With the opening of the 29th Olympics in Beijing, we will continue with the tradition of rooting for the home team and the host country team (the team of the country in which we are currently living). Hey, we should be allowed! So, this year, we will cheer on the US and the UK Olympic Teams.
After almost 9 years living abroad (is that hard to believe or what), we have perfected the system. For those of you who are interested, read on. For those of you who are not, you can check back tomorrow.
Official Rules of the Two Country Cheering System:
Rule #1: When you find yourself living in another country, the home country (in this case, the US) always takes first precedent. Come on, you can't forsake Old Glory!
Rule #2: When a major sporting event, such as the World Cup, Tour de France, or Olympics come around, we also select the host country team (the teams of the country where we are currently residing) as the additional team we cheer for. In this case, we will cheer the UK Olympic athletes on to victory as "adopted" countrymen.
Example 1: We cheered for Mark Cavendish's four stage victories in the 2008 Tour de France.
Example 2: We cheered Korea World Cup team on to a third place finish in the 2002 World Cup in Seoul.
Example 3: We cheered for Germany in the World Cup Finals in 2006.
Rule #3: When the US and the host country teams or athlete(s) (in this case, the UK) are competing in the finals of the event against one another, we must be "homers' and pull for the Yanks! However, IF the host country team ends of winning, we get over the loss reasonably quickly and in a good-natured and sportsmanship-like manner. Technically, either way we are rooting for the winners!
Rule #4: Rewards have responsibility. By adopting 2 teams, we must also pick up the inevitable responsibility for informing ourselves on the teams/athletes of the home and host country. We need to be informed on the events, athletes, medal wins, and in some cases, controversies, of both nations.
And so the medal count begins
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2 comments:
We still root for Hungary, even though we haven't lived there in years so completely understand!
Yea...we still follow with interest all teh sports that were big in Korea and Taiwan. Did you notice that Chinese-Taiwan fields a team separate from China?
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