Slaaaaaaaaaam Dunk!

This evening, I attended a basketball game, Hapoal Yerushalim versus Lithuania. After going to a hockey game in the Czech Republic, I though I knew what to expect. A big stadium and lots of noise and professionalism. However, that is not the scene that greeted me at the Malcha Stadium (and that was only after we almost got dropped off at Malcha mall, not Malcha Stadium, 5 minutes down the road).

            Waiting for everyone to show up, Chase, Scott, Max and I gathered around two of our teachers, Jeremy and Dave, discussing the culture around sports in Israel and life in general. As a side note, it is always fascinating when one sees or interacts with teachers or role models in a non-professional setting. The demeanor from the classroom ebbs away and the real persona of the person shows through. However, with our two teachers, they are real in and outside the classroom, making our engagement with them that much more enjoyable.

            Outside the stadium, which was housed in one of the most unassuming buildings I’ve ever seen used as a sports facility, the fans were slowly trickling in, not showing the rousing enthusiasm I expected. They milled about in groups, but it was incredibly calm.

            Walking into the arena, I was struck by the feeling of being at a high school hockey rink. Unfortunately, that is the only upper-level sports I have from which I can make a comparison. There were tables with homemade sandwiches for 10 NIS ($2.75), same with popcorn and soda for $.50 less. The whole idea of not having incredibly expensive food was mind-blowing! Not only that, but the seats were this ugly orange plastic thing, reminiscent of uncomfortable high school seats. Homemade signs were hung from the basket ends of the court, and I could easily see from one end to the other, and all members of the crowd. But the crowd wasn’t really a crowd. Almost everyone remained in his or her seat throughout the game, cheering, but not getting overly excited. The boys and I, on the other hand, were on our feet the whole game. However, that might have been a direct repercussion of our seats being in the corner and our view being blocked if we remained seated.

            There was one group of people who did show a large amount of excitement, and that was the cheering group on the other side of the court. These folks were dressed in the traditional red of the home team, Ha Poel (meaning the Worker). The red, previously of Communism, now of this all-over-the-place team, represented passion tonight. These young men (between the ages of 16-25 or so) showed their team spirit by waving flags, leading incomprehensible cheers, and taking off their shirts every now and then. At least they made the game interesting!

            Then there was the game itself. Although I make no claims to be any good, I started playing basketball with my classmates almost every Saturday afternoon in the park. Having that ‘insider knowledge’ made watching the game all that more exciting. I now knew what it took to make specific shots and appreciated the way each team played offense and defense. Sports still seem like a waste of money, with people running up and down a field/court etc., but they are much more enjoyable when I understand them! Not only that, but I came to realize how much TOUCHING IS NOT ALLOWED IN BASKETBALL. It turns out that I am often at fault and should basically be fouled all the time when I play. I’m not entirely sure why there are SO many fouls in basketball, but I definitely recognized when they happened and appreciated the game for what it was worth.

            All in all, a great experience. Would I go again? In a heartbeat. Something about Israelis at sporting events just make them all that much better. I didn’t really care who won, I was more watching the game and the people, but I enjoyed the atmosphere. The only thing that I wasn’t such a fan of was the amount of noise from the blow horns. Those things drive me mad. But other than that, it was wonderful! Yalla!!!