Yeah, but the haka is actually cool. It’s just such an amazing and inspiring ritual, and its connection with Maori culture makes it rather more impressive than “Oi Oi Oi.”
(by the way, for those who’ve never seen the New Zealand All-Blacks perform the haka, there’s a video here [warning: direct wmv video link]).
And the English crowd singing and chanting is also considerably more impressive—and much more varied—than “USA! USA!” They actually have a variety of songs and chants, and it’s really quite amazing to go to a football (soccer) game in England and be in the middle of a mass of chanting fans at Anfield or Stamford Bridge (two of the places where i’ve been a spectator).
One of my favorite moments as a sports spectator was in England in late 1990. I was living there, and was attending some of the games being played by the touring Australian national rugby league team (the Kangaroos). They played a bunch of games against regional opponents, and three Test Matches against the Great Britain side. The Brits, very unexpectedly, won the first game at Wembley stadium. It was the first time in 37 games (going back to 1978) that they had beaten the Aussies.
I went to the second test, at Old Trafford in Manchester. With ten minutes to go, Britain scored a try to tie the game 10-10, but missed the conversion. Still, a draw would have been enough to ensure that Australia could not win the series (only tie it), and it looked like being the first time in over a decade that the Auyssies would fail to win.
But then, with less than a minute left on the clock, and the Old Trafford fans going crazy with the prospect of perhaps winning the series, the Kangaroos went over 80 metres on a single play to score a try and win the game. The crowd, which had been bedlam up until that point, went completely silent, except for about 2,000 Australians in the top of the stands singing “Waltzing Matilda” at the top of their voices.
If you want some variety, go to a Texas A&M football game. Instead of cheer leaders who jump around in skirts, we have 5 guys in overalls who lead the Aggies in various yells. “Farmers Fight! Farmers Fight!” doesn’t sound too intimidating unless you get 80,000 people shouting it at once.
Of course, from what I understand, college football lends itself to some pretty interesting rituals. I think it’s Ole Miss that has everone in the stands jumping up and down while “House of Pain” blasts from loudspeakers at the end of the game.
I’d love to go to a big college football game. A friend of mine is on the faculty at UT Austin, and i keep meaning to go and visit during the football season so we can go to a game together.
Oh yeah, if you ever have a chance to go to a Thanksgiving game between t.u. (AKA UT Austin) and Texas A&M, definitely go, even if you have to crash on someone’s recliner to have a place in town to sleep at for it (All the hotels in College Station sell out months in advance for this football game).
Basically, you show up to watch the Aggies trounce the Longhorns.
Even if it hasn’t happened in the last 3 or 4 years. cough :rolleyes:
Having never heard “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” during a film in the cinema, I’m definitely going to have to go with “USA!” being the more annoying. Although in hindsight, watching Independence Day in America probably was a bad idea…
