| Sports |
Sacrifices for the
game’s sake
The things you have to sacrifice to be able to watch your
favourite game, writes JACK METTA
THE paying public, bless their souls,
is an asset to any sport.
When they part with their dough in the interest of the sporting
code, it means the game is able to generate revenue and settle a
few bills to sustain the sport for as long as the paying spectator
continues to willingly part with his money for his individual
pleasure.
In this day and age, almost all sports you can think of need
revenue to offset their ever growing pile of bills with the hope
of at least breaking even after footing the pressing bills
associated with the running and playing of sports.
And whilst marketing and promotion strategies are exploited to the
full to bring in that spectator, frankly, the die-hard spectator
wouldn’t careless about the promotions.
He knows by instinct what’s on and he knows, he’ll be there come
rain, sleet or snow. He’s got to be there and if he can help it,
with a ring side view of the proceedings.
Mind you, to get there in the first place, he would have been
forced to make some tough economical decisions; decisions which
usually requires some sacrifices.
These include spending the money needed to buy protein for the
rice dinner at home, having no bus fares on Monday, being forced
to roll the left-over Spear butts in the newspaper to smoke; the
list goes on.
One common sacrifice which requires some detail is domestic
harmony. On occasions, marital harmony is thrown to the dogs when
husband steals the wife’s buai and smoke money and spends it on
the game.
This sacrifice often leads to the belly sacrifice – the wife does
not reserve his dinner for him when he finally comes home.
Naturally, he throws a tantrum at finding that nobody thought
about him when they cooked dinner and he proceeds to enforce his
so-called authority by smashing a few household items including
some of his wife’s prized possessions and a wall or two that was
just repaired only a couple of weeks ago.
The wife takes it all in her silence and finally, at the end of
her tethers, she rises with not only a determined gait, but her
prized steel frying pan as well, strategically carried in her
right hand for appropriate deployment and roars: “If you’re
hungry, go and eat rugby...”
From experience, she knows that such remarks only further
infuriates the hubby, hence the non-physical words are quickly
enforced by the ensuing flight of the frying pan in his direction.
That’s when the ultimate sacrifices are made which involves making
the right decision.
He can take evasive action and retaliate, accept the accusation
and consequences or retreat and lick his wounds.
He’s hungry, frustrated and really cheesed off;
all these emotions
at times can be particularly intensive when the team he supports
had lost.
Mind you, he’s seething because he knows the team should have won.
He made that known in no uncertain terms when the referee and the
touch judges were within earshot on the day.
Now they call come to the fore.
He retaliates.
He sacrifices the health of his better arm but contributes free of
charge, a month long natural mascara for his wife’s left eye.
The wife sacrifices her prized teapot by reshaping it according to
the contours of the hubby’s head. Before husband involuntarily
sacrifices light for darkness, he’s minutely aware that he might
have to sacrifice some dignity to borrow some toeas for tomorrow’s
medical treatment. But for now, he has been made to pay the
ultimate sacrifice – he won’t be the focus of the evening’s story
telling.
Everybody wants something fresh. Even the news of the day. With
the current state of affairs, he will not dominate the night time
story telling.
The neighbours will certainly lend him their ears; they’ve been
doing that for ages. He is some sort of authority on the events of
the day, as has always been the case before. After all, he had the
ringside view of game, hadn’t he?
All this and some sacrifices, you would expect from the die-hard
supporter. He will sacrifice his integrity to get there ... even
when there is no money at all. If wantok system fails, he’ll try
the pass-out ticket con trick, use an old ticket, attempt to gain
entry by using the son’s community school ID card or simply and
innocently attempt to flow in with the tide of people.
Many spectators are just simple minded people. The intelligent
ones, of course, become members but again this is debatable
because if you’ve seen members behaving at times, you’d think you
were at some animal farm.
The paying public is sports’ best friend. He’s the guy the man on
the field tries to impress. He’s the guy the administration is
relying on to make ends meet. He’s the guy who will make or break
future touring activities ... As long as he’s there, sports will
continue to exist.
And we all know that he’ll be there. Like the well-to-dos who sit
in a nice comfy chair in front of the TV set at home and watch a
live sport telecast of their choice, so does the die-hard
spectator, who would want as much comfort and the best vantage
point as conveniently possible to take in his favourite action at
his favourite playing grounds.
And to get there and relish the sport of his choice, there’s a
price to be paid and of course, a little …. sacrifice?
Which reminds us of the Wise Counsellor’s words: “If your troubles
are deep seated or long standing, try kneeling …”
 
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