That's Sporting of You

I've been viewing sporting events lately.

Last weekend, I watched the end of the National Figure Skating Championships. This was immediately followed by PBR -- Professional Bull Riding. That was new to me. I mean, I knew they did it. I just hadn't really watched it. It's fascinating. The bulls are as famous as the riders. Which makes sense, now that I've seen it. Some bulls are harder to ride than others, and that's factored into the rider's score. From what I gather, if no rider has ever made the full 8 seconds on a particular bull, that animal is considered "unridden." That sounds like it should be the name of a movie to me. The unridden bull who was getting lots of attention that day was named Bones, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn there was a bull named Booger Butt. I'm guessing the owner's children named that one.

I don't know what I'd have in common with a professional bull-rider, but when a guy named Cody puts on a cowboy hat and decides to ride a bucking behemoth, that's pretty hot. Actually, it's also rather hot that the rodeo clowns run toward the bull so the thrown rider can get away.

And here's something interesting: The number one rider was Italian. Not Italian-American, but needed-a-translator Italian. Who knew?

My next event was the Super Bowl. It was indeed super. I'm not sure whether it was a good game, but I had a good time. My roommate, John, and I went to a party hosted by a guy who's organized a network of Boston comedians. I haven't really gotten into stand-up (yet), so I felt out of my element when I went to one of their workshopping sessions, but I thought it would be fun to hang out with a roomful of funny people making snarky remarks about the commercials. And it was. It was perfect for me, because the game was just a springboard for entertaining coversation. John and I had thought we might leave early, but we stayed right through the game, and the subsequent Office episode. I wasn't going to put any pressure on myself to try to be funny, but a couple sips of a strong Pomtini took care of that. Wooooo! Best Super Bowl party I've ever been to.

And then I had my first hockey game. Also fun! My friend Chris ended up with an extra ticket to a Bruins game, so I got a call on Saturday morning asking if I wanted to go. Yes. They make it pretty easy for people like me, who don't have a clue. Hockey doesn't seem all that complicated (even I understand what a goal is, even if I don't always notice when somebody gets one). Things were slightly confusing, though, because normally I clap when the people around me clap, and the arena seemed to have several pockets of fans for the opposing team (the nerve of them!). So I had to pay attention. The Jumbo Tron is very helpful, though. It tells you when to make noise, and when the clock stops, it shows shots of little kids in Bruins garb, dancing. Who doesn't love that?

Chris bought me a Bruins T-shirt, so I could look like I belonged there. They may not want me to come back, though, because the Bruins lost in overtime, and Chris deduced that I was the variable.

Embarrassing moment: I tried to sip my hot chocolate through a straw that turned out to be an X-shaped stirrer that had no hole.