How to Watch Sports

If you frequent my blog on any level, you’d know that most of my posts focus on one concrete subject and involve facts surrounding that subject. The subjects are related to music, television or film entertainment, or women’s soccer because let’s be real, I don’t often write about other sports. What I want to write about this week is more subjective than usual, but it pertains to all sports and specifically watching sports.

There are two ways to watch sports: in-person or on live stream via a television or the internet. If you’ve ever been to a sporting event, you’d know the experience is much different than watching from your couch, bed, a bar, etc. Seeing a game or match play out right in front of you while taking in the sights and sounds is an experience like no other. If you’re at a team sporting event and you’re rooting for the home team, you’re probably not alone. There are most likely thousands of others cheering on the team with you. You can usually be as loud as you want. At some sporting events, they even encourage fans to scream or be loud. You might be able to do that from your home too, but it doesn’t have the same effect.

Another important difference is the view you have. On a live stream of the match you can only see what the camera sees. You might not be getting a view of all the players or the whole field. You don’t get to watch pregame warmups or post-game interactions either. That being said sometimes the camera has a great view and can offer close-ups of plays and athletes you wouldn’t be able to see from your spot in the stands. It might be why some people prefer to watch games or matches from home.

Another reason why some people might prefer to watch from home is weather. Weather conditions can have a huge impact on outdoor sports. It also impacts the spectators. It can be extremely hot or extremely cold. It can snow or rain. It can even cause delays. In outdoor sports, it’s not always a perfect day or night for a game. You have to prepare accordingly if you attend and some people just enjoy the comfort of their own home better.

There’s also the money factor, which rules a lot of things in our lives. It can be expensive to see a live sporting event, especially championships or major tournaments and that’s if you can even get tickets at face value. It can be a big factor in whether someone watches from home or not. Add in your personal schedule and then you’ve got another dilemma. Sometimes people don’t have a choice in how they watch sports.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see many live sporting events. I’ve been to football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games. I’ve attended soccer matches, a golf tournament, and a skateboarding competition. I have my fair share of preferences on the way to watch sports. Sometimes I like watching from home, but sometimes I’m caught up in a sport that I just want to experience live.

On Friday night, I attended my second NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) match. I decided to go because it was the first ever home playoff match for the team I’ve followed since the league’s inception in 2013, the Washington Spirit, and because I had available time in my schedule. I like the complex where the Spirit play. It’s a great venue to watch soccer (venue might be another reason people like to attend or not attend live sports too) and I wanted to make a trip there this season. Plus, it was a playoff match. As any sports fan knows, playoffs are the best and most exciting time of any season.

The weather last weekend was terrible throughout the mid-atlantic region. Thursday through Sunday brought tons of rain. I hate rain when I have to be out in it for an extended period of time. I was bummed when I saw what I would have to deal with at the match. Add in that the Spirit had a disappointing final two weeks of the regular season and I was wondering if I made the right call to attend the match. I already committed though so I knew I had to brave through the elements and whatever outcome the match brought.

Friday night’s semifinal match between the Washington Spirit and the Chicago Red Stars was the best soccer match I’ve ever attended in my time of being a soccer fan. It misted the entire game, but it was cool enough that I was able to comfortably wear a hoodie with a light rain jacket the whole night and stay dry. The Spirit won in extra time when Franny Ordega scored a beautiful goal that resulted from a pure team effort in the 111th minute. Most importantly I saw my favorite soccer player score a goal in-person, in front of my own eyes.

