#PETER ON TOUR - THE SPORTS EDITION

We used Peter's trip as an excuse to sneak in a couple of sports games so that we could give him an "American experience" but also so we could tick some more off our list. First up was an ice hockey match. 

I chose the matches to go to and decided that since I was in LA I should really go see the Anaheim Ducks who are in fact The Mighty Ducks. Yup, I was fully expecting to see Emilio Estevez coaching them and some impressive flying V formations. Unfortunately things have moved on since the nineties and in fact this game is played by fully grown men, not kids. Shame. But they were still pretty impressive. 

The NHL games are definitely entertaining and very full on. It was rather loud and noisy with lots of entertainment slots in the breaks. Every time the home team won there was lots of noise and flashing lights with everyone cheering their heads off. The cheerleaders came out on skates at different points and did their thing too. There were even a few minor fights which we enjoyed!  

Andrew got quite into it in fact, he was screaming his head off. Apparently he really likes hockey and has chosen it as his American sport. I however disagree. I have well and truly become an American football fan, especially after our next sports game.

So the final sports game was an American football game. We've been to a pre-season NFL game so we decided to try a college game as we had been told they were pretty impressive. They weren't wrong. We went to see the University of Southern California, known as the Trojans. It was homecoming week too so it was insanely busy and so much fun.

The build up and entertainment factor at a football game is definitely bigger than the hockey. When we arrived and finally found our seats there was a humongous marching band on the field playing and entertaining with a guy dressed up as a soldier in full costume leading them around. After the fireworks the team took to the field and the game began. 

Half time saw the band take to the field again, but this time it was 1000 strong! It played some impressive tunes and just took our breath away at the sheer size of it. No university game in England really has this much pomp and circumstance! Its insane!

But I have to say that the highlight of the game wasn't winning the match, it was what happened every time they scored a touchdown. Just watch and you'll see!

Yup every time they scored their mascot, Traveler the horse, would charge up and down the field whilst the band played and the crowd chanted! It was truly insane. 

But thats just one of the reasons I love football (said in a slow Southern drawl!). 

H

TOUR DE FRANCE

While people have been obsessing over the final stages of the World cup we have been getting super excited about the Tour de France. Unfortunately we weren't able to be with our family in Yorkshire to see it in the flesh but we were in constant communication with them during the race plus watching it on the tele; this added up to a lot of screens to see what was going on.

I know it looks excessive but I will explain. You see, to get the most amount of coverage of what is happening I have to watch ITV and NBC SN both at the same time, this is because they generally have advert breaks at different times, thus producing an almost continuous view of Le Tour. Exciting right?!

Well maybe you don't think so but you should have seen the crowds in Yorkshire, they at least share my excitement.

As the tour goes on it has turned out to be a very eventful one. Started by Cavendish having to pull out after crashing in the final seconds of the first day. Then Froome dropping out to an accumulation of crashes which led to him not even being able to hold his handlebars without serious pain. Then a few others dude to crashes or mechanical difficulties. These picture sum up the nature of the tour so far. Extremely difficult!!

So 90 minutes running around a pitch chasing a bag of wind or cycling for 21 days in all conditions covering about 2,276 miles. You decide which is the better sport...

A

AT THE OLD BALL GAME

"Take me out to the ball game

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack

I don't care if i never get back

Let me root, root root for the home team

If they don't win its a shame

For its one, two, three strikes, your out

At the old ball game"

What do you know of baseball? This is what I asked myself. I know its kinda like rounders and with reading 'One Summer in America 1927' by Bill Bryson I thought I knew a little bit more than most but when it came to the basic rules, I didn't have a clue! This last Friday we were invited to watch the Jethawks, Lancaster's Baseball team. So with this being the first time either of us had watched a baseball game in its entirety, not just clips or read stories of it was a interesting learning experience.

I'm not going to bore you by explaining how it works now, someone has probably done a really good job on Wikipedia (something I should have checked out first before going maybe). We obviously started by having a hotdog and a burger, I mean you have too! They were so tasty so must be terrible for you, then we found our seats.

I didn't realise how may breaks there are in a baseball game. This particular baseball game was Starwars themed so the breaks had themed entertainments, such as wookie impressions to storm trooper dance offs.

The more the game went on the more we realised it wasn't so much about the game, though to some people that was a big deal (especially to the two guys sitting three rows behind us!!), it was more about the atmosphere. Most people were there to enjoy an evening out with family. The night was finished off with a firework display and some live music. A great evening that we will have to do again soon!

A.