A night at the footy - Part One

[Mike]

Nick and I arrived in Melbourne on Friday night full of nerves, at least I was - Nick was pretty relaxed about it all, after all, he had his old man along.

Why was I so nervous? Well, I was about to meet a whole swag of people that I knew, but had never met. People who I had chatted to, laughed with, cried with, congratulated, told off and generally lived with in an odd cyber fashion. These were family; I had shared their joys and sorrows, their births and deaths, I had watched them fight and make up (or not) - just like any family really, but I had never set eyes on even one of them.

I'm concentrating on me because Nick just wasn't fussed. He wanted to meet everyone just as much as I did, but probably because he's more sure of himself and who he is, it didn't seem to worry him. And he's been absent from the BB for a season, so it wasn't as current for him. Also, whenever we get publicity, it's always aimed at Nick (partly my doing), so he's had more experience than I have in losing the anonymity.

What was uppermost in my mind was that just as I had a mental picture of my magpie family, so they all had one of me. Would I live up to whatever image they had of me? Would I be accepted? How were we going to fit in with a bunch of people dressed for a footy game while we were dressed to meet the President?

No worries mate. Literally - no worries mate. Come Saturday afternoon at the pub and we were amongst family, we were greeted and treated like old mates.

We walked into the Cricketers 40 mins. late and there was Sly at the bar and he didn't think anyone else had arrived, so we sat at the bar with him. I knew that Joffa at least was going to be there, and we were late, so I checked my phone and sure enough, a missed call from Joffa.

"Where are you mate?" he said when I rang.

"In the Cricketers, where are you?"

"In the Cricketers mate. You sure you're in the Cricketers? Where abouts in the Cricketers?"

"Yeah, Sly's here so I must be. We're in the bar."

"Well you better get your arses out the back mate, there are people waiting to meet you."

So with that, we trooped out the back, and after walking straight past them and being called back by Amanda (PieGirl39), we met our first bunch of BB family. Joffa, the great ice breaker, introduced us and I think we fitted straight in. It was such a strange feeling meeting people whose (online) names we knew so well, but who were suddenly, for the first time, there in front of us, but that feeling disappeared and we were comfortable with all of you very quickly.

I was going to write this post without naming names because I'm terrified of leaving someone out, but I don't think I can do that, I want a record of this. I have a decidedly dodgy memory so if I met you and don't mention you, even though it's not intentional, please feel free to yell at me and demand to be recognised.

Anyway - in the Cricketers in order of meeting:

Sly, PieGirl39, Joffa, Kate (not BB Kate), Mags, piesPremiers2001, Cobood, JBJ, Foxy, Driver.

I'm sure I've left someone out.

Meeting at the Cricketers was a good way to meet you all and get a bit of nerve-easing grog into me before we had to front up to the President's do.

This post is far too long, but you're going to hear it whether you like it or not. I'll split it up to make it a bit more digestible.

More to come...

A night at the footy - Part Two



[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 20 August 2001).]

[ck_nd]

looking forward to reading part 2 Mike

Carol

Don't ask yourself what the club needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what Collingwood needs right now is people who have come alive.

[Sly]

It was good to finally meet the two of you, Mike & Nick, and have a beer with you, (well, soft-drink for Nick). Pity those candy-colored assclowns in white ruined the night with what's purported to be "umpiring."



S.
The Last Remaining Bad Guy.
The Incandescent One.
The Collingwood Rant.
The Unofficial AFL Ranting Board.

[Mike]

Thanks Mags - great meeting you too, I've always wondered what you looked like, now I've got a face to go with the avatar.

and Carol - where were you? You were supposed to be awol and going to the match.

and Sly - well mate, it's good to put a a persona to the face and name. Thanks for mine you bastard (thought I'd better add the face)

and Dan - thanks mate, you and Mags were pretty quiet and I didn't really get a chance to talk to you (or anyone else), but it was great to meet you.

[Greg J]

Bugger i missed you both. My fault for being to busy to read the posts lately. I walked into the Cricketers briefly, but you would have been gone by then, I presume.

JLC, you should have said something!

Greg J