Just In Case You Were Lost

I went to a football match a while ago where the United States played against Argentina. Often during the game, the chant would rise up through the stands, "USA! USA!" I also went to watch the United States play against Brazil and again that chant was almost deafening, "USA! USA!" It mostly made sense - I thought it would be nice to have a song that folk could sing but the chant worked.

Then Osama bin Laden was killed and people gathered somewhere in the city and the chant came again, "USA! USA!" It seemed odd that a chant that was great for a sporting event was also suitable for the announcement of the death of a tyrant, and yet, apparently, it was.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was watching the Yankees playing baseball, aka America's pastime and the crowd broke into this chant, "USA! USA!" I was confused because the American baseball league is very American. Though they hold a "World Series", it appears that the invitations get lost in the mail because only the American teams show up. I mean there are two leagues, the American League and the National League, but both refer to the United States of America. So, what was going on? Why was the crowd chanting?

Ah! They were playing the Toronto Blue Jays, the only team in the entire league that is based outside the United States and even then, it is barely outside and I doubt they come to games as representatives of Canada. Was this really necessary? "Let's go Yankees didn't cut it, all of a sudden?" I mean it is pro-sport, not a contest pitting nations against each other.

No matter, last Sunday I headed out to Yankee Stadium to watch a football match. Chelsea was playing an exhibition game against Paris Saint Germain. It was exciting and, as I stood outside the stadium, many fans passed by singing the team songs and I smiled. I said to Hidef, "this is great! No chance of people chanting 'USA'. America is not playing today."

Of course I jinxed it. Halfway through the first half, in the stands to the right of me, a group of fans (and I used that word very loosely) broke out in the chant, "USA! USA!" WHAT? WHY?HOW?
My brain was about to malfunction and crash when those around me booed the chanters and someone said the obvious, "You know no one from the USA is playing today."
That shut them up. But I think they were confused. You should have seen their pathetic attempt at the wave.