, the noise level in there, particularly when the Jets are up, is unreal. Earplugs would not be out of the question. The crowd is a powerful force when motivated, and I'm sure it has caught more than one visiting team off guard with its mighty effort to bolster the home-team and send the visitors packing.
Of course, being me, rather than jumping right on the Jets bandwagon, I view this more as a sociological, anthropological kind of event. Watching the behaviour of people in this realm is fascinating.
First of all, with all that enthusiasm, I seem to feel the need to counter it with some laid-back-ness/apathy. When the Jets score, the place goes nuts. I clap, and enjoy the display of athleticism, but some spectators almost take personal credit for the achievement.
Second of all, and this really struck me last night (great game, by the way), is that the racial/cultural make-up of the crowd in no way accurately represents Winnipeg as a city, and DEFINITELY not the downtown core where the arena is. The MTS centre on game night is pretty much a sea of various shades of white. I am becoming more sensitive to these kinds of things, working where I do, and sometimes it just seems stark.
All in all, though, it really is heartwarming to see so many strangers get together and cheer on a team with vim and vigor. Of all the things to care about, sports doesn't have a huge bearing on the state of the world, or political importance. On the other hand, it really can bring people together to celebrate human achievement and ability, which is not a small thing.
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