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There are two subspecies of humans: the rest of us, and the soccer fans (homo soccerfanus). The latter resemble the former in appearance; but they can be identified by occasional peculiar behaviors, such as extreme emotions after the victory or loss of their teams, shouting and yelling at critical moments in a game, excessive consumption of beer during a match event, and, sometimes, animosity and violence toward the fans of the opposing teams.
Yu Chen is one homo soccerfanus. He roots for Liverpool, which just won the European Champions League after a dramatic comeback against AC Milan. We watched the final game in Kezar’s pub. It was not a live broadcast, but every one of us arrived without knowing the outcome. That evasion, however, was futile, for as soon as we walked in the pub the result was obvious. A group of Liverpool fans, all dressed in the red uniform, were celebrating on top of the tables. Simultaneously happy and disappointed, Yu Chen sat down to witness Liverpool’s path to triumph.
It was a game of climax and drama. Each team played one half. AC Milan scored three goals in the first half. All hope seemed to have vanished for Liverpool, then miracle happened. In the second half, within a span of five minutes, Liverpool scored three goals. Eventually, Liverpool won in the penalty shootout.
Unfortunately, this dramatic twist was lost amidst the premature celebration of the Liverpool fans in the bar. It was outrageous. Each time Milan scored, Liverpool fans cheered. When Liverpool was three goals behind, its fans danced and laughed and toasted to their team and gulped down their beers. Yu Chen talked to us in a slightly patronizing tone.
There are two subspecies of humans: the rest of us, and the soccer fans (homo soccerfanus). The latter resemble the former in appearance; but they can be identified by occasional peculiar behaviors, such as extreme emotions after the victory or loss of their teams, shouting and yelling at critical moments in a game, excessive consumption of beer during a match event, and, sometimes, animosity and violence toward the fans of the opposing teams.
Yu Chen is one homo soccerfanus. He roots for Liverpool, which just won the European Champions League after a dramatic comeback against AC Milan. We watched the final game in Kezar’s pub. It was not a live broadcast, but every one of us arrived without knowing the outcome. That evasion, however, was futile, for as soon as we walked in the pub the result was obvious. A group of Liverpool fans, all dressed in the red uniform, were celebrating on top of the tables. Simultaneously happy and disappointed, Yu Chen sat down to witness Liverpool’s path to triumph.
It was a game of climax and drama. Each team played one half. AC Milan scored three goals in the first half. All hope seemed to have vanished for Liverpool, then miracle happened. In the second half, within a span of five minutes, Liverpool scored three goals. Eventually, Liverpool won in the penalty shootout.
Unfortunately, this dramatic twist was lost amidst the premature celebration of the Liverpool fans in the bar. It was outrageous. Each time Milan scored, Liverpool fans cheered. When Liverpool was three goals behind, its fans danced and laughed and toasted to their team and gulped down their beers. Yu Chen talked to us in a slightly patronizing tone.
Exhibit 1. The Liverpool fans in the bar cheered when their team was 0:3 behind AC Milan.
I took my camera with me, hoping to capture Yu Chen’s reactions in the course of the game. There was, of course, no emotional reaction at all. No intense pleasure or sorrow can come from certainty. Only at one moment was Yu Chen surprised, when Liverpool scored its equalizer. It was a penalty shot. Yu Chen’s reactions were recorded in the following sequence of photos.
Exhibit 2. The penalty shot by Liverpool's Alonso was blocked by Milan's goal keeper Dida. Stefan, sitting next to Yu Chen, was a Milan fan.
Exhibit 3. The ball bounced off Dida. Alonso on the second attempt kicked the ball into the net.
Exhibit 4. Now the score was 3:3. The Liverpool fans would smile to the last.
Just pointing out that the person sitting to the left of Yue Chen, Stephane, is, in fact, an AC Milan supporter. His facial expression ought to be the diametric opposite to that of Yue Chen's.
ReplyDeleteThe evolution of Homo Soccerfanus
ReplyDeleteThe evolution of Homo Soccerfanus begins, of course, with an ordinary Homo Sapiens that has a remote interest in soccer. Various factors contribute to the course of this journey, his hometown and native country, his soccer heroes, and even his favorite colors. But the driving force behind all this is peer pressure. The defining point comes when he chooses a team that he shall support, most often for the rest of his life. Depending on his relationships with his friends, he may join their fan club or swear his loyalty to their rivalry team, quite similar to a convergent or divergent evolution scenario. And then the drama begins.
For some, the drama begins to end.
Once upon a time, there was a Leeds United supporter who avidly followed every step of a great English team that were Champions of the Premiership. Until one day, Leeds was relegated, lost their best players and sold their Stadium. Our friend was crushed, so much that he no longer supports Leeds and refuses to pick another Premiership team, as he can not bear the intensity of all the emotions again.
He actually may be the lucky one. For some, the loss can sometimes be so devastating that they commit soccer suicide—they ban themselves from watching soccer again.
Soccer is a stage, where legends loom large, generals scheme, warriors battle, prophecies materialize and miracles unfold. There are also enemies, conspirators and jokers, all paraded but most forgotten. If you think the Lord of the Rings is epic, you have not been in a real football stadium yet -- ‘soccer’, in this case, no longer applies as such a stadium does not exist in North America. If you think Sixth Sense is suspense, you have not watched a real game developing before your own eyes. If you think Crouching Tiger is elegance, you have not seen a real player grace the green pitch. Unfortunately, I have never seen a real player in a real game inside a real stadium—I appreciate it from afar, in front of a flickering screen with images relayed by satellites hanging in the space and by cable lines crisscrossing underground. Even that inspires awe. It touches you in a more profound way than imaginary plots and characters, just as any Red Sox fan can testify from their extraordinary experience. Because it is real.
Or is it?
We go to movies. We read books. We make friends. We long to know more about other people. We imagine alternative scripts for our lives. We all strive to shun a boring and mundane existence. ‘Real’ is relative. But consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly, we choose (the) drama for our lives.
Just like the colors of life struggle to vibrate on the background of a cold, cold universe.
Is Homo Soccerfanus one evolutionary step more advanced than Homo Sapiens after all? Ask Homo Erectus. Because soccer is no ordinary drama. It is, above all, fun. Even dolphins like to play some little games sometimes (unless of course, you think differently because you are an ardent subscriber to the Galaxy Guide). And that is some evolution history.