Okay, I get it. You’re thinking it’s not a rare feat to see your favorite soccer player score a goal. It is when your favorite player is a defender though. Defenders just don’t score often. When they do, doves sing, according to Becky Sauerbrunn at least. It’s not a big secret by any means, but I don’t think I’ve ever said it on here before. My favorite soccer player is Ali Krieger. She’s a defender. More specifically, she’s a right outside back for the Spirit and for the USWNT. In her national team career, she’s scored 1 goal and a pretty important PK that lead to one of the biggest surges in women’s soccer since 1999 (I didn’t even see this one on livestream). Since her career with the Spirit began in 2013, she’s scored about 1 goal per season. That’s about 4 professional goals since I started paying attention to her. Out of those 4 goals, I’ve never seen any in-person. I missed 3 of them totally because I wasn’t able to watch those matches. On the goal I did see, I didn’t even realize she was the one who scored until the replay happened. Seeing her put one in the back of the net Friday night was everything. I wasn’t even sure how the sequence was started until I saw the replay later that night (I was both watching and chatting to a friend who also attended). It was beautiful header off a ball into the box by fellow defender and CANWNT player, Shelina Zadorsky, that started from a play beginning with a corner kick taken by Krieger herself. I just remember seeing the ball float in off a kick from about halfway between the goal and mid-field, meet Krieger’s head, and careen into the back netting.

It was one of my favorite live sports moments that I’ve seen in-person in a while. I’ve seen plenty of good ones over the years too like a game winning triple overtime goal and ones that clinched series’ victories. I’ve never seen a team win a championship in front of my eyes however. That’ll be for another time.  This one was special though. It was hard to come by given the situation and I won’t forget it. It made me realize how special it is to see a sporting event live. Standing in the mist or rain or whatever element was worth it, so was the travel distance, the price (it wasn’t too expensive), and the slight traffic. It all was. So I’m urging you. If you’re one of those people who like to watch from home, remember there are some irreplaceable moments in sports and seeing them in front of your own eyes every once in a while is what makes being a sports fan that more special. Put aside your preferences. Make time. Spend the money. It’s worth it to go to a game.

Right Side, Strong Side

When I became a U.S. Women’s National Team fan in 2011 and more so in 2012, it was because I fell in love with the personalities of the players on the team. As you may know, they got my attention after their dramatic 2011 Women’s World Cup Semifinal win against Brazil on penalties. I watched the rest of that World Cup and realized how amazing these women were at their craft. It was a year later when I got to know them as more than just athletes though. I watched videos, read articles, books, and interviews, followed twitter accounts, and in turn learned so much about these incredible role models. They had a strong core group of players lead by Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone. They had young rising talent in Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux. They also had several players in the middle of the pack who brought special elements to the team. Some were around for years, while others made their way into the lineup over the last cycle (the 4 years between World Cups). One of those players was Heather O’Reilly, who I quickly learned was known to the Women’s Soccer world as HAO (pronounced Hey-Oh) (O’Reilly’s initials which stand for Heather Ann O’Reilly).

The New Brunswick, New Jersey native made her USWNT debut in 2002 while still in high school. She played alongside 1999 Women’s World Cup heroes Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, and Brianna Scurry. Then she began her storied college career at women’s soccer powerhouse, the University of North Carolina under legendary head coach, Anson Dorrance. At UNC, she was a part of 3 National Championship winning teams and also made the USWNT roster for the 2004 Olympic Games, where she helped the team to Olympic Gold. After college, she continued with her USWNT career and played professionally once women’s leagues were again formed in the U.S. by joining Sky Blue FC in the WPS and the Boston Breakers and FC Kansas City in the NWSL. HAO currently plays for FC Kansas City. As a member of the USWNT, O’Reilly played in 230 matches, scored 46 goals, assisted on 54 goals, won 3 Olympic Gold Medals (2004, 2008, 2012) and 1 World Cup Championship (2015), out-performed everyone on the beep test multiple times, and displayed a limitless amount of game faces. HAO has been nothing short of incredible. Tonight she will play her final game as a member of the USWNT. She isn’t retiring from the game of soccer by any means, just from international play. Nonetheless she will be missed tremendously on the world’s stage.

With the additions of many new faces to the USWNT in the past year, HAO’s playing time dwindled. I’m guessing it may have played a role in her decision. Despite that and the fact that she was named an alternate for the 2016 Olympic Games, I didn’t see this one coming. It hurts a lot more than the rest. She’s only 31, which is on the older player range, but still not as old as some. HAO was also a part of the USWNT for so long. She was a part of that core group I began following when I became a fan and part of a special duo that most fans of the team know and love.

