M'sian Premier League 2013 review: All's fair in love and game ...

[Note: Ini review dari sudut pandangan seorang kaki bangku. In other words, hopeless in games.]

I'm not going to lie to you. I am no football whiz. In fact, among all the field sports out there, football is my least favorite, right next to golf, and ping pong, and squash, and rugby, and baseball, and basketball, and hockey... Basically that's about almost All. While I'm not exactly altogether clueless on the mechanics of how they work, it's more like a case of altogether couldn't-care-less on the mechanics of how they work.

Confession: My half-tankful of knowledge on football died a natural death on the day I resigned as a sub-editor from a local paper The Malaysian Today, way way back. That's a bleak history and somewhat a stepping-stone in my career life that I shall not delve into, but suffice it to say that everything I need to know about football I picked up along the line of work back then. Crawling, hating some confused moments of never getting the match points right, or not memorizing some international footballers' faces if they weren't good looking or ugly enough to remember, or seldom having a clever comeback line when arguing with the then-editor-boss on game predictions. Tedious stuffs, constant learning. Wonder why they put me in the sports section in the first place. I like to believe it was my spongy attitude towards a challenge presented. It's a man's world after all.

 

License to cheer!

How I found my way into the stadium match after match is almost the workings of a miracle same way how the ball finds the back of the net each time. Love makes you do funny unthinkable things sometimes. Some people might make the mistake of thinking a girl would want to watch football games because of the guy she's dating. Perhaps in some cases that could be true, but for the rest of us loyal girlfriends, that is not the case. I'd like to clarify that if I'm not keen on something, no guy could make me. (Experience will tell you that if you go into something halfheartedly or because of a person, it will not last). Take for instance, I'll skin myself alive first before I let any man make me eat sago worm. 

That rationale aside, so it is really a testament that I don't hate football at all, I'm not that crazy about it either. It's just that I never had the chance to actually truly know how much of a complicated relationship the ball and I have until I met a guy who says ''Let's go watch football'' and there wasn't even time to ponder upon it. 

Oh hoho yeah. I hope I'm not being confusing because this entry is fast getting out of track.

National Anthem. See the fans behind? (Pics: SarawakCrocs)

Slow forward: I was actually going to congratulate Sarawak the Ngap Sayot team, on their recent heroic victory in football. They went undefeated throughout the season. It was a really proud teary-eyed moment when Sarawak FA won the Malaysian Premier League 2013! We (Yes we the supporters) were crowned champions last night. It was an uplifting moment, a history remade after 15 (some say 16) years of drought. And I was right in the middle of it last night!

Well hey, I shall not review the game or the games before that or how they got there, read it yourself HERE at their fans/games-dedicated-page SARAWAK CROCS. An awesome review has already been written. And the rest you can Google. 

 We are the Champions! (Pics: SarawakCrocs)

You know what's awesome? Going to football games has taught me a lot of stuffs. In fact, it has been a very humbling experience. I love my Country, but I'm a supporter of all things Sarawak because I love my State more. Sitting there with a bunch of avid fans -- ordinary people with extraordinary game spirit, shouting cheers and jeers -- makes me realize no matter how much differences we have, we can still sit down together lending our best collective supports to the one team on the field that matters. Not, you understand, that they even need our on-the-side coaching tips. It's more of the sense of belonging and pride to be under the same flag. And also a common understanding between players and supporters that we have a common goal - to win the game.  

 Red black stripes! (Pics courtesy of Ezam Ariff)

And here in the stadium, racist remarks are tolerated and even forgiven after the game's over. The prejudiced talks and quips are rampant, nasty and sometimes funny to a point that you just can't believe what you're hearing but you laugh anyway because the shock is on you. In a game we all understand we need to take sides after all. 

You know what else is awesome? Not having the game aired live on any national or paid TV that night, and no one raised a ruckus pre-match. Hey, we're too classy for that immature play of politics hey. The blessing in disguise manifested itself as the packs arrived at the stadium in full force. You should've seen the love these fans displayed. It's downright emotional!

 

What's a little hindrance? (Pics: SarawakCrocs) 

You know what's more awesome? Going to a game with a guy who has the patience of a saint. Hahaha I'm totally justified, because if I don't ask in advance, I might not know what's what who's who where's where when's when. Worst, I might be cheering for the wrong team! Hahaha. But fortunately for us both, hey a sponge right here -- absorption power very high.  

All geared up for the next season? Let me ask my Captain first. 

So in the end, this isn't a review on football. You've been duped! Hahaha. You call this a review? I'm not even sure it's in football language! Duh...

See you next season!

p/s: My former Editor taught me the basic in-house editing rule: In Asia and Europe, it's called Football. In America, it's Soccer. See? Not clueless after all hey boss!