Enter the Dragon

This weekend I went to a local English pub to take in my second World Cup match at the behest of my dear friend Talia, who is solely responsible for my joining in the ritual that is World Cup at all. I, like many Americans, seem to be trailing the rest of the planet with cultivating this particular sporting obsession, which seems forgivable, as we have so many others to take make wide screen televisions a must-have for every home, if not for every room.

Nevertheless, we Americans seem to be stubbornly stuck on Basketball, Baseball and to the chagrin of many “Football.” Use of the name “football” to describe the less brutal version of rugby that we play here in the States is likely to raise the ire of many World Cup fans. Which got me to wondering, why do we use this term? With but a moment spent surfing the web I came up with the answer that surprised me a bit. Apparently, this is a British term coined in the 1880’s by an Oxford student named, Charles Wreford Brown. It seems that in those days “football” was an umbrella term that covered several versions of the game. The key difference was in one you were allowed to pick up the ball and run with it. To help folks distinguish between the two, slang was created: “Rugby” and “Socca” which was simply a shortening of “Association Football”. But I digress…

The George and the Dragon is a little unprepossessing pub located in Fremont (206 North 36th Street, Seattle WA 98103 Tel:206-545-6864) which most of the year does not even register a blip on my evening-out-radar. However, come World Cup it is rather hard to miss. One need only pass within a block of the pub to hear the wild cheering from the football fans. In fact, GQ Magazine deemed our little George in the top 10 ten places to watch the cup in the US. One will readily believe this when you approach the modest pub, which in order to accommodate the throngs of Footers, has installed two flat screen TVs outside – one being in the parking lot. But not to worry, they cater to the parking lot Footers with beer on tap and as many hotdogs as they can handle.

My Football friend, Talia, and I wandered up to the pub about an hour before the Noon game, and proceeded to wait in line to get into the interior of the pub. There are many benefits to being numbered among the privileged indoor Footers which make the wait worthwhile: shade (less sunlight interference on the screen, and incidentally with one’s brew), indoor plumbing, and full bar and pub food selection. The most important perk however, is that of joining the truly devoted fans who have secured the best seats in the house by showing up at 7am. These intrepid fans also come decked out in outfits designed to show their fervent allegiance to their team of choice. Sometimes, special noisemakers and flags or in the case of Mexico fans, Mexican wrestling masks, might also make an appearance. For me, who is not known for my enjoyment of televised sports (and in fact usually avoids them with no misgivings in the least), the real delight comes in the form sharing in the ritual of good natured ribbing and the sincere emotional investment of a crowd full of football fans hailing from around the globe.

Thus, I found myself waiting patiently, though with that particular cueing-up vigilance, in line to get one of those coveted indoor spots. An hour and a half later, I was in and safely installed in a seat in the shade and a cool cider in hand. From that vantage, I watched, flanked on either side by astounded Brazil fans as their team lost to the tightly knit French team. After the carnage of the game was over, the crowd mingled and congratulated or commiserated as appropriate. Overall, the lovely atmosphere of the crowd surprised me; being almost entirely absent of the soccer hooligan stenotypes of which I live in dread.

Thus, I will recommend the Dragon to fervent fans and novices alike. The next World Cup match is on Tuesday, July 4th at Noon. So, should you be desirous of celebrating the conclusion of a battle other than that of independence, check out the Germany vs. Italy match.