As a midfielder, HAO played along the right side of the field. Somewhere along the way, which I believe began around the 2011 Women’s World Cup, she formed an in-game connection with right outside back Ali Krieger and the phrase “right side, strong side” began. I’m not sure who coined the phrase. It might have been an announcer, a fan, or even the pair themselves, but it became known among the USWNT community that #9 and #11 in the game equals right side, strong side. They might have coined the phrase themselves because they use it too. Hopefully HAO and Kriegs take the field tonight and play one last time dominating the right side of the pitch. Either way it will surely be an emotional night for HAO’s family, friends, teammates, coaches, and fans who watched her perform for the red, white, and blue. She’s the true definition of world class and represented U.S. Soccer in the best way possible. Thanks HAO for all you’ve done both on and off the field. Right side, strong side forever!

Breaking Records

The title of this post can be taken 2 different ways if you think about it. It could literally mean smashing vinyl records or it could mean surpassing a high achievement. With the whole theme of this blog though, you never know. For today, interpret it the second way.

Since Coachella 2016 has finally passed, it’s time to get back to the normal blog posts instead of just Coachella Band Previews (although I know how much everyone (me included) loves them). Over the weekend there was an epic achievement made by a new team in the women’s pro soccer league in this country, the NWSL (for more on the league check out my blog post from last year). This past year the NWSL announced the addition of a 10th team in the league, the Orlando Pride. The Pride, who are run by the same management as Orlando City SC of the MLS, had their inaugural home opener on Saturday night. The match attracted 23,403 fans to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL, which broke the prior NWSL attendance record of 21,144 set by the Portland Thorns in 2015.The former record was set during a post-World Cup “welcome back” match for the 2015 World Cup Champion USWNT players. The only significance of the match in Orlando was that it was the first home match in the club’s history. Nonetheless numbers like that are incredible. I mean think about it, 23,000+ fans for a non-international women’s pro soccer match. Most NHL arenas hold less fans than that. It’s proof that soccer is growing in America, and not only soccer, but women’s soccer.

Two weeks ago I had a thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if one day a women’s sport was more popular than a man’s?” (I, of course, meant a sport of the same nature i.e. women’s soccer vs. men’s soccer, not field hockey vs. football.) I even tweeted it. Wouldn’t it though? It would be an incredible feat for women. Since the dawn of time, women were always considered less than men, and that notion, although much more improved, is still a factor in many aspects of today’s society. It’s why the USWNT is currently in a legal battle with U.S. Soccer. It’s why many players in the NWSL have to live with host families or have second jobs. It’s why many businesses, corporations, etc. are managed by men. It’s why in the film industry many directors are men. It’s why women are objectified. It’s why in other cultures women are mistreated or abused, and none of it is fair or just. Sex or gender shouldn’t dictate a person being seen as less or making less money. It’s something we have no control over. Neither should sexual orientation or skin color because again we have no control over those things either, but I digress.

The point is even with the amount of progress made over time, inequality still exists, which means we, as a society, still need to grow. Growth is happening though. It’s happening slowly, but it’s happening. This is why we need to continue to support equality and growth. Remarkable things can happen. I truly believe that one day a women’s sport will be more popular than the same man’s sport. Hopefully by then women will be making the same amount of money too. Equal pay for equal play, ya feel me? At some point, seeing 23,000+ fans of all ages and genders attend a women’s pro soccer match will be the norm. It won’t have to be incredible because it already will be. Do you get what I’m saying? Until then, support the NWSL and women’s soccer any way you can. Get out to a game. Sponsor a team. Spread the word. Impact the conversation. Because each small action makes a difference in the much bigger picture. More growth will happen. More equality will exist and more records will be broken.

The National Women’s Soccer League

When I started this blog, my very first post was about the NWSL championship last season between FC Kansas City and Seattle Reign FC. As you know, if you’ve been following since then, I’m pretty into women’s soccer, but I’ve never gone in depth about this league I’ve been following for the last 2 years, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Since I started this blog at the end of last season though, I haven’t had the chance. It was the off-season. There have been other soccer things going on (like World Cup stuff with the USWNT..my first soccer love). You get the picture. While I was at Coachella two weeks ago (can’t believe it’s already been that long), the NWSL kicked off (no pun intended) it’s third season with a matchup between the Washington Spirit and the Houston Dash. With the start of a new season, it’s the perfect time to write about the league (since I finally settled down after my epic Coachella weekend of course).

The NWSL began in 2013 as the United States top professional soccer league for women. The Women’s Professional Soccer league (WPS) formerly held that title from 2007 until it folded in 2012. When developing the NWSL, the idea was to create a stable professional league for women in the U.S. that could withstand the factors that lead to the downfall of other top women’s pro leagues before it (WPS and the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA, 2000-2003)). With the involvement of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), the NWSL seemed to start with a better foundation than the other leagues.

At it’s start in 2013 the league was comprised of eight teams, the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit, and the Western New York Flash. National team players from the USSF, CSA, and FMF were allocated to all eight teams in an even distribution to prevent teams from being stacked with talent, and thus making the league more competitive and exciting to watch. Also, since players from the United States, Canadian, and Mexican national teams were required to play in the NWSL, their respective national team programs paid their salaries, which allowed for some breathing room in the money department for the league so to speak (it still works this way).

Like other professional sports markets, the NWSL has a draft every year giving teams an opportunity to add top college talent to their squads. USWNT mid-fielder Morgan Brian was number one overall at this year’s draft. She was drafted by the Houston Dash, who was added to the league last year as its first expansion team. There are currently other markets looking to join the NWSL, but I’m guessing with the World Cup this year it was difficult for more expansions to occur in the 2015 season. Also because of the World Cup this summer, the league will be taking a break during the World Cup group stage. Since the league is comprised of players from not only the United States, Canadian, and Mexican national teams, but national teams such as England, Germany, Australia, etc. many of the league’s players will be competing in the tournament (so the NWSL will be missing a bunch of players on their normal rosters). If a national team fails to make it past the group stage, players who play on that respective team will return to their NWSL teams. To compensate for the World Cup break, the league will finish in late September compared to the last week of August as it has done the past two seasons. I’m guessing it may follow a similar format for the Olympics next summer.

Around the time the league began is when I started to really follow women’s soccer, the USWNT in particular (got into it a bit in 2011 during the World Cup but after the 2012 Olympics is when my interest began to peak). When I read about the U.S. allocations in January of 2013 is when I first discovered the league and what they were trying to do. I had no idea which team I would end up rooting for or if I would even be into any team. I mean it obviously wasn’t going to be at the level of skill I was used to watching with the USWNT. After some other circumstances that occurred during that time though (which I may get into at another point), I decided to follow the Washington Spirit. I’ve been following them since.

With the 2015 season beginning a mere two weeks ago, it’s the perfect time to see what the league has to offer. It’s a fresh start. There’s been new off-season additions, trades, and draft prospects added to the rosters. New kits (uniforms for those who don’t speak soccer) have debuted for clubs (the Spirit’s are dope!). Currently the national team players are taking part in some games before they have to report for their respective pre-World Cup camps. At this time, it’s almost like a World Cup preview of players. If you’re wondering how you can watch the NWSL matches, you can check out almost all the games on Youtube (they’re streamed). If a game isn’t on Youtube, that’s probably because it’s being aired on television. Yes, some games air on TV. Tonight the Boston Breakers have their home opener vs. the Houston Dash at 5 p.m., and my beloved Washington Spirit visit Sky Blue FC at 6 p.m. If you’re reading this at another time, considering the Breakers-Dash match is about to start, check out the NWSL website for a list of the league schedule, teams, and other information. The interest for women’s soccer in the United States continues to grow. With the help of the NWSL, hopefully the growth will be lasting.